Holistic Health

The Truth About Optimum Health

Do you suffer from poor or below standard health? Do you always seem to be battling with flu, colds, viruses, headaches or tummy upsets?? Do you have skin problems which just won't seem to come right? Have you ever considered that “you are what you eat?” So many illnesses and serious disease conditions today are the result of poor dietary habits and high acidity in the body. Have you heard of Food Combining? In simple terms this means not eating a concentrated starch with a concentrated protein at the same meal. By sticking to this basic principle you will enjoy a better breakdown and absorption of nutrients, more comfortable digestion, less mucous production and a lot more energy and glowing health. You will see amazing and quick results too and will wonder why you did not try this years ago! When you become a “food combiner” you will know without a doubt that food combining does work and that it can change your life and health status. Do you know that one of the biggest over the counter medications sold is antacids? Does this not prove that we must be going wrong somewhere and that our eating habits are less than ideal? Many people suffer from indigestion after every meal and not always from eating rich foods. Whenever you go to a barbecue/braai, eat a meal of roast chicken and potatoes at home, or have a simple supper of a toasted cheese sandwich or a cheese omelette, you may well suffer from indigestion and subsequent mucous production (post nasal drip etc.) and you immediately raise the levels of acidity in your body. Another common problem is continual tiredness, lethargy and feeling run down not to mention weight gain. It's a fact that some people can sleep their weekends away and frighteningly, they think this is normal! Normal is having boundless energy, never feeling stressed or tired, never suffering from indigestion or flatulence, not suffering with continual colds, flu and post nasal drip and not even being aware that you have a digestive system. Normal is having no ulcers, no hiatus hernia attacks, no spastic colons or any other related digestive disorder and very rarely having to see the inside of a doctor's room or a hospital. With correct Food Combining, out the window go the so called “allergy” problems, the dermatitis, acne, eczema, the sniffles and snuffles and streaming noses and sickness and disease conditions in many cases. Give your body a chance to heal itself by feeding it the correct food combinations! Only when you begin food combining does your body recover. Energy levels will soar, medical ailments will become a thing of the past (and so will those high bills!), and many serious life threatening diseases and conditions will no longer threaten to destroy your health. The simpler the meal the easier it is for the body to digest. For example, eating rice on its own (carbohydrate) takes an hour only to digest. Eating meat and potatoes (mixing protein and carbohydrate together) can take anything from 3 to 6.5 hours to digest! Hence, meals consisting of only one food type are digested easily, much more easily than a meal containing both carbohydrates and in their health when they start on the “great apartheid diet”, as food combining has been called! Remember that protein requires a more acid environment in the stomach than does starch…hence if you mix the two you are putting enormous strain on your digestive system. Protein requires a pH level from 3 down, whereas starch prefers one from 4 upwards. What happens in your stomach when you combine the two foods is that hydrochloric acid has a neutralising effect on the more alkaline ptyalin and this in turn suspends or stops the digestions of the starch midway. The partially digested starches then ferment causing the protein foods to putrefy.

The secret to feeling well all the time? COMBINE YOUR FOODS PROPERLY. Do not eat a concentrated starch (carbohydrate) with a concentrated protein at the same meal!

If you have any health problems, allergies or suffer from a lack of energy or feel stressed, the best thing you can do is to try correctly combining your foods for at least a month. I guarantee that you will never go back to a badly combined meal again; it is just not worth it!

Now that you know what food combining is, why not give it a go, using the following information – there are certain fundamental rules to be followed which will be explained in details below: -

• Do not mix starches and proteins at the same meal
• Fruit is only consumed on an empty stomach, never after a meal
• Do not mix different proteins together, e.g. flesh and dairy products or flesh and eggs etc.,
• Avoid the following foods if you can - coffee, tea (except for herbal), alcohol, vinegar, soft drinks, sugar including chocolates and sweets, cakes, jams, jellies, ice cream, biscuits, sauces, pickles, salad dressings, white bread,, white rice, pork sausages, polonies, hamburgers, salami or any smoked or preserved meats, canned foods or any other product containing preservatives, colourants, artificial flavourants, sugar, etc., peanuts, any salted or roased nuts, cooked fruit, instant foods, margarine, flavoured yoghurts.

The Protein Foods are

Beef, lamb, venison, chicken, duck, goose, turkey, game, fish (all kinds), eggs, cheese, milk, organic plain yoghurt, nuts, coconut, seeds, soya beans, tofu.

The Carbohydrate/Starch Foods are

Beans, lentils, chick peas, lima beans, kidney beans, split peas, wheat, barley, rye, maize flour, oats, millet, rice, pasta, potatoes, crackers, bread, pumpkin.

The Neutral Foods (which can be combined

with either starch or protein) are

•  Fats – Butter, Cream (both in moderation), lecithin, olive/sesame/soya/corn/sunflower/safflower oil, avocados

•  (b) Vegetables and Salads – avocado (max 1 daily), asparagus, aubergine, beans (green), broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, cauliflower, celery, celeriac, courgettes, squash, marrow, mushrooms, onions (in moderation), parsnips, peas, spinach, Swedes, turnips, corn, chicory, cucumber, fennel, garlic (in moderation), lettuce, mustard cress, peppers (red and green), radishes (in moderation), spring onions (in moderation), sprouts, tomatoes, water cress, leeks and sea vegetables.

