If you're one of the many people who believe aging is a one-way ticket to fatigue, pain and  a decline in health, let me introduce you to Caroline Sutherland. Aside from being a beautiful and vibrant example of a woman in her mid-60s, Sutherland strongly suggests that we can stop aging quickly and start aging youthfully-in a pain-free, healthy, active and vibrant way.

How? "People don't fully appreciate that the body has a miraculous ability to repair at any  age," Sutherland says, which is why she wrote her latest book, The Body Knows...How to Stay Young (Hay House, 2008).

When Sutherland, a medical intuitive and best-selling author of The Body Knows, looks around and sees that most people are not aging well, she compassionately says, "They don't have to be that way." Her message is one that provides much hope. "The body will start to repair instantly," she assures.

This is good news since one Canadian in five will have reached age 65 by the year 2026. Never before in history have so many Canadians moved toward their senior years. We are living longer, but are we living better?

According to a 2008 Statistics Canada news release, chronic pain affects more than one-quarter of seniors living in households (not living in institutions). Are we happy? Depression is on the rise in Canada. Incidence of Alzheimer's is growing and our top two killers, heart disease and cancer respectively, are diseases of self-destruction. It's no surprise many of us fear and resist aging.

Likewise, Sutherland wasn't always as radiant and happy as she is today. At one time, this respected international lecturer was on a fast aging track and experiencing early warning signs of a serious illness. Today, she is grateful for her experience because it helped to prepare her for her highest purpose, which is to help others age youthfully so they may reach their full potential and destiny before dying.

Her latest book is the most well-rounded and inspiring work on aging I've ever read. Each chapter is worthy of a book itself. Topics offer ways to stop the body breakdown, regenerate and repair the body, balance hormones and ignite your passion. You will find disease prevention tips, anti-aging tricks and many other gems, such as how to deal with poisonous emotions, improve your appearance, lose weight, avoid food allergens, cleanse the body and even how to meditate and use energy to heal.

Do you consistently stay up too late when you know you shouldn't? Do you drink coffee or soda pop, or eat chocolate or candy even though you know they affect you negatively? How about negative thought patterns or a tendency to dwell in the past or live for the future?

Kicking addictions is a "big one" to address on the road to aging youthfully, according to Caroline Sutherland, medical intuitive and author of The Body Knows...How to Stay Young (Hay House, 2008). She has seen in her practice that unhealthy foods, beverages, thoughts and behaviours weigh the body down and prevent us from reaching our full potential in life.

"As a medical intuitive, I see subtle energies: For example, coffee carries the emanation of anger and irritation; and the energy of excessive alcohol use is like a 'zing,' taking
away the body's life force like a feather in the wind. The moment you consume a substance like coffee, you put its vibration into your field."

To tell if a food or beverage is affecting you, Sutherland suggests taking your pulse. An easy-to-find pulse point can be found on the carotid artery that supplies blood to your brain. This artery is located on either side of your neck just below your jaw. Find that point, become familiar with what your normal pulse rate feels like, then start testing, she says. Twenty minutes after you've had a cup of coffee (or consumed anything that you're concerned about), test your pulse again: If it's elevated or racing, this is an obvious sign that your body is rebelling against whatever you've ingested.

Early allergists determined potential sensitivities through pulse testing, but according to Sutherland, you already know the answer intuitively. "I'm always amazed when people tell me during a reading that they're aware that coffee, cola, corn, sugar and other stimulants affect them-yet they can't believe how calm and happy they feel when they give them up," she remarks.

The other contents of Sutherland's book are relevant to both men and women alike, and any one of us who wants to live well, whether we're close to our senior years or not. Through the inspiring, real and heartwarming stories of her clients, we are reminded just how much our aging process is in our hands.

Caroline Sutherland spoke in Vancouver in September 2008. The event, sponsored by HANS, is available for sale on DVD. Contact www.hans.org or phone 604-435-0512.

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