Originally published September 20 2008
Nonagenarian Reveals His Secrets for Longevity
by Barbara L. Minton
(NaturalNews) For Herb Allen's 95th birthday his children hired a belly dancer to entertain. They know Dad's still got some fire in his furnace. But it was being in the heart of his growing family for his birthday that really got him excited. Herb is a member of a very small minority. Although the number is rising, less than 0.44 percent of men in the U.S. live to be 95.
How did he do it? Probably just the way you would think. Herb said 'no' to the toxic treatments of the disease establishment, and 'yes' to natural alternatives. He has been physically active all his life and mentally involved in intellectually stimulating interests. He's emotionally and spiritually connected and has a strong sense of justice and kinship with all of mankind. Diet has always been important as well as the practice of never overeating. Herb's in tune with Mother Nature and is just the kind of guy she likes to keep around.
He will tell you without a moment's hesitation that he owes his age to the positive relationship he has with his maker. "I'm a friend of God, and God's been good to me," he says. He has tried to follow the course laid out for him, seeing it all as coming naturally. "You know when you're doing right and when you're not." Herb puts helping other people at the top of the list of how to do right.
His daughter puts it a little differently. She sees his longevity as the result of a good healthy start, interest in athletics, colon cleansing, and taking care of his digestive system. It's the mix of good genes, positive attitude, spirituality, and finding the right helpmate that has facilitated his ripe old age. Having emotionally supportive people around really makes a difference.
Herb grew up in a small town where the air was fresh and so was the food. His mother, who lived to be 94, gave her children a diet right out of the farm yard. She canned the produce from the land and her family had fruit and vegetables available all year.
His father made a career in the oil business and was appointed as city marshal. But he got aggravated and resigned when the townspeople wanted to jail blacks for crimes while letting whites who had committed similar crimes go free. It's easy to see the traits of these parents reflected in their son.
Herb worked on the Missouri river making a dike when he was 15. In high school, he was a swimmer. Then he left home to ride the rails for a while. Sometimes the only way to ride was to climb up on top of the rail car, which is what he did when he went to McAlister, Oklahoma for his brother's wedding. He fell asleep up there and slept the whole way while the train was going 80 miles an hour. He credits his safe arrival to divine intervention.
This was followed by hard physical work in the Coast Guard, more in the Navy, and then a career in a garage working on cars. Herb never spent much time sitting in a chair.
Despite this great early start, Herb was diagnosed with colon cancer about 25 years ago and underwent surgery. The doctors tried to talk him into chemotherapy, but he realized that it was a terrible idea to try to cure illness by debilitating the body. He turned it down and had no follow-up treatments after the surgery.
Since then he has been aware of the importance of digestion. He uses a self-prescribed herbal formula along with daily probiotics, considering these interventions as the foundation for good digestive health. He recently started drinking kefir, a fermented milk that tastes something like buttermilk but is loaded with friendly bacteria. This regime is obviously working well since he is able to digest all foods and offers his chili recipe to anyone who's interested.
Herb's still got a lot of interests. His family that includes 5 great grandchildren is front and center in his attention. He likes to invest in stocks and stay abreast of the market action, reading the Investor's Business Daily and the Wall Street Journal every day.
He does most of his own housekeeping and maintains his office on the second floor of his house. He goes up and down the stairs without a hitch and likes to have visitors come up to see his system for keeping track of stock dividends.
His days are full, many of them starting with a trip to the local community center where he has a group he plays pool with several days a week. Then maybe it's shopping for groceries or an appointment. He bought himself a new Cadillac a few years back and likes to drive it around the city. In the afternoon he can usually be found in front of his new plasma TV following the news and the stock ticker tape.
Herb married his sweetheart right after Pearl Harbor Day in 1941. She died a few years ago and is missed. "Blanche was always easy to get along with," he says. He's got a sentimental side too, and has all the love letters she wrote to him tucked away in a box.
About the author
Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.
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