¤¤ ¤¤ 00:00:01.10\00:00:20.82 >> Hello and welcome to "It Is Written Canada." 00:00:20.82\00:00:23.69 We're gonna be talking about health today, and there's 00:00:23.69\00:00:26.69 a beautiful verse in the Bible, 00:00:26.69\00:00:28.32 3 John 1:2, that says, "Beloved, I pray that 00:00:28.32\00:00:33.23 in all things you may prosper and be in health, just as 00:00:33.23\00:00:37.27 your soul prospers." And today we have with us 00:00:37.27\00:00:41.34 Dr. George Cho, who is a naturopathic doctor, 00:00:41.34\00:00:45.61 and he emphasizes the idea of lifestyle medicine. 00:00:45.61\00:00:50.51 So, Dr. Cho, thank you very much 00:00:50.51\00:00:52.58 that you are here with us today. >> Thank you for having me. 00:00:52.58\00:00:55.65 >> And so you focus on something with lifestyle medicine 00:00:55.65\00:00:58.59 called Blue Health. You want to talk about that? 00:00:58.59\00:01:01.52 >> So Blue Health is our six-week program that we 00:01:01.52\00:01:03.93 run mostly in churches. 00:01:03.93\00:01:06.56 And basically it's helping individuals, whether they have a current disease or not, 00:01:06.59\00:01:11.60 to adopt a change in lifestyle based on the Blue Zones. 00:01:11.60\00:01:16.64 >> On the Blue Zones? >> On the Blue Zones. >> Tell us about 00:01:16.64\00:01:19.04 the Blue Zones then. >> The Blue Zones are five places on planet 00:01:19.04\00:01:22.48 Earth popularized by National Geographic and Dan Buettner, in 00:01:22.48\00:01:28.52 particular. Dan Buettner works with the National Geographic. So these are five places 00:01:28.52\00:01:31.35 on planet Earth where there's large concentrations of 00:01:31.35\00:01:35.39 centenarians, so people who live to 100. And these zones are 00:01:35.39\00:01:40.83 Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa 00:01:40.83\00:01:45.23 Rica; and there's actually one in North America -- in Loma 00:01:45.23\00:01:48.77 Linda, California, among the Seventh-Day Adventists. And the Seventh-Day Adventists 00:01:48.77\00:01:51.47 are very interesting, because in the other four Blue Zones, they're ethnic groups. 00:01:51.47\00:01:56.51 So Okinawans and Sardinians and so forth. But in Loma Linda, 00:01:56.51\00:02:00.98 it's not an ethnic group. It's actually a religious community 00:02:00.98\00:02:04.02 of Seventh-Day Adventists, of Christians. >> And they're not 00:02:04.02\00:02:07.39 just found in Loma Linda. >> No, they're spread all over the 00:02:07.39\00:02:10.79 world. But the Blue Zone was particularly Loma Linda, 'cause there's good numbers 00:02:10.79\00:02:14.83 of centenarian Seventh-Day Adventists in Loma Linda. 00:02:14.83\00:02:17.93 >> I see. Okay, okay. So that's the areas where he found 00:02:17.93\00:02:23.20 all of these people who lived long. >> And there -- They have 00:02:23.20\00:02:29.64 -- There's very low rates of chronic disease amongst these 00:02:29.64\00:02:32.48 groups. So it's not like they get sick and then they live with disease for 20 years 00:02:32.48\00:02:37.59 And then they, you know -- They're actually -- many of them 00:02:37.59\00:02:41.72 are driving, still gardening, cooking. >> So they're 100 years old, and they're driving 00:02:41.72\00:02:45.89 their car. >> In Loma Linda, there's people who are 100, 00:02:45.89\00:02:49.66 and they're still driving. There's one individual who's still doing surgery. 00:02:49.66\00:02:54.50 They're cooking on their own. >> Wow. >> So these are 00:02:54.50\00:02:57.54 very healthy, vibrant centenarians. >> Right. 00:02:57.54\00:03:00.48 >> That's why they're particularly very interesting. And so they're looking 00:03:00.48\00:03:04.05 at their lifestyles and saying, "Okay, so what is it about their 00:03:04.05\00:03:07.95 lifestyles that contributes to their health?" >> That's awesome. >> And why did they 00:03:07.95\00:03:12.22 find? Can you mention some things that they found that was a contributing factor 00:03:12.22\00:03:16.42 to them living this long? >> So what Dan Buettner noticed was 00:03:16.42\00:03:22.46 that when you look at all the different Blue Zones, there's some common factors common to 00:03:22.46\00:03:27.64 all of them, right? So first is nutrition. So one of the things he noticed was that amongst the 00:03:27.64\00:03:35.34 Blue Zones groups, that they eat a mostly unprocessed food diet, okay? So, for example, 00:03:35.34\00:03:42.25 