Be Healthy!

Click here for Delicious Vegetarian Recipes.

Nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance, fresh air, rest, and trust in divine power--these are the basic building blocks of good health.

Did you know that members of my faith community, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, tend to live longer and have a higher quality of life, especially as they get older, in comparison with the general population? Check out the following studies reported on the Loma Linda University School of Public Health website at http://www.llu.edu/public-health/health/fact_sheets.page.

Adventist Mortality Study: 1958-1966

23,000 California Adventists ages 25+. Conducted at the same time as the American Cancer Society study of non-Adventists. Comparisons were made for many causes of death between the two populations.

Key Results:

• The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) was significantly lower in vegetarian compared to non-vegetarian Adventists.
• All-cause mortality showed a significant positive association with egg intake and a negative association with consumption of green salads.
• Compared to other Californians, Adventists experienced lower rates of death for:
  • all cancers (60% [of non-Adventist rates] for Adventist men, 75% for Adventist women);
  • lung cancer (21%);
  • colorectal cancer (62%);
  • breast cancer (85%);
  • CHD (66% for Adventist men, 98% for Adventist women)

Adventist Health Study-1: 1974-1988

34,192 California Adventists ages 25+. Investigated factors relating to the incidence of disease and mainly compared the different health habits, especially differences in diet, of Adventists.

Key Results:

• Vegetarians had a lower risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and death from all causes.
• In men, the risk of fatal heart disease was significantly related to beef intake.
• Regular nut and whole grain consumption were associated with a lower risk of CHD.
• The risk of colon cancer was increased by 88% in non-vegetarian compared to vegetarian Adventists. Consumption of legumes (beans) had a protective effect against colon cancer.
• On average, Adventist men live 7.3 years longer and Adventist women live 4.4 years longer than other Californians.
• Men with a high consumption of tomatoes had a 40% lower risk of prostate cancer.

Why is the town I live in, Loma Linda, California, is one of the five blue zones on earth? According to Wikipedia, "a Blue Zone is a region of the world where people commonly live active lives past the age of 100 years. Scientists and demographers have classified these longevity hot-spots by having common healthy traits and life practices that result in higher-than-normal longevity."

Check out this website: http://www.bluezones.com/about

Adventist Health Study-2 ~ In Progress

Questions to be answered

Some areas AHS-2 will be analyzing:

• What specific foods enhance quality of life?
• Do soy products really help prevent breast and prostate cancer?
• What foods help prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and arthritis?
• Heredity or lifestyle – which is more important?
• Does faith contribute to a healthier life?

The significance of AHS-2

AHS-2 is of the largest, and most exciting health studies of its kind ever designed and will have national importance and international significance. As one of the largest health studies of Black/African Americans, it aims to help answer why Black/African Americans have a disproportionate amount of cancers and heart disease. It is estimated that 40 percent of cancers could be prevented by a proper diet. AHS-2 seeks to increase understanding of the benefits of healthy eating.

Preliminary Results

• Lifestyle and Disease
• Lifestyle and Wrist Fractures
• Minority Populations: Blacks/African Americans
• Adventist Religion & Health Study

http://www.llu.edu/public-health/health/about.page

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This feature film Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.

http://www.forksoverknives.com

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