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Upper Napa Valley

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Eat Wisely
1 Learn more about eating wisely

People make more than 200 food decisions every day, and what we eat impacts our health and productivity. Since the early 1900s, common plate sizes have grown from 9.5 inches to 12.5 inches, and we’ve increased how much we eat by 27 percent. About 60 percent of the food we purchase is highly processed, fatty, salty, or sugary, and the typical American restaurant entrée weighs in at a whopping 1,000 calories!

Blue Zones Project® programs have sparked large and small changes across an array of spaces that make healthy food choices more enticing and accessible. By working together, we make eating wisely second nature, encouraging people to adopt a plant slant approach to meals, eat only until 80 percent full, and enjoy a day-ending social hour with friends at five.

Fruits and vegetables on a wooden board

Plant Slant

Power up your well-being by adding a plant slant to your plate. While most people in the blue zones areas only consume small amounts of meat on rare occasions, all of them eat a rich array of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are packed with disease-fighting nutrients. Beans, nuts, and whole grains round out a life-lengthening plant-based diet. (Did you know that snacking on a handful of nuts every day can give you an extra 2–3 years of life expectancy?) Aim to fill 95 percent of your plate with plants or plant products.

80% Rule

Think about the difference between “I’m full” versus “I’m no longer hungry.” Do what the centenarians do and gauge your intake by following the 80% Rule. It’s a strategy that focuses on taking things out of your everyday diet instead of putting things in. Saying “Hara hachi bu”—the 2,500-year-old Confucian mantra—before meals reminds Okinawans to stop eating when their stomachs are 80-percent full. The 20-percent gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it.

Two adults enjoying a coffee

Friends at Five

The world’s longest lived people chose—or were born into—social circles that support healthy behaviors. One way you can tap into the health benefits they enjoy is through Friends at Five. Simply get a few friends to commit to joining you for a regular end-of-day activity like walking, making crafts, gardening, or collaborating in the kitchen. Even just sitting together and talking about your days will do the trick. This hour of connectedness will raise spirits and deliver a health and longevity boost to everyone involved.

2 Learn to make a new plant-slant meal
Family serving dinner at home

Okinawan-Inspired Breakfast

Learn how to make an easy and healthy breakfast, ready in 30 minutes or less.

Download the Plant Slant Shopping List

Get this Recipe
3 Find new friends to share a meal with

Join an upcoming event

Now that you’ve learned a new plant-based recipe, find a few new friends to share a meal with.

A Potluck Moai® is a group of about 5–9 individuals who regularly gather together to share healthy recipes and conversation in a potluck setting. Ideally, the group commits to meeting three to five times over the course of 10 weeks and takes turns hosting the event in their homes, or meets up for meal breaks at work.

Cooking Classes/Demos Learn how to cook with veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, and nuts. With a little nudge from Blue Zones Project, we’ll help you add easy and healthy cooking principles to your meal repertoire.

Upcoming events
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Plant Slant Cooking Demo with Blue Zones Project Upper Napa Valley

March 28, 2023, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Yountville Community Center
Blue Zones Project® in Upper Napa Valley invites community members to a “plant slant” cooking demonstration led by members of our team.
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Plant Slant Cooking Demo with Blue Zones Project Upper Napa Valley

April 17, 2023, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Calistoga Community Center
Blue Zones Project® in Upper Napa Valley invites community members to a “plant slant” cooking demonstration led by members of our team.
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Calistoga Wellness Week: Plant Slant Cooking Demo w/ Blue Zones Project UNV

April 21, 2023, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Calistoga Community Center
Blue Zones Project® in Upper Napa Valley invites community members to a “plant slant” cooking demonstration led by members of our team.
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Plant Slant Cooking Demo with Blue Zones Project Upper Napa Valley

April 25, 2023, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Yountville Community Center
Blue Zones Project® in Upper Napa Valley invites community members to a “plant slant” cooking demonstration led by members of our team.
eat wisely icon

Plant Slant Cooking Demo with Blue Zones Project Upper Napa Valley

May 1, 2023, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Calistoga Community Center
Blue Zones Project® in Upper Napa Valley invites community members to a “plant slant” cooking demonstration led by members of our team.
eat wisely icon

Plant Slant Cooking Demo with Blue Zones Project Upper Napa Valley

May 23, 2023, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Yountville Community Center
Blue Zones Project® in Upper Napa Valley invites community members to a “plant slant” cooking demonstration led by members of our team.
View All
4 Get rewarded for participating
Join the Live Longer, Better Rewards Program

Live Longer, Better® Rewards is a comprehensive program that uses the Sharecare app to incorporate Blue Zones Power 9® principles to support your well-being journey, wherever you go.

Set goals, track your progress, and get rewarded! Join your community in Blue Zones Project activities created to help you Eat Wisely, Connect, Move Naturally, and have the Right Outlook.

Hands holding peas Watch videos
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A chef and two volunteers demonstrating how to cook a meal Attend an event
Let’s Get Started
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