in Nicoya, Costa Rica, he met an individual named Panchita 00:03:42.25\00:03:46.55 Castillo. And this individual, she lived to, I think, 108 or 107, still cooking on her own. 00:03:46.55\00:03:52.49 In fact, she would wake up very early in the morning every day to cook for 80-year-old son. 00:03:52.49\00:03:57.30 So she's still dancing and so forth. In fact, when Dan 00:03:57.30\00:04:02.54 Buettner met her, went up to visit her to do his research, she was using a machete 00:04:02.54\00:04:07.48 and attacking the jungle that was invading her property. Over 00:04:07.48\00:04:11.75 100. So can you imagine? >> Yeah. >> But while they're 00:04:11.75\00:04:16.12 questioning her about her nutrition, she got tired of 00:04:16.12\00:04:20.82 their questions. So she said, "Just come in. I'll show you my kitchen." >> Right. 00:04:20.82\00:04:23.39 >> And then he comments in his book -- He says there was no processed food anywhere in the 00:04:23.39\00:04:28.93 kitchen. Absolutely none. It was all whole foods. 00:04:28.93\00:04:31.53 >> All whole foods. >> And when you look at the Blue Zone 00:04:31.53\00:04:35.44 centenarians, this is a common feature amongst all them, that they -- they mostly cook their 00:04:35.44\00:04:39.91 own food. Whereas in North America, we we often depend on 00:04:39.91\00:04:44.68 the food companies to do our cooking for us, and we just heat it up. Or we just open a package 00:04:44.68\00:04:49.12 and just eat it. Oh, we get fast food, where other people are 00:04:49.12\00:04:52.55 doing the cooking for us. But in these groups, they're cooking 00:04:52.55\00:04:56.89 their own food. So, for instance, Panchita, when she prepared a meal for Dan 00:04:56.89\00:05:03.06 Buettner, she prepared tortillas and beans and so forth. But she actually rolled out the 00:05:03.06\00:05:06.53 tortillas with her own hands. It wasn't, like, pre-made, you know, whatever, shells, 00:05:06.53\00:05:11.07 tortilla shells. No, she actually rolled the corn out by 00:05:11.07\00:05:16.04 herself and cooked it all, everything by herself. This is a 00:05:16.04\00:05:19.08 common feature among all Blue Zones and science has demonstrated that this is indeed 00:05:19.08\00:05:23.69 a healthy way to eat, to eat less processed food, more whole 00:05:23.69\00:05:27.76 foods. >> Yes. So these people in these Blue Zones, like 00:05:27.76\00:05:32.06 Panchita, they are not walking around with walkers. They're not 00:05:32.06\00:05:36.97 struggling to breathe. They're not sitting around in a 00:05:36.97\00:05:41.80 wheelchair. These people are active. I mean, when you get old, you kind of worry about 00:05:41.80\00:05:47.01 that, right? Like, I'm just gonna be sitting around and someone else is gonna be giving 00:05:47.01\00:05:50.21 me, you know, taking care of me. Whereas these people are really 00:05:50.21\00:05:53.98 independent. >> They're very independent. Many of them live on their own and still 00:05:53.98\00:05:59.62 functioning very well, so... >> So one of the things you mentioned was nutrition. 00:05:59.62\00:06:03.56 And I guess it's a touchy subject for most people, 00:06:03.56\00:06:07.83 almost everybody, when it comes to nutrition, because, "I want to decide what I eat." 00:06:07.83\00:06:12.33 I mean, think about a baby. You know, you put something in their mouth that they don't like 00:06:12.33\00:06:15.50 it, they're gonna spit it out, right? And so we make decisions 00:06:15.50\00:06:21.18 in our life, I guess, that comes down to food, is one thing that we can choose whether 00:06:21.18\00:06:27.25 we're gonna eat or not eat. So how do we make that transition 00:06:27.25\00:06:32.89 to eating good, nutritious food? >> Well, it's a process. >> 00:06:32.89\00:06:36.66 Mm-hmm. >> So people have to slowly transition. >> Yes. 00:06:36.66\00:06:42.10 >> So, you know, during the Blue Health Program, we give guidance 00:06:42.10\00:06:47.07 to patients on how to do that. And, you know, some people, they make drastic changes. 00:06:47.07\00:06:51.61 So, for example, one individual, she was there to lose weight. And when we did the 00:06:51.61\00:06:57.15 nutrition talks, she went home. That very next day, she cleared 00:06:57.15\00:07:01.65 out her whole cabinet of all of the processed foods. So she got 00:07:01.65\00:07:05.05 rid of everything. So some people have to make that type of, kind of a -- >> Decision. 