10 Minutes In The Morning: Yoga and Diet Plan

Natural foods for health

Over 40 years ago, I began my training to be a state registered nurse at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. I remember that while I felt very sorry for the patients, deep down I always wondered if anything could have been done to prevent their becoming so ill in the first place. At a later stage in my training, I moved to a ward specializing in nutritional and metabolism problems. One particular night, I was assisting the doctors with some tests on a patient and we became involved in an in-depth discussion on nutrition. One doctor suddenly said, ‘If we all ate simple, natural food as fresh as possible, many of these problems and disorders could be eliminated.’

These words rang a bell in my brain – if a natural diet could help the patients, how about me? I had seen so much awful illness, I knew I wanted to stay well, and now here was a piece of information that was well worth trying. I started there and then, at the age of 19, to read everything I could find about diet and its relationship with health, and at the same time I focused my own diet on fresh natural foods.

I cut out all packaged and processed foods such as biscuits, sweets, cakes, chocolate, puddings, jams, jellies, pies and pastries; instead, I ate fresh vegetables and salads, fresh fruits and juices, nuts, eggs, cheese, grilled chicken and fish and fresh natural yoghurt. The results were incredible and I felt so well. I had much more energy, my skin was clearer and, although I have never been fat, I lost about 7 lbs in weight easily and without effort.

All the while I continued to read and learn. Most of all I wanted a beautiful slender body and super health – not gimmicks or quick fixes. I studied peoples such as the Hunzas who live in the Himalayan mountains and regularly are found working in the fields aged 100, frequently living to be 110 years old. I also read about the Okinawans who live off the coast of Japan and who are noted for their longevity. Both these have natural and fresh food diets and also benefit from mineral-rich water.

The thing that really made sense to me was to go back to our ancestors and discover what was the natural diet for mankind. Our Stone-Age ancestors lived on food that they could pick, trap or catch and studies show that their diet consisted of roots, berries, fruits, plant leaves, herbs, vegetables, a little honey (if they could find it), wild animals, birds, insects, reptiles and fish. Experts tell us that they ate most of their food raw. Scientific studies have shown us that Stone-Age man was tall and healthy with good teeth and strong bones. Today the isolated communities of the world who live on a natural diet of unrefined food are largely free from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. If we analyze the Stone-Age diet it turns out to be non-starchy and extremely low in carbohydrates, extremely high in vitamins and minerals, low in fat and high in protein and fibre. Whereas our modern Western diet is very high in carbohydrate and fat, low in vitamins and minerals and fibre and with a moderate amount of protein. Having read, researched and home-tested this fascinating subject I decided to make myself an eating plan to keep me in great shape and super healthy for life.

Our Paleolithic ancestors who lived some 40,000 years ago existed on a totally natural diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, leaves, roots, herbs, berries, birds eggs, animals, reptiles, insects and fish. Potatoes and bread did not exist, their soil was rich in minerals, they had no preservatives, additives or E numbers. Ready-made meals, sweets, cakes and biscuits were not available, food was eaten fresh or dried in the sun and in the main eaten raw. If they wanted to eat meat they had to catch it, find it or trap it. They had no idea what the RDA of their vitamins and nutrients were but experts tell us that they were very healthy, strong and muscular with no tooth decay and great bones. I think this is clearly the correct diet for mankind.

The further we, as humans, have moved away from the Paleolithic diet, the more susceptible we have become to Syndrome X* and other diet-dependent diseases. In a very real sense, the best anti-Syndrome X diet is the Paleolithic diet – or at least a more modern and convenient variation of it.

JACK CHALLEM, BURTON BERKSON MD, MELISSA DIANE SMITH

I started my plan when I was 19 and although I gradually modified it as I continued to learn more about nutrition, now at the age of 62 it is still much the same as it was all those years ago. It has kept me very well, very flexible, feeling great and I am the same shape and weight now as I was then. I am delighted to be able to share it with you now.

Caution: Before starting this or any other eating plan I do recommend that you check with your doctor or nutritionist to make sure that it is entirely suitable to your dietary requirements.

