Jan. 30 summit approaches, Leaders move forward with Blue Zone plans

PHOTO SUBMITTED A Blue Zone summit will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at the First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. The Power 9 Advisory Board will update community members about the Spirit Lake effort. This will be the second summit, the first was held in November 2011.

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At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 at the First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, the Power 9 Advisory Board will be hosting a summit for the public to attend. The program will include brief overview of what a Blue Zone community is and why it is important.

This will be the second summit hosted by local Blue Zone organizers. Officials hope to make the summits a regular occurrence.

"We want everyone to come," said Vice President of Administrators at Lakes Regional Healthcare Jennifer Gustafson. "We want community members to come together to discuss different initiatives for the Blue Zone."

The summit will feature working groups and open discussion. It is an opportunity for residents to voice their opinions pertaining the Blue Zone initiatives. Board members will utilize the summit to help further the process in Spirit Lake gaining certification as a Blue Zone.

"This is also an opportunity for residents to volunteer," Gustafson said. "It's for those that want to make an impact. It's a way for the community to begin to see visible changes."

Pat McGill, a motivational speaker, will be in attendance to discuss the possibilities of a Blue Zone community. The advisory board also has put together a monthly speaker series that will begin in February.

The Power 9 Advisory Board is modeled after the nine principles Blue Zone communities utilize to maintain a healthy and happy atmosphere. The principles are: move naturally, know your purpose, down shift, the 80 percent rule, plant slant, wine at five, family first, belong and right tribe.

Lakes Regional Healthcare has been in close contact with Albert Lea, a certified Blue Zone community. The Minnesota city has offered tips as Spirit Lake tries to gain recognition. As it turns out, Albert Lea had certain guidelines and criteria they used in selecting the members for the advisory board.

"They specifically drew out what areas of the community needed to be represented," Gustafson said.

Albert Lea leaders identified representatives from the school system, city government, local businesses, and public health officials. The advisory board will help the community to become more proactive when making health choices.

"Until we actually take action, it is meaningless," Gustafson said. "The whole process has a number of steps. We don't want people to confuse Blue Zones with just exercise and eating right, it's so much more than that. It's about improving mental, spiritual and physical health all in one."

Officials are looking to put the power 9 principles into action during Monday's summit. They want certain activities or initiatives to be based around a specific principle.

"We don't expect everyone to adopt all the principles," Gustafson said. "Over time it will go a long way toward health and happiness. The community already has been quite supportive."

LRH has been working closely with the Bedell Family YMCA as well as many businesses throughout the community. They are partnering with local community gardens and teaming with restaurants to come up with Blue Zone menu items.

They also held a Blue Year's Eve event at the YMCA on Dec. 31 and hosted a number of Blue Zone-related activities. At the Winter Games Chili Cook-Off on Friday, Jan. 27, there will be a Blue Zone booth with their own concoction of a "Plant Slant" chili. There will also be a drawing for the Blue Zone book written by Dan Buettner, who discusses the importance in becoming a Blue Zone community.

"Becoming a Blue Zone community is a slow cultural shift," Gustafson said. "It will ultimately lead to residents leading healthy, happy lives and they will live longer."

Fifty-four communities throughout Iowa have submitted applications to become Blue Zone communities. On Feb. 10, 10 finalists will be announced and they will host site visits for Blue Zone representatives between Feb. 27 and March 16. The final selections will be determined in May.

To help further Spirit Lake in the process, residents can help out in multiple ways.

A text reading "bzp" can be sent to 772937 and a Spirit Lake Blue Zone Facebook page has been set up. Frequent updates will be posted on the page as well as through the twitter account, @SLBlueZone.

WHAT IS THE BLUE ZONES PROJECT?

The Blue Zones Project is a collaboration between Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Healthways to help make Iowa first in the nation for well-being as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index. As a significant part of Iowa's Healthiest State Initiative, it will bring the secrets of the healthiest, happiest, and longest-living cultures in the world to 10 Iowa communities as well as related tools and information for all Iowans. Spirit Lake has been pursuing consideration as a Blue Zones Community since early October.