00:07:05.05\00:07:09.29 >> Decision. >> That's a big decision. That's a radical 00:07:09.29\00:07:12.46 decision. >> And she found great results. She actually dropped about 20 pounds, something like 00:07:12.46\00:07:17.70 that. throughout the program. But other people, it could be a slow transition, but 00:07:17.70\00:07:22.00 we have to make the decision that we are going to change. >> 00:07:22.00\00:07:25.17 Yes. >> So it has to start with that decision. >> Right. 00:07:25.17\00:07:27.51 And that's really where it starts from. >> Right. 00:07:27.51\00:07:29.91 And that decision, I guess, starts when you go shopping, as 00:07:29.91\00:07:32.95 well, right? So you're gonna be looking for the food that you want to eat. >> That's right. 00:07:32.95\00:07:36.38 >> And here in North America, if you don't have a garden, you're 00:07:36.38\00:07:41.16 gonna be finding most your food in the shopping mall. >> That's 00:07:41.16\00:07:45.03 right, yes. We had to make a decision, and we had to realize that in North America, 00:07:45.03\00:07:50.23 we have a choice. So in other parts of the world, they might 00:07:50.23\00:07:53.23 not have too much of a choice, because things might be scarce. But here we do have a choice. 00:07:53.23\00:07:58.71 And we have to really make good decisions with our food. As you 00:07:58.71\00:08:03.55 mentioned, this is really where it starts. >> Yes. Yes. >> It seems like something else 00:08:03.55\00:08:09.42 was regular activity. You mentioned nutrition, but you mentioned that lady 00:08:09.42\00:08:15.26 that was using a machete. And so is that another principle that 00:08:15.26\00:08:22.86 is common in all the Blue Zones? >> Definitely. So in Sardinia, 00:08:22.86\00:08:28.50 he met an individual named Tonino Tola. So this individual 00:08:28.50\00:08:34.64 was about 75. So he wasn't a centenarian at that time. But Sardinia is one of groups -- 00:08:34.64\00:08:40.05 centenarian groups. But he was 75, and this guy, at the age of 00:08:40.05\00:08:44.22 75, Dan Buettner describes him as strong enough to carry two sheep -- he's a shepherd -- with 00:08:44.22\00:08:49.82 both arms -- under both arms. So he's carrying two big sheep. He's able to hike up and down 00:08:49.82\00:08:54.30 these hills, and, basically, physical activity is a common feature amongst all 00:08:54.30\00:08:58.83 the Blue Zones. So a common activity is walking. So in his 00:08:58.83\00:09:03.77 book, Dan Buettner promotes walking. He frames it as moving 00:09:03.77\00:09:07.44 naturally. So these individuals, at least -- excluding the Loma Linda Blue Zone and the 00:09:07.44\00:09:13.92 other Blue Zones -- they're not going to the gyms, right? Ikaria 00:09:13.92\00:09:18.92 doesn't have gyms. In rural Okinawa, they don't have gyms, right? But they still have ways 00:09:18.92\00:09:23.96 to be physically active. They garden. That's very common. 00:09:23.96\00:09:27.20 They all garden. They all walk consistently. In Okinawa, they 00:09:27.20\00:09:33.40 noticed -- The Asians, you know, we squat. We sit down cross-legged, right? We eat on 00:09:33.40\00:09:38.27 the ground. So, basically, pretty much they're doing squats all throughout the day by 00:09:38.27\00:09:43.04 getting up and down, right? It's self exercising So finding ways 00:09:43.04\00:09:46.95 to be physically active is very, very important, as you 00:09:46.95\00:09:49.62 mentioned. Now, in Loma Linda, their lifestyle kind of more mirrors our lifestyle here, 00:09:49.62\00:09:54.86 'cause they're in the city of Loma Linda, right? It's a city, 00:09:54.86\00:09:59.16 so it's very urbanized and so forth. But even amongst those 00:09:59.16\00:10:02.40 centenarians, they're very physically active. So, for instance, He met a Seventh-Day 00:10:02.40\00:10:06.63 Adventist who goes swimming every single day. Another centenarian -- another 00:10:06.63\00:10:10.61 Seventh-Day Adventist centenarian -- her name is Marge 00:10:10.61\00:10:13.54 Jetton. She bikes, I think -- goes cycling about six days a week and even lifts weights. 00:10:13.54\00:10:19.58 >> Yeah, and she's over 100 years old. >> Over 100, exactly. 00:10:19.58\00:10:22.25 >> And driving her own car. >> That's right. >> Lifting weights 00:10:22.25\00:10:25.29 in the morning. >> That's right. >> That's activity. 