Dedicatedtomyparents,CatherineandKeith,andtoGod.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

ForewordbyDrNealD.Barnard

Introduction:WelcometoAbundance,BalanceandHarmony

Today’sreality

Thenewmodelandopportunity

Is‘supremehealth’reallypossibleforme?

Thesecret

Chapter1:TheGoodandBadNewsaboutDietandHealth

The‘health’agenda

Whatisanalkalinediet?

Howdoesanalkalinedietwork?

Awarenessofthealkalinediet

Isthealkalinedietthesameasavegandiet?

Benefitsofalow-fatvegandiet

Restrictiveandboring?Thinkagain

Possiblehealthimprovements

Chapter2:ThePrinciplesoftheAlkaline5Diet

DevelopingA5D

Thebadnews:courage,confusionandcomplexity

Whowinsandwholoses?

Chapter3:MyHealthJourney

Universitywake-upcall

Turningthingsaround

Encouragementandmomentum

Themarathons

Mywork

Mywebsite

WhereIamnow

PARTI:THEFRAMEWORKFORSUPREMEHEALTH,HEALINGANDVITALITY

Introduction:EssentialElementsforHealth

1.Sunlightanddeepoxygenation

2.Purehydration

3.Sleepandbalancingrest

4.Livingalkalinefoods

5.Eliminatingacidictoxins

6.Movementandposture

7.Positivemindsetandemotions

Chapter4:ABigBreathofFreshAir:DeepOxygenation

Theimportanceofdeepoxygenation

Applyingtheprincipleofdeepoxygenation

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Chapter5:PlumpYourCells,LubricateYourBrain

Theimportanceofpurehydration

Applyingtheprincipleofpurehydration

Howmuchwatershouldyoudrink?

Drinkingwaterthroughouttheday

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Chapter6:DreamsAbounding:SleepandBalancingRest

Theimportanceofsleepandrest

Applyingtheprincipleofnourishingsleepandrest

Gettingthesleepandrestyouneed

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Chapter7:LiveandLetLive:LivingAlkalineFoods

Theimportanceoflivingalkalinefoods

Applyingtheprincipleoflivingalkalinefoods

Theeightrecommendationsfordailyeating

Atypicalday’sfood

Caloriesandeatingenough

Commonquestionsanddispellingmyths

Superfoodsandsupplements

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Chapter8:DitchtheNasties:EliminatingAcidicToxins

Theimportanceofeliminatingtoxins

Applyingtheprinciplesofeliminatingacidictoxins

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Chapter9:BodiesInMotion:MovementandPosture

Theimportanceofmovementandposture

Applyingtheprinciplesofmovementandposture

Goodpostureintheoffice

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Chapter10:TheBrightSideofLife:PositiveMindsetandEmotions

Theimportanceofapositivemindsetandemotions

Applyingtheprinciplesofapositivemindsetandemotions

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

PARTII:THEPRINCIPLESOFTHEALKALINE5DIET

Introduction:GetReadyforA5DSuccess

A5Dsuccessstories

Chapter11:TheBasicsoftheAlkaline5Diet

Guidelinesforsuccess

Thekeytohealthsuccessisinthedetails

Bestforweightloss

Awordonfruitsandcarbohydrates

Fruitsugaranddiabetes

Chapter12:TheAlkaline5DietMeals

Establishingyourdailycalorieneeds

YourfivedailymealsonA5D

100percentrawormorecookedfood?

Tipstohelpyouonyourway

Portionsizes

Stockingupyourfoodcupboards

Whattoexpectonthe21-daydiet

PARTIII:THE21-DAYALKALINE5DIETPROGRAMME

Conclusion:MovingForward:StayingAlkaline

Finalthoughts

SharingA5D

Resources

Endnotes

AbouttheAuthor

JointheHayHouse

Acknowledgements

I’dliketo thankGodforgivingmethecourage, thevisionandtherightwordstobringthismessageofpreventativehealththroughaplant-basedalkalinediettotheworld.

Thanks to my dad, Keith, for believing in me, adopting this diet and being a greatadvocateofit.Thanksalsotomywebsitesubscribersandclients;ourworktogether,yourfeedbackandyourhealthimprovementshaveinspiredmetremendously.

IacknowledgeDrNealBarnard,DrJohnMcDougall,JasonVale,HarleyandFreelee,andAnthonyRobbinsfortheirpioneeringworkinthisareaofhealth.

Personalthanksfortheirhelpandencouragementgotomymum,Cathy;Naso;Tomandvariousotherfamilyandfriends.Finally,greatthankstomypublisherandeditors.

Foreword

ForhealthadvocateslikeLauraandme,thereisexcitementintheair.Ifyouarereadingthisbook,Iamexcitedforyou.ThoughWesterncountriesarestillburdenedwithobesity,diabetes,heartdiseaseandotherdiet-relateddiseases,knowledge thataplant-baseddietcancombatthesediseasesisspreadinglikewildfire.Themorewelearn,andthemoreweputthisknowledgeintopractice,thebetteroffwewillbe.

WhenIfoundedthePhysiciansCommitteein1985,fewdoctorswereadvocatingalow-fat, vegan diet for health. Today, thousands of doctors, dietitians, nurses and otherhealthcareprofessionalspromoteaplant-baseddiet.Researchstudiesshowingthatfruits,vegetables,wholegrainsandlegumespromotebetterhealthcontinuetobepublisheddayby day, confirming that plants are the optimal source of nutrition. In our studies at thePhysiciansCommittee,we’veseenalow-fatvegandietreversediabetes,bringonweightloss, lower cholesterol andbloodpressure, eliminatemigraines, helpworkplaces reducetheiremployeehealthcarecosts,andsomuchmore.Thepowerthataplant-baseddietcanhave on health is simply astounding. And I am glad to see that this knowledge isspreading.

Every day,more andmore people are takingmeat off their grocery lists. TheUSDA’slatest figures indicate thatmeatconsumption iscurrently the lowest ithasbeen in threedecades.Inthepasttenyearsalone,Americanshavedroppedanaverageof9kg(20lbs)ofmeat per year from their diets. And between 2009 and 2012, the number of peoplefollowingvegandietsdoubled.Ifwecontinueatthispace–and,morelikely,anincreasedpace–ourworld’shealthwillberevolutionized.

Switchingtoaplant-baseddiethelpsmorethanourhealth.ItalsohelpstheEarth.Eatingmeat accounts for more greenhouse gases than all transportation worldwide. In fact, arecent analysis byWorldwatch Institute found that eating animals and their by-productsaccounts for 51% of global warming.We also lose more land space and resources bysupporting the livestock industry – animals thatwe ‘grow’ to eat consume seven timesmoregrainthantheentireUSpopulation!Thinkhowmuchlandwecouldsave,andhowmanyhungrymouthswecouldfeed,withallofthatfood.Nottomention,whenweeataplant-based diet, we spare the lives of animals. Eating a vegan diet saves roughly 200animals’livesperpersonperyear.Puttingplantsonyourplatewon’tjustbenefityou,butalsotheplanetandallwholivehere.

Ofcourse,everyoneneedsabitofhelpgettingstarted.Andthat’sokay.Thisisonereasonthat3-weekprogrammeslikethemealplaninthisbook,orour21-dayKickstart,aresoeffective.Threeweeks gives you enough time to test-drive this newway of eating andreallyexperiencewhatithastooffer.Inthreeweeks’time,yourtastebudswillchangetoappreciate,andactuallyprefer,freshwholefoods.Threeweeksalsogivesyouachancetosee effects such asweight loss (if you are trying to loseweight), higher energy levels,betterdigestionandmore.Sogiveita try!UseLaura’smealplantoguideyou,andseewhatyouthink.Ihaveagoodfeelingyou’llenjoyit.

DrNealD.Barnard

FounderandpresidentofthePhysiciansCommittee

forResponsibleMedicine(PCRM),andauthorofPowerFoodsfortheBrain.

Introduction

WelcometoAbundance,BalanceandHarmonyI am so excited that you’vepickedup this bookbecause I have seenhow this diet canchangelivesforthebetter.Soif,likemanypeople,youyearntolookandfeelyourbest,or are struggling with a health challenge and have lost faith in the possibility of everhealing yourself, then you’ve arrived at the right place, because the road to feelingfantastic starts here. Thousands of other people are already enjoying the results offollowingtheAlkaline5Diet(A5D),andmyhopeisthatyoutoowillfindthatfollowingthediet for just threeweekswillbe transformative toyourhealth,youreatingandyourrelationshipwithfood.

Sogetreadyforatrulygreatexperience.

TheprinciplesoftheAlkaline5Diet(A5D)aresimple:abundance,balanceandworkingin harmony with your body’s nutritional needs. However, there is more to a healthylifestylethanjustfood,sotheA5Dtakescareofyouremotionalwellbeing,fitnessandrestneedstoo.Takingcareofbothyourphysicalandyouremotionalneedsmeansthatattheend of the 21 days, you’ll not only be in the best shape ever, but also be radiant andglowingwithenergy,calmandconfidence–somuchsothatotherpeoplewillcommentonhowgreatyoulook.

TheAlkaline5Diet isgroundedinsolidscienceandhasasimplicity to it thatmakes ituniqueinthelandscapeofall-too-commonfaddy,restrictive,pseudo-healthydiets.Thisisbecause A5D is the diet that humans were designed to eat and, for that reason, it’ssatisfyingonmanydifferentlevels.

InPartIII,you’llgetaclear21-daymealplanandusingthedietforjustthreeweekswillreturnyourbodytoamorenatural,healthierstate.Fromthatpoint,it’slikelythatyou’llbeabletodelightinasimpler,yetdeliciouslytasty,wayofeating;oneyoumaynothaveexperiencedbeforeandthat’sfreeofcravingsandhunger.Usingthedietmayalsochangehowyouthinkandfeelaboutfood,andmanypeoplefindthattheyadoptsomeof,ifnotall,themealtypesandwaysofeatinglongintothefuture.

IhadnoideathatmydecisiontofollowtheAlkaline5Dietwouldchangemylifesomuchforthebetter.Allmyhealthissueswentawaywithinafewmonths–andIhadafairfew–Ialsobecamesomuchhappier.NowIlookattheworldfromamorepositiveperspectiveandthe55lbweightlossisreallyjustanaddedbonus!–GRETA

I havebeenusing theAlkaline5Diet formanyyears and it has allowedme a level ofhealthandvibrancybeyond thatof thevastmajorityofpeople.Hereare thebenefitsoffollowingA5Dfor21days:

Fatloss,usually3.5–9kgs(8–20lbs).

Greatervibrancyandsustainedenergythroughouttheday.

Positivemindsetandageneralsenseofcalm,happinessandwellbeing.

Animprovementinanyhealthissuesyoumayhave.

Ihavelost9lbsinthepast21daysandfeelamazing,thankyou,Laura!–TRACY

Whenyou follow theA5Dover the longer term– for threemonthsormore–youmayalsoexperiencethefollowing:

Lookingandfeelingyearsyoungerthanyouractualage.

Activesignsofage-reversal:tonedandblemish-freeskin,eyesthatlookwhiterandbrighter,andshinyhealthy-lookinghair.

Excellentfitnessandrecovery.

Balancedhormones.

Reversalofminorandevenmajorhealthissuesanddiseases.

Improvedbodytoneandmuscledefinition.

Today’sreality

Weliveinaworldlikeneverbefore.TheInternethaschangedhowmanyofuslive,shop,socialize and access information – forever. The new paradigm of the world is infiniteinstantchoice,andthishasitsgoodandbadattributes.

Ontheonehand,wecantypeanythingwewantintoanonlinebrowserandfindthousandsofpagesofinformationtoanswerourquery,orfindwhattobuy–andthecheapestplacetobuyit–andhaveitdeliveredthenextday,whichisprettyincrediblewhenyouthinkaboutit.

On the other hand, however,we can also become information overloaded– bombardedwith messages, alerts, pings, emails, updates, phone calls, videos and advertisements.Unchecked, it’s easy to spend all day long just reacting to the incoming informationaround us, rather than actually making considered choices and being truly productive.Everythingisfast–fastinformation,fastertravel,fastfood,fasteating–andthisbringswithitsomenegativeconsequences.

Withsomanychoicesandoptions,instantavailabilityandinformationoverload,wecangetpulledall over theplaceand lose trackof themost important things. Ironically, toomuchchoicecanbelikehavingnochoiceatall–wecanbecomeconfused,caughtupandjust end up goingwithwhat’s easiest and grabbing our attention right now, rather thanrightforus.What’smore,fastinformationandlivingoftenleadstohavingaslowbody–sat in front of computers, devices and TV screens instead of being out walking andexercising.

The result? Western societies are now facing huge problems: many people are nowoverweightorobese;preventabledisease is rife–cancer,heartdiseaseanddiabetesaremajorcausesofdeath;lifestylesarecharacterizedbystress,longworkinghoursandtryingtokeepafloatintheeconomiccrisis,whichalladdsuptojustexistingratherthanliving.

AccordingtostatisticspublishedbytheWorldHealthOrganization,morethan1.4billionadults, aged20andolder,wereoverweight at the timeof the study (this couldbe evenmore now).Of these,more than 200millionmen and nearly 300millionwomenwereobese.1

Wearealsotaughttodevolveourpower.Feelingillorstressed?Takeapill.Gotnocash?Borrowtothehilt(lookwhathappenedwiththat).Themediaandgovernmentstellusthateverythingisbadandthatthisisnormal.

Iamheretotellyouthatthisisnotnormal!

It is absolutelywithinyourpower tohaveanabundant,happyandhealthy lifestyle.AsRalphWaldoEmersonsaid,‘Thefirstwealthishealth’,andsothefirststepinreclaimingyourpowerisabouttakingcareofyourhealthbynurturingyourbodyandmakingsmartfoodandlifestylechoices.Thisbookisaboutjustthat.

Thenewmodelandopportunity

OnedefinitemajorbenefitoftheInternet,andhavingunparalleledaccesstoinformation,isthatwecanfindoutaboutourhealthandwellbeing,andmakemoreinformedchoices.Thanks toonline information,manymorepeoplearenowawareofalternativemedicineandhealthoptions,whicharenotpresentedinthemainstreammedia.Obviouslywehaveto choose our sources of information wisely and do due diligence, but there is a shifttowardsself-diagnosisandself-doctoring,aswehaveanelevatedawarenessofourhealthneedsandthescienceofwellbeing.

It’salsotruethatmanypeoplehavelostfaithintheadvicegivenbytraditionalauthorityfigures, such as the government and medical professionals – particularly since we areseeing economic and health crises all around the globe. Intuitively, we are looking foralternative,improved,trustworthyguidanceandleadership.

