Superfoods: Learn How to Live to 125!

Have you heard the term 'Superfoods?' It refers to a group of foods that are considered to be the most nutrient dense on the planet. Foods like chia seeds, wheatgrass, spirulina and even alfalfa.

There are a bunch more on the list and more and more being added every day due to science's increasing ability to identify the amazing compounds found in these foods and their profound health effects.

Now, I just so happen to be very interested in what helps people live the longest and the happiest. I mean, what is the point of working like mad at a job you hate and then dropping off because of a heart attack two weeks after your retirement?

Naturally, this question lead me to superfoods and the fact that the more of these foods people eat around the world, the longer they seem to live.

Of course, what you eat is only ONE of the many habits you should acquire for longevity. There is quite a bit of research on diet restriction, exercise, social contact and friends, staying married, some sort of spiritual practice, breathing, laughter, stress management and more.

Being being a nutritional consultant and a passionate 'foodie', I'll focus on the superfood aspect!

I ran into a friend of mine recently who happens to be health nut just like myself. We got to talking about longevity and she mentioned that she was reading somewhere that centenarians (people that live to be 100 or more) had one thing in common...

They ate some sort of bee product everyday!

This got me thinking. So I went to investigate where the research was coming from.

And this is what I found.

I found out that there is a doctor from Russia who wondered the same thing.

High up in the Caucasus mountains (a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black and the Caspian sea) of the former Soviet Union live villagers that are some of the longest living people in the world.

What was their secret to longevity?

Dr. Nicolai Tsitsin decided to investigate and do some research for himself to find out their secret.

The Secret to Living to the Age of 125

After some physical examinations, Dr. Tsitsin discovered that many exhibited signs of “silent heart disease” and scars of “silent heart attacks,” which would have certainly been lethal to a modem man. The doctor believed that being extremely active and working hard well into old age was a contributing factor to their longevity, but he still remained puzzled. He knew there had to be some other factor entering into the equation. He was on a mission to find the common denominator. Then he stumbled on it.

These people all kept bees! Beekeeping is a profession that in itself historically confers some sort of “magical” life protection on its members, a fact confirmed by today’s scientific research. These beekeepers seemed happy and fulfilled, but were otherwise very poor. Bartering among themselves with an exchange of services and homegrown products was the accepted way of life. They had very little cash, so they regularly traded the pure clear honey from the combs of their hives for other necessities. What they kept for themselves, and ate regularly, was the thick residue that accumulated at the bottom of the hives.

When Dr. Tsitsin was served some of this sweet, sticky substance in the home of one of the villagers, he had a sudden revelation. After some research and analysis, he concluded that this was the magic elixir that contributed to the remarkable longevity of these beekeepers. The tasty but unattractive glob was rich with golden granules of bee pollen, one of the best superfoods.

Dr. Tsitsin attributed the incredible health and extended life spans of these people to the scientifically documented action of bee pollen and said that taken regularly and in sufficient amounts, bee pollen will prolong the life of man for many years.

So What is Bee Pollen?

Next, she moistens the pollen with a dab of the honey she brought from the hive. Her tibia contains thick, trimming bristles called “combs,” which she uses to brush the gold powder from her body mid-flight into tiny baskets found on the outside of her legs.

When her basket is full, the microscopic golden dust has been pressed down into a single golden granule. Back at the hive, enzymes and nectar are added to the flower pollen to make bee pollen.

It is often referred to as “the bread of bees." It is actually pollen that bees use for nourishment, not honey.

One of Nature’s Perfect Super Foods

Bee pollen is considered a “superfood,” meaning that it contains every ingredient required for sustaining life. It is 25% vegetable protein (including at least 18 amino acids, and all eight essential amino acids) and contains more than a dozen vitamins, 28 minerals, 11 enzymes and co enzymes, and 11 carbohydrates. This is why they call bee pollen “nature’s perfect food!” It contains every vitamin, mineral and amino acid that the human body needs.

The history of bee pollen is even older than mankind. Bees buzzed over our planet long before humans came into existence. The pollen and honey produced by the bees provided nourishment for animals in the very early days and later for people as well. We now know that primitive man not only fought the bees for their honey, but also feasted on the bee pollen stored in the comb. Aboriginal tribes still feast on bee grubs and regard bee pollen and honey as “well worth the price of a few stings.”

