We have all heard stories about long lived races, ranging from people in some isolated parts of Russia, the Hunza's in the Himalayas, certain Indian tribes in Ecuador and more lately the Okinawans in the outlying islands of Japan. Active and healthy people in excess of 100 years of age are not uncommon in these communities. People who are 70 and 80 are not considered to be old, and most of them carry on working in the fields until they eventually die. They are generally free of disease, physically and sexually active into very old age with all their mental faculties intact.

Just imagine this. If these communities can enjoy much longer lives than what is normal in our society, imagine our own possibilities IF we apply the best knowledge available to us which they do not have.

Admittedly these people have the benefit of living largely stress free lives and generally removed from environmental pollution. They also have the benefit of NOT being exposed to pharmaceutical drugs or developing a dependency on them. Nonetheless it is possible for all of us living in a modern society to compensate for this by applying the knowledge that is available to keep us healthy and live long, active and pain free lives.

It all boils down to the effort and resources that each one of us is prepared to devote in ensuring that we remain healthy and active for as long as possible!

Changing our attitude to health

There is a wide spread 'attitude to health' which keeps the bulk of the population unhealthy and will ultimately lead to the economic collapse of the 'health system' as we know it today. What is this 'attitude to health'? Very simply, it is the impression given largely by the media that medical research is advancing so well that it is only a question of time before you can replace parts of your body or take a drug to fix what ails you.

Although it is convincing when viewing these exciting developments on your television screen, it is nonsense. Most of these ‘news items’ are released to the media by the PR companies on behalf of the Corporates they represent and the media 'gobbles' them up as they make good 'news' items. The psychological flow on effect is subtle but cumulative and I believe breeds laziness towards personal health responsibility as it promises the prospect of a 'quick fix' solution for almost any health problem!

If only it were really that simple and you could abdicate your personal health responsibility to others!

Add to this the amount of misinformation that is circulated, combined with the way society relates to aging and you have all the ingredients present for a good unhealthy 'health attitude'. It is critical to realize that as you age that you need to totally disregard what society expects you to be. In other words don't be taken in by "you’re not as young as you used to be so you can't do what you used to do", or, "I have to take it easy because I don't have the energy that I used to".

Just remember this old saying which I am sure you know... USE IT OR YOU WILL LOSE IT. As you get older the need for correct nutrition and in particular, exercise, becomes even more important than when you are younger.

Embracing healthy habits as we age

Getting older is great if you are healthy and feel good. The benefits are unlimited. The first 50 years is the learning period in which to set yourself up to enjoy the next 50 years. No matter what your current age or health situation, it is never too late to start working on improving your health and significantly slowing down the degeneration of your body.

You should aim to never see the inside of a hospital (unless visiting or after being run over by a bus!), and if you are on pharmaceutical drugs you should make a concerted effort to get off them. This I admit is not easy but is generally possible and you will probably need help from a really competent complementary physician. Note: I said 'complementary' not 'alternative'. If you are on pharmaceutical drugs and wish to phase them out you need the input of a competent physician who is well trained in both disciplines.

Good health is the result of a combination of many things: good nutrition, sensible supplementation, exercise, and attitude. Also avoiding environmental pollutants which includes junk and processed foods including excess grain based foods. Oh, and don't forget, only drink quality water NOT tap water.

There is exciting research going on in the field of supplementation which will help you to achieve your health objectives (in conjunction with other good lifestyle choices) and I am pleased to say that we are amongst the first in the world to apply some of that research in practical ways.

As you enter this new year of 2017, I encourage you to make changes to any unhealthy lifestyle habits you may have. Take a look at your own attitude to health and make a concerted effort to invest in your body for good future health long into old age.

In good health,
Warren Matthews