A Lifetime

My journey to vibrant health began over thirty years ago with Nathan Pritikin's low fat eating plan. I also stopped eating meat at this time. I maintained that diet for years, but had a nagging feeling it could be improved.

I progressed to Dr Neil Nedley's guide to healthy eating by adding good omega-3 fats to my diet, a Pritikin no-no, but we have learned so much since he pioneered the radical idea that diet was responsible for our health so many years ago. Nathan Pritikin saw all fats as bad, we know now that only fats from animal sources are harmful, and plant-based fats are essential to good health.

Basically Dr Nedley's diet involves eliminating all meat, fish and dairy produce, and actively seeking out foods high in anti-oxidents such as garlic, goji berries and strawberries, also foods high in beta carotene such as red and yellow fruits and vegetables such as yellow sweet potatoes and foods high in essential omega-3 fats such as flax seed and nuts.

Avoiding processed foods containing excitotoxins is also vital for long term good health. Do not use MSG and MSG-like substances, such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein -- chemical ingredients that most people should avoid due to potential brain and nervous system damage. Check for suspect wording used to disguise MSG in products, such as "spices" and "natural flavorings."

Another common additive to avoid is casein, (additive 509) a protein derived from milk and used in some glues, and the main culprit for people with problems absorbing nutrients due to dairy products coating the intestines.

Also avoid refined sugar, food dyes and colorings and caffeine.

Recently I've progressed to a totally Raw food lifestyle, which has basically eliminated all grains and beans from my diet, unless they're sprouted.

In case you're concerned about protein and calcium intake, high protein diets appear to lead to increased calcium losses. Calcium requirements for those on lower protein, plant-based diets are believed to be below the usual recommendations.

The [American] National Research Council itself (which set the RDA values in the first place), acknowledges that people have been able to maintain calcium balance on intakes of as low as 200 - 400 gm/day. They recommended the 800 mg/day because of the excessively HIGH PROTEIN diet of most Westerners. So if you want strong bones, reduce your protein and increase your vegetables. Think about it...how much protein does a gorilla eat each day?

There's a huge difference between living and lingering, and you need to decide which one you plan to do.