Amanda Dinsmore (00:09.134):
Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. I am Amanda.
Laura Cazier (00:15.246):
I'm Laura.
Kendra Morrison (00:16.336):
And I'm Kendra.
Amanda Dinsmore (00:17.934):
And I think way back on episode 20-ish, I was in a big rush to get a whole bunch of reviews and ratings. And then, shockingly, since I get distracted by squirrels, I forgot to reiterate that. Please, guys, it really does help us to get more ratings and reviews. I personally have a difficult time on Google, so if you would just pop over to Apple Podcasts one time, just to leave us a rating and review, that'd be awesome.
So we are going to continue today with our Blue Zones Book Club. We read the books so you don't have to. With that, Kendra, take us away.
Kendra Morrison (00:54.864):
Okay, so we are talking today about a Blue Zone... hang on one second. I just lost my place. Pause.
Amanda Dinsmore (01:07.79):
It's going to be Loma Linda, California this time.
Kendra Morrison (01:08.24):
Okay, there we go. Got it. The premise for this whole thing is we care about you and want you to live better. Spending all of your time taking care of others and not taking care of yourself is not a recipe for success. We want you to be your best. So we read things, we watch things, we do things in order to bring them here to you so that you can take the very best care of yourself. We do the work so that you can just get the high yield info and implement it.
Just a disclaimer we've said every time we've talked about this: we are doctors, but we're not your doctors and this isn't medical advice. This is sharing of information. It's not a public service announcement; it's just sharing the goodness that we found would be most helpful for you and purely educational. Just a reminder, the Blue Zones are pockets throughout the world where greater than expected percentages of people live to a hundred. These are clumps of centenarians, basically, not just reaching 100, but they're also active and living well. Blue Zones quote, they're living long, healthy lives with sharp brains until the end, which is, you know, all of our goals, right? I mean, hashtag goals. I definitely want my brain intact or just take me to heaven, right? In this series, the Blue Zone secrets are living longer lessons from the healthiest places on earth. By the way, we'll have the link to the book and there's also a Netflix series.
Amanda Dinsmore (02:24.302):
It's mine.
Amanda Dinsmore (02:29.038):
You.
Kendra Morrison (02:40.944):
Dan... I forgot how you say his name... Amanda?
Amanda Dinsmore (02:40.974):
I think we say Buettner.
Kendra Morrison (02:45.392):
Okay, Dan Buettner mentions that Americans spend $332 billion yearly on exercise, supplements, vitamins, and anything else probably from the last TikTok or Insta video they saw that claimed to be the key to longevity or the key to reversing aging or the key to making you Superman for as long as possible. But I think we may be focusing on the wrong things. We've got to keep it simple, sillies, right? The truth is, genetics only account for about a fourth of the differences in longevity between people. We see people every day in the ED who come in, have a heart attack, and drop dead. And we think, gosh, bad genetics.
Laura Cazier (03:18.766):
Thank you.
Kendra Morrison (03:37.552):
They may have been marathon runners or at least exercised regularly, ate well, and were of normal build. However, that's just not the truth. Only a fourth of the differences are truly genetics, and the rest is determined by environment and lifestyle. And, you know, we talk about the standard American diet, which is often referred to in a negative light for a reason. Hopefully, when we talk about these Blue Zones, we can show you a recurring theme. It's not out of reach, it's not hard, and you don't have to defy genetics to have a sharp mind, stay healthy, keep moving, and be active. It's actually not unattainable.
So, some of the common denominators we've talked about before regarding people in the Blue Zones are that they eat a whole food plant-based diet. What does that mean? Basically, it's things that can be grown.
Kendra Morrison (05:19.056):
Basically, it's not... I mean, people want to mistake it, and I've read some things lately that some people refer to themselves as vegan because it sounds easier or people can relate easier to a vegan lifestyle. But it's actually just things that can be grown. They eat nuts, beans, honey, and other things, but they just may not eat as much dairy and definitely don't eat fried chicken.
The other thing is, instead of trotting off to the gym, they just move naturally and frequently throughout the day. These are people who think about ways to incorporate movement. Even here in America, even if you don't live in these places where there's a park right outside and you can just go or you live on a farm and you go out and work on your gardens, you can park at the very back of the parking lot, or think about ways where you can get steps in on the way to the grocery store and on the way back. Go to the farmers market, walk around the farmers market instead of just the grocery store. These are things that happen naturally, but they also happen regularly. There are daily rituals like prayer, meditation, honoring ancestors, and napping (yay for napping) that help them downshift and lower stress.
The thing about these communities is that they are communities. We've talked about this before: the importance of community and being surrounded by people who hold your same values, take care of each other, and are just there. These Blue Zones are not isolated villages of one to two houses. These are actual cities where people have the same values in mind, and they value community.
