COOKING WITH GRAINS
Grain | Amount of grain in cups | Amount of water in cups | Cooking time in minutes |
Amaranth | 1 | 2½ | 35 |
Brown rice | 1 | 2 | 20–35 |
Buckwheat (roasted) | 1 | 2 | 20 |
Millet | 1 | 3 | 30–45 |
Oats (whole groats) | 1 | 2 | 45–60 |
Pot barley | 1 | 3 | 45–60 |
Quinoa | 1 | 2 | 8–12 |
Note: If you soak the grains for a few hours prior to use, you may be able to reduce your cooking time by half.
BOUNTIFUL BEANS
Also known as legumes or pulses, beans are basically seeds from a pod of a specific group of plants. Most of them are packed with complete protein and contain almost no fat.
Beans are great for weight loss. They also lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and purge the body of unwanted toxins. Finally, they are a good source of complex carbohydrates, the good healthy type. Because the truth is that carbohydrates such as beans, grains and veggies are essential to our biochemistry and physiology. We need them to be healthy, strong, and even to flourish as a species. If you don’t eat enough good carbohydrates you will feel ill. All my patients who stopped eating carbohydrates became weak, constipated, gaunt, irritable and depressed. It’s like playing Russian roulette with your body. I agree that it’s a good idea to cut out the bad refined carbohydrates such as cakes, cookies, biscuits and sweets. But the message here needs to be very clear: complex carbohydrates, such as beans, are essential for good health! Eat them regularly.
Aduki: The weight loss Bean
Aduki beans are an excellent bean food source, high in nutrients but low in calories. In Japan, aduki beans are noted for their healing qualities, and are used in the treatment of kidney and bladder infections. But in my own clinical practice, I use them for patients who need to lose weight. This bean, with its exceptionally high levels of fibre, vitamin B Complex, and minerals (iron, manganese and zinc), acts as a natural diuretic to relieve the body of excess fluids. It also removes unwanted mucus, congestion and stools, burns fat and balances metabolism for weight management. If you want to lose weight, this is the bean for you.
Mung: The detox Bean
Mung beans are another good food source. I have used this bean in my practice to help lower high blood pressure, treat gastro-intestinal ulcers and urinary problems, and to cleanse the blood by introducing more oxygen. They are a wonderful liver cleanser and I have always incorporated mung beans in my detox at the clinic.
Fava, Soy and Lentils: The meat Beans
Fava, soy and lentils are all high protein, and gram for gram they are even more efficient complete protein providers than red meat – without the fat content. In addition to their perfect protein profile, lentils also nourish the kidneys and adrenal glands, while fava beans are high in amino acids, B vitamins, calcium and iron. Soybeans have become a popular alternative to meat due to their complete protein content. They also contain several anti-cancer compounds including phytoestrogen, and have a balancing effect on both male and female hormones.
Every cell in your body needs protein; it is required for the growth and repair of everything from muscles and bones to hair and fingernails. Protein also helps us create enzymes that enable us to digest food, produce antibodies that fight off infection and hormones that keep the body working efficiently.
Go wild
I prefer wild fish from the seas instead of farmed fish, since the farms tend to be overcrowded, thus sometimes breeding illness. Go for fish from Scotland (especially the Hebrides and Shetlands), Iceland and other less polluted waters.
SOURCES OF PROTEIN
Although protein is vital for our health and well being, eating too much isn’t good for you as the body cannot store the protein it doesn’t immediately need. Instead, the liver converts excess protein into glucose and toxins, which increases your risk of poor health and weight gain.
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs and milk are rich sources of protein but they aren’t the best sources as the liver finds it hard to digest all that fat as well as the antibiotics and other chemicals used in the raising of animal produce. Your body simply has to work a lot harder to digest meat proteins.
It’s far better to vary your protein sources and get some protein from less well-known sources, such as grains. Many grains are superb sources of protein, in particular quinoa, which is a more usable protein than meat, but also buckwheat, millet and amaranth, legumes, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and sprouted seeds.
