Food for Happy Life

There is a plenty of literature on the food that may make a person healthy, but in my opinion the food a person takes should not only make and keep him healthy but happy as well. I have coined a new term, HAPPY FOOD.

The whole process right from production, procurement, preparation, consumption etc., all should be a happy time. The person or persons preparing the food/meal should be happy preparing food, enjoying every moment of it. The prepared food should look attractive, having good smell and is properly served on the table. It should be a happy moment and not some mechanical work. The person eating should like the taste of the food, every bite making him happy. Lastly the person should remain disease free on taking this food and continue keeping him or her happy today, tomorrow and ever after.

This was not taught at the school of medicine where I spent ten precious years, but by chance I encounter a person who himself was on natural food for several years.

This person asked me three questions:-

• "If you cook a grain and then put that grain in the soil, will it grow. ?"

• ‘No’ I said.

• "What has happened to the grain on cooking?"

• "It has become dead,’’ I answered.

• "Why do we consume food ?"

• “To sustain life", I said.

• "Now to live ,what are you eating?"

• "Food", I replied .

• "No!, The dead food that you are eating."

• ‘Yes, You are right,” I said.

He then asked me, why is it that so many human beings were sick? The number of diseased persons is rising every year, that too when science has been making so many discoveries year after year. I had no answer to this question. To my question what makes the food dead on cooking, "simple, the grain's capacity to make enzymes is lost” he answered.

Should it matter! If there are no enzymes in the food a person eats. “Yes it does” and it is one of the important thing.

• 'How' I asked?

Well how many cells are destroyed in our body per day?

• “50 BILLION,” I replied.

For making a single cell ,a person's body needs, a number of enzymes, so how many and how much of enzymes will be required to make those fifty billion cells. The need for such enzymes in the food becomes all the more when we are stressed physically, mentally and nutritionally.

The list of foods which are stressful for the human machine is endless. For example the Refined sugar, white Bread, noodles, Burger, Pitzza. synthetic beverages, tinned foods, high salt pickles, polished white rice, cornflakes, meats, fried foods, alcohol, high salt foods and fried food etc.

No animal in nature is diseased, unless its food habits are changed and their natural habitat is destroyed or contaminated with toxins etc. It is because the raw, uncooked food of all the animals is full of vitamins, enzymes, minerals and fibre etc. that, they are hardly sick.

I saw some logic in his arguments so, I decided to give up processed and cooked food and switch over to the natural and uncooked food. The whole switching process took me three months.

It was a very difficult time, because the food was not palatable to begin with had very little taste. It was hard to chew as well. But, I continued taking living food, as I wanted to know weather a person can really live and survive on the natural food, and get rid of many acquired diseases.

My stomach would often tell me that I was being unkind to it. The experiment went on during which I rarely took cooked food. Gradually my tongue started developing taste for the raw, uncooked food. It soon gradually became a happy hour while eating this food. After 8 months. I lost about 3 kilograms of weight, but no other untoward symptoms occurred.

The positive health benefit that I got with the changed diet was, cure from allergic rhinitis. I used to be miserable during the winters and during change of seasons but, not any more.

My energy and efficiency has increased. I am happy and cheerful. My wife could save the time and energy. The time thus saved was used for constructive purposes.

After having achieved such positive health benefits I started advising my patients about the benefits of having living food in their diet. The list of people who have since benefited by the change in diet is big. Only a few cases are being mentioned. Some of them call it miraculous.

Type 2 Diabetic with Diabetic Nephropathy

A. 58 years old, Mathematics teacher, suffering from diabetes mellitus for more than 20 years, she had uncontrolled blood sugar, swollen legs, diabetic nephropathy despite taking insulin injections twice a day, with other medicines for diabetes, hypertension and diuretics for leg swelling.

On my advice she gradually switched over to eating natural uncooked food and wheat grass juice.