They also tend to honor and keep their elders close. These are multi-generational families, and maybe not just families of origin, but families you've grown up with, neighbors you call family, people you work with who you call family. This contributes to a healthy social support system. This is not an isolated thing. I think back to one of the things we talked about after COVID, loneliness being one of the risk factors for a lot of things. Having that healthy social support system is essential. I know people have come out on the other side of the pandemic saying they don't need people, they're better off alone, people hurt people, and they focus on the negative. But if we get back to the idea of family and being present, that is a healthy support system. That really reduces incidents of mental illness. They give each other a sense of purpose. Every day, they wake up with a sense of purpose, which is the antidote to loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
Kendra Morrison (07:16.784):
I know personally in my life, my husband's family and one of my best friend's families are going through a time of grief right now. Two really close losses have occurred this week. I just watch the different ways they deal with grief. But what I know for sure is just showing up at the coffee place to have a cup of coffee and listen, or just being present while my husband talks about why this person was so important to him. I'm not problem-solving, I'm just listening, and I see the real lift of that grief.
Amanda Dinsmore (08:00.462):
Yeah.
Kendra Morrison (08:18.21):
We know how they're processing the grief. So I think just this week has shown that in my life. We've already touched on Sardinia and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, and now we're going to bring it home to the United States in Loma Linda, California.
Laura Cazier (08:35.918):
Loma Linda is about 60 miles east of Los Angeles and houses a population of around 9,000 Seventh-day Adventists who live about a decade longer than the average American. It's interesting. Where I live, there is a large Adventist community, and it's neat to see the influence it has even on the grocery stores. There's a lot more plant-based offerings than you might otherwise see, certainly in Alabama, because we have the Seventh-day Adventists here. The Adventists credit eight what they call natural remedies revealed in a prophecy to Ellen G. White, one of their founders. They credit these natural remedies for their longevity. They are pure air, sunlight, rest, exercise,
Amanda Dinsmore (09:09.934):
Yeah.
Amanda Dinsmore (09:14.35):
Nice.
Laura Cazier (09:34.765):
a plant-based diet, drinking water, trust in God, and abstinence, which means not being self-indulgent, especially related to eating and drinking. So, yeah, that's a good one. Abstinence. They abstain...
Amanda Dinsmore (09:42.926):
Word of the day. Yes.
Amanda Dinsmore (09
:48.014):
To business.
Laura Cazier (10:00.942):
Adventists have a large percentage of non-drinkers, non-smokers, and vegetarians. Ellen White taught them that taking care of one's body is a religious duty. It's part of their religion to be healthy and keep this lifestyle. They believe their bodies are a temple of the Lord, which must be kept clean and strong.
Interestingly, because there's such a large group of people who have these particular health habits, they are a subject of research. The NIH funded the Adventist Health Study from 1974 to 1988. It found that Adventists who are largely non-smokers had a 70% lower rate of lung cancer.
It also found that people who get their fiber from fruits, veggies, and grains reduce their risk of colon cancer by 40%, while those who ate meat several times a week increased theirs by 60%. But not fish; fish had a protective effect. So other kinds of meat... I was curious. That's interesting. Finally, it found that eating nuts several times a week cut the risk of a heart attack by up to 50%. They started a newer Adventist health study, which is a larger study, in 2000 and that is ongoing. But Adventist longevity isn't just their plant-forward diet. Their entire lifestyle includes staying active, not smoking, keeping their Sabbath,
Amanda Dinsmore (11:45.07):
Yeah.
Laura Cazier (11:54.126):
which is from Sunset Friday to Sunset Saturday as a day of rest and trusting in God. I will also add community. They have strong family communities and church communities as well. During the Sabbath, they go to church on Saturday and then commune with each other, having potlucks, doing charitable work, or other activities. This creates time together free from usual obligations.
Amanda Dinsmore (12:08.91):
Mm-hmm.
Laura Cazier (12:23.79):
I would just like to add a second endorsement for the idea of a Sabbath. A Sabbath doesn't have to be a religious observance if you're not a religious person, but choosing a day of the week that you are going to constrain your activity to make it a day focused on rest and family is really transformational.
Amanda Dinsmore (12:36.718):
Yeah.
Laura Cazier (12:52.654):
I personally do that and I honestly think I don't know if I would be alive without having done that. Just because I have a hard time making myself slow down the rest of the week. There's always something to do, always someone to attend to or help, and so many digital distractions happening that having a day where
Amanda Dinsmore (13:20.142):
Yeah.
Laura Cazier (13:22.254):
you're not doing all the same things you normally do. For me, it looks like not working at the hospital on that day and spending that time with my family and my kids. I definitely get a nap on that day. It's something to consider. Not everyone can implement it in their lifestyles, but even if you have a half day a week where you're doing things that are restorative, it is a very beneficial practice.
