Based on 12 Christian Value Containers
Banting Lifestyle
Paul Banting
Mentoring through Advanced e-Learning Technology
BLS
Calvary Academics
Banting
Lifestyle
Contents
Introduction:
Christian Value Containers
2
Value Containers Explained:
A. Spiritual Values — Me and God
3
B. Values of the Soul — Mind and Affection
10
C. Social Values — Me and You
15
D. Physical Values — My Body, My Buddy
18
The Twelfth Value — a Healthy Eating Lifestyle
1. Introduction — What Food is all About
25
2. Critical Focus on Fruit & Vegetables
41
3. Juicing — A Method of Preparation
50
4. Classification of Fruit
56
5. Preferred Protein — Fish, Meat, Dairy & others 59
6. Health: Mind, Manner, Meals (+4 Recipes pg 84)
71
7. Christian Life Balance Sheet
82
(Addendum A)
Copyright © Calvary Academics, 2016. These principles are taught at Calvary University
Christian Value Containers
The foundation of your life
Your values are those things that you believe are important in the way you believe,
think and live. They determine your priorities in your love, leisure, work and everything
that makes up who you are. They are the measures you use to tell yourself and others
if your life is turning out the way you want it to be. Your "life" includes your
l
l
l
l
spiritual life
mental life
social life
physical life
When the things that you do in these four fields match your values, life can be said to
be good — you are then satisfied, content and at peace with yourself. But when these
do not align with your personal values, that is when you become unhappy because of
the inner feeling of contradiction.
Values are a coherent (they belong together) set of values (there are many) adopted
and/or evolved by a person (you got them from somewhere and they grew on you),
as a standard (set of fairly fixed rules) to guide your behaviour in various situations.
Coherent set
The definition above (with the commentary in brackets) refers to several values that
belong in a group. In fact, four groups. We call them Value Containers. Here they are:
Spiritual Values — Section A
l Spiritual life
l Creating something
l Your legacy
Mental Values — Section B
l Your intellectual Life
l A field of interest
l A supportive love relation
In a Social Setting ...
Social Values — Section C
l Family relations
l Circle of friends
l Financial security
Physical Values — Section D
l Pleasant leisure time
l Feeling of health
l Healthy eating Lifestyle
And this last point is where we are going to focus on. Towards health, because of VALUES.
Before we get to these last points, let us get an overview of the 12 value containers
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which will have great impact on our lives. It will also be helpful to keep the arrangement
of the values under the four main headings that were identified. (Section A to D)
A.
Spiritual Values
1. Spiritual Life
God made man a being with a body and capability of thinking at a higher level than all
the animals. He went further and made a godly decision to "make man in our image".
Now God is a spirit being, which means He has no physical body. The angels (servants)
he also made as spirit beings, but man was made and received some of God's spirit in
order to also have faith. The mind of man can think, dream, want, desire and love.
Man's spirit is of a higher order and does not need to see in order to talk about it or
something to be logical, addable, shape-able and reasonable to accept it. In faith man
can see things only an invisible God has spoken of in the inexperienced past, about
which He has made unalterable promises of it being true, available, or real. If something
of this kind is in the future, man is able to place hope in such a promise — as if it is real.
Such things are not reasonable by man's reason, in other words the mind cannot see
the logic of it, but the spirit of man has no problem handling it, as it is within its domain.
Faith is the assurance that God’s promises will never fail, even if sometimes we do not
experience their fulfilment in our mortal existence. Hebrews 11 underscores the fact that
we trust God to fulfil his promises for the future (the unseen) based on what he has
already fulfilled in the past. Thus, our faith, which is a function of our spirit, is not
blind, but is based squarely on God’s proven faithfulness in the past. When God says
that He will help us in our battles, suffering and fears — we can face battles and suffering.
When God's promises are involved, our spirit comes into action. It is the capacity God
has given us to interact with Him — an invisible, all powerful, eternal and truthful God.
Let us consider several levels of God's enabling and the abilities in our spiritual life:
l Kindness, Hospitality, Serving in various kinds of ministry
l Learning about God, pleasing Him, receiving a calling or getting a message
l Worshipping God, hearing God's voice, getting a vision of heaven
l Growing in humility, being strengthened in faith, realising His holiness within
All the above are made possible by having a spirit, which as human beings we have.
The Bible also speaks about your spirit being made alive or that you are "born again".
This is as a result of a spiritual experience — a significant interaction between your
dormant spirit and the Holy Spirit of God. It is an entirely new start to a life, which
includes a renewal of your "life" and you can speak of a "life in the spirit". Many
Christians have had this awakening experience, after which they seem to have a
much deeper understanding of God's promises and awareness of receiving peace,
forgiveness, love and newness of their being. See www.clt.org.za for more information.
A chapter in the Bible, Romans 8 has these words about people living according to the
Spirit (as above) and those just following the rules in the Bible without deeper
understanding. Placing your faith in Christ means that you own the benefits of the
cross, where Jesus died for your sins, and you live "in Christ", having His righteousness.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation [any more] to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and (resulting) death.
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It is not my intention to go much deeper into this subject. What I am saying is that a
lifestyle includes your whole being which includes your body, soul (mind and affections),
your spiritual side, and all of that, within a social context with other people. Eve was not
miss world, because she did not have the social comparison with other girls. We have
the poor and unbelievers always around us and therefore we can minister to them.
This gives us a social context. We compete with the Joneses because we have a
social context. We are on our best behaviour before the others, within our own context.
Our spiritual side operates on a higher order. The body would crave food and the
pearl diver would want air soon and would do anything to get it after a minute or so. In
our minds we may stand back for an elderly person to get his food first or a thug will
think of a way to outsmart your protection mechanisms to get what is yours. Thinking
is of a higher order than the bodily impulses. Our spirit may overrule both of these if it
has been made alive by the "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus". Our spiritual life is where we
have awareness of the highest order. A way of a lower order is a "walk according to
the flesh" which ultimately results in "death". Firstly spiritual death (because you miss
that real life) and in God's time, a further physical death. Our spiritual life is therefore
very important, and for the Christian it is definitely part of the lifestyle.
2. Creating Something
We are still looking at the higher order things. I mentioned that God created mankind
"in His image". First of all we get to know God as "Creator God". This is in Genesis 1.
He does things very systematically, and not really out of nothing. He has imagination
and will. He has good strategy (perfect strategy actually) and intention. Very good
intention. Only good intention. Now all these are not nothing, but we regard these as
"nothing" because they cannot be seen. We have the same ability, but at a much
lower order. An artist has a "scream" inside of him, and then paints it. This was
Edvard Munch in 1893 and it was sold in 2012 for $119,9 million. So he created this
value. I am creating this book out of an idea. You can also create. You are made to
create and add value. But what is value is not only money or physical.
God saw a cross on a hill in His mind. Nothing existed yet. So He made it real and put up
that cross before the foundation of the earth. He prepared Himself a body (Jesus) and
nailed it to that cross. He did this before heaven and earth was made. This idea prevailed
throughout history, and God carried with Him this image of the cross, just like Leonardo
da Vinci carried with him the Mona Lisa wherever he moved, until finished.
Then Judas came along and sold that body for 30 shekels, the price of a slave, and
the most holy men of the chosen nation put up that picture which God painted so long
ago — in the most prominent place in the gallery of history. With it God also nailed a
list of your sins on that same cross — and there you have it — you are forgiven, if you
only accept it in faith. Believe in the most expensive scream — "My God My God, why
have you forsaken me". Why? Jesus asks. For your sake. He took the pain for you!
2.1 The process
So this is how you create. It all starts with an idea. If we only had a Soul-dimension
every thought about an idea would always start in the mind. We would be rational
beings (having the ability to reason) par excellence (what we are best at). There is
something else that we are best at: operating on a spiritual level. We sometimes refer
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to our "heart" as the centre of that activity. Images, or completed ideas (without thinking),
or an awareness may come to us. After having asked God something, we may sense
that there is something wrong with it — it is a definite NO. Where does this come
from? The Bible talks about us hearing a voice behind us saying "go left" or "go to the
right". It is our spirit which is hearing God's caring and comforting whisper.
These might be small and seldom occasions of your awareness of spiritual activity
which involves you from "somewhere". If you are setting yourself open to the spiritual
realm where you can hear God's voice, then you are operating in the spirit part of your
being which is made for awareness, perception and hearing in the spiritual realm.
This is where a creative idea may come from. Such an idea may be in line with the
plan God has for your life. This may be a strange or novel idea. "Why would God have
a plan for me?" you may be asking. Well, God made you. That is what we believe.
Jesus Himself said that you do not build a tower without calculating how much it would
cost, because then you may not be able to finish it, and you will be ridiculed by all.
Would God build/make you without a plan? He has indeed a plan and Satan cannot
ridicule Him for making you without any purpose at all. Everyone has a purpose and goal in
life, but many rebel against God and His plan for them — and they may miss their goal.
2.2 Other Powers
People who are not Christians at all, also have a spirit, and they sometimes dabble in
the wrong realm by talking to evil spirits. It is a whole realm with its own kingdom,
having powers and sometimes people attached themselves to that spiritual kingdom,
and can display amazing supernatural powers. Once you have given yourself over to
Satan, he will use you until he may decide to kill you and destroy you, since he is like
a roaring lion, intent to maim, kill and destroy. So this other realm is real and you
should stay away from any innocent-looking entrances into this evil kingdom. It only
wants to entice, lie, and deceive us in the process.
2.3 Keep up the Communication
Ask and you shall receive. You should be in good communication with God through
your spirit — through your heart. Ask, as if in constant or intermittent prayer. Pause
your constant asking in the faith that God will answer even before we speak. Does that
not sound a bit funny? Well, God made time. We live in that time. He is outside of "time".
We are not even supposed to understand that concept. It explains why He has the
answer before we have the problem. Young people will call that "cool". It's also "neat".
Communication in your spirit to God should be constant. Since it is not like your
thinking processes, where we "sit down to think" and then we act. Just keep your heart
open for God's prompting. Jesus explained this: "I do everything I see the Father do."
Now that is putting it well and concisely. Just look and see — spiritually, with the heart.
2.4 Start Somewhere
The opposite of this is procrastination. [Latin: cras = tomorrow] It may be that we are
scared or that we have a lack of faith in God's prompting, His voice. As you start, your
brain may be directing your hands to move in the correct patterns, order and using the
correct system of progressive action. Meanwhile your spirit is able to be listening to
God's Spirit which dwells within you. You will soon get a prompting if you are about to
make a big mistake, especially if you ask for His guidance. There is no guarantee for not
making a mistake, but if you do not start, you have a guarantee to have nothing done.
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2.5 Be Diligent, do not Give up
Tenacity is the smart word for this concept. Holding on to. Never letting go. You may
only be finished in six weeks, or even thirty years. Well, God has given you sixty or
seventy, even eighty years. My aunt made it to 104. Time is relative to God. There is
also a reason for every one of your failures. Use the wisdom you have been given as
part of your parcel in which is also your character, your intellect, your tenacity. On
the other hand you must also know when to stop. That is using your wisdom — not
ruining your family fortunes and forever having to live in a rented slum after failing.
The bottom line is: Be wise, work hard, listen to the voice behind you, work smart.
While you are within this pattern's safe borders, do not give up, keep going, on and on.
2.6 Work with other People
We are placed on earth with others. We are to tolerate others, serve them, lead them.
Others can do some things better than you can. Allow them to help you and learn from
them. Some things you can do better than anyone you know. Feel the calling, take the
responsibility, do it in quiet humility as to the Lord. Do not boast, but do it so that God
can boast about you (as in Job's case). Be thankful for the position you have and
work in diligence to attain a higher one, being satisfied with your circumstances, and
aiming for excellence. In this way you will become the leader that you deserve to be
since you have learned to communicate, to respect and to love other people.
2.7 Failure is Only Part of the Process
When we fail, we first of all want to keep on trying. We may even continue praying,
pleading, and still be disappointed. Why? It is because denial is a built-in mechanism.
We need to attain a balance between not giving up and realising that we have already
failed. This is where wisdom, realism and honesty comes in. We must be honest with
ourselves, smell the roses (realism), and then plot the way out (wisdom). It is a good
exercise for anyone. It is something that God sometimes plans for us — to mature.
Do not get too attached to something you are doing. Is it too humbling that you have
failed? You, that great giant of a person who is so brilliant, who just cannot fail? Others
will have more respect for your honesty when you admit, your realism when you tell
them exactly how it is, and your pluck in life to show tenacity in wisdom for the next.
2.8 Being Positive, Trust God
The Bible is full of promises and we quote scripture in WhatsApp and on birthday
cards to each other. Having the assurance that in the end all will be well, makes us
calm, hopeful and positive. If we have done things according to the Book and His
voice, then you may quote the promises that fit your behaviour:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13
Although we have the assurance that we will succeed, it still depends on you to do the
work. You have to say "Yes, and I can and will ..." and not "Yes, but ...". Be positive!
2.9 Work for the Long Term
Things don't just fall into place overnight. That is what happens in fairy tales. Tenacity
will be the one outstanding feature of your efforts. Also hard work, long hours, good
planning, the humility of admitting that there are things you do not know. Success
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comes with a certain lifestyle of these things mentioned. Add to this attention to detail,
respecting the people you work with, either them working for you, or you working for
them. What about your co-workers, your competition and your outright enemies. Good
advice is to grant others a life, be friendly to your competition (the pond is big) and
take all precautions to keep away the enemy (do everything legal), and enemies (keep
your things secret enough and protected enough), since some people like to steal.
In Conclusion
Not many people create something of great value in their lifetime, but you have been
given the ability to do so. It takes a person with special character to do all of the above
and finish up with the end product, whatever that may be. An even more special
person is one that will remain a "normal" person, who realises that it was grace from
above, and can live life in humility and consideration for others, helping others along.
3. Your Legacy — what you leave behind
A legacy is a spiritual inheritance. You may also leave physical things behind but then
you leave it to your offspring or describe these in your will. A legacy is what a community
of people may enjoy after you are gone. It is something you work at all your life. It can
even be negative, but in most cases it is of benefit. As it is often intangible, it is placed
under the spiritual grouping. The previous two value containers lead up to it:
l Spiritual life — what kind of spiritual person you have become, what drives you
l Creating something — Being guided, the things you do while you live
Then from these two, this third "value container" is what other people make of you. It is
how they experience you after you have gone from them. This means that in some
cases you can be still be alive and leave a legacy. A "legacy" is what you leave behind,
assuming something or things which others will be able to enjoy. In most cases, a
legacy is how you are remembered when you are not there any more, you have
stopped working on the things that become your legacy. It is hands off for you now.
Defining it further: "Inheritance" is generally from the viewpoint of the receiver, while
"legacy" is from the viewpoint of the giver. The son's inheritance is his father's legacy.
Some examples are perhaps in order. Alexander the great left a legacy: The world was
united in one region under one rule. This soon changed, but travel became easy. The
other more important part of his legacy was the unification of a communication language.
Everybody spoke Greek. The Old Testament was translated into Greek, called the
Septuagint. Three hundred and fifty years later, Jesus would also speak Greek, and
He quoted from this translation. When He spoke to Pilate, a Roman, they both spoke
in Greek. Josephus, a Jewish historian knew Him as Jesus. He recorded the history of
the world in the Greek language and as a Jew, Josephus noted the Lord's name in his
writings as "Jesus", a Greek name. Alexander's legacy was planned and used by God.
Webster’s dictionary defines legacy as, “anything handed down from the past, as
from an ancestor or predecessor.” Legacy is not bound by your age or the time you
served. Legacy represents the body of your work at each stage of your career as
you establish the foundational building blocks and accumulate the required wisdom to
contribute to growth, innovation and opportunity, both in and outside of the workplace.
Your legacy grows with each previously untested bold idea that you are courageous
enough to develop, and by which you inspire others to see something through to fruition.
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For many, leaving a legacy is associated with the end rather than the beginning of
one’s career. Your leadership is not shaped and your legacy is not defined at the
end of the road but rather by the moments you shared with friends, the difficult
decisions you made, the timeous actions taken, and even the mistakes you overcame
and survived from — throughout the many phases of your career.
Leadership done rightly is a re-invention process — a continuous discovery that
informs your mindset, brings new skills and aptitudes. At each stage of your career,
you learn how to keep creating sustainable impact and influence. With each step you
take, you will identify new ways of mastering the fundamentals, which in turn provides
you with greater clarity and depth of thought to
further improve your leadership approach.
To help guide your sustainable success as a
leader and keep you moving in the right direction,
here are five stages of legacy building that will
define the significance of your leadership:
3.1 Identity and Values
You must know and be extremely connected with who you are and which values
and beliefs you represent as an individual and leader. Do others know the real you?
Do these values influence your behaviour, your attitude and how you lead?
Steve Jobs was in constant search until he discovered his own personal identity and value
system. This influenced many of his ideas and ideals. He was a forward-thinking innovator
throughout the various stages of his career as he connected the dots of his genius.
3.2 Guiding Foundational Principles
Once you solidify your identity and set of values, they translate into a set of guiding
principles that others can begin to expect from you. These principles represent your
enduring ideas and ideals and set the tone for your performance expectations.
Jack Welch was known for growing fast in the slow-growth economy of the 1980’s by
eradicating perceived inefficiencies, trimming inventories and dismantling bureaucracy.
His guiding foundational principle was that a company should be either No. 1 or No. 2
in their particular industry. This approach and mindset was later adopted by others.
3.3 Courage and Risk-Taking
Leaders trust their gut and be courageous enough to take calculated risks. At times,
this requires them to trust themselves enough to challenge the status quo and push the
envelope of conventional wisdom – thereby often putting their reputation on the line.
People often push us to take “the risk” of dreaming “Big!” and we also get many promises,
should we take action on our big dreams. Remember that Ghandi, Mandela, Churchill,
Martin Luther King, and many other renowned leaders have shown exactly the same
risk-taking trend, especially daring to speak out with value and vision. This is very
different than taking foolish financial risks. You should risk communicating your dream
to others and encourage them to take action on it. Do some risk-taking actions soon!
“A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is NOT what it is built for.”
— Albert Einstein
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3.4 Genuine Care to Advance Others
Understanding what inspires happiness in those who look up to you, is critically important.
Throughout your life's journey you must continue to learn how to better serve others
and genuinely support their own advancement in life to make a meaningful contribution.
For example, you may elevate the market value of your employees’ talents. This means
you should take the time to understand them and working towards helping them
accomplish their career goals. As their mentor, give them the additional time and
guidance they need to prepare them for the next phase of their own careers.
3.5 Responsibility and Accountability
Legacy building is about being mindful of the opportunity and the responsibility you
have to serve your own advancement by serving others. Set the tone and define the
performance standards that you expect for yourself and from others. Be self-disciplined
to hold yourself accountable to consistently deliver to those standards every day.
Legacy is the establishment of traditions that can be passed on to future generations.
The model is the family business, where history and experience are directly passed
on to children and other family members so that they can successfully take over and
grow the business. It is your responsibility to uphold the legacy and traditions of those
that came before you – but equally, you must hold yourself accountable to build upon
those traditions to further strengthen the culture of the organization you serve.
The meaning of Family Legacy
If you look up 'legacy' in the dictionary you will see a couple of meanings. One is – a
gift by will of money or real property. Another is: something transmitted by or received
from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.
If you ask your friends, family and acquaintances what family legacy means, you
may get a different answer from each one. To some, it means:
l
l
l
l
l
l
Their family genealogy and history
A list of things that have been accomplished
Values and lessons of life that were handed down to them
A set of character traits or skills
A set of instructions or wishes for things to happen a certain way
Some will say it is Granny's jewellery or an historic diary.
The below quotes express some of this:
Erik Erickson, a developmental psychologist — 'I am what survives of me”.
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven
into the lives of others.” Pericles (Greek statesman of Athens who died in 429 BC).
“A man cannot leave a better legacy to the world than a well-educated family.” Thomas Scott
In other words, family legacy means the accomplishments, beliefs, actions and guidance
you demonstrate in your life — that carry forward to future generations in a fashion
which allow those family members to adopt and adapt them to make their lives meaningful
and fruitful. In order for your future family to benefit from your legacy, you as a
family, carrying along the past legacies of your ancestors, with the entire current
family participating, for the legacy that you want to leave to your descendents.
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This concludes the three spiritual value containers, which were presented to you in a
logical and progressive order: What beliefs you hold as guiding principles, what you
try to create in your life to give it meaning and what you leave behind to make it
memorable. You became, you did, you left. We do not live a life according to a list or
a recipe, but according to an adopted range of principles which are called values.
Having these values engraved in our heart, so to speak, we have a solid foundation,
predictable direction and sure success as these values are of a higher order than the
reasoning mind — they are spiritual. They have a God-given dimension. Now let us turn
to the human mind and its emotions, which is of a lower order, but still very sophisticated.
B.
Values of the Soul — Mental Values
Man is spirit, soul, and body, living with others. These are our main 4 divisions. Soul is
often defined as the mind, which includes thinking, wanting and passion. Our next
three headings will be three outcomes of these, with greater or lesser intensity:
l Thinking — Your intellectual life, ranging from academic genius to being practical
l Wanting — Your field of interest, ranging from strong focus to weak self-control
l Passion — A supportive love relation, being warm romantic to cold and isolated
4. Your Intellectual Life
A sense of trepidation will accompany you at the beginning of your postgraduate
studies. When you see the weeks of seminars, the number of academic articles to be
read, the ideas to be considered, and the arguments to be made. At the same time,
you may feel a flash of excitement and courage welling up inside you when thinking of
all the others who have travelled this road. In the midst of life’s pressures and family
responsibilities, work requirements and daily routines, men and women across the
world have carved out space in their lives for the journey of “the intellectual life.”
Should you follow in their footsteps and share their passion, then you need their
perspective and good advice. Here are four points to ponder:
4.1 Recognise the Intellectual Life as a Calling
The intellectual life does not happen by accident. You accept this kind of life as you
accept the call to a new vocation. It is to develop and deepen your mind and thinking,
but it must go far beyond mere personal ambition or hobby. It is directed by a passion
for truth-seeking as a service to others. We constantly discover new things as truth
unfolds. It refreshes our spirit as well, as we receive the things of old as if they are new.
We more easily understand and remember what has amazed us. As intellectual, we
should cultivate an awareness for new concepts, and how they are refreshing when
we discover how God has put this world together in awe-inspiring everlasting wisdom.
We answer the call with a healthy amount of curiosity. The thrill of the discovery of
truth will constantly motivate us to continue on the path of life-long-learning. The scholar
is carried along by enthusiasm, inspiration and the instinct of a conqueror.
The intellectual life is an adventure, an ongoing exploration of truth. It is a serious
calling which demands discipline and concentration: sometimes burying oneself in
dusty books, and at other times designing a method to discover a new world of
knowledge. The intellectual is consecrated to an exacting task which brings great joy.
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4.2 Submit Your Intellectual Pursuits to Truth
An intellectual puts aside personal ambition and devotes himself to the discovery of
truth. The scholar tries to “find things,” not to “make them”. It is truth you want to find.
You must do this with your whole heart. All knowledge ultimately centres around God.
If we want to approach God, we must do it in "Spirit and in truth". (John 4:24)
How close we have truth to our heart, is seen when
we receive or reject criticism. Do you intend to
resist truth? Scholars committed to discovering and
promoting truth must be willing to admit their
failures and control their selfish tendencies.
The pursuit of truth leads us beyond academic
studies of books, research, and lectures. In the
normal activities of life there is a “continuous
stream of truth” passing us by, giving inspiration
to your soul. Truth is not discovered in books alone
but also in conversations, things happening, visits,
long walks, sunsets. In everything we think about,
even admiring a beautiful budding flower or passing cloud, there is an opportunity for
deep and meaningful reflection. This may lead to different views and better insight.
Since truth can be found anywhere, all areas of study ultimately connect to each
other. A study in the field of science may lead to new ideas in the field of sociology.
One’s enjoyment of classic literature may yield insights in the study of theology. No
area of study exists in isolation, sealed off from all others. Knowledge is interconnected.
4.3 Intellectual Life Requires Considerable Discipline
Create space for concentrated study. A strict and rigorous routine does not hinder the
liberty of study but enables it. Discipline refers more to intentionality and concentration
than to the quantity of hours spent in solitude. Rather use less time but use it intensely.
