A SAMPLE:
THE NATURAL YEAR
A SEASONAL GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH AND BEAUTY
BY
JANE ALEXANDER
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011, Jane Alexander
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
First published by Bantam Books, Transworld Publishers, in 1997.
INTRODUCTION TO THE NATURAL YEAR
Starting to live your life with the seasons
Do you sometimes feel as if life is racing past you? As if you are running up a down escalator that is picking up speed by the second? Is life an uphill struggle where everything seems an incredible effort? Perhaps you have trouble losing weight; or maybe your energy levels seem to flag lower and lower? Do you ever despair of getting your life on track? Do you beat yourself up because sometimes all you want to do is hide away and tell the world to carry on without you? If you've answered yes to all or any of these questions it's no great surprise. I think most people feel nowadays as if they have to live life on an endless treadmill, permanently racing to go nowhere fast. Society expects so much of us. We are supposed to be cheery, bright, successful super-people - all the time. If we fall ill, or fail or feel depressed, we are branded failures.
It simply isn't fair and it certainly isn't realistic. It comes about because we are almost all living very unnatural lives - pitting ourselves against the natural rhythms of the year. What we have lost is the concept of natural cycles in life; that there are times to be bright and cheerful but equally times when it is fine to be withdrawn and inward-looking. As human beings we may be intellectually and technologically advanced but we are still living creatures and, as such, we are governed by the natural world. And the natural world is a seasonal world, a never-ending succession of highs and lows, ups and downs. It is ruled by a perpetual sequence of birth, growth, maturation, decay, death and rebirth.
All around us nature follows its regular rhythm: it has a time for energy, growth and vitality, a time for relaxation and plenty, a time of storing and harvesting, a time of withdrawal and solitude. So why is it that we humans manage to completely ignore the natural cycle of life?
If we, too, regulated our lives by our natural clock we would find life a much easier ride. Our bodies would be healthier, our emotions more balanced, our hopes and aspirations might stand a better chance of becoming reality. Living by the seasons, learning through the seasons, we could get back into balance with the natural scheme of life. Losing weight can become easy when you pick the right time to do it, with the right preparation. Relationships become less fraught when you understand that our emotions equally have cycles -that there are times to be close and loving but equally times to get away from each other and venture into the wider world. Choose the right time to change your job and your whole career-path could transform overnight. And your soul will rejoice if you give it back its rightful sojourn of solitude and contemplation. This book aims to return you gently to the natural wheel of life, living in tune and in balance with the seasons, with the ever-shifting cycle of life.
In the past there would have been no need for a book such as this. Nobody would need lessons in how to live in tune with nature - our ancestors knew its cycles and patterns like the backs of their own hands. They lived close to the land and if they dared ignore the yearly progress of the year it was at their peril. Yet in our modern world we have moved ourselves out of sync with nature and its cycles. We no longer need to watch the earth, the skies, the rivers and sea to pick the best times for sowing and reaping, the time to bring our herds and flocks back from the high pastures into the home fold - because so few of us earn our living by the land. We have spent the last century desperately running away from the domination of Nature. We have sought to control the natural world, to bend it to our will, to allow ourselves to live free of its implacable dictates.
We have succeeded to a large degree. We can sit warm and snug in our centrally heated homes while the rain and hail storm outside. We can work in a cool breeze in our offices while the summer sun beats down on the parched earth. We can eat strawberries at Christmas and, if we chose, the stews and casseroles of winter at the height of summer. We have comfort and we have choice - and isn't it wonderful?
Not for one moment am I suggesting we throw it all in and head back to the fields to become born-again peasants. I've lived without central heating in winter and I have absolutely no desire to do it again. I've spent nights tossing and turning, unable to sleep through muggy heat-waves and positively yearned for an air conditioner. Let's be under no illusions - life before technology could be tough and unpleasant. When we think fondly of ‘the good old days’ we conveniently blank out nasties like frozen taps, chilblains and frostbite; hunger when a harvest failed; misery when the rain fell too much or too little. No-one in their right mind wants to turn the clock right back.
However we are in danger of moving too far in the opposite direction. In our quest for comfort and ease we are losing many of our natural allies; we are forgetting many deep truths about life and living. We push our bodies to extraordinary lengths and expect them to perform like robots, permanently fit and full of energy. We feel under pressure to spend our lives perpetually happy and full of joy. And so, when we feel tired and in need of rest; when we feel down or depressed, we blame ourselves. In our fast-moving consumer society we are expected always to be on top form, to be constantly bright and breezy, happy and contented. And if we aren't we beat ourselves up over it.
Living with the seasons isn’t about a permanent feel-good factor - that would be as artificial as a stick of candy floss. It isn't about having non-stop, super-powered energy all the time - if we felt like that we would be automatons. Living with the seasons is about balance. It's about recognising the right time to be bright and bouncy, the right time to storm out into the world, to take it by the horns and shake it. But equally it is about accepting that there are times when you will gain nothing by charging the hill except exhaustion and disappointment. It's about remembering that there are times to retreat and focus inwards rather than outwards. In winter it's perfectly natural to feel more quiet and contemplative; it's even normal to feel slightly sad and depressed. It's our ‘soul time’, a time to escape and muse, to ponder and retreat. It's the natural time of the year for soul-searching, for devoting time to our inner lives, our deepest needs and desires. Yet nowadays we are told all too often to ‘snap out of it’ - taught techniques to banish the big bad blues, to deny the dark side of our souls. This book, on the other hand, will show you how to work with your down periods, to welcome the opportunity to give your inner life its time. Everything has its place - and even the seemingly nasty side of life can help you change and grow.