Kendra Morrison (14:05.776):
Imagine if everyone observed a Sabbath day or a day of rest, or imagine if you had a community of people that valued that as much as you do. See what an interesting dynamic that would be, just having everyone support each other, knowing how that is valued. Maybe we would have a different society, one that wasn't so entitled and busy. Pumping the brakes a little bit, but also supporting each other and honoring that one day a week. One day a week, right? Doesn't really sound like much if you think about it.
Amanda Dinsmore (14:47.502):
Yep, so the takeaways from Loma Linda are:
1. Just like Laura said, find a sanctuary in time. Many religions have a Sabbath equivalent. It's interesting that this is an integral part of many ways of living that contribute to longevity. So maybe it is important. If you are an achiever, give yourself credit for taking a day off and observing a Sabbath. That's a way to hack your mindset. You do get a checkbox for that day because you're doing something for your longevity, your family, and your community. Just like the Adventists do, take a sanctuary in time to focus on family, God, camaraderie, nature, and community service. Whatever speaks to you, something different from your average, and it's protected.
2. Watch your BMI. We know BMI is not the be-all and end-all, but Adventists tend to have normal range BMIs, probably from their word of the day, abstinence, and their active lifestyle. They tend to be more in the normal range than the average American.
3. Get regular moderate exercise. Adventists tend to do low-intensity exercise daily, like walking. We know this is good. Now that we know about zone two exercise, this makes a lot of sense. Their low-intensity daily exercise is credited with reducing their chances of heart attack and cancer.
4. Spend time with like-minded friends. Adventists tend to hang with other Adventists who share their values and support their beliefs. Doesn't mean you have to exclude people outside of whatever it is that you believe in or that you even have to believe in something. But people who are supportive of you, how about this? People who aren't toxic to you, that's just a good idea to hang with people like that.
Laura Cazier (17:20.27):
I love that concept of being with people who feel like sunshine.
Amanda Dinsmore (17:27.374):
Yeah, yeah. I saw, this is another tangent, but it was like, we all brag about really long marriages, but has it sucked the soul out of your life or is it something that you've grown? And I was like, that hurts.
Somebody was brutal that day, but anywho, yes, be around the people that give you sunshine. That's fabulous advice.
5. Snack on nuts. Adventists who eat nuts at least five times weekly have about half the risk of heart disease and live two years longer than those who don't. So nuts and seeds are a good thing.
6. Give something back. Volunteerism is really encouraged in Adventism. Helping others has the advantage of staying active, finding purpose, and staving off depression because you're focusing on others rather than just yourself.
7. In this particular scenario, a takeaway would be to avoid meat. The longest-lived Adventists are vegetarian or pescetarian.
8. Eat an early light dinner. They focus their biggest meals earlier in the day, and it seems as if the light dinner they have early in the evening promotes sleep and a lower BMI. When they said this, it made me think about little old people heading to the cafeteria at 5 p.m. for a little snack. It seems to promote sleep and a lower BMI.
9. Drink plenty of water. That might be where some of these recommendations come from because in the Adventist Health Study, it showed that men who drank five to six glasses of water daily had a 60 to 70% reduction in the risk of heart attack compared to those who drank less. So that is just fascinating to me.
Amanda Dinsmore (19:47.79):
And that's that.
Kendra Morrison (19:49.04):
Yeah, so those are really good hints. We're putting them out there as takeaways, but hey, maybe you just connected with at least one of them. If snack on nuts resounded with you, then take that and run with it. We're not asking you to do all nine or ten of these things. If you find yourself having a day where you're feeling blue or isolated or lonely, why don't you go to the cafeteria at 5 p.m., have that light dinner, and spend some time with all the lovely grandmas and grandpas. Like-minded community and the company of elders can share their wisdom and probably be that sunshine for the day that you need.
Amanda Dinsmore (20:25.518):
Yeah.
Kendra Morrison (20:33.958):
Alright, exactly.
Amanda Dinsmore (20:35.342):
You would make Mabel's day.
Laura Cazier (20:37.646):
Thank you.
Kendra Morrison (20:38.96):
So thanks for joining us once again, talking about one of the Blue Zones. We hope you enjoyed it. And we also want to encourage you to leave a review. Like Amanda said, it really does help other doctors find us. It moves us up on the list. We know you got at least one trick of the trade today. So find us, leave a review on Spotify or Apple, and it will really help us. Also, if you want to find out more information about our Wellness 911 course, check it out on our website,
www.thewholephysician.com to get more information. We take demoralized doctors from fried to fantastic with our easy and evidence-based Wellness 911 program. Until next time, you are whole, you are a gift to medicine, and the work you do matters.
