When I was nineteen, I was extremely active, worked part time and was about to graduate secondary school.  I was a waitress at the time and discovered one night at work when I bent down to pick something up off the ground that I had considerable difficulty standing upright again.  I felt like an old woman!

When I went to my family doctor and related the incident, I was redirected and told it was nothing.  I had a few experiences with my doctor regarding serious health issues that she brushed off in the past, and I was finished with her inability to take my health seriously.  I consulted another doctor who sent me for x-rays.  This is when I learned that I had arthritis to such a degree (stage 3 of 4 stages of bone degeneration) that the doctor informed me I would only experience more pain over time and would eventually require the aid of a wheelchair to get around.  To complicate matters, I also had two abnormal curves in my spine (scoliosis), and a twist.

My first step was getting into physio therapy.  I attempted to train my muscles to straighten my spine…and undo 19 years of bad habits.  I tried out for the basketball team in university to keep active.  After the first round of tryouts, I was unable to get out of bed.  Just rolling over was a chore.  I began aerobic exercise at the university gym to keep active.  I never took anything for pain.

I began utilizing chiropractic three years later.  I had such an improvement in the degree of pain I was experiencing that I was hooked!  A year later, I relocated and found another chiropractor.  I have been with him for 7 years with wonderful results!  When once I was unable to ride a bike without my hips locking up and having to stop, walk and stretch them out, I can ride with ease now.  The most exciting part about my experience is that I no longer exist in stage three degeneration.  I am now moving backward.  Here is why:

Every cell in our bodies has a lifespan.  Once it dies (with the exception of brain cells) it gets replaced.  Our new cells are made up of the basic components of what we consume.  I used to eat Kraft dinner, pasta with cheese and butter, sausages and Sidekicks, TONS of sugary things like donuts and cookies (I have mentioned I have a sweet tooth) and anything that was easy and quick.  The real kicker about that food was that my body was using building blocks for new cells out of man made chemicals!  You are what you eat!

My quick diet impacted my health by creating an acidic environment, where calcium was pulled from my bones to buffer the acidity and get back to homeostasis.  Because I was always eating this way, my body could not create healthier cells.  I experienced degenerating bones, lumps, infertility, depression, ovarian cysts, and digestive disorder.  My quality of life was crap!  I was unable to sit or stand for long periods and experienced chronic pain.

So, what is my point?  Give your body healthy building blocks (natural fats, complex carbs, natural proteins, and lots of good clean water) and it will provide you with a better quality of life.  If your body is constantly replacing old dead cells with new healthy functioning ones, it is only a matter of time before all the cells in your body are made of the wholesome earth-food that we are meant to be made of.  And as a result, the cells function more efficiently, removing toxins and waste more effectively.  Our cells are young.  They are certainly NOT as old as we are, and they are constantly being replaced, so you can never miss the boat!   This article from the New York Times in 2005 explains this in a little more detail.  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/science/02cell.html

So, why is your health important to you?  Do you want to climb Everest or live to a ripe old age while still able to move your thumbs to play the newest edition of (insert favourite video game here)?

Please share your story, thoughts, questions and reasons here.  You never know who is reading your story to change their life.