Thenetresult:wearemoreintelligentandempowered.Wearenolongerpreparedtosettleforsecond-rateandaredemandinghigherstandardsofhealth.Sinceyouarereadingthisbook,Iknowthatyouarealsooneof thesepeople.Iknowthis tobetruebecauseIgetemails every day from many of my 15,000-plus website subscribers seeking ways toimprovetheirhealthandoverallqualityoflife.

Thenewmodelofrealityisoneofconsumerpower.Afterall,ifweareunsatisfiedwithsomething,anything,attheclickofabuttonwecansendourviewstotheworldviasocialmedia.Furthermore,wecanseekadvicetochallengesfromacollectiveonlinecommunityoffriendsandgurus.

Knowledgeaboutalkalinedietsispartofthisnewmodelandawareness.Inthe15orsoyearssinceIsetupmyfirstalkalinedietwebsiteandwrotemyfirstbooksandarticlesonthe subject, I have connectedwithmany other peoplewho are also informed about thepowerful benefits of an alkaline diet and the benefits of drinking wheatgrass juice orfollowingarawdiet,forexample.Sothenewopportunityisthis:wehavetheinformationandsupporttohelpusleadourbestlives–healthyandvibrant–atourfingertips.

AnthonyRobbins,ahugelyrespectedUSlifecoachandauthorofmanybestsellingbookson personal power, emphatically advocates ‘getting the edge’ in life and achieving‘supremehealthpower’byeatingapredominantlyrawandplant-baseddiet,whileotherrespected authors and doctors, such as JohnMcDougall and Neal Barnard, advocate aholistic approach to health; andmany expert nutritionists, such as JasonVale, advocatejuicesandsmoothiesforgreathealth.

Ithasbeensaidthatwithgreatpowercomesgreatresponsibilityandthisisnoexception.Wemust take the initiative tonurtureourownandour lovedones’health.Reading thisbookwillhelpyoutoincreaseyourpower.Inreturnitisimportanttotakeresponsibilityfor your health and commit to living your best life, starting today, nomatter how old,young, ill, bored,happy,unhappy, apatheticyoumayhavebeenprior to thispoint.Theamusingparadox is that to commit and take responsibility leads togreater freedomandisn’tthatwhatwealldesire?

Soarmedwiththeknowledgeyougainfromthisbook,seizethenewopportunity–grabontothepossibilityofyoursupremehealthandlifewithbothhandsandgogetit!

Is‘supremehealth’reallypossibleforme?

Ifyou’reaskingthisquestion,thenItotallygethowyou’refeelingbecauseIusedtoaskittoo.Iusedtobeunfit,asmoker,abitoverweight,totallylethargic,regularlygetillnessesandfeltprettyawfulmostofthetime…andIwasinmyearlytwenties.InfactIfeltlikethisfrom16to21yearsofage.

I remember having friends at school thatwere very sporty – onewhowas anOlympicswimmerandothersthatwerebrilliantatbasketball,hockeyorathletics.Iwasprettygoodatbadminton,butwhen itcame to the teamsports Iwasusuallypicked last.Stupidly, Istarted smoking, eating badly and losing fitness and vitality; and this trend continuedwhen I went to university. I am embarrassed to say that I became known as ‘The PotNoodleKid’–notagreatreputationtohaveandafarcryfromwhereIamtoday.

Now I am very fit and healthy. I have energy to do the things I really love: run long-distance, completemarathons andultra-marathon endurance raceswith very respectabletimes;dancesalsaforhoursonend;andsingtwo-hourliveconcertsasasopranomemberof a classical philharmonic choir. On top of that, I look youthful and feel vibrant andhappy.

So ifyouareasking ‘Is this reallypossible forme?’Then,yes, absolutely!Youcandothis.Youcanhavethehealth,vitality,joy,self-esteemandhappinessthatyoudeserveanditwon’ttakelongtostartseeinggreatresultseither.

Thesecret

Thesimplesecrettogreathealthliesinkeepingyourbodyalkaline.Alkalinefoods,suchas raw leafy greens, enhance your body and brain chemistry.Enhanced body and brainchemistryfosterspositiveemotionssuchashappiness,enthusiasmandhope,whichare,inturn,alkaline.

When you start detoxifying your body of acidity, it is difficult to be unhappy andunhealthy, and thegoodnews is that youcan choose todo somethingalkaline foryourbodynextweek, tomorrowor rightnow.For example,deepbreathingclean freshair isalkaline.Furthermore,yourbody,beingtheamazinglyintelligentthingitis,willrespondpositivelyandalmost immediately to thenewandenhancedchoicesyoumakeand fuelthatyouprovideit.

Ifyouaresceptical,imaginethefollowingFriday-nightscenario:

Onepersonchoosestodrinkafewglassesofwineandthengoesouttoaclubwithworkcolleagues,commiserateswiththemabouttheunfairnessofthemanagementteam,hasafewmoredrinks,eatsagreasyIndiancurry,seesadrunkenfightonthewayhomebeforegoingtobedat3a.m.andgettingfivehours’sleep.

The other person goes for a walk in the local park after work and takes some time toreflect on the past week and enjoy nature; goes home and rings a friend whom theyhaven’tseenforawhile,andlaughsaboutoldtimes;readsachapterofanupliftingbookwhilstdrinkingacupofherbaltea;andhasanearlynight,sleepingforeighthours.

OnSaturdaymorning,whoislikelytofeelbetterandhealthier?Thefirstpersonislikelyto feel dehydrated, tired, hungover; and with a fuzzy mindset at best and a depressedmindsetatworst.Thesecondpersonislikelytofeelrefreshed,healthy,calmandreadytotakeonthenewdaywithenthusiasm.

It’s self-evident that the different decisions we take today have vastly differentconsequencesforhowtomorrowpansout.Soimaginemakingbetter-qualitydecisionsonaday-to-daybasis.Theydon’thave tobehuge.Justmakingsmall shiftshereand therewillmakeamassivedifferenceoverthelongterm.Inthesamewaythatchangingaship’sdirectionbyonecompasspointmakeshundredsofmiles’differenceindestinationoveritsentirecourse.

Inthisbook,we’llbeexploringhowtoachievegreathealthinanunhealthyworld,basedonthe‘Seven-PointFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealing’,whichIdevelopedin2008andhavesinceseenhelpthousandsofpeopletocreatehealthierlifestyles.

Iamgoingtoshowyousomesimple,quickandpracticalwaystobecomemorealkaline–and thereforemore vibrant and healthy – so that you can do it any time for an instantboost.Youwilldiscover:

Morningritualstogiveyouaninstantkick.

Simplewaystoeliminatestressandkeepyourmindonwhatyouwantinlife,ratherthanwhatyoudon’twant.

Howtoidentifyalkalinefoodsfromacidicfoods;andthetruthbehindwhyalotof

‘alkalinefoodlists’differ.

Powerhouse foods, which are great for vitality, but also improve concentration,fertility, anti-ageing, detoxification, libido, spiritual connectedness, healing, sleepandmuchmore.

The21-dayAlkaline5Dietmealplan,whichwillshowyouhowtoeatforsupremehealth,healing,beautyandenergy.

Usefulresourcestohelpyousucceedonthisdietandtakeittothenextlevelonceyou’vefinishedthebook.

Sokeepreading.

I started eating predominately alkaline foods to help withmy stomach condition. I amhavinggoodresultssofar,andamhopingtodowithoutmedssoon.Ihavebeenlargelyveggie for years now so don’t think there’ll be toomuch of a transition problem… it’sreallyjustaboutingrainingitnow.Iamfeelinggreatatthemomentandit’sprettyeasy.–CATHY

Chapter1

TheGoodandBadNewsaboutDietandHealth‘Diet’and‘health’areratherambiguoustermsbecausetheycanmeansomanydifferentthings to people, and throw up lots of different emotions, feelings and connections topersonal experiences and beliefs. In fact, it’s hard to think of any words that are aspowerfully emotive, except for a handful of others such as ‘love’, ‘family’, ‘war’,‘religion’and‘fear’.

Manypeoplethinkofdietasmeaningdeprivation,hungerandblandness,andoftenprefixit with the term ‘yo-yo’ to denote the common pattern of starving and losing weight,followedbybingeingandweightgain.However,whenIusetheterm‘diet’inthisbook,asintheAlkaline5Diet,itisintendedinamuchmoreneutralway;itmeansthefoodsweeattosustainourselves.

So,beforestartingout,itisimportanttoletgoofanyemotionaltiesorpast-heldbeliefsorfaddynotions(orthosesupportedbythefoodindustryandmediaforthatmatter)thatyouhaveabouttheword‘diet’.Instead,thinkaboutitasawayofdescribingfunctionalbodyfuel.Nomore,noless.

Theword‘health’issimilarlyambiguousandemotionallyloaded.Health,inmyview,ismore than the absence of disease. I define it is as the Five Elements of Great Health,whichareasfollows:

1. Absenceofbothphysicalandmentaldiseaseandailments.

2. Astrong,energizedandfitbodythatisneitherunderweightnoroverweight.

3. Anopenmindthatexperiencesafullrangeofemotions,inwhichpositivityandasenseofpurposeinlifedominate.

4. An overriding sense of security in the ability to handle the challenges that lifethrowsatus,andthereforeanabsenceofnegativestress.

5. Anenthusiasmfor,andsenseofconnectionto,theworld,peopleandourspiritualself.

Great health is elusive formost people and, formany others, achieving all of the fiveelements seems near impossible. Let’s face it, the current state of human health, as awhole species, is in turmoil.Wewon’t dwell on this toomuch, but just consider for amomentthefollowingfacts.

On our planet,millions of people (in fact, 80 per cent of theworld’s population)right now are starving, undernourished and without proper sanitation, water andeverydayamenities;theyaresimplyfightingtostayalive.

There are also millions of people (in the other 20 per cent), who are overfed,overweightorobese,ill,unfit,havebodyimageissuesandarealsoundernourished.

In our current technological and industrial age, we have access to all theinformation, guidance, advice, support, correct nutrition and food we could everpossiblyneedanddesire–for thewholehumanrace–yetmoreandmorepeoplearebecomingdiseased,obeseandevendyingprematurelyofcancer,heartdisease,diabetes, stroke and many other preventable diseases, brought on largely bydetrimentallifestylechoices.

Howcanthisbe?Whatisgoingonhere?

The‘health’agenda

Giantcorporations(sodaproducers, fast foodrestaurants,processed-foodmanufacturers,pharmaceuticalcompanies)fundhealthresearchandthesettingoferroneousgovernmentrecommended daily allowances for fat, protein and carbohydrates.1,2 Take the foodindustry regulatory bodies and world’s governments for example, who are lobbied andfundedbythemeatanddairyindustries.3Whatdoesthistellyou?

You’reanintelligentperson;I’llletyoudrawyourownconclusions.

Whilstit’snobleandtrustingtobelievethatwecanputourfaithin‘thesystem’,whenitcomestoourdietandhealth,itwouldbedeadlytodoso;andthediseasefactsandfiguresreflectthis.Currently,oneinthreepeoplegetcancer,adiseasethatiswhollypreventable.Ithasbeenshownthatgeneticfactorsplayaverysmallpartinmanydiseases–around3percent,4theresearchshows.Ultimatelyyourhealthisyourresponsibility.

Thegamehaschanged

Thesedaysmanyfoodsare,orcontainingredientsthatare,geneticallymodified(GMO)–soya(soy),grains,animalproductsandvirtuallyanyandallprocessedpackagedfoodsandsauces.TheproblemisthatGMOfoodshavenotbeenaroundlongenoughforustoknowthefullramificationsofeatingsuchunnaturalfoods.However,wedoknowthattheyhavebeen shown to have adverse effects on health in many different ways, from sparkingglutenintolerances,tobreastcancerandbirthdefects.5–9Wearelivinginaworldinwhichunscrupulous food giants are seriously compromising our health. Therefore the easiestwaytoensureyourgoodhealthandavoidGMOsis toadoptaplant-baseddietandbuyorganicproducewheneverpossible.

Myaiminthisbookistohelpyoudecipherthe‘healthmessages’thatwe’rebombardedwithdailyviathemediaandInternet,sothatyouneverhavetoworryandwonderagainabout what is the best diet for you. I have spent 15 years reading, researching,experimentingandgettingfeedbackfrommywebsitesubscribersaboutallaspectsofdietandfitness.

Ofcourse,youdon’thavetotakemywordforitandIhighlyrecommendthatyoualsodoyourownresearch.WatchthedocumentariesIrecommend,thenwatchtheonessayingtheopposite – the Paleo diet and the Atkins diet – and look at what these people arepromoting;lookattheirhealth,physique,vibrancyandfitness(orlackofthesethings)andmakeyourownconclusions,basedonyourinstinct.

I believe that the Alkaline 5 Diet is the perfect diet for humans and all of the REALevidencebacksitup.Myrequest,however,isthatyousimplytryitfor21daysandthenjudgeforyourself,basedonyourownexperience.

Havingstudiednutritionsince1999andworkedinmedical-researchmanagement(aswellashavingappliedgoodhealthprinciples tomy life andhad theprivilege tohelpothersaround the world do the same), I have found beliefs and practices around health aredivergent.Themainstreamviewadvocateddubiouslyasfactbythemassmedia,andthehealth, food and pharmaceutical industries, and the alternative or enlightened viewadvocated by natural health practitioners, followers and industries whosemain priorityandgoalisgreathealth–notrelatedtoordependentonfunding,salestargets,politicsandsensationalism.

Mainstreambeliefsabouthealth

Goodorbadhealthisdeterminedlargelybyourgenesandtoalesserextentbyourdietandlifestyle.Diseasessuchascancerareunfortunateandstrikerandomlyandwithoutwarning,oftenwithoutanobviouscause.

Medical researchers areworking very hard to discover new and ground-breakingtechniquesandmedicinestofightcancer,whichwillhelpusallandcurediseases.

Themost effective and logical way of addressing disease is with drugs, most ofwhichmanagediseasebutdonotcureit.

A good diet includes five fruits and vegetables per day (can be cooked, tinned,frozen or fresh), balanced with whole grains, legumes and pulses and smallerquantitiesofanimalproteinsanddairyproducts.Low-fatand‘healthy-fat’foodsaregoodandweshouldavoidtoomuchsugarandsimplecarbohydrates.

Moderate exercise is advised – three to five 30-minute sessions of light exercise(walkingorgentlecycling,swimmingetc.)perweekisideal.

Weareallunderalotofstress,butthisisjustthewayitis.Theeconomiccrisishasbroughtwithituncertainty,andthatmeansweareallinthesameboatandjustneedtogetonwithitasbestwecan–that’slife.