The Bible, Torah, Koran, along with the scrolls of the Orient, the writings of ancient Greece and Rome, even the relatively recent Book of Mormon, all praise the industrious honeybee and her highly nutritious and healing products of the beehive. There are even legends which claim that bee pollen was the secret “ambrosia” eaten by the ancient gods to acquire eternal youth.

Science and Research

These studies used both mice and humans and found bee pollen to be completely nontoxic for both. In nutritional tests, “hundreds of mice have demonstrated that pollen is a complete food and that it is possible to let several successive generations be born and live without the least sign of distress while nourishing them exclusively on pollen.”

Researchers also discovered that bee pollen contained nutritive, energetic, and metabolic properties, as well as antibiotic substances that are effective against coli-bacillus and certain strains of salmonella.

Dr. Paavo Aitrola, a well-known nutritionist in his field, stated, “Pollen is the richest and most complete food in nature. It increases the body’s resistance to stress and disease and also speeds up the healing process in most conditions of ill health...”

This is especially important today when pollution, pesticides, preservatives and the over-use of antibiotics continually challenge our immune system.

Dr. Leo Conway, M.D, who treats his patients with pollen by oral ingestion, explains:

“All patients who had taken the antigen (pollen) for three years remained free from all allergy symptoms, no matter where they lived and regardless of diet. Control has been achieved in 100 percent of the earlier cases and the field is expanding...

Ninety-four percent of all my patients were completely free from allergy symptoms . Of the other six percent, not one followed directions, but even this small percentage were partially relieved nonetheless. Relief of hay fever , pollen-induced asthma, with ever-increasing control of bronchitis, ulcers of the digestive tract, colitis, migraine headaches and urinary disorders were all totally successful.”

Dr. Lars-Erik Essen, M.D., of Halsinborg, Sweden, says: “Bee pollen exerts a profound biological effect. It seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulates growth of new skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration and injects new life into dry cells. It smoothes away wrinkles and stimulates a life-giving blood supply to all skin cells .”

Naum loyrish, Chief of the former Soviet Academy of Vladivostok reports, “Long lives are attained by bee pollen users. It is one of the original treasure houses of nutrition and medicine. Each grain contains every important substance necessary to life.”

World’s Oldest Champion uses Bee Pollen Superfood

In 1964, at age 65, he was diagnosed by his doctor as having a seriously damaged heart. The doctor forbade him any physical activity. What Noel did instead of waiting for his death was to reassess his diet and life style, and discover what he called “the bee’s gifts.”

At age 70, he started to consume fresh, raw bee pollen daily. At age 78, he won his first gold medal in the Senior Division of the Marathon race. For years after that, he held the title of World’s Senior Boxing Champion, defeating opponents half his age. He was presented with the Presidential Award for Physical Fitness by President Reagan.

In 1989, he wrote his autobiography, appropriately entitled A Dud at 70 - A Stud at 80. In this inspiring book, he attributed his stamina, superb health and longevity to bee pollen:

“This miraculous substance from the beehive became the cornerstone of my diet... I know that bee pollen has been the single largest contributor to my extended lifespan. I believe it is this incredible food that gave me the ‘superman’ image...

Since I discovered bee pollen at the age of 70, this perfect live food has restored my manhood, brought me to full vigor and sexual potency, and continues to nourish every cell in my body while protecting my health.”

Noel Johnson remained active as a marathon runner until his death at the age of 97. Bee pollen is a timeless wonder, an all-natural creation easily available and affordable to anyone. One’s search for eternal youth should lead straight to the beehive.

Ecologists reckon that over 100,000 species of plants would become extinct without the pollinating work of the bee. Without these plants, life as we know it, perhaps all life, would become impossible.

The World’s Most Complete Food

Professor Alain Callias, Ph.D. at the Academy of Agriculture, Paris, France, investigated whether referring to bee pollen as “nature’s perfect food” was accurate, and if humans could survive on bee pollen alone for an extended period of time.

During the course of his studies, he found that 36 grams of bee pollen a day would supply the average man with every necessary nutrient!

Tips on how to safely buy bee pollen

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