There are three things of vital importance in your life: FOOD, WATER,
FRESH AIR. Unfortunately most people pay little attention to all
three of these, hence their poor health. Hopefully we can encourage
you to improve all three.
WATER
The majority of people drink insufficient water. Cups of tea,
coffee, pop etc, do NOT count as water. You should be drinking at
least eight glasses of water per day. If you are not used to this,
you will find it difficult to drink that amount at first. Rather
than feel that you have to sit and drink a full glass all at once, try
drinking a quarter of a glass at a time. If you are going out take a
bottle of water with you, likewise you can do this when you go to
work. Try to use a glass bottle as opposed to a plastic one.
Getting enough water is especially important for a diabetic as they
risk putting an even greater strain on their kidneys if they
become dehydrated. It can be difficult to tell the difference
between hunger and your bodies cries for water. If you feel hungry
try having a glass of water first, if you then still feel hungry go ahead
and eat.
FRESH AIR
You are probably thinking 'What has this got to do with diet?'.
Well strictly, it hasn't got anything to do with it, but it is as good a
place as any to mention it! Most peoples homes are polluted with
obnoxious chemicals in the form of cleaners, air fresheners, perfumes. Your body is struggling enough without adding all these
poisons to your system. Throw them away and head for your nearest
health food shop. If it is a good health food shop, you should find
a selection of natural products that are kind on the environment, kind on
you and also not tested on animals (they don't need to be, they are not
full of obnoxious substances).
Cosmetics and toiletries are another way that you could be poisoning
your system. Again head for your health food shop and see what they
have on offer. A word of warning though; don't assume that because
it is in a health food shop it is healthy. Always check the
ingredients.
FOOD
Your food needs to be one hundred percent plant based. You do not
want to put a burden on your body by eating meat, dairy products or
fish.
MEAT
Meat is one of the main sources of saturated fat and can harbour
salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and E coli. By eating meat
you are at an increased risk of contracting several different types
of cancer including, bowel, breast, lung, oesophagus, mouth and lining of
the womb. A report, Food, Nutrition and the Prevention
of Cancer: A Global Perspective, published by the World Cancer
Research Fund concluded that a plant based diet could prevent 100 000
cases of cancer in the UK every year. Not only are you at risk of
cancer but also at risk of kidney disease, atherosclerosis and heart
disease to name but a few of the ailments that meat consumption has been
linked to.
If you look at the appalling conditions that animals are kept in, you
will realize that the animals can never be healthy and if they are not
healthy how can you possibly improve your health by eating
them. In America they have experimented with feeding cattle
stale bubble gum including the wrappers and also old telephone books mixed
with whey, in France it was sewage sludge and in this country we turned
herbivores into carnivores. You are just putting yourself at greater risk
of disease by eating these poor animals.
FISH
Heavy metal, pesticides and other toxins can be found in the muscle of
fish and shellfish. I couldn't help but laugh a few weeks ago over
the story about factory farmed fish from Scotland. If you didn't
catch the story, it told how bad these fish were for you and advised that
you only ate them four times a year. Apparently they contained high
levels of toxic chemicals. Some strange person obviously
thinks that it is OK to poison yourself occasionally, but just don't do it
too often!! I prefer to advise you not to poison yourself at all.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Cows milk is designed for the young of the cow, goats milk for the
young of the goat and human milk for the young of humans. Milk is a
food for babies and infants until they can be weaned onto their natural
solid diet. If humans were meant to continue drinking milk into
their old age they would continue suckling on their mothers breasts while
they were adults (quite an obscene thought, but no more obscene than
stealing the milk of another species).
Dairy products can be responsible for allergies, eczema, asthma, sore
throats, ear infections, raising cholesterol levels and a multitude of
other ailments. There is now strong evidence that milk can also be
responsible for type I diabetes. For more information on the ill effects
of milk take a look at the links page at the NotMilk link.
One argument that people tend to use when trying to promote milk is
that it has been used for thousands of years so it must be healthy.
Well working on that principle, if in a thousand years time humans are
still eating burgers and chips, they would be a healthy option. (I think
not!) Don't believe the propaganda of the dairy industry. They
want to make money and are happy to do it at the expense of your health.
One of the first things people always say, when you suggest that they
give up milk, is 'But how will I get my calcium.' The dairy industry has
done such a good job of brainwashing people, that most people assume dairy
products are the best or only source of calcium. It is now widely
excepted that calcium from vegetable sources is much more easily
assimilated by the body than calcium from milk. Countries that
consume the highest amounts of dairy products have the highest levels of
osteoporosis. Good sources of calcium are: oats, broccoli, parsley,
mustard greens, kale, sprouts, spinach, dried figs and legumes.
Vitamin D is needed for the proper absorption of calcium. Get your
daily dose of Vitamin D by having a brisk walk out of doors.
DRINKS
Avoid tea and coffee. The caffeine will make your blood reading
rise. I drink Barley Cup a coffee substitute. If you prefer
tea, try going over to herbal teas. One cup of black coffee shot my blood
reading up from 4.7 to 13. Barley cup raises it by about 0.4
points. If you are having several cups of coffee a day, imagine what
that will do to your health.
WHAT TO EAT
THINK FRESH, THINK WHOLE, THINK UNADULTERATED.
If you follow the above three principles you won't go far wrong.