Enlightenedbeliefsabouthealth

Good or bad health is determined largely by the foods we eat and the lifestylechoiceswemake.Thisplaysavastlymoreimportantroleindetermininghealththangenetics.Thereforethefateofourhealthliesfirmlywithus.Wereapwhatwesow;it’saninescapableanduniversallaw.

Alldisease,includingcancer,isthebody’swayofdealingwithover-acidityinthecells.Itisnotrandom,butanaturalreactiontoacidosisandhasadistinctcauseandeffect.Thereisno‘cureforcancer’.Thisisamyththatthepharmaceuticalindustrypromotesinordertokeepsellingdrugs.Thecureforcancerandallotherdiseasesistorestorethebody’spHbalance.AsDrOttoWarburg(NobelPrizewinnerin1931)discovered,diseasecannotthriveinanalkalineenvironment.Thisisthe‘cure’.10

Thebestandmostlogicalwayofaddressingadiseaseorillnessisnotwithdrugsorsurgicalprocedures– theseoftenonlymask thesymptomsanddonotaddress theroot cause. Often thesemedical interventions canworsen the problems, as drugsproducesideeffectsandsogreateracidity in thebody.Thebestandmost logicalwaytoaddressadiseaseorillnessistoprovideourinfinitelyintelligentbodywiththe correct nutrition, oxygen, hydration, rest, exercise and positive emotions itrequirestohealitself.

Gooddiet ispredominantlyanalkalineone,whichshould include8 to20organicfruits and vegetables per day (preferably raw, not cooked, tinned or frozen),balancedwithenergy-givingstarches,suchasrice,andotherwholegrains,potatoes,pasta,quinoaand rootvegetables.Weshouldavoid refinedoils, animalanddairyproducts,aswellaspackagedandprocessedfoods.

Exercise is advised– three to five sessionsperweekof cardiovascular and short,anaerobic,high-intensityexerciseisrecommendedforagreatleveloffitness.

Weshouldliverelativelystress-free lives.There isnoneedtobestressedout; it’snotwhatlifeisaboutandstressisachoicebecausewecanchooseourattitudetoeventsandcircumstances.Wehavecontroloverour lives, includingour finances,happiness and health. If something is not working, it is our responsibility, andwithinourpower,tochangeit.

Whatisanalkalinediet?

ThealkalinedietisbasedaroundthepHscale,whichwasdevelopedin1909byDanishchemistSørenPederLauritzSørensen.11ThetermpHstandsfor‘potentialofhydrogen’because it measures the number of hydrogen ions in a standard volume of liquid.Therefore the acidity or alkalinity of a substance is determined by the concentration ofhydrogen ions (positively charged hydrogenmolecules). An acid is a substance that issaturatedwithhydrogen ions,while an alkali (orbase) is a substance that is capableofabsorbingmanyhydrogenions.

Analkalinedietisahealthy-eatinglifestylebasedoneatingfoodsthatmetabolize(burn)toleaveanalkalineresidue(ash)ofmineralssuchascalcium,iron,zinc,magnesiumandcopper.Foodsarethereforeclassifiedasalkaline,acidicorneutralaccordingtothepHofthesolutioncreatedwiththeirashinwater.AcidityandalkalinityaremeasuredusingthepH(potentialofhydrogen)scale,whichspansfromzeroto14,withzerobeingthemostacidic,14themostalkalineand7asneutral.

Our body’s tissues each have an optimal pH range that they need tomaintain for goodfunctioning:muscletissueneedsapHof6.1,theliver6.9,thestomach1.2–3.0,theurine4.5–8.0,thesaliva6.35–6.85,andtheblood7.35–7.45,etc.Whenwedeviatefromtheseoptimalranges,problemsariseandthebodytakesemergencymeasurestorestoreittotheoptimalsetpoint(calledhomeostasis).Yourbodyhasa‘buffer’systemthatitusestokeepyourbloodwithinatightrangeofthispH,adeviationfromwhichcanbefatal.

Bloodisthelargesttissueinthebodyanditisalsothemostimportantinsustaininglife.Ittransports oxygen (via red blood corpuscles), nutrients and water to our cells. It alsoeliminatesacidicwastethatbuildsupduringcellularprocesses.Thebloodisoftencalledour‘riveroflife’,andlessimportantfunctionsinthebodywillbecompromisedinordertorestorecorrectbloodpH.Inchronicacidosis,alkalinemineralsaredrawnfromthebodytomaintainlife-sustainingbloodpH.12,13

The three predominant alkalineminerals are sodium, calciumandpotassium,which arerecycledbythekidneysbackintothebloodandlymphbybindingthemtocarbondioxide.Forexample,thebodywillborrow(leech)calciumandotheralkalinemineralsfromourbones,musclesandvitalorganstoneutralizebloodacidity.Thisliterallysavesourlifeinthe short term, but at the expense of compromised bone health (leading possibly toosteoporosis)overthelongerterm.14

The alkaline pH balance diet is concernedwith working in harmonywith your body’srequirements for healthy functioning – namely, keeping your blood pH at its optimal,slightly alkaline range of 7.35–7.45,without any stress on other functions andmineralreserves.Thisisachievedpredominantlybyeatingfoodsthatcreateanalkalineashwhenmetabolizedbythebody–fruitandvegetables–andlimitingfoodswhichcreateanacidicash–suchasanimalproducts,dairy,refinedoilsandprocessedfoods.

Alkaline-delicioustip

ThealkalinityofyourbodyhasnothingtodowithyourstomachacidoreventhepHoffoodsintheirphysicalform.Forexample,lemonsarealkaline-formingbutacidicintheirphysicalform.

Howdoesanalkalinedietwork?

Youcandetermineyoubody’spHbytestingyoursalivaandurinepHusinglitmuspaperor pH strips that can be bought online or from health food stores very inexpensively.CheckyoursalivaandurinepHlevelfirst thinginthemorningandjustbeforegoingtosleep at night. Sincewe do not eat through the night, themorning saliva and urine pHindicate the acidity of the body. Evening saliva and urine pH show how our diet andlifestyle influences ourmetabolism and howwell our buffer systems are tolerating thechanging pH. The saliva and urine pH offer a window throughwhich you can see theoverallpHbalanceinyourbody.

Thisisusefulbecauseevenifyouusuallyfeelfine,ifyourdietconsistsmostlyofmeat,packagedfoods,caffeine,dairy,refinedfatsandsugars,oryouareconstantlyunderstress,donotexerciseenough,smoke,ordrinkalcohol,yoursalivaandurinepHwillprobablyregisteraslowas5.0–6.0onthepHscaleandthisisanearlywarningindicatorthatyouneedtomakesomeimmediatechangestoalkalizeyourbody.

Over-aciditycangoundetected foryears,but causes severedamageandwill eventuallymanifest intoa significanthealthproblem.Likeacideating intomarble,acidosiserodesandeatsintocellwallmembranesoftheheart,arteriesandveins.Acidosisisthefirststeptowardshavingaweakenedimmunefunction,prematureageingandchronicdisease.

The easiest way to maintain correct blood pH is by following an alkaline diet15 andlifestyle that works in harmony with your body’s needs. Drinking water also helps tomaintainalkalinity in theblood, lymph, intracellularandextracellularfluids,bydilutingexcessacidity.

Soinessence,thesimpleandobviousreasoningbehindthealkalinedietisoneofbeinganally, a friend and a champion to your body’s natural requirements and healthy state ofbeing, so it can get on with carrying out its multitude of functions and processes,unobstructedandusingthecorrectfuel.

Thinkofitlikethis–providingalkalinefoodstoyourbodyislikefuellingyourracingcarwith high-octane petrol (gas) and running it on a racetrack with no obstacles. Youwouldn’t fuelyour racingcarwithdieselandputbreezeblockson the road, sowhyonearthwouldyoudothistoyourbody?

Awarenessofthealkalinediet

The alkaline diet is really nothing new.After all, everyone can appreciate the sense ineatingmorevegetablesandlessjunkfood.Theterm‘alkalinediet’hasbeenaroundsincetheearly1920s,whenNewYorkphysicianWilliamHowardHayintroducedtheworldtotheHayDiet(althoughinasomewhaterroneousway,manywouldargue)anditsresultsofhelpingpeopletohealandfindgreathealtharewelldocumented.

From1909,AnnWigmoreandtheHippocratesHealthInstitutepublishedWhySuffer?BeYourOwnDoctor,TheHealingPowerWithinandRecipesforLongerLife16,whichgivesnumerous and practical examples of how wheatgrass – a hugely beneficial alkalinesuperfood,whichyou’lllearnmoreaboutshortly–andotherorganicrawgreenscanbe,andhavebeen,usedtoreverseterminalillness.AnnWigmoredocumentedthousandsofpositivecasestudiesofpatientsattheInstituteandinherbooks.

Despite the best efforts of mainstream society to label raw-food and vegan diets as‘hippyish’ and ‘extreme’, these approaches to diet and health have gained a lot inpopularity since the sixties and the alkaline diet has become similarly more popular,especiallyinthelast10years.

Althoughthebasicconceptbehindthealkalinediethasbeenaroundforalmostacentury,itbrokeintothemainstreamwiththepublicationofDrRobertOYoung’sThepHMiraclein2003.Thisground-breakingbooktalksaboutthe‘newbiologyofhealth’andaddressesthe benefits of correct food combining. Transitioning into an alkaline diet of 80:20alkaline-acidicfoodscanovercomeanarrayofcommonhealthissuesanddiseases,whichasweknow,afflictahugenumberofpeoplelivinginthedevelopedworld.

Sincethenthealkalinediethasbeengainingmomentumandmanyotherpublicationshavebeenwrittenadvocatingitshealthbenefits; ithasalsoreceiveda lotofairtimeateventssuchasAnthonyRobbins’UnleashthePowerWithinseminars.

It ismy view that in a few years’ time, the alkaline dietwill bemainstream andmostpeople will have heard of it andwill strive to alkalizemore. It will go from being an‘underground’diettocommonplace.

Isthealkalinedietthesameasavegandiet?

An alkaline diet is concerned with eating 80 per cent or more of your calories fromalkalinefoods,suchasfruits,vegetables,grainsandpulses,toworkinharmonywithyourbody’soptimalpHbalance.Avegandietisconcernedwitheatingonlyplant-basedfoodsandeliminatingallmeatanddairyproducts,usuallyforethicalreasons.

Both aregreat diets, yet it is still possible tobeunhealthyonboth.Nodoubt everyoneknows a vegetarian or veganwho drinks soda drinks and alcohol, and eatsmicrowavemeals,andthereareadvocatesofthealkalinedietwhoregularlyeatacidicmeat,cheeseorfish. Therefore, the very best diet is one that combines the good principles of both thealkalinedietandavegandiet.

Alkalineandveganmeanseliminatinganimalproducts(meat,fish,dairy,eggsandhoney)altogether,aswellasotherhighlyacidicfoods,andeatingadiethighinfresh,ripefruitsand vegetables. This is really the holy grail of achieving great health, a lean body andgreaterenergy,preventingandreversingdiseaseandlookingandfeelingyourbest.

ThustheAlkaline5Dietisbothalkalineandvegan.Inthe21-daydietwe’llbeaimingfora70:30ratioofalkaline–acidicfoods/drinks(or80:20ifyouwanttobestricter),asthisistheoptimumbalance.17–19

A5D is also about eliminating, or at least limiting, acidifying toxins such as parabensfound in beauty products and plastics, the harmful ‘radiolytic’ toxins produced bymicrowave ovens, not smoking, not drinking alcohol (or drinking very sparingly) andavoidingnegativeandacidifyingemotionssuchasstress.

Thesearehealthfundamentals,notthelatest‘dietoftheday’,whichiswhythealkalinedietisthebestdiet forhumansand is totallysustainableover the longterm.Infact, thelongeryoustickwithanalkalinedietthemorepositiveresultsyou’llreap.

ThePaleoDiet™,theketonediet,theDukanDiet,andvariousotherhigh-proteinorhigh-fatdiets,willNOTproducehealth.Theymaycauseyoutoloseweightintheshortterm,butthisisattheexpenseofthehealthofyourorgans–inparticularyourkidneys,20–21asmyfriendKathy’sstorydemonstrates.

ImetKathywhenIwasattheThailandFruitFestivalrecently.Shehadbeenfollowinganalkalinevegandiet(eatingonlyfruitsandvegetables)andhavinggreathealthresults.Shetoldmethestoryofhow,inheryoungeryears,shewasintobodybuildingandfollowedahigh-proteinandmeat-baseddiet.Shewasleanandfitandoutwardlylookedprettygreat.All the while and unbeknown to her, however, this diet was wreaking havoc on herkidneys. She began to experience some major health problems and found out that herkidney functionhad reduced to just 30per cent, and that sheneeded immediatekidneydialysis.Sheeventuallyhadtohaveanoperationtogiveheranextrakidney(shenowhasthree)andawholehostofsteroidsandotherdrugs(14perday)tomanageallofthis.

Since followinganalkalineplant-baseddiet,herkidney functionhas returned to90percentandshe’soffthemajorityofherdrugs.Herdoctorssayit’s‘inexplicable’andshe’s‘lucky’.Kathyknowsit’sdowntoherdietandlifestyleandshesaysshefeelsfantastic.

The statements I’ve made here may sound very bold and go against what you might

otherwisehavebeentaughtorconditionedtobelieve,andIencourageyounotsimplytotakemywordforit.Lookatthenumerouscrediblestudiesandwork(i.e.notfundedbypharmaceuticalorfoodindustries)bypioneeringresearcherssuchasDrNealBarnard,DrT.ColinCampbellandDrCaldwellEsselstyn.ClinicalresearcherandauthorDrNealBarnardisoneofAmerica’sleadingadvocatesforhealth nutrition and is founder of the Physicians Committee for ResponsibleMedicine(PCRM).Hehasbeenpublishedinseveralpeer-reviewedmedicalandscientificjournalsandwrittenmanyground-breakingbooks,suchasTheGetHealthy,GoVeganCookbook:125EasyandDeliciousRecipestoJump-StartWeightLossandHelpYouFeelGreat;DrNealBarnard’sProgramforReversingDiabetes;andBreakingtheFoodSeduction.

Dr T. Colin Campbell wrote the bookTheChina Study, which is based on the China-Cornell-OxfordProject,a20-yearscientificstudyintohealth.Itexaminedtherelationshipbetween eating meat and dairy products and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heartdisease and cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel. It showed that peoplewho eat awholefood, vegan diet – avoiding all animal products and reducing their intake ofprocessed foods and refined carbohydrates – will escape, reduce or reverse thedevelopmentofnumerousdiseases.

Dr Caldwell Esselstyn has conducted extensive research into a plant-based diet forreversing heart disease and has published more than 150 scientific papers. His bookPreventandReverseHeartDiseaseisbasedonhis20-yearstudy,provingchangesindietandnutritioncanactuallycureheartdisease.

