Bernadette Bohan’s The Choice: The Programme: The simple health plan that saved Bernadette’s life – and could help save yours too

Although frivolous in comparison with cancer, losing my middle-aged spread was a nice bonus for me and I was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Recently my daughter Sarah was watching a family video and commented how she could not believe the change in my body shape since I changed my lifestyle. I have also experienced major improvements to my skin and hair, which again is very encouraging.

Throughout my gruelling and arduous cancer treatment, people told me how amazingly strong and courageous I was – though I must confess I felt I had none of these qualities. I had all the normal feelings of anger, resentment and incredible fear. No matter how discouraging or difficult it was to face this punishing and trying time, I simply had no choice other than to get up and get on with it. Determination was the key for me, and by educating and informing myself I found that the knowledge I gained gave me the power to help, first myself, and then many others. I learned to take the good from a situation, and received great satisfaction and fulfilment in watching the people I helped thrive and return to good health. One of these people recently wrote to me the following few lines:

The information I learned from you at the outset of my illness was like a roadmap to good health. It was such a relief to feel empowered and to be an active participant in my own recovery by simply changing some habits. The juicing and water drinking are now automatic routines that apply to the whole family. We have truly shifted our comfort zones and really feel the benefit of our new habits. I am fortunate to have made a full recovery from cancer and I now feel armed with a new confidence about my health and my future. My illness was a wake-up call, and by simply embracing the changes you recommend has given me the energy to focus on the future and has liberated me from the worries of my past history.

Joy

Remember – I am no expert and I understand if you might be sceptical, yet through my classes and lectures I have taught cancer patients (young and old), doctors, nurses, biochemists and many other professionals about my common sense approach of simply passing on the four steps that helped me return to good health.

You can read my full story in my first book, The Choice. It is the story of a very ordinary mother’s life. From the responses I have received it would seem to provoke many different interpretations for its many readers. The book reflects why and how so many people have come to listen to my simple message and approach – and why I believe nutrition is the bottom line in maintaining health.

The priorities in the recipes in this book are health, taste and simplicity. They have been put together in a pronounced userfriendly way. Together with the chefs from Cornucopia Dublin, we have worked on each recipe’s taste and simplicity, and in my opinion we have succeeded in providing recipes to suit all manner of tastes. We will be using familiar foods that reflect today’s modern lifestyle and are widely available in supermarkets, though you may also need to make an occasional trip to your healthfoods store!

Here you will learn how to prepare healing therapeutic juices, scrumptious inviting salads, snacks, dips, mouth-watering main meals, and yummy nutritious guilt-free treats to add a little sweetness to your lives. I hope you enjoy the easy preparation and delicious tastes of these wonderful foods that will contribute to a more vibrant and healthier you!

Step One: Juice Up Your Life! (#ulink_a783a79d-5a44-56e0-8a86-072bcc4eaa32)

I often think we are obsessed with cleaning the outsideof the body, yet we forget about cleaning the inside…

The Low-down on Juicing (#ulink_f1fb4a15-6b53-50ad-a7c6-b59421d33a3b)

Juices are highly concentrated forms of nutrition and are of particular value to people fighting any kind of disease…They will revolutionize your body’s ability to heal itself and boost your natural defences.

Juicing – A Way of Life

If there was ever a sure-fire way of improving your health and well-being, then it is juicing. Juices are packed with nutrients and bursting with flavours. I immediately felt the benefits of these easy-to-prepare juices, with their delicious taste being an extra advantage. I can promise you there is no better way to recharge your batteries than with freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juices. Juices have outstanding nutritional qualities and they begin their cleaning and healing of the body within 15 to 30 minutes of being consumed. Compared with solid foods, juices are easily assimilated by the body. This means the workload on our digestive system is reduced, which facilitates more efficient cleansing and elimination. Our systems are very often overloaded and clogged up with accumulations of wastes and toxins that constantly stream into the body, and green juices such as cucumber and celery are amazing ‘spring-cleaners’ and an easy way to detox the body. Juices are a perfect means to stimulate better elimination of wastes and toxins, and also assist with the detoxification process.

I often think we are obsessed with cleaning the outside of the body, but we tend to forget the important task of cleaning out the intestines. Believe me, these cleansing drinks will flush out your system very thoroughly, and when taken first thing in the morning they will move mountains! They are also less expensive and far less invasive than other detox methods now available, such as colonic irrigation. I personally have seen many students with long histories of chronic constipation and congested intestines alleviate these conditions with great success by taking green juices.

Juices are highly concentrated forms of nutrition and are of particular value to people fighting any kind of disease. Because of their therapeutic properties and amazing healing powers they are used in many natural healing centres throughout the world. They will revolutionize your body’s ability to heal itself and boost your natural self-defences, and you will see and feel the difference.

A dear friend of mine, Ronald, is the best testament for juicing I have ever seen. He juices every day, has the energy of a 20-year-old, attends the gym, travels frequently, takes care of his invalid wife, and also tends his large vegetable garden. He is now 83 years old and is alert, active and productive with the most amazing (hydrated) skin you have ever seen. Why am I so amazed at Ronald’s health and vitality? Because most of us have come to believe that ageing is synonymous with disease and infirmity, and that by the time we reach our eighties we ought to have ‘one foot in the grave’. Rather than accepting that the inevitable consequence of ageing means physical degeneration and disease, Ronald has taken responsibility for his own well-being. He has taken the matter of ageing healthily into his own hands and is now reaping the rewards of his fruitful diet. Sláinte!

Of course it is inevitable that ageing will bring about marked physiological change, but by nurturing your body with the correct fuel you can make a significant contribution to ageing healthily – you can help your body become and continue to be a picture of health, regardless of how old you are.

What better way to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables and, equally important, to increase your children’s intake, than with delicious juices? Including these in your diet will be one of the healthiest steps you can take for your body. I have noticed I am at my absolute best when I am drinking these juices. They give you the stamina to live life to the fullest and I guarantee you will see positive results.

With just two glasses of juice per day you can consume large quantities of fruits and vegetables, and the recommended daily amounts can be easily reached. For two 8-ounce glasses of juice per day you will need 6-8 portions of fruits and vegetables, whereas it would take the entire afternoon to chew your way through that many pieces. The point of increasing our intake is to provide our bodies with enough vitamins, minerals, enzymes and trace elements to support a healthy body and give sustained energy levels. A well-hydrated body is essential for good skinand enhanced vitality. If you find drinking large amounts of water difficult, these delicious drinks can easily increase your fluid intake. Juices are also an enjoyable way of increasing fluid levels after a work-out. Your shopping list will change, but you will gradually get a feel for the extra amounts of fruit and vegetable shopping required.

Because these juices are uncooked, they are loaded with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Enzymes are the catalysts for the breakdown of our foods, and I cannot stress their importance highly enough. You will find them mentioned throughout this book. The large amounts of phytonutrients in these juices are amazing for boosting energy levels and good looks. They help maximize our ability to fight disease and boost our capacity for self-healing.

At one point I was juicing large amounts of carrots, as they are rich in carotinoids such as beta-carotene. It was no surprise that I noticed my eyesight improve, as beta-carotene is fantastic at enhancing eyesight. Juices are also a wonderful short-term antidote to a lack of energy or a sluggish metabolism, and you can increase your intake of these vital nutrients without any artificial colourings, flavours or preservatives.

There is unquestionably a new proliferation of juice bars sweeping the country at present. Indeed, in the quest for health we have taken to the juicing habit superbly. The growth in this particular market shows that consumers have definitely become more aware of the connection between diet and health. A rock festival recently attended by my daughter Sarah had queues a mile long at the juice bar. All I can say is ‘great’ – I am delighted to see young people embracing this change for the better.

One question I am asked repeatedly is if I use organic fruit and vegetables. My reply is always the same: absolutely. If you took an apple from a tree in your garden and then sprayed it with a chemical, would you then eat this apple or hand it to your child to eat? I think not. Remember, where there are commercial interests we, the consuming public, are not always given the correct information. Now that the consumer has become better informed and is more aware of the benefits of eating organically-grown produce, it has become much more widely available in the marketplace. There is no doubt that ‘eating organic’ is definitely catching on and is our only guarantee of purity.

The organic end of the market is now becoming an expanding and lucrative business. You might wonder why. The reason certainly seems to be in direct response to the growing interest and demands of consumers for superior products – superior both in terms of having a better flavour and better nutritional value. Many of the producers now enthusiastically display their certification that will assure you of the authenticity of their organically-grown products. Organic classification ensures that the products are approved and inspected regularly by an independent organization that checks for compliance with all regulations and specifications. With the influx of chemicals into the food chain, exposure to pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers can now have far-reaching consequences. You should be fully aware of these chemically-laden foods, as you may get a little bit more than you bargained for in your shopping basket.

It is no longer difficult to locate organic foods, but if you are unable to obtain organic produce, peeling off the top layer of skin from the fruit and vegetables you buy will generally remove any surface residues of chemicals. However, peeling is not the ideal solution, as many of the important nutrients in fruit and vegetables are contained directly under the skin.

Along with the benefits of not exposing ourselves to absorbing foods that are irradiated and sprayed with pesticides, there is the added benefit of the sheer taste of these fruits and vegetables. In comparison, the conventionally grown chemically-sprayed varieties with their long sell-by dates are tasteless imitations of the real thing. These foods may essentially look perfect, but don’t be fooled as they offer little in the way of true flavour or nourishment.

Does it cost more? Well yes, of course it commands a higher price due to the fact that the growing and harvesting of these crops is much more labour intensive. Although this is not always strictly the case, as I have on occasion bought cheaper organic produce than the chemically sprayed variety. It roughly costs about one-third more to buy organic foods…but it’s worth it. What with these harmful chemicals infiltrating our everyday diet, choosing organic foods may be your only option if you don’t want to bite off more then you can chew.

With organic juices you are guaranteed freshness and they are so much tastier than packaged concentrates and cordials. Many of these packaged juices are full of sugar and are devoid of enzymes, as they are pasteurized and heat treated. I don’t find juicing time-consuming; I think it’s more about deciding to do it and then carrying it through. It takes about five minutes to make a juice and five minutes to clean up after, and I consider this time well spent. Juices are always better consumed within 15 minutes of preparation while the enzymes and nutrients are at their best. Don’t be tempted to make large batches to last for a few days, as oxidation will occur and this will rapidly diminish the nutrients in the juice. Another tip is that if you are going out and you decide to take a juice with you, store it in a stainless-steel vacuum flask with ice to slow down oxidation. This will definitely be better for you than a cup of coffee.

The Right Juicing Equipment

If ever there was a piece of equipment worthy of a place in your kitchen, it has got to be a juicer. It is important to spend a bit of time choosing the correct machine for your needs. There are so many brands on the market today that you could be forgiven for not knowing which one is best. I myself survived for some time with the centrifugal type of juicer, which is of the less expensive variety readily available in the high street. I use the word survived because I found it fiddly and difficult juicing daily with this type of machine. The reasons for this were:

Centrifugal machines are difficult to clean. Be sure to check this out before purchasing a juicer. It is an extremely important point to remember, as cleaning can be time-consuming especially if you’re trying to fit making juices into an already full and busy schedule.

They are wasteful as they produce a lot of pulp, which is not very cost effective.

They mainly extract the water from the fruit and vegetables. You will notice this as the juice separates after a very short time.

They can also destroy the nutrients in the juice, as these machines operate at very high speeds (about 3,000 revs per minute).

The juicer I now use is a masticating juicer. I carried out a lot of research on many different machines before I discovered the machine I wanted. (You will find addresses in the Resources section to help you if you wish to purchase a masticating juicer). My trusty juicer will juice anything you throw at it. I have had trouble-free use of this robust machine for the past six years.

Juicing is not the only thing I use this machine for; it has many other uses and I have found it to be an effortless way of making cookies and crackers. I feel sure I haven’t yet explored its full potential. Many of my students amaze me when they tell me of the wonderful foods they have managed to make with this machine. Natural healing centres throughout the world have been using these masticating machines for many years. They grind and crush the fruits and vegetables slowly, at around 110 revolutions per minute. While masticating juicers are more expensive, I have certainly found my machine to be worth the extra cost. It provides several advantages:

The slow grinding process produces a good-quality juice loaded with enzymes and nutrients. Independent studies show that they extract up to 74 per cent more vitamins and minerals than centrifugal juicers.

These machines are easy to clean and, believe me, this is a huge advantage and a major selling point of masticating juicers. A quick tip: after a juicing session I open the nozzle at the front of the machine and, with the machine turned on, pour a jug of water through the machine. This cleans out 90 per cent of any leftover waste and there is virtually no cleaning left to do.

They produce very little pulp. I collect what little pulp there is in a small glass and pass it through the machine again and again to squeeze more juice from it.

Wheatgrass and all leafy green vegetables (major sources of chlorophyll and nutrients) can be easily juiced in these twingear masticating juicers. With the cheaper machines these leafy greens get stuck and can jam the machine.

These are just a few of the things to consider when purchasing a juicer, and I hope you find this short analysis of their relative effectiveness useful. I have researched and discussed the merits of various types of juicers with many experts and they all seem to have come to the same or similar conclusions.

Wheatgrass Juice

Wheatgrass juice is a superfood that deserves a mention all of its own. It has become justifiably popular and it is now best-known for helping those with weakened resistance because of its incredible effectiveness at fighting disease. It contains high quantities of minerals and is one of the richest sources of beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin B

(a substance that is thought to destroy cancer cells). It is extremely valuable in suppressing bacterial growths and is highly effective at eliminating stored toxins, as it is rich in chlorophyll which aids the body in purifying the liver.

Indeed, wheatgrass is so powerful that 1 ounce of it is said to be the equivalent of over 2 lb of fresh fruit and vegetables in terms of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and phytonutrients. Humans cannot eat wheatgrass. It can only be digested in a juice form, because in this form it can be easily assimilated and the body can utilize its storehouse of nutrients. Juice bars up and down the country are now supplying this wonderfully powerful juice. Indeed, it has become one of the top-selling health foods in the world. More details on growing your own wheatgrass can be found on pages 67-9.

Let’s Juice

You will notice I have used a lot of apples in the mouth-watering recipes that start on page 119 – mainly because apples are readily available all year round, and the majority of people have apples regularly available in their fruit bowl. Furthermore, apple seeds are a wonderful source of nitrosilides, which can help protect us from disease. Carrots also feature largely in the recipes, as again they are an everyday vegetable which most of us use and they are readily available. The use of readily available fruits and vegetables is important as it can be frustrating not having the fruits and vegetables available when you decide to make a juice. I hope you enjoy the different tastes, as well as the health benefits that juicing will bring to you. Remember; keep it simple and enjoy it!

Yummy-for-your-tummy Smoothies

Enzyme-rich smoothies are another wonderful way to kick-start your day. They are the ultimate fast-food as they can be whipped up in seconds. You simply throw all your favourite ingredients into a blender and whiz them up. What could be more convenient and easy?