Do not touch any product with food additives in them. Forget all
those packet foods full of E numbers. In 2002, in the UK,
5,227 animals were subjected to experimentation in order to test the
safety of food additives. We already know the effect of good
wholesome food, there is no need for animals to suffer in a
laboratory. As with all experimentation, animals react
differently to humans and what might seem safe in an animal, might prove
to be dangerous or lethal to people. Go back to wholesome eating and
avoid being a human guinea pig.
Avoid sugar completely. See sugar page for information on the
dangers of sugar.
Monitor your intake of salt very carefully. Too much salt is bad
for your health. Instead of using ordinary salt, head to your health
food shop and buy a herb salt (a mix of herbs, kelp and salt) . Do
not add salt to your cooking water.
Two thirds of your diet should consist of vegetables and fruit.
Try to eat as wide a range as possible and try to eat at least half of the
vegetables and fruits raw. A lot of nutrients are lost in the
cooking and you will tend to eat more food than your body needs, if you eat
the food cooked. Raw food takes more chewing and longer to digest than
cooked food. If you do cook the vegetables, don't throw the water
away as it will contain minerals and vitamins. Make it part of your
daily water intake instead. Water that has been used to cook squash,
onions or sweet potato is especially tasty.
The other third of your diet should consist of grains, pulses and nuts.
EAT ORGANIC
Buy organic food if you can afford to. Your body will not
benefit from being loaded down with pesticides and herbicides. Your
body is struggling to cope and the last thing that it needs is an added
burden. Organically grown vegetables also contain, on average, 50
percent more minerals and vitamins than intensively farmed food. If you can't afford to buy organic, consider growing your
own. You don't have to rip up your lawn, you can incorporate
vegetables into your flower borders and also grow them in tubs and
pots. It is also worth getting some organic beans and seeds and
sprouting them. You can buy special sets to sprout them in or you
can use a jam jar. Consider getting an allotment, not only will you
have plenty of fresh organic vegetables but you will also be getting
plenty of exercise.
MY AVERAGE WEEKLY DIET
DAY 1 (Working Day)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk. 2 Ryvitas (crispbreads) with
either hummus or mushroom pate.
LUNCH - 1 pitta bread, mixed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, spring onion,
cucumber, grated carrot, fennel), hummus, 4 Ryvitas.
MID AFTERNOON - Raw carrot
EVENING MEAL - 2 pitta breads, salad (avocado, lettuce, tomatoes,
spring onion, cucumber, grated carrot, fennel), jacket sweet potato or dolmades
(stuffed vine leaves).
DAY 2 (At Home)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk.
LUNCH - Wholemeal sultana and walnut scones.
EVENING MEAL - Vegetable Crumble with jacket sweet potatoes and
broccoli.
SNACKS IN BETWEEN - A few nuts or a ryvita or some muesli or fresh
fruit.
DAY 3 (At Home)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk.
LUNCH - Pitta bread filled with avocado, mixed salad (lettuce,
tomatoes, spring onion, cucumber, grated carrot). Plamil garlic mayonnaise
(a vegan mayonnaise).
EVENING MEAL - Pasta, vegetables and vegan pesto sauce with fried tofu.
TREAT AFTER EVENING MEAL - Carob crispies
SNACKS IN BETWEEN - A few nuts or a ryvita or some muesli or fresh
fruit.
DAY 4 (At Home)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk.
LUNCH - Pitta bread filled with avocado, mixed salad (lettuce,
tomatoes, spring onion, cucumber, grated carrot), Plamil garlic mayonnaise
(a vegan mayonnaise).
EVENING MEAL - Mixed vegetables (carrots, parsnips, squash, onions,
swedes, sweet potatoes, broccoli) and fried tofu with gravy.
DESSERT - Apple crumble and custard.
SNACKS IN BETWEEN - A few nuts or a ryvita or some muesli or fresh
fruit.
DAY 5 (At Home)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk.
LUNCH - Toast
EVENING MEAL - Vegetable chilli with tacos and mashed sweet potatoes
(with a tablespoon of Plamil garlic mayonnaise in to give it a nice creamy texture).
DESSERT - Apple crumble and custard
SNACKS IN BETWEEN - A few nuts or a ryvita or some muesli or fresh
fruit.
DAY 6 (At work)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk. 2 Ryvitas (crispbreads) with either
hummus or mushroom pate.
LUNCH - 1 pitta bread, mixed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, spring onion,
cucumber, grated carrot, fennel), hummus, 4 Ryvitas. Nut roast.
MID AFTERNOON - Raw carrot
EVENING MEAL - 2 pitta breads, salad (avocado, lettuce, tomatoes,
spring onion, cucumber, grated carrot, fennel), jacket sweet potato or dolmades
(stuffed vine leaves). Nut roast.
DAY 7 (At work)
BREAKFAST - Muesli with soya milk. 2 Ryvitas (crispbreads) with either
hummus or mushroom pate.
LUNCH - 1 pitta bread, mixed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, spring onion,
cucumber, grated carrot, fennel), hummus, 4 Ryvitas. Nut roast.
MID AFTERNOON - Raw carrot
EVENING MEAL - 2 pitta breads, salad (avocado, lettuce, tomatoes,
spring onion, cucumber, grated carrot, fennel), jacket sweet potato or dolmades
(stuffed vine leaves). Nut roast.
For recipes have a look at the recipe page.
