Blue Zone Sabbath School Aims to Keep Residents Healthy

Those who are interested in learning more about how to keep healthy can do so at the Loma Linda Blue Zone Health and Longevity Class—known as the Blue Zone Sabbath School—now in its second year. The course, which runs every Saturday morning from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m., offers various lectures and activities to help Loma Linda residents stay fit and healthy, shared program director Dr. Hildemar Dos Santos. Guest speakers provide lectures on topics covering exercise, cancer prevention and treatment, oral health, social health and bodily health (weight/diabetes/high blood pressure/cholesterol), he noted. “Loma Linda is all about health and longevity, and we want to use this to help the community and promote this health information,” Dos Santos said. Speakers range from Loma Linda University students, to Dr. Dos Santos himself, to other health professionals. Often times, blue zone seniors themselves come to the courses and speak on their life experiences and how they have maintained healthy lifestyles. Sponsored by the Loma Linda University Church Health Ministries Committee and the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, the course also places an emphasis on practical, day-to-day activities, he noted, and includes cooking classes and exercises along with a mixture of health presentations and lectures. “We try to make it very broad, but also very practical,” said Dr. Dos Santos, adding that the course’s main focus is preventing medical issues before they arise. The course began two years ago when some Loma Linda University faculty members felt there should be more done to promote the knowledge that Loma Linda has been recognized as one of the five “Blue Zones” of the world—the initial report was done by reporter Dan Buettner, who reported in 2005 in the National Geographic magazine about three areas of the world with a high percentage of people between 90 and 100 years old living normal and productive lives: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda. Recently Dr. Buettner’s team also found and added two more cities to the list: Nicoya in Costa Rica and Icaria in Greece. The Loma Linda University Church Health Ministries Committee wanted to start a weekly program to discuss the lessons on how to live longer, taught by the people who have lived the longest. This desire led to the creation of the weekly Blue Zone Sabbath School. Loma Linda’s reputation for health and wellness stems from a strong tradition of healthy lifestyle ideology embedded in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a religion many Loma Linda residents practice, shared Dr. Dos Santos. “There is a history of Loma Linda related to the Adventist church. In 1906, the first school of medicine was opened, but around 1860 there was something known as Health Reform,” said Dr. Dos Santos. “Many Adventists were dying because of infectious diseases, and one member [of the church] wanted to promote a healthier lifestyle. Healthy diets and food, walking and other exercises were promoted and that sort of became a tradition in the church for over 150 years.” The course consists of two main sessions: a health topic and a Bible Study lesson. At the upcoming Aug. 3 course, Dr. Ellsworth Wareham will be interviewed by Dr. Dos Santos as part of the presentation. Wareham is a 98-year-old retired coronary surgeon, who retired from his post as the Chief of Coronary Surgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center at the age of 73. From the age of 75 to 95, Dr. Wareham assisted coronary surgeons in the Los Angeles area. Wareham has maintained a vegan diet, and he believes this has helped contribute beneficially to his excellent health. “Each person is different, but I do believe a vegan diet and exercise is very beneficial,” he said. “To be healthy you should maintain a good diet, exercise, you shouldn’t smoke and you should be at a healthy weight—all those things contribute to longevity.” All are welcome to attend the free event, which takes place at the Wong Kerlee International Conference Center in the Shearer-Heidar Room C1116 at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Loma Linda University is located at 11060 Anderson St., Loma Linda.