A few days ago, I met an old acquaintance while I was shopping, and the first thing she said was, “You don’t change.” We started talking, and it turns out she’s 60, and I’m 67—and I don’t change. Why is that? She asked me how I was doing, and of course, I told her that I’m a nutritionist now. I said, once you understand food, it’s very powerful. And she said, “I like it too much. That’s the problem.”
So, why is it that I don’t change my appearance, no matter my age? It’s because I know my body is keeping score. My body will remember everything. It will remember every healthy meal, every walk—I do try to walk for an hour every day—every good night’s sleep. Every time I choose to cook, which I do every day. I don’t ever have convenience food—unless I’m out for a special occasion. There are no bikes coming to my door with takeaway food. I don’t smoke. I never have.
Your body will remember. It will never forget that you once smoked, even if you feel fine now. So the longevity lesson is this: I don’t change—and I don’t say that lightly. People who haven’t seen me for 10 years say the same thing. I’m still a size 6 to 8. I still wear the same clothes I wore when I was 20. The reason is that I know. I understand nutrition. I know my body remembers everything, and because of that, I owe it to myself, and to my future, to stay on track.
Prevention rather than cure always.
Milvia Pili
Functional Nutritional Therapist
