I am a wellness educator with a focus on longevity and ethical life extension.  I have long believed that we have an obligation to care for our bodies and to maximize our health spans.   Healthy Living is an act of physical stewardship, in much the same way saving money and investments are financial stewardship.

A wellness and longevity lifestyle is part of my response to my Creator.  Many Christians, however see an anti-aging philosophy as vanity or playing God.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were created to have eternal physical lives as well as eternal spiritual lives. After all, they created in the image of an eternal God.  I understand life extension and anti-aging principals from that perspective – as a restoration of God’s original intent.

The main theory as to why men lived so long before Noah’s Flood is that the Earth was still in an environmental bubble from creation, and that genetic mutation was limited since Adam and Eve had original, pure DNA. There is evidence to suggestion that in the pre-Flood era, humans were vegetarians.  It wasn’t until after the Flood when God refined His covenant with Man that animals were given to men to eat.

Methuselah was almost 1,000 years old before he died.  Enoch never died, he was taken directly into Heaven, so was Elijah.  Noah was several hundred years old when God called him to build the ark.  Moses was 80 when God called him to lead the Israelites, and around 130 years when he died.  Joshua was around 120 years, and Caleb was 80 and “as fit as a young man”.

I firmly believe that part of the restoration that Jesus brings, is also the restoration of long lifespans (maybe to 150 years or longer) for the purpose of doing good and serving others.  As a Christian I also understand that God has numbered and ordered my days (Psalms). He also tells me to care for my body, as an act of obedience.  Long years and health is traditionally seen as a gift from God. My role, as I understand it, is to be the best steward of my body as possible, practicing longevity and wellness, and leaving my ultimate expiration date up to God.

by Sherry Baker

Sherry Baker is a widely published writer whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Health, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Optometry, Atlanta, Arthritis Today, Natural Healing Newsletter, OMNI, UCLA’s “Healthy Years” newsletter, Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s “Focus on Health Aging” newsletter, the Cleveland Clinic’s “Men’s Health Advisor” newsletter and many others.

Diabetes has a New Face                                                        

Alzheimer’s disease is now being recognized not only as a deterioration of the brain, but as a problem of too little insulin, that then begins destroying brain cells.  In other words, Alzheimer’s may start with the blood sugar levels in your body, not in your brain.  Too few insulin receptors on your brain cells (neurons)and you can’t learn, or remember and the cells die sooner.

Now that may sound techy, so let’s simplify it. Insulin is a hormone in your body. It signals to your cells that there is glucose (blood sugar) available to feed the cells.  Basically insulin says to your cells-”Dinner’s ready!  Come and get it!”, and attaches to the insulin receptors on the cell (think- door knob).  The insulin, grabs the “door knob”, the door to the cell opens and the cell then takes in the glucose and goes about its business well fed.

The problem is when you eat way too much sugar, refined carbohydrates, and white starchy stuff, you don’t exercise, or get enough lean protein, and your blood sugar remains high.  The door knobs start coming off of your cells.  your cells don’t get the glucose.  Insulin, doing its job, starts making even more insulin, in effect shouting- “HEY! Wake Up!  Open up!”.  Too much insulin and you crash.  Repeat this over time, and your pancreas figures that you aren’t cooperating, and now it won’t make any insulin.  Now your blood sugar is permanently high.

Welcome to Type 2 Diabetes, a serious disease with fatal side effects like heart disease, nerve damage, blindness, premature aging of your cells, increased cancer risk, and oh yes, it can progress to Type 3 Diabetes – Alzheimer’s.  Scientists are now studying the connection between insulin, memory, and brain health.

So here’s the good news – you can prevent Type 2 Diabetes, even if it runs in the family.  Your older relatives may have Alzheimer’s but you don’t have too.  And preventing all of this misery are relatively simple steps that can extend your life.

For starters, take a look at the Cinch program(TM- Shaklee Corporation).  It’s extraordinarily effective, the products are safe enough for children to eat, and very good for Type 2 diabetics.   We’re talking about simple lifestyle changes and renewed health.

Other Resources: Health Daily News Central

Phys Org.com