With age, the body goes through natural changes. But just because you're getting older doesn't mean your health has to suffer. By making smart lifestyle decisions and trusting in God's plan, we can all live healthy, fulfilling lives, just as He intended for us.

"For I have plans for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 

If you're in need of a lifestyle adjustment, or simply a new tool for motivation, here are our five steps to healthy aging:

1. Prioritize Mental Well-Being Stress may be inevitable, but that doesn't mean you should let it keep you from going about your day-to-day. Feeling stressed out too often can lead to depression and negatively impact your immune system, according to Ann Malkmus.

"Our body often responds to stress with a fight or flight response," she wrote in her book Unravel the Mystery by Ann Malkmus. "When improper response to stress occurs it can cause elimination organs to hold on to toxicity and metabolic waste. This leads to acceleration of sickness and disease." To keep stress levels down, find a hobby or activity that acts as an outlet for the bad feelings. Exercising or hanging out with friends and family make great stress relievers.

2. Eliminate Toxic Habits According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16 million Americans live with some type of disease that was caused by smoking. Additionally, research by the CDC found drinking excess alcohol can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and multiple forms of cancer. Eliminating such habits reduces your risk for developing these conditions, thus promoting longevity.

3. Incorporate Exercise Into Your Routine Exercising as you age is critical to your overall well-being. It improves your cardiovascular health, reduces your blood pressure and strengthens your bones and muscles, according to the American Heart Association. Adults should spend at least 150 minutes performing moderately intense aerobic activity every week. This can include jogging, swimming, biking, walking and more.

4. Take Care of Your Teeth Brushing and flossing certainly keep your mouth in top shape, but they're not only contributing to oral health. When you don't properly take care of your oral cavity, certain pathogens can invade your upper respiratory tract and break down your immune system. That's why visiting the dentist, prioritizing healthy habits and taking oral health probiotics is critical.

5. Following God's Plan Most importantly, following God's plan to nourish your body with the original sustenance of the earth is key to healthy aging. By eliminating processed, sugar-ridden "foods" from your diet and opting for a primarily-raw, plant-based regimen, you'll fuel your body with the vitamins and minerals you need to thrive. Give your body a chance to grow and prosper the way it was meant to by following a diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. If you need help kick-starting your new and improved lifestyle on the road to healthy aging, try our Get Started Kit today.

Many fear the thought of growing old! Following is the testimony of a 70-year-old lady who tells of her fears of growing old and how a simple diet change removed her fears, and restored her health...

“As I look back to prior to my adopting the Hallelujah Diet on December 4, 2006, my physical body was deteriorating rapidly. I loved the Lord, and I knew He loved me, but He had allowed me to go on a path of self-destruction for such a time as this – so that I could, at the age of 70, share with others my age that it is never too late to improve their physical body and quality of life. “Because of my poor choices in nutrition, not only did I have a weight problem, which I had experienced the better part of my life, I also suffered greatly with acid reflux, indigestion, chest pains and heartburn. But as bad as those problems were, my problems of greatest concern were that I was experiencing brain fog and forgetfulness, confusion, frustration, and some depression, topped off with a great loss of energy. “I was coming to the conclusion that I was just plain old and worn out and headed for dementia or Alzheimer’s, or a heart attack, stroke, cancer, or for sure osteoporosis, because that’s the message you hear and read about from the media, that you can expect, as you age. “On December 4, 2006 I was looking for some papers for my husband Jim. They were very important papers and I had carefully put them somewhere so that they would not get lost. But I could not find them, and it was a very scary situation, because it was a situation that was happening far too often. "I looked and looked and prayed and prayed and became so upset because the papers were very important and I didn’t want to be so out of control. When I finally found the papers I was so frustrated that I sat down, laid my head on the table, and wept, and asked the Lord to help me. “That same day, I was in a store and saw on the shelf Rev. Malkmus’ book, ‘The Hallelujah Diet.’ My first thought was that there was no way I was going to buy another diet book because I had tried almost all of them with only marginal success, always resulting in my “gaining back the lost weight plus some more. But I felt strongly impressed to buy the book, which I did. I then read the book. It was radical, but simple, and so Jim and I decided to give the Hallelujah Diet plan a try. Well, that was December 4, 2006 and the results have been astounding! “Since making the diet change, Jim and I have experienced a tremendous increase in energy level and we feel so good. My brain fog has cleared. My retention is much improved. My confusion, frustration, and depression are GONE! "And praise the Lord, when my goal and purpose became my overall health rather than just losing weight, losing weight became a delightful plus and I have lost over 30 pounds. I feel like a new person and I thank the Lord so much, because it is only through Him leading me to that book by Rev. Malkmus, that all these improvements in my health and mental abilities have been helped. “I want to add that my husband has also had wonderful results following the Hallelujah Diet. He had been a person with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, lack of energy, irregularity, overweight, and sleep apnea. "Now his blood pressure is lower, his blood sugar is in normal range, he has greatly increased energy, and he has lost 30 pounds. But the best part is that his sleep apnea is gone! We are so thankful! “There are many nutritional programs available to people today, but we chose to go with the Hallelujah Diet because Brother George Malkmus is the founder of Hallelujah Acres. His love for Jesus Christ is evident in all that he does, not only in his writings, but also as manifested in his love and compassion for people. “My passion and my reason for coming to Health Minister training are because I am older and know what making a change in diet and lifestyle can do for an older person’s health and mental abilities, because I have personally experienced the benefits of a changed diet. With Health Minister Training I will be better equipped to tell older people that they too can experience improved health and quality of life no matter what their age.”