When you read, go to the sources in which leading ideas are expressed as being first
hand. Choose to read only the sections in those books which are most relevant to the
pursuit of the factual truth you are looking for. Not all books are equal, and not everything
in a book is of equal value. Therefore it is better to read smarter rather than to read more
— since you already need to read so much to be properly informed to become an expert
in your field. Writing down what you read in a systemised and organised manner will
make sure you do not need to spend hours searching for a quote you forgot to include.
Discipline should also call for a well-balanced life. Do not overestimate your capacity to
work and concentrate on the books. Avoid burnout through regular but small meals,
getting some fresh air, and getting a good sleep. Exercise is very important for the
mind. Going for a short relaxing walk will refresh and set your brain in motion again.
You should not see spending time with children as distraction from your intellectual
task, but as a refreshing interruption. Children can complicate our life so sweetly!
After hours of intellectual activity you must get some sleep. It is during sleep that our
brains continue to work and connect the truths we have been studying. Rest is a great
blessing — as Adam must have discovered after his famous wake-up, meeting Eve.
A life of discipline will help you to maintain a routine for maximising energy and output.
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4.4 The Goal of the Intellectual Life is Virtuous Character
Since we are influenced by the values of higher order we will always make the
connection between truth and virtue. These two belong together. It does us no good to
discover the truth and then fail to live accordingly. Faith, hope, love, prudence, justice,
temperance, and courage are the traditional virtues which form our moral character.
Character really matters. It is an evaluation of an individual's durable moral qualities.
Living according to the virtues is an indication of the health of your soul. In 3John 1:2
we read that Paul assumes that his friend Gaius's soul is in good health (from the living
out of the virtues, we suppose) and wishes that his bodily health would soon be likewise.
Virtue is or indicates the health of the soul. As one grows in virtue you will by extension grows
in your capacity to discover more truth in your academic and other activities of the mind.
Conclusion
We have discovered what the intellectual life is about. There are four messages for us:
1. We must recognise an aspect of calling in it
2. We submit what we discover to truth
3. Studies require considerable discipline
4. The ultimate goal is a virtuous character
The intellectual life is of the highest order within the realm of the mind. This, we
discovered earlier, is subject to the choices made in the realm of our spiritual being,
which is of a higher order in our life. Our spirit-being can have faith (accepting
unseen concepts) but our mind cannot accept it as it needs to reason everything out.
Therefore the mind is not equipped to handle spiritual things, but the spirit in us can. It is of
a higher order. The mind is only made to reason out logical things, to want and to desire.
5. A Field of Interest
In adopting a healthy lifestyle, it is important that we understand the different orders in
our life (the spiritual level and the level of the mind) and that within each order there are
interconnections that affect each other. If you are an academic or practical type of
person, you will have a field of interest which lies close to your heart. The one will affect
the other. Being a typical nerd might preclude you from watching boxing, but who knows!
A field of interest has to do with your will. Your will is the second function of your mind:
l Thinking — Your intellectual life, ranging from absolute nerd to being nonplussed
l Will — What you want in life, ranging from being a solid rock to being weak willed
l Passion — A supportive love relation, being warm romantic to cold and withdrawn
There are so many things determined by your will that I have decided to use one of the
outcomes to illustrate the term "will". Other possibilities would have been:
l Choosing a profession which you will focus on for the rest of your life
l The style of leadership you develop in the workplace based on your character
l Choosing a house and buying a certain kind of furniture as an on-going process
l Going on holiday to destinations and travel modes and types of accommodation
l The exercises that you will do to keep your body in shape towards health
l The type of car you drive and add to that all your other belongings
These choices define you and are an indication of the type and the strength of your will.
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5.1 A Field of Interest — Professional, Academic or Practical Focus
You must have heard the “follow your passion” line since the day you were born.
While some people have a clear passion, many are lost in this maze of interests,
paralysed with fear that they are not doing it right if they do not have one burning goal
to pursue obsessively. Sometimes a child has a passion which is something vague
and out of reach, like becoming a film star.
While you may purse the things you are good at and which you love, your aspirations
may be too broad and difficult to act upon. Take your passions as a starting point.
Break down that passion into as much detail as possible. Then do a “skills inventory”
to determine what you are able to do to develop that passion. Are you good at writing,
doing research, coaching other people, editing or teaching? These questions will
guide you in making a checklist. Gradually you will get a better picture of who you are.
5.2 Broaden your Skills, Narrow your Focus
You have to do two opposite things: More and less. You need to be able to do more
things, understand many concepts, have deeper insight, follow new developments,
have a greater vocabulary, be able to explain a wider range of ... whatever. On the
other hand, as you get older, you will or must start to focus. As academic you do
research on a narrow enough topic to write a dissertation on it, as artist your paintings
become recognizable as coming from your pallet knife in your style, as stage entertainer
your jokes and type of humour becomes known as typically you. That is who you became!
5.3 Are you Extrovert (pro-motion) or Reserved (prevention)?
Feeling motivated is an essential aspect of job satisfaction, or whatever you keep
yourself busy with. What motivates you will vary from person to person. In general,
there are two motivation types: you are promotion-focused or prevention-focused.
Creative professionals and entrepreneurs are promotion-focused. They work quickly,
seize new opportunities and think abstractly. They can also be impulsive, overly
optimistic and prone to make bigger mistakes than the other type. See Myers Briggs.
Prevention-focused professionals maintain the status quo and protect all they have
worked on. They prefer analytical thinking, planning, thoroughness, and reliability.
It is important to determine which way you lean before starting a big project. A preventionfocused person, for example, would do far better as a developer in a major corporation
than launching an own start-up. A promotion-oriented person will likely feel suffocated in
a traditional 9-to-5 job, but will thrive in a creative environment with big risks and rewards.
An introvert may be more attracted to a quieter research role, while an extrovert will
thrive in a busy, loud sales office. Public speaking, an amount of teamwork required
and frequent contact with people are also factors to consider. But introverts and
extroverts can both thrive in roles better suited for the opposite personality type, as long
as they are passionate about the cause. So it is good to first determine your own needs
and goals, and then see what the world has to offer or demands of you. Say to yourself:
l
l
l
l
God made me with a very specific purpose, and gave me all the abilities I need
I accept who I am, the good things I do not hide, my weaknesses I can overcome
I can live my purpose. I will discover more and more about my calling in life
Through hard work I will succeed, however long it takes — God is on my side
Your will has a focus, realise your calling, acting within yourself, with determination!
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6. A Supportive Love Relation
We mentioned that your passion is the third function of your mind:
l Passion — A supportive love relation, being warm romantic to cold and withdrawn
We place it third because it is closest to the third set of the values (social) and the
fourth set (physical). This fact should be fairly evident. It is however perhaps the most
interesting and also the most volatile. It also has tremendous depth and variety, anxiety,
heights of ecstasy and lows of disappointments. Life gives us lots of training in order to
get to know all the aspects of passion; but it is training in action, not in textbook style.
The title does not say "marriage partner" because this would exclude all young and
unmarried people. Most love relations will tend to, when the timing is perfect and all
other important factors (as in each individual case) are in place (such as age, etc.)
lead to a permanent and publicly effected relationship of marriage. At a young age two
four year old's may be very good friends and experience "love" quite differently than
we would think of an old married couple of seventy would experience.
Couples in their twenties who are just married think of careers, a house, children,
a new car, and furniture. People in their forties have children in university, their old
parents living in the granny flat and the African Grey speaks three languages.
In every case we can speak of a "supportive love relation". This person is or is to be
very much "at one" with you, and is of extreme importance to you. Let us examine the
possibilities we could have with how well or badly this has worked in your life:
l
l
l
l
Supportive — Someone you need and who really fulfils this role, help, sustain
Love — Giving yourself up for betterment of the other, dream, more than "like"
Relation — person with whom you have mutual dealings, feelings, related by love
Compatible, like the same things, think, entertain, leisure, and enjoy the same
l At war or in competition, the initial love has cooled, partner has issues, anger
l Being abused — drunkard, bad self-image, is lifted up by knocking you down
l At the point of separation, but you are in denial, blinded, afraid to leave, etc.
God made them "man and woman". Quite an intriguing statement. This is how mankind
was made. This is the design of God. This is the description of that design. Before this is
the case, God says the words: "it is not good". God speaks about His creation which has
one detail missing: The mother of all things: Eve. That is the meaning of the name Eve.
The wo-man which the man Adam sees and likes (immediately) is to bring forth their
offspring, and to care for them (like a mother does) and for him. That is Eve's design.
The man-woman combination defines the creation of mankind as God made/created it.
The immediate attraction described in the creation narrative has never changed. It is
deeply embedded in our DNA, our mind, in our spirit. This is a threefold engrafting.
For days or months, perhaps years, Adam was searching high (giraffe) and low (crocs)
and could not find a compatible mate among the animals. He was only supposed to name
them — but he was always comparing them to himself and then sadly rejecting them.
So we still look around, left, right, high and low, and we forever compare — because
we really need the support to be able to live life to the full, to love someone passionately
with a love that loses itself in someone else, with whom you have formed a relationship
to have mutual dealings, because you are compatible, becoming an example unity.
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The "example unity" statement needs further explanation. In the new testament in the
Revelation which John received (of Jesus), he describes how the children of God
gather at the end when the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven to the new earth.
God dwells in this massive city which is big enough to contain all of mankind. There is
no temple or sun in this city as God Himself dwells in it and is its light. In this magnificent
scene mankind forms the bride of Christ and is united with Him to be with Him forever.
The example of unity refers to this ultimate perfect unity which will always live in peace
and absolute bliss together and will never be separated. The imperfect example is here.
Mankind has this foreshadowing image of unity, which prophetically points forward
towards the ultimate perfect wedding and "marriage" of Christ with His bride. He is
now in our hearts and has given an engagement signet ring to all believers (the Holy
Spirit in our lives) which is to remind us of His everlasting love and invisible presence,
just like a madly in love young couple also cannot stop thinking about one another.
Even when they are apart, they feel as if the other loved partner is right there with
them in their heart. He is with her and she is with him. So it is with us and Jesus.
The way you manage your Supportive Love Relation(ship) will depend on your values.
It does not depend on a set of rules you get from your parent, a book or the church. If
that was the case, all your actions, words, flowers, or gestures would be unreal, artificial
and without real love or exuberant, passionate feelings and actions. A life based on
heart-values would not be cold, calculated and cruel — it would be a LIFESTYLE.
C.
Social Values
7. Family Relations
Family may seem like a simple concept, but there is no simple definition of family. In
its most basic terms, a family is a group of individuals who share a legal or genetic
bond, but for many people, family means much more, and even the simple idea of
genetic bonds can be more complicated than it seems.
What is the purpose of Family?
Families are where we tether ourselves in relationships to each other and connect
ourselves to past and future generations. It is in the home where we receive the
foundation of our life. No other success can compensate for failure in the home.
Our families are where we experience our biggest triumphs and our deepest
vulnerabilities — and they are where we have the greatest potential to do good. We
believe the family is divine in nature and that God designates it as the fundamental
building block of the whole community. As such, it is the foundation for civilization and
becomes a sanctuary for the individual. It is where we learn the social graces of
loyalty, cooperation, and trust. It is where we learn to love ourselves and each other,
to bear one another’s burdens, to give and get purpose, and to sense the gravitational
pull of something greater than ourselves.
There is a universal desire for oneness among people — we want to belong. That is
why we collaborate, support common causes, cheer for sports teams, feel nationalism.
It is why we build villages, towns, and cities. We like belonging. For the fortunate among
us, that desire began with loving parents and siblings in a home that was our refuge
and the laboratory for experimenting with our potential, our beliefs, and our identity.
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We have the capacity to forge families of our own making. We can create a place
where children feel loved and supported, a place where they are taught to accept
Jesus Christ’s atonement and follow Him by letting His image emerge in our way of life.
Building strong, united families is the remedy for many of society’s failings. It inspires
us to choices beyond self-interest and immediate gratification and encourages our
commitment to individuals, the community around us, and to God.
This family focus takes place in family home evenings, when we share music, lessons
from life, read Scripture, tell stories, have fun-filled activities, and on occasions when
we have prayer when thankful, or in time of crisis. This will strengthen relationships
with each other while setting a peaceful tone in the home. This is how parents teach
their children as they share in wisdom, give comfort, and cause laughter.
Why is the family important?
Imagine a newborn baby: tiny and adorable, yes, but on its own, unable to eat, stay
warm, find protection, or move around. But God provides us with a family that we must
depend on from the beginning — and they in turn look after us through the bond of
love. Our family will provide for us, protect us, and prepares us for the challenges we
will face in the years ahead. It is at home that we learn to walk and to talk. We share
expressions of love. It is through family life we learn (purposefully or inadvertently) the
habits, emotional responses, obligations, and values that will shape our adult selves.
We are children of a loving heavenly Father, who may sometimes step aside and who
allows us to learn from the consequences of our own actions and decisions. Our
heavenly Father provides us with the rules (or commandments) that can teach us the
skills, the habits, and the values that will continue to mould our spiritual lives.
Strengthen the Family
Just as we need a family for physical support, we need them for spiritual support too.
That means that we must each make an effort to help each other. Our first role in a
family is as a dependent child, then the part we play ever grows in scope and importance
as we mature. Whether parent or child, sibling or spouse, every one has a role in
taking care of one another with love. We can encourage our loved ones in their trials,
listen to their worries, cheering for them in their efforts and successes, and comforting
them in their sorrows.
By following principles and upholding our chosen values in our homes, we can influence
those around us in their spiritual life. We take pride in the family name which often
has a heritage of honourable parents and extended family. Sometimes we must learn
to set aside past mistakes and try to fulfil the roles of family anew. All of us have an
essential role in nurturing and strengthening our family ties into strong relationships.
Family means that we have certain focused values regarding some aspects of life:
l A sense of belonging, which gives us a feeling of comfort and safety
l A type of love reserved for family, wanting to be with them
l A feeling of loyalty, standing by at all cost because of the blood bond
l A sense of responsibility to help or care because you love your family
There are more than these four values, but they are example of things we have and habits
we display that cannot be obtained by money such as manners, morals and integrity.
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8. A Circle of Friends
Family was mentioned first because it potentially forms the strongest bonds. Second in
line in our social life would be the friends we make and have. Here are some examples:
l Your spouse. This friendship becomes family and therefore is mentioned first
l Your "best friend", the one you choose to be the best man at your wedding
l The inner circle, the three girlfriends that will do things together, hunting buddies
l The few people you would regularly visit and would phone you now and then
l The group that is on your WhatsApp list who get to know everything you do
l The friends on your Facebook or those that would come to your birthday party
The circle of friends becomes more vague as you think of other occasions. We
sometimes talk about who would come to our funeral. We meet people at a holiday
destination and only ever see them there. We make very short-term friendships in
public places — people we never see again. We meet people after thirty or fifty years
and can immediately relate to each other because of the time-span and then the
amazement about the visible change, the things that did not change and the chance
meeting. Some friendships are one-sided: the one always visits the other. Is it real?
Friends are a Positive Influence in your Life
It should go without saying that real friends make you feel good, as opposed to bring
you down. People who are genuinely your friend put your relationship above being
right or trying to feel superior.
The way to determine if they are really a friend is to look at the whole of your relationship:
l How does this person make you feel when you're with them?
l Do you look forward to seeing them?
l Can you share your joy freely or do you need to keep quiet about your news?
If someone is really your friend, they act in a kind manner. They do not only ask you
to do things for them, but they also do nice things for you — and surprise you.
Friends don't keep score, but there is a balance to the relationship. Sometimes one
friend might be in the "spotlight," while the other is cheering them on. Friends should
trade off in giving each other the "floor" in a conversation and in life, and should
understand when the moment is their friend's and not theirs.
Friends are People you See on a Regular Basis
The other key component to friendship is a real, face-to-face, relationship. This isn't
to say that after you have established a friendship, you cannot still be friends with
them once they move away. However, in order to have a real friendship, you have to
spend time with each other to make moments and memories.
While on-line friendships can serve a place in your life, they will never be the same as
a real friendship. To that end, the term "friendship" does get applied to many situations
today, from co-workers, loyal customers, to people in the street you don't even know
and will never meet again. But that doesn't mean these people are truly your friends.
The values you have for family are extended into your circle of friends, but they are
modified. You cannot end a family relationship but you can end or begin a new friendship.
Both can disappoint you but family is of a higher order and can weather bigger
storms. Both influence you, but family shapes your character in your young years.
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9. Financial Security
A social motivator to do things is the expectation to be successful. Why do you need
to succeed? To achieve what? Who requires this of you? Let us see:
l Our parents want the best for us, but this may also be because it reflects on
them — did they raise you well, did you follow their directions into a profession?
l Your spouse will want to have security for now, and to be able to retire at some time
l You may want to have a house, a car, a swimming pool, vacation home, to travel
l To leave something for your children and a legacy — look what I did! (my way)
l The friends and the Joneses cannot possibly have beaten you to get the best!
l Do you have a retirement plan? A solid income now? To help a cause?
All the above are driven by society. It is about having the resources to support a
standard of living, now and into the future. Society expects it of us. It will praise us or
ridicule us, but we must achieve. Society is everyone collectively — including yourself.
Regarding money or a financial fund, people usually plan for three things:
1. Save up for something they want to get soon
2. Be prepared for an emergency
3. Invest for retirement
The possibilities for doing this are so many that I would leave it at this short little list.
Be aware that these are the reasons why men and women work hard, could be jealous,
fight with each other, start businesses, have stress, make insincere friends, make enemies,
become rich (only to change dramatically), become depressed, and loose hope.
All these things can be made less dramatic if you take all things in prayer to God. Try it!
D.
Physical Values
The last set of three value containers have to do with our physical life. Apart from
being a social being and having a thinking sphere as well as a fantastic spiritual
dimension which is difficult to understand — we also want our comfort. We try to be
healthy and for that reason constantly try this diet or have a resolution to stop smoking.
These things are interconnected. If we are healthy, we can do many more things in
our leisure time. Most people enjoy going for a walk, except people who have gout or
need a hip replacement. Married people enjoy the passions of life unless one partner
has diabetes or has lost their libido. You can climb a mountain when you are young
because you still have the energy and the strength for it — and you do not yet have a fear
of heights. The set of three have an order (are dependent on each other), are related:
l A pleasant leisure time (or lack of it)
l A feeling (or absence) of health
l A healthy eating lifestyle (or the opposite)
You can enjoy the first group if you are healthy
(second group), and this depends on your
lifestyle. We do not refer to a diet (which a
doctor may prescribe to you), but rather
something that is based on your inner values
— your own chosen healthy lifestyle.
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10. Pleasant leisure time
After working hard you may have time off to do what you feel like doing. For some this
is not possible as people can abuse your free time. If you know how to establish limits
and set borders, then you will perhaps enjoy some of it. You may also come under
scrutiny by your social surroundings who will label your resting as laziness. Then the
only time of leisure may be the five or six hours you have for a good sleep. But
suppose you escape the intentions of other people and the design they have on your
life, how you spend it will define you. This is doing what we want, and what we think
about, what we admire, what we will spend our money on, the people we share it with,
whom we laugh with, as we enjoy life to the full. So we discover a few major factors
which are the determinants of our choices of leisure time:
l Our mindset — the world of our mind, the overflowing of our heart, our will & passion
l How we organise the world around us, the way we set limits to protect ourselves
l What is practically within our reach, financially attainable, and health-wise possible
These factors are taken from some of the previous value domains — the mind, social
life and now also our health. To this we may even add our spiritual life. Our faith has a
lot of say over how we will enjoy our leisure time, taking a rest from our creativity
which serves to establish our legacy. So it all trickles down from the top right to the
bottom line: What we eat will determine our health, which in turn affects the quality of
our leisure time. That quality may have a wide range — from euphoria to agony.
People differ in the value they attach to physical pleasure. Some may be the outdoor
type, interested in mountain climbing, fishing, hiking, playing tennis, jogging or
swimming. Others like dancing, going to concerts, shopping, socialising with friends,
watching sports at the venues, partaking in debates, etc. Others may like reading,
listening to classic music, playing computer games,
watching TV, doing a hobby at home, gardening,
collecting things, spending time with a friend or
spouse. Life is colourful with a tremendous range of
differences of activities. What people do is based on
their values. How they enjoy it is based on their health.
Some things they are not able to do, even if they
wanted to. Health is an important factor of life.
So let us now deal with the main determinants of the joy in our lives.
11. Feeling of Health
Health is one thing. It is a real privilege to be healthy. We
should even see it as a gift from God. How we feel about it is
based on perhaps an even a greater gift of God: Choice. We
choose to feel good about life, to feel healthy, happy,
friendly, joyful, radiate exuberance, show acceptance, be
forgiving, have a positive attitude — be fully alive. It is:
l The person you are, without the effects of damage
l The complete gift to the world you should be
l Having activated all of God's gifts within you to others
The "feeling" is added to the health to show that all the
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values are working together in the most positive combination of synergy. It is activated
health. It is health translated by choice, and coloured by character. This describes the
real you. Have a look at yourself. Is that person still hidden somewhere? Or has the
character coloured you very dark, dim and dangerous to those around you? Then perhaps
you have not yet allowed your spirit to affect your morals, which will modify your manners.
So we see that real health is multi-dimensional and it is nourished from the spiritual
side of your life (or the absence of a heavenly renewal), which could explain the
delightful and whole person you are to those around you, or the misery you are to
yourself and your inmates of the underworld gang you are leading! Seriously, there
are a lot of people who are not a delight to others, but they terrorise their loved ones
because they themselves are not in full health in their minds. Something in their past
has control over them and they find their own existence in destroying (or subtly doing so)
the lives of others. Full health is very important. Then there is a way to live it out.
We mentioned the even greater gift of God: the fact that we have something called
choice. We may know God's love and forgiveness as the good news package to the
world. Our choice about accepting it makes all the difference in our eternal life. But
that is a choice of a higher order — the spiritual one. In exactly the same way we
choose and should make choices about many other things.
l Knowledge
l Family
l Travel, Fun
l Career
l Friends
l Adventure
l Love, spouse l Money
l Happiness
Applying the choice factor to health brings us to the ability
to live life to the full with respect to physical things. But as
you saw, it brings the higher levels of values to their full
expression if we do so. The feeling of health provides a
window into our soul and even into our spirit, as we are
displayed to the world, to society around us as changed people. People of destiny!
What makes this possible? It is partly spiritual, it is certainly mental, it is also the
influence of our happy social environment — but a very important contribution comes
from a well balanced, healthy eating lifestyle. Eating is only part of your lifestyle.
12. Healthy Eating Lifestyle
Of the three physical value-sets (or containers), eating is part of the most basic things
we have values for. There are other physical values such as beauty of the body, things
we teach our children what to do and not to do (do not scratch, cut finger nails, dry
yourself after bath, etc.) The others are social values, mental values, spiritual values.
So let us concentrate on the eating values which lead to good and bad eating habits:
l First gather all the right information
l Then decide to lessen some, increase others
l Lastly, gradually make some drastic changes
To be informed and to accept the rationale behind a new
way of understanding and therefore a changed way of
thinking, is the basis of starting a new LIFESTYLE. The
girl on the right has a table full of choices, but she smiles,
because she is informed and knows what to do.
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The gathering of in formation is crucial to form values, which lead to good habits,
which forms a lifestyle. As a reader of books you make informed decisions. The order is:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Gathering Information
Accepting new Values
Making decisions
Starting new behaviour
Forming a range of habits
Enjoying the lifestyle
Reaping the benefits
The establishing of a new lifestyle is a long process. Each step takes a determined
effort. In the following chapters we will discuss some of the information about food and
their effects of the lives of many of us. People are made to be basically the same but
in many smaller aspects we have differences — different blood groups, different
metabolisms, different tastes, different body types. That can make things quite complex.
But we will keep to things that are generally true and will caution about the differences.
In any case, if you have a special condition, you should only take your doctor's advice.
Gathering information in itself is also a lifestyle. Academics have made it their goal in
life to specialise in a specific field, and if they are persistent, they work towards a
Masters or a Doctoral qualification. For you to have a healthy lifestyle, you only need
to read a few good books and get into the habit of doing a search on the Internet.