My Rules

Do not eat between meals

This sounds incredibly simple but how life has changed in the last 40 years. When I grew up my mother used to tell me that it was bad manners to be seen eating in the street. Now people are mindlessly munching wherever you look and they have no idea of how much they really have eaten. If you add up all the snacks you eat during the day, you would probably be astonished at the number of calories you have consumed.

On my plan you will eat three good meals a day and nothing in between apart from a snack which you may have if your meal is to be delayed. By doing this you will train your body to be naturally hungry and at the prescribed mealtime.

Never eat standing up

This is a follow on from the previous rule but is vitally important. Make yourself sit down and enjoy each and every mouthful of your food. By keeping to this rule you will cut out high-calorie snacks, quick nibbles and leftovers of the children’s food – and the constant tasting of food as you prepare it. All these little snacks really can add up to a whole meal!

Eat slowly

Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. As well as helping your digestion, this also aids the function of your appetite controlling mechanism. If you eat too quickly, you can often feel unsatisfied by your meal and look to dessert to fill you up. If you eat slowly, you will eat less because you will put your knife and fork down before you have finished your meal. Always try to be the last to finish when dining with friends.

‘Only half fill your stomach with food, leave a quarter for water and a quarter for digestion.’

This wonderful ancient yoga saying is so important today. Basically, eat slowly and leave the table when you are satisfied but never full. This will leave you feeling light and energized after a meal but not full and bloated.

Foods to enjoy

Vegetables and salad ingredients

All vegetables are allowed except potatoes, chips, crisps, sweet corn and baked beans, and all salad ingredients except pasta and croutons. Try to have as wide a variety as possible to achieve a balance of wonderful nutrients. Search out some lovely new salad ingredients and enjoy them, including:

Have as much as you like of the salad ingredients – but only 1 tbsp of home-made salad dressing.

Mixed Sprouts

Mixed sprouts are a wonderful addition to salads. These are easy to grow, delicious and highly nutritious, providing, weight for weight, more nutrients than virtually any other food. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, C and the B complex, fibre and protein. And they are so cheap – 1 packet, costing £1.99, keeps me in sprouts for a week! They are easily available at garden centres and health-food stores. I tend to buy mixed sprouts in packets which contain a lovely variety of delicious seeds. Some common sprouts are: alfalfa, fenugreek, peas, clover, broccoli, mung, and chick pea – but many more are available.

Caution: If you have lupus do not use alfalfa sprouts as they may trigger a reaction.

How to Grow Sprouts

You need a jam jar, an elastic band and either a muslin cloth, a Jay cloth or similar. Put 1 tbsp of seeds into the jam jar and place the cloth over the top, fastening it into place. Half fill the jar with warm (not hot) water, gently shake the jar and then pour the water out without removing the cover. Place the jar on its side in a warm dark place. Repeat the process every day; on day 3 place the jar in the light. The sprouts will be ready to eat after about 4–5 days.

Fruit

All fruits are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus. The best fruits for weight control are ogen and cantaloupe melons, raspberries and strawberries. Buy your fruits and vegetables in season and as fresh as possible. If possible, buy organic as they are free from chemical sprays and are grown in soils fertilised naturally.

Meat, fish and poultry

All fish, meat and poultry are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus.

Dairy produce and eggs

All cheese, butter, yoghurts and eggs are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus. You are allowed

⁄

pint semi-skimmed milk or soya milk per day. If you do not like milk, then you can substitute an extra 4 oz pot of natural yoghurt.

Fish and shellfish (All fish are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus.)

Other foods

The following are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus.

bread – only wholegrain

mayonnaise – only home-made (see recipes (#litres_trial_promo)) and strictly in the amount shown.

nuts – all sorts in the amounts shown

olive oil

pasta – only wholegrain and only once a week maximum

rice – only wholegrain and only once a week maximum

salad dressings – only home-made (see recipes (#litres_trial_promo)); no bought dressings are allowed

walnut oil

wine – one glass per day if desired