How To Age Healthy

Having just celebrated my 80th birthday with a healthy body and sound mind (and attending a Sunday School class with other senior citizens who are constantly going to doctors, taking drugs, and ending up in the hospital or dying), I have been thinking a lot about why people’s health declines so dramatically as they age and what can be done to reverse this trend.

Prevention

One of the most important things in understanding how to age healthy is the importance of prevention. The Bible says in Proverbs 26:2: “The curse causeless shall not come.” In other words, the curse of sickness will not come without a cause! Almost every physical and even psychological problem we can potentially experience as we age has a cause, and if we can eliminate the cause, we can almost always prevent the problem from every happening. What few people realize is that most diseases that affect people as they age are mostly preventable! Most people can prevent physical or psychological problems from ever happening by simply changing their diet and lifestyle rather than accepting standard treatments that can exacerbate the problem or at best minimize symptoms. There is a lot of talk about genetics these days but genetics plays a relatively minor role in the diseases we are most concerned about. And even when genetics are involved, we now know that these negative genetic expressions can be strongly influenced by good nutrition. And nutrition is something each of us has almost total control over. By doing something as simple as eliminating the cause by changing our diet, we can take control and raise the probabilities of wellness dramatically. Why we get sick or why we don’t get well after physical or psychological problems manifest will no longer a mystery.

Are Checkups Necessary?

Little do most people realize that many of the problems they are experiencing come from the very institutions recognized as authorities in treating our diseases or we look to for keeping us well – the health care industry! Doctors are trained to look for problems and often find problems that don’t even exist. One prominent nutritionally oriented medical doctor calls the health care industry the "sickness industry." He continues: “These authorities, motivated by greed, have herded a trusting populace along a devious path for decades. They will not change, but we can change..." What others have experienced when they took control of their own health and did something as simple as change their diet and lifestyle can be very motivating. We have thousands of testimonies in 48 different categories that will show what others have experienced following a simple diet and lifestyle change. I acknowledge that there are some physical problems such as accidents, overwhelming infections, serious genetic defects and congenital neurological abnormalities that are difficult to control, but except for these, in most instances, you can have tremendous control over your health as you enter your senior years or advance through those years.

Primary Causes of Our Physical Problems

As we age, there are a number of factors causing our decline. Below are some of the major ones, with numbers 1 and 3 being the primary ones:

1. Improper Diet and Lifestyle
2. Chemical Toxins
3. Pharmaceuticals (there are hundreds that can cause disease, especially in combinations. These drugs, along with medical errors, are the leading cause of death in America.)
4. X-rays and other Radiation
5. Supplements: Inadequate vitamin D, iodine, omega 3 oils, B12 and many other essential nutrients

Most diseases start many years before symptoms appear, especially in the case of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases. Rarely does a disease just suddenly happen. We must be aware that many of these problems took a long time to develop to the point that we became aware of them by a symptom. Most of the doctors we go to are conscientious people and are honestly seeking to improve our health. But they are seriously handicapped by their training in medical school where they have been taught that for every symptom there is a drug — and that nutrition has nothing to do with the physical problems the patient is experiencing. Drugs used in treating seniors have many potential dangers or side-effects as revealed in the Physicians Desk Reference Manual. If you don’t have access to a copy of this book, you can Google the name of the drug and then “adverse effects” or “potential dangers” to learn a lot more about the drug the doctor has prescribed. Some of these drugs, when properly administered can be useful in the treatment of some diseases, but every effort should be made to avoid pharmaceuticals and to limit dosage and duration of use as every drug is a poison to the body.