For our purposes, the best point to jump into the natural year is with the upsurge of spirits that the first sunny days of spring bring. Spring starts with the bursting of new life, the optimism that comes with lengthening days and increased sunlight. We awake from the mystical soul-time of winter into a season which is unashamedly about the physical. It's a good time to start out on a new life-plan because your mood should be lifting, your energy levels rising and you should be feeling responsive to change. Sticking to resolves should be much easier in spring than in the depths of winter. However, if you buy this book in summer, autumn or winter you certainly shouldn't feel you have to wait until next spring to start. As I've already said, and will say many times more before this book is done, the year is a cycle, a wheel and it really doesn't matter when you leap on. The important point is to move yourself back into working with the seasons rather than against them. Another important point is that you don't have to do it all - or certainly not all at once. There is a lot of information in this book and if you followed up everything in it you wouldn't have time left for anything else! Do what feels comfortable to you. Experiment, try things out, see what suits you and what doesn't. You might wait until next year before trying some things. Come to that, you might not feel the time is right to do anything at all - yet. Let the book sit on the shelf - there will be a right time.
Above all, remember that we are all individuals, with our own, vastly differing cycles and rhythms. This book is a general guide only - don't take it as gospel. If it makes sense and feels good, try it. But if the book is telling you to withdraw and contemplate when you are wild with energy, then follow your body. As you become more attuned to the way the external world affects your inner self you will begin to just ‘feel’ what is right and what is wrong for you at any given time. The main purpose of this book is to guide you back into an understanding of what your body needs and what your mind and emotions crave.
At the beginning of each seasonal section I give the basic information for that period: how to adapt your diet, your exercise programme and the kinds of issues you might address in your personal or professional life. To my mind the seasons each have a different focus, a different series of tasks. So spring, to me at least, is the Season of the Body, a time when we need to look at our relationship with the physical, with our health, with how we see our bodies. It's an energetic time, a time of getting things started.
In summer the emphasis shifts to the emotional. I call summer the Season of the Emotions. It's a time to look at your relationship with your feelings and also to consider how you relate to other people. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't work with our bodies in the summer. Most certainly we should. One point I will continue to make throughout this book is that everything is connected. Our bodies affect our minds but equally our minds affect our bodies. Both affect our psyche and our souls. Equally our external environment and the people we surround ourselves with will affect us too, in body, mind and spirit. So really the four seasons are just different ways of looking at the whole. It's as if the year offered us a selection of ways to grow and change. You might start with the body and find your career or relationships shift. Equally, making changes to your psyche could quite literally alter your body.
Autumn is the time I call the Season of the Mind. It also connects with our relationship with the environment around us and our path, our purpose in life. It's a dynamic season which has a powerful effect on almost everyone. It represents another big shift in the year. Remember how as a child your year began in September with the return to school after the long summer break? Colleges and universities follow the pattern. It makes good seasonal sense as autumn ushers in fresh thoughts, a new impetus for learning, for using your mind.
Winter sees a deep plunge into the Season of the Soul. It mirrors our relationship with spirit, with the divine, with something larger and greater than ourselves. This is a section which, more than the others, might cause some people problems. We readily accept that we have bodies, even if we often try to ignore or forget them. No-one would deny that we have emotions or minds - although, once again, we might not truly appreciate how powerful these are and to what extent they rule our lives and shape our bodies. But when it comes to spirits and souls many of us rush into denial. Why? Maybe we have been put off spiritual matters by early religious experiences. Maybe we feel we simply don't have the time, the luxury, the indulgence, to become ‘spiritual.’ Or maybe we are frightened. Frightened of what would happen if we delved deep enough into our true essence. Whatever the reason, rest assured that the winter section isn't all about spirituality and it most certainly isn't about religion so just try it and see. If anything feels uncomfortable or ridiculous, just read it through and let it go.
The individual chapters on each month of the year develop the themes of the season and provide a loose framework for action. This isn't a precise guidebook, more of a seasonal ‘pick and mix’ bag outlining the kinds of activities, treatments and therapies that are particularly attuned to that time of year. Please don't feel constrained by their order in the book - if you feel like launching into Rolfing in January, that's fine. You don't have to wait until the ‘right’ month. See what appeals and give it a go. Above all, don't force yourself and don't feel you have to do anything at all. Even making the tiniest change, taking on board just one small point, instigating one new ritual or routine in your life will make a difference and you'll notice a change. It's like throwing a tiny pebble into a pool - the ripples spread out and touch every part of the water. Even the most inconsequential change in your actions or even your thoughts can have much larger consequences.
The whole idea of seasonal health is to make change gently, naturally; to work with the ebb and flow of the year. Working with this programme means looking to longterm change - and constant change. Nothing stays the same in nature and so we can hardly expect ourselves to stay the same month after month, year after year. We mature, we grow, we learn new skills and seek different goals. You can't stop the clock and you shouldn't want to. When energy stays still, it easily turns stagnant - when it flows freely but in a controlled manner, it stays healthy, vibrant, alive.
