The Marco Island Woman’s Club (MIWC) kicked off a fresh lively start to 2024 with a delicious Blue Zones luncheon at Naples Lakes Country Club. Blue Zones is a research-based lifestyle movement with the goal of empowering everyone, everywhere to live better and longer. With food prepared by Naples Lakes’ very own Blue Zones designated chef, MIWC proudly celebrated their own status of being a Blue Zones designated club. It was a healthy combination!

Club President Sharyn Kampmeyer welcomed those in attendance, including new members Meg Smith and Tammy Barstow. MIWC Corresponding Secretary Carol Hobday set the tone with her invocation. With words from A Prayer for the New Year, by Rev. Marcy Sheremetta, Hobday encouraged us to “Lead the world from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth, and from wrong to right.” May those words live in our hearts throughout the new year as we strive to nurture and improve this beautiful community in which we live. 

MIWC Vice-President Dr. Debbie Rosen took center stage with her own presentation of the Blue Zones Power 9, best described as lifestyle habits of the world’s healthiest, longest-lived people. Dr. Rosen is a behavioral psychologist and wellness provider, specializing in nutrition, holistic wellness, and obesity. She has a PhD in performance psychology and is an expert in behavior modification for healthier habits, weight loss, athletic performance, and overall wellness. She shared the strategies of Power Nine, including: move naturally (park at the far end of the parking lot, and don’t forget to get up and dance!), have a purpose, downshift (a way to cope with stress), live by the 80% rule (Hara hachi bu, or stop eating when you are 80% full), plant slant (eat meat only five times per month), wine @5 (as good as this sounds, it is more about gathering with friends than it is about the wine!), belong (to a faith based group), put loved ones first, and find the right tribe (enjoy a social network of people with healthy habits). Some of these principles seem instinctive, yet some may seem a little more difficult to achieve. It is really all about making healthy choices. We all agreed that membership in the Marco Island Woman’s Club is a good start to achieving these goals! We thank Dr. Rosen for inspiring us with her knowledge, energy, and positivity. 

Two days later, several of us ventured to Culver’s for dinner. Now this may seem like it went against everything we had just learned, but it really did not. Culver’s offered a special evening where a percentage of their sales was generously donated to our MIWC Charitable Foundation. MIWC Community Outreach Chair Kristina Jones and student volunteers from the Marco Island Academy Key Club were on hand to assist and support the cause. Funds from this event will be used to provide scholarships to students living on Marco Island and other charitable causes. Gathering with friends for the purpose of giving back to our community is a zone in which we will always thrive! We are grateful to Culver’s for their generous support. 

We invite all women who live on Marco Island (own or rent, full-time or part-time) to join us in our zone of goodwill and friendship. Upcoming events include our monthly luncheon on Feb. 7, featuring Dress for Success, an organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence; our annual Fashion Show on Feb. 19, J McLoughlin International Women’s Day Shopping Event- March 8, and our Cards and Games Luncheon on March 14. For more information, please visit https://marcowomansclub.com.