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STAY CLOSE TO NATURE, EAT LOCAL FOODS IN SEASON

Once cleansing has been accomplished it is important to start eating as well as you can. My healing practice has taught me that the majority of our diet should come from locally grown produce because if you eat foods that are grown close to home they can be eaten at their best, ripest and most recently picked. When we eat foods that are picked before they are ripe, that are sprayed with fungicides so they don't spoil, trucked hundreds or thousands of miles, and stored or  refrigerated for days or weeks on end, we are obviously sacrificing freshness and goodness. Taking this philosophy a step further, there are many opportunities now to purchase foods from local organic farmers on a year-round, contract basis. This not only supports healthy eating in our homes, but a new life-enhancing movement in our communities.

Stop buying food every two weeks and try shopping every day or two for what is most fresh and appealing. This is common practice in countries like France and Italy where many gastronomes and food purists are so fussy that they eat only the cheeses, fruits, vegetables and herbs that are produced in their own regions. Many of the cheeses in Tuscany for instance are raw and unprocessed, which means they must be eaten within two or three days or else they will spoil. Grocery shopping every day may seem unrealistic for some, but we should strive towards this goal in principle, and many organic producers now deliver to the door. Besides, spending a few extra minutes to shop daily may mean fewer days spent in bed with influenza and colds.

Post war studies in Southern England turned up some curious findings related to this kind of back-to-nature philosophy. After the Second World War, scientists were eager to study the deleterious effects of rationing on weary Londoners who had also been subjected to the added stress of bombings and fear of attack. The scientists were staggered to find that the incidence of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease had actually plummeted during the war. They discovered that rationing of items such as butter and sugar, coupled with the increased consumption of seasonal vegetables such as cabbage, turnips and parsnips had a marked effect on the general health and hardiness of the population. People who dug up their lawns to plant vegetables out of dire necessity found their health and longevity improved.

There are other compelling reasons to eat locally, and one of them relates to the natural cycles of life. At certain times of the year nature produces foods which aid in keeping us energized during that season. When the days are shorter the local crops include things like root vegetables as well as apples and pears, that can be naturally stored for many months in the cold weather to come.

Fruits like grapes, which ripen in the fall, are ideal digestive cleansers for the winter to come. At the end of the summer it is healthy to do a little detoxification of the bowels with a short grape diet, and the same goes for the spring, when fresh berries help clean out the winter energy and prepare us for the longer days to come.

I'm not suggesting people switch cold turkey to this kind of lifestyle, but we can all strive to modify our diets gradually in this direction. Again, I urge people to observe how their bodies feel when eating fresh, seasonal, local foods- and then make their own decisions. Pay attention to what you eat, taste your food, and enjoy it. If you really don't enjoy something, if that coffee and sugar-loaded pastry at 10 in the morning is just an old habit, then stop it. Try to become conscious of taste again and analyze whether you are eating for pleasure or just because of subconscious routine. Eat to live, don't live to eat.

I encourage people to drink six to eight glasses of fresh pure water (not from the tap) daily, and to take a good multivitamin and a good multimineral. Like batteries, we are made up of chemicals and water. To keep the battery functioning at its best we must replenish our chemicals and water with the best quality we can find.

One of the worst health habits many people have is drinking coffee on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. My clinical experience has shown me that coffee ranks up there with alcohol and nicotine as one of the major causes of health problems in our society. I'm not suggesting we rid ourselves completely (well, perhaps I am) but most of my patients notice a big improvement in health after eliminating or radically reducing their coffee intake. They report withdrawal symptoms such as headaches for two or three days (so do heroin junkies) but after several days they feel their energy picking up and say they have never felt better or more vital. As an aside, how many people say that they are broke yet manage to find $3 a day for a latte or cappuccino. That adds up to $1,000 a year, and there are plenty of people who drink far more than one a day. If a person really loves the taste of coffee they should look upon it as a treat to enjoy a few times a month, like a special dessert.

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