You might be in one of the Blue Zones and not know it.

That’s the word from Jennifer Mann, organization and well-being lead, Blue Zones Project Allentown.

Mann addressed the April 16 meeting of the Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council.

People may live in Salisbury and work in Allentown or vice versa, Mann explained, hence the inclusion of the EAC in her presentation about Blue Zones Project Allentown, which had its community kickoff April 19 at the PPL Center, Allentown.

According to the website of the Blue Zones Project Allentown, the goal is: “Making the healthy choice the easy choice for everyone in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton and improving well-being in the Lehigh Valley.”

The website explains, “Rather than relying on individual behavior change, Blue Zones Project focuses on creating surroundings that default to healthier behaviors.

“Blue Zones Project focuses on influencing the Life Radius, the area close to home in which people spend 90% of their lives. Blue Zones Project best practices use People, Places and Policy as levers to transform those surroundings,” the website states.

Blue Zones Project Allentown is sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network part of Jefferson Health, City Center Group, Leonard Parker Pool Institute for Health and Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Blue Zones concept is derived from studies and a book by Dan Buettner, which identified regions where people seem to live beyond the age of 80, attributed to lifestyles of physical activity, low stress, social interaction, local whole foods diet and low disease incidence. The name blue zones was derived from the original survey by scientists, who “used a blue pen on a map to mark the villages with long-lived population.”

Buettner, a National Geographic Explorer, is author of “The Blue Zones” book series, including “The Blue Zones of Happiness.” The five original Blue Zones identified by Buettner are: Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan and Loma Linda, Calif.

Blue Zones Project Allentown is the 76th Blue Zones Project.

“Our goal is to implement permanent or semipermanent changes to live longer in better health,” Mann said to the EAC.

“We have to educate what Blue Zones are,” Mann said.

Mann cited many interesting factors, including: “Those people who tend to live longer had a connection to spiritual or faith-based organizations.”

The Blue Zones Project Allentown website suggests ways to get involved, including Blue Zones Project Personal Pledge:

Learn - Read the book “Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest” and “The Blue Zones Solution” and watch Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner’s “Ted Talk.”

Measure - The three-minute online “True Vitality Test” estimates how long one may live and gives tips to live longer.

Participate - Join a Blue Zones Project Moai. A Moai, a lifelong circle of friends, consisting of five to eight members providing social, emotional and sometimes financial support to each other, is said to be a core element of the longevity and well-being found in Okinawa. Attend a Purpose Workshop. Volunteer with Blue Zones Project or another organization. Become a Blue Zones Project Ambassador.

Personal Checklist - Select at least five actions from a list on the website to complete within the next six months.

The website includes “Five Promises” it urges people to make:

Start the journey today and make the following promises:

•I will live a better, longer life.

•I will begin to have more energy, feel stronger and become healthier.

•I will meet new people and nurture supportive friendships.

•I will discover my purpose and put it to work.

•I will be the change that makes my community a better place to live.

Information on Blue Zones Project Lehigh Valley can be found:

https://bluezonesprojectlehighvalley.com/

The EAC is next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. June 18.

April Salisbury Township meetings in the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., include: 7 p.m. April 23, planning commission and 7 p.m. April 24, board of commissioners.