Book Review: The Body Ecology Guide to Growing Younger: Anti-Aging Wisdom for Every Generation

My interest in healthy aging started early with tales from my paternal grandmother of her grandfather who died at the age of 95…in a mining accident whilst he was at work! This story amazed me as a child. Sometimes I thought Grammy was exaggerating, but longevity was certainly common on the Polish side of the family. Although Grammy lived to 85, her sister, my great-aunt Pauline, lived to 100.

On my mother’s side, her sister Mary (who had the healthiest lifestyle of her six other siblings), lived into her 90s. My mother will be 84 this year. She is in a wheelchair, but it was only a couple years ago that she was living on her own before needing surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.

As it’s likely that I’m going to chug along another 30 to 50 years, I definitely want those decades to be as vibrant and enjoyable as possible. Reading books like The Body Ecology Guide has become a favorite past time, and I feel I've learned a lot about staying young. I’m eating more organically grown whole foods and fewer processed foods. I walk or ride my bike daily. I don’t smoke or drink heavily. I meditate, sleep well, keep in touch with friends and volunteer outside of work.

What I love about this book is that as a self-proclaimed “bible” it is enjoyable to read while providing essential information. However, the author Donna Gates touts her own product line so often it tends to feel like an extended infomercial script. It’s a small criticism, as she also gives many other resources that I’ve found extremely useful. I especially enjoyed learning about the Five Tibetan Rites as a way to keep one’s chakras stimulated.

One area I think Ms. Gates should have explored is natural healthcare through upper cervical chiropractic adjustments. Since I've been keeping my atlas adjusted, I've never felt healthier. Due to the lack of nerve interference, my immunity seems to be working in top form but sadly this gentle specialty of chiropractic isn't well advertised.

Because of The Body Ecology Guide’s heavy focus on diet, I've started sipping water with fermented apple cider vinegar between meals and have found it really does suppress my appetite (I now have 8 lbs of holiday flab to lose). I’m adding more intensity to my walks/rides and strive to add more fermented food to my diet in general. I have not yet explored the author’s business website (young coconut kefir seems to be a hot product) but I’m very happy with the direction my life is going and highly recommend The Body Ecology Guide as a vital resource. 

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.