It is no secret that I am a very, very strong advocate for vegans, clean eating and even vegetarians. I firmly believe that by choosing to eat properly and actively opting for the healthier alternative to meat, you will not only live a better life, you’ll live a longer and happier one too. With that said, I am happy to introduce to everyone a pillar of health and an amazing example: Annette Larkins.

Annette Larkins is a 74-year-old as of 2016, yes count and say it with me, 74-year-old grandmother who in my honest opinion does not look a day over 40 at all. She is an amazing testament to healthy living and should be an aspiration to all of us who wish to lead a healthy life.

As I read through the countless interviews she had, I am further strengthened in my resolve to continue my advocacy of healthy living. Annette Larkins continues to defy the years as she powers through by continuing to eat raw, unprocessed foods. She shares on her website: “One does not have to to go the distance that I have with my diet. I am an extremist. I just want to uplift people and motivate people and encourage them to find the steps for their goals. We can all change our eating habits. I am sick and tired of seeing people sick and tired,” .

As she was making a meal for her family, a plate of pork chops, she realized that the dead flesh was no longer appealing to her and eventually decided to part ways with meat on that day. She decided to quit meat on that night and kept going since. After more research she moved on to removing sugar and flour from her diet in 1971 due to it being processed. Dairy products followed a mere 5 years after, in 1976. Finally 9 years later, in 1985, she reached the decision to stop eating cooked food albeit the fact that she still enjoyed it.

A great example is further shared on Annette Larkins’ website where she took two carrots, cut both tops, boiled one and then submerged both in water. While the boiled carrot began to rot, the uncooked one continued to sprout and grow once more. This powerful example really struck me as a great way to show the difference between the two. Another great sample to show how healthy living really differs from regular diet and lifestyle, doesn’t that just inspire you?

As I read up on her more recent interview, she continues to share on her website the information with New York Times News in an interview with Camille Lamb – how Annette Larkins continues to grow most of her needs in her own backyard, even indoors she continues to grow a virtual buffet of vegetables using the hydroponics method. From meals to juices, Annette Larkins pretty much has it all. Let’s not forget that her juicers range in abilities from masticating to a hydraulic press, now if that isn’t dedication to a diet I don’t know what is. The healthy living lifestyle is really something that Annette Larkins continues to embody to this day.

Annette Larkins during her TV guesting at The Steve Harvey Show in 2014.

I watched up some videos on YouTube as well in order to gather more information about Annette Larkins and I was happy to find a video where she answered some questions from fans. One asked what she does for exercise and she happily shared that for mental exercise, she does a lot of chess or board games, while for physical exercise dancing is one of her favorites, otherwise she walks on her spiral stair machine to achieve 50 – 100 floors everyday. This is something everyone who aspires to walk down the path of healthy living should take as an example. Annette Larkins shares that the average recommended steps is 10,000 and with her various exercises she usually gets around 18,000 – 20,000 steps on a daily basis. Wow, just wow!

Annette Larkins continued on saying that there is more to a healthy lifestyle than eating healthy and exercise, you need to have a positive outlook, which continually affects your healthy lifestyle.  This just says so much in my opinion, that you need to have a great outlook in order to keep improving your life. It is something that I completely agree with.

When asked about her source for protein, she answered that she gets it from fruits, nuts and legumes. All fairly grown in the back of her house and she harvests the vegetables and fruits happily and without any problems for daily consumption.

An interview with New Channel 5, shows how Annette Larkins continues her healthy living by growing everything she needs in her outdoor and indoor garden, even to the extent of collecting rainwater for watering her plants, additionally in a separate interview she even mentioned that she doesn’t exactly drink the rain water but she does not see a problem with it as long as you filter it properly. As the interview went on, they introduced Amos Larkins, Annette Larkins’ husband. He has always been supportive of her choice however had decided to stay with his old diet. Amos continues to say how he wishes that he did what she did and he laughs as many people think that they are not married but rather Annette Larkins is his granddaughter, he chides himself.

Further down the interview with Annette Larkins, she tells how many friends and family members ask her so many questions, that she came up with a couple of booklets known as: The Journey to Health.

When asked about genes, as some people who meet her assume that Annette Larkins had been bestowed with good genes, she continued to share how it is not based on that at all. Her grandmother died at a young age of 47 due to breast cancer, who in turn had her mother die at the age of 36 due to breast cancer as well. Sadly two sisters of her grandmother also died of the same illness. To top things off, diabetes also has a grip on their family tree but Annette Larkins is happy to report, at the age of 74, she has escaped all of it thus far and hopes to continue doing so.

Again as an outspoken advocate and aficionado of vegans everywhere, anyone who needs a concrete example and shining light to work on clean eating, look towards Annette Larkins and her healthy living lifestyle. I am awe-stricken and very inspired thanks to Annette Larkins. I am hoping and believe that when my age does reach hers, I will look as vibrant and as healthy as she does to this day. Who knows, maybe when she hits 90 years-old she will look like she just entered her 50’s and that my friends is a great way to grow older. Stay healthy!