Iwould advise that you read at least one of the books by theseworld-leading nutritionresearchersandpractitioners.

The common theme of these doctors’ research is that they advocate cutting all animalproducts from our diet and keeping it low fat. By its nature, a diet devoid of animalproductsautomaticallycutsoutalargepercentageofsaturatedfat.Therefore,thebestdietisonethatisalkalineandalsovegan.

Benefitsofalow-fatvegandiet

Thealkalineplant-baseddiethasmanymedicallyandscientificallydocumentedbenefitstohealthandwellbeing.EachweekIreceivelotsofemailsfrommywebsitesubscriberstellingmethatsincechangingtoalow-fatvegandiet,theirskinproblemshaveclearedup,they’velostexcessweight,somehavecomeoffhayfeverorasthmamedication,reverseddiabetesandevenseenmoreastonishingimprovementsinseriousdiseases,suchascancerandheartdisease.

Unfortunatelytherearepeopleinpositionsofpowerwhoseinterestsarenotservedbythiskindofinformation,i.e.simplesolutionstocommonhealthproblems.However,thereisanextensivebodyofdata,proof,studiesandevidencetoshowthatalow-fatvegandietisbest.Youjustwon’tfinditonTVorinthepressveryoften.Let’shopethatchanges.

Oneofthemostamazingbenefitsoffollowingthislifestyleishowquicklyyoubegintosee health improvements and generally feel better. Because it’s the diet us humans aresupposed to be on, once we start alkalizing, our bodies go straight to work ‘cleaninghouse’andreplenishingourcells.

ItisalmostcertainthatwhenyouswitchtotheAlkaline5Dietfromacidicfoods,afterafewdaysofdetoxsymptoms–suchastiredness,headaches,milddizziness–you’llstarttoseesomegoodshiftsinenergy,weight,skincondition,mood,concentrationandmore.

Manypeopleareconcernedaboutgettingenoughproteinonavegandiet,buttheyneedn’tbe–plantsareactuallyasuperiorsource.22

Proteinsaremadefromchainsof20differentaminoacidsthatconnecttogetherinvaryingsequences.Plants (andmicroorganisms)cansynthesizeallof the individualaminoacidsthatareusedtobuildproteins,butanimalscannot.Thereareeightaminoacidsthatpeoplecannotmake, and thus thesemust be obtained from our diets – they are referred to as‘essential’.

We actually require very little protein – 5 per cent of our calories from protein isrecommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This quantity of protein isimpossibletoavoidwhenyoueatafruit-and-vegetable-baseddiet.CertainlyA5Dcoversmore thanenoughofyourproteinneeds–you’llbegettingaround10per centofyourdailycaloriesfromprotein,whichisoptimum.

Restrictiveandboring?Thinkagain

Eatinganalkalinevegandietisactuallyveryliberating.Thinkofit likedrivingacar.Ifyou weren’t aware of the reasoning and sense behind the concept of having to take adriving test, learn the rules of the road and follow roadmarkings and signs, youmightthinkthatitallsoundsveryboringandrestrictive.Youmightbeinclinedtothink,‘ButIjustwanttodrive.IwanttobefreetodowhatIwant,Idon’twanttolearnrulesandpasstests.’

However,iftherewerenoclearmarkingsontheroadsandnorulesfordrivers,howfastwouldyoubeabletodrive?Howeasywoulditbetogettoyourdesireddestination?Howmuchfaithcouldyouhaveinotherdrivers?Howsafewouldyoube?

Thefactthatthereareclearparametersinplacemakesiteasierforustodrivefastandbesafewitheaseandpeaceofmind.Thisgivesusfreedom,ratherthantakingitaway.

It’sthesamewithA5D.Thereareclearparametersinplacesothatyoucanmovethroughlifewithgreathealth,highenergy,aleanbodyandapositivestateofmind.Thisisahigh-performancediet.Ifyouwanttogetthebestoutofyourlifeandhavetheoptiontodriveinthefastlaneatanygivenopportunityortimeyouwish,thenthisisthediettofollow.

Possiblehealthimprovements

Herearesomeofthehealthimprovementsthataplant-baseddietcangive:

Prevention and reversal of disease – helping to avoid many widespread andpreventable diseases such as colds and yeast infections, as well as the big threekillers–heartdisease,diabetesandcancer.

Improvedimmunefunction.

Weightloss–asyourbodyreleasesexcessacidstoredinfatandmetabolizesyourfoodmoreefficiently.

Slowerandreversedsignsofageingasthelifeofyourbody’scellsisprolonged.

Moreenergythaneverandnoafternoonsluggishness.

Greatskin,asyounolongerneedtoreleaseacidictoxinsthroughit.

Bettersleep.

Aidsahealthylibidoanderectilefunction.

Aidsthebody’snaturalhealingmechanisms.

Improvementinallergies.

Healthierteethandgums.

Moreenergyandvibrancy.

Bettermentalhealth–feelingmorepositive,resilientandhappieringeneral.

Movingtowardsexcellenthealthandahigherqualityoflife.

There’smoretohealththantheabsenceofdisease.Thislifestylewillmakeyoufeelaliveandvital–improvingconcentration,mentalandphysicalstaminaandoverallself-esteem.

I’veonlybeenonthisdietforoneweekandtheresultsareincredible.I’vesufferedwithchronic fatigue foryears,butoneweekon thisdietand ithascompletelyvanished. I’monly getting five to six hours sleep per night, but I am never tired. I’ve suffered withterribleheartburnandindigestionforyearsandthathasvanishedtoo.ThemainreasonIstartedthisdietwasbecauseIwasgettingpainsinmyheart.ThosepainshavegoneandIhaven’texperiencedthemonceonthisdiet. I truly feel fantastic. I’meatinglotsof freshraw vegetables and drinking green smoothies. The Alkaline 5 Diet definitely works. –NICOLA

Chapter2

ThePrinciplesoftheAlkaline5DietA5Disnotashort-termfaddiet;itisdesignedtoworkoverthelongtermandthenyouwillreapthefullbenefits.Byallmeanstryitforjust21daystostartwith,butifandwhenyouarereadytomakethisdietyourwayoflife,thisbookwillhelpyousucceed.

In a nutshell, theAlkaline 5Dietmeans eating a high-fibre, high-carbohydrate, low-fatvegan (animal product-free) dietmade up of lots of alkaline-forming foods such as anarrayofvegetablesand leafygreens, fruits,potatoesand rootvegetables, riceandothercookedcarbohydrates.Youmustalsodrinkadequatepurewater–at least2.5 litres(4½pints)perday.

Sinceyouboughtthisbook,youareentitledtogetafreecopyofmyfull-colourAlkaline5Diethandyinfo-graphicthatyoucanprintandputonyourwallorhaveonyourdesktopasaneasyreferralguidetohelpyousucceedwithA5D.Youalsogetafreevideoguidethat I’ve recorded foryou.Simplygo towww.Alkaline5Diet.comanduse thepasswordlaurawilson.

Ifyou’dlikepersonalcoachingtohelpyousucceedwiththeAlkaline5Diet,throughthe21daysandbeyond,thendocheckoutmywebsiteintheResourcessection.Iholdregularonline events and give one-to-one personal coaching that will really help support you,accelerateyourresultsandholdyouaccountable.

DevelopingA5D

YoumightbewonderinghowIcametodiscoverthebenefitsofanalkalinedietlifestyleand develop A5D. The short version is that it arose from a combination of personalstruggle,usingmyselfasa‘guineapig’,observation,readingandstudying,findingwhatworksandwhatdoesn’t through tweakingand testingnewthings,workingasamedicalresearchmanagerintheUK’shealthservice,trainingasanenduranceathlete,qualifyingas an Advanced Gym Instructor and Registered Nutritionist, interviewing other healthexpertsandresearchingrelentlesslyfor thepast15years–allmixedwithabigdoseofpassion for success, excellence and desire to help other people overcome their ownpersonalhealthstruggles.

I have tested every diet under the sun on myself and tracked my fitness and athleticperformanceasanultra-marathonrunner,triathleteanddancer.IhavetrippedupwithmydietmoretimesthanIcanremember,butindoingsoIhavealsofoundandhonedwhatworksconsistentlyforgreathealthandsustainedenergy.

Ihaveinterviewedmanydoctorsandexpertsandhelpedandreceivedfeedbackfrommytensofthousandsofwebsitesubscribersallaroundtheworld,aswellasmanyfriendsandfamilymembers. Research, action, curiosity and passion ledme to commit tomy ownlifelongpursuitofexcellent fitnessandhealth,settingupmywebsite tohelpothersandeventuallywritingtwobooks(sofar)onthealkalinedietandnaturalhealth.Ialsoholdalarge health seminar called the Natural Health and Vitality Conference, where I bringleading world experts together to present their views and experience on the path toexcellenthealth.

ThisbookisaculminationofeverythingIhavelearnedandobservedsince1995onthesubject of great health, from awide variety of perspectives and sources. So it isworthnoting that the benefits of an alkaline diet are not merely my opinion. I am simply amessenger – hopefullymaking these universal health lawsmore accessible to you anddispellingsomeofthemythsthatmassmediaputsinfrontofusabouthealthanddisease.

Thereality is,havingworked inbothcamps–mainstreammedical researchandnaturalhealth and nutrition – Iwould have to be a complete fool tomiss the truth ofwhat anoptimum human diet looks like. Therefore I designed the Alkaline 5 Diet with thefollowingcriteriainmind:

Systematic – easy to learn, implement and repeat to achieve consistently goodresults.

Sustainableoverthelongterm–youcoulddothisdietforthenext20years.

Nutritionallycomplete–providingallthebody’smacroandmicronutrientneeds.

Accessibleandfeasibleinthesocietyweliveinandforwholefamiliestoadopt.

Havinganoptionfor100percentrawvegan,forpeoplewantingthe‘goldstandard’fruitarian-stylediet.

Supportingbothtopathleticandstrengthperformance.

Supporting bodily regeneration and healing without the use of medical

interventions.

Convenientandwitheasy,quickfoodpreparation.

Highonthescaleoftasteandeatingsatisfaction,withnocalorierestriction.

ThekeytothesuccessofA5Disinitssimplicity.IhavebeenfollowingTheAlkaline5Dietforyearsandloveit!Iamsurethatwithinaweekofdoingityourselfandgettingtoknowhowitworksinpractice,youwillloveittoo.

Thebadnews:courage,confusionandcomplexity

In thepreviouschapter, I stated thatbeliefsandpracticesaroundhealthare ‘diverging’.The mainstream medicine-based health system is at one end of the spectrum and the‘enlightened’,alternative,balancednutrition-basedapproachisattheother.

Soreally,toalargeextent,wehavetopickasideandsetofbeliefs.That’snottosaythatthetwoaremutuallyexclusive–thereisdefinitelyavalidroletoplayformedicineandour traditional health services (most obviously in accident and emergency, but also tocomplementgoodnutritionincertaincircumstances).

Foranyonewho’stakenthetimeintelligentlytofindoutandreadabouthealth(otherthanmaterial presented by mainstream TV and media) and is also willing to acceptresponsibilityfortheirownhealth(andnotrelinquishittosomeoneelseto‘sortout’whenthingsgowrong), it really ishard tocome toanyconclusionother than theenlightenednutrition-basedapproachtohealthasbeingtheonetobelieveinandstrivetoliveby.

Thisdecisioninitselfisacourageousone.Ifyoudecidethatyourhealthisinyourownhandsandadjustyournutritionalhabitsaccordingly,thenmakenomistake,youarebeingverybold,sogiveyourselfapatontheback.Thesadnewsisthatmostpeoplewillnevertakethetimetolearnthisstuffandmakethisbravedecision.

Remember:Fortunefavoursthebold!Youwillberewardedforyourefforts.

Theonebigmistakemanybooksandalkalinedietwebsitesmakeisindefiningacidicandalkaline foods.Many of them class foods as acidic or alkaline based upon their pH inphysicalform,notonthe‘ash’that’sproducedinthebodyafterithasbeenmetabolized(itscorrectdefinition).

This creates confusion and I get emails everyweek frompeoplewho sincerelywant tomakepositivehealthandnutritionalchanges,butaresimplyconfusedbytheconflictinginformationaboutthealkalinediet–predominantlyregardingwhichfruitsareacidicandalkaline,andwhethertheyshouldbeeatensparinglyorliberally.Icantellyouthatfruitshouldmostdefinitelybeeatenliberallybutitshouldbeeatenonitsownorbeforeotherfoods.Ideallyyoushouldnoteatforatleast2hoursbeforeyoueatfruit–otherwiseitwillfermentontopofotherfoodsandcanbecomeacidifying.

Thisdiscrepancyinmessagesfromalkalinedietproponentsisunhelpful,becausethelastthingyouneedwhensummoningupthecourageanddisciplinetotryaneweatingregimeistobegivenconflictinginformation.

Thefinalpieceof‘badnews’Ihaveforyouisaboutthecomplexityofthealkalinediet.Inprinciple the alkaline diet is very simple: eat alkaline foods and avoid acidic ones.Therefore once you knowwhich iswhich, surely it’s easy?Well, yes, it should be, butmany books tend to overcomplicate matters. They talk on about ‘colloidal silversupplements’ and ‘electrical grounding’ and say that you need to buy a sprouter, adehydrator,amasticatingjuicerandawholehostofotherstuff.

Whilst all of this is sound information, it’s like trying to runbeforeyoucanwalk.Youneed to apply the basic principles of drinking lots of water and eliminating smoking,alcohol, refined fats and processed foods before you go into the finer details of one

alkaline supplement or another.For example– there’s no reason to start sproutingyourowngreensifyouarestilldrinkingfizzysodasandeatinglotsofjunkfoods.It’s about addressing the biggest issues first, and the biggest issues for a lot of people,when starting on the path into alkaline health, involve gettingmore exercise and bettersleep,eatingenoughplantcarbohydrates,drinkingmorepurewater, reducingstressandeliminatingharmfultoxinsfromtheirdiet.Oncethosethingshavebeensatisfiedthenyoumightwanttomoveonto‘AlkalineDiet202’andbeyond.Tryingtodoeverythingfromtheoutsetcanbetoooverwhelmingandcomplicated,andwon’tbesustainablelong-termbecauseit’stoomuchofashock–bothphysicallyandmentally.

That’swhyIwroteTheAlkaline5Diet–thisbookpresentsaverysimplewaytoeatfivemealsperday that ensureyouarealkalizingyourbodywhilst eating satisfying, simple,deliciousmealswithfoodsthatareeasilyavailabletoeveryone.