The beneficial results were visible in the first three months of the switchover. The albumin, she was passing in urine decreased by 40%, her sugar was now under control. After 10 months her blood sugar was at ideal levels, her Hb AIC was normal, swelling of legs disappeared. The dose of insulin, she was taking also decreased, the albumin in the urine kept on decreasing from 496 at the start of living food to 41 mg at the end of ten months.

Somehow, after ten months she stopped taking the living food and the wheat grass juice. In one month alone, her blood sugar level rose, the swelling in the legs reappeared and the albumin in urine rose from 41 to 390 mg.

Without taking an offence to what she had done, I advised her not to lose heart and restart eating living food. This resulted in improvement in all the above problems in 5 months time. Her albumin in urine has now decreased to 31 mg from 390 mg. Swelling in legs has completely disappeared. She has more energy, her insulin dose has decreased. She is very happy now. She is giving living food to her husband as well, who is also a diabetic and has diabetic nephropathy. Her husband has also improved by taking living food.

She has made it a mission in her life to help any one who has uncontrolled diabetes, and is sick despite taking too many medicines.

This is because, now she is fully convinced, in her words “only by eating the living food my condition has become better and better”.

Brain Attack :

This patient about 55 yrs of age, had a cerebral stoke due to hemorrhage in cerebral vessel. It made him unconscious. The medicines given to him were of little help. Ultimately he was sent home with a nasogastric tube (Ryle's tube) to feed him.

This patient was put on a diet of fruit juices, wheat, grass juice and water only. This patent recovered fully after 21 days in coma.

Obese and Hypertensive

One thirty years old male and 180 cm. tall having raised blood pressure and weighing 114 kgs., was tired of being teased for his weight. He used to be breathless when climbing stairs and was unhappy and depressed. He was educated about the living food, was given a practical demonstration of living food.

In six month’s time not only he lost 24 kgs, his blood pressure which used to remain high despite drugs, became normal without increasing the dose of the drug. Now he does not became breathless on climbing. He has become very happy.

Many people ask him about the ways by which he transformed himself. It has made a sea- change in the diet of his family members as well. They all enjoy the taste and flavour of living food with less labour and costs. His son, only 4 years old, cannot stay without the living food for a single day.

Possible reason for the improvements if you analyse the diet of mathematics teacher now, was having low glycernia, decreased total amount of carbohydrates, it was full of enzyme (due to sprouts of grains, pulses, fenugreek and groundnut) full of B-Complex vitamins. Beta carotene, minerals, Chlorophyll and antioxidants. Moreover, her output of free radicals had become less.

She is very happy that gradually she has taken control of her life by understanding, why is she diabetic. Her expenditure on the medicines, laboratory tests, hospital visits, Doctor’s consultations, waiting time at the hospital, time spent on pharmacy visits, expenditure on food and fuel have all decreased. Net result is HAPPINESS, physical, mental and financial.

Like the above case, it is very interesting to mention about a study where a Diabetic was transplanted with a normal kidney. The new kidney developed nephropathy in 3-5 years time. In another experiment, kidney from a Diabetic having nephropathy was transplanted to a non diabetic. The nephropathic changes reversed and the kidney became normal.

This article is an attempt to address the problems faced by the human machine made up of cells, tissues and organs due to physical, environmental, mental and nutritional stress.

This is called stress because the cells are not given that they should be getting in the first place, what they are getting are only the DUSTBIN FOODS - like sugar, salt, Biscuits, Bread made from refined flour, synthetic drinks, alcohol, smoking, tobacco, chocolates, crisps, potato chips, tinned foods, treated oils and fats, processed foods, insecticides, pesticides, chemicals. And to correct the damage caused by man made synthetic and junk food, we feed drugs and chemicals to the human machine. The entire scenario is not only depressing but tragic also. It has become our habit to complicate things by trying to find out complicated solutions for simple Problems.