We are going to look at facts, initially in three areas:
1. The contribution of William Banting to a better eating diet and Lifestyle today
2. Protein, Fats, Fruit, Vegetables and Carbs — the basic building blocks of food
3. Food, the Bible, diseases — The Banting answer of 1863
We will then look at four more topics in the last chapters:
4. Focus on Fruit & Vegetables — Additional preparation by Juicing
5. Fish, Meat & Dairy — a focus on different kinds of protein and their fats
6. Health: Mind, Manner, Meals — Decisions on mindset, habit and combinations
7. Addendum: Combinations and Recipes
These will help you to make hard decisions in order to start a life of changed behaviour.
It will take time to form the new life-saving healthy habits, but in the end you will be
able to enjoy a lifestyle you can call your own. My forebears called it their own and so
do I. Do make it your own, but you may call it the: Banting Lifestyle.
Summary: Lifestyle Defined by Values
Lifestyle is a way of how we as individuals, families (households), and societies live,
in order to cope with our physical environment (our health and home), psychological
(relationships and work-stress), social (the people groups that affect us), and economic
environments (our expenses, finances or lack thereof), on a day-to-day basis.
How do we express a lifestyle? We do this through work and leisure behaviour patterns.
This is broadly speaking, our activities, opinions, and the way we spend our money.
Our values, attitudes, and interests play a major role in determining our behaviour.
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Values are the important and lasting beliefs or ideals you have about what is good
or bad and desirable or undesirable for you. They help you to set boundaries and to
make minor or major (ultimate) decisions. These are often coupled with your faith.
An attitude refers to a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain
idea, object, person, or situation. Attitude influences the choice of your actions,
your responses to challenges (problems, hard decisions), incentives, and even rewards.
Four major components of attitude are:
1. Affective: emotions or feelings
2. Cognitive: belief or opinions held
3. Conative: your inclination for action
4. Evaluative: positive or negative response to stimuli
Belief
Feeling
Action
Interests indicate what you want to give your attention to, your concerns, or curiosity
for something, to get your involvement, etc. towards and into those things.
Several basic lifestyle groups can be formed on the basis of two dimensions: resources
and self-orientation. The resource dimension includes:
l education, intelligence
l income, and eagerness to purchase
l health, and energy level
— Mental level
— Social level
— Physical level
The Self-orientation dimension is divided into three parts:
1. Principle oriented: having set views
2. Status oriented: influenced by others
3. Action oriented: seeks activity, adventure
— Mental level
— Social level
— Physical level
These dimensions also reflect people's self image and the way they believe they are
seen by the others.
William Banting — Champion of a Lifestyle
Lifestyle is a composite of motivations, needs, and wants and is influenced by factors
such as culture, family, reference groups, and social class. The argument for what a
lifestyle is was carried this far, and in this amount of detail, in order to show the reader how
important it is for directing eating habits towards a more healthy life by means of values.
This book's title indicates that we are interested in explaining the advantages of the
diet followed by William Banting who lived in England in the years Dec 1796 to March
1878 [age 81]. He published a small booklet to testify of his victory over obesity after a
20 year battle. It was initially only 25 pages. The very first chapter indicates his disgust:
Of all the parasites that affect humanity I do not know of, nor can I imagine, any more
distressing than that of Obesity, ... — William Banting 1863, who lost 17 Kg in 38 weeks
That is how he starts. He said of the diet, which has become so popular these days:
The remedy may be as old as the hills, as I have since been told, but its application is
of very recent date; and it astonishes me that such a light should have remained so long
unnoticed and hidden, ... (he wrote this in 1863!)
He goes on to indicate what the secret is. Not eating less, but eating very specific:
I can now confidently say that quantity of diet may be safely left to the natural appetite;
and that it is the quality only, which is essential to abate and cure corpulence (obesity).
23
He did not promote many small meals either, but just ate when he used to in the past:
I breakfast between eight and nine o'clock, dine between one and two, take my slight tea
meal between five and six, sup at nine, and only take the night cap when inclination directs.
The main sentence in which he explains his diet is found in his conclusion on page 42:
My impression from the experiments I have tried on myself of late is, that saccharine matter
is the great moving cause of fatty corpulence. I know that it produces in my individual case
increased weight and a large amount of flatulence, and believe, that not only sugar, but
all elements tending to create saccharine matter in the process of digestion, should
be avoided. I apprehend it will be found in bread, ... beer, Port wine, and Champagne
At the third publishing he adds this comment about the types of meat and vegetables:
I ought, "it seems," to have excepted veal, owing to its indigestible quality, as well as pork
for its fattening character; also herrings and eels (owing to their oily nature), being as
injurious as salmon. In respect to vegetables, not only should potatoes be prohibited, but
parsnips, beetroot, turnips, and carrots [root vegetables]. The truth is, I seldom or ever
partook of these objectionable articles myself, and did not reflect that others might do so,
or that they were forbidden. Green vegetables are considered very beneficial, and
I believe should be adopted at all times.
This shows what the state of science was at the time (1863). We know now that fish
oils are very beneficial. From his writings we must deduct that he wanted to avoid too
much fat in the diet, hence his exclusion of pork meat. He tells us what he ate before:
My former dietary table was bread and milk for breakfast, or a pint of tea [beer mug] with
plenty of milk and sugar, and buttered toast; meat, beer, much bread (of which I was
always very fond) and pastry for dinner [midday], the meal of tea [late afternoon] similar
to that of breakfast, and generally a fruit tart or bread and milk for supper [evening meal].
We emboldened the word bread and sugar in his tea. With the diet he kept up the fluid:
On rising in the morning I take a table spoonful of a special corrective cordial in a wineglass of water, ... then I take about 5 or 6 ounces solid and 8 of liquid for breakfast;
8 ounces of solid and 8 of liquid for dinner; 3 ounces of solid and 8 of liquid for tea; 4 ounces
of solid and 6 of liquid for supper, and the grog (gin/whisky/brandy) afterwards, if I please.
So, there you have it — the original Banting diet. He mentions later that he lost even
more weight, (from 202 pound) until he weighed 156 pound [71 Kg], and kept to that
by sticking more or less to what he wanted to eat, but avoiding the sugar:
I have ... frequently indulged my fancy, experimentally, in using milk, sugar, butter, and
potatoes — indeed, I may say all the forbidden articles except beer, in moderation, with
impunity, but always as an exception, not as a rule. This deviation, however, convinces
me that I hold the power of maintaining the happy medium in my own hands.
The last words in the booklet are still about bread:
Pure genuine bread may be the staff of life as it is termed. It is so, particularly in youth,
but I feel certain it is more wholesome in advanced life if thoroughly toasted, as I take it.
My impression is, that any starchy or saccharine matter tends to the disease of corpulence
in advanced life, and whether it be swallowed in that form or generated in the stomach,
that all things tending to these elements should be avoided, of course always under sound
medical authority.
— William Banting.
This is a summary of a very honest man who was greatly benefited by a remedy he
calls miraculous, and he thanks the Almighty Providence for directing him to the man who
gave him the advice. For the rest of his life he promoted the diet, which was published
until 2007 by Harrison, London. It started as a diet to remedy a 20 year problem, and was
maintained as a lifestyle in a modified way, but based on knowledge and new values.
24
The Banting Lifestyle Today
Banting, in a few words, is about excluding carbs and sugar and eating real
unprocessed foods. It is also sometimes called by the acronym LCHF, which stands
for low-carb high-fat (or good fat in contrast to low-fat). Some names behind the diet
today include Gary Taubes, Prof. Tim Noakes, nutritional therapist Sally-Ann Creed,
and Dr Andreas Eenfeldt (the diet doctor). The name William Banting dates from 1863.
Allowing and disallowing
One may make long lists of which food is advisable to eat according to these experts,
but it is easier to first isolate a few general rules:
1. Excluding carbs and sugar and eating real, unprocessed foods.
2. Low carb grains and flours allowed limited, not in diet but later as part of lifestyle.
3. May consume animal fats which are naturally part of it, and non-seed oils
4. All fish, and the oiler the better (Omega 3).
5. All nuts, but avoid peanuts and cashews, since they are not nuts, but legumes.
6. All vegetables, but limit those growing below the ground (i.e. tubers).
7. Fruit such as berries apple and coconut. Careful, as most fruits contain sugar.
8. Some dairy is allowed
9. Sugar is disallowed, Stevia, Erythrotol and Xylitol are natural substitutes.
10. Dry white wine, red wine and spirits contain the least amount of carbs.
Hints to remember
l Choose real foods that look like what they are, and cook them from scratch
l Fat is not the enemy. Enjoy it! Make your own Banting mayonnaise as dressing.
l Embrace eggs. They're healthy, satisfying and very good for you.
l Stop snacking. Snacks contain carbs. You won't need to - it's just a habit.
l Think of fruit as a sweet rather than a health snack. Limit them.
l Avoid frozen meals, high-fibre snack bars, "Low-fat" foods (they are sweetened)
l Juice from a box or bottle, are artificially sweetened drinks.
Grab foods in the fridge
It is better not to snack. Children may find that difficult at times. Here is a snack list:
l
l
l
l
Boiled or steamed Eggs
Grilled chicken drumsticks
Sliced Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
l
l
l
l
Pure Ground beef meatballs
Egg Muffins filled with cheese, mushroom
Seed Crackers
See recipes in the back for
Special Muffins Banting Mayonnaise and
Hummus, "Juice for Life".
Remove from your house:
Cool drinks or cordials or Energy drinks, Cereals of any kind, Sugar, Flour, rice,
quinoa, cous-cous or any other grains, Sunflower Oil and all other seed oils, Bread,
Pastries or baked goods, Chips, sweets and snacks, Tinned or processed foods,
Ready made meals, Margarine, Jams, syrups, Marmite, sandwich spreads, tomato
sauce, soya sauce, salad dressing, Deserts, Carrots, potatoes, butternut.
25
The Twelfth Value — a Healthy Eating Lifestyle
Introduction — What Food is All About
Food consists of the building blocks of our life. When we eat and drink we are able to
grow, have energy and remain in good health. This
picture gives some indication of the different
components of food. Let us list them all:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Proteins: Meat, fish, beans, cheese, eggs.
Carbohydrates: Starches in grain, root-veg
Sugary foods: in fruit, sweets and drinks
Fats: Butter, cheese, fish, oils (2 types)
Vitamins: Fruit and vegetables
Minerals: Fruit & vegetables, dairy prod.
Roughage: Fibre in fruit and vegetables
The following is a very short introduction to each of these components in the form of a
concise definition or description. We have left out water, but we added sugary foods:
The Different Types of Nutrients
First of all, you need to have a clear idea what we mean
when, for instance, we refer to protein. The foods we mention
will be high in a certain nutrient, but will also consist of
other nutrients. The examples are for illustration purposes.
1. Proteins
l Beef, Lamb, Pork
l Chicken, Turkey, Ostrich
l Salmon, Sardines, Tuna
l Eggs, Cheese
l Beans, Legumes
l Nuts, Seeds
Ten to 35 percent of calories should come from protein
Protein is the major structural component of cells and is responsible for the building
and repair of body tissues. Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are building
blocks of protein. Nine of the 20 amino acids, known as essential amino acids, must be
provided for in the diet as they cannot be synthesized in the body. Ten to 35 percent of your
daily calories should come from protein sources such as meat, dairy, beans or eggs.
2. Carbohydrates
l Wheat, Barley, Rye, Rice, Maize, Oats
l Roots & Tubers: Beet, Potato
l Beans, Pulses, Lentils, Peas
l Fruits, Dry fruits, Fruit juices
Make half of your grains whole grains
Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the brain. Without carbohydrates, the
body could not function properly but these must however be from real, natural and
un-processed foods to be full of fibre, which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease
26
and helps maintain normal blood glucose levels. Because easily digestible carbohydrates
(refined) are converted into fat, which is stored in the body, you should limit your
intake of carbohydrates to reduce overweight and increase a feeling of health.
3. Sugary Foods — Special notice — to be avoided altogether for weight-loss
l Sweets, Chocolates, Cakes, Waffles
l Carbonated drinks, Fruit Juices, Refined sugar in tea or coffee
l Puddings, Ice Cream, Pancakes, Sweet-pies
4. Fats
l Fatty meat & Fish
(animal/fish)
l Cream, Butter & Cheese
(dairy)
l Avocado, Olive oil, Nuts & Seeds (plant)
Omega-3-rich foods such as walnuts help with growth
Fat is a very good and preferable energy source. It also increases the absorption of
fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, D, E and K. When you make food choices,
do not try to avoid the natural fat such as cream in milk and yogurt, and the fat which
is naturally on the meat you buy. Choose healthy options such as omega-3-rich foods
like fish, walnuts and vegetable-based oils. Omega-3s help with development and growth.
Limit intake of saturated fats such as processed meats. Avoid low-fat dairy as industry
adds sugar to enhance the taste. Other smart choices include nuts, seeds and avocado.
5. Vitamins
l A — Mango, Orange, Papaya
l B — Eggs, Fish, Poultry
l C — Yellow Apple, Lemon, Pineapple
l D — Cheese, Salmon, Liver, Mushroom
l E — Almond, Spinach, Seeds, Avo
l K — Broccoli, Spinach, Asparagus
Fats
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Major
Nutrients
Vitamins
Minerals
of Food
Vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of
collagen, which provides structure to blood
vessels, bone and ligaments. Rich sources
include citrus fruits, strawberries and peppers.
Roughage
Water
Folate, found in foods, helps to prevent birth
defects. Pregnant women or women who plan
to become pregnant should take a folic acid supplement in addition to their diet. Vitamin D
helps to balance calcium homoeostasis. It is also synthesized by the sun on your skin.
6. Minerals
l Calcium — Spinach, Tofu, Broccoli
l Magnesium — Almonds, Pumpkin seeds, Rye
l Iron — Soybeans, Lentils, Parsley, Chickpeas
l Sodium — Sweet potato, Radish, Plum, Mango
l Zinc — Oysters, Beef, Chicken, dark Chocolate
l Potassium — Orange juice, Banana, Squash
27
Calcium helps to maintain and build strong bones and teeth. Include three servings of
calcium-rich foods per day including milk, low-fat cheese and yogurt. Magnesium
helps your body metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and allows you to
synthesize proteins from amino acids in your body. Iron allows your body to build
haemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide from the body.
Sodium helps to maintain fluid volume outside of the cells and helps cells to function
normally. Keep intake under 2,400 milligrams per day. Zinc is involved in the function
of more than 100 different enzymes, which are substances that allow chemical reactions
to take place. Zinc helps keep your immune system running. Potassium maintains
fluid volume inside and outside of cells and prevents the excess rise of blood pressure
with increased sodium intake. Rich sources include bananas, oranges and tomatoes.
7. Roughage — Section G
l Prune, Pear, Mango, Apple, Strawberry
l Rye bread, Bran flakes, Wheat Bran, Oats
l Split Peas, Kidney Beans, Lentils
l Carrots, Brussels sprouts, Parsnips, Artichokes
Roughage, also known as fibre or bulk, is an indigestible compound that your body
can't absorb. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes (beans), being
the structural polymers of cell walls. A high-fibre diet has many advantages, including
bowel regularity and decreased risk of developing diverticulitis, high blood pressure
and diabetes, and to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. We should
consume at least 20 grams of fibre each day from dietary sources, to keep bowel
movements soft and easy to pass, to prevent both constipation and diarrhoea.
If you're working on weight loss or weight management, roughage may aid in your
efforts. Because dietary fibre contributes very few calories, high-fibre foods, such as
fruits and vegetables, are lower in calories than many low-fibre foods. Roughage also
helps to keep you feeling full while eating fewer calories because it provides a lot of
volume and it swells inside your stomach and digestive tract. High-fibre foods also
require more chewing time than low-fibre foods, which may give you time to feel more
satisfied from eating, and this will reduce
your tendency to overeat.
The Importance of Water
Drink 2 to 3 litres of fluid per day.
Water helps to maintain homoeostasis in
the body and transports nutrients to cells.
Water also assists in removing waste
products from the body. All beverages and
high-moisture foods such as soup and
watermelon contain water and count towards
your daily water requirement. Adults should
consume 25 to 35 millilitres of fluids per
kilogram body weight or 2 to 3 litres per day.
At all costs avoid commercial carbonated cool
drink. Drink water with lemon in it!
28
A.
What Food is Supposed to Do
Food is important for life. To be healthy and active, we should choose from a wide
variety of foods which are rich in all the nutrients our body needs. We should also
enjoy the food that we eat — it should look, smell and taste good. Food helps us to:
l providing energy — to stay alive, be active, move and work
l build new cells and tissues for growth — for muscles, bones, brain, organs
l fight infections and stay healthy — fighting disease, healing of injuries
Providing Daily Energy
Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
comprise ninety percent of the dry
weight of foods. Food energy sustains
metabolism and drives our muscles.
Some food components that provide
little or no food energy, such as water,
minerals, vitamins, and fibre, are
necessary to health and survival for
other reasons. Water, minerals,
vitamins, and cholesterol are not
broken down, but are used as they are
and so cannot be used for energy.
Burning Energy
Food energy is derived from our food
through the process of cellular respiration.
This is the process of joining oxygen with
the molecules of food or reorganizing the
atoms within the molecules. Nutrients used
in respiration include sugar, amino acids
and fatty acids, and the oxidizing agent
(for burning) is molecular oxygen (O2).
Storing Energy
The body stores energy (mostly) in the form of fat which is obtained from the diet, of
either animal (saturated, hard fat) or plant origin (polyunsaturated, oils). Fat is six times
more effective to store energy than carbohydrates. Instead of having 4.5 kg of fat a person
would need to carry 30 kg of hydrated glycogen to have the same amount of energy.
The liver stores only about 100 g of glycogen, which it absorbs from the blood. Once those
stores are full, insulin, an important hormone (discovered by Frederick Banting), keeps your
blood glucose levels stable and delivers glucose to the liver and muscles. It also removes any
excess glucose in the blood and it converts into fatty acids, and it is stored as tri-glycerides
(10-20 Kg fat cells). If we don’t consume a lot of carbohydrates (which are transformed
into glucose in the body), we need much less insulin to deal with it. The Western diet
consumes so much more carbohydrates compared to what our ancestors were used
to, that our insulin is chronically high. This then triggers a chain of reactions that we
call the metabolic syndrome and weight gain or diabetes is often one of the first signs.
29
Build New Cells
Nearly 2 trillion new cells are born in your body each day. The nutrients you obtain from
your diet support this cell growth. You need a broad range of nutrients for healthy tissue
maintenance, not just a select few vitamins and minerals, so following a well-balanced
diet is the best way to maintain healthy tissue. Getting enough protein in your diet is
important to maintaining healthy tissue. During digestion, your body breaks dietary
protein down into small sub-units, called amino acids. Your cells can then reassemble
those amino acids into the thousands of proteins needed to maintain your tissues, as
well as support cell growth. The average man and woman need about 50 grams of
protein daily. Eggs, dairy and meat serve as animal sources of protein, and the legumes,
nuts, whole grains and even some vegetables contribute to your protein intake.
Keep you in Good Health — Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins are a group of substances that are needed for normal cell function, growth,
and development, for the body to work properly. Each of the vitamins has an important
job in the body. A vitamin deficiency (causing health problems) occurs when you do
not get enough of a certain vitamin. Not eating enough fruits, vegetables, beans,
lentils, whole grains and dairy foods may increase your risk for health problems,
including heart disease, cancer, and poor bone health (osteoporosis).
Minerals are inorganic substances which exist naturally in the earth, many of which
are critical to the growth and production of bones, teeth, hair, blood, nerves, skin.
These minerals are: calcium, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, magnesium,
manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc. We
need significant quantities of essential macro-minerals (such as calcium), such that
they are usually measured in milligrams, and we require minute quantities of essential
trace minerals (such as selenium), which are usually measured in micrograms. A
single mineral does not work in isolation, rather, they are necessary as synergistic
elements to support physical health. They work best in association with all other minerals
and trace minerals, the way they are found in un-refined whole foods.
Fighting infections
Your best line of defence is to keep your immune
system strong so it’s ready to attack when an
invader comes along. Invaders come in many shapes
and sizes. There are bacteria, viruses and fungi
(as well as parasites). It’s important to know which,
as each requires slightly different treatment. Most
ear infections, stomach aches, chest or sinus
infections (usually a follow-on to a cold) are usually
bacterial. A cold, flu, herpes or measles are viruses.
Thrush or athlete’s foot, are fungal infections.
Judging by the results of research on vitamin C, it’s
not that immune-healthy people don’t get infections. They just have ‘pre-colds’ that are
virtually over in just 24 hours. Less healthy people end up being sick for a week. So
the aim is to boost your immune system, by giving it the right food and the right
environment, so that it can adapt quickly to attempted invasions.
30
B.
What the Bible Says about Food
The majority of people on earth would like to know what God has to say on any subject.
They then sometimes even argue against His very word. Paul writes that even in
their eating and drinking habits, the Corinthians have to keep God's honour in mind.
l 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do
all to the glory of God.
Many people will refer to their bodies as God's temple, especially when it comes to
smoking. But what about obesity, or omitting vegetables and then having deficiencies?
Cutting out meat was never in God's plan. He has given us a very wide variety to eat:
l Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I
gave you the green plants, I give you everything.
Primary Instruction
The very first two verses where God speaks to mankind (Adam and Eve) they are told what
is allowed and what they are given. To "rule over" the three groups of species can only
mean that they can be eaten as food, especially if you look at it in context of verse 29:
l Gen 1:28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the seas,
and over birds of the heavens, and over all beasts creeping on the earth.
More specific is the next verse, which refers to the fruit and the seeds:
l Genesis 1:29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding
seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit.
You shall have them for food. ["Them" can refer to all things mentioned in 28 & 29.]
This makes it quite clear as to what God designed to be our food.
One proverb refers to the overeating on sweet things, i.e. the sugar which is found in honey:
l Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek
one's own glory.
(Less "saccharine" as William Banting said, also more humble)
Offering the Very Best
Then there is a very interesting part of early history which refers to the first offers to
God. The idea with an offer is that you present to God the very best that you have.
Cain and Abel were both farmers. Cain tilled the earth and had mostly vegetables and
Abel farmed with sheep. Cain brought some of the produce of the land as an offer but
Abel gave the first-born as a sacrifice and its fat (or choice parts) as an offering. This
is full of deep, meaningful symbolism, as Abel's lamb pictured God's ultimate offering —
His first-born "lamb" to mankind. Abel's sacrifice is accepted, Cain's not — and through
jealousy Abel is killed. The difference for God was the attitude of Abel, in wanting to
give God the very best. The word fat also indicates what God regards as the best.
l Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.
From a description of the Israelites having the best time of their lives, it becomes clear
how it was allowed and seen as the very best of food if they could have butter and fat.
l Deu 32:14 butter from cows, and milk from the flock, with fat from lambs ...
These are the things God provided to his people. These things were regarded as the best.
31
When God Says Something is Good
l Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth sprout tender sprouts, the plant
seeding seed, the fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind, whichever
seed is in it on the earth. And it was so. 12 ... And God saw that it was good.
[God says "it was good" the second time on the same day, Tuesday, about food.]
l Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that He had made and behold, it was
very good. [Adding "very". In verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 God just says "it was good"]
On two occasions God marvels about what He made and how well it is made when it
comes to our food. Only on one day does He marvel twice — when He has made food.
Then when He has just spoken to Adam and Eve about what they are to eat, He looks back
and emphasises that "it is very good". This happens when food is in focus. God looks
back at it all and can only exclaim how good it is! You should also look again at food.
C. What Mankind has Concocted since Creation
Industry has taken God's creation, made a mixture of various ingredients or elements,
and boiled them together in a more or less toxic broth. But as in the story, the poisonous
apple is very alluring and shiny, beautiful to be eaten, and often, it even sounds wise to
do so. The advertising industry is powerful and mighty and wicked. It has succeeded in
building up a stronghold around concepts which are wrong for us, but will bring in
money for the food plant processors, in order to sell their wares in abundance:
l Refined — taking out the goodness to make food last longer on shelves
l Preserved — to make products last for years, but the essentials are taken out
l Additives — chemicals added in to make food look good, many of them harmful
In many shops you can buy some excellent wholesome foods, which are very healthy
and fresh. Then, many shelves are cram-packed with things we have grown accustomed
to over the years, which satisfy us for a short while, only to leave us craving for more.
