Episode 104: Let's Talk About Blue Zones, and Factors That Lead to Longevity While On the Earth!

Psalm: 139:16

Welcome to the Visibly Fit Podcast. I'm your host, Wendy Pett. Yes. God has ordained our. Days. He knows the number of our days. But the question is, and the thing that I wanna talk about today on this episode is do you believe that you and I have anything to do with those, with that number of days that God has already in place for us?

In my mind, the answer is yes. I believe that God does have that number because his word is true. But I believe that a lot of times, the way in which we take care of our bodies, our minds our souls, our emotions our environments everything that's going on around us that may be in chaos that it plays a role on if.

Or whether or not we reached that day or not. And so I think it's my opinion. But I believe it's true that we have more to play in that role than we give ourselves credit. So yes, God does know the number of days that we are to live. We don't know what they are, but we play a vital role on whether or not that number comes to pass.

And so I bring all that up because I. We just celebrated my mother in Love's 97th birthday. Her name is Carol. Her name means Song of Joy and she is absolutely precious. I love her so very much. And she is just a hoot. She yeah if we were the same age we would hang out, like she is so much fun.

She's smart, she's witty, she is Yeah, she's just a very special human being and we have a special relationship and I'm so grateful for that. But she was born and raised in the same town. She lives in a little small town called New M Minnesota. It's a little small German town. And it's interesting because she.

I'm gonna get into why I believe, not just genetics, yes, she has good genetics, but it goes over and beyond that. And we're gonna talk about that further on this episode. But I wanted to, before I do about talk about Carol, I wanna talk about a lady by the name of Erna Zn, or Zanzan, Z A H N.

nnesota's oldest resident. In: 2022

I think she mainly grew up in New M but her early years were in Pickett, Wisconsin. But I wanted to share about her because what a special woman this is. And I think this will inspire you to realize that we really have a lot. To do with how long we live. We really do. She. Celebrated her earlier birthday parties.

And I don't know what earlier means, but she would hang out with family and friends at Sleepy Eye brewing companies, so that wouldn't be early. Earlier. It'd be after 21 years of age, but I think that means earlier, like in her nineties. But even says that she was riding a horse on her 99th birthday.

Like how cool is that? I love that. At the age of eight, she had quite a bit of responsibility. She had to cook the family dinner and she would light WIC lanterns while her mother worked at the family owned general store. And that was in Picket, Wisconsin. But here's a couple things that. That really I loved about her and I love listening to, and I thought, or reading about, and I think you'll love listening about.

She says, get out and shovel snow. Yes. It's great exercise is what she says. And if you're in Minnesota or Wisconsin, you're going to be shoveling snow at some point in time, but even well into your years shovel snow. It'll keep you younger. She also says, eat breakfast. She says it's what keeps her going.

A lot of people skip breakfast, so eat your breakfast. She also says, say your prayers. Don't skip meals and do not complain. Wow. That's something. She also says that her favorite foods include bananas and dark chocolate. Longevity does run in her family. She says her mother lived to be 95 and a half, but my goodness, she's.

A decade or more over that. But she lived by herself in an apartment until the ripe old age of 109. And at the time of her death, Ernest Zan was the oldest Minnesotan third oldest American and the eighth oldest person in the world, according to her obituary. The oldest person to live is actually friend, a French woman who Says that she was born and she died in the same place, in the same, so she grew up in the same town, right at the age of 122 years old.

Oh wait, 122 years old and 164 days. And then the oldest living man lived for 116 years and 54 days, and he's from Japan. So let's talk about longevity, shall we? Let's talk about. The Blue Zones, if you're not familiar with the Blue Zones I'm would probably say you've been hiding under a rock, but that's not very kind to say because you might really not have heard of the Blue Zone.

So I invite you to go and. Go to their website, Google them, whatever, because I believe that the the information will inspire you, encourage you. But I'm gonna talk a little bit about Blue Zones here today on this episode because we, I believe all want to live better, live longer, and have those longevity secrets because we want to live out.

And do more for the Kingdom, right? I, that's why I wanna live longer. I don't know why you wanna live longer, but we want to be with family and friends, and we want to do more while we have this life here on earth. And so let's make it the best life possible now, the Blue Zones. Is was a project that Dan Butner was a big part of, and he's written many books.

