Longevity Has Its’ Place

The day after my 3 miles, 6 days a week jogging, vegetarian, dentist Dad died in 2008 from a rare form of cancer, my life long hog farming Great-Great Uncle died, then the next day my full of life cousin died too. Dad was 70 years of age, Uncle Pearl 108 and Little Melvin only 16. All succumbed to physical ailments, my young cousin felled by congenital heart disease.

In 1952 pesticides were used on 5-10% of corn, wheat and soybean crops grown in the U.S. By 1980 the percentage had jumped to 90-99%. The spike in autism diagnoses and increased risk of many types of cancers  have been linked to pesticides. After a memorable trip into a NYC grocery store in 1985, I decided to become a vegetarian. But Uncle Pearl’s longevity shows clearly that meat is not the problem – how meat is processed and how frequently meat is consumed perhaps is.

30 years later I am no longer a vegetarian, yet at 51 I’m even more conscientious about what I consume. Perhaps Dad was a victim of John Henryism. Pesticides may have been a factor in Little Melvin’s illness. My new blog collardsaretheoldkale.com is an attempt to make sense out of the nonsensical. Please join me on a journey towards health and wellness where style is never a substitute for substance. We will cover the latest scientific research on nutrition and aging wisely.