Hopefully this book will help you get back in touch with your natural self, to find yourself moving with the flow of life. And once you manage that, suddenly you will find your life change. The world will become, quite literally, a different place.
The long lost wisdom of the senses
Much of the information in this book is not new. It dates back decades, centuries, even millennia. Seasonal living is not some fresh fad dreamt up by marketing people or put under the microscope by scientists - it is living wisdom that has been used for thousands of years. Most of the advice in this book has been tried and tested by literally millions of people and it has been handed down from generation to generation for one simple reason: it works. The ancient Indians, Tibetans and Chinese were highly advanced in science, technology and medicine. Their ultimate quest was for immortality and, if they didn't quite achieve that, at the very least they succeeded in living very long lives - in exceptionally good health.
Throughout this book I have drawn on a very wide variety of disciplines and therapies but the mainstays are the great ancient healing systems of traditional Chinese medicine and ayurveda, backed up by the Western system of naturopathy. I also pay a lot of attention to the old festivals of the Celtic year which have been passed down and form the basis of modern paganism. Seasonal rituals are just as important as what you eat or how you exercise.
Where are you now? The self-evaluation test
Before you start on any of the ideas in this book, give yourself time to fill in the questionnaire that follows. This book is all about your self, the true inner you. So the first place to start is right here and now with how you feel about all areas of your life. Please don't skip over this bit - even if you don't follow any of the suggestions in this book this one exercise can make you see your life in much clearer terms. You can only make changes when you're really clear about what you want to change. Often we think we know the answer, the one big bugbear in our lives, but there are plenty of other nasties lurking below the surface. This quiz is designed to make you think about your life - about what is good in it and about what doesn't work so well. There aren't any right or wrong answers so be as truthful and honest as you can. I would recommend you put your answers in a fresh notebook or journal. Buy one especially for the work you will do throughout this year - it will act as a diary and progress report. Ideally choose a book you really like - something special and beautiful - and keep it solely for your work. In other words, don't use it for scribbling notes to the kids or for the odd shopping list. It should be something very private. You can only be truly honest if you feel no-one is going to read what you have written or pry. So tell your family that this is a private zone. If you have nosey children it might be a case for buying one of those locking diaries again!
Answer the following questions in as much depth as you like. The more you start thinking now, the easier the work over the next year will be.
YOUR HEALTH
1. Are you happy with your health? Do you consider yourself a healthy person?
2. Do you like your body? What do you like about it? If you don't like your body, why not? Do you feel comfortable in your body? If not, what parts feel uncomfortable?
3. Are you happy with your weight? If not, why not? What would your ideal weight be?
4. Do you consider yourself to be fit? How fit are you really? Would you like to be fitter?
5. Do you incorporate regular exercise in your life? How much and how often?
6. Is your body flexible? Can you easily bend and stretch or do you have aches and pains?
7. Do you have good posture? Does your body feel comfortable and easy at all times?
8. Do you suffer from stress and tension in your body? Do you find you hold tension in your shoulders, neck muscles, jaw? Or do you suffer from nervous tension in your stomach? Do you get headaches or migraine when you are tense? What are the physical symptoms of stress you suffer?
9. How do you sleep? Do you suffer from insomnia or interrupted sleep? And what are your dreams like? Any recurring dreams? Nightmares? Perhaps no dreams at all?
10. Think about your diet. What kind of food do you eat? How much of it? Be honest. Write down a typical day's food. Do you eat much chocolate, sweets or cakes? Do you often or occasionally eat convenience food, prepackaged food, ‘junk’ food or takeaways?
11. What do you drink? How much tea, coffee and fizzy soft drinks do you consume? How much alcohol?
12. Have you had any accidents? Do you suffer pain or discomfort as a result?
13. Do you smoke? How much? Do you take any recreational drugs?
14. Do you live in a very polluted area? Do you spend much time travelling on roads? How is your breathing?
15. Are you on any medication? How much and what for? Do you understand about your drugs - what they are for; how they work? Are there any side effects? How long have you been taking medication?
16. Do you feel happy with your GP? Can you talk to him/her about your problems? Or do you feel dissatisfied with your healthcare? 17. Do you feel in control of your body and your health? Or do you feel it is something quite outside your control?
18. How are your senses? Do you have clear eyesight or do you need glasses/contact lenses? How is your hearing? Your sense of taste? Your sense of smell? Do you ever think about how you feel or touch things? Would you say your senses are acute or dull?
19. Do you worry about your health? Are you scared of becoming ill or of being out of control of your body?
20. List the five things you would like to change about your health.
YOUR PSYCHE: EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
1. Do you consider yourself a happy person? Or are you more generally unhappy? What is it in your life that makes you feel discontent?
2. Are you fearful? What frightens you?
3. Do you express your feelings? Can you freely express grief, sadness, anger, frustration, love, gratitude, joy etc? Are there any emotions you cannot express?
4. Did you have a happy childhood? Were you loved? Did your family get on?
5. And how about adolescence? What were your feelings around puberty?
6. Have there been any major traumas in your life? Any death, divorce, abuse?
7. Are you on good terms with your family - both immediate and extended?
8. Do you have a good relationship with your partner? Is it a partnership of equals or do you feel discontented with it? If you don't have a partner does that cause you unhappiness?