One of 'em is called The Blue Zones and I think he has I wanna say he has about six or seven books out there right now. But anyway, he did a lot of research in different areas of the world to find out where are people living longer and why, and let's talk a little bit about why are people living longer, and then I'm gonna go back to my mother-in-law, Carol, a little bit based on this.

So I'm going to go right to Okinawa, Japan. Now, there's several areas in the world that people tend to live longer. Now, interestingly enough, UN and unfortunately, a lot of the Western culture is starting to. Just infiltrate some of those blue zone areas with the fast food and unhealthy lifestyle.

But mainly through foods, right? Unhealthy foods and it's it's tweaking the numbers a bit, which is a shame. But Loma Linda, California is a place here in the United States that is known for as a blue zone. There's several places, but Okinawa, Japan is where the oldest woman was from.

So I wanna talk a little bit about Okinawa and why. Are there more people that live to be a ripe old age, they're called centenarians, not centurions. I've said that before. That's the wrong word, but it's centenarian. I wanna make sure I got that right, which, duh. It's not centurion, but centenarian.

Why are they living longer in Okinawa? Here's a few reasons why. One, they have something that's called a moai group that they can lean into a moai group. M o a i is basically what they call a group of lifelong friends or family support group that they do life with, right? So think about your church community or, think about your family first and foremost.

Hopefully you have a healthy family that you can lean on, and it's a good support if not. How is your church community? Think about small groups, how you're doing life and have the opportunity to do life with small groups. Or what about just in your community in general. Maybe it's with an organization that you're a part of, or maybe you are philanthropic in one area or another, that you have a, a good moai support group where you're doing life together.

This is one of the key ingredients to becoming. As someone who is a centenarian, right? So a MOI group. This allows people to live longer. And the effects of a MOI group are are incredible. Okinawa ones also have a strong sense of purpose. Now, I'm going to botch this word kinda like centenarian.

But it's I k I G a iji. It. I don't know. I don't know. But it's I k I G A I. And that is their sense of purpose. They have a strong sense of purpose. Something that is oh, I have a reason to get up in the morning. So do you know your purpose? Do you have that reason, that drive that's pushing you and propelling you out of bed each and every morning?

And I don't just mean your job, like that's. Maybe may, maybe it's your job, maybe your job is a big part of your purpose. But I would say the majority of people, their job is just their job. So really knowing your purpose will help you live longer. So the job is just part of that equation. Your purpose is the greater calling on your life.

Again. What are you doing in your life that will. Give God glory. And if you don't know that purpose, let's dig down and find out what that is. But that's a big piece of the equation as well for Okinawas, is that they have a sense of purpose even into their hundreds. They have a reason to live.

They know that they're, they are a gift and that they are special in the community, and there's a reason to keep pressing in and to. Be a mentor, so to speak to others and to share their gifts and talents. Here's another reason, and you guys that have listened to this podcast long know that I'm gonna be cheering this one on.

They rely on a plant-based diet. They rely on a plant-based lifestyle, so that makes me very happy to share. They mainly have their meals of stir fried vegetables. Sweet potatoes and tofu, which are, high in nutrients and low in calories. They have something that they bring in that is an antioxidant and compounds that have that helps to lower blood sugar.

And that's I don't know if I'm gonna botch this word too. This is gonna be the episode of botched words Gaia Goya. G o y a, something that's found in Japan. So they are eating really healthy. Now, I'm going to put a little caveat on this because full disclosure, Okinawas do eat some pork.

Now, do I recommend that you eat pork? No. This is not a green light to go and eat bacon. But they do this traditionally because during certain ceremonial occasions, they will have pork served and it's just in small quantities. But mainly they are a plant-based culture. That's how they go about their life.

They also garden. They have a garden and they have thriving gardens. They enjoy gardening. It's exercise. It's that farm to table. They're getting the quality phytonutrients and phytochemicals that their body really deserves and needs at the cellular level to, to live at a ripe old age.

Yeah, gardening is gonna be a big piece of the puzzle. They eat a lot of soy now. Too much of. Even good things can be bad things, so I don't recommend eating a lot of soy. I would recommend eating ample amounts like couple times a week. No problem. I just had some incredible st air fried tofu the other night, and it was so great and it was crunchy and.

Oh my goodness, it was so good. Put some spices on there. Loved it. But they eat a lot of fermented soy foods as well whether it's tofu or Tempe or fermented other ways like nato, whatever they are enjoying. Soy. And so that's made a big difference and it's really good for their gut microbiome.

Okay. Another thing that they do is they enjoy getting outdoors. They're outside a lot, so they're getting ample amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D is crucial for Vitality. And if you wanna learn more about all that the vitamin D does for our body, then I'm going to put at the end of this episode, my episode on vitamin D.

And you can go listen to that because you need it for strong bones. You need it for at the cellular level like you need. Vitamin D and if you are going from your home to your office and then your office to your home and you're just in artificial lighting all the time, always indoors, your body is suffering.

It's affecting your immune system and I can't stress that enough. Again, I'll drop that. Episode of the vitamin D here at the end and maybe right here as well. But that way you can go listen to that after this episode. But they are outside a lot and they're getting ample amounts of vitamin D.

They stay active. Okay? They are moving their bodies. And I'm not talking like they're not running marathons, right? Like they are doing functional. Fitness they're doing functional living, like I mentioned, they were gardening. They are stooping, bending, pulling weeds hoeing the garden.

They are doing functional fitness kinds of they're just living right, like they're doing life. And most people the average person Is sedentary. They have an office kind of job not average, I'm just saying the a lot of people are sitting more often than just being active, right? And so that's a big part of the puzzle.

They also, when they have their garden, they are planting medicinal type of crops. Ginger and turmeric, all anti-inflammatory. Bring in some herbs, like basil and different things of that nature so that your body is eating eating to live right? You're eating healthy God-given foods and every.

Thing that you put in your mouth plays a role at the cellular level. And so they are experiencing the effects and the benefits of their garden. Now, another thing about Okinawas, they have a great attitude. Now I know that there's a lot of negativity just kinda being bombarded and thrown at us through media.

But I wanna encourage you to find good news, to listen, to, listen to comedians, listen to the good news, so God's word. Ditch the negativity because that will just fester in your body. So start to speak life over your life. And you've heard me talk about this before, but it's so true.

You gotta have a good attitude. That's one of the things that my mother-in-law has. She has a great attitude. She has macular degeneration. She can hardly see, right? She can't hear without her hearing aids, but she loves alone at 97. And she has a great attitude. She's hilarious. She's full of energy and spunk I guess.

And she just is. Is a hoot. I'm telling you. She is a party waiting to happen. And she has an incredible moai group. That's right. She has five kids, she's got 20 something grandkids. And then I don't know how many great grandkids, like she has a lot to live for and she's always rehearsing. Kind of the life of her children and her grandkids and what's going on.

She's in the know, she's in the know of the community. She reminisces, she remembers what did back in, I don't know when they were 50. And she can tell you so much about this town and then. Even though maybe these people have passed on, their families still live in this community and she knows about their children and she's in the know and her kids and keep her updated.

And so it keeps her mind sharp, right? So she has this sense of community. Mainly because we're, we are all rotating and coming in to assist with her. And when I say assist, I mean she lives alone, but we come and keep her company and and take her out to lunch and, just care for her love on her.

She has another gal that comes up every day just to make sure she's got her breakfast and her vitamins and all the things. But she does really well on her own. But she has a community. She has a MOI group that cares about her, and she has a sense of purpose. It keeps her going. I think about. A lot of people say, oh, you know what, it's just genetics.

I would say genetic genetics are a big part of the equation, right? But how we take care of our bodies can turn on and off those receptors, those genetic receptors. And how is your environment? How are you feeding your body? How are you? Are you stressing a lot or are you really at a place of peace and calm?

Do you have laughter? Do you have strong faith, Carol? Has strong faith. My mother-in-law has strong faith. A lot of these people, like in Loma Linda, that's a part of the equation for that one being a blue zone, strong faith. They eat more plant-based as well, but I'm telling you there's a big part of just.

Knowing your purpose, having community eating well, and yes, genetics play a role, but we can enhance those genetics or hinder them based on how we're currently living. So that's the topic today is do you believe that your days are numbered? And of course the answer is yes because God tells us, but do you believe that you have a role to play?

And that number. Now, Todd and I my husband and I, we have a number that we're thinking that we would like to live to, and that number's one 20. Okay. You may think, whoa, one 20. Okay, but you know what? You have to have a number in your mind. Carol has a number. She's already thinking of a hundred.

