Opinion

Healthy-eating path easier to find than youth fountain

During my extensive travel around the country, I've met some interesting people. Many of them were inquisitive about their health. But to my surprise, the discussion oftentimes centered on their search for the elusive "fountain of youth."

Conclusion? People will go to great lengths to try to slow down the aging process.

Breaking news: There is no such thing as the magical "fountain of youth."

Medical experts cannot slow the aging process. They, too, are susceptible to the natural aging process and cannot avoid the withering of time. Nor are the doctors and experts in the healthcare field immune to ill health.

Most Americans suffer from some kind of illness. Some are grappling with one or more debilitating diseases. While some diseases cannot be reversed, others could be arrested with proper nutrition.

Eating healthy is the key to health and wellness. With the right diet and a lifestyle change, those who are bound by their eating habits will feel a lot better and gradually return to optimum health. It's a journey that first starts in the mind before the body can be healed.

Are you currently on a journey to good health? If you are, maintain your enthusiasm. If not, make sure your spirit is willing and that you're doing what is necessary to achieve good health. Approach it like boot camp, even if it's regimented. Also, make sure you surround yourself with like-minded individuals. This will provide an atmosphere of encouragement and support.

Food is not the real enemy, as we have been led to believe. Processed foods, however, are culprits. They're packed with excessive calories, salt, sugar and chemicals that destroy the body. They're also loaded with misleading nutritional information. We all must learn to eat the proper nutrients, if we want to live.

If we're not receiving the required nutrients, we become nutritionally deficient. We also stress out, deprive ourselves of sleep, and don't get the right amount of required rest. If we don't get enough sleep, we can cause oxidative damage to our bodies, which quickens the aging process. We must learn to relax, eat healthy, exercise, drink plenty of water and change our lifestyle.

The bottom line is this: focus on being – and remaining – healthy, with a sound mind and body. It won't be easy, but it certainly is doable. You'll need will power and a commitment to live to achieve optimum health. A little encouragement goes a long way too.

We can try all the newfangled diet programs to change our appearance and body, but until we accept the person inside, we'll forever chase the elusive diet with little success. However, if we keep our bodies in shape, there will be no need to search for the fountain of youth.

Just do it one day at a time and the results will follow. And, do it after you start eating the right foods.

(Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plant-based lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, wellness coach and personal plant-based chef. He is the author of "47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes." He can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , visit him at www.cheftimothymoore.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/cheftimmoore.)