9. Do you ever suffer from depression? When? Any triggers?
10. Do you have solid friends you can talk to and confide in?
11. Do you ever do things just for the hell of it? Do you play? 12. Do you have hobbies or interests outside work you really enjoy? 13. If you spend time on your own how do you feel? Do you enjoy it or do you feel slightly uncomfortable or downright unhappy?
14. Do you ever feel trapped by your life?
15. Have you got good self-esteem? Do you believe you are a worthwhile, interesting, valuable person? Or do you feel that you don't really matter that much; that other people are far more exciting and interesting than you are?
16. Can you be assertive if you need to be? Can you stand up for your rights or do you let people walk all over you?
17. Do you have a good sex life? Are you happy with your sexuality? Is there anything you would like to change?
18. Do you feel in control of your life?
19. Are you scared of your emotions?
20. List five things you would like to change in your emotional life.
YOUR LIFE PATH
1. Do you feel as if you are in the right spot? Are you happy with your career or your life path?
2. Do you feel fulfilled?
3. Is there something you have always yearned to do with your life?
4. Do you have enough money or is money a constant worry?
5. Do you feel secure?
6. Do you wake up in the morning and feel raring to go, as if the day is a new challenge or do you wish the world would go away?
7. Do you feel creative in your life? Whether it's in your work, your family and home, artistic pursuits or new ideas and challenges?
8. Can you adapt well to change or does it frighten you?
9. If you could do anything in life what would it be?
10. Do you feel that your outward persona matches your inner self?
11. Do you feel respected in your life work?
12. Do you have good relationships with your fellow workers? Do you get on well with your boss, your colleagues, your employees?
13. Is your work a joy or a battleground?
14. Do you work with people who support one another or do you work in an environment which thrives on ‘creative conflict’, pitting people against each other? Do you enjoy your work environment?
15. Are you ever bored with your work?
16. Are you doing the best you can or are you underused and understretched?
17. Does your work environment hazard your health in any way?
18. Do you switch off when you leave work or do you never have a break? Do you take work home with you; work at weekends? How do your family and friends see your work? Does your work compromise your relationships? Are you a workaholic?
19. Does your work give you stress? How do you deal with it?
20. If you could change your work in any way, how would you do it? What career did you want as a child? What is your ideal career? Do you want to work at all?
YOUR SOUL
1. How do you feel at the idea of spirit or soul? Is it an alien concept; something rather embarrassing; something frightening or is it something you feel quite comfortable with?
2. Do you express your spirituality? Do you have any kind of religion whether organized or not?
3. Do you fear the unknown?
4. Are you scared of eternity, of death?
5. Do you believe in luck, chance, random events?
6. Do you ever have the feeling that your life is being overseen in any way?
7. Do you blame the misfortunes of life on something beyond your control - on karma, God, fate, past life?
8. Do you give yourself time to dream, to think, to muse?
9. Do you meditate or practice any form of visualisation or relaxation techniques?
10. Do you feel as if your life has purpose?
11. Does life fill you with a sense of complete joy sometimes?
12. Do you have time to be on your own?
13. Do you ever escape into nature - whether the local park or countryside? Where do you feel happiest - by the sea, in the mountains, in a forest? Or do you feel happier in the city, surrounded by people or in a quiet cosy room?
14. Do you feel safe?
15. Do you live in the now or are you living in the past or projecting into the future?
16. Do you ever stop and just do nothing?
17. Do you feel as if life is just one long trial and that there is nothing you can do to change it?
18. Do you take enough holidays and days off?
19. Do you believe that you deserve good health, great relationships and a wonderful life?
20. If you could do something just for you, what would it be?
As you'll see there are no scores, no summaries. This is a portrait of you at this moment in time, how you feel right now. Keep your answers safe - we will look back at them at various points during the year.
SPRING - THE SEASON OF THE BODY
KEY FOCUS Getting into the body – working on your relationship with your physical self
SECONDARY FOCUS Starting to think about your life.
TASKS Introducing a healthy diet; starting to exercise; detoxification; tonifying the body; boosting the lymphatic system; increasing flexibility
QUESTIONS How might I like to live my life? How do I want to treat my body? Am I willing to take responsibility for my health?
CHALLENGES Dare to pamper yourself; use dance to discover your emotions; try seemingly irrational exercises!
FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS Spring equinox, Easter, Beltane
Everything seems possible in spring. This is the young year, the growing year, the season of buds and blossom, of lambs and all young things. It is, to my mind, the perfect time to turn over a fresh leaf, to start anew. Spring is the season of hope, of fresh life and new beginnings. It's as if each year we get another stab at getting it right or, at least, getting it better.
After the darkness of winter, the days start to get longer and this change in light triggers a deep shift in nature - everything begins to come back to life and vigour. Catkins appear on hazel trees and pussy willow, bluebells cast a hazy sheen through dappled woods, primroses cling to steep mossy banks and larks soar and fall over the ploughed fields. Even within towns and cities, the onrush of spring can be seen in the bright cheery faces of daffodils and other spring bulbs and the frenzied nest-building of sparrows, pigeons and their other city friends. You don't even need to see visible signs of spring: just stop and sniff the air, there's something fresh about it, a new energy has arrived into the year.