00:10:25.29\00:10:27.86 So I've heard the statistic that we here in North America are either sitting or lying down 00:10:27.86\00:10:34.00 for 23 out of 24 hours a day. So we're not getting a whole lot of 00:10:34.00\00:10:39.50 activity going on. So just standing up is a great physical activity -- standing up. 00:10:39.50\00:10:44.61 I've seen people who have these walking desks. You know, they 00:10:44.61\00:10:48.68 stand up at their desk, you know, and they have a treadmill, and they're doing their work 00:10:48.68\00:10:52.61 that way. I think that's very proactive. >> That's right. 00:10:52.61\00:10:55.42 It's actually so important for your health. It helps with the 00:10:55.42\00:10:59.02 immune system. It helps with circulation. It helps the metabolism get going. 00:10:59.02\00:11:03.86 It's good for brain health. You form new neural connections and 00:11:03.86\00:11:08.00 so forth. It's extremely important. So this is a common feature amongst all them. 00:11:08.00\00:11:12.10 They are very physically active. We encourage all of our listeners to start moving in 00:11:12.10\00:11:16.64 some way, shape, or form. >> Right. >> It doesn't necessarily 00:11:16.64\00:11:19.37 have to be going to CrossFit or lifting heavy weights. It doesn't have to be that, 00:11:19.37\00:11:24.51 'cause four out of the five Blue Zones, they're not doing that, 00:11:24.51\00:11:28.48 right? But they are very active. >> So Dr. Cho, can you share with us another component that 00:11:28.48\00:11:34.12 was common in all these Blue Zones? >> Yes, for sure. 00:11:34.12\00:11:38.29 So going back to the topic of nutrition, so now with -- Dan Buettner found that not only 00:11:38.29\00:11:43.73 do they eat a whole-foods diet, it's a whole-foods, plant-based 00:11:43.73\00:11:48.27 diet. So unlike here in North America, where most people eat animal products every single 00:11:48.27\00:11:54.54 day, most people every single meal, that is not a nutritional 00:11:54.54\00:11:59.35 pattern of people in the Blue Zones. They eat very much a plant-dominant diet. 00:11:59.35\00:12:05.32 So, in fact, he writes in his book that some of the Blue Zones, they only eat meat 00:12:05.32\00:12:10.99 during special holidays. Right? So, like, whatever their special 00:12:10.99\00:12:15.30 holiday. >> So they're pretty much almost 99% plant-based. 00:12:15.30\00:12:18.80 >> Exactly. For instance, in Ikaria, Greece, the shepherds, 00:12:18.80\00:12:24.44 during the wintertime, they don't eat any meat 'cause their goats and stuff are too skinny. 00:12:24.44\00:12:29.38 It's not worth killing them. >> Right. >> Right? 00:12:29.38\00:12:31.61 And so these people are eating mostly plant-based diets. Now, in Loma Linda, California, 00:12:31.61\00:12:37.35 among the Seventh-Day Adventists, the healthiest ones 00:12:37.35\00:12:40.72 were actually the ones who are fully plant-based. So you'd say 00:12:40.72\00:12:44.63 they're vegans or fully plant-based. And so these are the individuals living longer 00:12:44.63\00:12:49.00 and seem to be the healthiest. They have lower rates of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes 00:12:49.00\00:12:52.53 and heart disease. So a major component is nutrition, and a 00:12:52.53\00:12:58.71 part of that is not just whole foods. It is eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet. 00:12:58.71\00:13:02.94 Yeah. >> So some of those plants you're eating raw. 00:13:02.94\00:13:06.75 Some of them you need to cook, right? >> That's right. 00:13:06.75\00:13:08.95 >> What would you suggest in terms of, what do you need to cook and what should you 00:13:08.95\00:13:12.92 eat raw? >> Well, lots of the grains you cook, right? 00:13:12.92\00:13:16.79 So in Ikaria, they're eating bread. In Okinawa, they're 00:13:16.79\00:13:20.80 eating sweet potatoes and rice. So you cook those things, right? But, yes, salads are 00:13:20.80\00:13:25.63 always good. He noticed that in lots of Blue Zones, they use 00:13:25.63\00:13:29.64 herbs. So herbs. In Loma Linda, they're eating a lot of salads, 00:13:29.64\00:13:35.28 soup. You cook it and so forth. So it really -- It depends on the culture, right? 