With help from thousands of website subscribers and clients, with all their questions,anecdotes, feedback and experiences, I have come up with a simple Framework forOptimumHealth andHealing comprising seven things that will help you achieve yoursupreme health through the alkaline diet. You’ll discover all of this in the followingchapters of this book, but the seven elements essential to great health are summarizedbelow:

1. Sunlightanddeepoxygenation

2. Purehydration

3. Sleepandbalancingrest

4. Livingalkalinefoods

5. Eliminatingacidictoxins

6. Movementandposture

7. Positivemindsetandemotions

Whowinsandwholoses?

Justlikewealthcreation,healthcreationrequiresustolearnandengage;andfurthermoretostopdoingthethingsthatunsuccessfulpeopledo.

Simplyput:peoplewhoaresuccessfulinpursuinggoodhealthtendtoeatalkalinefoodswhilst avoiding acidic toxins, and mindfully engage in lifestyle activities that promotesuccessin thisarea.Peoplewhoareunsuccessful in thepursuitofgoodhealthlivebyadifferentsetofmaxims,practicesandeatinghabits,althoughoftentheyarenottoofaroffthemark.

Thewinnersinthisgameofhealtharethosewhoengageandeducatethemselvescorrectlyand act accordingly. The losers are the people who fail to engage and continue to bebrainwashed by themedia, pharmaceutical companies and food industry; or are simplycomplacentabout theirhealth, restingon the laurelsofoutwardwellbeing,all thewhilemaking withdrawals from the bank account of health without making any significantdeposits.

Theworstsituationistothinkyou’reengagedandontherighttrackwithhealth,buthavebeen taken in by the wrong information. As Stephen Covey said, ‘If the ladder is notleaningagainsttherightwall,everystepwetakejustgetsustothewrongplacefaster.’

Mymissionis tomakesure thatmorepeople’s laddersarefirmlyagainst therightwall,whereclimbingwillleadtohealth,notdisease.Afterall,mostofussincerelywanttobehealthyandtryourbestforourfamiliesandourselves.Whatatragedyitisthatsimplyasa result of not having the correct information, these efforts are in vain and can lead todisease,despiteourbestefforts.

Chapter3

MyHealthJourneyMyhealthandlifejourney,asforsomanyofus,hasnotbeenastraightpath,buthasbeenmade all the more rich and rewarding for having its rolling hills, turns, chicanes anddivots. But perhaps I should start by saying that I love food. I am very attuned tomysensesandlovetoexperiencegreatsensorypleasures:tolookatbeautifulthings,tohearsublimemusic, to smell lovelyaromas, toexperiencehowdancingand running feels inmybodyandtoeatdeliciousfoods.

Backinmyteenageyears,theconversationatmyall-girls’highschoolalwaysseemedtobefocusedonlooks,bodyshape,boys,attractiveness,clothesandgenerallybeingjudgedon how thin and pretty or not we all were. In response I sought comfort in food anddevelopedquiteawomanlyshapebythetimeI’dreached16.Ihatedit.Idislikedalltheattentionon aesthetics from the girls at school, andnewattention fromboys, and I feltawkwardandoutofplacemuchofthetime.Ijustwantedtostudyandlistentoclassicalmusic.SoIstartedwearingbaggyclothestohidemyfigure,avoidedsocializingandspentmoretimeathome,eatingtohidemyemotionalpain.Ialsobegansmokinganddrinking.

Ibecamemoreandmoreself-conscious,moreandmorewithdrawnanddevelopedmoreand more unhealthy habits and associations with food, weight and esteem. I enjoyedexercise, particularly swimming, but was so self-conscious that I would only visit theswimmingpoollateatnightwhennooneelsewasthere.

Universitywake-upcall

At18 I lefthomeandwent to study lawatBirminghamUniversity.Thrown into livingwith300otherpeopleinalargesharedhallofresidencewasabitofashock.Iwasusedtoworkinghardat school,butnowpartyingeveryday rather than study seemed tobe theorderoftheday.ThewayIatechangedtoo,asthecateringteam’sideaofnutritionwasfriedbacon,eggs,sausagesandtoastforbreakfastandsomethingequallyfriedandgrease-ladenfordinner–andeverythingcamewithfries.

The result? I spent the first year at university feeling rather inebriated and with anoverridingfeelingoftirednessandlethargy.

Lookingbacknow,itisobviouswhyIfeltsolacklustremostofthetime–alcohol,apoordiet,smoking,notfeelingsureofmyselfandthenewsituationatuniversity–butat thetimeIreallycouldnotunderstandwhyIfeltlikethatandhadnoenergy.

ThenIgotthewake-upcall.

Iwoke up oneweekday at around noon after a heavy night out and noticed that I haddeveloped an itchy, blotchy red rash on my legs. I had never seen anything like it sodecidedtovisitthedoctor.Afteraquickexamination,hetoldme,quitenonchalantly,thatIhadalcoholpoisoning.

Alcoholpoisoning!Isn’tthatwhatalcoholicsget?Just19yearsoldandIhadpoisonedmyprecious body. I knew I had letmy body andmyself down. In thatmoment, I decidedthingshadtochange.

Turningthingsaround

Iimmediatelymadeapositivelifestylechangebyjoiningthelocalgymandgoingthreetimesaweek.Ifeltterriblyself-consciousatfirst,butwasdeterminednottoletmyfearstopme.ThenIsetmyselfagoalofbeingable torunonemile. It tookmeacoupleofweeksbecauseIhadreallybecomequiteunfitandobviouslyunhealthy,but Idid itandmanaged to run onemile in around 11minutes. I felt a real sense of achievement andreallygoodaboutmyselfforthefirsttimeinawhile.

ThenIsetatargettorunthatonemilefaster;Igotitdownto10minutes.

ThenIthought,whatifIcouldruntwomiles?SoIstartedworkinguptowardsthis,thenthreemilesandevenfour.

Iwasonarollnow.Iwasstartingtogetfitandbecameknownatthegymas‘therunner’.A runner? Me? I guess so. They say that the power moves to those that ‘do’. I wasdefinitely‘doing’running,soIguessIwasarunner.Wonderful!

Mynewexerciseregime,mynewsenseofidentityandnewself-confidencemeantthatIhadalsolostweight;Ifeltmoreenergeticandhappy.AllofthisgavemethemomentumIneededtostoppartyingsomuchandtostarteatingahealthierdiet.SoIstoppedeatingthestodgycanteenfoodandboughtmyown.

The next stagewas to ditch smoking and really start taking nutritionmore seriously –whichIdidwhenIleftuniat21andmovedbackhometoDevon.Ialsogottwojobs–Ididn’tmuchlikethethoughtofworkingninetofive.

My first and ‘proper’ job was working part-time at the local university managing andwritinglegalpoliciesandreports.Myotherjobwasintelesales,workingeveryevening.Havingthesetwojobsallowedmesomeflexibleworkinghabitsandtimetodomyownresearch,soIstartedresearchinghealth,fitness,nutritionandpsychology.

I’dhad a tasteof successwithmyexercise regimeandwanted tomakemoreprogress.HealthandfitnessintriguedmeandIwantedtofindoutasmuchasIcouldaboutlivingagreatandhealthylife.

Encouragementandmomentum

MygymtrainingwascontinuingwellandIwasnowrunningfiveormoremilesonthetreadmill and had started doing some martial arts, Muay Thai boxing and karate, andenjoyedthedisciplineandchallengeofthem.

OnedayNaso,apersonal traineratmyYMCAgym,approachedmeandaskedifIwasrunningourlocalhalf-marathon.‘No,’Ireplied.Ihadn’tevenconsideredit.

SheobservedthatIhadbeentraininghardandemphaticallyencouragedmetoapply, inherenthusiasticGreekaccent,sayingthatI’dloveitandwoulddoverywell.IhadneverexperiencedthiskindofencouragementinanysportbeforeanditwasanovelfeelingtobetoldI’dbereallygoodatsomethingsporty.

Iwasapprehensive,too.Afterall,Ihadbeenrunning5orsomiles,butahalfmarathonis13miles.However,Naso’sencouragementhadinspiredme;Ibegantrainingtorunlongerdistancesandintheendmanagedareasonablebeginner’stimeof2hours20minutes.

Itwasveryphysicallydemanding formeat that time.Atonepoint I thoughtmy lungswereonfire,butIlovedthefeelingofachievementandtheimmensetirednessandachingthatIgotafterfinishing.Itwasthekindoftirednessthatsaid,‘I’veworkedreallyhardanddeservealovelyrest.’Mymusclespurredwithacontentedacheofexertionthatweshouldputourbodiesthrougheverynowandagain,inmyview.

Thatwasit;Iwassold.Ihadbeenbittenbythebugofrunningenduranceracesandranlotsofotherhalf-marathons,triathlons,crosscountry,10K,trailandotherracesintheUKandoverseas.

Iwasalsoreadingalotofinspiringbooksandquotationsatthattimeanddecidedthatitwastimetogiveafullmarathonago.

Themarathons

InDecember2003 Idecided to start training for theParisMarathonandbegan trainingwithmy local runninggroup,TheTrotters.Aveteran runnergaveme someadvice andtoldmethatasayoungfirst-timemarathoner,IshouldtakeiteasyandwalkafewmilessoIdidn’tburnoutorhitthewall.Sothat’swhatIdidandranitin4hours48minutes,butIfeltIhadundersoldmyselfandcouldhaverunaquickertime.

SoIdecidedthatIwouldruntheraceagainnextyear–myway.

I found a great running partner,Mike, frommy local gym, andwe got down to someserioustraining.Oneofourfavourite trainingrunswasonDartmooraroundareservoir.Thecoursewasfourmilesandweworkedup to running three timesaround, four timesaroundandeventuallyfivetimesaround–20miles.

Wewerepreparingwell,plusIhadmadesomegreatdietarychanges–Iwaseatinghugeamountsoffreshrawvegetablesandfruitseachday,aswellassomegrains,suchasriceandquinoa,andthatwasprettymuchit.Iwasfollowingthealkalinedietintuitivelyanditwas givingme loads of energy and aiding a very quick recovery from intense exercisesessions.Ifeltfantastic!

ThefeelingwhenIcrossedthefinishlineonrace-daywasunbelievable.Comingdownthelaststretch,IranasfastasIcould.Ialwaysfinisharacestrongandtrymybesttosprint.Icrossedthelineandfeltsucheuphoria!Itwaslikeapartysuddenlystartedinmyhead:Ihadbeensomentallyconstrainedandfocusedforthelast4hoursthatitwassuchamentalreleasetofinishandmymindwentwild.Sohappyandjoyous!

Ilookedatmywatch…3hours48minutes.Ihadachievedmygoalandknockedawholehouroffmyprevioustime.Thatisagreatmemoryforme.

I truly believe that my clean, alkaline diet was a huge contributing factor in my racesuccess. Itcertainlygaveme loadsofenergyandfast recovery times,aswellasmentalclarity and concentration; and I never experienced cramps or injuries, despite pushingmyselfhardonadailybasis.

Mywork

Asyoucanimagine,Iwasnowcompletelysoldonahealthylifestyleandthejoyitcouldbring.Aswellasrunningandgoingtothegym,Iwasoutdancingeachweek,enjoyingthe feelings of supreme fitness and health andmarvelling at thewonders of the humanbody.InowknewthatIwantedtoworkinhealthandthought,Whatbetterplacetoworkthanthehealthservice?

LittledidIknow….

Iappliedforapositionasmedicalresearchmanagerandgotit.Myjobwastoreviewallofthemedicalresearchproposalsthatwereputforwardbydoctors,surgeons,consultants,nursesandotherhealthpractitioners,andtovetthemagainstlegalandethicalstandardsofsafety,viabilityandsoundness,aswellasexpenseandfunding.

In short, my boss and I, along with a medical ethics committee, had the final say onwhetheraresearchproposalwasgiventhego-aheadtobeturnedintoafull-blownclinicalresearchtrial.

Thejobwasfascinating:aninsider’sviewonthelatestdouble-blindrandomizeddiabetesdrug trials, cancer research and schizophrenia studies; having the responsibility ofensuringpatientsafetyandethics;andliaisingwithsomebrilliantresearchersandmedicalprofessionals.Iwasalsoresponsibleforsomeprettybigthings:Iorganizedandchairedalarge health research seminar and prepared the annual research report that went to thegovernment,butsomethingbegantobotherme.

The first thing thathitmeearlyonwas thatmostof theso-calledmedicalexpertswereoftenobeseand lookedpositivelyunhealthy. Imused tomyselfabout thisphenomenon:would a criminal be allowed to serve in the police force (OK, don’t answer that one).Wouldapersonwhocouldnotdrivebeallowedtoworkasadrivinginstructor?

Youcouldarguethatyoudon’tneedtobeagoodplayertobeabletocoach,butinordertocoachanysportyoumustbeabletoplayatleastadequately,ifnotatahighlevel.

The second, and much more disturbing, thing I noticed was a common theme in theresearchproposalsthatweregiventhego-aheadandtheonesthatwererefused.Theonesthatpassedthrougheasilyandsmoothly,withlittlechallengetoaspectssuchaslikelihoodofcureofcondition,weretheonesthatrequiredlong-termmedication,whichwouldnotactuallycurebutrathermanagethediseaseorcondition–suchasdiabetesdrugs.

Theones thatwererepeatedlyrefusedwere theones that involvedso-calledwackynewconcepts, such as using vegetables and fruits to cure disease. Therewas one doctor inparticular I recallwho had conducted extensive research and hewanted to getmedicalethicsapprovalinordertorollitoutonalargerscale.Heclaimedthathehadusedlargevolumesof freshvegetables inpatients’diets toslowdownthegrowthofcancerand insomecases,reverseit.

ThiskindofstudyreallyinterestedmeandIwaskeenforit tobegiventhego-ahead.Ihad read some of Ann Wigmore’s work about how she had used organic veg andwheatgrass juice in the sixties at her Hippocrates Health Institute in the USA to cureterminallyillpatients.SoIdidn’tthinkthiswas‘wacky’atall,itmadeuttersensetome.

Yetthedoctorwhoputforwardhisproposalinthisareawasoustedfromhispositionandbecamethejokeofthemedicalresearchcommunity.It dawned on me that it was the pharmaceutical companies that provided most of themedical research funding (which I now had intimate knowledge of). If you haven’tguesseditalready,here’stheconnection…ittookawhileforthepennytoreallydropforme,apologiesifyou’vemadetheconnectionalready:

Thepharmacompanieshaveavested,andhugelyprofitable,interestinkeepingpeopleondrugs for years and years. This is the perfect type of disease management from theirperspective. They are not concerned with finding a real cure (end of drug-taking andmoney); theyarenot concernedwithmanagingandcuring illnessbynaturalmeans (nomoney at all for them), so they tend only to fund and pass policies (yes, pharmacompanies have amassive impact and say inmedical research policy formulation) thatsupport theirbest interests (money),notyoursandmine(tobefree fromdiseaseand ingoodhealth).

