by Patricia Dance

Created on: April 19, 2007   Last Updated: April 20, 2007

I vividly remember third grade. Mrs. Haas, my teacher, was teaching about Ponce De Leon and his pursuit of the fountain of Youth. I etched a picture in my mind of an actual fountain with shimmering sapphire waters under a panoply of blue sky, and that image has been my life-long inspiration.
Aging is inevitable. The body breaks down as our organs, muscles, bones, and tissues age. But we hold the key to how quickly or slowly our body ages. The study of cultures around the world show many differences in the aging process. In China, it is not uncommon for women to have satin skin and thick glossy hair at age sixty. In parts of Peru, men are still sexually active well into their eighties. Weston Price, DDS, discovered cultures in remote parts of the world where degenerative diseases such as heart disease and arthritis were not the norm of the day.

So what can we do to turn back the clock and enjoy our remaining days to the best of our potential? The answer is in our digestive tract. The Chinese say that death and disease begins in the colon. The foods we eat and the liquids we drink will either bring life or death to our bodies. When we eat processed foods or "dead" foods that have no life force or vitality, we put an undue burden on our digestive tract's ability to work properly. Living foods such as vegetables; raw dairy such as cheese, butter and milk rich in living enzymes; cultured dairy like kefir, buttermilk, and yogurt; fermented vegetables, fruits, and juices; nuts and seeds soaked to remove enzyme inhibitors; vibrant sea vegetables that nurture the skin, hair, and bones; and meat properly raised on rich, green grass are all foods that will promote the health of our organs and contribute to our well being. These foods will nourish our bodies and provide the necessary minerals and vitamins to every cell. A healthy body is a young body no matter what one's birth certificate says. By viewing the body as a precious possession that deserves the best of care, we can turn back the clock.

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