00:13:35.28\00:13:39.61 But you want to be eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, 00:13:39.61\00:13:43.55 beans, nuts, and seeds. >> Right. >> That should compose 00:13:43.55\00:13:46.69 the staple of everyone's diet. And then meat should be taken out or eaten very infrequently, 00:13:46.69\00:13:52.83 right? But we recommend to take take it out of the diet 00:13:52.83\00:13:56.90 'cause it's really not a necessary component of human 00:13:56.90\00:14:00.74 nutrition. >> Something I thought was fascinating. You mentioned that Ellsworth -- 00:14:00.74\00:14:04.17 He was -- He was -- He's still a surgeon, and he's practicing 00:14:04.17\00:14:10.81 surgery? >> That's right. >> And he's over 100 years old? >> 00:14:10.81\00:14:13.75 That's right. So I had mentioned that there's somebody who's doing surgery. So that is 00:14:13.75\00:14:17.25 Dr. Ellsworth Wareham. And he's from the Loma Linda Blue Zone, 00:14:17.25\00:14:21.36 Seventh-Day Adventist. And he's a cardiothoracic surgeon. 00:14:21.36\00:14:25.29 >> Wow. >> And, yeah, like you mentioned, he -- He did 00:14:25.29\00:14:29.66 surgeries into his mid-90s, which is absolutely amazing. 00:14:29.66\00:14:34.34 >> Yeah. >> Right? So it's stunning. 00:14:34.34\00:14:37.31 When we keep our bodies healthy, we can serve others longer and 00:14:37.31\00:14:44.85 so forth, right? And he practices things that we talked about. He's physically active. 00:14:44.85\00:14:49.58 And also he's on a whole-foods, plant-based diet. >> Mm-hmm. 00:14:49.58\00:14:54.06 Mm-hmm. >> And what is another component that you found that was common in these Blue Zones? 00:14:54.06\00:15:00.50 >> Well, another very important component is social connections. In Okinawa, Dan Buettner visited 00:15:00.50\00:15:08.97 the Okinawans, and he noticed these groups called "moai." So "moai" is an Okinawan word. 00:15:08.97\00:15:15.44 And, basically, it refers to a social group that you enter into as a young Okinawan, and you 00:15:15.44\00:15:20.88 basically are friends for life. So, for example, he talks about one group that he met, 00:15:20.88\00:15:25.69 and these women, they're together for about 95 years. 00:15:25.69\00:15:29.46 >> Wow. The strong social connection. >> That's right. 00:15:29.46\00:15:32.99 So they're pretty much there together since the age of 5. And most of them are all 00:15:32.99\00:15:36.60 in their late 90s and 100s. So can imagine you've known these 00:15:36.60\00:15:43.84 people for decades and decades? Most of us, we lose our friends from elementary school. 00:15:43.84\00:15:47.81 We don't see them again. >> Right. >> But you can see they 00:15:47.81\00:15:50.21 emphasize staying socially connected. And moais -- they 00:15:50.21\00:15:55.12 meet together several times a week to sip tea, to catch up on the latest whatever, right? 00:15:55.12\00:15:59.72 And also, they can depend on these moais for when they're going through hard times. 00:15:59.72\00:16:04.16 So if there's -- in financial difficulties, people in the 00:16:04.16\00:16:09.33 moais can kind of come together and support, you know? If 00:16:09.33\00:16:12.43 there's deaths or some type of -- you need help, they can always depend on the moai. 00:16:12.43\00:16:16.97 This is very different from North America, 'cause we know in 00:16:16.97\00:16:19.57 North America, we're seeing a trend in the opposite direction, where people feel more isolated. 00:16:19.57\00:16:23.14 They have less people to talk to and so forth. So one study 00:16:23.14\00:16:28.55 showed that in about -- a few decades ago, the amount of people that you can talk with -- 00:16:28.55\00:16:35.02 a North American could talk with -- is about three. So three people that they can 00:16:35.02\00:16:39.06 really go to for social help and connection. Now it's dropped 00:16:39.06\00:16:44.07 down to two. So we're starting to see it's really changing. And 00:16:44.07\00:16:49.04 that's not good. In all the different Blue Zones, not just Okinawa, the strong social 00:16:49.04\00:16:55.14 connections. So in Sardinia, again, it's the same things -- the family bond is very strong 00:16:55.14\00:17:00.52 in Okinawa, very strong in the Loma Linda Blue Zone, it's a 00:17:00.52\00:17:05.15 church family. So they go to church, and they have strong social connections in that 00:17:05.15\00:17:09.69 sense. So staying socially connected is very, very important. So especially 00:17:09.69\00:17:13.86 among the young people here, where we're so isolated. We're always on social media 00:17:13.86\00:17:19.07 and so forth. This is really not good for health. 