IrememberthinkingthatIhadjoinedthehealthservicetodoexactlythat–servehealth.BythistimeIknewthatthisjobwouldneverallowmetrulytodothatandIwas,infact,working for the ill-health service.Therewasnoemphasisonwhat itmeant tobe reallyhealthy: happy, energetic, positive, strong and free from disease, not managing it withexpensivepotionswithalltheiroutrageoussideeffects.

Sowhenmybossofferedtorenewmycontractandpromotemetoahigherlevel,withasignificantpayrise,Ipolitelydeclinedtherenewalandleftthejobshortlyafterwards.

Mywebsite

In2008,IwenttoAnthonyRobbins’legendary‘UnleashthePowerWithin’seminar.Tonyisjustanabsolutepowerhouseofenergyandthefour-daymammotheventinLondonthatIattendedwith12,000otherpeoplewasmind-blowingtosaytheleast.

Thelastdayoftheeventwasallaboutvitalityandhealthandhementionedthisdietaryprotocolcalledthe‘alkalinediet’–thewhat?IhadneverheardthisnamebeforeandIwasintrigued.Asthedaywentonandweweregivenadetaileddescription,explanationofthebenefitsandplanforfollowingthealkalinediet,IrealizedthatthiswasthedietIhadbeenfollowingofmyownaccordandgettinggreatresultswithforyears.

Ayearlater,Isetupmywebsite,AlkalineDietHealthTips,andbeganwritingarticlesandrecipebookscentredonafruit-and-vegetable-baseddiet.

Today,Ihavemanythousandsofsubscriberstomywebsite,frommorethan50differentcountries,andamprivilegedtoreceiveemailsandfeedbackeverydayoftheweekfrompeoplesharingtheirexperiencesandsuccesseswithbothmyownmaterialsandresourcesandthealkaline,veganandrawfooddietsingeneral.

Thanks for your website articles. Earlier this year my two-year-old son Ben wasdiagnosedwithtype1diabetes.Wehavesinceputhimonatotalrawfoodalkalinedietandhavebeenlearningaboutamorealkalinedietforourwholefamily.IamhappytosaythatBen’sdiabetes seems tobe reversing, in thatheneedsvery little injected insulin, ifany, and that his blood sugar levels are staying within a healthy, normal range.Whatseemedtobeagreatdiscouragementforushasturnedouttobeablessingforus,asthishasledusalltotakeacloserlookatthequalityoffoodthatweprepareandeat.Thanks,andkeepupthegoodwork!–ELIDAD

Since setting up my site, I have researched more, interviewed many other experts,surveyed, questioned and interacted with my subscribers and customers about theirexperiencesandgainedawholenewlevelofunderstanding;andtheirstories,alongwithalltheinformationandresearchI’vegathered,iswhatyou’llfindinthecomingchaptersofthisbook.

I have been living the alkaline lifestyle since 2006. I am 47 years old and feel like ateenager–verystrongandhealthy.Ifeltsickandtiredsixyearsago,nowmycancerhasbeeneradicated!–FAUSTO

WhereIamnow

Sincemy3:48ParisMarathon, I have gone on to runmanymore endurance races andtriathlons.Between2013and2014,Iran12marathondistancesandracesandoneultra-marathon of 32 miles across hilly moors. I know it’s my diet and lifestyle that haveallowedmetoliveenergeticallyandvibrantlyandkeepmyfitnessandexerciselevelstoaveryhighstandardsince2002.

HerearetheobjectivefactsofwhatI’veattainedontheAlkaline5Diet:

Iamverylean,fitandflexible,andhavegoodmuscletone.

MyskinandhairlookbetterthanwhenIwas17yearsoldandIamregularlytoldthatIlookradiantand10yearsyoungerthanmyactualage.

Ihavesustainedenergythroughouttheday,everyday.Idonotdrinkcoffeeortakeanyotherstimulants.

Itakenopharmaceuticalorotherdrugswhatsoever.

I have themental resilience and focus to runmybusiness and speak at events aswellasliveavariedlifeoftravelling,singinginaphilharmonicchoir,Latindancingandvarioussportssuchassurfingandcycling,aswellasrunning.

Iamhappy;Ilovetolearnnewthings;andhavegreatrelationshipswithpositivepeoplearoundme.It’sbeenalongpathtogettowhereIamtodayandIwanttohelpyouachievesimilarly great health too, not necessarily to runmarathons, but forwhatevermotivatesyouandbringsyoujoy.

Encouragement makes all the difference; just as I was encouraged back in my earlytwenties by a few loving people, I wish to encourage you that you are destined forsupremehealthandtoliveyourbestlifeEVER.

Solet’smakeastart,shallwe?

PartI:TheFrameworkforSupremeHealth,Healingand

Vitality

Introduction

EssentialElementsforHealthIcreatedtheFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealingtomakeiteasytounderstandand follow the seven distinctive and essential elements for achieving superb healththroughnutritionandlifestylepractice.

TheFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealing

Let’slookateachonebriefly,beforewegointogreaterdepthinthenextchapters.

1.Sunlightanddeepoxygenation

Ofcourse,gettingoxygenthroughbreathingisthenumberonemostimportantnecessityinourlives.However,manyofusarebreathingonaverysuperficiallevel,takingshallowbreaths throughout most of the day. It is vitally important to get proper, effectiveoxygenation;andthisisachievedbymindfuldeepbreathingandbyaerobicexercise.Wewill look at someeffectivebreathing techniques and somegreatways toget yourbodymovingforoptimumoxygenation.

2.Purehydration

Mostpeopleknowthebenefitsofdrinkinglotsoffresh,cleanpurewaterthroughouttheday,butnotallwaterismadeequal.Whetheritischlorineandfluorideinyourtapwateror plastic chemicals in bottled waters, the water we are drinking may not actually beoptimal forourhealth, sowearegoing to lookat theoptions forgetting thebestwaterpossibleforsuper-cleanhydration,includingtheinsandoutsofalkalinewater.

3.Sleepandbalancingrest

Notgettingenoughgood-qualitysleepandresthasthetendencytoputallotheraspectsofour lives out of kilter. Often dietary problems can arise from being deprived of sleep,making us reach for thewrong types of foods and elevating our levels of cortisol andstresshormones–whichencouragesweightgain.This is anaspectofhealth thatmanypeopledon’ttakeseriously,whileknowinghowimportantitistogetpropersleep.Soletmeaskyou,areyouconsistentlygetting8–10hoursofsleepandrestpernight?

4.Livingalkalinefoods

Eatingliving,rawfoods,suchasleafygreenvegetables,fruitsandsproutedseeds,isyourpathwaytoexcellenthealth.Theidealbalanceisaround70percentrawplant-basedfoodsand30percentcooked(moreacidic)foodsbycalories,whichcancomefromanumberofdifferentsources,dependingonyourpreference,andstillallowsfor‘treat’foods.

Thealkalizingeffectsofarawplant-baseddietarephenomenalandplayahugepartinouroverallvitalityandhealth.Alkalizingthebodyhelpstoguardagainstdiseaseandillnessand contributesmassively to achieving both sustained high energy and a calm state ofmind.

Manypeoplewhohaveahighproportionoflivingalkalinefoodsintheirdietclaimthatithelpschangeallareasoftheirlifeinaverypositiveway:It’snotjustaboutthefood,it’saboutanelevatedstateofbeing.

5.Eliminatingacidictoxins

Weareconstantlybombardedwith toxinsandpoisons; it’s just a factofmodern living.However,therearemanytoxinsthatwecanavoidandeliminatefromourliveswhenwehave the right information to make some intelligent lifestyle switches. For example,aluminium in antiperspirant deodorants and other beauty products has been linkedwithserioushealthconditions,suchasAlzheimer’sdisease,1whileparabens,foundinbeautyproducts like shampoos, conditioners and shower gels, have been linked to cancer.2Switchingtomorenaturalproductsisnotparticularlyonerousorinconvenient,butcouldmakeamassivedifferencetoyourlong-termhealth.

6.Movementandposture

Sincemostofus live inaculturewhere sedentaryoffice jobs, sittingdowna lotof thetimeanddrivingacaristhenorm,itcanbeeasytoneglectthefactthatwearedesignedtomoveonaregularbasis,justlikeouranimalfriends.Spendingagoodproportionofyourdaystandingup,andmovingandmaintaininggoodposturewhilstsittingdowncanhaveanimmediateandverypositiveeffectonyourhealthandwellbeing.Simplehabits,suchastaking regular breaks throughout the day and stretching, can help with both of thesethings.

7.Positivemindsetandemotions

Cultivatingapositiveandupbeatmindsetbyfocusingonpositivethoughtsandemotions,andnotdwellingonnegativeones,playsahugepart inyourwellbeingandhealth.Youcould be eating all the right things, exercising, taking superfoods, drinking plenty ofwater…but if you are stressed, cynical or negative then you simplywon’t achieve thegreathealththatispossibleforyou.

Manypeople are surprised to learn (or unwilling to accept) that a positivemindset andhappinessarenotdependentonoutsidecircumstances–e.g.,Iamhappywhensomeoneisnicetomeandunhappywhensomeoneisnastytome.Wearethemastersofouremotionsand success in life comes from choosing happiness and gratitude, not the other wayaround.Wewilllookatsomeverydefinitewaystocultivateasuperiormindset.

Let’snowgointoeachofthesevenprinciplesoftheFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealinginmoredepthinthenextchapters.

Myarthritisplaguedmeforyears;everylittlethinggavemepaininmyhands.IthoughtI’dtrythealkalinedietasI’dheardsomanygoodthingsaboutit.AfteronlyaweekIwasabletoopenjarswithoutanypain,whichIhadn’tbeenabletodoforyears.ThatwasthefirstthingInoticed.MyhealthhasjustgotbetterandbettersincethenandI’mnowlivingpain-free and off any medication. It feels like a new lease of life. I am so grateful. –MATTHEW

Chapter4

ABigBreathofFreshAir:DeepOxygenationWhatdorunning,smellingflowers,beingnearwaterandsingingallhaveincommon?

Theyallincreaseoxygenationinthebody.

Perhaps running is the most obvious example because our heart rate elevates and webreathe more deeply to get oxygen pumping around our bodies to feed our muscles.Exercise forces us to breathemuchmore deeply. Singing requires deep and controlleddiaphragmbreathingandisagreatwaytooxygenateyourwholebody.Beingasingerinvariousbandsandchoirsformanyyears,Icandefinitelyattesttonotonlythe‘goodforthesoul’benefitsofsinging,butalsothoseforphysicalwellbeing.

Theimportanceofdeepoxygenation

Quite simply, our levelsofhealth aredirectly related toour levelsof energy.Energy iscreatedatacellularlevelinourbodiesandcellsneedalotofoxygeninordertocreatetheATP(AdenosineTriphosphate),1whichfuelsus.

Withoutadequateoxygen,wecannotproduceATPandwithoutATPwewoulddie.Thatiswhywecanonlyholdourbreath foravery shortperiodof timebeforeweare indeeptrouble.Healthycellsinourbodiesareaerobicandoxygenisrightupthereasthebody’smostimportantnutrient.

In 1931, Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg made a connection between oxygen andcancer.2 He discovered that the number one cause of cancer was a lack of properoxygenationinthecellularenvironment.Hefoundthatcancercellsthriveinanoxygen-deprived environment and cannot live in an oxygen-rich one. Warburg also made aconnection between the body’s pH and degenerative disease (including cancer). HebelievedthatahigherpH(i.e.alkalinecells)gaverise tohigheroxygeninthecellsandguardedagainstdisease.

Furthermore, deep breathing stimulates the body’s lymphatic system. Unlike our bloodsystem,ourlymphsystemdoesn’thaveapump(theheartpumpstheblood)andneedstobeactivatedbymovementanddeepbreathing.

Applyingtheprincipleofdeepoxygenation

Herefollowsomegreatwaystooxygenateyourbodyandprovideagoodflowofoxygento your cells. In all the following suggestions, remember that it’s also important to bemindfulofyourposture,becausehunchingoverwhensittingorstandingleadstoshallowbreathing.

Deepdiaphragmbreathing

It’sgoodtoget intothehabitofdoingtenorsodeepbellybreathsafewtimesperday.Thisexpandsyourdiaphragmmuscleandthealveoliairpocketsinyourlungs,whichinturnde-stressesyouandstimulatesyourlymphsysteminstantly.

Thecorrectpracticeistobreatheairdeepintoyourlowerabdomen,withoutraisingyourshoulders.Your belly should expand and then,when you breathe out, it should be likesqueezingaplasticbottlefullofwater,squeezingtheairoutofyourlungs.

Agreat rhythmtoget intowithyourdeepbreathing is tobreathe inforacountof four,holdyourbreathforacountofeight(thisgivesyourcellsachancetodumpexcesscarbondioxide and other waste materials into your oxygenated blood) and then breathe outsteadilyforacountof16(expellingthetoxins).Sotheratiois1:2:4–breatheinforfour,holdforeight,andthenoutfor16.

Youmayneedtobuilduptodoingthisbecause it requiresadegreeofbothcontrolandfitness,andyoumayfindyoufeel light-headedat firstbecauseyourbody’snotused tosuchahitofoxygen.Ifthisisthecase,startoffwitharatioof1:1:2–breatheinforfour,holdforfour,andthenoutforeight.

Doasetof10ofthesebreathingexercisesonceortwiceaday;theyaregreattodofirstthinginthemorning.

Aerobicexercise

Anyexercisethatraisesyourheartrateandgetsyoubreathingharderandfasterisagoodformofaerobicexercise.Walking, running,cycling, rowing,badminton, tennis, skating,swimming, dancing, boxing, surfing, rebounding; the list is endless. Pick an activity orcombinationofactivitiesthatyouenjoyandissustainableforyou.

Consistencyisthekeyhere.It’snogooddoingsomethingaerobicallybeneficialthatyouhateandthenonlydoingitonceamonth.It’sbettertofindsomethingashardorasgentleassuitsyou,butthenstickingwithitoverthelongterm.Aimforatleast30minutes,threetimesperweek,butpreferablyfivetimesperweekor,betterstill,everyday.

So, as an example, you could walk briskly for 30 minutes first thing on Monday,Wednesday and Fridaymornings, cycle on Tuesday evenings, swim for 30minutes onThursdayeveninganddoajiveorstreet-danceclassonFridayevening.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Beforeyoustartanyexerciseregimeit is recommendedthatyouseekadvicefromyourmedicalprofessional.