Spring is pure physicality - it's the season of the body and the perfect time to start a program to bring you into peak fitness. Take it slowly, one step at a time, and you can alter forever the way you look and feel. Spring is the time when we need to cleanse and detoxify our bodies, to clear out the debris that has accumulated during the relative inactivity of winter. It's a time to start looking closely at how we feed our bodies; a time to decide on changes that will help our bodies serve us better. You can lose weight now but it's not the best time of year to launch into a fully-fledged weight-loss regime. Your body has just come out of its winter hibernation and needs to be cleansed and then fortified, tonified. Far better to spend spring easing yourself into good, honest healthy eating, to cut out toxins and junk food and then launch into weight loss proper (if that is what you truly need) in the summer.
Equally, although spring might seem like the perfect time to change your entire life, it's not a good idea to overturn it right now. Spring is great for deciding upon your focus for the year but it is not necessarily the best moment to kick in your job on whim or to make sweeping life changes. It's the time to start thinking about what you want from life; to consider what you might need to change. But leave the implementation of those changes until that other dynamic season, autumn.
Hopefully you have already filled in the questionnaire in the introductory chapter. If not, do take time to do it now. Look carefully at the section on your body. Are your answers truthful and accurate or are they wishful thinking? How would you like to see your body? How would you like to feel in your body? Really think about it. Do you know, in your heart of hearts, that you eat the wrong food, too much food, too much junk food, too little food, too little fruit and veg and fibre? Think about what you're putting in your body. Think about how all your internal organs, all your bodily systems, pounce on the food you put inside you and try to obtain the nutrients they need to make you function properly. Do you give them a fair chance? Or are they scrabbling around trying to keep you going on a pile of empty calories, a sickly wodge of sugar and a dead weight of salt? This spring the aim is to make friends with your body so the least you can do is give it the bare essentials it needs. Try to follow the healthy eating guidelines.
What about exercise? Think about the muscles of your body - not just your pecs and biceps but your heart and your lungs. Exercise on a regular basis strengthens the whole body. Think about it.
In this way, go through the whole questionnaire and really delve deep into your answers. What changes could you make right now? What changes do you want to make over the following year? Make a list of everything you would like to improve or change and give yourself a time scale. Also write down how you would do it. For example if you want to start exercising your list might read:
Goal: improve physical fitness. Be able to run for the bus without gasping. Be able to play netball and go jogging again.
Right now: walk up escalator every day on way to work. Look up gyms and sports centres in yellow pages and check out membership/facilities.
Over the next month: join gym and start regular workouts.
When the weather improves: fix bike and start cycling to work. Get outside in lunch-hour - maybe start walking or jogging.
In three months time/when fitness levels improve: join team for netball.
Again, don't try to do it all at once. But do do it.
The season of wood and the evil wind
In the Chinese system spring is the season of the element wood and it is filled with the expansive, explosive energy of young yang. Young yang is boundless energy but can be reckless, impulsive, impatient. It is like an adolescent, straining at the bit, wanting to race out and make a mark in the world but not quite sure of his or her own limits. Wood makes us feel that we need free expression, to find our own way, to try new things and meet new people. It is open and energetic and can lead to great enthusiasm and new endeavors. However it can also become out of control and can lead to the feeling of ‘spring fever’, obsessive, undisciplined mania. It's unpredictable - think of mad March hares, April showers, sudden heatwaves that vanish equally suddenly in squalls and sleeting rain, the sneaky frost that can devastate your garden overnight. Spring is also, quite naturally, the season of sex and sexuality. It is the season of procreation in the natural world and, just because we can mate at any time of the year does not mean we are not moved by the primal seasonal urges. Lust rises in spring - it is the time for starting relationships or recommitting to old ones.
The colour associated with wood is, unsurprisingly, green. The direction that governs the spring is east which also rules the beginning of the day, the morning. The secondary element the Chinese associate with spring is wind. Wind is the fresh air of spring, that whisks away the old and sweeps in the new. But too much wind can be harmful and the Chinese say that the great danger of spring comes from the wind ‘evil’. If we are balanced and healthy then the wind can do us no harm. However if our energy is low or stagnant then we might not be able to cope with the fluctuation in the external energies of wind and wood - the troublesome wind can invade the body and throw yin and yang into even more imbalance. The result is that we go down with colds and flu, coughs and snuffles, hot sweats or even more serious ailments. Some practitioners of TCM say that the wind evil is allowed free rein in our modern world through central heating and air conditioning because they shock our bodies and don't allow them to adapt to the outside conditions. Microwaves and radiation equally come under attack but then no-one would suggest that radiation is particularly healthy.
Avoiding any of these evils is pretty difficult nowadays, unless you live in a cave up an isolated hill. But there are ways to minimize the damage:
Fortify your body with good clean food. Avoid sweets, soft drinks and snacks made from refined sugar and steer clear of junk food, deep-fried food and over-processed foods.
Take a daily good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.
As far as possible don't shock your body by plunging from extreme heat to extreme cold. Wear a sweater or a vest rather than turning the heat up high.
Install an ionizer in your home and office - particularly if you live in a large town or city.
