Research Shows Gardening Boosts Mood as Much as Exercise | By Morgan Kelly, Princeton Environmental Institute | Blue Zones

By Morgan Kelly, Princeton Environmental Institute

As civic leaders and urban planners work to make cities more sustainable and livable by investing in outdoor spaces and recreational activities such as biking and walking, Princeton researchers have identified the benefit of an activity largely overlooked by policymakers—home gardening.

The researchers found that, across the study’s population, the level of emotional well-being, or happiness, reported while gardening was similar to what people reported while biking, walking, or dining out, according to a study published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning. Home gardening was the only activity out of the 15 studied for which women and people with low incomes reported higher emotional well-being than men and medium- and high-income participants, respectively.

“This has implications for equity in food action planning considering that people with lower incomes tend to have less access to healthy food options,” said corresponding author Anu Ramaswami, Princeton’s Sanjay Swani ’87 Professor of India Studies, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI). “Gardening could provide the health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, promote physical activity, and support emotional well-being, which can reinforce this healthy behavior.”

Gardening could provide the health benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables, promote physical activity, and support emotional well-being, which can reinforce this healthy behavior. — @PrincetonPEI

Continued on Source: Research Shows Gardening Boosts Mood as Much as Exercise – Blue Zones

Researcher Dan Buettner (the Blue Zones Project) gave up meat forever after hearing a doctor describe what it does to arteries | by Gabby Landsverk | Insider.com

Swapping out meat for plant-based options could improve your heart health and extend your life, researcher Dan Buettner said.

picture alliance/Getty Images

Dan Buettner pioneered the concept of Blue Zone diets, plant-based cuisines linked to longer lives.
He grew up eating meat and processed food, but went vegetarian as a result of his research.
Buettner interviewed a surgeon who said meat eaters have “crunchy” arteries from cholesterol buildup.
The man who pioneered an influential plant-based diet for longevity said he grew up on a “meat and potatoes” diet, but swore off meat forever after hearing a grisly anecdote from a plant-based heart surgeon.
Dan Buettner, an explorer and researcher, has spent nearly two decades unlocking the secrets of living to 100 by investigating “Blue Zones,” areas of the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Buettner’s new book, “The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100,” focuses forgotten longevity secrets in American cooking traditions, including Indigenous, African American, and Latin American cuisines.

He said the cuisines in Blue Zones around the world can vary, but share common traits: they’re mostly plant-based, include plenty of carbs, and have little to no meat or processed food.

Continue reading on Source: Researcher Dan Buettner gave up meat forever after hearing a doctor describe what it does to arteries

How Big Pharma Benefits From Our Industrial Food Diet | By Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D. | ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Skyrocketing rates of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. raise questions about what we’re eating, whether today’s food acts more like a drug and how Big Pharma benefits from our industrial food diet, according to investigative podcaster James Li.

In an episode of Breaking Points “51-49 with James Li,” Li asked:

“Is there something about nutrition — the food that we are eating — that is severely impacting our health and causing us to be fatter and sicker than we’ve ever been in history?”

Li discussed research conducted by Denis Burkitt, an Irish surgeon (1911-1993) who — by studying the differences in the feces and overall health of people in Africa compared with people in Europe and North America — hypothesized that people in high-income countries generally have “severely fiber-deficient diets” and related health problems mainly due to the over-processing of natural foods in those regions.

Since Burkitt’s death in 1993, Li said, Burkitt’s hypothesis has been verified and extended by large-scale epidemiological studies showing that fiber deficiency increases the risk of colon, liver and breast cancer and increases all cancer mortality and death from diabetes, cardiovascular, infectious and respiratory diseases, and all non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes.

“We sure have talked an awful lot about science over the past several years,” Li said. “This, however, is probably some of the most fascinating research I’ve come across.”

“But for some reason,” he added, “it gets almost no coverage and we have to wonder — why?”

Li pointed out that grains — such as rice and wheat — naturally have fiber in them, but this fiber is typically removed by industrial food companies when they process the grains to make consumer products.

“It’s profitable to sell food that is fatty and sugary and salty and addictive,” Li said, adding that it’s “much less profitable to sell food that is wholesome — high in fiber — and minimally processed.”

He added:

“Is it not extremely frustrating that so many solvable problems in our society stem from the fact that solving that problem would necessarily disrupt a very profitable financial scheme?”

Click here to finish reading and see video on Source: How Big Pharma Benefits From Our Industrial Food Diet

#1 Powerhouse Nutrient 95% of Americans Don’t Eat Enough Of – Blue Zones

Centenarians in the blue zones, the longest-lived people in the world, aren’t trying to eat “healthy” or live to 100—they aren’t counting calories or reading food labels—they simply eat what is local, in season, and readily available. Unfortunately, the reality for many of us is the overly processed, colorfully packaged, sugar-saturated Standard American Diet.

