Written by: Johan Jacobs
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Our bodies (earthly temples) are “fearfully and wonderfully made” – praise our Father! As a matter of fact, I think our Creator had eternity in mind for humanity before the fall. As we know from Biblical records, the early people in the Bible reached well over nine hundred years of age. They were strong and full of vitality. How did they manage this? How could their bodies age so slowly? There are a couple of fundamentals to understand to explain how that could be possible.
Cells are continually replaced
Our bodies are designed to continually replace old cells with new cells. Medically, this is called cell renewal and regeneration. Using our own stem cells and the process of apoptosis (programmed cell death), old cells are replaced with new, strong ones. For example, it takes approximately six weeks for one’s whole epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) to be gradually replaced. This self-replacing/maintaining mechanism applies to the whole body. The quality of the newly formed cells is in direct correlation with the quality of the nutrients (building blocks) that the body receives in order to replace the old cells. Thus, depending on the quality of the food (building blocks) ingested, old cells will be replaced with better, equal, or worse cells.
You are what you eat
In my book, Go Natural: Wisdom for Healthy Living, I explain that true food blesses and feeds your body, whereas “cheat-foods” with poor or no nutrition work as a curse in your body. The degeneration is so slow, with no immediate effects, which leads people to believe that it does not affect their bodies. We are what we eat and, ultimately, the food you ingest becomes the future you.
True food that nature offers to us
Before the flood, in the days of Noah, early humans mostly ingested true and real foods – straight from nature. These food sources contained the original spectrum of nutrients, enabling them to age slowly and to live with vitality, far beyond 900 years of age. After the flood, the environment (and our genes) changed significantly. Currently, there are many so-called “blue zones” in the world – areas with the best foods where most people easily live to beyond 100 years of age without being sick and “dis-eased”.
Nutrient-deficient food chain
Currently, most modern populations exist outside these blue zones, South Africa included. We find ourselves in a broken world where we are worse off, over-exposed to a toxic and nutrient-deficient food chain that is full of refined foods. There are also many other factors that shorten our lives – which I explain in depth in my book. There is, however, good news with attainable solutions!
CURB PREMATURE AGING:
1. Knowledge is power
It is imperative to have biblical wisdom, methods, and recipes to help you eat nutrient-rich foods, as well as information on how to side-step premature, accelerated aging. My book will help you mimic a blue zone type of environment, filled with nutrient- and antioxidant-rich foods. You will want to create an environment for your body to flourish, despite living in this broken world.
2. Exposure to the sun
Spend at least one hour per day in the sun. We thrive on an ample supply of vitamin D. Many key processes in our bodies depend on it. If you are an office worker, you will need to supplement your body with at least 2000 IU’s per day with the sunshine vitamin – vitamin D3.
3. Get moving
Movement is key! It was not so long ago when we still had to physically work hard to obtain our food. Inactivity will harm your posture and immune system.
4. Eliminate pollution from your body
We are exposed to far too many toxic chemicals. Many of these hidden toxins are exposed in our book, but common examples are:
• Fluoride toothpaste
• Chemical preservatives in processed and packaged foods
• Root canals
5. Bless your body with superfoods, like:
• Homemade chocolate with ‘living’ ingredients (this recipe is in my book as the “3-in-one anti-aging snack”)
• Freshly squeezed vegetable juices
6. A good night’s rest
Enough sleep facilitates recovery and healing. Endeavour to go to sleep before midnight and to sleep at least seven hours per day.
7. Peace in your soul
Our souls also need the right “food” for peace in the body. We were created body, soul, and spirit – these must be in peace and harmony for our bodies to function optimally. Jesus is the Bread of life. We are on earth for a short period of time; make sure that you are at peace in your heart and that you know where you are heading. John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.”
I hope this advice will help you to age naturally and slowly – while you ensure that you are also geared for eternity.
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Date published: 30/10/2022
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