Whether you’ve lived a very healthy lifestyle for decades, want to refresh your knowledge,
or are just starting your wellness journey, this experience is for you.
During both weeks you will:
- Learn evidence-based guidelines for nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and sleep
- Gain practical ideas that you can take home and implement immediately
- Experience lifestyle as medicine through delicious food, physical activity, and connecting with nature
- Understand how lifestyle behaviors impact brain healthy, mood, mobility, longevity, and other components of whole-health
- Join a community of others excited about optimizing their health through the joy of lifestyle as medicine
July 8th - 15th
Whole Food Plant Based (Salt, Oil and Sugar free)
Program package price includes for participants:
guided morning hikes, bird watching, kayaking, yoga, meet community members from the blue zone, farm to table culinary classes, meet blue zone residents and farewell smoothie, mock-tail, or cocktail.
WFPB-SOS Week: Schedule may change based on weather and/or excursions
Day 1
Optimizing Nutrition for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Learn from the blue zones how a delicious whole food plant predominant lifestyle will optimize your microbiome to improve your mood, increase your levels of energy and improve your health destiny. What are AGEs and what impact does this have on your health? Understand how to create a food environment that makes the healthy choice an easy choice. 1 hr
Tips, Tricks and Cooking Hacks to Living Plant Based - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Great Kitchen Hacks for the beginner or for the advanced. Once starting a plant-based lifestyle, it will generate a lot of questions. Join us to learn what are the best types of pots, pans and utensils, how to read and interpret a nutritional label and get the best resources and support for this lifestyle. Bring questions! Get answers. 1 hr
Day 2:
Optimizing Movement for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
In the blue zones, movement happens every 20 minutes throughout typical daily activities. Learn how to have joy in movement to help you live your best life. Learn a variety of movements that will optimize your bone, brain and metabolic health. 1 hr
Processed Foods. Good or bad? - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Once starting a plant-based lifestyle, it will generate a lot of questions. Join us to learn what are the pros and cons of processed foods and how they impact our health. Learn the 5 steps to basically read and interpret a nutritional label and get the best resources and support for this lifestyle. Bring questions! Get answers. 1 hr
Day 3:
Optimizing Sleep for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Sleep is a super power in the blue zones. Sleep increases stress resiliency, improves cognitive functioning and optimizes your mood. Sleep is so much more powerful than we ever have known. Learn the current, cutting edge research making sleep work for you. Learn tips and tricks to improve your sleep quality. 1 hr
Deep Dive: Just What is a Nutrition Label and How Do You Successfully Interpret Them? - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Learn how to read a food label and why labels are important for increasing your knowledge of nutritious foods. Learn the inside track on how the food industry is hiding things in plain sight through this practical hands-on class! Learn processed foods to permanently avoid, foods that can be used as a treat and ones that you should include daily! 1 hr
guided morning hikes, bird watching, kayaking, yoga, meet community members from the blue zone, farm to table culinary classes, meet blue zone residents and farewell smoothie, mock-tail, or cocktail.
WFPB-SOS Week: Schedule may change based on weather and/or excursions
- Yoga or Bird watching: 6 am - 8 am
- Breakfast: 8-9 am at resort restaurant (included)
- Education - Lecture with Dr. Michelle Tollefson and Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D. - 9:15-11:15
- Daily activities
- WFPB-SOS options for lunch and dinner too (not included in package)
Day 1
Optimizing Nutrition for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Learn from the blue zones how a delicious whole food plant predominant lifestyle will optimize your microbiome to improve your mood, increase your levels of energy and improve your health destiny. What are AGEs and what impact does this have on your health? Understand how to create a food environment that makes the healthy choice an easy choice. 1 hr
Tips, Tricks and Cooking Hacks to Living Plant Based - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Great Kitchen Hacks for the beginner or for the advanced. Once starting a plant-based lifestyle, it will generate a lot of questions. Join us to learn what are the best types of pots, pans and utensils, how to read and interpret a nutritional label and get the best resources and support for this lifestyle. Bring questions! Get answers. 1 hr
Day 2:
Optimizing Movement for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
In the blue zones, movement happens every 20 minutes throughout typical daily activities. Learn how to have joy in movement to help you live your best life. Learn a variety of movements that will optimize your bone, brain and metabolic health. 1 hr
Processed Foods. Good or bad? - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Once starting a plant-based lifestyle, it will generate a lot of questions. Join us to learn what are the pros and cons of processed foods and how they impact our health. Learn the 5 steps to basically read and interpret a nutritional label and get the best resources and support for this lifestyle. Bring questions! Get answers. 1 hr
Day 3:
Optimizing Sleep for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Sleep is a super power in the blue zones. Sleep increases stress resiliency, improves cognitive functioning and optimizes your mood. Sleep is so much more powerful than we ever have known. Learn the current, cutting edge research making sleep work for you. Learn tips and tricks to improve your sleep quality. 1 hr
Deep Dive: Just What is a Nutrition Label and How Do You Successfully Interpret Them? - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Learn how to read a food label and why labels are important for increasing your knowledge of nutritious foods. Learn the inside track on how the food industry is hiding things in plain sight through this practical hands-on class! Learn processed foods to permanently avoid, foods that can be used as a treat and ones that you should include daily! 1 hr
Day 4:
