Adequate nutrients are necessary to thrive. Many of us are familiar with these principles in growing a healthy plant: nutrients, watering, and sunlight are required. We realize if the plant does not receive these elements, it will be stunted, not produce well, and probably die prematurely.

Certainly human life is not exempt. All life forms are subject to this unyielding principle. Everywhere we look, we can see this principle in action. Yet, something is seriously wrong.

The U.S. ranks 37th among nations in our national health status, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), as reported in the Los Angeles Times on June 21, 2000. This is despite the fact we spend more per capita on health care than any other nation in the world. Even with our technological and financial power as a nation, the United States has an extremely poor state of health nationally. 

When you think about it, this is absurd. If we participated in any international sports competition and placed 37th there would be a national outcry. Billions of dollars would pour in from the corporate sector to insure that next time we wouldn't have such a pitiful showing. In the Olympics, we’re not even satisfied with 3rd place – we want to bring home the gold.

We’ve developed a false sense of security with our reliance on the power of technology.  As a society, we came to believe that we could exempt ourselves from the laws of nature through our technological prowess. We've been lulled into a complacency concerning these basic, natural principles. 

For years, we put high-octane gas in our cars - and drove to McDonalds for a “low-octane” fill-up for ourselves.  We upgraded our computers with the latest high performance chips - while munching chips high in saturated fat. We developed synthetic fibers for thousands of uses - and took the natural fiber out of our foods.

Our dietary intake has changed radically over the last century.  Commercially processed foods, artificial ingredients, lack of fiber content, irradiation, depletion of trace mineral content in soils, pesticide and herbicide use - all has contributed to a vastly diminished quality of nutrient intake.

Degenerative disease is now being viewed under a new paradigm of understanding: that it starts decades before it’s ever detected.  It eventually displays itself as an owieee or catastrophic event after several years, but its genesis is much earlier.

Degeneration is cells breaking down or de-generating. The vast majority of cells in our bodies are re-generated (replaced) approximately every 11 months - with the exception of bone cells - and if it doesn't receive the proper elements, it's structure becomes faulty. Our cells require a myriad of elements to insure proper regeneration. 

If we’re over the age of 40, our bodies have been subjected for decades to a multitude of degenerative forces.  Our cell structure is already faulted.  If left unchecked, it will result in a reduced quality of life at the very least.