Singing

Havingagoodoldwarble(orplayinganykindofblowing,windorbrassinstrument)isgreat for deeply oxygenatingyour body.Typically – and especially if youhave learnedbreathingtechniqueforsinging–youtakequick,diaphragmin-breathsfollowedbyslow,controlledandsustainedout-breathstosingthenotes.Thisisagreatwaytomakedeep,effectivebreathingfunandenjoyable!

SoputontheradiooryourfavouriteCDandsingalongforabout10minuteseveryday.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Whenyoustartincorporatingsome,orhopefullyall,ofthedeepoxygenationpracticesinyourlife,youwillexperiencesomedistinctbenefits,including:

Feelingmorerelaxed,centredandcalm,andlessstressed

Moreeffectiveimmunesystem,resultinginfewerminorandmajorillnesses

Strongercoreabdominalmusclesandaflatterstomach

Improvedskintoneandcolour

Fewerback,neckandjointachesandpains

Improvedflexibility

Chapter5

PlumpYourCells,LubricateYourBrainNexttooxygen,wateristhemostessentialsubstanceforlife,andmakesup80percentofourcells,organsand,therefore,wholebody.

Hydrationisaboutdrinkingthecorrectamountofpurecleanwatereachdaytomeetyourindividualbody’sneeds.Theamountofwaterrequiredvariesfrompersontopersonandisdependentlargelyonyourweight,activitylevelsandtheclimateyoulivein.Forexample,atall,heavy,muscularmanwhoworksoutalotandlivesinahotcountrywillrequirealotmorewaterthanasmall-framedwomanwhoworksinanofficeandisnotparticularlyactive.

Thatsaid,manypeoplearechronicallydehydrated,1–2 regardlessofanydifferingfactorsthataffecttheirhydrationneeds.Asmall,inactivewomanstillrequiresatleast2litres(3½pints)ofwatereachday.Amuscular,veryactivemanprobablyneedsmorelike4–5litres(7–8¾pints)eachday.

Inmyexperience,manypeoplesaythattheydrinkalotofwater(it’sthefirstthingIaskclients when they say they are tired, ill, overweight etc.), but when probed they oftenadmit that theyarenot reallysure if theyaredrinking2 litres (3½pints)ormoreeveryday,consistently.Coffeeandteadonotcountaswater.Fruitdrinksdonotcountaswater.Sodas,alcoholoranyotherdrinkapartfrompurewaterdoNOTcountaswater!3

Tomeitseemsstrangethatsomanypeoplehaveanaversiontodrinkingwater.Don’tbeoneofthosepeoplewhomakeitharderthanitneedstobe.Justdoit!Drinkingwaterisbeautiful.It’soneofthekindest,mostlovelythingsyoucandoforyourbodyandmind.

Theimportanceofpurehydration

Weuseupandlosewaterinmanybodilyfunctionsandprocessessoweneedtoreplenishourwaterlevelsconstantlyinordertostayproperlyhydrated.Everythingthathappensinour bodies requires water – respiration, digestion, urination, sweating, anabolic andcatabolicprocesses(buildingupandbreakingdownoftissue,fatandmuscle)–andalloftheseprocessesdehydrateus.

If we all ate bountiful amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits, which can constitute asmuchas90percentwater,ourneed todrinkwater inorder tokeephydratedwouldbemuchless.Butsincemostofusdon’tdothis,wedoneedtodrinklotsofwater–enoughwater,everyday.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Everycellinyourbodyneedstobewellhydratedatalltimesinordertothrive.Cellsneedto be like plump grapes, rather than dried prunes. Plus, if you’ve ever struggled withweightloss,youshouldknowthatgoodhydrationisoneofthebestwaystoregulateyourappetite,loseweightandkeepitoffoverthelongterm.4

Our bodies can operate on below-par levels of water because they aremiraculous andhighlyadaptablesuper-machines,but there isahighprice topay:below-parmentalandphysicalhealthandperformance.Thefirstthingtobecompromisedismentalclarityandyour ability to eliminate waste, and therefore constipation is a big indicator ofdehydration.Someerroneousdefinitionsofconstipationstatethatitishavingfewerthanthreebowelmovementsperweek.Ibelievethisisinfactsevereconstipation.

Dehydrationistherootcauseofandexacerbatesmanydiseases.4,5

Applyingtheprincipleofpurehydration

Thekeytopurehydrationisbasedaroundthreethings:

1. Quantity

2. Quality

3. Regularity

Quality

Notallwateriscreatedequal.Tapwateralmostalwayscontainslotsoftoxinsandheavymetalsthatarenotgoodforusandcanbeverydangeroustohealth,forexamplechlorineandfluorinecompounds.6

Inmanycountriesitisadvisednottodrinktapwater,butcertainlyalsoifyouliveintheUKorUSA,thequalityofwaterisquitepoor–containingallsortsofchemicalsthatoftenpass water quality tests because they are tasteless and odourless. There are literallythousandsofharmfulpollutantsthatgounidentifiedandundetectedintapwater.7–9

Thewater inmanyareasof theUKcontains fluorideand,despitewhatdentistsand themedia will have us believe, fluoride is not good for your teeth.Man-made fluoride, iftaken in excessquantities, can actually lead to fluorosis, a conditionmarkedby stainedandweakenedcavity-filledteeth.Notably,inEuropeandUScommunitieswherethereisno water fluoridation, the population suffer fewer cavities than in fluoridated UScommunities.

Evenworse,fluorideistoxicforourhealthandcanresultinhyperactivityand/orlethargy,arthritis, lowered thyroid function, lowered IQ, dementia, disrupted immune system,geneticdamage,celldeath,cancers,deactivatedessentialenzymesandreducedlifespan.10

Youmaywonderwhy fluoride is put into ourwater and advocated by dentists. I haveoftenwondered this and explanations can range from ignorance to profit to conspiracy.Sufficetosaythatweneedtobevigilantourselvesinensuringthatwearenottakinginfluoridethroughthewaterwedrink.

Therefore,drinkingacidictapwaterisout–unlessyouarehappytolivewithbelow-parhealth.Bottledmineralwatermay tastebetter than tapwaterbut, inmanycases, it stillcontains impurities and can often contain chemicals and oestrogens from the plasticbottlesthatitisstoredin.Glassbottlesareabetteroption.

Weneedtobedrinkingpurewater that isabovepH7becausedrinkingalkalinewater isoneofthefastestandmosteffectivewaysofrestoringyourbody’sacid–alkalinebalance.Pure water that has not been treated with harsh chemicals and toxins is naturallyoxygenatedandslightlyalkaline.Sinceitisnearimpossibletofind,otherthanverypurespringwater, it isbest to‘make’yourownalkalinewater,andthatcanbeachieved inanumberofways.

1.Waterionizers

Thesemachinesfixtoyourstandardtaps(faucets)orplumbingandproducealkalinewaterby running it over positive and negative electrodes, which first filters then ionizes theincomingwater.

Ionizers typically filterout inorganicandorganicchemicals, leadandmanyotherheavymetals, pesticides, trihalomethanes and volatile organic chemicals (e.g., chloroform andradongas),detergents,asbestos,somevirusesandpollens.Theydon’t,however,filterouttheminerals,whicharesolubleinwater,andthisisabenefit.Unlikedistillersorreverse

osmosis(RO)devices,waterionizersleaveinallofthemineralsthatyourbodyrequiresforproper functioning.Youare leftwithnothingbut clean,mineralizedwater,which isreadyfortheionizationprocess.

Duringionization,thesolublemineralsareattractedtoeitherthepositiveelectrodeorthenegative one, depending on their own electrical energy.When this happens, the waterseparatesintoalkalineandacidstreams.

The alkalinewater is used for drinking,while the acidwater can be used forwashing,heating, feedingplants anddisinfecting.Thegreat benefit here is that harmfulminerals(andmineral compounds such as fluoride) polarize and flow out with the acidic waterwhile thepositivemineralsflowoutwith thealkaline, leavingyouwithhealthy, ionizeddrinkingwater.

Water ionizers can be either countertop or under-sink units and they are an expensiveinvestment.Over a lifetime, of course, they are relatively lowmaintenance and a cost-effectivewayofcreatingpurewater.Thefiltersdoneedtobereplacedeverysixtotwelvemonths,dependentonvolumeusage,butarerelativelyinexpensive.

Consideringthatweneedlargequantitiesofwatereverydayofourlifeanddrinkinghigh-qualitywaterhasthepotentialtoaffecteveryotherareaofourlifepositively–fromsleeptoconcentrationtoweightregulationtoteethandbonehealth–I’dsayinstallinganwaterionizerisaveryworthyinvestmentinthebigpictureofthings.

2.WaterDistillers

Distilledwater is contentious:manyscientistsandhealthexpertsadvocate it as thebestoveralloptionforconsumptionwhileotherssaythatitisnotgoodforhealthatall.Waterisdistilledwhenitisheatedupuntilitturnstosteamandthencondensesbackintoliquidwater.Byitsnature,distilledwatercontainsnoimpuritiesormineralsanditspHisveryclose to neutral.However, you do not get the benefits of any alkalineminerals so it isrecommended that distilled water is used in conjunction with pH drops. There is alsopotentialconcernwithdistilledwaterthatisworthmentioning.

ResearchconductedbytheSwisschemistandNobelPrizenomineeDrPaulKouchakoffinthethirtiesindicatedthatonlyeatingcookedfoodprovokedanincreaseinwhitebloodcell activity (which happens when the body’s fights an infection). The ‘flash point’ ofwater is considered tobe around77°C (170°F).Some scientists believe that consumingwater heated above 77°C (170°F) can promote an increase inwhite blood cell activity,even if the water is consumed after cooling.11 Bottled distilled water carries the samedangersasbottledmineralwater– thepotential for leachingplastics from thecontainerinto the water, thereby contaminating it. A home-distillation system overcomes thisproblemandisrelativelyinexpensivebecauseitrequireslittlemaintenance.However,thewaterisnotavailable‘ontap’becauseittakesafewhourstoproduce.

3.Reverseosmosiswater(RO)machines

The reverse osmosis process uses a semi-permeablemembrane to remove up to 99 per

centofimpuritiesandchemicals,suchaschloride,fluoride,lead,iron,nitrate,magnesium,copper,sodium,viruses,arsenic,oestrogenandbacteria,usingonlywaterpressure.ROmachines are considerably cheaper than ionizers initially; however, themembranesneedtobereplacedfairlyoften,incomparisontoionizerfilters(approximatelyeverysixmonths).Filtersarerelativelyinexpensive,butgoodmaintenanceofyourROmachineisnecessary,orelsethemachinecanletmould,bacteriaandothercontaminantsthroughthemembrane.

Also,aswithdistillers, it takesawhile toproduce thewaterand itcontainsnoalkalineminerals,soisnotproperlyalkaline-balanced.ItisthereforerecommendedthatROwaterbeusedinconjunctionwithpHdropsoramineralfilter.

4.AlkalineWaterJugsandFilterJugs

These are better options than tap water and certainly far cheaper than ionizers or ROmachines;however, theydonothave theability tocompletelyfilteroutvolatileorganiccompounds(VOCs),hormonesandpharmaceuticals.Also,theyaresmallerinsizeandcanonlyfilterajugatatime.I’dsaythisisagoodinterimchoicebeforegettingoneoftheotherbetteroptionslistedabove.

5.pHdrops

AddingpHdrops,whichcontainalkalinecompoundssuchashydrogenperoxide,towaterisarelativelycheapwaytoalkalizeyourwater.However,noneofthewater’schemicalsandpollutantsarefilteredout,soit’sonlyasgoodasthequalityoftheoriginaltapwaterin essence, butwith a bit of an alkaline boost. Therefore, pH drops are best usedwithdistilledorROwater.

6.Addingalkalineingredientstodrinkingwater

Addingthejuiceofawhole,freshlysqueezedlemonorlimetoyourdrinkingwatergivesitanalkalineboost.Lemonsandlimesarealkalizingtoyourbody(yes,they’reacidicintheir physical form, but as they are metabolized by your body, they leave alkalineminerals). Simple but effective. Another way is to add green powders – such aswheatgrassjuicepowder.

AswithpHdrops,itisstillrecommendedthatyouuseadistiller,ROmachineorionizer,aswellasaddingalkalineingredients,toensurethewaterispure.

7.Bottledwater

Onlybuywater labelled ‘mineralwater’ andpreferably inglassbottles, asotherwaterssuch as ‘spring’ or ‘table’ are often nomore than glorified tap water. Bottled water isbetterthantapwater,butmoreexpensivethanbuyinganionizer,distillerorROmachine

inthelongterm.

Howmuchwatershouldyoudrink?

Theruleofthumbisthatyoushoulddrink1litre(1¾pints)ofwaterper18kgs(40lbs)ofbodyweight.Ifyouareveryinactivethenyoucandecreasethisbyaround30percent.

Therefore, ifyouweigh63.5kgs(140lbs)youwouldrequire3.5 litres(6pints)ofwaterper day (or 2.5 litres/4½ pints if you’re inactive). This is greatly more than therecommendedsixtoeightglassesperday.

Toensureyougetyourfulldailyrequirements,filla2-litre(3½-pint)bottleandworkyourwaythroughitduringtheday.Ifyouweigh72.5kgs(160lbs)thenyouwouldneedtofillyour2-litre(3½-pint)bottletwicetogetyourrecommended4litres(7pints).Thistakesawaythethinkingandmakesiteasy.Justlikesettingupadirectdebittodepositmoneystraightfromyourbankaccounttoyoursavingsaccounteachmonth.

Becarefulnot todrinktoomuchwater,as this isdangerousandcanleadtoaconditioncalledhypernatremia(waterintoxication).You’dhavetodrinkmanylitres(pints)thoughtoupsetyourelectrolytebalance;dehydrationismuchmorelikelythanhypernatremia–justdon’tzealouslyoverdothewater.

Drinkingwaterthroughouttheday

Drinkregularlythroughouttheday–every30minutesisideal.Itismuchbettertodrinksmalleramountsconsistentlyandregularlyalldaylongthantodrink2litres(3½pints)inonego.Thatsaid,it’sgreattodrink½alitre(18floz)or1litre(1¾pints)ofwaterfirstthinginthemorninguponwaking,sinceyou’llbedehydratedfromsleeping.

It is alsobest todrinkwaterbeforeandbetweenmeals,notwithoraftermeals, so thatyourdigestiveenzymesarenotdilutedwheneating,asthiscanimpairthedigestiveandabsorptionprocesses.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Herearethemainsignstoindicatethatyouaredrinkingenoughwater:

Clearandodourlessurine

Urinatingatleast8–10timesperday

Steadyenergylevels

Softskin

Relativelyodour-freeperspiration

Moistmouthandlips

Regularsoftbowelmovementswithpain-freeelimination

Inaddition,hereareafewofthebenefitsofpurehydration.

