Even a minor shift in your eating habits can transform your whole sense of wellbeing. My emphasis is not about telling you what not to eat but in turning you on to hundreds of new foods that you may never have known about. This isn’t a diet of restriction – rather, it’s one of abundance. I want you to eat more foods, not less. I want to shatter your expectations of dieting.
In my own clinical practice, patients who first come to me wanting to lose weight (however much), end up achieving their desired goal and looking fantastic. But they need to make the commitment to eating more of my healthy foods, and less of the unhealthy foods. And I promise that if you follow my diet of abundance, you will never have a weight problem.
SO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A HEALTHY DIET?
The first big issue I run into at the clinic is when I ask the new patient about the quality of his/her diet. Inevitably, most patients tell me they eat a healthy diet. It is only after probing, questioning, and asking them to provide a detailed food inventory for the week that we discover that most people eat terribly, even when they think they’re eating just fine. So, before we go much further, I would like you to complete my Food Intelligence Quotient Test (FIT-IQ) now.
Depending on your FIT-IQ grade, you will either be able to quickly skim this chapter, using it as a simple reference guide (if you’re a high FIT-IQer), or, alternatively, will have to keep this chapter – and this book – with you at all times, and never let it out of your sight!
DR GILLIAN’S FOOD INTELLIGENCE (QUOTIENT) TEST
Answer Yes or No to the following questions:
1 Do you eat at least one piece of raw fruit each day?
2 Do you eat at least five servings of vegetables each day?
3 Do you eat rice, quinoa, oats or other grains at least three times a week?
4 Do you eat a serving of raw vegetables each day?
5 Do you eat raw seeds at least three times a week?
6 Do you use seaweed in your cooking?
7 Do you include fish in your diet at least twice a week?
8 Do you chew your food thoroughly until it’s liquefied?
9 Do you go out of your way to avoid foods containing preservatives, additives, colourings or Ε numbers?
10 Do you avoid foods that contain sugar or added sugar?
11 If you are stressed do you wait until the feeling has passed before eating?
12 Were you breast-fed as a child?
13 Do you always make sure that you take time to eat properly, even if you feel tired or busy?
14 Do you eat breakfast every day?
15 Do you drink bottled spring water every day?
16 Do you drink at least eight glasses of filtered, spring or mineral water every day?
17 Do you avoid beer/alcohol/fizzy drinks when eating?
18 Do you drink water approximately 25 minutes before eating your main meals, instead of drinking water with meals?
19 Do you eat a varied diet instead of eating the same foods every day?
20 Do you make raw vegetable juices at least once a week?
YOUR SCORE
Add up the number of your Yes answers.
17–20: EXCELLENT – TOP OF THE CLASS
Please look at this chapter, familiarize yourself with it, and you should be just fine.
12–16: NOT BAD – COULD TRY HARDER
You’re trying, which is good news, but not hard enough. You had better study this chapter – and this book – faithfully! Start following my Diet of Abundance at your earliest convenience.
11 OR LESS: YOU’RE FLUNKING OUT!
STOP! Don’t move! I am really worried about you. You are in a serious mess. I am ordering you to take to heart every word of this chapter and book. I am literally begging you to start my Diet of Abundance today, without delay.
Let’s start with some very simple quick preliminary eating tips:
- » Go for variety in your diet. It will deliver more nutrients and make you feel more satisfied.
- » Add one or two new foods each week to your routine diet.
- » Eat organically grown foods where available.
- » Use whole grains instead of refined processed grains and brown rice instead of white. Wholegrain flour, bread and spaghetti are better than refined flour.
- » Take a break from wheat whenever possible and introduce other grains such as barley, spelt, millet, amaranth, quinoa and rye.
- » Eat fresh vegetables every day.
- » Use unrefined sea salt instead of regular table salt.
- » Use unrefined cold-pressed oils, such as sesame, corn, olive, sunflower.
- » Use no-added-sugar jams.
- » Drink pure (not concentrated) fruit juices.
- » Rice syrup and barley syrup are better natural sweeteners than white sugar.
- » Eat white wild fish (not farmed) rather than meat and chicken.
- » Eat protein foods such as beans, tofu, quinoa and tempeh instead of meat and cheese.
- » Use sea vegetables for your cooking . These vegetables are a valuable source of nutrients, including calcium, beta-carotene and vitamin B12, which help reduce cholesterol, rid the body of toxins and strengthen immunity.
- » Introduce new foods into your life and eat more of them, especially from my Abundant Food List . Be open-minded!
How fantastic is it that you don’t need to feel hungry again? At the beginning of their transformation, the biggest concern of the participants on the TV show was ‘Will I be hungry?’
On my Diet of Abundance, you will end up eating a much wider variety of foods than you ever thought possible. And the beauty of it is that you can eat as much of these foods as you like. Your cravings will be banished for good because you will finally be feeding your body.
MAKING THE CHANGE
Joanne, a TV participant who had lived her entire life on burgers and a very limited diet, was extremely worried about how hard it would be to change. She thought I could not possibly understand what she was going through. How wrong could she be.
Many years ago, when I moved away from home to go to university, I survived on a very stodgy diet of saturated meat and potatoes, drank dozens of cups of caffeinated tea until buzzing point and snacked on packets of crisps. I then moved to Spain for a year, and lived on a regimen of chocolate éclairs and Spanish pastries with a few sangrias to wash them down, as well as processed white rice and pork chops. I was overweight and totally depleted of nutrients. Needless to say, I had no energy, my skin was a right mess and I felt quite sick.
I dragged myself kicking and screaming to change my ways. It was not easy and took a while. But the transformation in my health was worth the effort. The participants on the show were forced to make their changes in only eight weeks! I want you to take the time you need to make these changes, but the good news is that you will start to feel the benefits almost immediately.
Once you have reached your health goal, I often tell my patients if you follow the 80/20 rule, you will be fine. Do what I suggest 80 per cent of the time and that leaves a 20 per cent window of food naughtiness. But you might just find that your body does not want to be food naughty. It likes the new you and does not want to spoil the exhilarating feeling. If you do indeed cheat or you fall in the 20 per cent naughty activity, don’t beat yourself up. Accept it, then get back on track.
So challenge yourself and open your mind to the new possibilities. I bet you have no idea how well you can really feel, how much energy you can attain, how sharp your mind could really be, how much happiness you can exude, until you take the steps. It’s almost like if you never get your eyes tested, you have no idea how well you can see. If you don’t challenge yourself with your health and offer your body good food, you have no idea just how great you can feel.
If you eat dead, lifeless food, your body will be lifeless. If you eat vital, vibrant foods with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, you will be full of life force and vitality too. It’s the way it works. It’s that simple.
ENERGY GRAINS
Rich in nutrients, grains are your basic energy food. Almost all whole, unrefined grains can be beneficial to your health, while refined grains, such as white rice, white bread and white pasta, are devoid of most nutrients and fibre due to the refining process. These processed grains behave like sugar when eaten, rushing into the blood system and causing havoc. This can result in blood sugar imbalances, sugar cravings, mood swings and weight gain. That’s why a healthy diet should always include the unrefined versions of grains such as brown rice, pot barley, amaranth, millet, rye groats, wheat berries, buckwheat groats and so on. Generally, the darker the colour, the more unrefined the grain and the healthier it is for you. Here are some of the grains I recommend.
Amaranth
Amaranth is very strengthening to the lungs – so very beneficial in these days of high pollution and ozone intoxication. And it contains even more calcium and magnesium than cow’s milk!
In Nepal, amaranth seeds are eaten as porridge called ‘sattoo’ or milled into flour to make chapatis. Amaranth can be cooked as a cereal, ground into flour, popped like popcorn, sprouted, or toasted. The seeds can be cooked with other whole grains, added to stir-fries or to soups and stews as a nutrient-dense thickening agent.
Barley
Two types of barley are available: pearl barley is the refined version; pot barley is the whole grain. Go for the pot barley. Barley is sweet tasting and good for your stomach and digestion. If you suffer from indigestion, barley can make a difference. It does have some gluten but levels are low.
(Note: Barley is not to be confused with the superfood barley grass. Barley grass does not contain gluten.)
Brown rice
Brown rice is extremely beneficial for the nervous and digestive systems. Of all the grains, it is the least allergenic – even for the most sensitive individuals.
Rice Rules
- » Short grain: Eat in autumn and winter to warm your insides.
- » Long grain: Eat in summer to keep you cool.
- » Basmati: Perfect for people who are overweight or internally damp with mucus and catarrh.
Buckwheat groats
Buckwheat groats are gluten-free, rich in healthy minerals and (unlike wheat) are non-allergenic. If you are sensitive to wheat, this is a superb alternative for you. It contains a decent amount of protein, about 20 per cent, as well as the bio-flavonoid rutin, which helps strengthen circulation and veins. If you suffer from varicose veins, this is the grain for you. Great for livening up salads.
Corn
Also known as maize, corn is very common. You will find it in a lot of baked goods. When ground, corn is often added to pre-packaged foods. As a result, corn is a bit like wheat: added to too many foods and, as a result, a potential allergenic if you eat too much of it. To release the nutrients from corn kernels, you need to chew the kernels really well as the skin is indigestible.
Kamut
Kamut is closely related to wheat, but many wheat-sensitive people tolerate kamut. It contains twice as much protein as wheat, more minerals, especially magnesium and zinc, as well as 16 amino acids and essential fatty acids too.
Millet
Millet is an excellent grain food source. High in iron, magnesium, potassium, the B vitamins and vitamin E, it supports the digestive system, improves nutrient uptake and is a great energy booster as it supports the spleen, your energy battery.
Quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced keenwa) is a South American grain that is becoming more widely available and contains all the essential amino acids. It is therefore a complete protein but is easier to digest than meat protein and has a far lower fat content than most meat.
Oats
Oats contain more good fats than other grains – fats that will help you to actually lose weight, not gain it. Oats are also a rich source of vitamin B Complex, good for the nervous system and for strengthening your bones.
Rye
A good grain for sourdough baking. Some of my patients grow sprouts from the rye berries . Rye is excellent for the liver. Make a broth with the grain if you are a headache sufferer.
Spelt
Spelt, like buckwheat groats, is loaded with minerals and protein, and strengthening to the constitutional organs. It is a tasty, nourishing alternative for those sensitive to wheat. Constipation, colitis and poor digestion are some of the conditions spelt can help. It’s the only grain that contains mucopolysaccharides which stimulate the immune system. It’s a good source of constant energy.
Teff
Teff is a tiny seed with lots of flavour. Its high protein content provides good levels of calcium, magnesium and iron, making it a good choice for people who are salt cravers. Teff contains more potassium than most other grains, helping to clear poor diet acids from the blood.
WHAT ABOUT WHEAT?
Most of us eat far too much wheat. Although it’s a healthy grain, eating too much of it can ultimately exert a negative effect on the blood and organs, leading to food intolerances and allergies. It has, in fact, become highly allergenic due to its excessive intake in the West. I recommend you substitute other grains for wheat wherever possible, but don’t worry about eating wholewheat in moderation.
Helpful Hints About Grains
- » Eat only unrefined grains, not processed ones.
- » Wash grains well before cooking.
- » Cook until the grains are soft and all the water has been absorbed (see Grain Cooking Chart, opposite page).
- » Chew grains well. This will improve digestion.
- » Did you know the gluten content of wheat virtually disappears, once germinated via sprouts? Try sprouting your favourite grains .
- » Store grains in sealed containers, and use within four months of purchasing. A bay leaf can be added to keep cereal-nibbling critters away. I normally keep my own grains in the fridge or freezer (especially during warm summer months).