How A Person Can Prevent Problems As They Arise

1. Adopt A Plant-Based Diet Since the majority of physical breakdown experienced as we age is caused by improper diet and lifestyle, the very first step in preventing this breakdown is to get on a healthy diet just as early in life as possible. How fortunate are those who are brought up in a home where mother served a plant-based diet from birth. Those who are so fortunate to have been raised on a vegan diet and have continued that diet throughout life and into their senior years, rarely experience the physical breakdowns that are so prevalent in our Standard American Diet-eating population. Even those who switch to a plant-based diet in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s can usually escape the usual senior citizen physical and psychological breakdowns. But what about those who have reached senior citizen status and the physical and psychological problems have already begun to manifest? I have some good news for you: Even if old age breakdowns have already begun to manifest, a change in diet can usually stop further breakdowns and restore the body to wellness. If you haven’t already done so, please go back to the beginning of this article and read or re-read the testimony of a woman who didn’t switch to a plant-based diet until she was in her senior years and the tremendous improvements she has experienced. Here’s how she ended her testimony:

“I am older and know what making a change in diet and lifestyle can do for an older person’s health and mental abilities, because I have personally experienced the benefits of a changed diet.”

2. Get Active Along with a healthy diet, it is imperative that we become active in both physical and mental activities. I remember well my uncle that retired at age 65 fairly healthy, but after retirement stopped almost all physical and mental activity and he was dead within a year of retirement. Physical activity is a must! It doesn’t have to be hard workouts at a gym, but at the least, it should involve daily walking at a fast pace for at least a half-hour each day along with some stretching and resistance exercises. If you don’t use your muscles you will lose your muscles. Keeping bones strong also requires weight bearing activities. You can keep your muscles toned and bones strong, and even get a terrific workout in just 10-minutes a day on the Fit-10 exercise equipment. Both Rhonda and I work out on the Fit-10 each day, and it plays in important role in keeping our bodies in good physical condition. Along with a healthy diet and physical activity, it is important we exercise the mind. Daily Bible reading and possibly a good Bible study or nutrition course will force you to use your mind. Hallelujah Acres has an excellent, FREE 12-lesson course on nutrition called Biblical Nutrition 101. 3. Drink Lots of Purified Water Many of the problems senior citizens experience is due to dehydration. One should drink at least a half ounce of liquid for every pound of body weight each day (vegetable juices and other liquids count toward that amount). I personally drink over two quarts of distilled water each day. I add a teaspoon of HydroBoost to each gallon of distilled water to alkalize and re-mineralize the distilled water.

Now It's Up To You

Up to this point in this article I have shared what I have known to be correct and have practiced for almost 40 years. And for the past over 20 years, Rhonda, (my wife) has also followed this knowledge. And the results have been spectacular for us both! Rhonda adopted the diet 23 years ago at the age of 46. At the time, she converted to a 100% plant-based diet and started exercising because she was in terrible physical shape, suffering with debilitating arthritis and was severely overweight. Within a year of the diet change she had lost 85 pounds and all symptoms of arthritis were gone and are still gone as she approaches age 70. I personally made the diet change in 1976 at the age of 42 after being told I had colon cancer. Within a year of the diet change, without the use of any medical modalities, my cancer was gone and has remained gone. When I look at others, some many years younger than I and see all the physical problems they are experiencing, I thank God for allowing me to have cancer almost 40 years ago so that I would learn the value of a plant-based diet. I trust what I have shared will at least stimulate you to do further study into the powerful impact a changed diet and lifestyle can have upon your body no matter your present age. A good starting place can be found here.