Keep a window open, especially at night. If you can avoid sleeping with air conditioners or central heating do so. Try using a fan to generate cool air. Time your heating so it comes on an hour before you get up rather than being on all night.
Practice the techniques of good breathing. The Chinese recommend chi kung breathing exercises be carried out every day and say that twenty minutes of chi kung will re-establish your energy levels, enrich your blood, soothe the nervous system and the endocrine system and put your autonomous nervous system into the calming, restful parasympathetic mode. Practitioners of yoga would say the same for their practice of pranayama, which teaches the art of good breathing. For best results, join a yoga or chi kung class and learn how to do it in absolutely the right way.
Food guidelines for spring: easing yourself into healthy natural eating
We have just come out of winter, season of thick warming, sustaining stews and comforting stodge. Most of us have probably put on a few pounds over the winter season. By now you may well have already tried to diet after Christmas or for your New Year resolutions yet kept finding yourself digging in the biscuit tin or having a second dollop of pudding. Don't beat yourself up over it; you are just doing what virtually every creature does - storing extra fat in case of a lean winter and to keep you warm through the cold. Now spring has come it's time to gently shed the excess and to get the body moving.
Don't leap in with a draconian diet whatever you do. It may be spring but your body needs nourishing, not starving. And anyway, as you should know by now, diets simply don't work. All you're doing on a strict diet is starving your body into a panic in which it sends out alarm signals to the cells screaming ‘hang on to every bit of fat you can!’ Your metabolism naturally slows down to preserve your stores and, after a while, it becomes harder and harder to lose weight.
What I would suggest at this time of year is to commit yourself to introducing healthy eating habits into your life. You may find that a few simple changes alone will bring quite surprising changes: your weight should begin to balance itself anyhow; you should certainly gain in energy and alertness and quite probably you will find your mood improving. The guidelines that follow are sensible eating habits for everyone.
Do remember that food is fuel for your body. If you want a high performance car to run smoothly and speedily you fill it with the right fuel and lubricate its engine with the right oil. Put a low-grade or unsuitable fuel in a car and it will run poorly or not at all. Or think about race-horses - they are fed a carefully balanced diet designed to help them stay in peak condition. In both cases there is an obvious link between what goes in as food and what comes out as performance. So why do we think we can get a super-charged performance out of our bodies when we are shoveling in poor-grade food?
There are any number of ‘perfect regimes’ - some people swear by veganism or macrobiotics, others believe we were born to eat steak; many people swear by food combining - but equally scientists say our stomachs don't care whether we put in protein and carbohydrate at the same time. I don't believe there is any one ‘perfect’ diet for everyone - we are all different and we all need slightly different regimes. This is where most nutritional programmes or diets fall down. Finding the optimum diet for you can take time and effort and if you really want a tailor-made nutritional regime then I would suggest you consult a well-qualified naturopath or nutritionist. Ayurveda and TCM will also give you the ideal diet to balance your type.
However the majority of people can make vast changes for the better in their health and vitality by following these general good health guidelines. I'm not asking you to do it all at once - or even at all. However, if you want to follow some of the suggestions further on in this book, you will really benefit by gently easing your body into a good basic healthfood regime. And, please believe me, I'm not suggesting brown rice and lentils every day of the week. Good food needn't be boring food.
THE GOLDEN RULES
Buy your food as fresh and ‘natural’ as possible. In other words you are looking for food that has been tampered with as little as possible. The ideal situation is organic vegetables, freshly picked, and free-range organic meat. Unfortunately the ideal can be hard to sustain. Organic produce is still expensive, very expensive - and many supermarkets and stores simply don't stock a wide range. Campaign for cheaper organic produce and more of it.
If you can't find organic produce buy as fresh as you can and as locally as you can. Much of our food is transported halfway across the world - quite unnecessarily. Most naturopaths would say that the ideal food is that which is grown in your locality.
Buy food in season when you can. This follows on from eating food grown locally. It's no accident that certain foods grow well at particular times of year. Spring greens and young spring vegetables are perfect spring food - solid turnips and swedes are fine winter fare. Buy food in season and it will be at its peak -full of vitamins and minerals and true food for your body.
The bedrock of your diet should be complex carbohydrates (solid starchy foods like wholegrain bread, pasta, potatoes, brown rice and cereals.) About half your daily intake of calories should come from these prime foodstuffs. This comes as a surprise to many people who think such foods are fattening. The answer is they're not - providing you go for the jacket potato rather than the plate of chips and eat your spaghetti with a roasted vegetable sauce rather than dose it with something involving half a pint of double cream. There are endless delicious options with this kind of food - risottos and pilafs, pasta in all its guises, baked potatoes stuffed with all kinds of interesting fillings, thick wholemeal bread sandwiches. Experiment also with the more unusual grains that are arriving in the shops - wild rice, millet, cous-cous, etc.
