Dr. Steven Leib Pioneers New Goals for Longevity In Santa Cruz County
By Haley Sage
Around the world, Santa Cruz holds an association with one of its natural icons, the almighty Redwood: a symbol of fortitude, resilience, and longevity. Now, our region may qualify for a new distinction to represent a different aspect of long life: the prestigious designation of Blue Zone. According to the Blue Zones organization (bluezones.com), Blue Zones are “rare longevity hotspots around the world where people are thriving into their 100s. Blue Zones® is a trademark of Blue Zones, LLC, and reflects the lifestyle and the environment of the world’s longest-lived people. Blue Zone Project Communities have experienced double digit drops in obesity, smoking, and BMI (body mass index), along with millions of dollars of savings in healthcare costs.”
Indeed, this is the goal of Dr. Steven Leib, whose work is making strides in the world of health and wellness in our area. Dr. Leib is on a mission to bring Santa Cruz County into the ranks of other global Blues Zones® such as Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and Loma Linda (California, USA). And according to Aging (aging.com), Santa Cruz is almost there, with a ranking of #3 in America’s Top 10 Blues Zones, and among the Top 5 Happiest Places in the US.
It’s all happening from a new epicenter for wellness, right in the heart of the San Lorenzo Valley. The Wee Kirk Church, just one block off Hwy 9 on Main Street in Ben Lomond, is a historic landmark that Dr. Leib and his wife Vivian acquired in 2013 and are now turning into a community hub for health. Here, Dr. Leib and other community pioneers host programs and workshops to encourage all members of our community to embrace preventative lifestyle medicine, to improve overall health and longevity.
Pictured above, Dr. Steven Leib and Vivian Leib (l) and the Wee Kirk Church (r)
From July 7-21, Dr. Leib and the Wee Kirk Church will collaborate with local nonprofit Eat for the Earth to host the 3-week “Community Rx” immersion in nutrition education. The program begins with tests to assess biomarkers for health such as cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Participants are invited to try a healthy plant-based diet, complete with meal plans, recipes, and education over the ensuing weeks to support their success. At the end of the program, testing is repeated to track progress.
According to Eat for the Earth, “Our results have been outstanding. Participants report feeling better shortly after they start the diet. We hear from people who have more energy, reduced inflammation, better sleep and digestion, and less anxiety. Numerous participants who start with extremely high LDL levels drop to very healthy levels, for example, and we have had many people with diabetes bring their blood glucose down into the normal range.” More information: eatfortheearth.org/community-rx
Dr. Leib describes how a whole-food, plant-based diet is one of the four pillars of lifestyle medicine to support longevity and the reversal of Alzheimer’s disease. When coupled with exercise and movement, stress reduction, and social engagement, dietary choices that support both heart health and the planet provide the foundation for longer living. This was the topic of one of Dr. Leib’s recent talks at the Felton Library as part of his Lifestyle Medicine Book Club, which meets monthly to discuss relevant topics for health-minded individuals. More information about this ongoing series: santacruzpl.org
In addition to all of these endeavors, Dr. Leib also holds his monthly “Walk with a Doc” series in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Sharing laughter, poetry, and personal reflections, Dr. Leib guides his groups to activate several of these pillars of longevity amid towering redwoods that exemplify long life for us all. The next walk is scheduled for Saturday, July 20 at 12pm Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Parking Lot 3 (picnic area) Topic: “Poems of Earth and Spirit” …..an invitation to deepen your connection with nature. More information and to contact Dr. Leib: walkwithadoc.org/join-a-walk/locations/felton-california
Haley Sage is a certified Professional Grief Coach and is currently a candidate for certification as a Health and Wellness Coach with Duke Integrative Medicine. She is also the host of “Shore to Shore” on KBCZ 89.3FM and has worked extensively as a producer and tour manager in over two dozen countries.
Featured photo: Dr. Steven Leib during a recent “Walk with a Doc” at Henry Cowell, with two books that he discusses as part of his Lifestyle Medicine Book Club at Felton Library.
Photos contributed by Vivian Leib
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