Descending the Copper Canyon for Insight on Health and Disease-The Movie GOSHEN
Two bold young filmmakers Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz descended into the Copper Canyon in Mexico in search of the seeds of health. The Tarahumara suffer almost none of the modern illnesses of Westernized Society. Dana and Sarah were self-funded and self-supported- carting all their camera gear and supplies for a month immersion in the lives of the Tarahumara.
As a physician promoting a return to more natural movement and natural food, I had the privilege of being brought into their story and movie from our small town of Shepherdstown. The Tarahumara are famous for covering extraordinary distances with minimal sandals made of rope and tire. They have eaten a mostly plant based diet for generations, this is their tradition and heritage. We spent half a day filming and sharing stories of what we have learned about health. The secret recipe of the Tarahumara is no surprise- eat natural, move often, and live with happiness in your community. They walk the earth with “light feet” and experience a deep joy.
Their film GOSHEN is a documentary feature sharing the remarkable story of the indigenous Tarahumara tribe who are renowned for their incredible long distance running endurance and lack of the top three modern diseases type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Isolated in the remote depths of Mexico’s Copper Canyons, their low incidence of chronic disease is linked to their plant based diet and physically active lifestyle. The film will share how to prevent and reverse chronic diseases through nutrition, physical activity and stress reduction.
- The C.D.C. estimates that 75 percent of health care spending is for chronic diseases that could be prevented. Billions of dollars are spent on obesity related illness every year in the US. GOSHEN examines the ability to prevent diseases through lifestyle and diet choices!
The Tarahumara are very active with no modern conveniences to reduce work. Here are some unfortunate sedentary lifestyle statistics:
Sedentary lifestyle is responsible for an estimated $24 billion in direct medical spending.
It is estimated that physical inactivity is responsible for almost 200,000 or 1 in 10 deaths each year.
Walking 10,000 steps a day causes a 90% reduction in heart attacks (American Heart Association), a 30-70% reduction in cancer rates (American Cancer Assolciation), a 50% reduction in type 2 diabetes (American Diabetes Association), and a 70% rate of stroke reduction (American Heart Association).
Only about 22% of Americans report regular sustained physical activity (activity of any intensity lasting 30 minutes or more 5 times a week). 15% of Americans report vigorous activity (activity intense enough to make the heart beat fast and hard breathing for at least 20 minutes or more 3 times a week).
Just over half of all adults accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity one day a week, but only 5% of adults manage to accumulate the recommended 150 minutes through the week (The Canadian Health Measure Survey (CHMS)).
According to WHO, 60 to 85% of people in the world-from both developed and developing countries-lead sedentary lifestyles.
Diabetes accounts for more than $98 billion in direct and indirect medical costs and lost productivity each year.
- any people have heard of “hot spots,” where chronic diseases are extremely prevalent. Rarely do people talk about what Family Physician colleague Dr. Daphne Miller calls, “cold spots,” ?or places around the globe where people are living with low incidences of the top modern diseases. Epidemiological research reveals a cold spot for heart disease, cancer, and type-2-diabetes in the Copper Canyons, Mexico; home to the indigenous Tarahumara tribe.
Sarah and Dana are now traversing the United States to interview leading Tarahumara specialists, authors, and doctors to complete the story. My barefoot running friends Christopher McDougal (author Born to Run) and Dr. Dan Lieberman (Harvard Evolutionary Biology Chair), Dr. Daphne Miller (author Farmacology), Dr. Phil Maffetone (Yoda of Health), and Will Harlan (Barefoot Farm in NC) will share their experience and wisdom also. To learn more go here: www.Goshenfilm.com.
Join the global health and fitness movement and donate to support the production of GOSHEN today!
To view a trailer visit here: