life stages 153
Old Age
According to many sources, including the World Health Organization, as
time goes by we are going to have far more elderly people around who
will not necessarily be in good or better health. Their prediction is that
the number of cases of cancer and bowel diseases will dramatically
increase.
As life expectancy extends, it is perhaps time to develop a good
understanding of home self-healing methods. Anything that can
ordinarily harm the body will simply continue to do so for longer, the older
we get. So whether it is the bowel congesting or the liver stagnating, the
answer lies in learning about and implementing natural healing routines
designed to cleanse and rejuvenate the body’s organs. This may, at fi rst
sight, appear to be a tough option for the elderly, who are sometimes
more rigid or dogmatic in their approach to their lifestyles, as they
justifi ably relax into the evening of their lives. It certainly requires those
noble elder qualities of wisdom, enlightenment, balance, and courage in
order to make these changes.
Nutrition will have a different focus as digestion becomes less effi cient
and as shopping for food and cooking become more tiring. Additionally,
older people tend to eat less as they require fewer calories and less protein
to fuel their daily activities. For them, a combination of liquid foods
balanced with fi ber, good-quality fruit and vegetables, juices, superfood,
and some good-quality and well-chosen supplements would be ideal,
while also making sure that what little food is eaten is of excellent quality
and taste. Every day, a salad should be eaten that includes some of the
following ingredients: grated carrots, beets, cucumber, and ginger, added
to dandelion leaves, lettuce, and sorrel. Vary the ingredients each day if
possible. Now is the time to grow a few herbs like thyme, oregano,
coriander, and garlic and to use them to fl avor each meal.
Some older people fi nd that memory and brain agility begin to fail
them, just at a time when memories are more delightful to recall and they
have all the time in the world for crosswords and conversation. Ginkgo
(which is already used in copious amounts by the elderly) will really help,
as will other brain restoratives such as Siberian ginseng root, rosemary
leaf, gotu kola root, and prickly ash berry — refer to “Parkinson’s and
Alzheimer’s Diseases” in chapter 10.
Brittle bones are an increasing problem as we grow older; some two
hundred thousand hip fractures are reported each year in Britain and,
likewise, cases of osteoporosis are increasing. Refer to “Osteoporosis” in
chapter 10.
The immune system must be lovingly cared for so that colds, fl u, and
other respiratory disorders and diseases do not have a chance to become