Christian Karlsson remembers that a neighbour’s normally energetic Golden Retriever dog became lethargic one day. The owners took him to the vets to discover that he had eaten 13 pairs of dirty socks from the laundry basket while his owners were out. He needed an operation to get well again. In a similar way, our bodies suffer badly because we put the wrong things in our stomachs!
There are 5 ‘Blue Zones’ around the world where much higher proportions of the population live longer than the average. One of these are the SDAs in Loma Linda, California who suffer from fewer lifestyle illnesses than other Americans. As 75% of longevity is due to lifestyle, what we eat and do makes an enormous difference.
The world’s Blue Zone inhabitants have a number of things in common.
1. 95-100% plant-based diet
2. Generally active about 10,000 steps per day
3. Logotherapy (living with meaning in life) and cheerfulness
4. Faith
5. Sabbath or rest days
6. Prioritise community relationships over work or money
7. Don’t smoke or drink
8. Practice ‘hara hachi bu’ – only eat until 80% full
God created the Garden of Eden as the worlds original Blue Zone. We are invited to live the Blue Zone principles so that others will become interested in our faith and we can lead them to Christ.
