Anticipation ran high for the “Anti-Aging Nutrition Luncheon and Lecture” held Sabbath, September 20, at the Santa Monica church. Participants learned about the “Blue Zones” and their cultures of longevity where healthy people live to be over 100 years old in good health. Weeks in the planning, the event was organized by a small team of members led by Kammy Burnett with presenter John Westerdahl, Ph.D., RDN, lifestyle medicine and anti-aging nutrition expert.
Participants filled the church dining room, eager to sample a meal featuring recipes from the Blue Zones Cookbook. Members who helped with cooking found that ingredients in some of the exotic recipes were not available in the area, so they made substitutions suggested in the cookbook.
“I found the food amazing and really interesting,” said Donna Marcus, a member of the congregation.
As for guests who sampled the large variety of foods offered for the meal, Joyce Manson summed up reactions neatly: “Some I liked; some I didn’t.”
The meal featured dishes from the five Blue Zones in the world, which included Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and nearby Loma Linda, Calif.
In the lecture following the luncheon, people took notes and asked questions, reflecting keen interest in learning how they could benefit from and practice Blue Zone guidelines for better health and longer life. They learned that common health problems such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, and others were preventable and potentially reversible with a healthy whole-food, plant-based diet and nutrition.
Westerdahl pointed out that Blue Zoners commonly were not smokers, family relations were important to them; they had regular social engagement and were usually engaged in spirituality and religion.
“As far as their diet,” Westerdahl noted, “they have moderate caloric intake, vitamins, and a plant-based diet, such as the one featured in today’s luncheon.”
Two subsequent events were planned in the months immediately following the introductory session. Visit santamonicaadventistchurch.org for details.
