The Hosting of Health Talk - Superior Immunity at FGS South Island
At the present moment, many countries around the world are still facing difficulties tackling Covid-19 pandemic. New Zealand is lucky that the pandemic situation is under control. Nevertheless, in order to raise public awareness about immunity to diseases and to improve man’s physical and mental health to achieve harmony in life, on 24th July 2021, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island, jointly with Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island, organised a Health Talk: "Superior Immunity – A solution to global health crisis". Dr Patterson Stark, a US double board certified Health Practitioner in Lifestyle and Anti-Aging Medicine and a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (FASLM), was invited as the speaker. A total of 50 people attended the Health Talk including FGS South Island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi, BLIA South Island President Bernie and his wife, members of BLIA South Island, Dr Patterson’s wife Gayel Marquet, and the general public.
Dr Patterson was diagnosed with cancer in his 20s, and his kidney and liver were very weak. His thought at that time was: Should I blame God for being unfair to me? Or should I choose to face life positively? Dr Patterson chose the latter. In addition to undergoing treatment, he chose to further his education, to eat a healthy diet and to carry out appropriate exercises, fighting the disease with a positive attitude. Soon afterwards, the cancer cells in his body disappeared and he recovered fully from the illness. From what he had undergone, Dr Patterson realized that health is the most invaluable thing in life. So he began to research into the general causes of illness. Utilising his knowledge on nutrition, Dr. Patterson, who has been practicing medicine for many years, found that dependency on drug can be replaced by healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle.
After Dr Patterson read the words of Master Hsing Yun: If we do our best to benefit the society with kindness and practice the "Three Good Deeds", we will surely be blessed with good and beautiful lives, he felt that he should share with the public his concepts on health and wellness which he has accumulated over the years. In the Health Talk, Dr Patterson analysed the common sicknesses faced by the public and the factors that caused them, and talked about how to alter the courses of illnesses through proper nutrition. He also brought up the problem of Human immunity faced by the world today, and said that the solution lies in changing to a healthy lifestyle which will end in happier life and longer life-span.
Dr Patterson mentioned that food is one of the main causes of diseases and it has a great impact on cancer. Correct eating habits and healthy ways of life, including doing exercise, gardening, meditation, listening to music, involvement in artistic creation, coexisting with Nature, having good sleep, etc., can help reduce the risk of contracting disease. Dr Patterson summarized a healthy lifestyle as:
- Eat well (healthy diet)
- Move well (moderate exercise)
- Love more （good interpersonal relationship）
- Less Stress (Manage stress well)
After the Talk, the audience interacted with Dr Patterson and raised questions pertaining to the Talk. They thanked Dr Patterson for the lively and informative talk, enabling them to learn a lot of valuable new knowledge and to have a deeper understanding on health and medical care. They promised to take good care of their health so as not to burden their families and Society.