A Meat and Dairy Article from All-Creatures.org

There is Only One Blue Zone Left

From Dr. Thomas Johnson, NCSP, CPQ
July 2024

Following World War II over the course of 2 generations there was a dramatic decrease in the overall health of Okinawans as more and more of them adopted the Standard American Diet (SAD) which was reportedly associated with the US military occupation which occurred from the end of the war until 1972.This occupation contributed to the Westernization or Americanization of the Okinawan diet.

Dr. Johnson

At the turn of the century the landmark 25-yearlong study THE OKINAWA STUDY (2001) was published. The authors of the study included Doctors Bradley Wilcox, D. Craig Wilcox, and their mentor Makoto Suzuki. The first and third authors are cardiologists, and the second author is a medical anthropologist. The Bradley scientists are identical twins. At the time Okinawans were recognized as the world’s longest-lived people. Their study documents "as a group, the three leading killers in the West-coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and cancer-occur in Okinawa with the lowest frequency in the world."

Diet was found to be the biggest contributor to the outstanding health and longevity of traditional Okinawans. On average 96 % of their calories were from plant foods-primarily sweet potatoes (69%), rice (12 %), with most of the rest of their additional plant food calories coming from green and yellow vegetables. Fish made up approximately 1 to 2 % of their calories, dairy and eggs1 % and less than 1 % coming from animal flesh.

In addition to the whole foods plant-based diet Okinawans shared a pervasive belief that the body is your temple, and you should not pollute it with tobacco or excessive alcohol. Also, they practiced Zen meditation and emphasized living their lives with a sense of purpose, which includes living in Moais ( social support groups that form social order to provide varying degrees of spiritual, financial and social support.)

Dr. Michael Greger’s most recent book How Not to Age published in 2023 brings the reader up to date stating "Sadly, Okinawan longevity is a thing of the past. Okinawa is now home to more than a dozen KFC restaurants" and other fast-food restaurants.

"Okinawans saturated fat intake levels have tripled in the years since World War II. They went from eating essentially no cholesterol daily to a few Big Macs worth. They tripled their sodium intake and are now as potassium deficient as Americans, getting less than half the recommended minimum daily intake of 4700 mg. In just two generations, Okinawans have gone from the leanest Japanese to the fattest .As a consequence, there has been a resurgence of interest from public health professionals in getting Okinawans to eat the (traditional) Okinawan diet too."

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

 

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: July 30, 2024
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