00:17:19.07\00:17:22.54 >> So you think it's called social media, and yet you're not 00:17:22.54\00:17:25.91 socializing. >> That's right. We feel more isolated, right? So in these Blue Zones, they're 00:17:25.91\00:17:30.78 not communicating through, like, electronic means, right? >> 00:17:30.78\00:17:34.78 Right. >> They're face-to-face. >> Face-to-face communication. >> And also very family 00:17:34.78\00:17:38.92 oriented, which is something that we're kind of losing in North America, as well. 00:17:38.92\00:17:42.89 >> Right. >> We're more friend-oriented, but in these 00:17:42.89\00:17:47.23 blue zones, they're very family-oriented. The family bond is very, very strong. 00:17:47.23\00:17:50.37 >> I heard this problem of loneliness we have in North 00:17:50.37\00:17:53.17 America. If you are lonely and you don't have social connections, it can be as 00:17:53.17\00:17:58.67 detrimental to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. >> 00:17:58.67\00:18:01.94 That's right. it's a big problem. And they found that people who feel socially 00:18:01.94\00:18:06.78 isolated, they actually -- they have more inflammation in the 00:18:06.78\00:18:11.12 body, as well. They are more prone to death. So we know the mortality risk goes up when 00:18:11.12\00:18:16.56 people are more socially isolated. So it makes a lot of sense that when you are socially 00:18:16.56\00:18:21.66 connected, that you live longer and you're healthier. Your mood 00:18:21.66\00:18:24.23 is better. >> Absolutely. >> And, after all, God created us 00:18:24.23\00:18:28.20 to be social beings. That's what He created us for. He created us 00:18:28.20\00:18:32.07 for that connection with each other. And most importantly, with Him. >> That's right. Yeah. 00:18:32.07\00:18:38.08 >> Yeah. So is there a spiritual component to these Blue Zones? 00:18:38.08\00:18:42.45 >> Absolutely. So he mentioned in his book that all the Blue 00:18:42.45\00:18:49.26 Zones, without exception, have a strong faith-based component to 00:18:49.26\00:18:54.76 them. So in Okinawa, they do ancestor veneration. In the 00:18:54.76\00:19:00.24 other Blue Zones, they have a strong Christian faith. So in Ikaria, in Sardinia, and 00:19:00.24\00:19:04.91 in Nicoya, they're strong Christians, and also in Loma 00:19:04.91\00:19:08.24 Linda. Again, it's Christians, Seventh-Day Adventists. But all 00:19:08.24\00:19:11.75 of them, they have faith. And he talks about how faith instills 00:19:11.75\00:19:17.02 purpose. So there's a strong sense of purpose, right? And in 00:19:17.02\00:19:22.06 Okinawa, it's called "ikigai." >> Yes. >> In Nicoya, it's 00:19:22.06\00:19:26.26 called "plan de vida." The sense of purpose. >> Yes. 00:19:26.26\00:19:29.00 >> When you wake up in the morning, you know what life is 00:19:29.00\00:19:32.20 about. You know why you're there. >> Yes. >> Right? 00:19:32.20\00:19:34.30 And this is driven by faith, as well. >> Yes. Yeah. 00:19:34.30\00:19:38.21 >> So faith is extremely important in these Blue Zones. in Loma Linda, California, 00:19:38.21\00:19:44.25 among the Seventh-Day Adventists, they have something 00:19:44.25\00:19:47.38 called Sabbath -- right? -- which is a big part of their faith, which is the day that 00:19:47.38\00:19:52.22 they go to church service -- right? -- and it's on Saturday. 00:19:52.22\00:19:56.26 >> Right. >> And it's a time for connecting with family, friends, and also connecting with God. 00:19:56.26\00:20:01.00 >> Right. >> Right? >> Yeah, the Bible gives us 00:20:01.00\00:20:03.26 direction on that to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it 00:20:03.26\00:20:06.47 holy. >> That's right, yeah. >> And in us, connecting with one 00:20:06.47\00:20:11.04 another. In Hebrews, it tells us not to give up the habit of 00:20:11.04\00:20:14.44 meeting together. >> That's right. >> So that's another part of going and meeting with a 00:20:14.44\00:20:18.78 faith-based community community, is a social component. >> That's 00:20:18.78\00:20:21.65 right. And another thing about faith is that -- Because life 00:20:21.65\00:20:25.79 about hard, right? >> Yeah. >> Life is not easy. Life is hard. 00:20:25.79\00:20:27.49 You're gonna go through difficult times. But having -- 00:20:27.49\00:20:31.86 Knowing that there is a higher power that's guiding your life