•  Spices – cardamon, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry, ginger, mace, nutmeg, mustard seeds, paprika, Red/white Pepper (in moderation), saffron, turmeric.

•  Herbs – basil, bay leaf, celery seed, chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, marjoram, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme.

•  Seasonings and condiments - miso, mustard (no sugar), organic mayonnaise (no sugar), olives (no vinegar or preservatives), pickles (no sugar or preservatives), Sea Salts (in moderation), Herb salt, Vegetable salt, soy sauce, vegetable bouillon, marmite (in moderation).

Beverages/Drinks –

Herb teas, freshly processed fruit and vegetable juices; Distilled Water is the best to drink and an investment in a Water Distiller is highly recommended.

Sweeteners –

Date sugar (in moderation), Maple Sugar (in moderation), Maple Syrup (in moderation), raw unprocessed Honey, Fructose (fruit sugar), Xylitol “sugar”. Never artificial sweeteners please!

Fruit –

All fruit is allowed but only fresh or dried and never to be mixed with any other food (protein, starch or neutral) and only eaten on an empty stomach. Allow 20-30 minutes after eating fruit before you eat any other food. 40-50 minutes if dried fruit or bananas have been eaten. If other foods have been eaten, allow 3-4 hours before eating fruit. Fruit is a wonderful cleanser and turns alkaline in the system, so it is an excellent idea to begin the day on fruit and fruit juices (freshly squeezed or processed) up until 12 noon. A little organic plain yoghurt can be whisked into into juice to make a delicious “fruit smoothie.” Any quantity of fruit is allowed but eat a minimum of one piece of fruit every two hours. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers and avocados are vegetable fruits and also fall into the neutral foods e.g. they can be mixed with other fruits or combined with either starches or proteins but avocados do not mix well with proteins.

USEFUL NOTES

It is recommended that you stay away from wheat products which cause a great deal of health problems. Wheat free/sugar free breads (ideal for diabetics) are the best choice. Better still if you have time, make your own bread – a great saving on shop bought breads. Bread can be lightly toasted if preferred. Use cold pressed olive oil and fresh lemon juice on your salads. Eat only (organic if possible) white or low fat cheeses. Do not cook tomatoes = acid. Eat an abundance of fresh fruits, salads & steamed vegetables. About 70% of your diet should consist of “high water” foods (fruits, vegetables and salads) eaten in the following order:

a.m. through to p.m.

Fresh fruit and fruit juices

Fresh vegetable juices and salads

Steamed vegetables, raw nuts and seeds (avoid peanuts), grains, breads, potatoes, legumes, meat, chicken, fish and dairy. Potatoes to be cooked in jackets if possible. Try not to take medications before 12 noon. Avoid dairy products (including yoghurt) if you have a history of mucous, asthma, coughs, hay fever, colds and flu. Do not cook in aluminium pots and pans. Do not drink with meals. Of course if you are out to dinner, have some wine - this new way of eating is designed to give you optimum health, not to destroy your pleasures! But don't drink alcohol every night!

Balance between Exercise / Relaxation / and Sleep

This way of eating allows the body to eliminate acids, toxic wastes, mucous and retained water. By combining foods correctly, maximum energy is released resulting in a good disposition, optimum health, correct weight and a clear complexion. Please remember that the above are guidelines and are not intended to heal any particular medical condition. You body is an amazing machine created by a Master Designer. Given the correct nutrients it will repair and heal itself. A car cannot run on sub standard or incorrect fuel. Neither can your body. Remember that when you begin to combine your foods correctly, your body may well go into a “de-toxification”which means that it will start to break down and eliminate toxins accumulated over many years, even a lifetime, in your tissues. This may results in headaches joint aches, lethargy and skin breakouts. These are all GOOD signs and will not last long. Sometimes a day or two, sometimes a week or two depending upon how long your body has been functioning “below par.” After this initial period and once you get used to your new way of eating, you will know it was worth it !

Should you have very poor health or suffer from a serious debilitating or life threatening disease condition or are facing surgery please do not despair. Research your options and what alternatives are available. You can then make an informed decision as to which route to take. The human body, made by a brilliant Creator is like a machine with thousands of different parts to it and it has the ability to restore and heal itself given the correct nutrition & nurturing. Often, incorrect diagnosis or medical treatment is administered which worsens the condition and can destroy your health. Let your food be your medicine ! It is highly recommended that you buy fresh, (preferably organic) foodstuffs wherever possible as non organic foods have been grown with the use of herbicides, pesticides and are often irradiated. If you need to know where to obtain anything mentioned above, please consult your nearest health shop or online organic food suppliers. Here are some helpful South African sites:

www.organicsonline.co.za

www.mothercityliving.co.za

www.go- organic .co.za

www. organicsouthafrica .co.za

www.greenspace.co.za/

www.greenpeople.org/ organicfood .htm

www.farmstalls.com

All Woolworth stores in South Africa

If you know of other sites we ought to load onto this page to help organic consumers, please let us know !

Our products are made with love and care by our team of experienced bio chemists well versed in the art of creating Natural and Organic skincare products to international standards.   We are registered with the *CTFA of South Africa (Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association and The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa, Our products are approved by Beauty Without Cruelty.
*Note: The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa is the industry's voice committed to maintaining the high quality and safety of cosmetic products. The CTFA guides members on the Self-regulatory Codes of Practice & Standards to ensure that the South African cosmetic industry flourishes.

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