All soybean products, such as tofu and soymilk, are good sources. If you do eat meat, avoid red meat and go for lean meats, such as turkey and chicken, which have a lower fat content, and oily fish which is rich in essential fatty acids. When choosing dairy products, opt for the low-fat variety so you get the protein but not the fat.
Fish
Choose from non-fatty white meat fish, such as carp, cod, haddock, trout or, occasionally, organic or wild salmon. Oily fish are rich in essential fatty acids, and very good for regulating hormone and blood sugar levels.
Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds should be included in your diet regularly. These contain high levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs), or good fats. When you eat these good fats you won’t put on weight – they even help you lose excess weight.
Nuts and seeds contain a powerhouse of other nutrients, especially the full profile of amino acids needed to form complete and digestible protein, plus vitamins A, B, C and E and the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, selenium and manganese. Sunflower seeds, flax seeds (or linseeds), alfalfa seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, chestnuts, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts and walnuts are particularly beneficial.
Nuts and seeds are so nutrient-dense that you don’t need to eat a lot of them – a teaspoon or two a day, or every other day, would more than do. I often soak my raw nuts or seeds in water for several hours. It gives them a lovely texture and consistency and makes them easier to digest. Try soaking your almonds – you’ll love it. For a fluffy topping. for desserts and puddings, try soaking raw cashews for a few hours, then put them in a blender and whip up into a cream.
Not all sweets are bad for you. In fact, almost all the sweets given to us by Mother Nature are great for us. These are, literally, the fruits of the Earth. Fruits are nutrient-rich and a great source of live enzymes and antioxidants to boost your immune system and energy levels. The best fruits include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, raisins and tangerines. I recommend you eat at least one or two fresh raw seasonal fruits every day.
Sweeteners that are fine to use occasionally as snacks or in cooking are brown rice syrup, rice and barley malt, honey, molasses, diluted apple juice, diluted grape juice and pure maple syrup.
I won’t let you get all sugared out…
THE NASTIES CHALLENGE
I make my own patients fill out food and drink inventories for at least 10 days before they come to see me. They have to write the time and details of everything they eat and drink for that 10-day period. They also keep a track of moods, feelings and health complaints alongside the foods for each day. This data can provide a fantastic insight into a person’s life. Often I will tell people to bring in the wrappers of pre-packaged foods and cans they have eaten so that we can go through ingredients they may have eaten without realizing.
The Nasties Challenge is designed to make you think about any bad habits you have and what it means to your health. So, put your hand on heart and be completely honest here.
How many of the following do you consume on average in a week? Keep a tally of your scores.
Below 15: Great! You may be eligible as a ‘Dr Gillian groupie’!
You should be proud. Please keep up the good work.
Your long-term prospects for a healthy life are superb.
Score: 15–25: Getting there
You are the kind of person who could easily cut out the rubbish in your diet. It’s not too late. Maybe you are bored? Life is a bit dull. Get some exercise, take up a hobby. You do not feel quite as good as you could and you know it. Do something about it now.
Score: 26–50: You are a player
You are dumbing yourself down and playing with your health. But ask yourself: for what reason? Do you need to get ill before you make the change? What’s it going to take? Follow my Detox Day this weekend and get back on track. Make a promise to yourself to do better. You are worth it.
Score 51–100: You are a right mess. You’re not OK!
I am not happy, and you shouldn’t be either, because you are a mess waiting to happen. You are playing Russian roulette with your health and body, and I’m worried. Even if you think that everything is fine right now, your lifestyle and diet will eventually catch up with you. So your long-term prospects are scary, if you don’t do what I am telling you.
Score 101–150: You flunk, big time!
This is really bad. You should be ashamed of yourself! Either shape up by reducing your score with my advice in this book, or you’re wasting my time. I am begging you, ordering you, to make significant changes, starting today. Time is a matter of urgency in your case.
There are certain foods – the nasties – that must be avoided. You must either delete these cold-turkey, or at the very least, cut down on them significantly. The bad nasties can be downright harmful and counter-productive in getting you the results that you want. I don’t want to get hung up on telling you what not to eat or do. My emphasis is exploring the exciting new food choices and fun new lifestyle that we can embark upon together. I’ve given you á short list of bad nasties below, to keep things simple. You’ll see that there aren’t that many of them, and I hope this will encourage you more. But please, I repeat please, accommodate my requests here. Ultimately you will be delighted, thankful and looking and feeling like a million bucks!
Here’s my short list of Bad Nasties.
Coffee
Coffee contains caffeine – a stimulant drug also present in tea and cola drinks. When you drink too much coffee, your blood pressure rises, leaving you feeling anxious and restless. The paradox is that although coffee is a stimulant, it overworks the adrenal glands, tiring out both them and you.
Moreover, all coffee, even decaff, can stimulate skin-ageing. It also reduces the absorption of iron and zinc by up to 50 per cent, which can compromise your immune system. Wean yourself off coffee slowly. Instead, start drinking a rotation of herbal teas, such as peppermint, chamomile, dandelion, nettle and red clover, or simply some freshly squeezed fruit juice in hot water.
Too much coffee can make you susceptible to colds and flu.
Fatty foods
Too many fatty foods, including red meats, dairy products, fried and ‘junk’ foods, can clog the arteries, deplete calcium levels and compromise the function of the heart and other vital organs. There’s no diplomatic way to put this, but excessive intake of fatty foods makes you fat. It also leads to high blood pressure, food allergies, heart disease, diabetes, eating disorders, liver and kidney problems, osteoporosis, arthritis, colon, breast and uterine cancers.
Sweet foods
Too many sweet foods and refined white sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and chocolate can cause severe blood sugar imbalances, mood swings, a lower resistance to infection, hyperactivity and hamper the function of the spleen, liver, pancreas and intestines. Use alternative natural sweeteners such as honey, molasses and pure fruits and juices, but use them sparingly.
Dairy products
Cow’s milk is high in fat and the protein casein, which is hard for humans to digest properly. This is why cow’s milk can trigger allergic responses such as asthma, earache, runny nose, catarrh, skin rash, lethargy and irritability.
Furthermore, some people lack the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose in milk. If you are lactose intolerant you may suffer from bloating, wind, flatulence, diarrhoea or constipation. Instead, try the more easily digestible alternative goat’s milk or soy, rice, nut, triple grain and oat milks. If you cut out dairy foods, keep your calcium intake up by eating calcium-rich foods such as tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds and leafy greens; amaranth is also very high in calcium and magnesium.
Finally, if you really must drink cow’s milk, then please boil it first. The boiling process breaks down the large indigestible molecules.
Alcohol
Alcohol puts a big strain on your digestive system and liver. The liver converts alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic cousin of formaldehyde used in tanning leather and the embalming process. Too much alcohol can lead to obesity and its connected problems, blood sugar imbalances, fatigue, sluggish organs and cell tissue degeneration.
Note to smokers
Smoking strips your body of vital nutrients, prevents nutrient uptake from food, weakens your digestion and poisons your blood.
You don’t need to avoid these foods for ever, but just know to eat them only in moderation.
Yeasts
Nearly all baked goods contain added yeast as a raising agent and to enhance flavour. Packaged goods often contain yeast additives which might be described as autolysed yeast protein, yeast extract, hydrolysed vegetable protein, vegetable protein, baker’s yeast, brewer’s and torula yeast, so read the label before buying. Fermented foods (i.e. vinegar, soy sauce, cheese) and alcoholic beverages (especially wine and beer) are another source of yeast. Yeasts are problems only to those who are sensitive to them: if you suffer from allergies, candidiasis, asthma, yeast infections, eczema, hives, headaches or migraines, then the chances are you will need to eliminate excess yeast.
Yeast sensitivities can be created by eating too many of these ‘yeasties’, as I call them. I’m not saying that you must never eat foods with yeast. I just want you to be aware that you should limit your intake of yeast-containing foods. A final note: Most baked goods are made with loads of added sugars too. So, occasional treat, not a dietary staple.
Pasta
If you think white pasta is a nutrient-dense food, think again. Commercial pasta is made from white flour. White flour is devoid of fibre, very low in minerals and contains inorganic iron, which can accumulate in the body (inorganic iron depletes other good vitamins). I’m not saying you can never eat white pasta; but I am asking you to eat it in moderation. My best advice here is to introduce other types of pastas into your diet. Instead of white pasta, better choices could be rice, spinach, spelt, corn and soy pastas, all of which are available in health food shops and even some supermarkets.
Red meat
Too much red meat can toxify and acidify the blood, deplete calcium, overwork the kidneys and liver, and stagnate in the intestines, killing the beneficial flora. This can lead to kidney stones, a sluggish liver and/or liver disease, bowel and reproductive cancers, arthritis and osteoporosis. Red meat puts a strain on the body’s ability to produce enzymes and hydrochloric acid, which are necessary for digestion. If you are eating red meat, learn to food combine properly so that you make your digestion of the meat more effective (see opposite page). And try to eat organic meats wherever possible.
Nightshades
Avoid foods from the Nightshade family of foods (tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines and peppers) if you are prone to muscular, arthritic, joint or bone problems.
Arthritic sufferers need to especially avoid the nightshades because they contain a substance called solanine, which interferes with the enzymes in the muscles, often causing pain and discomfort and aggravating joint problems. If you really love these foods, the best thing you can do is to roast, bake or cook these veggies with a little miso soup. This process will neutralize the solanine compound.
Poultry
The process by which commercial chickens are reared means that diseased animals may land up on your plate. Therefore, I recommend that you eat organic poultry if available.
FOOD COMBINING
Many of my patients come to me for help with their diets. Most of these people have been overweight, gassy and bloated after meals. Food combining can provide the perfect solution. When you food combine, fat is able to burn away properly; so you are not left with undigested food particles lurking throughout your body. The main thing to remember is that foods fall into different groups , and it is important not to eat certain groups at the same time as this will hinder good digestion.
When done properly, food combining will:
Without food combining, you:
The problem is that some foods are digested more quickly than others; some require different digestive enzymes, and others need different conditions in the stomach for proper absorption. For example, proteins need acid digestive juices, while carbohydrates need alkaline juices for their digestion. When my own patients embark upon my food-combining methods, they often notice significant improvements in their physical symptoms within just a few days and also report enhanced energy levels, elevated moods and overall vitality.
LOSE THE WEIGHT
Food combining is a great way to manage your weight. The idea is that if you eat a single food by itself, or more than one food in the right combination with other foods, you maximize your digestive capacity and ability to break down the foods effectively. This means your body doesn’t hold on to undigested food which then gets turned into fat balls of toxins and cellulite. Proper food combining allows the body to efficiently burn fat. In my practice, I have found proper food combining to be one of the most effective ways to lose and control weight.
How It Works
Group 1: Proteins (meat, poultry, cheese, fish, eggs, milk, nuts) produce acid juices for their digestion. They digest slowly.
Group 2: Carbohydrates – these are all grains and the foods made from them (bread, pasta, cereals, flour, biscuits, etc.) and starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, yams and sweetcorn) which produce alkaline juices. They digest quickly and require different enzymes to proteins.
If you eat Groups 1 and 2 together, the competing enzymes and digestive juices will fight and neutralize each other. The result is that food doesn’t get digested properly and rots inside the gut, causing gas, bloating, heartburn, stomach pains, malabsorption, indigestion and energy drain, to say the least.
Group 3: Salads, non-starchy vegetables, roots, seeds, herbs, spices, nut and seed oils. These can be digested with either Group 1 or Group 2 above.
Group 4: Fruit. This is out on its own and holds the record for the fastest digestion rate. Fruit uses completely different enzymes from all other groups above.
The Solution: