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At the top of her game at 92

November, 2010

We’re all familiar with the expression “you’re as old as you feel,” and most likely have dismissed it as wishful thinking. But meeting Denise Chartré, trim and spry at 92, confirms that, in fact, it’s true.

Chartré published her first book this year. Être jeune à 90 ans (Being youthful at 90: The Denise Chartré Method) is a culmination of a lifetime of passion and curiosity regarding health and well-being.

“I did not invent this method,” she says. “I developed it over the last 30 years by reading about health. When something made sense, I tried it, and when I felt it was effective, I incorporated it in my life.”

A hairdresser by profession, Chartré soon discovered she was more interested in healthy hair than in using toxic hair-care products for cosmetic reasons only. Instead, she trained as a capillary health specialist using products she believed in and later perfected. She built up asuccessful clinic, at first within the hairdressing salon. When working at the salon became too exhausting, she devoted herself completely to capillary health, working out of her home in Val-d’Or while slowly modifying her lifestyle to regain her energy.

“When I retired, I started to change the way I ate,” she says.

“There are certain foods that you should not combine, for example potatoes and bread. Sugar is detrimental to the health, as is too much meat,” she continues, listing ideas gleaned from Herbert Shelton. “Gradually we can cut down and substitute legumes, raw fruits and vegetables, grains and sprouts.”

Her first quests for information on hair health made her aware of the connections that exist within the body. “When the blood functions well, the hair root functions well and it makes the hair grow well,” she explains. Further readings, from Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, Stephen Chang and others confirmed that physical, psychological and spiritual aspects influence each other and one’s general state of health.

Photo: Stéphanie Lefebvre

Chartré began to practice transcendental meditation 30 years ago and today can instantly enter that healing state of mind, without having to repeat mantras. She jokingly likens this experience as having a direct telephone line to the Supreme Being, through years of practice.

“I try to cultivate positive thoughts every day and to avoid negative ones as much as possible,” she says. “We all have bad experiences, but must not dwell on them, because that’s a way of getting old rapidly.”

Chartré says that regular meditation allows the negative energy to leave the body and the positive to enter.

At 67, Chartré discovered Made­leine Turgeon, author of a book on reflexology – an ancient healing technique with roots similar to acupuncture and acupressure – and things really fell into place.

“Reflexology is the basis of all,” Chartré says. “I took a course with Madeleine Turgeon. I wanted to know what role energy plays in the organism.”

Chartré’s book begins with a brief biography, then explains the concept of “meridians” – the pathways of energy circulating throughout the body. Tantalizing recipes, several exemplifying the raw food diet, are provided, along with tips for sprouting seeds at home.

Chartré demonstrates, standing on a mat and on a trampoline, a set of gentle physical exercises designed to energize the body and the mind.

“People of a certain age believe they’re old. If we believe something, we become that. It’s not the number of years, it’s the vitality within.”

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