Boost it up next with loads of fresh fruit and vegetables. Aim for three pieces of fruit a day plus around 600 grams of vegetables. It may sound like a lot but your body will love it. Fresh vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals and are generally very low on calories and fat. They will help protect your body from pollution and boost your immune system to deal with infections. They really are your bodyguards so eat them any way you can. If the thought of vegetables sends you to sleep try cooking them in different ways - Delia Smith swears by roasting vegetables - popping them in the oven with just a drizzle of olive oil. She's spot-on - they taste delicious and make a great basis for a pasta or rice sauce. I barbecue vegetables a lot - a small amount of meat boosted with plenty of barbecued onions, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes makes a substantial and highly nutritious meal - add some pitta bread and you've got almost perfect balance. Other ways with vegetables include stir-frying with plenty of garlic and herbs or experiment with oriental flavorings like ginger, galingale, lemongrass and coriander. And if the vegetables are really fresh just lightly steam them - perhaps adding a little lemongrass to the steaming water - they should be delicious just as they are.
Protein - whether you eat meat or not is totally up to you. I know plenty of super-healthy meat-eaters and plenty of very unhealthy vegetarians - and vice versa. But if you do choose to eat meat, please try to get hold of organic, free-range meat. I know it's more expensive but not only is it far more ethical but it really is much better for your health. The added bonus is that you really can taste the difference. After that, the key factor with meat is to choose lean cuts with as little fat as possible. It's not meat itself that's bad for you, it's the saturated fat that comes with it. That's why chicken is a good option as it contains less fat than red meat. Fish is an ideal source of protein as well - some of the fats in fish are positively health-giving and many people swear by a fish diet. Perhaps surprisingly game is a relatively healthy option as well - for example venison is very low in cholesterol.
Vegetarianism can be a very healthy way to eat and live but vegetarians often fall into the trap of eating far too much dairy produce - cheese and eggs are fine in moderation but, taken to extremes are not healthy as they are high in fat and cholesterol and also encourage the body to create mucous. Vegetarians (and meat-eaters too) should experiment with the huge range of pulses now available and also try products like tofu (the smoked one is lovely) and quorn which, although utterly tasteless on its own will pick up the flavour of whatever you cook it with or in.
We really need to get away from the idea that all meals should be based around protein anyhow. In actual fact we only need around 70-80 grams of protein a day. So take protein off centre-stage and use it to add flavour and interest. If you look at some of the healthiest cuisine in the world it is generally poor peasant food -thick vegetable stews flavored with a little meat, beans or lentils and a handful of herbs and spices.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Steer clear of additives and preservatives. Sadly most food nowadays comes coated or treated with insecticides, pesticides, fungicides.....etc. Vegetables are sprayed, injected and coated with chemicals to kill anything that might eat them - and then we eat them. Animals are pumped full of antibiotics, steroids and all manner of hormones - and, as we eat the animal, so we ingest their injections in turn.
Always wash fruit and veg very thoroughly, and take extra care if they aren't organic - there are now special washes on the market to help clear pesticide residues (check with your local health shop). There's not much you can do about non-organic meat - except to buy it as fresh as you can and from a reputable butcher - and campaign again for free range organic meat, at reasonable prices.
Avoid over-processed and junk food. It's so easy to eat out of tins and packets; to stock up the freezer with ready meals; to pop into a burger bar instead of cooking a meal from scratch. Life's often too busy to shop, cook and prepare fresh food. But please try - at least for part of the week. Slowly wean yourself off convenience food and try eating ‘real’ food. It needn't take hours or be haute cuisine: a bowl of pasta with a fresh tomato sauce takes under half an hour; so does lemon grilled chicken and greek salad; so does blackened fish and couscous. The list is endless. It might take a little more thought and forward planning than plopping a ready meal in the microwave but your body (and mind) will thank you for it.
Cut out sweets and snacks as far as possible. A bag of crisps might taste nice but they do nothing for your cells. A chocolate brownie might cheer up the afternoon (at least for the two minutes it takes to eat it) but your mind and mood won't thank you for it. These are empty foods, dead foods, so try to cut them down. I'm not going to say, ‘try these nice crudities instead of a Mars bar’ because there's no way a bunch of carrots has a hope in hell of measuring up to a Mars bar in all its sticky, sickly glory. But just be aware of how reliant you are on snack foods. Do you eat them every day? At particular times of the day? When you hit a particular kind of mood? If they're for comfort, try a warm drink instead. If they're for instant energy you'd be better off with a banana or a cup of hot water with honey.
Watch out for fat. To listen to some ‘experts’ you'd think fat was a dirty word. It isn't but you need to know your good fats from the bad guys. Some fat is necessary as it provides essential vitamins and fatty acids but you don't need too much. In fact, you don't need that much at all - a few teaspoons of olive oil a day is more than enough given that many of our foods already contain fat. Try alternative ways of cooking to cut down on fat consumption - grilling, steaming, stir-frying rather than frying. Watch out for ‘hidden’ fat in dairy produce, mayonnaise, crisps and snacks, pastry, sausages and burgers.
Cut down on your salt intake. We almost all eat too much salt and bear in mind that loads of food already contains salt so you need to keep an eye on the contents lists of foods as well as watching what you sprinkle on your plate or add to the pan while you're cooking. The reason we're advised to keep salt intake low is because high levels of salt can cause high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and the risk of strokes. High salt intake also increases your risk of osteoporosis as it causes calcium loss from your bones. And it can be a factor in kidney disease. Cut down gradually and avoid adding extra salt where you can. Check labels and choose foods marked ‘low salt’ where possible. If you're buying canned food choose the ones canned in water rather than brine. Adding celery when you cook can help add flavour or try squeezing lemon on meat, fish and vegetables for a tart, tangy taste.
