Our
Projects
WHERE Can We Find the Blue Zones in Action?
The Blue Zones Challenge is based on the research: the identification of the world's most extraordinary cultures whose health and longevity and happiness are outsized.
The original five blue zones can be found all over the planet, demonstrating how we can live healthy lives no matter what climate or country we are in. Those community are Sardinia, Italy; the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and Ikaria, Greece.
Luckily for them, they live in places where moving naturally all day. eating healthily, and connecting with neighbors is the norm.
The Blue Zones Challenge will help you to change your health and well-being by showing you how you can remake your environment, social group, and individual lifestyle.
Four Weeks to a Better, Happier, Less-Stressed Life
Welcome to the Blue Zones Challenge, four weeks to a better, happier, and less-stressed life. The Blue Zones Challenge is rooted in the groundbreaking research of the healthiest, longest-lived people on earth. It's not an elimination diet or a fitness plan. It's four weeks toward a better you. Instead of focusing on behavior change and habit formation, we will help you improve the places and spaces in which you spend the most time (including your social circle!) to create the life you want!
FOUR WEEKS FOR A BETTER YOU!
Challenge yourself to live longer, healthier, and happier! This challenge will help you to make changes in four areas of your life.
WEEK 1. Right Outlook
The Okinawans call it ikigai and the Nicoyans call it plan de vida; for both it translates to "why I wake up in the morning." Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.
Diego Boquer, a John Maxwell Certified Coach, will help you to find your purpose and direct you to have the right outlook in life.
WEEK 2. Move Naturally
The world's longest-lived people don't pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They grow gardens and don't have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.
Week 2 will be dedicated to finding ways to move your body naturally, lose weight, and get in shape! Personal Trainer Sharon Gingrich will show you how!
WEEK 3. Eat Wisely
People in the blue zones eat healthier than the rest of the world's population. They follow the 80 percent rule and eat mostly a plant-based diet. Emily Perryman, Registered Dietitian, will guide you as you transition to a healthier diet and lifestyle.
WEEK 4. Connect
The world's longest-lived people chose, or were born into, social circles that support healthy behaviors. Everybody needs to find their tribe. Research shows that loneliness is contagious. So the social networks favorable shape our health behaviors. Megan Lovely, from Recipes for Community, will teach you how to find your tribe and live in community.
GET TO KNOW OUR TEAM
_edited.jpg)
CRISTINA MACENA
Cristina Macena, is a Nutrition Educator and Natural Juice Therapy Practitioner, she is also the Projects Manager for the Urban Life Center. Cristina has been juicing for more than 15 years and has prepared many juices for the people who come to the Urban Life Center Juice Bar!
Cristina will be the facilitator for this challenge.
DIEGO BOQUER
Diego Boquer is a Certified John Maxwell Coach and Speaker. He loves motivating and equipping people to have the right outlook and to find their purpose in life.
Diego will be presenting on week 1: Right Outlook
SHARON GINGRICH
Sharon started her own journey while pursuing her B.S in Biochemistry from Lehigh University back in 2016. After graduating, she turned her focus towards soccer refereeing and has since officiated at the highest levels including the A10, Big East, Patriot League, and SEC NCAA Conferences, making frequent appearances on broadcasted matches via ESPN+ and FS1. She recently refereed the 2021 Division 3 NCAA Soccer National Championships and 2021 Division 1 NCAA National Quarterfinals. Within various communities, Sharon dedicates much of her time in educating the importance of functional resistance training, it’s multi-faceted benefits, and how it can be used to accomplish a wide array of goals.
Sharon will present on week 2: Move Naturally
EMILY PERRYMAN
Emily Perryman is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition. She is very passionate about helping others adopt healthier lifestyles by empowering them to eat more plants, engage in regular physical activity, and to practice stress-management techniques. She loves sharing plant-based recipes and meals with others to show them how tasty, easy, and fun this way of eating is!
Emily will present on week 3: Eat Wisely
MEGAN LOVELY
As a community-based artist living in Baltimore, MD, I explore how stories encourage investment in our local communities. “Recipes for Community” is both a framework and a series of projects that I developed based on my time shopping and working at the city’s farmers markets. It is based on the premise that community cannot be defined. Like a recipe, it adapts based on the ingredients available. I am interested in the stories of these adaptations, and in creating space for people to come together and create new recipes and stories using the given assets of the people and place around them.
Megan will present on week 4: Connect