I'll Never Forget That Day...
The doctor cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry, but I have bad news."
He paused, then looked at my father.
"You have cancer."
In high school, my dad was an athlete, an All-American football player.
Now he was sick. Very sick.
He was put on oxygen, and for the next eight years he needed a machine just to help him breathe.
He was disabled and unable to work.
Even walking to the bathroom became a struggle, and eventually he couldn't climb the stairs at all.
He slept on the couch in the den. Later, the couch was replaced by a hospital bed, and a hospice nurse was there too.
One afternoon, my mom was in the kitchen when she heard my dad gasping for air.
She ran into the den and saw him staring at the ceiling.
"Breathe, Paul! Breathe!"
But it was too late.
That evening, the phone rang.
"I guess you know why I'm calling," my mom said.
"Why?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Your father has passed away."
I Don't Want To End Up Like That
After watching my dad suffer for eight years, I told myself, "I don't want to end up like that."
So I started learning everything I could about health and nutrition.
What I discovered shocked me.
According to recent statistics, seven out of ten people will die from heart disease, cancer, or stroke.
You might be one of them.
Will you beat the odds?
Can You Afford To Be Sick?
Did you know half of all U.S. bankruptcies come from medical bills?
According to a study published in Health Affairs, the people most affected were middle-class, well-educated homeowners with health insurance.
"Our study is frightening," said Dr. David Himmelstein of Harvard Medical School. "You're just one serious illness away from bankruptcy."
In other words, you had better not get sick.
How I Discovered Nutrition Matters
I have a good friend named Janice Gravely. By all rights, she should not be alive today.
By the time she was 75 years old, Mrs. Gravely had several diseases that often come with old age.
Janice Gravely
Her health had declined so much that her family even considered hiring a full-time nurse.
Then one day, a friend talked to her about health and nutrition.
So Mrs. Gravely changed her diet and added BarleyLife to her daily routine.
Gradually, she turned her health around – and never needed that nurse.
Janice Gravely celebrated her 94th birthday on May 9, 2015.
Janice Gravely was a graduate of UCLA and an international speaker. She wrote the book "Won't Somebody Help Me!", a biography recounting how she miraculously landed her airplane after her husband died at the controls – despite not knowing how to fly. Her story was featured on Paul Harvey and published in Reader's Digest, Guideposts, and numerous other publications.
On December 20, 2020, Janice Gravely peacefully passed away in her home.
Twenty-five years after she turned her health around, Mrs. Gravely went to be with the Lord.
She was 99 years old.
Janice Gravely at one of her art exhibits.
How My Wife Discovered Nutrition Matters
In 1991, during a routine eye exam, my wife discovered she was nearsighted. She had to wear glasses to drive, go to a movie, or watch a ball game.
A few years later, after we were married, Laura started taking BarleyLife and JustCarrots.
My Wife and Son
Early one morning, while she was driving to work, everything was blurry. She assumed her eyesight had gotten worse.
But when she took off her glasses, to her surprise, she could see perfectly.
It's been well over twenty years now, and she still doesn't need to wear glasses.
Do You Believe Nutrition Matters?
Do you believe the way you look and feel in the last twenty years of your life depends on the lifestyle and nutrition choices you've made throughout your life?
Mickey Mantle, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the New York Yankees, once said, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."
We don't know how long we'll live, but we can do something about the quality of those years.
The decisions you make today can shape how you feel, move, and live tomorrow.
Are you going to survive or thrive in your older years?
Will you be another health statistic?
Mrs. Gravely and me
"I no longer suffer from weak bones, feeling cold, painful breasts, bladder control problems, locked up joints, dry skin and nails, muscle cramps, and lack of energy.
I now have a new body! I have energy and endurance to keep up with my four adult children and nine grandchildren. I feel wonderful!" - Janice Gravely, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
P.S. After watching my dad suffer for eight long years, I became even more determined to take care of my health. If my story – and Mrs. Gravely's – made you think about your own health, isn't today the best time to do something about it?