Closing Thoughts

How is it that most people who adopt the Hallelujah Diet are able to see such miraculous improvements in their health, improved mental clarity, recovery from even terminal illnesses, and even the rebuilding of body parts? Because the Hallelujah Diet is patterned after God’s original Genesis 1:29 diet! This diet is the very diet God the Creator gave to that original couple Adam and Eve! It contains ALL the nutrients necessary to produce health — especially when concentrated in vegetable juices and made more available by blending. The Standard American Diet that is consumed by most people today does NOT contain the essential nutrients the body requires in order to achieve these spectacular results! You can clearly see the truth of what I have shared above when you compare the healing results obtained by the medical community — using their most advanced modalities of drugs, radiation, and surgery — on a person consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD), compared with the results people obtain from these same physical breakdowns when they turn to nutritional excellence (the Hallelujah Diet), and without the use of any medical modalities. Tens of thousands of people have written to tell me that after they adopted the Hallelujah Diet, they have recovered from over 170 different physical and psychological problems. Most of these people report that they had been on the Standard American Diet for years, all the while being treated with various medical modalities, and yet their physical problems DID NOT go away... UNTIL they changed their diet! After changing their diet, and without any drugs or any other medical modalities, their physical problems simply disappeared! They simply stopped putting into their body the toxic substances found in the Standard American Diet, and started providing the body with the essential nutrients their body needed in order to restore wholeness and wellness.

First, Let’s Dispel a Popular Myth One of the many myths about health that particularly concerns us at Hallelujah Diet is the widely accepted notion that our health is supposed to diminish when we reach our senior years. While people are living longer, unfortunately they do often experience a deteriorating quality of life, which feeds the myth. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to lose our health and vitality and become more susceptible to illness, disease and physical limitations. Positive changes can dramatically improve one’s quality of life literally by enhancing one’s health. A great example of this truth is my own father. He consumed the unhealthy Standard American Diet until he ended up with a baseball size tumor and colon cancer in his early 40s. My grandmother had died of the same cancer after enduring what traditional medicine has to offer—chemo, radiation and surgery. When my dad saw that these painful and debilitating “remedies” didn’t work, he decided that maybe a radical change in diet might give him a fighting chance. An evangelist by the name of Lester Roloff convinced dad to begin eating nothing but fruits and vegetables and drinking one to two quarts of raw vegetable juices every day. He got well within one year, then made adjustments to his diet to maintain his weight (the Hallelujah Diet balance of 85% raw and 15% cooked foods). And, today, at age 81, my father is still very healthy and active. My stepmother is another example of how diet can change one’s life. She overcame chronic arthritis and lost over 80 pounds in about a year, thanks to switching from processed foods and meats to raw foods and juices. Why Do Older People Often Contract Diseases? It all comes down to how healthy or unhealthy our body’s cells are and why. Before we explore that subject, let’s take a look at the current state of elder health. Roughly half of all people today die from a cardiovascular disease. Another third or more dies from some form of cancer. But these are not age-related diseases. They are diet-related. And poor diet results in these sobering statistics:

• Two of three senior citizens will become physically or cognitively impaired.
• One in three will end up in a nursing home.
• By 2030, there will be approximately 72 million older Americans, more than twice as many as in the year 2000. And many will be sick or declining physically or both because they didn’t change their diet.

Without changes in diet, medical costs will continue to soar, older Americans will continue to get sick and not enjoy their golden years, and their children will bear the responsibility of caring for loved ones in declining health. What is the Answer? The most rewarding part of my job is witnessing many older Americans’ transformation after they decide to take charge of their health and embrace the Hallelujah Diet. As one can see at www.myHDiet.com_testimonies, many seniors have overcome significant health challenges—including cancer, diabetes and multiple sclerosis—and are now experiencing something they never thought possible: a whole new level of health and personal independence. They have not only added years to their life, but have enriched their quality of life. They feel better and they can do more. How and Why Does This Diet Work? As I said earlier, it all comes down to the cells in our body. When our cells are sick, we get sick. When our cells are healthy, we are healthy. Science tells us that free radicals can damage vital cellular components including the body’s DNA or cell membranes. Cells may then function poorly or die. However, when our cells operate the way that God designed them, we enjoy optimal health and a slow, healthy aging process. The fact is that the body contains nearly 100 trillion cells and they are constantly and rapidly dying and being replaced by new ones. The quality of the new cell depends on what we put in our bodies. God instructed Adam and Eve to eat the raw foods that He provided in nature. And, in recent years, this biblical wisdom has been supported by science. Current research points to the remarkable benefits of a whole food plant-based diet in providing the nutrients that the body needs to eliminate the toxins that can impair cells. We really can keep our cells—and ourselves—healthy, well into old age.