Similarly for the problems of the human machine the solution is very simple. That is to eat what your cells, organs , tissues want. Just plain and simple, listen to what your organs say. They speak to you but we just don’t listen to the organs at all and the result of ignoring the cries of the organs is irreversible damage to the cells, tissues, organs and organic systems. Ultimately humans are decorated with fancy titles, Diabetic, Hypertensive, cardiac patient, Osteoarthritics, Asthmatic, Obese and so on. The list is endless.

You will be surprised to know that organs speak. Yes that is true, OK, tell me, have you ever heard your heart talking, you will say what nonsense! but it speaks in it’s own language.

OK. tell me what are the functions of the heart. Beating and sending the blood to all parts of the body at a certain pressure and that too round the clock, at the normal rate of 72 times every minute, 24 hrs a day, 365 days of the year and year after year.

When the heart is unhappy how will it tell you, simple, either the heart rate will rise or the force by which it is sending blood will increase because the arteries are narrowed. See what we do, we just take some tranquillizers, or if the Blood pressure is high we shall just take some medicines to reduce the blood pressure without going into the cause of rise in Blood pressure or the heart rate. Well the reason is not far to seek. The rise in heart rate is due to the food that has been forced into the human machine, but the machine does’t like it.

The rise in Blood pressure is due to the narrowing of the lumen of the big and small arteries through which the blood has to travel and that too at a certain pressure so that all the tissues get adequate amount of oxygen, glucose, hormones and other nutrients.

Similarly, you know your kidney speaks. As the function of the kidney is to make urine, that too one ml/ minute, that is 1440 ml in 24 hrs, that is the normal rate, but how many of us are passing that much urine in 24 hrs.

Very few, because that much urine will form when one drinks fluids and water regularly, that too about 2000 to 2500 ml or more per day, but we do not drink enough water, instead we drink synthetic beverages, alcohol and what not. But not enough water.

You know why, the reason is simple, by making synthetic drinks, alcohol, cheap and easily available, every person connected with the industry and the governments becomes happy, but who suffers, “Everyone” who drinks alcohol, synthetic drinks and such unnatural beverages.

In similar ways, your brain speaks, your hands speak, your legs speak, your joints speak, only if you are aware of the functions of these organs.

Now by the above example it might have become clear as to why we do not take correct measures to correct, control our problems. On the contrary we actually try to complicate the matters.

So finally coming to the things that the human machine, loves and becomes happy and blissful on getting them. It is simply the natural food that is whole cereals, legumes, lentils, green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, dry fruits, seeds, honey, coconut and water etc etc.

As mentioned before, human machine makes nearly 50 billion cells in one day to keep in perfect health, then can we know what material will be required at what time and in what quantities.

It is not possible because the science as yet doesn’t know everything that a cell does and wants. Till date the scientists of the world have not been able to synthesise a single living cell by non living matter.

Then what’s the solution?

Simple, take all the nutrients known to us at every meal in sufficient quantities so that the cells do not have a chance to go without the essentials at any time of the day. They are supplied all the nutrients that they require to maintain normal cell structure, repair the damage, and multiply when needed.

So first the list of all the natural nutrients that the human machine requires, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, oils, nuts, seeds, green coloured vegetables, Leafy vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, natural drinks as coconut water, honey and antioxidants etc.

Carbohydrates : Source of Energy for the man. These are present in a host of foods, like cereals, pulses, nuts, legumes, honey, sugarcane, sweet potato, potato other roots and tubers etc. But of all what is the good. Well what we don’t need is the refined carbohydrates like white flour and refined sugar, why?

By refining most of the protective nutrients are removed or become too less. As on polishing rice loose upto 80% of the Vitamins, fibre, essential fatty acids etc. are lost. Similarly in refined white flour of the wheat, the 22 ingredients reduced only 4 are fortified but copper and zinc, still remain absent so any thing made of the refined whiteflour becomes bad for the human machine. These things become high glycemic and if taken in large quantities for a prolonged period will cause insulin resistance and may be type 2 diabetes mellitus later.

So use only hand pound/Brown rice/ Paraboiled rice only, whole wheat flour, as the main source of carbohydrates in daily food. One best method would be to sprout the wheat or the oat or even barley. Use them either raw or steam cooked.

By sprouting the digestibility improves, the vitamin content increases and the glycemic index of the food becomes low.

It takes very little time to sprout and steam cook.

Proteins : Take only vegetable proteins. All the pulses /lentils/ legumes are good sources of it. The soyabean has more than 40% protein whereas fish and egg has only 20% of it.

These pulses can be sprouted as well and eaten raw or steam cooked like the cereals.

These legumes/ pulses have less carbohydrate, their glycemic index being low, helps in keeping blood sugar at normal levels, cholesterol level is also kept normal as soyabean has most unsaturated fat which is heart healthy.

The pulses when eaten with cereals compensate for the deficient essential amino acid in them. There is no need to add extra salt when sprouted pulses and cereals are eaten uncooked.

Cholesterol in the body is manufactured by the liver from fats and oils in our diet. We also get Cholesterol from animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Although Cholesterol is vital for the integrity of the cell structure and producing the hormones. But excess of it can cause buildup of atherosclerotic plaque, leading to block of blood flow in arteries and ultimately to either heart attack or cerebral stroke.

Cholesterol travels in the blood in combination with proteins called lipoproteins.

The main types and Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and high density Lipoproteins (HDL)

The LDL, every one knows is the one, that accumulates in the wall of arteries where as the HDL so called good Cholesterol is transported to liver, so it is the clean up crew that sops up excess Cholesterol from the walls of arteries and tissues and disposes it off. It is the protein that carries HDL is good and not the Cholesterol. In view of the above facts it is best to eat only vegetable oils. Particularly the ones which are high in unsaturated fats.

Transfects - Are the fats obtained by hydrogenation of vegetable oils. They are used by the food industry to prepare baked and fried products. These fats are most dangerous. They reduce HDL and increase LDL and are responsible for high incidence of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Fibre : Are the Carbohydrates not digested by the human digestive system. They are found in plant foods, such as vegetables, legumes. fruits and grains etc. Fibre lowers the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and diseases of colon like diverticulitis, etc. Fiber rich foods help to lower weight or maintain weight loss because they tend to be low in calories, they take longer to chew and make you feel happy and full.

Insoluble fibre : Found in whole grain foods cereals, many fresh fruits and vegetables. This fibre soaks up water like sponge, adding bulk and prevents constipation by making it easier for the intestine to move waste matter along the digestive tract including material that might lead to cancer. It helps to prevent diseases such as hernia, anal fissure and internal hemorrhoids etc.

Soluble fiber : It is particularly helpful in lowering cholesterol levels and fighting heart disease. The soluble fiber dissolves in large intestine making a gel that binds with bile acids and they are excreted in stools. The liver now makes more bile acids from cholesterol and lowers it in blood. The good sources are apple, peas, lentils Citrus fruits. One person needs to have at least 7 to 14 grams of soluble fiber every day for healthy arteries.

Pectin works like other types of soluble fibre. Sources of pectin are grapefruit, oranges, Plums, Peaches, Spinach, Lettuce Onions and Peas.

Vegetables : All the vegetables are good sources of soluble and insoluble fibre. The dark and green leafy vegetables are rich sources of beta carotene, folic acid and vitamin B6, calcium and of course the chlorophyll. They also contain natural salt.

FRUITS : They are called the protective foods as they supply the essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, like betacarotene, vitamin C, and soluble fibre, like pectin and gums.

According to nutrition experts, a person should be taking at least 8-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

When fruits are added to the sprouted, uncooked cereals and lentils, they become palatable and require, no extra salt as the natural salt is sufficient to keep the tongue happy. More over the fibre in fruit will keep the stomach full for a long time. It also helps in slow release of Glucose from food thereby maintaining a steady Glucose with no peaks and troughs.

When eating fruits and vegetables , it is best to have them in food, rather than juice form, as the juicing removes much of the fiber.

It is important to use the fruits raw, without cooking so that the enzymes in them are not lost.

Sodium : Genetically our body is programmed to conserve as much sodium as it can. So the body’s requirement in less than 2400 mg. Sodium per day. According to American heart association the intake of sodium should be reduced to less than 2000 mg. per day in people suffering from high blood pressure, congestive heart failure.

Too much sodium allows the body to retain fluid which increases the amount of fluid pumped by the heart and circulating in the blood stream. This increases the work of the heart. The excess fluid can back up into the lungs causing congestion and difficulty in breathing.

Taking sprouted cereals and legumes/lentils, need very little salt, as the salt present naturally in them is enough, but after cooking them, we need to add extra salt to make it palatable.

Similarly, the green vegetables and fruits also have natural salt in them when used raw or uncooked. Moreover, the fruits also contain the beneficial potassium. A person needs upto 3500 mg. per day of potassium.

HIGH SODIUM foods to be avoided are

• soya sauce

• Chilli sauce/ mustard sauce

• pickles and relishes, olives

• Processed cheese and cheese spread

• Baking power, baking soda

• All baked goods

• Canned or frozen vegetables in sauce

• Monosodium glucomate ( MSG)

• Frankfurtes, cured ham or other snacks foods

Salt substitutes can be used, but only in moderation. Potassium chloride is a common ingredient in them and they should not be cooked as on cooking they taste bitter.

Instead of using salt substitutes it is better to flavor the food by using herbs, spices and lemon juice etc.

Antioxidant is a classification of several organic substances that includes Vitamin C, E, A derived from Beta carotene, Selenium a mineral and the Carotenoids. Carotenoids are a pigment that adds colour to many fruits and vegetables. Together these anti oxidants, deactivate certain particles called free radicals.

Free radicals are a family of reactive oxygen species. These free radicals are the natural by products of many metabolic process within and among cells. They are created more when exposed to smoking, tobacco, radiation, chemicals and preservatives in foods, carcinogenic substances in food, mercury in fish and sea food, etc.

These free radicals are responsible for causing damage to all walls, like endothelium of big and small arteries, resulting in arterioselerosis. Some times they cause damage to the genetic material inside the cells. Over a long time these freeradicals damage can become irreversible and lead to diseases such as Cancer, heart disease, diabetes and cerebral stroke etc.

So antioxidants play the house keepers role, “Mapping up" free radicals before they get a chance to do harm in your body.

Vitamin C prevents the formation of Nitroso compounds, the cancer causing substances found in preserved meats and in drinking water.

The elderly, the diabetic, cardiac, hypertensive, osteoarthritic people, aspirin users, alcoholics, smokers and people with impaired immune system, all benefit from taking antioxidants. They are best when taken in their natural form, from, fruits and vegetables. Good sources are, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, mangoes, curry leaves, Amarnthus leaves etc.

Selenium is needed to make selenoproteins, an important antioxidant enzyme. Plant sources are the best -Brazil nuts have the highest. Bread, oatmeal, brown rice, walnuts and cheese, garlic, wheat germ and brewer’s yeast.

DRY FRUITS

Walnut, almonds, are good sources of unsaturated fat and helpful in lowering the LDL and increasing the HDL, an effect achieved by using statin drugs. Dried apricots are good sources of fibre and lycopene so essential to prevent prostrate cancer.

flaxseed : rich in Alpha linolenic acid, an omega 3 fat, a precursor to the form of omaga 3 found in fish oils. So flaxseed oil is a good dietary necessity, upto forty gm. oil can be taken every day.

Flax seeds provide comparable cholesterol lowering benefits as statin drugs. Only 20 gms of ground flax seeds are effective in reducing the ratio of LDL to HDL in 60 days. It is also a good source of dietary fibre and magnesium. Magnesium is essential for preventing asthma and migraine.

