Past TEDx event

TEDxSanta Barbara Salon

Longer by Nature: The Science and Soul of Living Well

Took placeMarch 11, 20267:00 PM - 9:00 PM (GMT-7)
LocationSanta Barbara, CA, California, United States
FormatSalon
What if the most powerful thing you could do for your health was also the simplest? A Harvard-led study of 120,000 people found that walking outside conveys a 19% longevity benefit over those who don't. Heavy gardening — digging, chopping, working the soil — beats gym workouts, cycling, and running for respiratory health and longevity. The research is clear: being at the gym alone isn't enough. We need variety. We need to be outside. This TEDxSantaBarbara Salon brings together curator Mark Sylvester and Dr. John La Puma — the physician who coined "culinary medicine" when nobody believed food was medicine — to explore what he calls nature-based medicine: targeted microdoses of nature exposure for measurable health benefits. Not mental health alone. Physical health. Diabetes. Arthritis. Heart disease. Sleep. The Format This is a salon, not a lecture. We'll watch curated content, then talk about it together. The goal isn't just to learn — it's to leave with something specific to do differently. What to Expect Curated TED content on longevity and healthspan Live discussion with Dr. La Puma Light refreshments (tea, water, fresh fruit) 100 seats, intimate setting

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

  • John LaPuma, M.D.

    Dr. John La Puma is a board-certified internist, professionally trained chef, and the pioneer of Culinary Medicine in the United States — a field he helped create and that is now taught in 80% of U.S. medical schools. He earned his MD from Baylor College of Medicine, completed the country's first post-graduate fellowship in clinical ethics at the University of Chicago, and later trained as a professional cook through Le Cordon Bleu. A two-time New York Times bestselling author with over a million books in print across eight languages, Dr. La Puma has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers in NEJM, JAMA, and BMJ, and led clinical trials on burnout, obesity, hypertension, insomnia, and diabetes. He has been called "a secret weapon" by The Wall Street Journal and named one of America's Top Physicians by the Consumers' Research Council. He has presented at Harvard, Stanford, TEDMED, and TEDx, and hosted multiple PBS specials and five seasons of Lifetime TV's Health Corner. His latest book, Indoor Epidemic, makes the clinical case that our 93%-indoors modern life is wrecking our biology, and prescribes targeted time in nature as the fix. He lives and works in Santa Barbara, California, on a certified organic regenerative farm where he grows avocados, rare citrus, and lives the science he prescribes.

Organizing team