Kathy Freston, New York Times bestselling author and wellness activist, has recently released her newest title 72 Reasons to be Vegan to encourage readers to try eating plant-based whether for better, skin, better sex, or maybe just a new family tradition.

Freston chatted with us about how to simplify plant-based eating, why fiber matters, and what makes family meals so special.

Blue Zones: What’s the biggest thing most Americans are missing in their diets?

Continue reading on Source: #1 Powerhouse Nutrient 95% of Americans Don’t Eat Enough Of – Blue Zones

We Train Mechanics To Solve The Cause, But We Don’t Train Doctors To Do That In Medical School | Dr. Pam Popper | The Real Truth About Health

Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D.

• https://drpampopper.com/

• Book – Food over Medicine: The Conversation That Could Save Your Life

Dr. Pam Popper is a naturopath, an internationally recognized expert on nutrition, medicine and health, and the Executive Director of Wellness Forum Health. The company offers educational programs for consumer and healthcare providers that facilitate evidence-base, collaborative and informed decision making for health-related matters.

Dr. Popper serves on the Physician’s Steering Committee and the President’s Board for the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington D.C. She served as part of Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s teaching team at eCornell, teaching part of a certification course on plant-based nutrition. She has been featured in many widely distributed documentaries, including Processed People and Making a Killing and appeared in the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives, which played in major theaters throughout North America in 2011. She is one of the co-authors of the companion book which was on the New York Times bestseller list for 66 weeks. Her most recent book is Food Over Medicine: The Conversation That Can Save Your Life.

#PamPopper #TheRealTruthAboutHealth #WholeFood #Vegan #Vegetarian #PlantBasedNutrition

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13 Unusual Ways to Shed Stress (Lessons from the World’s Blue Zones) | By Johnaé De Felicis | BlueZones.com

The Power 9® principle of Downshifting is nothing new to centenarians in the blue zones –the longest-living people in the world with the highest life expectancy.

Designed to help you achieve a high-quality, well-balanced life, these nine principles can also be major stress reducers.

Stress is one of the leading causes of chronic inflammation. It also has direct links to major age-related health issues, from dementia to Alzheimer’s disease.

Stress is one of the leading causes of chronic inflammation. It also has direct links to major age-related health issues, from dementia to Alzheimer’s disease. Click To Tweet

Unlike most of the modern world who prefer to shed stress at the gym or the mall, residents in the blue zones turn to traditional down-to-earth practices to recharge and renew energy.

Time and time again, centenarians manage to survive the leading killers of today: cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends regular checkups, screenings, vaccinations, and the adoption of healthy lifestyle practices to avoid these underlying health issues. The latter is something that centenarians have mastered over time.

In an effort to dissect how centenarians make it past the age of 100, we have been studying the lifestyle habits of the longest-living, healthiest people in the world.

Keep reading for a glimpse of daily downshift routines practiced by Okinawans, Adventists, Ikarians, Sardinians, and Nicoyans.

Continued on Source: 13 Unusual Ways to Shed Stress (Lessons from the World’s Blue Zones) – Blue Zones

NEWS: Adventist Health Acquires Blue Zones to Redefine Healthcare in America – Blue Zones

Wellbeing must be essential focus of healthcare to restore and sustain the health of the nation

Roseville, Calif. — Adventist Health today announced that it has acquired Blue Zones^®, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. The organization’s work in over 50 communities across America has been credited with double-digit drops in obesity, smoking and Body Mass Index, achieving millions of dollars of savings in healthcare costs. This revolutionary move by Adventist Health comes at a time when public attention is especially focused on the interconnectedness of our health to that of our friends and neighbors in the face of the Coronavirus crisis. Post-pandemic, a focus on improving and strengthening community and public health will be more critical than ever as communities across the nation and globe navigate recovery.

“Adventist Health has always believed in creating environments of belonging and easy access to healthy lifestyles, and we also know that the future of healthcare goes beyond the role of traditional hospitals by investing in our communities to improve people’s overall wellbeing,” Adventist Health President and CEO Scott Reiner said. “Adventist Health’s work with Blue Zones represents the future of healthcare and is a major component of our plan to redefine the role of health organizations across America and strengthens our commitment to inspiring health, wholeness and hope.”

“Adventist Health’s work with Blue Zones represents the future of healthcare and is a major component of our plan to redefine the role of health organizations across America and strengthens our commitment to inspiring health, wholeness and hope.”

Continue reading on Source: NEWS: Adventist Health Acquires Blue Zones to Redefine Healthcare in America – Blue Zones

About Adventist Health

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 36,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.

About Blue Zones

Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live longer, better. The company’s work is rooted in explorations and research done by National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner, who identified the blue zones regions around the world where people live extraordinarily long and/or happy lives. The original research and findings were released in Buettner’s bestselling books The Blue Zones Solution, The Blue Zones of Happiness, The Blue Zones, Thrive, and Blue Zones Kitchen—all published by National Geographic books.