Optimizing Stress Resilience for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Stress is unavoidable even in the blue zones. However, we DO have the power to change our response to it. Learn how this will affect your psychological health, change your mood and create a balanced, stress-resilient life. Add some new tools to your stress reduction toolbox. 1 hr
Environmental Toxins and the Impact on our body - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Are the personal care and cleaning products you use each day actually safe? With so many chemical ingredients, it can be extremely frustrating to get a clear idea of what is included in each product. Even if you recognize some of the ingredients, how do you know which ones are safe to use? As a modern consumer, just how informed are you? There are many toxins lurking in our personal care products which are bio-accumulative and disrupt our body’s healthy functioning. In this eye-opening presentation, you will learn how to become an empowered, educated, and healthier consumer. You will get the knowledge and confidence you need to navigate the maze of choices you face every day. Shop smarter, live greener, and feel better. 1 hr
Day 5:
Optimizing Social and Nature Connection for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
People in the blue zones are connected with their faith, family and friends. Learn how to optimize your personal connections to add years to your life and life to your years. Understand how to harness the power of nature to restore health and happiness. Experience this through Costa Rica’s immense and unique biodiversity and learn how to take these concepts back home to apply in your daily life. 1 hr
Power Food for the Brain - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
In the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s Disease, you typically find this beta amyloid plaque. If you were to break apart this plaque, what would you find? Metals! Perhaps copper, iron, zinc! But wait! Don’t I need some of these in my body? How about aluminum, or mercury? Will this hurt me? How do they get in my body? Learn the latest research and the impact metals have on our brain! 1 hr
Day 6:
Optimizing Your Wellness Moving Forward - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Learn from the blue zones how to optimize your health. Put together all these lessons and experiences learned into an actionable plan to change your health destiny. The blue zones teach us how to live healthier, happier, more joy filled lives. Now it is your turn for you to achieve this same level of health and happiness. 1 hr
Build Your Cognitive Reserve - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Learn about cognitive reserve, which is a new concept in neurology, that may help us to hold on to memories for much longer. To do this, one must provide intellectual stimulation and build the connections between brain cells. Learn how to build your cognitive reserve in this presentation. 1 hr
Optimizing Stress Resilience for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Stress is unavoidable even in the blue zones. However, we DO have the power to change our response to it. Learn how this will affect your psychological health, change your mood and create a balanced, stress-resilient life. Add some new tools to your stress reduction toolbox. 1 hr
Environmental Toxins and the Impact on our body - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Are the personal care and cleaning products you use each day actually safe? With so many chemical ingredients, it can be extremely frustrating to get a clear idea of what is included in each product. Even if you recognize some of the ingredients, how do you know which ones are safe to use? As a modern consumer, just how informed are you? There are many toxins lurking in our personal care products which are bio-accumulative and disrupt our body’s healthy functioning. In this eye-opening presentation, you will learn how to become an empowered, educated, and healthier consumer. You will get the knowledge and confidence you need to navigate the maze of choices you face every day. Shop smarter, live greener, and feel better. 1 hr
Day 5:
Optimizing Social and Nature Connection for a Healthier, Longer, Joy-Filled Life - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
People in the blue zones are connected with their faith, family and friends. Learn how to optimize your personal connections to add years to your life and life to your years. Understand how to harness the power of nature to restore health and happiness. Experience this through Costa Rica’s immense and unique biodiversity and learn how to take these concepts back home to apply in your daily life. 1 hr
Power Food for the Brain - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
In the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s Disease, you typically find this beta amyloid plaque. If you were to break apart this plaque, what would you find? Metals! Perhaps copper, iron, zinc! But wait! Don’t I need some of these in my body? How about aluminum, or mercury? Will this hurt me? How do they get in my body? Learn the latest research and the impact metals have on our brain! 1 hr
Day 6:
Optimizing Your Wellness Moving Forward - Dr. Michelle Tollefson
Learn from the blue zones how to optimize your health. Put together all these lessons and experiences learned into an actionable plan to change your health destiny. The blue zones teach us how to live healthier, happier, more joy filled lives. Now it is your turn for you to achieve this same level of health and happiness. 1 hr
Build Your Cognitive Reserve - Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D.
Learn about cognitive reserve, which is a new concept in neurology, that may help us to hold on to memories for much longer. To do this, one must provide intellectual stimulation and build the connections between brain cells. Learn how to build your cognitive reserve in this presentation. 1 hr
Other Incredible Opportunities (additional fee required)
Nutrition & Cultural experiences
- Farm tours. Visit to their gardens
- Coffee tour, gardens, farm, spice tour & medicinal plants
- Hiking tour with biologist in the cloud forest
- Private yoga classes
- Guided morning walks
- Rincon de la Vieja adventure park: all day, lunch, zip lines, water slide, thermal baths, volcanic mud “bath”, cultural lesson.
Wellness
Sleep
Social connection & Nature conservation
- Private yoga classes
- Mud-thermal waters
- Crafts at Punta Islita Art museum
- Waterfall (such as Llanos de Cortes in Guanacaste)
Sleep
- Bed time Stretching and relaxation
Social connection & Nature conservation
- McCaw rescue Ara project.
- Wild life Refuge Turtle preservation.
- Crafts at Punta Islita.