I believe she'll go a hundred and beyond. Again, her mind is sharp. She's already painting the picture, visualizing you know what will happen when she turns a hundred? She's got anticipation around it, which is super exciting. We talk about. How she gets a something from the president.

She gets we can have a flag flown over the state capitol. All kinds of cool things that happens when you turn 100. So she's already thinking about that. So I believe that Carol will live a hundred and beyond, but. She has to and we all have to start picturing that number.

What does it look like? How are we going to get there? How are we going to play a role in that number to be a part of being in the Sin Centenarian Club, right? How can we be a part of that club? And the Okinawa ones really help to share the details of that and how they live their lifestyle now.

One thing I will say is that there are those that are genetic, kind of phenomenons. Like I think of George Burns, right? The actor, comedian, he smoked cigars, drank, I, I don't know. He didn't live the cleanest, purest life, but he lived to be a hundred and a few weeks. And it's interesting because, Again, he's an anomaly.

He did have a contract that was signed at age 96. I found out that he would do a standup comedy act in Vegas. And so for him to sign that agreement or that contract and already picturing his 100th, that may have given him maybe a few extra years. I don't know. God knows, but I. But it was a sense of purpose or a goal right?

To strive for. I think of my my mother-in-law here, Carol. She doesn't eat the best, I must say. In fact, while we were celebrating her 97th birthday, the Schwan's man walked in. Now, if you don't know what the Schwan's Man or. Woman is it's a delivery truck. It's a food delivery service that is fast food kinda stuff that's put in your freezer and you can put it in the microwave and eat pretty quickly.

And Carol has been, I, we found out from the Schwan's man, this exact same guy has been serving. Her home for 29 years. Oh my word. That's what you get when you have a small town. You get to experience having the same serve, service people for that long anyway, 29 years. So for that long, she has not been eating the healthiest.

But I would imagine before that, She was probably eating pretty clean, farm to table, pretty fresh. But things changed over the years, right? We became more of a quick. Quick, instant gratification, quick fix society where the foods changed, more preservatives, more chemicals.

So things have changed for her. But in the earlier years, I believe she ate really well. Just I have a great aunt that lived to be 97 or 98 herself. And man, she ate incredibly well, most of her years. I have a great granny that lived to be 103, and she was a farmer, so it's all farm to table.

So the foods today are not going to even compare to the foods then, but we do have a role to play. And so it may take us. Doing a little more work, meaning, having a garden getting our foods from a co-op or just doing more research and going out of the way in order to get our food so that we know that our food is better quality than just going to the grocery store, making sure it's organic, non gmo, all the things.

But It can be done, it can be done. So we just need to be a aware and pay attention. But again, how's your community? Do you know your sense of purpose? What's getting you out of bed every day? Again not your job. Your job may be part of that equation, but what is your sole purpose? And is it getting you out of bed every day?

Eating whole food, plant-based, right? Big piece of the equation. Having a good attitude big piece of the equation, stressing less or learning how to release that stress. And we talk about that on this podcast as well through deep breathing and different exercises like that. But you have more control than you realize.

That's what I wanted to share on this episode of Visibly Fit. So yes, your days are numbered, but you are part of that equation. So live well. And I hope to see you when you're a hundred. Yes, I do. I hope you see me when I'm a hundred and then 120. That's my goal. So anyway, God bless you and thanks for tuning into this episode.

I hope it inspires you and encourages you. And if you haven't heard of the Blue Zones, go check out Blue Zones and just get in the know. Get encouraged, get inspired, and take action for your best health. Because it not only affects you, but it does affect everyone. It affects your community. Look how, just sharing the story of this woman from New ALM that lived to be 114 and 117 days has inspired me, my husband, and so many people.

And she lived life well and she didn't stop living at 99. She was going horseback riding. Oh. Another thing too is. Is sit on the floor more often. These okinawas are up and down off the ground a lot. They eat their meals on the ground, they sit on the ground often when they're hanging out. In community they are squatting, sitting, and so that's something else that will help with your lifespan as well.

Okay, hope this blessed you, share this with others and make it a visibly fit day and we'll see you next time right here on Visibly Fit. Take care.

Share Episode

Shownotes

Transcripts

Follow

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube