Vegetarian Vitality

A short while ago I was listening to the news on the radio and heard a report talking about food prices and how people are now paying about 20% more for beef. This is due to rising corn prices, which are making livestock more expensive. My immediate thought was “I won’t be affected, I don’t eat meat”. In fact that’s not true. Even though I won’t be paying higher meat prices, everything has a knock on effect.

I was reminded of this point today while reading a quarterly magazine, Végi-Info. While we may grumble about paying higher prices for food in general, the price increase is meaning that a large number of those in the 3rd World are going hungry everyday. In 2005   according to  the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN) hunger and malnutrition kills nearly six million children each year. Yet more than enough food in the form of grains is being produced to feed everyone.

About 33 percent of global arable land is used to grow grain for animals. And this happens because there is a demand for meat. So maybe it’s time to decide to reduce meat consumption because of the price we’re paying at all levels of society.

Recently I was in London and visited St Paul’s Cathedral. There was a service starting just as I arrived so I stayed to listen. One line from a reading stuck in my mind

                         “whatever is not from faith is sin”.

The real and historic meaning of the word “sin” is “missing the mark” from the Greek word “hamartia” . This idea is far from our usual ideas of sin as being something which is “bad” or “wrong”. So for me this line is about how if you do not believe in what you do you, you are missing out because you are not on the right path for you. It’s worth stopping and checking that you believe in what you do. Lack of faith may prevent you from expressing who you truly are and lead to the worst kind of prison to be in, the one created by your mind. Whereas faith can give you focus to achieve and be.

 This idea stuck because it caused me to reflect on the many professional hats I wear. Often I feel as if I am doing too many things at once. But all of them are interlinked and part of my life and I find it difficult to separate them. All of the techniques and tools I use have served me well and that’s why I feel confident about sharing them with others. It also means that I’m quite careful about what I suggest to clients. If I haven’t had some sort of personal positive experience of it then I am reluctant to offer it as a solution.

This concept also works for my clients. Those I see who believe that the work we are doing together is right for them at this time, make much quicker progress than others.

In my free e-course “5 Nutritional Keys to Vitality in your Life” I talk about  adequate water intake and recently I’ve been getting some more specific questions about what this involves. So I’m going to share my answers here for the benefit of all.

Q: When is it best to to drink water?
 A: it’s best to drink water ( a glass) at least 1 hour before or after meals, and if you forget then drink a glass of warm water up to 30 minutes before.

Q:What about drinking before going to bed?
A: If you are thirsty, then have a glass of water but it is best to drink as little as possible to avoid having to get up in the night to go to the toilet. Ideally stop drinking water at least an hour before going to bed.

Q: Why does drinking a glass of water sometimes help cure hunger pangs?
A: Because often when we think we’re hungry we are in fact thirsty

Q: How can drinking water help a sugar craving?
A: Great question! When we get dehydrated we can lose concentration and feel tired. So our body can respond by wanting sugar. because sugar is a quick way to get a lift. So if we drink some water, we take away the need for the sugar.

I’ve also had comments from readers indicating they don’t feel they drink enough water.
In my course I give 7 ways of increasing your water intake – really easily.  Here are 3 of them. .
1. Have water constantly near you throughout the day, e.g. on your desk, in your bag, so you can take a sip when you feel like it.
2. Have a water schedule – the body likes routine. For example, drink a glass an hour after breakfast, one an hour before lunch etc.
3. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables – some are up to 80% water!

Fancy some more? Feel free to  sign up for my course here

Many clients whom I see have a goal to achieve a desired weight. One of the main issues they have which stops them from moving forward with their goal is their limiting belief about food and, in particular, food cravings.

A short time ago I was fortunate to meet and interview AnaMaria Herrera, an expert in the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). She has created a system to deal with food cravings and outlines five key points that can help individuals successfully to achieve their desired weight.

1. Have a mentor – a professional who has expertise and can guide you to achieve your health goals
2. Find other people like yourself who want to achieve same goal as you
   (watch your inbox for  details of a Nutri-Jyoti group I’m setting up to help you find a “buddy” and to get support from me and others in the Nutri-Jyoti Community) Start using a technique to work on limiting beliefs
3. Engage in movement or exercise that you enjoy
4. Educate yourself about eating and food choices

To discover more about EFT and this exciting system (iamcravingfree.com) to help you reach your health and weight goals, click on the play button to listen to the interview. (Do let me know if you have any problems.)

Phone interview with AnaMaria Herrera, Agent EFT
Feel free to share your thoughts on this post with me below.

I’ve been away for a few days and on my return I saw that Swiss dairy farmers had gone on strike to get more money for their milk production. They have finally got their increase and the supermarkets and other shops are wasting no time in passing it onto the consumer. With the rise in the price of dairy products, the question of whether milk is an efficient source of calcium is being discussed a lot.  So here are my thoughts.

Official sources tell us that milk is the best source of calcium, that we need to eat 2-3 portions of dairy products per day, where 1 portion is 250 grs. However, there is increasing evidence showing that milk may not be the more efficient way of getting calcium. Firstly, as an animal protein, milk when digested produces more acid which the body may neutralise by taking calcium from the bones. You can also get a good supply of calcium from dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and low-oxalate vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, boy choy and water cress.

In Ayurveda milk is considered to be a wonderful food but all the ancient writings came before the time of pasturisation, adding hormones and antibiotics to cow feed etc. So, if you’re in good health and not intolerant or allergic to milk, my thought is to go for moderation, just as Ayurveda teaches. And make sure you vary your calcium sources.