It also decreases the risk of breast cancer in women. Flax seed, by restoring hormonal balance, reduces majority of the symptoms related to menstrual cycle disturbances.

Other beneficial foods :

Broccoli, cabbage, Cauliflower Brussels sprouts contain Indoles helpful in liver's fist phase of detoxification. Isothiocyanates also found in cruciferous vegetables help in 2nd phase of liver detoxification. Limonoids found in citrus fruits help in 2nd phase of detoxification.

Compounds in garlic, onions, leeks and spice cumin- enhance phase two, of liver's detoxification system.

Coconut water each 100 ml contains more potassium - 294 mg, less sodium only 25 mg, only 5 mg of natural sugar and chloride 118 mg. It is the nature’s purest and best energy drink.

Sweet Potato : When there is urge for something sweet then a thick slice of sweet potato is guaranteed to satisfy your whole body and not just your sweet tooth. One 100 gm serving shall give 262% Vitamin A, 30% Vitamin C, manganese, 15% dietary fiber and vitamin B6 of the daily requirement of man.

The protein in sweet potato had about 1/3rd the antioxidant property of glutathione, one of the body's most impressive antioxidants.

They have been found to be good for diabetics as they decrease insulin resistance.

Drink Like a Camel : In order to keep the blood thin, to keep the viscosity of blood less, to decrease the work of heart, keep the liver and kidney’s happy, it is mandatory to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day . As you gradually increase fibre in your diet, because fibre absorbs fluid as it passes through our body. This way a person is prevented from having diseases like diverticulitis, appendicitis, constipation, colon cancer, anal fissure, and internal hemorrhoids etc. By drinking that much water a day by it self can reduce the incidence of heart disease by upto 50%.

Alcohol - A fuel for the dead machines, is being frequently used for the living machine, humans, only from commercial point of view. It is an established fact that alcohol has been linked with an increased risk of cancer of esophagus, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, breast and the liver. This cancer risk will be all the more if you smoke as well.

MEATS : Consumption of meats is associated with higher incidence of cancers, this habit is associated with a higher incidence of hypertension, heart disease as well as high levels of cholesterol in blood as they are high in saturated fat.

Moreover if you do not eat plant based foods and low fat diet, your chances of developing cancer increase.

SMOKING- Causes about 85% of lung cancer deaths, and is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths. Nearly 50% of all bladder cancer occurs in smokers. This habit is associated with increased incidence of arteriosclerosis, raised blood pressure and heart disease,

Lifestyle - absent or low levels of physical activity are linked to all the life style diseases - such as high cholesterol, Insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, Ischemic heart disease, cerebral stroke, obesity, colon cancer and breast cancer.

Managing stress: Practice the relaxation and reduce stress - By this very simple technique one can reduce heart rate, blood pressure.

Learn progressive muscle relaxation

Do visualization to remove yourself mentally from a stressful situation.

Practice abdominal breathing / relaxed breathing.

Remove stress, by setting limits to what you can do be open to observations other people make about your workload, and try to accept their view and change accordingly.

Manage your time - by thinking ahead

“ Knowing what is happening is better than being in the dark”

“Having a strategy is better than being unprepared”

“Being able to avoid/eliminate suffering is better than sitting there suffering.”

In a nutshell, I have a simple solution -first make a list of all the DUSTBIN FOODS as mentioned in the article. Then see to it that none of them enters your house/kitchen.

While planning any meal see to it that it has - full fibre, whole cereal, pulses, fruit, dark green/other vegetable, antioxidants and dry fruits. The meal time should be a happy time. Activities like exercise, meditation and breathing exercises should come automatically and effortlessly.

Imagine the happiness of the people on this earth when by education and practical demonstrations of the benefits of living food, year by year less and less people will suffer from life style diseases. More and more sick people will start recovering from these diseases. Less and less will undergo leg amputation and become physically handicapped. Trillions of dollars thus saved can be utilised to make the earth the better place to live happily.