really helps people go through, 00:20:31.86\00:20:38.07 cope with difficult times. We talked about Panchita, and she 00:20:38.07\00:20:42.57 has strong faith, and she talks about how her life was very difficult. And he writes about 00:20:42.57\00:20:46.11 it. He documents it in his book, her life was very difficult. But she says that she believes 00:20:46.11\00:20:50.61 that God was still leading in her life, so you see that, despite her difficult life, 00:20:50.61\00:20:55.28 that the belief that God is there, that there's a purpose somehow, through suffering, 00:20:55.28\00:21:00.89 that helps people kind of cope, right? So, again, faith is very, 00:21:00.89\00:21:06.06 very important in the Blue Zones. And I think life, in general, for everyone. 00:21:06.06\00:21:10.20 >> Right. Right. >> So, Dr. Cho, that reminds me of my parents, 00:21:10.20\00:21:14.94 who are in South Africa. They are also getting older. And even 00:21:14.94\00:21:20.11 though my sisters are there with them, they have found this faith-based community church 00:21:20.11\00:21:25.61 that they go to once a week and meeting with friends there. And it has been so good for 00:21:25.61\00:21:31.45 them. >> I think it's so important, because people may 00:21:31.45\00:21:34.56 say to themselves, "Well, I'm sitting at home, and my only social interaction is 00:21:34.56\00:21:38.23 with a few people." And as you get older, you know, your 00:21:38.23\00:21:41.60 friends die. And so where do I find a social connection? You know, maybe my own social 00:21:41.60\00:21:47.70 connection is television. And, you know, your local church and 00:21:47.70\00:21:52.71 going and meeting with people. >> That's right. I think -- I'm 00:21:52.71\00:21:56.31 glad you brought that up, because, in general -- So, we talked about -- You talked about 00:21:56.31\00:22:00.25 social connection. But, in general, you know, people might say, "You know, I don't live 00:22:00.25\00:22:03.65 in these Blue Zones, right? So I'm kind of at a disadvantage." 00:22:03.65\00:22:07.06 But that's actually not the case. As you can see, 00:22:07.06\00:22:09.56 in the Blue Zones, these are all behaviors and lifestyle patterns 00:22:09.56\00:22:13.70 that we can all adopt in our own lives and not doing something that you can only get in 00:22:13.70\00:22:18.67 Okinawa, that you can only get in Ikaria, right? So eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet, 00:22:18.67\00:22:23.17 exercising, social connections, and faith. >> Yeah. >> These are 00:22:23.17\00:22:26.88 all things that we can find within our own context, right? In fact, Dan Buettner is right 00:22:26.88\00:22:32.15 now trying to create Blue Zones across America. And that's what 00:22:32.15\00:22:38.12 we've tried to do with Blue Health. So we encourage our listeners to think that -- to 00:22:38.12\00:22:43.66 realize that they can practice these lifestyle behaviors in their lives right now, 00:22:43.66\00:22:47.76 whether you're in the Blue Zones or not. You don't have to go 00:22:47.76\00:22:50.73 to a Blue Zone to experience the Blue Zones lifestyle. I think that's really important. 00:22:50.73\00:22:54.24 >> Very important and very true. >> Absolutely. So this is 00:22:54.24\00:22:58.14 absolutely fascinating. And maybe our listeners are thinking 00:22:58.14\00:23:01.91 to themselves, "I'd like to know more about the Blue Zones." How 00:23:01.91\00:23:05.01 can they find out? >> Well, there's a good TEDTalk that Dan Buettner and his team have 00:23:05.01\00:23:09.55 given, so they can search on TEDTalks. Also, he's written several books, two books 00:23:09.55\00:23:13.96 in particular on the Blue Zones. So they could they could find that on Amazon or wherever 00:23:13.96\00:23:18.73 they get their books. And he's also created a cookbook, as 00:23:18.73\00:23:22.40 well, focusing on the Blue Zones diet. I think it's called "The Blue Zones Kitchen." 00:23:22.40\00:23:26.53 But you can easily find his material on the Internet. And he 00:23:26.53\00:23:32.04 has a lot of good material discussing the Blue Zones. There's also a website 00:23:32.04\00:23:36.75 for the Blue Zones. So I'd direct our listeners to those 00:23:36.75\00:23:41.18 resources. >> You know, when I think of the Scriptures, I think 00:23:41.22\00:23:43.15 of 1 Corinthians 10:31, where it says, "Do all" -- 00:23:43.15\00:23:47.82 Whether you eat or drink, "Do all to the 00:23:47.82\00:23:50.29 glory of God." Do you have a favorite Bible 00:23:50.29\00:23:52.13 verse that you think of when you think of health? 