We all know that life is full of stress, which can have very damaging results. According to German doctor Leonard Coldwell, “All illness comes from a lack of energy and the greatest energy drainer is mental and emotional stress,” which he believes to be the root cause of all disease. Whether you believe his statement or not, it’s proven that stress is one of the leading causes of disease in our country today, so reducing your stress can be one of the best things you can do for your overall health. In fact, studies from around the world have shown undeniably that diseases can be eliminated, and health restored, simply by reducing stress. Now, what does this have to do with Simple Kneads and gluten-free sourdough bread? Well, as you know, we are all about good nutrition, which is an excellent stress management tool! When our bodies are poorly fed, stress takes an even greater toll on our health, so feeding our bodies good, nutritious food is crucial.
Speaking of reducing stress, nutritious food, and sourdough bread, have you ever heard of the Blue Zones? Blue zones are areas of the world where some of the world’s oldest people live — in fact, they are known to consistently reach the age of 100 at 10 times greater rates than the average North American! The five main geographical areas are 1.) Sardinia (mainly the Barbagia region that is mountainous). Here the world’s highest concentration of male centenarians is found! 2.) Ikaria, Greece. An Aegean Island with one of the world’s highest rates of middle-age mortality and the lowest rates of dementia. 3.) The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, which has the second highest concentration of male centenarians. 4.) Okinawa, Japan, where females over 70 are the longest-lived population in the world. And 5.) The Seventh Day Adventists (highest concentration around Loma Linda, California). They are known to live 10 years longer than the average North American.
What do all these have in common? Well, the world’s longest-lived people don’t spend a lot of time at the gym lifting weights or training for marathons. Instead, they mainly live in environments that constantly have them moving without thinking about it! All blue zone people have gardens. This gives them that extra nudge to keep moving because for the next four months they will continue to plant, weed, water and then harvest! In addition, most in blue zones do not have modern mechanical conveniences for house and yard work, and we all know that exercise is huge for reducing stress. It’s also interesting to note that these people do not generally stuff themselves during meals. Okinawans usually stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full and will generally skip a third meal. In fact, most people in the blue zones eat their smallest meals in the late afternoon or early evening and no more the rest of the day! Including the majority of Adventists. This creates more rest for the digestion, which reduces the stress on the body, especially before bedtime. In turn, there is better sleep! Which is also critical for reducing stress.
People in the blue zones traditionally eat whole foods, eat at home, and beans reign supreme! Including black beans, fava, soy and lentils. And except for Adventists who promote a plant-based diet, people in the blue zones eat very little meat, and most of the animals are freeroaming and have not been given hormones, pesticides or antibiotics. And guess what else people in the blue zones eat? Sourdough bread or 100 percent whole grain bread! And we all know that true sourdough bread digests better than regular bread, giving your body a better chance to absorb the nutrition you are taking in, and has a lower glycemic index, making your entire meal healthier! For more advice on sourdough and starters, visit sourdo.com or order gluten-free, whole ancient grain sourdough bread from us! Simplekneads.com.
In summary, there are simple ways to reduce stress in your life. Most of us have the capacity to live into our 90s, and largely without chronic disease. We hope that the information we have shared here will help you get started on your journey to a healthier and happier you.
Sandy K Workman
SK Director of Brand Development
