Ways to Increase the Average Lifespan

I am no research scientist or doctor, but I believe that the average human life expectancy could increase up to 25 years if some changes in lifestyle were to take place-major changes. In the early 1900s, the average life expectancy in the United States was 47 years. Medical science has enabled this number to increase to approximately 77, but in my opinion, I feel that it could increase even more, to 100 years or above.

How many people actually consume at least the recommended amount of nutrients a day? Only a small percentage of individuals actually eat all of the fruits and vegetables that are essential to health. With busy lifestyles, hectic schedules and lack of time, many people are lucky to get in one or two servings of these vital nutrients on a daily basis. Without the proper nutrition to help us fight off free radicals, viruses, bacteria, and other environmental toxins, no wonder people develop cancer and other deadly diseases that prematurely end their lives. Lots of people try to compensate by taking vitamins and supplements, but oftentimes these won't suffice because our bodies just can't absorb the nutrients from pills as well it can from foods. So in order for a person to increase their life span and quality of life, they need to ensure that they get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals from foods.

Another extremely important way that we could increase our life spans is by getting rid of all of the chemicals in our lives. This would be extremely difficult because chemicals are in almost everything. Who would think that manufacturers use chemicals in our foods, drinks and personal products-even feminine hygiene products and baby items. The human body can withstand a small amount of occasional chemicals, but the amount that we come into contact with on a daily basis causes toxic overloads. When this happens, the body begins to deteriorate as the person develops one chronic illness after another.

It makes me angry that manufacturers use all these harmful chemicals in the products that we buy. They use chlorine for bleaching toilet paper, sanitary napkins, paper towels, napkins-and even diapers. A poor newborn baby is exposed to harsh chemicals before it has even had the chance to develop an immune system! What are people thinking? And why do so many of our products contain embalming fluid? Sure, the ingredients don't read 'embalming fluid,' but formaldehyde is what is used to embalm dead bodies, and it's also used in many consumer products. Perfume, an extremely popular consumer product, is just one of the many items that contain this potentially cancer-causing agent.

All manufacturers care about is making money, because if they really cared about people's health, then they wouldn't use all of these unnecessary and hazardous chemicals in the products that they create. If all natural companies like Natracare creates alternative personal care products without these chemicals in them, then why can't the regular manufacturers stop using them? Obviously they work the same way or these natural and organic companies wouldn't stay in business.

So, what if the FDA suddenly made it illegal for manufacturers to add any type of chemical to any of their products? Of course this is totally hypothetical because if the FDA feels that it's okay to use chlorine to bleach baby's diapers and wipes, then they would approve just about anything. If there were no more chemicals in our personal products, the shampoo that we use to wash our hair would still get our hair clean. It would probably smell even fresher without the addition of the disgusting chemicals. The baby wipes would still clean the baby's bottom, and the makeup that women use to enhance their beauty would still work the way it was intended. Sure, chemicals help to preserve the life of the product, but what about the lives of people? No wonder people develop liver disease, fatty liver or have elevated liver enzymes. The liver finally gets sick after all of the hard work that is has to do on a daily, and sometimes hourly basis. The poor organ can only withstand so much abuse before it and/or other organs and body systems start to malfunction.

Think about the amount of chemicals that you use on a regular basis. I bought a brand new computer mouse because mine quit working properly, and I was shocked to read the package which warned me that the mouse contained chemicals that could cause damage to the reproductive system! That really blew me away, because although I knew that chemicals were used for numerous things, I never thought that such a product would contain dangerous chemicals.

Next time you buy a tube of toothpaste or a bottle of your favorite shampoo, read through all the ingredients. You will undoubtedly see a host of unknown chemicals, some of which you can't even pronounce. The manufacturers claim that these ingredients are necessary to make their products work properly. What would people rather have: natural, chemical free products that may not work quite as well as the products with all the chemicals yet as a result they would live a longer period of time? I don't mean that people will live to be 100 yet be confined to wheelchairs or nursing homes, either. I mean a quality 100 + years, where the person can function just as they did when they were 50 or 60. Or do you think that a majority of people would rather have the chemical-based products that can eventually cause many health problems as well as a shortened life span? I think that most people would choose option # 1 for the simple fact that no one wants to suffer or die prematurely. Unfortunately, though, many of us don't have the option of buying natural products because they are too difficult to obtain. The prices are usually three times the amount of regular products and they aren't usually sold at Walmart or other stores where consumers buy personal products. It's a shame that chemical-based products are so inexpensive and the natural kinds are sky-high.

So, if it were possible for everyone to start using chemical-free products and consuming chemical-free foods, then I'm almost positive that we would see the average life span increase a great deal. Using the natural products would expose us to less chemicals, enabling our bodies to function optimally for longer periods of time. So come on everyone, let's stop putting these chemicals into our bodies!