Let us have a quick look at all the goods which are prepared in food-plants these days:
Processed Foods — Refined
If you want to be optimally healthy, you should spend 90 percent of your food budget
on whole foods, and only 10 percent on processed foods. With most foods, the closer
they are to nature, the better. The term "processed food" refers to food that is chemically
processed and made from heavily refined ingredients and artificial additives.
Examples are: Sweetened dairy products, margarine, fried foods, donuts, Hot Dogs,
carbonated cool drinks (Coke), refined white sugar, chicken nuggets, fake cheese,
Twinkies, sweeteners, potato chips, and refined vegetable oil. Here are the main problems:
1. Processed foods are high in sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup
2. Processed foods are designed to make you overeat
3. Processed foods contain artificial ingredients
4. You can become addicted to processed foods
5. Processed foods are typically high in refined carbohydrates
6. It requires less energy and time to digest processed foods
7. Most processed foods are typically low in nutrients and low in fibre
8. Processed foods are often high in trans-fats and processed vegetable oils
32
Preservatives
Preservatives in foods are designed to prevent bacterial growth and spoilage, but
sometimes they can also prevent you from enjoying good health. The effects of food
preservatives on the body can vary with age and health status, but you should look into
the potential harmful effects of preservatives in foods. One of the harmful effects of
preservatives in foods is the potential to cause breathing difficulties. Eliminating foods
with preservatives such as Aspartame, sulphites, benzoate and yellow dye No. 5 could
reduce the symptoms and severity of asthma. Another harmful effect is behavioural
changes, especially in young children. The consumption of food additives and
preservatives sometimes leads to a significant increase in hyperactive behaviour.
Food Additives
Looking at the back of a food package
you can identify artificial ingredients,
preservatives or some long name that
doesn't exactly sound like food. In our
culture, with such easy access to
food, it's easy to ignore the fact that
most of the items we purchase are
processed and contain additives.
For centuries people have used salts,
vinegars, herbs, boiling and refrigeration to naturally keep food items, but in the last 50
years man-made preservatives have become the common method. These are the most used
and worst additives: Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame), High Fructose Corn Syrup,
Monosodium Glutamate MSG, Trans Fat, Common Food Dyes, Sodium Sulphite,
BHA and BHT, Sulphur Dioxide, Potassium Bromate.
The most popular chemical additives in the food industry today are benzoate, nitrites,
sulphite and sorbate. These additives kill and prevent moulds and yeast from growing
on food. Sulphur dioxide is the most common man-made preservative; it acts as a
bleaching agent in food. There are more than 300 additives used today.
D.
Diseases Linked to our Habits
The three major diseases can be linked to what we do wrong — our bad habits:
l Obesity — 1. Environmental causes and 2. Lifestyle habits
l Diabetes — the body producing less or no insulin, or resisting this hormone
l Cancer — 33% smoking, 20% overweight, 16% pathogens, 5% inactivity, 5% diet
We summarise each of these three in a few paragraphs:
Obesity
Today we have a more sedentary lifestyle, and healthy walking has been replaced with
driving. Our bodies get daily cocktail of environmental toxins that undermine the
endocrine system’s ability to keep the body in balance (or homoeostasis). The nutritional
goodness in most fruits and vegetables – even when organic – has been seriously
undermined through a century of modern farming techniques, which has sapped the soil
33
of critical nutrients and minerals, and leaves our modern food with far less goodness than
it originally had. GMO's in our food are contributing to a complex web of problems that
our bodies don’t even know how to handle. These are the major environmental factors:
l
l
l
l
Sedentary lifestyle
Toxic overload
Soil depletion, and
GMO health risks (GMO = Genetically Modified Organism)
Our lifestyle and daily habits affect our health. Our fast-paced lifestyle tends to lead
us down the road of being “time-poor” and therefore processed, pre-packaged,
convenient foods are an easy solution. With slow cooking, whole foods are lovingly
prepared in a healthy fashion. Some of the most deadly substances to our bodies
are: sugars, high fructose corn syrup, highly refined grains, and hydrogenated fats.
There are more than 40 medical conditions associated with obesity such as high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease,
osteo-arthritis, sleep apnoea, respiratory problems and even some cancers.
Diabetes
Diabetes or high blood sugar refers to a condition in which the person's body produces
less or no insulin (due to repeated spikes of glucose) , or his body resists this hormone, which
further leads to no energy production and more glucose being present in the blood.
Our tendency towards “quick-fix luxury” creates the main issue underlying diabetes:
increased caloric intake and decreased nutrition. And many Westerners are not
participating in enough physical activity to expend these empty calories, and they are
craving bigger portion sizes as your body is crying out for real nutrition. A vicious cycle:
We ingest less nutrition so our bodies are always hungry, so we eat more and more.
Some of the most common symptoms of diabetes include:
l Numbness or tingling in the feet l Fatigue
l Increased thirst
l Blurred eyesight
l Increased urination
l Feeling hungry
The causes of diabetes include poor diet, heredity,
auto-immune conditions, chronic stress, nutritional
deficiencies, obesity, and some medications.
Cancer
This is a disease (a malignant growth or tumour) caused by an uncontrolled division of
abnormal cells in a part of the body. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human
body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and divide to
form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged,
they die, and new cells take their place. When cancer develops, however, this orderly
process breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged
cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed.
Many cancers form solid tumours, which are masses of tissue. Cancer of the blood,
such as leukaemia, generally do not form solid tumours. In order of prevalence, they
are: Breast cancer, Prostrate, Lung, Melanoma, Leukaemia, Colon, Lymphoma, Pancreas.
34
E.
The Banting Answer — 1863
About 153 years ago, the term diet was made known to the world. William Banting, a
carpenter and undertaker for English royalty, found a miraculous cure after having
had a 20-year struggle with obesity. He wrote a 25-page booklet and initially distributed
it for free to let thousands of other people receive the good news that there is an
answer for "corpulence". Over the years he distributed 63,000 copies of the book.
This diet was based on limiting intake of refined and easily digestible carbohydrates:
l Cut out all sugar-containing substances, and beer, champagne, and sweet wine
l Minimise food that is converted into sugar — starches (bread), root vegetables (potatoes)
l Eat vegetables, meat (not pork, too fat), fish and fruit, and drink enough fluids.
He kept to this diet himself for 38 weeks and lost 37 pounds (17Kg). Many people have
tried to modify his initial diet but none were as simple or even superior. In this book we
will analyse what the diet did and why you can still benefit from it. It has been made
popular again today, and that is a good thing. To keep it pure is the best thing.
Opposition
After the success experienced by William Banting on this low-sugar, low-carb eating
plan, the "Banting" diet became the standard treatment for weight loss in all major
European and North American medical schools. But in 1959 it was excluded from all
the major medical and nutritional textbooks. That was for economic, not health, reasons.
Though Banting’s letter on corpulence enjoyed wide readership, many voiced skepticism
and ridicule. Isabella Beeton had published a book full of carb-loaded recipes. And
the prevailing theory of the time was that carbohydrates and fat burned together in the
lungs to produce heat, and were therefore “respiratory foods.” Banting suffered public
ridicule — even though plenty of people had successfully overcome their obesity with
Banting’s diet. Ultimately the effectiveness of the diet could not be denied, even by the
medical community. Dr. Felix Niemeyer of Stuttgart found a bit of a loophole. He noted
that doctors already knew that protein wasn’t fattening, only carbohydrates and fats.
Thus he interpreted “meats” in Banting’s diet to mean only lean meat that had been
trimmed of all fat. This seems like a slight nuance, but it changed the diet to a highprotein one with both fats and carbohydrates restricted, rather than one that just
restricted carbohydrates. (At the time, pork and veal were believed to contain starch.)
Dr. Richard Atkins also published his Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution in 1972, outlining a "radical"
diet plan. He advocated a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. It was nothing new!
But William Banting’s instructions don’t specify the trimming of fat, nor do they dictate
the quantity of meat or the way the meat should be prepared. He always argued that
Dr. Niemeyer’s diet was inferior to his, and indeed it is so, from a nutritional standpoint.
In 1977 the US government published the Dietary Goals for the United States, a set of
guidelines that advocated a diet high in carbs and low in fat, exactly the opposite of the
diet we have been following for much of our existence. It was decreed that we should eat
six to eleven portions of grains per day and that sugar was absolutely fine to add to
everything. This diet was subsequently adopted across most of the Western world and
a plethora of carb and low fat-food products appeared on the shelves of supermarkets.
This has had a disastrous effect on our health. Since the early 1980’s the incidence
of obesity and diabetes has risen rapidly. This is surely not a coincidence!
35
F.
Healthy Lifestyle and Energy Sources
A lifestyle is multifaceted. It deals with all your values, but especially the 12th value
which deals with what your attitude is towards different kinds of foods. These values
are built up and reinforced by knowledge, your trials and errors, and your long-term
experience — as you slowly mould these new valuable habits into a healthy lifestyle:
l Spiritual and mental attitude — heavenly bound, purpose driven, a strong will for life
l Knowledge of which foods to avoid or ban, and which to prefer and select
l Physical activities — what is helpful, harmful and what should be a regimen
There are many factors, and for every person this will be an entirely different experience.
However, the fundamentals that have been laid down (and are still to be discussed) are
the same for all, since they are based on universal truths. Ultimately you will choose
your own rules to live by and you will accordingly see results. Some of it will depend
on your strength, and your particular circumstances, such as your supportive partner.
Look at three energy sources from the Banting diet’s point of view:
Carbohydrate(s)
If you are overweight, or struggling with weight-loss, the reality is that you may be
carbohydrate intolerant. Carbohydrate intolerance basically means that your body
does not metabolise carbohydrates efficiently. Carbohydrates include all starchy and
sugary foods that you consume. These foods are ultimately converted and stored as
fat in your body. Each person’s intolerance to carbohydrates varies. In order to
lose weight, your carbohydrate intake should be lower. If you are insulin resistant or
pre-diabetic or diabetic, your carbohydrate intake should be between 25 and 50g per day.
By keeping your carbohydrate intake low, you will regulate your insulin and glucose levels.
These carbohydrates must however be from real, natural and unprocessed foods.
Not all carbs are the same and it is the type and quantity of carbohydrate in our diet
that is important. Good examples include sweet potato, rolled oats, rye, legumes, fresh
fruit and fresh vegetables. These are starchy carbs. There is strong evidence that
fibre, found in wholegrain versions of starchy carbs for example, is good for our
health as they provide a slow and steady release of energy throughout the day.
Most of the processed foods consist of refined carbohydrates which are rapidly absorbed into
the bloodstream, causing risky spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to Diabetes.
Sugar and Conversion to Sugar (a type of Carbohydrate)
Sugar is seductive and addictive, and we do not even need it. Our bodies require no
more than 1.5 Kg of sugar per year and most of this we get from the simple foods we
eat, so there is no need for extra sugar. The average person consumes more than 40
Kg of sugar annually (x 27 more). Sugar is found in most of the foods we buy and it is
the most toxic of food ingredients for the body. High levels of sugar can spike the
blood insulin level (which is produced to deal with the sugar) and a continuous spiking
over long periods of time may lead to insulin resistance and eventually Type 2 Diabetes.
Whenever your parents rewarded you for good behaviour or good marks, it was often
with a sweet treat of some kind. Parties and happy times were celebrations loaded with
sugary treats and when you were ill or feeling blue, mom would dish up some ice-cream
36
or give you a lollipop of some kind. Special occasions included a sweet birthday cake,
and when you finished your vegetables, you were rewarded with a sweet dessert.
Sugar has been the reward. We have become dependable on sugar to make things
alright, to feel loved and appreciated. When we feel blue, we dive into some sugar to
make ourselves feel better. When we want someone to feel loved and appreciated, we
given them chocolates. This tradition has merely fed a psychological dependence
on sugar to make us feel better, and we continue to fuel this emotional attachment
throughout our lives. Sugar becomes our go-to drug of happiness.
Reasons to avoid sugar
1. Sugar has no nutrient benefit to the body, just calories
2. Sugar is highly addictive
3. Sugar affects the "full" (or no longer hungry), which makes us eat more
4. Sugar overloads our body and assists with weight gain — glucose turned to fat
5. Sugar can cause Fatty Liver Disease, Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
6. Sugar is a leading cause of obesity and a leading contributor to heart disease
7. Sugar accelerates cancer
If we had to remove all the items in the supermarket that contained sugar, there would
not be much to purchase. Sugar is in just about everything. Read the labels. Look at
foods that you would think do not contain sugar, such as, cold meats, bacon, tinned
foods and some marinated items, and you will be amazed. Sugar is the one ingredient
that fuels cravings and our addiction to carbohydrates. Eliminate it from your diet!
You can get an idea of whether a food is high in added sugars by looking at the
ingredients list on the label. Added sugars must be included in the ingredients list,
which always starts with the ingredient having the greatest proportion. This means
that if you see sugar near the top of the list, the food is likely to be high in added sugars.
Watch out for other words used to describe added sugars, such as sucrose, glucose,
fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and invert sugar, corn syrup and honey.
The combination of sugar and salt is even more concerning. Soft beverages contain
High Fructose and Salt at specifically the right dose to make you crave the item and
consume more. It’s the way food production companies ensure sustainability and repeat
customers. The more sugary foods we consume the more we need to satisfy the calculated
addiction. A small chocolate bar once a week, eventually becomes a slab, and then more.
Diet sodas may not contain sugar, but “sugar free” is misleading. When sugar is
removed from a product, artificial sweeteners are added which are still harmful to your
health. Aspartame make you crave sugar and eat more food. Artificial sweeteners come
in many forms such as malt, aculsulfame K, and others. If you truly want to adjust to
the lifestyle, kick the habit. A zero sugar cooldrink is a stepping stone to a relapse.
So what can we have? Do not use sweeteners such as Canderel as these fool your
body and also have an insulin response. Replace sugar with: Xylitol, Erythritol, Malitol
or Stevia. These are sugars that have no effect on the insulin response in the body.
Compare a Low Fat Yoghurt with a Full fat one. Once you remove the fat from a
product, you have a tasteless one. In order to make it palatable for consumers to eat,
they have to add sugar to improve the taste and it leads to weight gain for many people.
37
Dealing with sugar cravings
Following a healthy lifestyle will definitely assist with the sugar cravings, but it will take
time. Increase your fat intake, by eating food with butter, olive oil, coconut oils, animal
fat, home-made mayonnaise and avocado. Eat your meals with its fat and you will
be less likely to have sugar cravings. Women tend to crave sugar during their cycle.
During this time, have some berries and yoghurt or fatty biltong to curb the cravings.
What we should think of fat
When the agricultural industry took off and the medical industry learnt about cholesterol
and how to measure it, we were told to reduce fat intake, because "fats clogged our
arteries and caused heart attacks". But is it true? Before we made cereals and low
fat products, mankind hunted and ate the whole animal, often saving the fattiest parts
such as the heart, brain and livers for the elderly or sick. Way back then, humans
lived to a ripe old age and died of small pox and the plague, not food induced diseases
such as diabetes. We did not eat three meals a day, we ate when food was available
and we ate more animal meat and fat than grains and fruit. Diets back then were
dependent on what was available. Fruit was eaten when found and in season, not
daily. Carbohydrates came from nuts, seeds and plants that were not mass produced.
We are made to eat saturated fat. Our bodies are designed to consume fats and to
feel full. We are meant to be fat burning machines, not sugar and carbohydrate
machines. Man would not have survived those thousands of years before, without cereals
and margarine and sunflower oil. The instruction to limit fat intake came with the same
instruction to increase grain intake and it came from the pharmaceutical companies,
medical professionals and the food industry. They told us to stay clear of saturated fats
and to eat man made seed oils instead. This has lead to an epidemic of overweight and
metabolically diseased societies. Perhaps, the information given at the time, was honestly
thought to be correct, but new evidence today completely trumps the old information.
Pharmaceutical companies help fund food studies. These are people we would naturally
trust. So why the incorrect information? The answer is simple. Follow the money. The
agricultural industry was worth billions and the pharmaceutical companies were making
millions off diabetic medication and statins. Diets high in carbohydrates — unhealthy?
Here are some facts about healthy fats worth remembering:
l
l
l
l
The intake of healthy fats helps to melt stored fat
Fats make you feel fuller for longer, preventing constant snacking
Healthy fats lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL Levels
Fats provide a better and more compact source of energy
What are the good fats (examples)
Monounsaturated fatty acids:
Raw nuts, avocados, extra virgin olive oil,
avocado oil, Macadamia nut oil, and fat in poultry
Polyunsaturated fatty acids:
Salmon and mackerel, corn, soybean oils
Saturated animal fat: (limited)
Meat, eggs, cheese, butter, and milk
38
Fats to avoid forever
Flaxseed oil
Trans Fats
Grapeseed oil.
Margarine
Safflower, sunflower,
Soya
Sources of Protein:
Protein as energy source
The important structural components of
the body, are made up by proteins which
are a necessity for growth, repair, and
maintenance of all body tissues. Proteins
are also needed to make enzymes, a number of hormones, and the antibodies that
assist in combating infection. Generally, the body uses fats and carbohydrates for
energy and prefers not to utilise protein. The intake of protein should be made up of
12% to 15% of the total calories, but if you do endurance sports or weight training
you’ll need to increase your protein intake: ±1g of protein per 1kg of body weight.
Amino Acids
The basic units of proteins are made up by smaller compounds named amino acids.
Proteins are made up of a collection of 20 amino acids. Of these, eight are classed as
‘essential’ and need to be sourced from food via the diet, while the other 12 are
classed as ‘non-essential’ and can be produced inside your body when needed.
The quality of one’s diet is determined by the amount of protein, as well as the levels of
the individual essential amino acids. A diet containing protein will assist growth, repair
and maintenance of tissues if the proper proportion of essential amino acids is present.
Most proteins obtainable from animal foods contain the necessary essential amino
acids required by humans, these are known as complete or high-quality proteins.
Those proteins that do not contain all of the essential amino acids are considered to
be incomplete proteins and are usually obtained from plant sources of food.
Protein Sources and Need
If we follow a diet rich in protein we will have little difficulty in meeting the protein
needs. No advantage is gained by consuming more protein than needed. The body
converts excess protein to fat for storage, which can then be used for energy.
An increase in physical activity merits a need for more energy, not protein. Muscle
mass increase which results from training and conditioning is attributed to only a small
increase in protein requirements. This can easily be achieved via the normal diet.
G.
Rules to Safeguard a Healthy Lifestyle
If you have decided to adjust your lifestyle and lead one full of healthy choices you
need to be prepared to look at food differently. We don’t live to eat, we eat to live.
Forget about all the foods you can’t have any more, they are not good anyway, no
matter how you look at them. Focus more on the foods you are allowed and the immense
benefit they give you: Low Carb, Medium Protein and Good Fat. Also focus on:
John 6:27 Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures
to everlasting life, which the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will give you, because God the
Father has set His seal on Him."
39
Low Carb
If you are overweight, or struggling with weight-loss, the reality is that you may be
carbohydrate intolerant. Carbohydrate intolerance basically means that your body
does not metabolise carbohydrates efficiently. Carbohydrates include all starchy and
sugary foods that you consume. These foods are ultimately converted and stored
as fat in your body. Each person’s intolerance to carbohydrates varies. In order to
lose weight whilst being on a weight-loss diet, the lower your carbohydrate intake
should be. If you are insulin resistant or pre-diabetic or diabetic, your carbohydrate
intake should be between 25 and 50g per day. By keeping your carbohydrate intake
low, you will regulate your insulin and glucose levels.
Medium Protein
A big mistake most people first make on the Banting lifestyle, is that they consume too
much protein. It is not necessary to consume more protein when reducing your
carbohydrate intake. Eating too much protein can prevent effective weight-loss, as
excess protein is also converted into glucose in the bloodstream and then into fat
via gluconeogenesis. A "handy" rule to determine protein portions is that it should
be the size and thickness of your palm (without your fingers).
Good Fat
"Fat melts fat!" Eating normal quantities of good fats is the key to this lifestyle. You
want to turn your body into a fat burning machine and in order to do so, you want to
train your body to prefer using fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. By consuming
healthy fats, you control your sugar cravings naturally and you eat smaller portions.
Meals high in good fats give a feeling of fullness (a natural sense of being full) and
prevent the need for snacking and consuming unnecessary calories and also prevent
insulin spiking throughout the day which drives hunger.
RULES TO LIVE BY
1. Keep your meals simple.
2. Select food that wilts and dies. (Food that does not come from a factory.)
3. Purchase good quality food.
4. Eat only when hungry (learn to listen to your body), eat until you are full, not more.
5. Get organised. Keep foods that you are allowed within reach and prepare
food items and store in containers so that they are available when needed.
6. Avoid sugar in all its many forms.
7. Say goodbye to refined grains and white flours.
8. Eat no processed food which has additives and trans-fats.
9. Do not cook with seed oils which produce toxic aldehydes.
10. Think twice about alcohol as this inhibits weight-loss.
11. At meal time, eat protein, fat and veggies first, then carbohydrates and desert.
12. Drink 6-8 glasses of pure water (or other) per day, drink when hungry.
40
Make Wise Decisions for Implementation
Very important changes have taken place in the world and we need to adjust to it:
l The industrial food production revolution has taken place and fills our supermarkets
l The medical profession has not always understood what makes us fat and sick
l We have been given advice which was wrong, and now witness obese nations
A healthy Lifestyle to follow
Before the commercialisation of farming we ate pretty well. Real good food free from
chemicals and harmful toxins. Unfortunately, however, we evolved into fast food, bread
and sugar junkies when they became so readily available. The problem with eating
this way was that it meant that we began eating more sugar and carbohydrates, vegetable
oils and grains. Within a short space of time, the populations in the Western worlds
began showing increases in heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.
In an attempt to curb the ever climbing levels of obesity, heart disease and other
metabolic syndromes, the world was advised to eat low fat foods and vegetable oils
instead and to eat more grains and less red meat. The problem with that advice was
that we saw even more people getting fat and sick. Low fat products contain more
sugar, and sugar causes insulin responses in the body. Insulin spikes and falls in
the body are not healthy, and eventually people who have diets high in sugar and
carbohydrates over a period of time, eventually develop insulin resistance. The other
problem with these diets high in sugar and carbohydrates is inflammation. Inflammation
in the body is linked to most metabolic diseases such as diabetes for example.
We should follow a lifestyle which reduces the spiking of insulin in the body that
causes inflammation. The human body only needs 5g of sugar at any given time. That
is only about 2 Kg of sugar in an entire year, but we are consuming in excess of 40 Kg of
sugar annually in many food and beverage forms. Limiting sugar, the grains and
vegetable oils. The Banting Lifestyle, is about embracing real nutrient dense foods.
Foods that wilt and die and that aren’t found in take away bags and bottles of cooldrink.
The benefits of this lifestyle includes increased energy, better concentration, reduced
belly fat, muscle tone improvement, stronger immunity, clearer thinking, reduced mood
swings and sugar cravings, increased good cholesterol and reduction in dense LDL
particles — but most of all a huge benefit of eating/living in this way is weight loss.
Benefits:
l No portion control. [It is not necessary to use a units system]
l No extensive exercise
William Banting (Dec.1796
l No hunger pains
March 1878) was a notable
l Nutritious food
English undertaker suffering
from obesity, he was also
l Increased energy
the first to popularize a
l Reduced belly fat
weight loss diet. Frederick
l Reduced mood swings
Banting, the discoverer of
Insulin (Nobel prize) was a
l Better concentration
relative of William Banting.
l Increased muscle tone
l Increased weigh loss without the hunger and sugar cravings
In the next Chapters we will explore how best to implement this plan.
41
Critical Focus on Fruit & Vegetables
Pur poseful Food Selection
Let us now look at vegetables and fruit to prepare and consume in various ways:
l Cooked or steamed — at boiling point
l Raw to be eaten whole or prepared as in grated or sliced
l Juiced or in a smoothie combination
We will not dwell on the method to be used but will give an indication as to what is more
suitable if the choice is between juice or smoothie. To juice is very healthy. See pg. 54.