YOUR DAILY PLAN
Try to eat three meals a day using the foods above as your guide.
Breakfast really does set you up for the day - choose something like cereal or toast with a piece of fruit and perhaps some live yogurt.
Lunch is important too but in the middle of a busy day it's all too easy to stick a ready-meal in the microwave or grab a sandwich and a doughnut from the trolley at work. Five minutes in the morning could set you up with a superhealthy sandwich of thick wholemeal bread with a little meat and tons of salad or pitta breads with humus (home-made takes five minutes in a blender) and tomato, a salad in a pot and some more fruit. If you have to buy lunch out try to find a sandwich shop that makes sandwiches fresh and get them to boost the salad or veg and go easy on the cheese or meat. Or try the vegetarian options in your local restaurant for a change.
At night try not to eat too late. Ayurvedic physicians say we should eat no later than 6pm which in my book is pretty unrealistic. However it makes sense to eat as early in the evening as you can so your food has time to digest before you go to bed. Many experts also say that this should be a light meal and that you should have eaten your main meal at lunchtime. Again this can be tricky for most people but be careful not to overload your system at night.
EXTRA HELP FOR YOUR BODY
What else can you do to help your body? Plenty of things.
If you smoke, please please start thinking about cutting down and, hopefully, stopping altogether. You don't have to do it right now - just become aware of how smoking affects your body and your nerves. Concentrate on how your body actually feels when you smoke and how you feel afterwards. Start to think about whether you want to give up and what emotions and thoughts giving up raise in you. Just be aware of these thoughts as you smoke.
How much alcohol do you drink? All the evidence shows that a reasonable amount of alcohol is fine - the odd glass of wine might even help your heart. But do you rely too much on alcohol? If you drink too much you will be damaging your health. Think about keeping some days alcohol-free. Add water to white wine to make a spritzer to halve the amount you drink. If you feel you rely on alcohol start to become aware of when and why you drink. Again, you don't have to cut it out right now or even at all; just be aware of how you use alcohol.
How much water do you drink? Most of us actually spend most of our days dehydrated and often you will find that, if you feel hungry you are in fact thirsty. You should be aiming to drink around two litres of water a day. We used to be able to drink our water straight from the tap but now, sadly, it seems safer not to in many areas. Water filters can be a good idea or stick a bottle or two of mineral water on your desk and drink it through the day. Not only will you feel better in general but your skin will undoubtedly improve as well. An added incentive.
How much caffeine do you take? If you feel edgy or irritable you might be overdosing on caffeine - not just in coffee but in tea, soft drinks and supplements like guarana. Drinking five cups of espresso in the morning is not the best way to kickstart your day - nor is coffee the best afternoon pick-me-up. A good breakfast with complex carbohydrates like cereal or bread will give you good energy levels for the morning. If you feel dozy around teatime, don't automatically reach for a coffee and a doughnut, try hot water and honey and a banana.
I'm not saying cut out coffee and tea altogether - I'm a complete tea addict myself. But cut down or try interspersing your caffeine fix with a cup of herbal tea or a long drink of water. Peppermint tea is a good pick-me-up; so are some of the citrus fruit blends and rosehip and hibiscus. And one last point, if you do drink tea try to stick to having your cuppa inbetween meals - the tannin in tea reduces the absorption of essential minerals like calcium and iron so you'll be spoiling the nutritional quality of your food.
Do you need supplements? If you are eating along the guidelines above and, in particular, munching through plenty of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables then, in theory, you should be obtaining all the vitamins and minerals you need. However, sadly, many of us are still lacking or low in certain essential micronutrients. The fact is that many of the nutrients have vanished from our foodstuffs by the time they reach our tables - either processed away or leached away by long journeys, long shelf-lives and overcooking. To be on the safe side, I don't think it does any harm to take a precautionary multi-vitamin and mineral a day. A good quality one won't be cheap but you will be sure of getting the optimum amounts of micronutrients in the right balance. I really wouldn't advise anyone to try to work out their own deficiencies and to treat themselves with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The way minerals and vitamins work with each other and with your body is very complex and best left to the experts. If you do feel you are seriously deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral then consult your doctor or a fully trained nutritional therapist.
Take it one step at a time. Try to switch your diet onto the healthy guidelines above over the next few weeks and months. Don't try to do it all at once or you will find you get bored or rebellious. For example cutting out your daily doughnut and all coffee and your glass of wine and crisps and peanuts all at once is just too much. Try cutting down on the coffee first of all - have three cups instead of six. Have wine at the weekend, not every night. Try substituting a banana and a herbal tea with honey for that coffee and doughnut.
Exercise: getting your body into gear
We weren't meant to be couch potatoes. Evolution hasn't designed us to sit for ten hours a day behind a computer screen and then slump for the rest of the day in front of a television. Our bodies are designed to move, to work, to be fit and active. In the past most of us would have relied on the earth for our livelihood and our daily bread - days would have been spent in the open, working physically very hard. Nowadays our daily bread tends to come from the supermarket and so we need to find other, more artificial ways, to keep active and fit.
Download this book for your ebook reader.
(Pages 1-28 show above.)