00:23:52.13\00:23:54.96 >> Yeah, so I would refer people to Romans 12:1, and it says, 00:23:54.96\00:24:01.07 "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 00:24:01.07\00:24:04.57 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 00:24:04.57\00:24:07.34 acceptable to God, which is a reasonable service." 00:24:07.34\00:24:11.68 I think this is really relevant because we have to realize that our bodies do belong to God, 00:24:11.71\00:24:17.79 and we're supposed to return it to God and do the best that we 00:24:17.79\00:24:23.32 can to glorify God in our bodies, right? I think living a healthy lifestyle is really 00:24:23.32\00:24:28.00 one way that we can do that. >> Yes. Yes. And God pours out 00:24:28.00\00:24:33.54 showers of blessings. And music is a part of our health, as 00:24:33.54\00:24:38.31 well. So we're gonna listen to a song called "Showers of 00:24:38.31\00:24:41.78 Blessing." >> ¤ Showers of blessing ¤ Showers of blessing 00:24:44.15\00:24:52.82 we need ¤ Mercy-drops 'round us are falling ¤ 00:24:52.82\00:24:57.06 ¤ But for the showers we plead ¤ There shall be showers of 00:24:57.09\00:25:05.60 blessing ¤ ¤ This is the promise of love ¤ There shall be seasons 00:25:05.60\00:25:12.34 refreshing ¤ ¤ Sent from the Savior above ¤ Showers of blessing ¤ Showers of blessing 00:25:12.34\00:25:22.75 we need >> ¤ Mercy-drops 'round us are falling ¤ ¤ But for the 00:25:22.75\00:25:29.92 showers we plead >> ¤ There shall be showers of blessing ¤ ¤ Precious reviving again 00:25:29.92\00:25:36.30 ¤ Over the hills and the valleys ¤ ¤ Sound of abundance of rain 00:25:36.30\00:25:43.57 >> ¤ Showers of blessing ¤ Showers of blessing we need >> ¤ Mercy-drops 'round us 00:25:43.57\00:25:52.88 are falling ¤ ¤ But for the showers we plead >> ¤ There 00:25:52.88\00:26:02.02 shall be showers of blessing ¤ ¤ Send them upon us, O Lord ¤ Grant to us now a refreshing 00:26:02.02\00:26:10.97 ¤ Come, and now honor Thy Word ¤ Showers of blessing ¤ Showers of 00:26:10.97\00:26:21.74 blessing we need ¤ Mercy-drops 'round us are falling ¤ ¤ But for the showers we plead 00:26:21.74\00:26:29.72 ¤¤ ¤¤ >> ¤ There shall be 00:26:29.72\00:26:35.49 showers of blessing ¤ ¤ Oh, that today they might fall ¤ 00:26:35.49\00:26:41.56 ¤ Now as to God we're confessing ¤ ¤ Now as on Jesus we call 00:26:41.56\00:26:48.94 ¤ Showers of blessing ¤ Showers of blessing we need ¤ Mercy-drops 'round us 00:26:48.94\00:26:57.85 are falling ¤ ¤ But for the showers we plead 00:26:57.85\00:27:05.42 ¤¤ ¤ We plead 00:27:05.45\00:27:15.96 >> So God does indeed bless us, and he wants us to be blessed 00:27:19.33\00:27:25.51 holistically -- spiritually, physically, mentally, and 00:27:25.51\00:27:29.98 socially. >> Mm-hmm. And to help you today, we have 00:27:30.01\00:27:32.85 a free offer called "Steps to Health." 00:27:32.85\00:27:35.05 And if you would like to receive that little booklet, you can 00:27:35.05\00:27:38.85 contact us through the information on the screen. 00:27:38.85\00:27:42.22 So, Dr. Cho, thank you so very much for joining us once again 00:27:42.22\00:27:47.13 and introducing us to the Blue Zones and all the 00:27:47.13\00:27:50.33 information that you shared with us. 00:27:50.33\00:27:52.70 It has been a tremendous blessing. I wonder if you can 00:27:52.73\00:27:55.54 close with a word of prayer for us. >> Sure. >> Okay. 00:27:55.54\00:27:57.94 >> Our Father in Heaven, Lord, we want to ask that as we all adopt these simple lifestyle 00:27:57.94\00:28:06.95 changes, that You would bless each one that's watching and listening today, that 00:28:06.95\00:28:11.65 they can live a long and healthy life to serve others, and to 00:28:11.65\00:28:16.66 serve You well. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. >> Amen. 00:28:16.66\00:28:19.79 So thank you for watching "It Is Written Canada." Let me remind 00:28:19.79\00:28:25.90 you again of the words of Jesus, where He says, "It is written. 00:28:25.90\00:28:29.40 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of 00:28:29.40\00:28:36.18 God. ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:28:36.21\00:28:50.93 ¤¤ 00:28:50.93\00:28:58.17