Here is a list of the fruit/veggies which we will discuss. You may look up similar facts of
your favourable vegetables which are not on the list. This will give you a general idea:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Apples
Beetroot
Broccoli
Carrot
Celery
Cucumber
Fennel
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Ginger
Grapes
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Orange
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Pear
Parsley
Pineapple
Spinach
Tomato
Wheatgrass
Watercress
Super Foods:
l
l
l
l
Blueberries
Cranberries
Onions
Pomegranates
Individual Description of Selected Vegetables
Apples
Apples are high in a substance called pectin
which is a soluble fibre that forms a gel in the
intestine. This unique substance can improve
the intestinal muscles ability to push waste
through the gastro-intestinal tract by acting like
a broom sweeping through the intestines. Pectin
also binds to, and therefore eliminates toxins
from the gut as well as helping to reduce high
cholesterol, again by binding to it and removing
it from the body. Apples contain elegiac,
chlorogenic and caffeic acid which has a reported anti-cancer action in the body.
Ellagic acid's prime action in the body is to protect against damage to chromosomes
and block the cancer causing actions of many pollutants especially cigarette smoke.
Ellagic acid also helps to break down excessive cholesterol in the liver. Freshly-made
apple juice is delicious, and much better than commercial juices.
Apples have a sweet but not overpowering flavour making them a great base to combine
with just about every other fruit and vegetable for juices and smoothies. There is no
need to peel them, but do remove the core pips. Apples, pineapple and carrot really
are your best friends when it comes to making vegetables juice taste divine. Never
store bruised apples in with good quality, as one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.
42
Beetroot
One of the most powerful vegetables
around. Renowned for cleansing the
liver and the blood and one of the most
tested and proven vegetables for
reducing blood pressure (must be raw
beetroot though not cooked or pickled!)
The deep purple pigment is known as
beta-cyanin which stimulates the
production of bile, which aids the
removal of processed toxins. Beetroot
is in the same family as spinach and chard. Juice raw beetroot. Leave the skin on and
juice the bulbs as they are. The juice of beetroot is incredibly sweet, and when mixed
with the juices of apple, celery, cucumber, spinach and a touch of lemon, it tastes
delicious. It will change the colour of juice to a rich and vibrant red.
Beetroot is superb for rebuilding red blood cells and is therefore excellent for treating
iron deficiencies and Anaemia. It is also good for women who suffer with PMS and/or
Pregnancy and is a rich source of carotenoids — the anticancer king. Beetroot juice
helps muscles to work more efficiently and lowers their oxygen uptake.
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense foods
and one of the richest sources of Vitamin C.
Broccoli is probably the most highly regarded
food for cancer prevention, particularly with
regards to breast cancer. The reason that
broccoli is so beneficial in fighting cancer is
due to the high levels of three powerful cancer
fighting
phytochemical
groups
—
isothiocyanates, indoles and dithiolethiones. These special chemicals protect the body
from cancer by regulating the way in which cells respond to the environmental elements
that can potentially trigger cancerous changes within the DNA of the cell. Broccoli
may reduce the risk of breast cancer. This is due to the chemical indole, that has
been found to increase the excretion of oestrogen linked to breast cancer.
Broccoli should always be juiced, although its taste can be quite overpowering, so its
advisable to always mix it with some sweet apple or pineapple juice along with plenty of
other veggies. Juice the stem and eat the floret (lightly steam and add mayonnaise!)
The stem is where you will get most juice and also find most of the nutrients.
Carrot
Carrots are well renowned as the anticancer kings of the vegetable
world. They contain some amazing anti-oxidants including alphacarotene, lutein, beta-carotene and leucopene to name a few,
however beta-carotene is the daddy of nutrients when it comes to its
cancer preventing properties. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin
A. Beta-carotene can break down the protective mucous membrane around cancer cells.
43
Carrots are also an excellent source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which along with betacarotene all concentrate in the retina of the eyes, which is why they are best known for
helping eyesight. Carrots also enhance the overall function of our immune system by
increasing the production and performance of our white blood cells. They can also help
combat against the negative effects of cigarette smoke as they protect the respiratory
system and it is also believed they help reduce high cholesterol levels. The beta-carotene
found in carrots is known to be highly protective for the heart and cardiovascular system,
by helping to protect the structural integrity of the inner lining of the blood vessels,
therefore helping to reduce ruptures and injury that can lead to the formation of clots.
The combination of apple and carrot juice is a classic combination and is found in
most juice bars around the world. Carrots, along with apples and pineapple are a great
base juice and can be mixed with vegetable or fruit juices. They are a nutritional
power house. Carrots should always be Juiced. Many studies have shown how much
more bio-available the nutrients are to the body once juiced. Carrots get their bright
orange colour from their high concentration of Vitamin A (beta carotene).
Celery
Celery is a good natural source of sodium and
potassium and is a great all round detoxifier and
cleanser. The reason celery is such a great
cleanser is because it contains a nutrient
compound called coumarin, which stimulates the
lymphatic system, encouraging an increased
circulation of lymphatic fluid. The lymphatic
system is responsible for the removal of waste products and is essentially the filtration
system for the body, sending waste and toxins to the liver and kidneys for removal.
This can have a very positive effect on the skin by stimulating the lymph system to work as
efficiently as possible, to enhance the rate at which toxins are removed from the skin.
Coumarins have also been shown to enhance the activity of certain white blood cells
and also help tone the vascular system. They are also a powerful diuretic. The distribution
of fluid in the body is affected and the watery portion of our blood decreases. The
pressure within the blood vessel decreases and so blood pressure decreases.
Celery is very alkalising in the body, which is important in the prevention of almost all
diseases as well as for general aches and pains. Celery contains silicon which
strengthens nerve and heart tissue, and is believed to help calm the nervous system.
To add celery to a juice brings perfect balance of sodium and potassium which works like
a natural electrolyte for pre and post work-outs to prevent
(reduce) achy muscles and replace lost salts. It also is very
helpful for treating arthritis rheumatic and muscular pain.
Cucumber
Cucumber is one of the best natural diuretics there is,
meaning you need to release more urine. This in turn
effects the distribution of fluid in the body and the
watery portion of the blood is decreased. This has a knock-on effect of reducing the
pressure within the blood vessels, which in turn reduces high blood pressure.
44
Cucumbers have a very high, nutrient rich water content, making them superb for the
hair, nails and skin as well as helping to regulate the body's temperature, so cucumber
juice is excellent for when you have a fever. Cucumbers contain a high quantity of
silica which is the mineral responsible for strengthening the connective tissue which
holds the body together including bones, tendons, ligaments, muscle and cartilage.
Without silica connective tissue would not form properly. Silica is also important for
adding elasticity to the skin and is therefore great for the complexion.
Cucumber juice reduces the high uric acid content that causes inflammation in
degenerative diseases such as rheumatism and arthritis — a natural anti-inflammatory.
It is always best to juice cucumber, but always leave the skin on as this is where most
of the nutrition is to be found. A cucumber has the impressive ability to be about 12oC
cooler inside than the outside air temperature on a hot day.
Fennel
Fennel juice has an amazing calming effect on the
digestion and reduces intestinal cramps, intestinal gas,
flatulence and bloating. It is used as an antispasmodic,
due to the essential oils contained within fennel that help
to relax the walls of the gut. The most powerful essential
oil is anethol, which is a superb anti-inflammatory. Fennel
contains compounds known as phyto-oestrogens, plant
chemicals that are similar to the female hormone
oestrogen — of great use for conditions where a change
in oestrogen levels cause symptoms, such as menopause and premenstrual issues.
Fennel has been found to help release endorphins into the bloodstream. These "feel
good" chemicals create a mood of euphoria and are thought to relieve depression as
well as dampen anxiety.
Fennel is a strange but wonderful plant. Adding fennel to a juice — its aniseed taste
transforms it into a slightly exotic, yet beautiful liquorice flavoured juice. Juice it with
ginger as the two flavours compliment each other particularly well. Fennel contains a
whole cocktail of essential oils that give it its characteristic aniseed smell.
Ginger
As well as being a natural antihistamine, antiseptic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory,
ginger is also well renowned for soothing the stomach and helping to relieve nausea.
Ginger has been referred to as "the king of anti-inflammatory foods" and is incredibly
useful for rheumatoid arthritis and easing muscle pain after strenuous activity and
exercise. This is because it contains compounds or
essential oils called gingerols that help to interrupt the
inflammation process. When we experience a cold, we
feel all bunged up with mucus, although actually most of
that feeling actually comes from inflammation of the of
the mucous membrane in the nose and sinuses. Conditions
in the body which are associated with inflammation: all
muscle pains, arthritis, even skin conditions.
45
Ginger is a great circulation stimulant due to the compound gingerols, which cause a
rapid and noticeable widening of the blood vessel walls, which helps to enhance
circulation and also lowers blood pressure. Enhanced circulation means that the body
can transport oxygen, nutrients and white blood cells to the site of infection more
efficiently as well as enhance the removal of waste.
Adding a small chunk of ginger to your juice is a fantastic way to boost the nutritional
value of the juice. Ginger will support your overall immune system, so it is great to use
during the winter months, to help fight off colds and bugs. Ginger, along with radishes,
horseradish and cayenne pepper, all heat up the respiratory system and help break
up congestion in the lungs and clear the sinuses.
When making a juice, bear in mind it is very powerful, so you only need a piece
roughly the size of a thumbnail or it tends to overpower the whole juice.
Grapes
Grapes are nutritionally best known for their
beneficial effects on the heart. How often do we
hear that "a glass of wine a day is good for the
heart"? This is even reputed by doctors, however it
is of course the grapes that are used to make the
wine that hold the significant health properties.
Promoting the fact that a glass of freshly extracted
grape juice per day is excellent for the heart is not
quite so press worthy or as important to promote by
those keen to justify their daily wine intake!
Red, purple and black grapes in particular contain chemical pigments called oligomeric
pro-anthocyanidins, which are known to reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and
therefore prevent damage to the arteries. When LDL cholesterol is oxidated in the body,
it creates inflammation which is what can harm the arteries and lead to blood clots.
These unique pigment compounds (oligomeric pro-anthocyanidins) have also been
shown to relax the muscles that line the blood vessel walls, meaning they can widen
the blood vessels and therefore reduce the blood pressure. Grapes also contain the
antioxidant resveratrol, which is known to reduce the build-up of plaques within the
artery walls and therefore reduce the risk of clot formation. Purple, red and black
grapes are much higher in antioxidants than white grapes.
As a juice it is delicious, very sweet, full of
energizing natural sugars, and easy to digest
(too sweet for a weight-loss diet). It can also
be added to a smoothie. Its colour depends
on whether you use green or red grapes, but
the more important consideration is ripeness.
The riper the grapes, the sweeter and more
plentiful the juice, and the richer it will be in
nutrients. Grapes produce an antioxidant
juice which, combined with its energizing
properties, makes this a perfect drink for a
convalescent (recovering after an illness.)
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Grapefruit
Grapefruit is great for stimulating the digestive
enzymes, so it really boosts the digestive system.
Juice or smoothie? Juice. Just peel the outer layer
of the fruit leaving as much of the pith (the white
stuff) as possible. If you haven't tried a fresh
grapefruit and orange juice — you haven't lived!
It is good for arthritis; osteoporosis; breaking down
and shifting inorganic calcium from the joints;
stimulating digestion; excellent cleanser for lymphatic system. The pectin found in
grapefruit can slow down the progression of atherosclerosis (inflammation of the arteries).
Kiwi
Kiwi fruit is packed with powerful nutrients; it is both energizing
and deeply detoxifying. Kiwi's contain a high level of vitamin
C, almost twice as much as an orange. They are also a good
source of potassium. Also good for asthma; improve digestion;
cleansing; boost the immune system; energize, and for
children: less wheezing.
Kiwi juice is great alone and as an addition to a number of juices. They produce a
beautiful summer juice when added to ripe strawberries and pineapple. It is best to
juice the kiwi with its skin on, from a nutritional point of view, but if you find that this
makes the juice taste too bitter for you, then you can peel it. Avoid juicing hard kiwi's.
Ripen in a fruit bowl at room temperature.
Lemon
Lemons are good for aches and pains, eyes, cleansing the
system — the acid scours the intestinal tract; eliminating
toxins; neutralizing harmful bacteria. People using vitamin
C are three times less likely to develop arthritis. A slice of
lemon in warm to hot water (50oC) is the perfect way to
start the day, instantly cleansing and hydrating the body.
It is good for cleansing and detoxifying the body, especially the liver and kidneys.
Lemons are a must have ingredient in any 'juicy' kitchen. Just a squeeze of lemon can
make a vegetable juice more palatable. Add a small amount to other fruit or vegetable
juices to act as a preservative. Juice will last to up to seven days, but plan for five.
Does not need to be peeled when juiced or just squeeze into the glass at the end to taste.
Lime
Just a squeeze of lime can make any vegetable juice more palatable
and can also add a kick to a fruit juice. A great fruit for detoxifying
and cleansing the body. Add a small amount to other fruit or vegetable
juices. Can either be peeled and put through the funnel or just squeezed into a glass at
the end to taste. Good for aches and pains; cleansing the system — the acid scours
the intestinal tract; eliminating toxins; neutralizing harmful bacteria.
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Orange
Oranges are full of vitamin c and fantastic for fighting
off colds. They make a delicious juice on their own.
Oranges blend well into smoothies. The most popular of
all juices, it is an excellent antioxidant and toner
(destroying free radicals that cause signs of skin ageing).
Together with grapefruit juice it is used in the treatment of breast cancer and high
cholesterol. Orange juice stimulates the heart, circulation and the digestive system
(scouring the intestine and flushing toxins from the body), and counteracts constipation.
However, too much of this acidic juice can upset the acid-alkaline ratio of the body.
Therefore, drink it every other day at most, with other, more alkaline, juices in-between.
Parsley
Parsley is sort of the forgotten herb. It’s usually used as a pasta
garnish while cilantro, basil, and mint steal the spotlight. You might
want to start giving parsley a little more love because it’s loaded
with vitamins and minerals, including a decent amount of folate.
This B vitamin has long been touted as an important nutrient for
pregnant women, but the benefits don’t stop there. Sufficient folate
intake could reduce the risk of heart disease.
Pear
Good for constipation and the bowels; controlling diabetes; detoxification. Pears have less
sugar than other fruits. They contain laevulose, a fruit sugar more easily tolerated by people
with diabetes. The skin of pears contains at least three to four times as many phenolic
phytonutrients as the flesh. They contain a soluble fibre called pectin, making them good
for healthy bowels and digestion as it is both diuretic and slightly laxative. They help to
improve kidney function in a detox program. Its high iodine content aids thyroid function.
Pears produce a powerfully cleansing and health-building juice that gives you a surge
of energy as well. Pear juice is deliciously sweet and has one of
the strongest and most evocative smells of all the fruits when juiced.
Pears make a delicious 'full bodied' juice and blend particularly
well with apple. The pears used must be really ripe. Hard pears
produce juice that is less sweet, and there will be a lot less liquid.
Pineapple
This deliciously sweet fruit works very well with both vegetables and fruit to produce a
sweet and thick satisfying juice with a divine fragrance. It can be used for fruit or
vegetable smoothies or blended to add thickness and fibre to a smoothie. It has plenty
of natural sugars, always energizing, stimulates the body to heal and renew itself on a
cellular level, and it promotes good digestion. Pineapples contain
an enzyme called bromelain which has an amazing ability to
dissolve mucus, so it is helpful with people who suffer with asthma
and hay fever. It is good for digestion; aches and pains; asthma;
hay fever. Frozen pineapple may be used if fresh is unavailable.
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Spinach
Spinach is said to be the finest material for cleansing,
reconstructing and regenerating the bowel. It contains high
levels of chlorophyll which will help to bring oxygen to the blood
cells. Spinach can also help to reduce arthritic pain.
Drink as a juice, although can be added to a green smoothie.
Good for high blood pressure; cleansing the liver; leucopenia
has renowned anti-cancer properties; constipation; joint aches and pains; improves
eyesight.
Tomato
Tomatoes are high in antioxidants and anti-ageing properties.
These are renowned for their anti-cancer properties such as
prostate cancer. They are delicious in a raw salad or just to
munch onto as a snack. They juice well with other vegetables
and help thicken a vegetable smoothie. Good for high blood
pressure; cleansing the liver.
Wheatgrass
This is at the top of the chain of all superfoods. It is probably the most complete and
beneficial nutritional drink available. 1Kg of fresh
wheatgrass is equal in nutritional value to nearly 25Kg of
other green vegetables. It also has amazing antiseptic
properties and can be used directly onto the skin. Drink
daily for that bright eyed and bushy tailed feeling!
Juice: You will need a masticating juicer for wheatgrass.
WARNING: do not eat — it will upset your stomach. We
are not designed to digest the cellulose.
Good for healing infection, rebuilds red blood cells,
increases blood platelets and boosts the immune system.
It is also great for the skin, osteoporosis, as increasing energy levels, cleansing and
detoxifying the blood.
Watercress
Watercress is extremely high in chlorophyll which helps to
build healthy red blood cells. It is packed with minerals so it
is great for mineral deficiencies. Good for any detox program.
Juice: Watercress gives a refreshing distinctive flavour.
Works well with cucumber and celery, only a small handful
is needed.
Good for cleansing the liver; reducing fluid retention; healthy kidney function; mineral
deficiencies; bad hair; bad nails; anaemia; following a kidney or bladder infection.
Eating watercress regularly could help cut the chances of developing cancer.
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Fruits and Vegetables Considered Superfoods
There are a lot of different types of superfoods ranging from sea vegetables, dark
green leafy vegetables, berries, seeds and even roots. This is a list of fruits and
vegetables considered superfoods with some of their intrinsic benefits.
Blueberries
Blueberry antioxidant properties are well known. Antioxidants from fruits, vegetables
and other sources are necessary to maintain cell health and enhanced immune function.
Blueberries might possibly be one of the healthiest foods around. The only word of
caution regarding blueberries is that they contain sugar. If you sit down and eat a
large helping of blueberries you can also consume a lot of fructose.
Blueberries are believed to boost memory, act as an antiinflammatory, improve brain function, reduce the risks of
cancer, reduce cholesterol and improve heart function, have
anti-aging benefits, and much more.
Cranberries
Phenols are chemicals that help to lower the oxidation of the bad-guy LDL cholesterol
and cranberries are full of them. Cranberries may posses some of the highest phenolcontent of any plant. The pro-anthocyanidins in cranberries can help protect against
urinary tract infections, by preventing bacteria from causing infection.
Cranberries, like their berry-patch relatives blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
are loaded with antioxidants and other healthy nutrients. Cranberries help prevent
cancer, are a tremendous source of antioxidants for enhanced immune function, they
help digestion, the urinary tract, are heart-healthy, and posses anti-aging properties.
Onions
Onions, the onion family and related superfoods including garlic and leeks have a wide
range of nutritional and health benefits. Besides possible blood sugar control (natural)
for diabetics, being a natural, very good source of daily fibre and natural sugars, the health
benefits are generally well-known, medical uses dating back thousands of years. Some of
this include use as disinfectants (sulphur content), as a diuretic, anti-emetic, stimulant,
expectorant, and even to fight colds. Onions also contain an important nutrient – selenium.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate, an antioxidant rich food, is increasingly proving
to be a beneficial superfood. The plant grows naturally in the
Middle East and Japan, and subsequently, cultivated in the
fertile islands of the Caribbean Sea. Used medically for
millennia, this plant provides antioxidant benefits, and nutrients.
Medicinal uses for pomegranates, historically indicate nutritional benefits and as a
remedy for treating diarrhoea, excessive perspiring, fevers and recurrent fevers, sore
throats, and as an astringent. Parts of the plant that are frequently used include the
bark, rind, and fruit seeds.
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Juicing — A Method of Food Preparation
Juicing, which is a way of preparation of fruit and vegetables, will be dealt with in
three sections:
l Principles
l Preparation
l Preservation
1. Principles
Let us look at some of the principles underlying so-called "Juicing". Smoothies are
related to juicing and have other additional benefits, and will also be mentioned.
Adding Juice in your Lifestyle
Here are some of the main advantages of making it part of your lifestyle to "Juice":
l Easily assimilated nutrition which may come from Fruit and Vegetables
l Hunger management through inter-meal juice will prevent unhealthy snacking
l Hydration: Needed fluid comes 50% from water, 30% beverages and 20% food
Juice should be additional to your regular meals per day. They can either be taken
between meals (three hours before or half an hour after), or be taken with the meal in
the same way as you would have taken another form of drink. It should add up to the
advised 2 to 3 litres of water to drink daily. Smoothies can actually replace a meal.
Drink Your Way to Good Health
You may need five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day for optimising your
health. For a balanced and healthy diet, your food plate should now comprise at least
50 percent of fruits and vegetables – a real problem if you don’t like to cut up fruits
and vegetables and sit and eating them.
There are three main reasons why you will want to consider incorporating organic
vegetable juicing into your optimal health program:
1. Juicing helps you absorb most of the nutrients from the vegetables. This is
important because most of us have impaired digestion as a result of making
less-than-optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body's ability
to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to "pre-digest"
them for you, so you will receive most of the nutrition.
2. Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of vegetables in an efficient
manner. Some people may find eating enough vegetables very difficult, but it
can be easily accomplished with a quick glass of vegetable juice.
3. You can add a wider variety of vegetables in your diet. Many people eat the
same vegetable salads every day. This violates the principle of regular food
rotation and increases your chance of developing an allergy to a certain
food. But with juicing, you can juice a wide variety of vegetables that you may
not normally enjoy eating whole.
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Health benefits of juicing
It is easy enough to enjoy all the health
benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables by
drinking them. You simply have to invest in
a good juicer and enjoy the flavours,
colours and taste all packed in a glass.
Fruits and vegetables provide you with:
l
l
l
l
l
Phytonutrients
Antioxidants
Vitamins
Minerals
Flavonoids
Additionally, vegetables and most fruits are very low in calories and are usually fatless
as well. You can also make your own blends of fruit and vegetable juices for taste and
health reasons and have juices alone as part of a juice cleanse or for meal replacements
as part of a weight loss diet or simply have them for added health benefits.
Juices help fight or stave off diseases
Scientific research studies have time and again shown that juices offer definite health
benefits. Among the diseases that can be helped in this way are:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Heart disease
Stroke
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Cancer
Digestive disorders
Vision related disorders
Many diseases are linked:
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of
U.S. adults, age 20 years
or older, met the criteria for
overweight or obesity in
1999–2000, while 30.5%
qualified as obese. — JAMA
A judicious choice of fruit and vegetables can help with chronic conditions and offer a
cardio-protective effect. Even if you are otherwise healthy, juicing offers a range of
benefits that you may not be aware of.
Benefits of juicing – why nutrition is important
Nutrition is not only for the sick or infirm. Good nutrition offers advantages at any age
and in any health condition. If you get more nutrition from fruits and vegetables you
enjoy benefits like:
l
l
l
l
l
l
Greater energy
Better concentration
Weight loss
Heightened taste and smell
Greater immunity
Glowing skin
If you enjoy good health, you work and function better in all areas of your life. This
has a cascading effect and you will find that the overall quality of life improves.
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The taste benefits of juices
When you are making your own juices you can add even more nutrition and taste to them.
Fresh green herbs, ginger, sprouts, and lemon can all enhance the nutritional value
and taste of juices. You can have vegetables juices or fruits juices at different times.
Many fruits and vegetables do not need peeling before being juiced, so you get the
added nutrients that lie just under the skin of the fruits and vegetables.
Juicing vs. Smoothies: Which is the Healthier Choice?
Always weigh up the advantages and considerations with each option, so that you
can choose the one that will provide you with the nutrients your body requires.
Advantages and Considerations with Juicing
When you juice, you can combine any mixture of fruits, vegetables and herbs to
create a juice that has all the nutrients you need. You can easily add protein and fibre
powders to your juice to make it a complete meal. Many people juice in the mornings
because it saves time and it gives you a breakfast that will keep you full until lunch.