Using original Blue Zones research, Blue Zones Project^® works with cities to make healthy choices easier through permanent and semi-permanent changes to a city’s man-made surroundings. Participating communities have experienced double digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. Currently, 51 communities across North America have joined Blue Zones Project, impacting more than 3.4 million Americans nationwide For more information, visit bluezones.com.

Media Contacts:

Naomi Imatome-Yun, Blue Zones

Mary Parra, Adventist Health

What Happened When 1,100 Adventist Health Employees Took On the Blue Zones Challenge – Blue Zones Project with Dan Buettner

Genetics are responsible for only about 20 percent of how long we live. From the research of the original blue zones—places where people live longer, happier lives—we know that lifestyle and environment make up the other 80 percent. “People in blue zones don’t have better discipline than us, they don’t have better self-control, they don’t have better programs—they live in environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice,” said Dan Buettner.

People in blue zones don’t have better discipline than us, they don’t have better self-control, they don’t have better programs—they live in environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice. — @thedanbuettner Click To Tweet

Recently, 1,100 stressed, tired, and burned-out Adventist Health healthcare employees took on the Blue Zones Challenge where they updated their living spaces, built their social lives, changed their diets, and increased their activity. Dan shared on the TODAY Show about the positive experiences that came when employees were empowered to focus on their well-being. The average person who took the Challenge lost about a pound a week, some as many as 10 pounds total, and people also reported being happier, having better relationships, lower cholesterol, and deeper connections with new and old friends alike.

Continued on Source: What Happened When 1,100 Adventist Health Employees Took On the Blue Zones Challenge – Blue Zones

Of The Trillions Of Dollars Spent In The Last 12 Months, Almost Not A Nickel Is Getting To Make America Healthier | Joel Kahn, MD – Interview | The Real Truth About Health

Joel K. Kahn M.D.

• https://drjoelkahn.com/

• Book – The Plant-Based Solution: America’s Healthy Heart Doc’s Plan to Power Your Health

At his core, Dr. Joel Kahn believes that plant-based nutrition is the most powerful source of preventative medicine on the planet. Having practiced traditional cardiology since 1983, it was only after his own commitment to a plant based vegan diet that he truly began to delve into the realm of non-traditional diagnostic tools, prevention tactics and nutrition-based recovery protocols. These ideologies led him to change his approach and focus on being a holistic cardiologist. He passionately lectures throughout the country about the health benefits of a plant-based anti-aging diet inspiring a new generation of thought leaders to think scientifically and critically about the body’s ability to heal itself through proper nutrition.

One of the world’s top cardiologists, Dr. Joel Kahn has treated thousands of acute heart attacks during his career. He’d like all that to stop. He’d like to prevent ALL future heart attacks by breaking through to the public to educate and inspire a new holistic lifestyle. Now is the time to focus on educating the public to eat clean, sweat clean and apply cutting edge science to their lifestyle.

#JoelKahn #TheRealTruthAboutHealth #WholeFood #Vegan #Vegetarian #PlantBasedNutrition

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10 Things That Will Happen to You in a Day, Week, or Month When you Eat a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet – Blue Zones

By Naomi Imatome-Yun, Aislinn Kotifani

Within 1 Day:

1. You’ll Be More Satisfied

You’ll feel fuller sooner and stay fuller longer, thanks to the fiber in the vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and fruit you are eating. Less than 5% of Americans eat enough fiber, even though it’s protective against heart disease, diabetes, and obesity and promotes good gut health. (Meat products have no fiber.)

Less than 5% of Americans eat enough fiber, even though it’s protective against heart disease, diabetes, and obesity and promotes good gut health.CLICK TO TWEET

Within A Week:

2. You’ll Be In a Better Mood and Have More Energy

If you’re adding vibrant vegetables and fresh fruits to your plate you’re already at a better mood advantage. Research published in Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism has shown that whole food, plant-based diets are linked with healthier moods and higher productivity—and the more people eat, the happier, less, depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied they are with their lot. Whole foods are also typically easier to digest and keep you fuller longer, therefore sustaining your energy levels throughout the day.

If you’re adding vibrant vegetables and fresh fruits to your plate you’re already at a better mood advantage.CLICK TO TWEET

3. You’ll Have Better Blood Sugar Levels

Plant-based eaters have a 34% reduced risk of having type 2 diabetes, and that’s probably because studies show a plant-based diet helps control blood sugar three times more effectively than a traditional diabetes diet.

Plant-based eaters have a 34% reduced risk of having type 2 diabetes…CLICK TO TWEET

Continued on Source: 10 Things That Will Happen to You in a Day, Week, or Month When you Eat a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet – Blue Zones