By David Onwuchekwa
In the days of old, life was not only longer but healthier and more fulfilling. Our forebears lived close to nature, and in that closeness lay their secret of longevity. They ate natural foods rich in nutrients like coco yam, local beans, diverse varieties of vegetables and fruits, all grown without chemicals.
They drank pure spring water straight from the rocks, feasted on bush meat, enjoyed palm wine untarnished by additives, and relished fresh fish drawn from rivers that flowed with life, not from synthetic ponds where fish are force-fed with chemicals. Their diets were wholesome, their lifestyles simple, and their bodies strong.
Contrast that with today’s society. The feeding pattern has drifted dangerously away from nature. Instead of natural meals, many now depend on canned foods, bottled products, refined sugars, and spirits that destroy rather than nourish.
Fish are no longer caught fresh from clean rivers but bred in artificial environments with synthetic feeds. The modern appetite has embraced foods and drinks that kill body cells silently, reducing life itself to a slow installment payment plan.
Illnesses that were rare in the past have now become rampant, and life expectancy continues to shrink.
But the problem is not only physical; it is moral and spiritual as well. In those olden days, there was a deep fear of God guiding people’s conduct. Honesty, kindness, and community spirit were the bedrock of human relations.
Today, that fear of God has waned. Selfishness, deceit, greed, and a disregard for the sanctity of life have crept in. When morality collapses, society becomes sick, just as surely as when the body consumes poison in the name of food.
To reverse this decline, the path is clear: humanity must go back to nature and back to God. We must return to eating fine and living right.
Let people embrace fresh vegetables, fruits, and natural foods once again. Let them drink water that refreshes the body instead of spirits that damage it. And above all, let the fear of God return to our hearts, for it is the foundation of healthy living.
Longevity is not a mystery, it is the reward of good living, good eating, and godly fear. When we restore these values, life will regain its beauty and society will rediscover peace. For the secret to living well lies where it has always been: in nature’s embrace and in reverence for God.