Juicing also helps to boost your energy as long as you add foods that are rich in
vitamin B. When you drink fresh juice, your body absorbs the nutrients easier, ensuring
your body has everything that it needs. The only consideration with juicing is that you
have to chop everything up well so that it fits into the chute of your juicer.
However, you can make this easier for yourself by doing the chopping the night before
so that you can quickly add your fruits and vegetables to the juicer in the morning
to create a fresh and nutritious breakfast. You can purchase a juicer on any budget.
A few other tips for juicing
If you do decide to juice, here are a few practical
suggestions which will lead to a wise balance:
l Focus on vegetables, but include some fruit.
One small apple makes a huge difference in
flavour. Look for variation but limit the addition
of the sugar which is contained in fruit.
l Include 1-2 root vegetables — such as carrots or beets — to add additional
flavour and antioxidants. We like to include either 2 small carrots (1 large) or 2
small beets (1 large). These tend to contribute a bit more sugar and a nice
earthy flavour, adding complexity. Do remember that root vegetables store carbs.
l Add at least one leafy green vegetable. Examples: kale, broccoli, spinach.
l Include one watery vegetable. Cucumber, celery and others help to dilute the
too-strong flavours of the other ingredients. This can make a big difference in
drinkability, while adding some nice flavour and additional vitamins.
l Don’t forget a garnish. A small amount of a strong flavoured item such as
ginger, lemon, parsley, mint or other herb can make your juice a real pleasure
to drink while adding highly concentrated antioxidants.
l Consider adding back a few scoops of the pulp (fibre) that is filtered out by the
juicer. This will make your juice more filling. Use the course screen if possible.
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Advantages and Considerations with Smoothies
Smoothies involve simply placing your favourite fruits into a blender and blending
them until they are the right consistency. You can add things like fibre and protein
powder to the mix to get an extra boost of nutrients in your smoothie. A smoothie can
provide you with a snack that helps you get to your next meal, or it can replace a meal.
To ensure that a smoothie is liquid enough to drink, you often have to add things that
may increase the sugar and the calorie content. These include ice cream, almond
milk, frozen fruit, flavoured yogurt and honey. Be careful when you make such choices.
The higher sugar content can result in a blood
sugar spike that can leave you fatigued within a
couple of hours. It also prevents you from feeling
full in between meals because once your blood
sugar drops, you generally feel hungry. While both
juicing and smoothies have their advantages and
considerations, juicing is the healthier choice.
Juicing is only fruits and vegetables, giving your
body a broad variety of nutrients for optimal health.
Smoothies tend to have more sugar and fewer
nutrients overall. Juicing also allows for much greater variety because not all fruits and
vegetables blend well in a blender. This means that with juicing you can combine just about
any fruits, vegetables and herbs so that you find the combinations that you love most.
2. Preparation
Juicing takes preparation, time and an investment. You need to be committed or it
won’t work. Preparation is important and anything that you can do to make your
juicing process more efficient will make the juicing a better experience. Part of it is the
constant washing and cleaning the juicer every time a batch is made.
You can buy several tight-lid glass containers in which to store your juices, and the
freshness will last for up to about six days. This is so much better than using plastic
containers. You should really not store juices very long but for practicality sake, you
should always make more than you can drink right away.
Don’t underestimate the power of planning and preparing for your juice regime. It can
make or break that juicing experience and it sets the tone for all the future juicing.
Getting Ready to Juice:
1. Select your juicer. Juicer type: Centrifugal, Masticating, or Liquidiser (blender).
2. Prepare your grocery list. Before making a trip to the shop or market, make your
grocery list so you know exactly how many fruits and vegetables to purchase.
3. Save time. Prepare your fruits and veggies the night before if you plan on
making a morning juice by selecting the ingredients for your juice, washing
the produce, placing them in a storage container in the fridge, ready to go.
4. Wash, cut and juice! Follow the following steps to make your juice(s) and
start flooding your body with nutrients from all of the fruits and vegetables.
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How to Make a Juice:
Wash produce thoroughly. Unwashed produce can be contaminated with bacteria.
Line your juicer’s pulp basket with a plastic bag for easy clean-up.
Just before juicing, cut any produce that might be too large to fit through the juicer
chute whole. Once you start cutting
vegetables they begin to lose nutrients
so it’s best to cut just before juicing,
but if you really need to save on time,
do this as preparation.
Feed produce through the juicer. If your
juicer has more than one speed, don’t
forget to down-shift from high to low
for softer fruits. Most juicers come with
a chart in the instruction manual to help
guide you on speeds. Usually hard
produce like apples and beets are on
High and soft ones like spinach or
cabbage are set to Low.
Listen to the machine to know how fast
you can feed it. Vary the types as that
may help to get the produce through. Some things juice easier than others and some
juicers are sensitive to fibres (celery, ginger, spinach). Sometimes you have to clear it by
taking the machine apart in the middle of a large batch. Watch the pulp stream.
Once produce has been passed through the juicer, if your pulp is still damp, pass it
back through your juicer and you’ll be able to get a little more juice from the leftovers!
With masticating juicers you may use some pulp to push the last bits through. End up
with a glass of clean water to flush out some more of the last juice.
Drink up and juice on. At this point, you should have a fresh juice ready for you to
drink! Drink it as soon as possible because once juiced it starts to lose nutritional
value over time. If stored properly, it can last 4 to 6 days but remember that there are
no preservatives in fresh juice except for the lemon (this is why we try to always
include lemon in a recipe). If you prefer it cold, pour over ice.
If you are making a large batch for a few days,
you usually have a mix of produce. Empty the
juice container several times in a large
container. When finished you can then stir
the contents to mix the different juices. At this
stage you may want to add (purified) water.
Now it’s time to clean your juicer. Rinse all
the parts first to get rid of most of the food
remains. Carefully wash your machine with
warm water and soap, and place on a drying
mat. Scrub the sieve under a running tap or
under water. Never leave this part overnight.
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3. Preservation
Make a batch for several days. Have some right away, and then store the rest for your
juice during the following days. Store in the fridge. Juice will keep for 24-72 hours in the
fridge (but it is often used for up to 6 days). When travelling bring your juice in a cool-bag.
Store your juice in an airtight container, if possible preferably glass. Fill juice to the
top of your container to prevent oxygen from getting in which can deplete the nutrients.
Freezing is also an option but less desirable than refrigeration. If you do freeze your
juice do it immediately after juicing. Thaw in the refrigerator but drink within 7-10 days.
Fruit and Vegetables must be Fresh
The best ways to improve your health is to make sure you are
eating plenty of fresh, minimally processed high-quality
vegetables, ideally locally-grown and organic, with a majority of
them consumed raw. One simple way to do this is to juice them.
Juicing organic vegetables is highly recommended for patients
who wish to restore or improve their health. Juicing is one of
the key factors to giving you a radiant, energetic life, and truly
optimal health. There is simply no other single nutritional
intervention that has a more profound influence on health than
juicing fresh vegetables.
All Vegetables are not the Same
If you were to get all of your vegetables from conventionally farmed sources, this
would be better for your health than eating no fresh vegetables at all. However, organic
vegetables are a much better option. Why? Organic farmers must use different
standards when growing vegetables. These standards include never using:
Pesticides — Synthetic Fertilizers, Sewage sludge, Genetically modified organisms
(GMO), Ionizing radiation. We consider 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of
fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic, and most are damaging
to your nervous system as well. In fact, these powerful and dangerous chemicals have
been linked to numerous health problems such as:
l
Neurotoxicity,
l
Immune system suppression
l
Disruption of your endocrine system,
l
Miscarriages
l
Carcinogenicity,
l
Parkinson's disease
l
Male infertility and reduced reproductive function,
The Importance of Fresh Vegetables
Buying your vegetables from a local organic source is the ideal way to ensure that
your vegetables are both fresh and of high-quality. I strongly advise you to avoid
wilted vegetables of any kind, because when vegetables wilt, they lose much of their
nutritional value. In fact, wilted organic vegetables may actually be less healthy than
fresh conventionally farmed vegetables!
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Classification of Fruit
The pH level of Fruit
The following three lists give an indication of which fruits are acidic and which are
more to the alkaline side. Alkaline is best. Use the Acidic ones with caution:
Acidic
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Prunes *
cranberries *
Plums *
Pomelo
Orange
Blackberry
Strawberry
Pomegranate
Tomato (a fruit !)
Sub-Acidic
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Apple
Apricot
Melons
Coconut
Cherry
Grapefruit
Apricot
Pinapple
Grapes
Alkaline
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Lemon & Lime
Mango
Avocado
Grapes
Blueberry
Kiwifruit
Pawpaw
Peaches
Bananas
Different kinds — Alkaline to Acidic
An acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more
alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenate your system. Alkaline foods
keep your body healthy and functioning correctly, preventing cancer.
pH Balance — Acidity:
The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers
below 7 acidic (low on oxygen) and numbers
above 7 alkaline. The blood, lymph and
cerebral spinal fluid in the human body are
designed to be slightly alkaline at a pH of
7.4. At a pH slightly above 7.4 cancer cells
become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells
will die while healthy cells will live.
Choose fruits and vegetables
over unhealthy carbs and bad fat.
Foods are generally categorized as acid
or alkaline based on the residue they leave
in the human body after they have been metabolized. Often there are people who
recommend others to eat either all acid or all alkaline foods to cure one disease or
another. In reality, it is probably healthier to strive for a balanced middle ground.
A variety of health problems can occur when the body is either too alkaline or too
acidic. When the body fluids become too acidic, a condition called acidosis develops.
Conversely, when the body fluids become too alkaline, alkalosis results.
Foods are determined to have either an alkaline or acid forming potential based on their
pH values (pH = power of Hydrogen). A pH of 7 is neutral. Foods with an alkaline ash
have pH values above 7. Foods with an acid residue (ash) have pH values below 7.
In general most grains, dairy products, meats, seeds, legumes and nuts tend to have
an acid residue. Most fruits and vegetables tend to have an alkaline residue. Cooked
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foods tend to be more acid than raw foods. Many dieticians believe that modern
Western diets are too acidic for good health due to a lack of fruits and vegetables. It is
important to modify one's diet to achieve a better acid-alkaline base balance.
Foods such as orange juice and lemon juice are acidic but turn alkaline after they
have been metabolized in the body. As such, for dietetic purposes they are usually
considered to be alkaline despite being acidic prior to consumption. Most fruits are
alkaline except a few, including cranberries, plums and prunes, because they contain
acids the body can't metabolize. Over-acidity, which can become a dangerous
condition that weakens all body systems, is very common today. It gives rise to an
internal environment conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment
which allows for normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease. A
healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands. When
excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body
in a weakened condition. William Banting mentions that he had a problem with acidity.
Limit the quantities of acid fruit in your diet because they disturb the nervous system
and erode the enamel of the teeth. When you eat lots of acid fruit, especially if they
are unripe (which usually is the case), you might not digest them properly. It is best to
eat acid fruits in the morning, when you have more energy available to digest them.
The acid though is a healthy and organic nutritional element (for instance: ascorbic
acid is vitamin C, found especially in citrus fruits). They also contain good vitamins.
Special Types of Fruit — Starchy Fruit
The following are all fruits since it is the part of the plant which contains seeds:
l bananas
l peanuts
l
pumpkins
l winter squashes
(Don't eat more than one banana a day if you gain weight easily.)
Note: vegetables are the leaves, stems, stalks and roots of certain plants, which helps
to define why celery, carrots, lettuce and onions are all, unequivocally, vegetables.
Melons
l watermelon
l
cantaloupe (Spanspek)
l
honey dew (Melon)
Are like all other fruits, excellent food. What's very special about watermelons (a veg in
USA) is that they contain as much iron as spinach. Eat as much of them as you like.
Non-Starchy Fruit
l cucumber l sweet pepper
l egg plant l squash
l zucchini
Fruit Containing Protein
l olives l avocados
The fruits often used to make juice -- apples, oranges,
pineapples, peaches, pears, strawberries and
blueberries -- all have pH scores ranging from 3.3 to 4.6. If your juice includes some
bananas, the acidity may be neutralized a little because their pH level is about 5.0.
Although lemons are quite acidic, we try to include them in a juice for their preservation
quality if you want to make the juice last in the fridge for a few days.
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Controlled Ripening of Fruit
Fleshy fruit falls into two categories: climacteric and non-climacteric. Climacteric fruit
can be picked mature but unripe and then stored for extended periods at low temperature
before being ripened and sold. Such fruits include mangoes, bananas, papayas,
avocados, and tomatoes. These tropical fruits can be on sale weeks later with no
apparent loss of quality. Ripening of climacteric fruit is triggered by the gaseous plant
hormone ethylene, and this is exploited by shippers to artificially induce fruit ripening.
Non-climacteric fruits such as grapes, citrus, and strawberries do not respond
dramatically to ethylene. These fruits ripen only while still attached to the parent plant
and so cannot be picked early and stored for later ripening.
Dried Fruit
It is a totally natural snack with high nutritive value and prolonged shelf life. The popular
ones are dried apricots, figs, raisins, prunes and apples. These fruits require less
space than the fresh ones. Put them in warm water for 5-10 minutes and wash thoroughly.
A Source of Vitamins and Minerals
They have significant portion of vitamins, acids, minerals and other nutrients,
indispensable in your everyday diet. They all have a high concentration of glucose,
fructose, minerals, organic acids, pectin, vitamins A, B and P. The minerals in the
dried fruits are: calcium, potassium, magnesium, iodine, phosphorus, iron, sodium.
Dried apricots have the highest content of vitamin A and potassium. They are also rich
in iron, magnesium, calcium and niacin. Dried cranberries have a lot of calcium and
magnesium as well as considerable amounts of phosphorus, pantothenic acid, vitamin
E, B6. Dried figs have an extremely huge portion of potassium and iron, like no other
fruits. If you prefer dried cherries your diet will be enriched by vitamin A, pectin,
calcium and iron. Dried mango will boost your energy with vitamins B, E, D; calcium,
iron and phosphorus. They will not only still your hunger but also improve your health.
Health Benefits of Dried Fruit
In order to get the most benefits for your health out of dried fruit you should combine
them, as each dried fruit has a special content of nutrients. It’s not hard to do as they
all combine well with each other. In order to feel the positive effect from the consumption
you can have around 200-300 g of dried fruit in one day. It is better if you don’t eat all
this amount at one time but divide it into 2-3 servings per day. These delicacies will
boost your energy in the morning, still your hunger during the day and will prevent you
from eating too much in the evening.
A List of Dried Fruit
l Dried figs
l Dried mango
l Dried papaya
l Dried peaches
l
l
l
l
Dried pears
Dried prunes
Raisins
Currants
Drying fruits in the dehydrator is much more convenient and simple than in the oven at
140 degrees at high energy expense. All you have to do is to select fruits you want to
dry, wash them, and cut into small, equal pieces. Then, spread the fruit in a single
layer on the dehydrator trays and turn it on. It will take from 6 to 30 hours to dry fruit.
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Preferred Protein — Fish, Meat, Dairy & other
Most people eat way too much refined carbohydrates and not enough protein. Protein
should be a part of every meal as well as snacks. Most people have minimal amounts
of protein for breakfast or lunch. Protein will kick start your metabolism in the morning.
So here are some ideas as to what to eat: Eggs (free range), Cottage cheese, Smoked
Salmon, Turkey cold cuts, Greek Yogurt, Sardines, Milk, Tofu, and Nuts of all kinds.
Fish
Here is a list of low mercury fish, except for tuna:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Anchovies
Abalone
Crab
Calamari
Caviar
Crayfish
Haddock
l
l
l
l
l
l
Herring
Lobster
Mussels
salmon
Sardines
Scrimp
l Sole
l trout
Tuna has higher levels of Mercury. A grown-up may safely eat up to 2 cans per week.
Advantages of Fish
Fish is a really nutritious food, being rich in protein, vitamins and minerals which are
essential to maintain good health. There are three types of fish: oily fish, white fish
and shellfish. Oily fish are a rich source of vitamins A, D and E. It is an excellent
source of omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for healthy brain, eye and nerve
development in babies and children. Eating fish reduces the risk of cancer and arthritis.
Examples of oily fish are Salmon, Mackerel, Fresh tuna, Trout, Sardines, Herring;
examples of white fish are Cod, Whiting, Haddock, Sole, Hake; examples of shellfish
are Crabs, Mussels, Oysters, Lobster, and Prawns. Two portions of fish a week are
recommended including one portion of oily fish. Keep canned fish in your store
cupboard – ideal for making a meal when you’re in a hurry. Choose canned fish in
mineral water over brine and oil. Canned tuna does not contribute to a portion of oily
fish as the fatty acids are destroyed during the canning process.
Note: Rather avoid Shark, Marlin or Swordfish, as they contain high levels of mercury.
Prevention of Diseases
Regular consumption of fish can reduce the risk of various diseases and disorders.
Research findings indicate the following:
l Asthma – children who eat fish may be less likely to develop asthma.
l Brain and eyes – fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids contribute to the health of
brain tissue and the retina (the light sensitive tissue in the eye)
l Cancer – by 30 to 50 per cent, oesophagus, colon, breast, ovary and prostate.
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l Cardiovascular disease – by reducing blood clots and inflammation, improving
blood vessel elasticity, lowering blood pressure, boosting 'good' cholesterol
l Dementia elderly people – lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease
l Depression – a lower incidence of depression (low levels of omega 3 in the brain)
l Diabetes – fish helps people with diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels
l Eyesight – breast-fed babies of mothers who eat fish have better eyesight
l Inflammatory conditions – regular fish consumption may relieve the
symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and auto-immune disease.
l Prematurity – may help reduce the risk of delivering a premature baby.
Healthy Ways to Prepare Fish
Healthy ways to cook fish include:
l Baking – make shallow cuts
along the top of the fish. Put
into a greased dish and cover
with foil. Flavour with herbs,
lemon juice and olive oil. Bake
at around 180°C and baste
frequently.
l Shallow frying – dry and flour
the fish. Place a small amount
of oil or butter in the pan. Fry
the fish at a medium heat.
l Grilling – cut slashes into whole fish to help the heat penetrate the flesh.
Place fish on a pre-heated grill. Baste frequently.
l Poaching – not suitable for flaky varieties. Place fish in gently simmering stock.
Whole fish placed in a pan of cold stock, slowly brought up to a gentle simmer.
l Steaming – put fish in a steamer or on a plate over a saucepan containing
gently boiling water. Cover.
Meat
Meat comes in different colours, shapes, cuts and textures:
l
l
l
l
l
l
beef – ground, cuts, coldmeat, sausage, meatloaf
lamb – chops, ribs, leg of lamb, other cuts
pork – parma ham, pork belly, bacon, salami
ostrich
game
l turkey
chicken
l duck
Most often, meat refers to skeletal muscle and
associated fat and other tissues. We include, cattle,
lambs, etc. raised and prepared for human consumption, as well as fish, other seafood, and poultry.
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Advantages of Meat
Some people consider that plant protein is better (and safer) than animal protein. This
is not true. Here is a list of the health benefits of eating meat that all contribute to
carrying out vital metabolic functions but also giving you a lot of energy as well:
1. Meat contains a large amount of protein an is beneficial to the body as the
need for protein is an important one. Protein improves your overall health and
well-being, it helps to repair and build body tissues as well as the production
of antibodies to protect the body from infections (strengthening the immune
system). Most importantly, since meat contains all the essential amino acids,
it definitely ranks as one of the best sources of protein.
2. Of the many nutrients that meat contains, it is rich in iron, zinc and selenium.
While iron helps in forming haemoglobin that transports oxygen to different
parts of your body, zinc helps in tissue formation and metabolism, and selenium
breaks down the fat and chemicals in the body.
3. Vitamins are also a big part of the one’s diet, and Vitamin A, B and D are
commonly found in meat as well. These vitamins promote good vision, stronger
teeth and bones, support the central nervous system (promoting mental health).
Another big benefit of eating meat is the maintenance of your skin’s health.
Why Meat?
By nature, humans are meat eaters, and our bodies are
designed for it. We have incisors for tearing meat, and
molars for grinding it. If we were meant to subsist on
vegetables alone, our digestive system would be similar
to that of the cow, with four stomachs and the ability to
ferment cellulose in order to break down plant material.
The degenerative health conditions that are prevalent now
would not be around if we were living off meat (± 80 gm
per meal is enough), vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, and fruits. In hunter/gatherer
societies, 45-65% of energy requirements were derived from animal sources, and
heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes — the diseases that plague society today
— were not a problem. With the introduction of grains, sugar and processed foods,
these diseases reared their ugly heads at alarming rates.
Stable Blood Sugar
Meat helps keep blood sugar levels stable due to its fat and high protein content.
Proteins are digested more slowly than carbs, and stay in the stomach for longer.
Steady blood sugar is critical in preventing type 2 diabetes, as well as other chronic
diseases. It also helps keep energy levels steady and creates a feeling of satiety
(fullness, satisfied) between meals, reducing cravings for unhealthy foods and snacks.
Muscle Growth
You can work yourself to the bone trying to gain muscle or bulk up, but you have to
nourish your body appropriately with the right nutrients to achieve sufficient muscle
repair and recovery to make gains. You can take protein supplements, but the best
source of protein is meat. Meat also contains vitamins and minerals that aid in
muscle growth like zinc, which assists in muscle repair, and iron, which boosts
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energy levels and combats fatigue. Meat also contains creatine, a nitrogen-containing
compound that improves protein synthesis and provides muscles with energy,
encouraging muscle gain.
Meat also helps to burn fat. Meat has a high thermogenic effect because of its protein
content, so that approximately thirty percent of its calories are burned off during digestion
alone. Digesting carbohydrates produces only a six to eight percent increase in energy
expenditure, while digesting the protein in meat produces 25 to 40 percent increase.
Neurotransmitter Health
People who don’t eat meat are especially vulnerable to neurotransmitter imbalances
because of the absence of meat protein, which provides all of the essential amino
acids human bodies need. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that regulate
many of our functions, including physical, cognitive, and mental performance, as well
as our sleep cycle, weight, and emotional states. Meat protein provides all of the
essential amino acids human bodies need. People who don’t eat meat are especially
vulnerable to neurotransmitter imbalances, which can result in problems like depression,
anxiety, hyperactivity, eating disorders, and somatoform disorders.
Long-Lasting Energy
Simple carbs are broken down into sugar that our body burns through quickly, causing
us to crash in a post-meal slump. Conversely, our bodies utilize the protein in meats
for sustained, long-lasting energy — burning more calories and more energy.
Meat is one of the best sources of iron. Iron deficits put you at risk for anaemia and
low energy. Pair meat with vegetables which boast a low glycemic index, and you’ll be
feeling like the energizer bunny all day long.
Healthy Ways to Prepare Meat
Dangers of High-Heat Cooking
There are some dangers when cooking meat at
a very high heat. This can form unhealthy
compounds called Heterocyclic Amines (HAs)
and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
This happens when some of the nutrients in
meat react to form these unhealthy compounds
at very high temperatures. These compounds
have been linked to cancer in animals but hasn’t
been proven in humans. Foods damage at very
high temperatures and this applies to other
foods as well, not just meat.
How to avoid/minimize HAs and PAHs:
Use gentler cooking methods like stewing and steaming. Limit charred and smoked
food. If your meat is burned, cut away the charred pieces. Don’t expose meat directly
to a flame and minimize cooking above 150°C. Marinating meat in olive oil, lemon
juice, garlic or red wine can reduce HCAs by up to 90%. When cooking at a very high
heat, flip the meat frequently.
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Methods
There is a lot of advice on the Internet. Certain methods are used frequently and you
should know them apart. Cooking times are often given in terms minutes per 500
grams, (plus 12 minutes standing time), temperatures as low (145oC), medium (160oC),
or high (180oC), and internal meat temperatures (for a roast) as (45oC, 60oC, or 80oC):
l Braising — Braising is a moist heat cooking method recommended for less
tender cuts of meat, for cuts with high amounts of connective tissue.
l Pan searing — Steaks are cooked by a two-step method. Initial browning (searing)
is done in a lightly pre-heated pan, then cooking is completed in the oven.
l Roasting — Cooking larger joints or cuts in a similar way to braising, seared,
in a deep covered pot with barely any liquid. Tightly covered, cooked gently.
l Pan fry — A fast cooking method for small, tender cuts in a pan containing a
small quantity of hot fat, oil, or butter. The pan is not covered during frying.
l Grilling/BBQ — A fast, dry method of cooking tender cuts with radiant heat.
