How Do You Want to Die?

The answer that we like best is, “I want to die young, but as late in life as possible”
- Dr. William R. Kellas

Medical science has done an absolutely magnificent job of curtailing deaths from infections and traumas, which used to be the leading causes of death. As a result of their brilliant advances in controlling deaths form infection and trauma, the times when 1 out of every 2 people died from infection or trauma are gone. Instead, people now get to reap the consequence of how well they nourish and protect their bodies.

Degenerative Diseases are Optional

According to former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop, of the 2.4 million deaths that occur in the United States each year, 75% are the result of avoidable nutritional factor diseases. That number is conservative. Here’s a chart of the nutritional factor diseases cited by Dr. Koop (CDC):

The Goal

The goal, of course, is to maintain one’s body so well (with nutrition and internal cleansing) that nothing cuts us short of our maximum longevity as set by our heredity. Heredity is what prescribes how many cellular replication binding buds we are born with. (See telomere explanation to the right.) We don’t know what the theoretical limits are to our longevity potential, but scientists are quite certain that people are capable of living to at least 120 to 150 years of age, and possibly much more.

And, please note that scientists aren’t talking about a lessened quality of life type of living. They believe that we can have our natural strength and vitality and mental acuity literally until our cells are no longer capable of cellular duplication. Then we die, but not from disease, but because our time is truly up.

All of this reminds us of the Biblical Moses, of whom it was said when he was 120 years old - “His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.”

What’s Your Longevity Forecast?

Living to 120 to 150 years of age with complete vigor and joy is so contrary to the general forecast for people who are alive today.

Instead, the forecast for a 30 year old alive today is that 1 out of 2 will die from heart disease and 1 out of 3 will die from cancer. And, even though United State population’s average longevity has reached 76 years of age, many of those later years cannot be described as years of physical power and freedom to do all we would like to do.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Scientists and wellness counselors have shown us the way. It is:

1. Optimum Nutrition
2. Optimum Internal Cleansing

Living Well All the Way to the Last Telomere

Why don’t we live as long as Adam, Methuselah and the patriarchs?
Answer: Because our telomeres die. And… why do our telomeres die… and what are our telomeres… one asks?

Telomeres are the cell replication buds or protein binding sites at the end of each DNA strand. We are born with fifty to sixty in each DNA strand that form the termination or DNA cap. How many we have is a gift of heredity.

During cellular replication cycles (if insufficient nutrients are available) or during free radical, oxidative events… it is possible for a telomere to be damaged (and subsequently removed from the DNA structure) When the number of telomeres in the telomere cap goes to zero—that DNA cannot replicate itself again.

We have learned that there is a substance called Telomerase that can allow telomeres to be added to the DNA cap. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know how to purposefully introduce telomerase into our cells.

So, the fact remains, older cells have fewer and fewer telomeres. When the telomere count goes to zero, cell replications can no longer take place. Then, regardless of our level of health, our time is UP.

Six thousand years ago… telomeres lasted longer… because there weren’t so many free radicals in the environment to destroy them.

And, so, if we could get vastly increase our antioxidants and methylation facilitators… which stand as bodyguards and maintenance to keep our telomeres safe… we could live substantially longer.