| Let food be your medicine, and let medicine be your | | | | especially green leafy vegetables. Vegetables are low |
| food. A good diet is essential for our health and | | | | in fat and calories, provide us with fibre and are rich |
| well-being. Poor nutrition combined with excessive | | | | in vitamins and minerals. Raw or lightly cooked green |
| stress, drugs, pollution and a lack of exercise will | | | | vegetables or salads are particularly nutritious. |
| inevitably lead to a compromised level of health and | | | | Cooking destroys some of the nutrients, especially |
| ultimately to serious disease. | | | | vitamin C. You should aim to have at least five |
| Often individuals are completely unaware that they | | | | portions of fruit and/or vegetables daily. |
| are operating below par because they have never | | | | Eat more fibre - beans, pulses, cereals, such as |
| experienced what it is like to feel healthy. They are | | | | wheat, oats, barley, corn, rice and rye (especially |
| accustomed to accepting their three colds every | | | | wholegrain) and fruits and vegetables. A diet high in |
| year, mysterious 'viruses', monthly, weekly or even | | | | fibre reduces constipation and other bowel problems |
| daily headaches, irregular bowel movements, aching | | | | and certain forms of cancer. |
| muscles and stiff, painful creaking joints. They expect | | | | Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates and |
| to get extreme fatigue as a result of coping with the | | | | sugar. These are 'empty calories' containing little or no |
| stresses and strains of modern life. Such individuals | | | | nutrition. Avoid sweets, cakes, biscuits, jams, |
| are opening up their bodies to the likelihood of more | | | | marmalades, chocolates and fizzy drinks or squashes. |
| serious illnesses. Often it is only after the appearance | | | | Always check the label ingredients for sugar content. |
| of serious disease that an individual can be persuaded | | | | Moderate your fat intake, especially saturated fat, |
| to change his or her diet. Eating habits are formed | | | | which is associated with heart disease. If you eat |
| early in life and it is always so much easier to | | | | meat buy only lean meat, and try to eat more fish. |
| continue with old patterns of nutrition than it is to | | | | Cut down on high fat foods such as pastries, pies, |
| change. However, once a person has made the initial | | | | sausages, preserved and tinned meats. Take dairy |
| effort the benefits of the new nutritional regime | | | | foods sparingly. Grill foods rather than frying them. |
| rapidly become apparent. | | | | When cooking choose an oil high in unsaturates such |
| A healthy balanced diet helps you to repair the | | | | as vegetable and seed oils. |
| damage to your body which may be the result of | | | | Reduce your salt intake in cooking and in foods. High |
| years of abuse. Regard it as an 'insurance policy' to | | | | intake are associated with high blood pressure. |
| promote good health. Prevention is always preferable | | | | Moderate your alcohol consumption. |
| to cure. | | | | Avoid chemical additives, such as preservatives and |
| Guidelines for a healthy diet | | | | colouring. Eat fresh foods whenever possible. |
| For most people the ideal diet should consist of 70-80 | | | | Reduce your caffeine intake in coffee, tea and cola. |
| per cent alkaline forming foods and only 20-30 per | | | | Take care with food combinations - try not to have |
| cent acid forming foods. The principal alkaline forming | | | | protein and starch together at the same meal. Starch |
| foods are fresh fruits and vegetables. Acid forming | | | | requires alkaline conditions for digestion whereas |
| foods include all meat, grams, cheese, eggs, fish, | | | | protein requires acid conditions. Both cannot be |
| coffee and tea. | | | | produced at the same time. Acid and alkaline |
| Too much acid causes disease - the overproduction | | | | neutralize each other, so if you eat both protein and |
| of mucus, tension in the nervous system, arthritis, | | | | starch together neither will be properly digested. This |
| rheumatism, respiratory problems, digestive disorders | | | | system of eating is known as 'food combining' or the |
| an so on. A high intake of alkaline forming foods can | | | | 'Hay Diet'. |
| improve your health enormously. | | | | When cooking use only pottery, stainless steel, iron |
| If you do decide to change your diet, don't try to do | | | | or glass. Never use bare aluminium, which is toxic to |
| it all at once. Change slowly. Dietary changes should | | | | the nervous system. One pre senile dementia |
| never be drastic, otherwise too many toxins are | | | | (Alzheimer's disease) has been linked with a high level |
| released into the bloodstream making you feel | | | | of aluminium in the brain. Aluminium can also |
| uncomfortable and ill. Tackle one problem at a time - | | | | accumulate in the liver and affect the kidneys. |
| take one item, such as sugar, and eliminate it. Do not | | | | Avoid smoking, which has many harmful effects. |
| become too fanatical about what you eat. Try to | | | | Take medical drugs only if essential. |
| follow these recommendations. | | | | Take regular physical exercise which is vital to good |
| Increase your intake of fresh fruit. Fruit is a major | | | | health. Try to have a brisk walk daily. Think positively! |
| source of vitamin C and contains many other | | | | Positive emotions such as love, hope and laughter |
| vitamins, minerals and fibre. It is also low in fat and | | | | can block out the negative emotions such as fear |
| low in calories. Fruits are alkaline and excellent | | | | and panic. Emotional nutrients such as love are vital |
| cleansers, especially apples, pears and grapes. | | | | for optimum health. |
| Increase your daily intake of fresh vegetables | | | | |