Nutrition boost
3 of the best natural dietary aids...
When it comes to finding the right diet for you, it can feel like a bit of a maze. Perhaps you are dealing with a health crisis or instinctively know that your go-to diet needs tweaking. Where to begin? These days we are fed bundles of conflicting dietary advice, which is confusing to say the least.
Add to mix that our food and health needs are quite individual, dependent on our age, condition and unique tastebuds. Knowing just which morsels suit you and support your overall health is crucial. Therefore listening to our own body and experimenting with what the body needs is well worth the time and effort.
We have gathered our top 3 tips on how to nourish yourself however you choose to eat. Dive in here...
1. Juicing
Raw organic vegetable and fruit juices, prepared freshly at home, are number 1 on the list. If you buy one piece of equipment for your kitchen, make it a good quality pressed or centrifugal juicer . Just one pint of raw juice daily has invaluable immune-boosting, antioxidant and anti-ageing effects. Raw juice has a cleansing effect on the blood stream and nourishes vital organs. Go for raw carrot and apple as a staple, and mix with celery, leafy greens, ginger or parsley for extra nutrition.
Raw beetroot and carrot juice is a powerful liver aid; and for a digestive aid, try pear or pineapple and apple juice. Apples pair well with any vegetable and provide extra sweetness. Fresh juice is absorbed more or less immediately into the blood stream, giving the body much of the nutrition it needs, minus the taxing energy demands on the vital organs such as the liver and digestive system, where food is broken down and re-assembled into the amino acids and proteins required.
Experiment with juicing and you may well be amazed by the overall improvement in how you feel. Juicing brings transformative and protective health benefits and to learn more (especially the science part), visit texts and tutorials by Jay Kordich or Dr. Norman Walker, Ph.D., D.Sc.
2. Raw
Food in its natural, uncooked state packs the most nutritional punch. Raw fruit and vegetables are largely organic water and contain an impressive array of enzymes, fibres, vitamins and minerals most of which are destroyed by heat during the cooking process. There are exceptions, such as tomatoes, which contain more lycopene when cooked. Cooked food is easier to digest, retains some of its fibre and is comforting but if you are looking to boost your health, consuming a salad of some description at least once per day is highly beneficial.
Salads are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and can be made tasty and interesting. Add simple dressings such as olive oil and lemon juice, fresh avocado dressing, a dash of apple cider vinegar (ACV) to taste, or toasted pine nuts or walnuts. Pair with complex protein, such as poached turkey, fish, eggs or cheese for a filling meal with additional food value, vitamins and minerals.
There really is no substitute for fresh fruit and vegetables, and despite the cold and spartan sound of munching on raw food, surprisingly, eating raw provides a real energy hit, is filling and satisfying and much more flavoursome than you may imagine.
Try a simple raw slaw side dish, using shredded carrot and beetroot, tossed with ACV and cumin seeds for extra crunch. Or opt for vegetable rolls made using raw nori sheets, filled with julienne’d carrot, fennel, beetroot and courgette, sandwiched with a little kimchi, coriander and smashed avocado (see G.P.’s recipe in “The Clean Plate”).
Salad is a game changer to be experienced to be believed. For handy recipes see “The Clean Plate” by Gwyneth Paltrow and “The Vegetarian Guide to Diet and Salad” by Dr. Norman Walker, D.Sc.
3. Food chemistry
Food combining and so much more. As humans, we are a vital, organic organism, made of vital, organic stuff -and no less, our internal processes are vital, organic processes. It is natural that the basic chemistry of the food we eat interacts with the chemistry of our body. In both China and India, more emphasis is given to the nature of food, its energy and its effect on the vital organs. Learning how to consume our favourite foods in the right combination can be tricky at first but is well worth the effort.
For example, complex protein such as meat, fish and eggs is best combined with vegetables, fruits and good lipids (olive oil, avocado e.t.c.). Complex protein requires acidic conditions in the stomach to be broken down effectively and can be consumed with acidic fruits or pickles and small amounts of fermented foods to help the process along.
Complex starch is best consumed with other carbohydrates and sugars. Small amounts of cheese, cream e.t.c. can be consumed with fruits and vegetables. Fruit is optimally consumed alone. Grapes are especially good for the digestive system and melon is a super hydrator being full of organic water and rich in vitamin C and potassium. For more in depth information regarding food and its effect on the body, see texts by Dr. Henry Sherman, Ph.D., D.Sc., and Dr. Norman Walker, Ph.D., D.Sc.
When our health is off kilter, a bit of experimentation with the principles of food chemistry can assist.
This rounds out our top 3. When we think of dietary supplements, we may want to take a short cut, yet the body needs vital, organic nutrition more than anything else. You are what you eat as they say. Plus, we each individually have a diet that helps us in maintaining our health and equilibrium.
Enjoyment and pleasure are equally key. No one wants to feel deprived or depressed about food, so even more reason to tweak your meals to best suit your tastes and health profile. Just how much protein we feel we need, or the types and quantities of lipids - plus ensuring we have the flavours and satisfaction we love, are a personal matter. Clean eating can offer the best of both worlds though (look no further than G.P.’s cook books for proof of that!).
Whichever plan we choose, all diet protocols leave room for the three tips mentioned here, and incorporating these changes into our daily life, can make a real difference over time.
Health is supported by all those small steps and daily habits, and like anything else worth having, takes a while to build.
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Recommended resources:
“Become Younger”, by Dr. Norman Walker, D.Sc
Jay Kordich, “The Father of Juicing”. (see YouTube tutorials / texts)
“The Pritkin Program for Diet & Exercise”, by Nathan Pritkin
“The Clean Plate”, by Gwyneth Paltrow
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© All rights reserved. Lifestyle Copywriters, Ltd. January, 2023.