New healthy living app from Blue Shield insurance

Do you want to live longer and be healthier? If you have Blue Shield of California insurance, you can download their new app to help with that.

The new app is called Blue Zones Challenge and it offers people a chance to emulate the habits from Blue Zones. 

Blue Zones principles focus on goals including daily movement, socialization, and thoughtful food choices. Dan Buettner has spent over 25 years researching the cultures of the world’s longest living populations, which he called “blue zone regions.”

Blue Shield members can access the app through the nonprofit health plan’s digital lifestyle medicine platform, Wellvolution, at no additional cost. For the last five years, Wellvolution has offered a suite of programs that address mental health, diabetes, hypertension, weight management, musculoskeletal health, and tobacco cessation. The addition of the Blue Zones Challenge app creates a new category of program focused on improving whole-person health and longevity, rather than a solution to address a specific chronic condition. 

 “With the Blue Zones Challenge app, members can not only build sustainable habits relating to healthy eating and natural movement, but also build personal connections and community,” said Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, senior director of Lifestyle Medicine, Blue Shield of California. “We are in the midst of a nationwide loneliness crisis, which impacts both the mind and the body, so we are thrilled to provide a solution that emphasizes healthy living, including community building.” 

Upon downloading the Blue Zones Challenge app, Blue Shield members will complete assessments regarding longevity, happiness, nutrition and purpose, set up their surroundings to aid in seamless healthy habits, and write their personal purpose statement. From there, members will track Blue Zones activities daily – examples include eating a cup of beans, going on a walk, and spending 30 minutes on a hobby. Each completed activity has a point value, with the goal of hitting 400 points per week. The app encourages activity outside of the phone screen – improving social connections and one’s surroundings by completing these simple tasks.

“The Blue Zones Challenge app is evidence based and science backed,” said Ben Leedle, chief executive officer of Blue Zones. “By working with Blue Shield of California to offer the app to members at no additional cost, we can help Californians build community and live happier, healthier, and less stressed lives through simple changes to their lifestyle and diet habits.”

Members can go to Wellvolution.com/BlueZones to sign in or create a new account to get started with The Blue Zones Challenge app, which is currently available to all fully insured individual and family plan members, as well as Administrative Services Only (ASO) groups who buy Wellvolution.