About

Age 79 -  Marina del Rey

Baroness Benita von Klingspor

Vienna, Austria (1929) was my place of birth. I attended schools in various countries in Europe, which stressed the rules of high moral principles, good health, gymnastics for exercise and grace… and the knowledge of herbs and nutrition. Strict standards of behavior brought discipline into my life at an early age… a valuable asset in facing the trials of adult living.

When the political situation became questionable, my mother and I traveled through Germany in order to board the last boat to America. We were unable to make contact … we had to remain in Germany - the borders were closed and we found ourselves in a country at war … World War II! My mother, a British subject, and I, with a ’stateless’ identification, were not exactly politically correct.

I was enrolled in a school in Munich … not realizing that this step would change my life in a large way due to a very small photograph, in my English Study book; it paved my path for the future … I was about 12 at that time. To this day, this small photo remains etched in my mind … the row of palm trees with the ocean in the background reaching the horizon … the title read: “Santa Monica, California, USA”.

Those years during the war were most unstable and rather frightening. Everything was so different from what I had been used to …. and the comfortable, stable life I had known for so many years, was over.

Below … my memories of WWII … I was about 14 at the time.

Top left: waiting for food. Top right: racing for cover from shrapnel

Bottom left: waiting for a ride Bottom right: emergency shelter

As air raids became more intense, and the general living conditions were greatly affected. I was often overwhelmed with a sadness and fear due to the hopeless circumstances. I found myself mentally escaping to those palm trees by the ocean … to the place with that beautiful name “Santa Monica” - which I knew nothing about at that time. However, I knew ‘deep down’ that I would eventually be there, away from all the debris of bombed-out houses, the smell of a destroyed and burning city (including the building we lived in) … the loss of most of my class mates … the horrible sound of muffled screams from people who were unable to escape from collapsed cellars. I lived with a fear of the unknown, a lack of joy, but mostly … a lack of hope.

In order to endure the stressful circumstances during WWII we were taught about what to eat and rely on the healing powers of herbs. Cooking food was not possible due to the heavy bombing … raw food became the major source of nutrition (when available). These eating habits to just stay alive kept us healthy.

Three of my school friends also found refuge in that small photo in the English Study Book, and we promised each other that we would meet in Santa Monica ‘after the war’. About ten years later, it was 1953 … the four of us actually met in a small coffee shop on Wilshire Blvd … where those palm trees were facing the ocean. To this day that view still has a magical affect on me.

During the occupation I was employed as an interpreter for the 3rd and 7th U.S. Army. When I moved to the U.S.A., I was offered a position as art director with Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. After many years of employment, I started my own business, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories with my label BvK.

Numerous awards and recognition for my fashion designs have not dimmed my personal commitment and passion for a better understanding of nutrition and health care. My formal training & education in nutrition, herbs and alternative healing started my path to counseling others.

So, here I am, more than 50 years later. In these years I have learned much about this country and myself. The major lesson was, that no matter what the circumstances might be … they seem to always turn out for the best … if you let them!

Qualifications

Benita von Klingspor B.S. C.N.C

Certified Nutritional Consultant

Alternative Medicine

Registry # AANC 1786
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Benita’s Qualifications

Now, at 80 … in addition to maintaining a private Nutrition/Alternative Medicine  practice in Marina del Rey- California (over 25 years) and lecture as a guest speaker. My counseling sessions provide safe, practical and easy-to-follow guidelines in recognizing symptoms of disease … and in improving one’s energy and general well being.

My vegetarian lifestyle based on pH balance of over 80 years includes continuous research in the areas of nutrition, supplements, herbs and alternative medicine. Having lived and studied in both Europe and the United States, including Hawaii, contributes to my wealth of information in the field of the Healing Arts.

Contact me today to begin your new lifestyle.

Books for further learning: Rejuvenate | Is There Anything Left For Me To Eat? | CARING for CATS

Benita von Klingspor - Your Nutritionist http://www.HealthyTipsbyBenita.com