Char-grilling or barbecuing, and fan-grilling are variations on this method.
l Stewing — A long, slow method of cooking where food is cut into pieces and
cooked in the minimum amount of liquid, water, stock or sauce.
l Poaching — Poaching is differs from the other "moist heat" cooking methods, such
as simmering and boiling, in that it uses a relatively low temperature (±80 oC)
Heat can break down and destroy 15 to 20 percent of some vitamins in vegetables —
especially vitamin C, folate, and potassium. But certain foods actually benefit from
cooking, like lycopene in tomatoes, and heat facilitates the release of antioxidants in
carotenoids such as carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and peppers – by breaking down
cell walls, providing an easier passage of the healthy components from food to body.
For these reasons we use vegetables both raw (juice) and cooked as we like and enjoy,
but with sensible wisdom as to how often, and at what temperature (lower is better):
l Steaming
l Microwaving
l Poaching
l Slow-cooking (crock-pot)
When preparing meat, leave the fat on but do not add extra to it. Eat as we did in 1976.
About Eating Fat
Warnings about Fat — With Banting advice given
As we have seen, sugar and carbs are the cause of obesity. Cholesterol plays a vital
role and our fat intake should be in a proportion of 2:1 regarding Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Cholesterol can block arteries because of plaque build-up which takes place where there
is inflammation caused by the detrimental working of an excess of sugar and carbs.
So the warnings we have had about fat, eggs and butter were misplaced and these
misconceptions are now slowly being corrected.Typical advice is still aimed at the wrong culprits:
l
Use cuts of red meat and pork labelled “loin” and “round,” as they usually
have the least fat. — We should eat some fat which will burn fat, not cut it out.
l
With poultry, use the leaner light meat (breasts) instead of the fattier dark
meat (legs and thighs), and be sure to remove the skin (which contains fat).
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l
Make egg recipes with egg whites, instead of egg yolks. Substitute two egg whites
for each egg yolk. — Eggs are now seen as a very good source of protein.
l
For recipes that require dairy products, try low-fat or fat-free versions of milk,
yogurt and cheese. — Rather avoid these as the fat is replaced by sugar, etc!
l
Use reduced-fat, low-fat, light or no-fat salad dressings (if you need to limit
your calories) on salads, for dips or as marinades. — Make your own mayonnaise as the purchased ones contain water and starch, and lots of chemicals!
Be careful as to the advice you follow. A lot of ignorance will still be around for years.
Dairy
Dairy products can be summed up as:
l Milk
l Cheese
l Yoghurt
l Cream
l Butter
l Whey
These are products made of milk.
The advantages of dairy products are:
Calcium and Protein
Some dairy items have impressive levels of two things many of us need more of:
calcium and protein. Ice cream falls a bit short on these two nutrients, but milk,
yogurt, cottage cheese, and all other cheeses pack a protein and calcium punch in
every serving. Just a cup of Greek yogurt, for example, gives you a third of your daily
recommended calcium intake, along with 17% of your estimated daily protein intake.
Note: To ensure you’re eating a true Greek yogurt, read the ingredient label. The main
ingredients should be milk and live active cultures. You’ll want to steer clear of added
protein like “whey concentrates” and added thickeners like “modified corn starch.”
Bone Density
Getting calcium from food, rather than supplements, seems to do your bones good.
A study in bone thickness and density was done among girls 10 to 12 years old,
whose diets were supplemented with either cheese, calcium, or calcium plus vitamin
D: the cheese-eating group had bigger increases in bone mass than the other groups.
Blood Pressure
It is found that people who consumed the most dairy
were 54% less likely to develop high blood pressure
over a two-year period, than those with the lowest
intakes of dairy.
Calcium has been suspected of having an effect on
blood pressure in the past. But the researchers
found that only calcium from dairy products was related to a lower blood-pressure
risk. This could have something to do with the proteins found in dairy (caseins and
whey), which may have actions similar to those of blood pressure-lowering medication.
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Metabolic Syndrome
People who consumed the most dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese) are less likely to have
metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms — increased blood pressure, a high blood
sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels —
that has been shown to increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Weight regulation
Although an analysis of overall calcium consumption has not linked calcium to greater
weight loss, there is increasing evidence that calcium from dairy products may play a
role in body-weight regulation.
For any or all of the above reasons, aim to work some dairy each day, whether it is
from milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, other cheeses, or a combination. Stick to wholedairy since people who eat full-fat dairy are no more likely to develop cardiovascular
disease and type 2 diabetes than people who stick to low-fat dairy. When it comes to
weight gain, full-fat dairy may actually be better for you, since no sugar is added.
How much dairy do you need?
Dairy is one of the food groups that people respond differently to. Unless you are
lactose intolerant, you may consume as much dairy as you like. Dairy is unique to
every person as lactose is a form of carbohydrate that everyone responds to differently.
Even if you are lactose intolerant, you may still be able to eat butter, cream and ghee
(clarified butter). The way these products are processed removes most of the natural
milk sugar and protein, but leaves the healthy fats.
Fermented dairy, like yoghurt or hard cheese, are easier to digest as the fermentation
process gets rid of most of the lactose. Fermentation adds helpful pro-biotics to our
digestive system.
Like other dietary guidelines, how much dairy you should consume each day varies
depending on things like your age and gender: toddlers 1½ -2, children 2-3½, adults
2½ older people over 50/60: 3½-4 (because of the risk of osteo-porosis).
What is a Serving?
One serving is:
l
l
l
l
Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Size
Calcium
1 cup
2 slices (80gm)
¾ cup
½ cup
250 mg
40 mg
200 mg
105 mg
Full-cream, Low or Non-fat Milk – which is Healthier?
When milk is skimmed of its cream, the process also removes the beneficial fats and
fat-soluble vitamins. These fats and vitamins actually help our system to metabolise
the nutrients, including sugar, that we take in from food. To make up for the extracted
elements, our body then needs to use nutrients stored in our liver to digest the milk.
Many dairy manufacturers actually add sugar to low- and non-fat milk to improve the
taste. It is the fat content that gives milk that rich, satisfying flavour.
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Here are some ideas to eat more dairy ever y day:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Start the day with a bowl of seasonal fruit topped with a cup of Greek yoghurt
If you drink coffee, make it a latte (or other milk-based variety)
Add a slice of cheese to your half-slice 100% rye bread
Shred some cheese over your veggies at dinner, or add fetta cheese to your salad
Blend up some fruit, yogurt and milk for an energising smoothie
Try cottage cheese with your favourite fruit or raw veggies
Make home-made salad dressing using Greek yogurt, mustard and vinegar
Grate or shave parmesan or mozzarella cheese on a cooked meal dish
Enjoy frozen yogurt for dessert (if you can’t resist an after-dinner treat!)
Have a warm glass of milk in the evening before bed
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are also high in protein. Many people do not realize that nuts and
seeds are another great source of protein, healthy seeds and nut protein, healthy oils
like omega 3s, vitamin Bs and other essential minerals like magnesium, potassium,
copper and iron. Because these foods are packed with protein and high in healthy
oils, you only need a handful to get a serving from the protein group.
A List of seeds:
l Chia seeds
l Flaxseed
l Hemp seeds
l Poppy seed
l
l
l
l
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seed
Safflower
Sunflower
A List of the well-known nuts:
l Almond
l Hazelnut
l Beech
l Macadamia
l Brazil Nut
l Pine Nut
l Cashew
l Pistachio Nut
l Chestnuts
l Walnut
Health Benefits of Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds make up an important part of a healthy diet. Both types of food help
you reach your recommended intake of protein each day, as well as count toward
your daily fat allowance. Seeds and nuts benefit your health because they offer key
essential nutrients and play a role in disease prevention by keeping you healthy.
Fibre
Nuts and seeds provide a source of dietary fibre. Fibre does not break down as it
passes through your digestive tract, and the undigested fibre adds bulk to your stool
to promote regular bowel movements and slows down the rate of digestion. This means
that sugar from your meal enters your bloodstream slowly, leading to a gradual rise in
blood sugar that leaves you feeling energized after you eat.
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Healthy Fats
You need fat as part of your diet, and eating nuts helps to ensure that some of your fat
intake comes from healthy unsaturated fat. Walnuts, Pecans and Flax Seeds, in
particular, boost your healthy fat intake because they contain alpha-linolenic acid, a
type of omega-3 fatty acid. This type of fat helps to maintain brain function, nourishes
your red blood cells and helps to fight excess inflammation.
Disease Prevention
A diet rich in nuts and seeds also helps keep you healthy as you age by preventing
disease. People who regularly consume nuts tend to weigh less than those who rarely
eat nuts, as well as facing a lower risk for weight gain in the future. Nuts and seeds both
help to reduce the levels of inflammation in your body, which might reduce your risk of
heart disease. Nut consumption also correlates with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Intake Recommendations and Meal Ideas
You will reap the benefits of nuts and seeds if you eat the equivalent of 1 ounce of
seeds or nuts five times weekly. Use nuts and seeds to add texture to smoothies or
pureed soups -- simply add ground flaxseed directly to your meal, or soak other nuts
and seeds until soft and then blend into your food. Make your own flavoured nuts and
seeds for snacks by adding spices, such as cinnamon or paprika, to the nuts and then
baking until slightly browned. Alternatively, use nuts and seeds as a topping for
casseroles, soups, salads or in wraps.
Other Protein Foods
There are some other foods often mentioned which also are rich in protein:
l Eggs
l Soy milk
l Hummus
l Wheatgerm
l Chick peas
l Tofu
l Dried lentils
l Peanut butter
l Quinoa
l Baked Beans
l Cashew butter
l Adamame
l Green peas
l Seaweed
l Spirulina
The ones in the third column are perhaps not so well known. Some of these can be
classified elsewhere. They are however each unique and should be considered as extra
portions in your meals or used in cooking. Start off with a small portion if its new to you.
Eggs
With 6 grams of the highest quality protein and 14 key nutrients, eggs provide you
with energy. Eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete protein,
because they contain all 9 essential amino acids. Amino acids are considered the
"building blocks for the body" because they help form protein.
In addition to giving you energy, your body uses the protein found in eggs to:
l
l
l
l
l
build and repair body tissue and cells
grow strong hair and nails
build and maintain healthy muscles
help fight infections
help keep your body fluids in balance
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If you've been avoiding eggs because of concerns linking them to dietary cholesterol
and coronary heart disease, it's time to reconsider. The latest research shows that
healthy adults can enjoy an egg every day without increasing their risk of heart disease.
Wheatgerm
Gram for gram, wheat germ offers a significant dose of vitamins,
minerals and protein. Tiny in size, but a nutrient-rich
powerhouse, wheat “germ” (short for germination) is the part of
wheat that sprouts and grows into a new plant. Despite being
the most vitamin- and mineral-rich part of the wheat kernel, it’s left out when wheat is
processed into white flour. Wheat germ adds a healthy crunch to virtually any recipe.
Dried lentils
Lentils may be the oldest cultivated legume in history,
dating back to 8,000 to 7,000BC! Today, lentils continue
to be a staple in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine.
They're very easy to prepare, needing no pre-soaking
and cooking up in just 30 minutes!
Though small in size, lentils are a nutritional all-star. They're rich in fibre and contain
about a steak's worth of protein, making them a healthy meat substitute for vegetarians
and vegans. Lentils are also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus and potassium.
Baked (Navy) Beans
Beans are an excellent source of fibre to lower cholesterol
levels. Some people stay away from beans due to the gas
they experience. Gas occurs after the bacteria in the
bowels digest fibre. It's a by-product of the digested fibre
and relieves itself after you eliminate your bowels. If gas becomes a big problem, just
cut back on the amount and this usually solves the gas problem.
The building blocks of muscles begin with protein to promote healthy muscle tissue.
Beans are called the poor man's meat, but the amount of protein in them provides a
wealth of other health benefits. They contain folic acid, iron, magnesium, manganese,
potassium and vitamin B6. Folic acid is excellent for pregnant or child-bearing women.
Iron helps promote healthy blood cell production. Vitamin B6 helps with metabolism
and potassium regulates fluids in the body. Manganese is important for your bones,
the thyroid, sexual health and the metabolism of food. Magnesium is necessary for
bone formation and cell function. It also keeps the heart functioning properly.
Green peas
Although considered a vegetable, green peas really are a fruit since they contain
seeds developed from a flower. Green peas are the immature seed of dried peas
which have been eaten for over 5000 years. Dried peas were easy to grow and saved
many from starving in the Middle Ages. Fresh green peas became popular since the
16 century. Peas have such high quality protein that many commercial protein powders
are starting to use it. This avoids the possible side effects of soy, or dairy products.
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Soy milk
Soy milk is a nutritionally dense drink and a wonderful milk alternative. Made from
soaking, grinding and boiling soy beans with water, soy milk is naturally high in essential
fatty acids, proteins, fibre, vitamins and minerals that support your basic body functions
and promote more efficient metabolism. Soy milk is also high in antioxidants and
phytosterols, which help strengthen your immune system and protect you from diseases.
Including soy milk as a part of your daily diet is a smart move.
Chickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans, have a delicious nutlike taste and
a texture that is buttery, yet somewhat starchy and pasty.
A very versatile legume, they are a noted ingredient in many
Middle Eastern and Indian dishes such as Hummus, Falafels and curries.
From enhanced weight loss to cholesterol-lowering properties, the health benefits
of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) are wide and varied. These nutty-tasting legumes
get many of their health-giving qualities from the high levels of fibre, zinc, copper,
beta-sitosterol, and from the iron they contain.
Almond, Peanut and Cashew butter
Peanut butter still rules the shelf space at most stores, but other
types of nut butters are beginning to appear. All types of nut butters
contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats, phytosterols, protein and
fibre. Nuts provide unsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol and
help fight inflammation. This is where almond butter has the
advantage. About 83 percent of the fat in almond butter consists of these healthy fats.
Peanut butter has 74 percent, while only 60 percent of cashew butter’s fats are healthy.
Seaweed
Seaweeds are one of nature's true wonder foods! They
are one of the most nutritionally dense plants on the
planet and also the most abundant source of minerals
in the plant kingdom as they have access to all the
nutrients in the ocean. Nori is best known as the
seaweed used to make sushi rolls.
Advantages: Blood purifying, high in calcium, have powerful chelating properties,
contain anti-oxidants, detoxifying, boost weight loss, and deterring cellulite build-up.
Hummus — See recipe to make your own on page 84
Hummus is a creamy dip that hails from the Middle East, has a reputation as a clean,
healthy food. It deserves it. All the main ingredients are super foods in their own right.
It's got chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic, and olive oil in most traditional versions.
It is convenient to buy Hummus at the shop, but you would be surprised at how easy
it is to make it at home. Combine 1 can of chickpeas, 1/4 cup Tahini, 2 cloves garlic,
2 tablespoons olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon in a food processor until smooth.
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Tofu (or soybean curd)
The health benefits of tofu as a meat substitute are
numerous. Consuming tofu regularly helps lower bad
cholesterol, alleviates symptoms associated with
menopause and even lowers the risk of cancer. Other major
health benefits of tofu compared to meat include making
middle-aged bones stronger and delaying the ravages of
age. Tofu has been found to be a great source of calcium and vitamin E as well. Tofu
or soybean curd is produced by grinding soybeans to form a milk-like substance,
which is then compressed and left to coagulate. After the mass has dried into a
gelatinous solid, it is cut into palm-sized cubes. Since soybean is cheap and abundant,
but rich in protein, the popularly known benefit of tofu is that of being the "poor man's protein."
Quinoa
It is not pronounced KWIN-oh-ah. The correct
pronunciation is KEEN-wah.
Many people consider quinoa to be their favourite highprotein, gluten-free grain. The problem with that, it is not
high in protein. Quinoa has slightly more protein than wheat,
rice and corn, but if you’re eating quinoa for the protein
content, you’re in trouble: being comprised of 70%
carbohydrate, 16% fat (mostly inflammatory omega 6), and
14% protein, quinoa is primarily a carbohydrate source. So use wisely, sparingly or avoid.
Adamame
Adamame is a young soybean that has been harvested before
the beans have had a chance to harden. You can buy them
shelled or in the pod, fresh or frozen.
Adamame is naturally gluten-free and low calorie, contains no
cholesterol and is an excellent source of protein, iron, and
calcium. It is an especially important source of plant-based protein.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a micro-algae that has been consumed for centuries
due to its high nutritional value and supposed health benefits.
"Spirulina" sounds so much better than "pond scum," but that's
what the popular supplement really is — a type of blue-green
algae that grows naturally in oceans and salty lakes in subtropical climates.
Today, popular lifestyle personalities endorse Spirulina as a secret, potent "superfood,"
a "miracle from the sea." They promote Spirulina as a treatment for a range of
metabolism and heart health issues, including weight loss, diabetes and high cholesterol.
It is also recommend as an aid for various mental and emotional disorders, including
anxiety, stress, depression and ADHD. Spirulina is said to help a range of eclectic
health problems, including premenstrual symptoms and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Health: Mind, Manners, Meals
We are now ready to put all this knowledge about food together in a healthy Lifestyle
strategy. On page 20 we stated that we have to do three things:
l First gather all the right information (about food — this we did)
l Then decide to lessen some, increase others (our choices of food types)
l Lastly, we decide to make some drastic changes (to our eating habits)
To be informed and accept the rationale behind a new way of understanding and
therefore a changed way of thinking, is the basis of starting a new LIFESTYLE.
Mind — How we Think about Food
Our Lord Jesus imself once reminded us that food is not everything in life:
Luk 4:4 ... "It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."
We should have full control of ourselves. Yes, the body needs to be fed, but the most
important thing is that we, our spirit and soul, are sustained for the sake of being able to
communicate with God our Father, to see His wonderful provision, to understand our
calling in life, being able to ask Him for all we think we need, to request an explanation
for the things we do not understand, and to praise Him for the wonder of it all.
Matthew 6:25 “... Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to Me shall
never hunger; and he that believes in Me shall never thirst.
The way we believe can divide us, when we begin to hold up standards as to what is
spiritually superior. It is not the food we eat, but the motive, and heart behind it, that
matters to God. So often we uphold certain beliefs and practices, as evidence of our
devotion to our faith. We believe that taking a stance on which foods we eat, and what we
do not eat, will be proof of our commitment to God. But it is our love that brings us near
to God, and it is the best way to make a statement on how near to Him we truly are.
Christ said that, by believing in Him, we would never again hunger or thirst. He was
speaking of the aching need we all feel to be filled up. This is the hole within us that
hungers for something more. Jesus offers that sustenance to all who come to Him,
starving for a Saviour. He feeds us and sustains us, and sets a place for us at His
table. And as long as we sit there beside Him, Jesus will make sure we always stay full
with whatever really matters in life.
That is how the Christian ought to think about food. But we often do not. We struggle:
l Having abnormal cravings for food — too much, only certain, too often, etc.
l Having no control over our cravings, no discernment for what is normal or good
l Having irrational phobias (fears) about perfectly good or even healthy food
This will perhaps cover most of our anomalies. Surely there may be more. You may
even have an addiction. This you can also overcome, but it takes self-discipline and a
strong determination to change. There are a few things you can do:
l Trigger Foods: Write down a list of the foods you tend to crave and/or binge
on. These are the “trigger foods” you need to avoid completely.
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l Fast Food Places: Write down a list of fast food places that serve healthy
foods. This can prevent a relapse when hungry and not in the mood to cook.
l What to Eat: Think about what healthy foods you like and are going to eat.
l Pros and Cons: Make copies of your “pros and cons” list as a reminder.
It’s important to NOT go on a “diet.” Put weight loss on hold for at least 1-3 months.
Overcoming food addiction is hard enough as it is, by adding hunger and restrictions
to the mix you will just make things even harder and set yourself up for failure. From this
day and onward, you will never touch the addictive foods again. Not a single bite, ever!
Better thoughts
How you think is very important. Pray that your mind will be altered. Think of your
body as a temple for God — to keep it healthy and dedicated to the service of God,
whatever your calling in life might be. Think of it as a choice: a healthy body to serve
God or a selfish slob, giving in to craves to indulge, overeat, pig-out, just to enjoy life —
but missing out on the vibrant energy that a healthy, fit body would give you. God's very best!
James 4:3 When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the
wrong reason — for your own pleasure. (GW)
1Corinthians 15:32b ... If the dead are not raised in Christ, we can just as well live according
to the motto “Let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’re going to die anyway!” (CLT)
Ezekiel 4:16 I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight,
and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment. (KJV)
It is time to be careful about how much we eat and that we drink enough water. "Staff"
indicates the life support (leaning on). We used to always eat lots of bread and
carbohydrates as our life support. "By weight" = in scant measure. Well, here is a
verse you may display on your fridge door — and you may eventually be astonished!
New Values of Health
Je Suis Banting!
Our conclusion on page 21 is that:
I Live a Sensible Life!
... our "Lifestyle is Defined by Values". Our values, attitudes, and interests play a
major role in determining our behaviour. Values are the important and lasting beliefs
or ideals you have about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable for you.
Since you now have acquired all the necessary information about food (and you can
easily add to it by doing your own research), it is now time to formulate your values
about health. Once your values are established (and that will take some time), you will form
habits which conform to those values on a fairly permanent basis. Should you want to
follow a fad diet, your devotion to it may last a few weeks, since these are someone
else's rules. Your own values will be much stronger, and they will last you a lifetime.
The main answer is therefore to formulate your values!
Once you have done this you are ready to select
habits according to your values and to apply some
serious determination to implement them.
Determination — Tenacity!
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Example of a
What do I value?
Personal Values and Mission Statement
[This is the basis of your Health Values]
1. I value loyalty, honesty, open mindedness, self-discipline, creativity, innovation,
a willingness to continue to learn, and knowing who I am and what I believe.
2. Loyalty: It is staying on the ship no matter how violent the storm. In my loyalty
to others and myself I will never leave the ship and question the course.
3. Open Minded & Independent: In order to be objective to be a better decision
maker and to be able to see a broader picture for my health and my future.
4. Self Disciplined: Being able to do the difficult task or to get up early when the
heat is on. To quit the bad habit. To believe the promises of my invisible Father.
5. Creative/Innovative: Thinking outside the box on issues. Challenging authority
and figuring out things. Being pro-active to fix problems and finding solutions.
6. Intelligence: Willing to learn and continue learning new things each and every
day. Not being afraid to ask questions and to figure out the difficult details.
7. Self Aware: Being able to analyse my decisions and beliefs. To know why I
made the crucial decision, and why I believe what I am completely sold out to.
What are my personal goals? [We mention only two]
Attitude – I will be positive in my approach to the fulfilment of my calling by preparing
myself mentally for success as I receive God's ability to perform with the gifts that I
believe I have been given, whilst I decide to want to cultivate healthy habits in the long term.
Physical – In line with my attitude to look after my body towards ultimate health, in
order to be super-effective in my life: work, family and married life — I will desire only
good food in appropriate portions and timing, in order to live a long life in vibrant health.
What are my strengths and talents? [These are all imaginary]
I’m very technical. I do a lot of programming on the side. I have an eye for colour and
love doing graphic design jobs. I am a proficient web programmer and writer for multiple
blogs. I can speak well, and can usually communicate my thoughts and concerns. I’m
opinionated and do not let politics or emotion get in my way of making a decision.
At the end of my life, what do I want my legacy to be?
I want to be known as a faithful Christian man who helped thousands to study in their
local communities. One of the reasons I’m learning to do research and write educational
texts is to continue my heritage as a servant-leader teacher and help those who want to
excel in business leadership, counselling, education and Christian ministry. I’d like to be
known as a teacher, and someone who loves the Lord and did live to fulfil his calling.
My personal mission statement
I am a man focused on my faith, my fellow man, and my country. I want to use and develop
my many talents to the full and in the process help others to commit to life-long-learning.
I strive to excel both technically and academically. I will keep the faith to the end.
This is the end of our imaginary example of a Personal Statement
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Manners — Putting values into practice
A Selection of Healthy Eating Habits
After having formulated your version of the previous page, let us concentrate on what
the main intention of this book is — the 12th set of values which must lead to better
habits — Healthy Eating Habits. Having read so far, this is almost self-evident. We are
also going to base our guidelines or strong suggestions on the very successful directives
given by William Banting in his booklet first published in 1863. Let us exclude/limit:
Exclude or Limit
l Food containing all forms of sugar such as cake, sweets, low-fat products
l Food which after eating is converted into sugar — refined carbohydrates
l Food which is refined and is enhanced by harmful chemicals in factories
This is perhaps the broadest and simplest way of summarising the Banting rules of
1863. The last item had to be added due to our modern times and its food plants.
Include and Permit
We first give the simple rule. Any food that contains normal amounts of:
1. Protein — build
2. Fibre
— move
3. Fat
— burn
Take these three very simple concepts and build on them, using your knowledge of
food types and their classifications as explained in the previous pages. To understand
a new concept or to be able to explain it to someone else, you must keep it SIMPLE.
From these three basic foundation stones (Protein, Fibre, Fat) you can progress to the
more comprehensive understanding. The three words (build, move, burn) very concisely
state the main function of the foundation stones. It is a very simplistic explanation.
This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle. If you are in trouble, you should go to a doctor and get
directions for a diet. A modern dietician may prescribe the Banting Diet to you. But this is
the Banting Lifestyle. Strictly 1863, plus the concept of juicing for life (food preparation).
1. Protein
Amino acids, the building blocks of
proteins, are used for building muscle
tissue and repairing damaged tissues.
Protein is only used as fuel when
carbohydrates and lipid (fat) resources
are low.
You need about 80 to 120 grams of protein
per day, depending on your weight and
activity. An athlete needs to rebuild more.
Our rule therefore should generally state that the amount of protein is "medium" as
compared to carbohydrates which should be "low". It is also good to vary the source.
Every kind of food has its own set of combination of minerals and vitamins — goodness.
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Sources
What we have discussed can be placed in a few broad classes:
l Fish (the oilier the better) [page 59-60]
l Red meat, chicken — with all the normal fat which is on it [page 60-63]
l Dairy — also for the calcium content, not if you are lactose intolerant [page 64]
l Nuts (minimising peanuts and cashews which are legumes) [page 66-67]
l Seeds containing protein and omega 3 oils [page 66-67]
l Other specific high quality protein sources [page 67-70]
On these pages there is a whole selection of food from which you should include some
on a daily basis, to provide your body with essential amino acids as building blocks.
In some of these foods fat is included as part and parcel with it. Do not remove the fat
and do not choose products that are labelled as fat free or low fat.
2. Fibre — Fruit and Vegetables
We put fruit and vegetables under the heading of fibre. They also often contain some
carbohydrates, sugar (fructose, glucose, sucrose), but we are mainly interested in them
for the fibre, vitamins, minerals and enzymes that they provide in various combinations.
Have a look at their descriptions we gave at the middle of the book:
l Vegetables (including some root-bulbs for juicing) [page 41-48]
l Superfoods — so called for outstanding qualities [page 49]
l Fruit — alkaline to acidic (and special types) [page 41-48]
Take note of the comments about sugar content of the fruit. Make a careful selection.
Have a good look at the advantages that juicing may have for you [pages 50-55]. Try
out different combinations to minimise the sugar content and maximise the health
advantages. Try out smoothies where you may combine these with ice and dairy.
Note: When you use a masticating juicer's course screen/sieve, and also when using
the food processor, more of the fibre is included with the juice or smoothie for better
bowel movement. Most fibre does not digest, but promotes healthy bowel movement/
cleansing. In fact soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like paste. The gel-like
paste softens the stool and helps to slow the movement of the digested material
through the digestive tract. This increases nutrient absorption and provides a feeling
of fullness for a longer period of time, therefore reducing overall calorie intake.
3. Fat — Grains, Nuts, Fruit and Vegetables
You are allowed to eat food containing fat without restrictions. You want high levels of
HDL cholesterol. How do we do that? Eat more saturated fat like butter, lard, coconut
oil, animal fats and omega 3 fish oils. So, if you take a salad to work for lunch,
remember to pour a liberal amount of olive oil over it – or chop half an avo into it
(or both). Listen to your body, only eat until you are satisfied – not stuffed!
You can’t really overdose on fat. The fat content in food reduces your appetite, and it is
the best way to get over a sugar addiction. Good fat sources are butter, cream (in tea
or coffee), coconut oil is very healthy, avocados, almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts,
macadamia nuts (all tree nuts) but not peanuts or cashews. Cut down on grains!
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Initial Trial and Errors
Many people have started on diets. Common complaints are, 'I can't eat that much fat,
it makes me feel a bit sick', and 'I'm eating too much meat, it doesn't feel right'.
It may be that people are taking only the parts that they like and on hearing that they
can eat lamb chops, bacon, cream and cheese, they go and overbalance, and fill
their plates with these more luxurious of ingredients, without seeing the whole picture.
It is all about balance
A healthy lifestyle (that includes eating and drinking) is about balance. One needs to
balance one's intake of meat and fat to the amount of healthy fresh vegetables that
are good to eat. And you do not need to add loads of fat and protein to it. Be sensible!
People will quickly prepare some meat because it is an easy thing to do. Vegetables
will take far more effort. Take some time to prepare your veggies in order to balance
your plate so the protein is not always the largest portion of your meal. It is also
important to listen to your body. If you had a breakfast that is high in fat, you may want
to enjoy a lovely vegetable salad for lunch and then again a balanced meal for dinner.
Vision for the Future — Write it Down
Get some quotes that you like and can repeat. Think about what you want while you
are not hungry and write it down. Make sure you believe it. Do not just repeat the
words of others. The principle of "LIFESTYLE" means it is your own. In the long run,
the things that will work is what works for you.
Think long term. If you are on four teaspoons of sugar in your coffee, then go down to
three for a week, then two for two weeks, and you will eventually settle on half, or
perhaps you will switch to Rooibos with nothing else. Otherwise go "cold turkey".
Write it down: The date of your future, your current condition, the context of your
thinking, and what you have done on the day of your decision. It is also important to
write down what you did. If you only write future plans and do not reach these goals,
you might not want to look at the document of your failure. If you keep track of small
steps of success, you will want to look at it often, and will be eager to add another
achievement to it. Everyone wants to be a success. Be positive and be happy, don't worry!
Strategic Plans — Get Spouse, Buddy or Coach to Help
You also need all the help you can get. If you are in trouble you need a diet and a
doctor and good advice. If you are determined to be healthy for a long time to be with
your spouse, enjoy your great-grand children, and work for your Maker, then its a
lifestyle change you may want to work out or adopt — to make it your own.
The Lord Jesus always sent out people two by two (except for Judas). You are not
alone in this world. You should not be alone in this decision of a lifestyle change either.
After thinking this through you should talk it through with the people around you. Get
your spouse and children on board as well. Perhaps one of your friends will join you
in your decision. With someone else things will be so much easier. And then:
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Philipians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
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Make Plans to Exclude
There are a few categories that must be absolutely imprinted on your mind that have to
be excluded, avoided or minimised. To be wise you must rearrange your life around
these things. We have described them before, but let us look at them again:
Sugar and all sweet things
Sugar must be completely removed
from your diet by eliminating all
sugary drinks such as fizzy cool
drinks as well as bottled fruit juices
which are full of sugar. You must also
give a skip to cakes, pastries, sweets,
most desserts & all other treats.
Carbohydrates
Bread is as bad as toxic sugar. You
can make carb-free ‘Banting’ bread, biscuits, brownies, or muffins. Avoid potatoes but
sweet potatoes can be eaten in moderation. Cut out rice, pasta, porridge, breakfast
cereals (especially sugar coated fruitloops etc.).
Once carbs have been removed from your normal diet, the brain will adjust quickly by
decreasing your feelings of hunger, desiring to eat more. Natural weight loss will begin.
Refined or Processed Foods
Processed foods are many times associated with a higher calorie count, added sugars
and fats, being low in nutrients and full of chemicals or preservatives. In general, a
processed food is any food that has undergone a deliberate change prior to
consumption. When trying to minimize processed foods, it's important to consider the
amount of processing that's required or that the food has undergone. Highly processed,
ready-to-eat, or packaged foods with added sugars, flavourings, texturants, colourings
or preservatives are examples of foods that should be limited or avoided.
Bad Oils
The consumption of processed seed and vegetable oils has increased dramatically in
the past century. Commonly mistaken as health foods, quite a few studies show that
these oils can cause harm. They are extracted from seeds like Soybean, Cottonseed,
Sunflower and a few others. They were never available to humans until the 20th century,
because we simply didn’t have the technology to extract them. The way these oils are
manufactured is quite disgusting and it is mind-baffling that someone ever thought
they would be suitable for human consumption. It involves a harsh extraction process
that includes bleaching, deodorizing and the highly toxic solvent hexane.
These oils have made their way to all sorts of processed foods, including “healthy”
salad dressings, butter replicates, mayonnaise, cookies and more. Seed oils are high
in Omega-6 fatty acids. Eating an excess of Omega-6 can lead to increased inflammation
in the body and potentially contribute to disease.
Also bad for you is chocolate (because of its high sugar and fat content) commercial
sauces, marinades and salad dressings (containing sugar, carbs and trans-fats),
hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils: margarine, vegetable oils, vegetable fats.
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Minimise Certain Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables which grow underground are actually a storage for carbohydrates. These
are: beetroots, legumes (the fruit or seed of leguminous plants, as peas or beans
which are used for food), parsnips, peanuts, peas, and potatoes (regular). Sweet
potatoes can still go and some of these can be used in a healthy juice, but limited.
Harmful Chemicals
Stay away from artificial sweeteners
as well as products marked “fat free”
as these generally are loaded with
sugar & preservatives. Cutting down
on carbohydrates will diminish the
need for over consumption of calories
as it is the carbohydrates that
encourage to eat more & more as
they consist of addictive food types.
New Goals to Aim For
When you start something new, it is important that you set goals — goals that motivate
you — that are important to you, and that have a high value in achieving them. To do
this in an effective way, goals should be SMART:
Specific
S Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound
— Your goal must be clear and well defined.
M Measurable — Include precise amounts, dates, lists, etc.
A Attainable
— Make sure that it is possible to achieve the goals you set.
R Relevant
— To the direction you want your life, health and career to take.
T Time-Bound — You goals MUST have a deadline. Achieving points.
Examples of Specific Goals
l To walk for 30 minutes, 5 times a week, for a month.
l I will eat at least two servings of fruit every day, for the next month.
l I will go to bed by 10:30 pm every weeknight, for the next two weeks.
l I will have water with lunch, instead of my usual cool drink, every day this week.
l I will go to the gym at least three times a week, for the next month.
Set goals in writing to declare to yourself what exactly it is you
want. Then make a to do list. Make an action plan which spells
out the steps you will take. Keep to the SMART requirement. Get
everyone around you on board. Be realistic and then be resolute:
It is not hard — Do not give in for a moment
— Commit 100% — Stick With It!
One of your supreme personal goals must be to live to be 80 or 90 years old,
or even longer if you wish, so that you can enjoy the very most that life has
to give for the very longest possible time. Your goal must be to enjoy excellent
health throughout the lifetime God grants you, enjoying high levels of energy,
vitality, freedom from pain, illness and disease of any kind. Your goal should
be to feel terrific about yourself most of the time. And the time to start is now.
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T
Gradual Transformation into Renewal
Habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviours on any given day. Understanding
how to build new habits is essential for making progress in your health, your happiness,
and your life in general. Break things down in a very simple manner, you have to take
certain steps for building new habits that actually stick.
1. Start with an incredibly small habit. Make it so easy that you cannot say no.
When most people struggle to stick with a new habit, they say something like, “I just
need more motivation.” Or, “I wish I had as much willpower as you do.” Willpower is
like a muscle. It gets fatigued as you use it throughout the day. Motivation ebbs and
flows. It rises and falls. This is the “motivation wave.” Therefore do something that only
needs a little motivation, something which is a small change, that builds on yesterday.
2. Increase your habit in very small ways.
Success is a few simple disciplines, practised every day;
while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. — Jim Rohn
Rather than trying to do something amazing from the beginning, start small, and gradually
improve. Along the way, your willpower and motivation will increase, which will make it
easier to stick to your habit for good.
3. When you slip, get back on track quickly.
Top performers make mistakes, commit errors, and get off track just like everyone
else. The difference is that they get back on track as quickly as possible. If you miss
your habit once, no matter when it occurs, it has no measurable impact on your longterm progress. Rather than trying to be perfect, abandon your all-or-nothing mentality.
You shouldn’t expect to fail, but you should plan for failure. Take some time to consider
what will prevent your habit from happening. What are some things that are likely to
get in your way? What are some daily emergencies that are likely to pull you off
course? How you can bounce back quickly from them and get back on track?
You just need to be consistent, not perfect. Be patient. Stick to a pace you can sustain.
Attainable Habits
Living a healthy lifestyle starts with the right mind-set. This will take some time and will
not succeed if you have an “all-or-nothing” idea. Start embracing each day as a new
opportunity to treat your body well by your new eating lifestyle. Believe in it as something
you are, not a set of rules you adopt from someone else. It is not a diet, it is a lifestyle.
Make a list of basics that are not too hard to follow. Then do them and repeat them:
l Drink a glass of warm water with squeezed lemon juice first thing each morning
l Try steaming vegetables instead of boiling them in water as a healthy option
l Switch from eating white bread to half a slice of 100% rye at breakfast
l Use butter instead of margarine — to gently fry or as spread on rye
l Make a juice from raw vegetables and fruit according to a health recipe
l Drink water or a health juice between meals at the onset of hunger or to snack
l Go for a 30 minute walk in the late afternoon or early morning
Write down your own alternatives and start with what you can do. Not all at once!
80
Meals — What we Eat in the End
Well, we got this far! Now you are ready to make your new
breakfast. Do you have the will to change? Are you resolute?
Do you have tenacity? Determined, perseverance! This is what
is needed the most. It is not hard to do. This is long term.
For you to succeed you need YOU! And yes, you can do it!
New Meal Objectives as Guidance
Write down some objectives. You may have to clear your
fridge and cupboards of a few items. Write it down. Your
shopping list will change. Write out your next shopping list.
It will not have white bread, muffins, sweets, fizzy cool drink,
margarine and rice or pasta on it. It will have a few new
items on it. This list will be very personal as it contains your
choices. You are in control. You are not following a diet. You are adopting a LIFESTYLE.
"Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly". Hab 2:2
Guides: List to Select, our Personal Meal plan
You will draw up your own list of foods from which you want to make meals. Do some
research on the Internet. You will notice how many sites still advise you to use "low fat
and lean meat", but they include bread and other carbohydrates in their lists. That is
where you change. Remember: Carbs turn into fat, but the fat you eat becomes energy.
We mentioned earlier that you always eat the fat with the meat
and that you do not cut out any fat at any time. Always go with
the option that includes fat, if that is how the food is presented.
Do not go and eat heaps of fat on purpose. That is not normal,
unless you are an Inuit and all you can eat is fresh Walrus.
William Banting advised not to eat pork as it has too much fat.
Well, he did not know that pork as scavenger will eat anything
and stores more toxins including viruses in its fat than other
animals. So this was good advice, just as the Old Testament also directed. He also did
not know how healthy the fats in fish are. These you may eat. You may call it high fat
if you want to, but I prefer to call it a normal fat diet as part of our healthy lifestyle.
Tenacity, Flexible, Occasion
Tenacity means persistent determination. This attitude must refer to your quest for
health and doing so through new choices based on attained knowledge. Continue also
in your search for truth through reading books, the Internet, wise advice and experience.
Be also flexible. If you have attained your desired weight you can afford to eat the
occasional chocolate or a slice of bread. Then let it be health bread or 100% rye. If you
are with friends, the conversation does not need to be about your ways of eating and your
preferences. Insisting on having your way might not be the right thing to do in certain
circumstances. Let the occasion determine what you eat — and then decide to eat very
little of it, if it is something which does not appear on your allowed list. People may
not understand unless they have the basic knowledge themselves. But be in control!
81
William Banting later returned to eating what he wanted but said he was in full control:
I am very much better, bodily and mentally, and pleased to believe that I hold the reins
of health and comfort in my own hands ... — page 21 Letter on Corpulence Banting
... and I am thankful to Almighty Providence for directing me ... I am now in that happy
comfortable state that I should not hesitate to indulge in any fancy in regard to diet, but
if I did so should watch the consequences, and not continue any course which might add
to weight or bulk and consequent discomfort.
— page 33 of the same letter
The Banting Lifestyle should be your lifestyle and be firmly in your hands. You will see
the results. If you have grasped the principles, you will loose some weight or even a lot,
depending on how much of an overweight problem you had. If you cheat, you will know:
the principles rule. You will definitely be more healthy. Eating more fruit and vegetables
will certainly increase your intake of more vitamins and minerals. Incorporating the
"Juice for Life" into your daily diet will maximise the advantages of the raw state of fruit
and vegetables, and the fact that you use a broad range of them, whatever is in season.
The most important advantage will be that you will avoid many diseases and have the
potential to live a long, or certainly a longer life. During the time you live you will feel
alive, have energy and be happy. It is in this condition that God wants you to serve Him.
Combinations and Recipes
The possibilities for meals (combinations of dishes) and recipes for dishes is endless.
Because I discussed the fruit and veg. juice, the addendum on page 84 contains a
suggestion for your "Juice for Life". It brings you better life and you can use it for the
rest of your life. I also mentioned fat, and I include the "Banting Mayonnaise" recipe
which I have developed during the past 50 years. It contains several fats and none of the
industrial gunk you can buy cheaply. I started at the age of 12. It was a habit of my family
to make our own Mayo. We are after all family of William (Diet) and Frederick Banting
(Insulin). I come from Amsterdam, Holland and our great-grandparents are from England.
Two other recipes will be handy: An idea for smoothies and a recipe for Hummus.
Juice for Life
Read pages 50 to 55 and the recipe on page 84. I take half a glass or more, 3 times a day.
It really picks you up and prevents snacking. It's healthy, and your meals will be smaller.
Mayonnaise
This lasts up to 8 weeks. Take from the top and clean the sides of the container. Put it
on anything, especially salads or use it like you would use butter, for instance on your
daily ½ slice of 100% Rye bread. Do not buy any sauces with its chemicals and sugar.
Smoothies
Some fruit cannot be juiced: Papaya, banana, figs, mango, [avocado]. Make a smoothie!
In conclusion — explore further: www.clt.org.za/banting lifestyle.html
This book has to be very concise. I hope you enjoyed it. I sincerely hope that it makes
a difference to your life. May the principles give you the incentive to explore further.
Type in Banting diet on a search engine and find other articles. Give this book to
someone else. Find the pdf version on the CLT website and send it on. It is free. Enjoy!
82
Home-made Hummus
Get these ingredients ready for food mixer:
425 grams chickpeas (1 can), drained
60 ml fresh lemon juice (± 1 large lemon)
60 ml Tahini (creamy paste made from
Mince together Tahini and lemon juice for
1 minute. Stir and mince again for 30
seconds to "cream" Tahini. Add olive oil,
minced garlic, cumin and salt to the mixture.
Mince for 30 seconds, stir and mince again
30 seconds. Drain chickpeas liquid then
rinse well with water. Add half the chickpeas
to the paste, then mince for 1 minute, stir
and mince again for 30 seconds. Add
remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2
minutes or until thick and quite smooth.
Banting Mayonnaise
Ingredients added into food mixer:
Egg (X-large to Jumbo)
1
Egg yolk
1
Smooth Mustard of choice
45 ml
Wholegrain Mustard
15 ml
Cream Cheese e.g. Mascarpone 60 ml
Double Cream Yoghurt (Greek) 60 ml
Lemon Juice (fresh or bottle)
20 ml
Vinegar (or Apple Cider)
10 ml
Salt (or to taste)
½ tsp
Pepper (White or black, fine)
¼ tsp
Mix the above for a few seconds (10) and
then slowly start adding cream, then oil:
Fresh Cream
60 ml
Oil – Macadamia, Coconut or other oil 320 ml
With steady hand, pour a thin stream of
cream, then oil into the vortex of the mix at
slow speed. When the vortex closes set
mixer to the high speed. When almost
finished, the mixer makes a "vacuum" and
mixing further then fails. Stop the machine
several times, stir and start to finish the oil.
No Copyright on this recipe, Dr. Paul Banting
No Copyright on this recipe, Dr. Paul Banting
Banting "Juice for life"
Wash and clean with knife the following to
be processed in any kind of juice extractor:
2-3 carrots (cut in 2 or 4 thin pieces)
3 cm slice of pineapple
1-2 green apples (cut into quarters)
2 cm ginger (no need to peel, just wash)
1/4 cucumber with green skin
1 radish (cut in half or leave whole)
1 beetroot (cut in pieces as it is hard)
1 stalk of celery or parsley
1 lemon/lime with skin for the rind
1 orange/grapefruit or peach/nectarine
Optionally add:
Between meals:
1 tomato (cut to fit chute) Drink ½ glass or 80
to 100 ml/gm 3 times
1 leaf of spinach
per day or as a snack.
1 red/yellow pepper
1 sweet potato (cut into thin pieces)
½ head of broccoli (fit into shute)
1 small bunch of parsley
Juice and pour into mixing bowl to get a
uniform taste. Empty the pulp when needed.
Add some water in the end to flush at speed.
Pick-me-up Smoothie
Ingredients added into food mixer:
1 Banana (sweet and carb content!)
1 small Papaya
1 Mango
3-4 Figs
½ Pineapple (or 1 small)
½ cup Almond butter
½ Lemon squeezed
Add together some/all of the above.
Avocado is an option, to taste
Add any of the following in combinations:
1 cup filtered water (or crushed ice)
soaked gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup unsweet Almond milk
1 or 2 fresh peeled Kiwi fruit
handful of fresh mint
a small chunk of fresh peeled ginger
½ C frozen strawberries or blueberries
small apple, de-cored (opt. peeled)
Add to this ½ cup of your juice for life.
The above allows for various variations and
you may even add whey protein powder.
No Copyright on this recipe, Dr. Paul Banting
No Copyright on this recipe, Dr. Paul Banting
sesame seeds by mincing with olive oil)
1 garlic clove, minced
30 ml olive or macadamia or avocado oil
½ teaspoon (2,5 gm) [sea] salt, to taste
½ teaspoon ground Cumin. Add if needed:
30 ml water (drained from chickpeas).
The author Paul Banting is an educator, inventor,
Bible translator and writer of educational poems
for theological studies. His first articles on
theology were published in 1968 at the age of 16.
At the age of 22 he changed career from drillrig
constructor to hydraulic application engineer and
later became a manufacturer of a range of
pneumatic drilling hammers for 23 years.
In 1985 he wrote a range of study guides for
new believers and in 1990 launched the Calvary
Life range of Bible School material. Within four
years 275 Bible Schools were using the CLT
curriculum to operate their own Bible Schools. They train their members,
workers, leaders, and pastors. More than sixty thousand students have
received a qualification in ministry in the past 30 years. CLT envisages
400 community colleges.
Paul Banting is a writer of many Ministry, Business, Counselling and
Education textbooks. He publishes them under the brand name of Calvary
Academics. This indicates a strong academic bond with the e-learning
institution Calvary University. Many of the students have moved on from
the Certificate and the Diploma, to complete a Bachelor, Honours, Masters
and Doctorate programme with the University.
Dr. Paul Banting was appointed as professor at Calvary University in
2003 to act as mentor for postgraduate students in Africa. More than
2,700 students have graduated with Calvary since then and the numbers
are still increasing. Under his guidance an e-learning approach is being
developed which will enable students from all over Africa to study a wide
range of courses which are Bible based, financially affordable and offered
locally — within the student's reach.
Paul has personally been interested in matters of health all his life. He
has made mayonnaise since the age of 12 and compiled a few leaflets
on remedies. This is his second book on health, the first one concentrating
on juicing which has become quite popular recently. This book is the
first for a long time coming from the Banting family itself, and closely
analyses and supports the contents of the leaflet written by William
Banting in 1863. It is written within a Christian context.
Copyright © Calvary Academics, 2016
ISBN 978-0-620-70016-0