Greaterenergy

Reducesheadachesandmigraines

Clearsskin

Improvessleep

Regulatesappetite

Betterconcentrationandbrainpower

Preventsdiseaseandillness

Weightlossorregulation–reachingandmaintainingyouroptimumweight

Treatsfluidretention

Improvesmuscletone

Relievesconstipation

Relievesbackandjointpain

Foraguidetowaterionizersandotheralkalinewatermachinesandwheretobuythem,seetheResourcessection.

I suffered from fibromyalgia,whichwasverypainfuland Iwasalmostdisabled.Then Iread about alkaline water and the body’s pH levels. I bought a water ionizer, whichincreases thewater’s alkalinity, and starteddrinkingonly that formywaterandherbaltea.Idrinkabout3 litres(5¼pints)aday.Withinfourweeksthepainwasgoingaway.Within fourmonths, Iwascompletelypain-free. Ican’tmakeanyclaimas towhether itwasresponsibleornot,butIfeellikeanewperson.–STEPHEN

Chapter6

DreamsAbounding:SleepandBalancingRestGettingagoodnight’ssleepissonaturalandsoeasy,andyetmanyofusstruggletogotosleep,stayasleepandgetenough.

Sleep quality is inhibited by all manner of factors in our modern age – the advent ofelectricity being the biggest factor. Artificial lights mean that we can stay awake andactivelongaftersundown,whichwasonceournaturalindicatortosleep.

Electricityalsomeansthatweareaccustomedtowatchingtelevisionintheevening,usingcomputers and other electrical and entertainment devices, socializing and partying, andgenerally forcing our bodies to be still up and functioning long into the night – pastsundownandoftenmuchlater.Coupledwithstimulantssuchascaffeineandthentheneedtoariseforwork,it’snowonderwearesleep-deprived.

Adequatesleepisabsolutely,100percent,vitallyimportantforexcellenthealth.Youcanbefit,eatagreatdiet,getlotsoffreshairandsunshine,butifyouaresleep-deprived,youcannotreachyourhealthpotentialandthereisahighpricetopayforthisdeprivation.

Theimportanceofsleepandrest

Sleep is essential to recharge your nervous system – it gives your brain sufficientdowntime,makingitmoreefficientduringyourwakinghours.

Your brain is the control centre of your body, and a well-rested brain produces greatresultsthroughoutyourbody,mind,emotionsandspirit.

Whenwearesleep-deprived,weare likely to feelonedgeandonconstantalert. Ifyouhaveeverhad jet lag, you’ll know the feeling, and it results inpoor concentration, lowenergylevelsandpoordietarychoicesaswelookforsomethingtogiveusaliftinenergy,suchasacupofcoffeeorabarofchocolate.

Sleep is the only thing that recharges your batteries and allows your body to properlyeliminate waste and toxins. Getting enough sleep and rest also helps build muscle,regenerateyourcellsandtissue,andbreakdownfatandtoxins.

Applyingtheprincipleofnourishingsleepandrest

Theoldsaying‘earlytobed,earlytorisemakesyouhealthy,wealthyandwise’isatruismifever therewasone.There isnothing likegoing tobedearly–around10p.m.– thensleepingfor8–10hoursandarisingfresh,alertandexcitedtobeginyourday.

It’salsotruethatthehoursyousleepbeforemidnightcountfordoubleintermsofrest.Weproduce more melatonin between 9 p.m. and midnight than after this time. Melatoninregulatesourbody’scircadianrhythm(sleep/wakecycle)andisanantioxidant.Sothereisalso truth in thephrase ‘beauty sleep’–moremelatoninwhilst you sleep helps to slowdowntheageingprocessbymoppingupfreeradicalsinyourbody.1

Melatoninproduction,however,ishaltedbylightsoit’simportanttoensurethatyousleepinadarkroom.Itisalsovitallyimportanttowinddownintheeveningsbeforegoingtobed: lower the lights anddonotwatch televisionbeforebed. If you like to readbeforefallingasleep,make sure that it’s aphysicalbookwitha low room light andavoidanybacklitelectronicdevices.

Gettingthesleepandrestyouneed

Ihavetriedalltypesofsleepregimesandpatternsandsufferedwithinsomniaforyearsinmyearlytwenties.TheproblemwasIwasdoingallthewrongthingswithoutconsciouslyrealizingit:goingtobedstarvinghungryafterfitnesstraining,havingthelightsonrightup until sleep time, going to bed at irregular hours and late, stimulating my mind byreading business books, checking emails and even doing work! I now sleep well andhere’swhatIrecommendforoptimumrest.

Start winding down at 9 p.m. Lower the lights and stop engaging in stimulatingactivities.Gotobedat10p.m.(ornolaterthan11p.m.)andkeepyoursleephoursregular.

Donot eat for twohoursbeforeyou sleep. Insteadhavea smallhealthy snackormealintheeveningnolaterthan8p.m.ifyouareveryhungry.

Sleepinaverydarkroomwiththewindowopenoronthelatchtoallowsomefreshair in and no lights – no LED clocks, no phone in your bedroom, no TV, noelectrical gadgets. The goal is to eliminate electromagnetic frequency (EMF)radiationandstimulantswhilstsleeping.Youmightalsowanttofitblackoutblindsand/orcurtainsiflightpollutionfromstreetlightsisanissue.

TurnoffyourInternetWi-Fi,asthisdisruptssleepgreatly.Haveananalogueclockinyourroomifyoumusthaveone.Get8to10ormorehours’sleepandwakeupnaturally.2

Keep your bedroom clean and tidy – change your bed covers regularly, dust andvacuumregularlyandusenaturalfibresinyourbedding:100percentcottonsheets,downduvetorquiltandagreat-qualitypocket-sprungmattressarebest.

There is evidence to suggest that memory foam mattresses give off harmfulchemical vapours that can cause all manner of health problems. From my ownexperience,IhadsleepproblemswhenIhadamemoryfoammattressandalsousedto wake up with an overwhelming feeling of needing fresh air.When I saw theresearchonvapoursfrommemoryfoam,it reallyresonatedwithmyexperience;Igotridofthemattressimmediatelyandhavenothadtheproblemssince.3,4

Takenapswhenyoucan.Animalstakenapswhenevertheyfeellikeit.Theydon’task permission, they don’t feel guilty; they just do it. So as far as your lifestylepermits, takeasmuchrestasyouneedwheneveryoufeel likeit.Yourhealthwillbenefitgreatlyfromit.

Yourbedroomshouldbeforsleep,lovemaking,prayerandreadingonly.

Wearesociallyconditionedtostayawakeandalertand‘perkourselvesup’withcaffeineand stimulants, butwhy? Sowe canwork longer hours in a jobwe dislike?Don’t getcaughtupinthissocialcompetitionofwhocangetmoredoneandsleeptheleast; it’sagamethatwillbringyoudown.Soonerorlater,yourbodywillbalkagainst itandforceyoutorestbybecomingillorinjuredandthenyouwon’tbeabletodoanything.

I have experienced this myself by doing too much, working too many hours and notgettingenoughrest,andthenallofasuddensufferingaseverebackinjurythatcameoutofnowhereandputmecompletelyoutofactionforalmostamonth–Iliterallycouldn’tmoveorwalkforaweekandcouldn’texerciseformuchlonger.Lookingback,thiswasablessingindisguisebecauseitforcedmetoslowdownandrest,soIcouldworkandtrainsmarterratherthanlongerandharder.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Thereisnobadgeofhonourforhavinglesssleep.Somanypeoplethinkthatit’sbettertohaveonly5or6hours’sleeppernight,ratherthan10ormore.Thisisverynaiveandafalseeconomyinthelongterm.Whenyouget10hoursofsleeppernight,yourwakingcapabilitiesinallareasoflifegreatlysurpassthosepeoplewhoarefunctioningbelowparonlesssleep.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Herearejustafewofthebenefitsofgettinghigh-quality,high-quantitysleepandrest:

Feelingaliveandvitalwithsustainedenergy

Feelinglesstiredduringtheday

Feelingcalmerandmoreabletocopewithlife’sstresses

Properlybalancedhungermechanismandlesslikelihoodofovereatingoremotionaleating

Weight loss and muscle gain as your body has proper time for anabolic andcatabolicprocesses

Greaterabilitytoconcentrateandfocus

Betterskin

Aleanerwaistaslesscortisolisproduced(andlikewiseotherstresshormonesthatcontributetoabdominalfatretention)

Quickerrecoverytimesbetweenexercisesessions

Greaterathleticandstrengthperformance

Feelinghappier

Lookingandfeelingyounger

Chapter7

LiveandLetLive:LivingAlkalineFoodsFoodandeatingisaninescapablerealityofoureverydaylivesandtakesupagreatdealoftimeeachday.Wehave toeatevery fewhoursor soand it shouldbeanenjoyableandhealth-givingactivity,butforthevastmajorityofpeopleintheworlditposessomemajorissues.

In the developing world, the issue is often a dire one, as the prime concern is gettingenoughfoodtosustainlife,letalonegoodhealth.IntheWesternworlditcanrangefromthetrivial,suchaschoosingwhattohaveforlunch,toacomplexeatingdisorder,suchasanorexiaormorbidobesity,andaspectrumofissuesinbetween.

Foodandeatingisunlikethepreviousthreeprinciples–oxygenation,hydrationandsleep–because these factors are binary in nature; either youget enough sleep, or youdon’t.Eitheryou’rewellhydratedandoxygenated,oryou’renot.

Foodisamuchmorecomplexsubjectbecausethereisnotjustonetypeoffoodthatweshouldbeeating,anditisnotasimpleelementorsingularcompound.Insteadthereisaninfinitechoiceinhowwesatisfyourneedforfuelviatheconsumptionoffoodandit isinfluencedbymanyexternalfactors.

Our daily food choices are a delicate art and science that pose minefields at everyjuncture,unlesswe’rehighlyattunedtoourbody’sneedsandwell informedaboutgoodandbaddietarypractices.What’smore,somestrengthofcharacterisrequired,ifwearetoriseaboveallthesocial/societalnormsandconditioningaroundfoodandeatonlyforthepurposeoffuellingourbodiestosupportavibrantlife.

Letmeaskyouthis:WhodoyouknowwhoONLYeatshealthyfoodsandinmoderation– eatingwhenhungry and stoppingbefore full?Apersonwhodoesn’t eat because it issociabletodoso,orbecauseafamilymemberhascookedforthem,orbecausetheyarefeeling bored and food provides temporary amusement… but rather because they aredepletedofenergyandneedtoeatatthatparticularmoment?

Idoubtyoucannameanyone.Neithercan I, although Iknowahandfulofpeoplewhocome close to this – but they are world experts in diet and nutrition, and have beenpractisingandteachingnutritionfordecades;they’renotyouraverageJoe.

So if, at the moment, you are aware that your diet and eating practices are less thanoptimal,it’sOK,andforthemostpartit’snotyourfault.Howeveritisyourresponsibilityto make some positive and courageous changes to reach your physical, mental andemotionaloptimumviayourfoodchoices.

ThebrilliantnewsisthattheAlkaline5Dietgivesyouawaytoeatbothhealthfullyanddeliciously at the same time, because I love food and so I designedA5D tomeet fivespecificcriteria,asfollows:

1. Simple

2. Satisfying

3. Super-healthy

4. Sustainable

5. Systematized

We’lllookattheprinciplesoftheAlkaline5DietandfoodswecaneatinPartII,butfornowhereisalistofjustsomeofthefactorsthatcanhaveverypervasiveinfluencesonourabilitytodecidewhatweeatandwhen:

Foodindustryadvertisingandindoctrination

Supermarketandgrocerystorelayoutandofferings

TVcommercials

Dietindustrybooksandmarketing

Dietindustrycontradictions

Contradictionsaboutwhatisbesttoeatleadingtoconfusion,inactionandapathy

Dairyindustryfundingandadvertising

Earlyinfiltrationandconditioningofsectorsofsociety,e.g.,milkgiventoschool-agechildren

Medicalindustryfunding

Doctors’andhealthworkers’advice–rarelyfocusedongoodnutrition

Medical practitioner training, often heavily reactionary, rather than proactive andpreventative

Negativestigmasaboutrawdiets,vegetarianismandveganism

Propagandaaboutproteinandneedforfish,meatanddairyproducts

Erroneousgovernmentalfoodpyramidsandrecommendations

Socialpressures

Eatingasapartofsocialgatherings

Restaurantmenus based around standardAmerican/Western diet (SAD), and thescarcityofvegan/vegetarianrestaurants

Givingandreceivingfoodastreats,rewardsorlove

Eatingtopleaseothers,yourpartneroraparentcookingforyou,forexample

Eatingaroundworkschedules,whetheryou’rehungryornot

Stigmaaboutusing thebathroomfrequentlyand thebelief thateating lotsof fruitandvegetableswillcausefrequentbowelmovements

Peerpressure

Lackoftimetoresearchintohealthandgooddiet

Cancer industry propaganda,whichpromotes the idea that people are just ‘struckdown’with cancer rather than seeing a distinctive cause and effect fromdiet andlifestyle

Ingredientsinfoodsthatcauseovereating,cravingsandaddictions

Appealingfoodpackaging,priceandconvenience

Lackofmoney,marketing andpromotion of fruits and vegetables (whenwas thelasttimeyousawaTVcommercialforbananas?)

Lackofavailabilityoffresh,healthyfood.

Conventionalstereotypesandbeliefs,e.g.,eatingmeatismanly,vegetarianmenarewimps,milkbuildsstrongteethandbones.

Alloftheabovefactorscombinetoperpetuateawidelyheldnotionaboutdietandhealththat suppresses the truth about what humans need to survive, and should be eating tothrive.Ateveryjuncture,wearesubtlyandnotsosubtlyexposedtoconditioningthathasnegativeandconfusinginfluencesonthewayweeat,andoftenformsourviewsonhealth.

Compoundingthis,thereareveryfewpositiveinfluencesinourlivestoencourageustoeathealthily,inmoderationandinawaythatsupportsusinthrivingwithvitalenergy.

Inordertoreceivepositivehealthmessagesinourlives,wehavetobeproactive.Wearenotconditionedbysocietyforhealth,sowehavetoseektoinfluenceourselvesbyreadingandresearchingandbeingwillingtogoagainstthesocietalnorms.Youcanalsoseekoutacoachtohelpandsupportyouinthisarea.Iknowyou’rewillingtodothissinceyou’rereadingthisbook,sothat’sgreatnews.

Irecentlywenttothewonderfulandfirst-everThaiFruitFestival,organizedbymyfriendand health activist Harley Johnstone (known as Durianrider). I spent two weeks witharound250otherpeople,allofwhomarethrivingonahealthyplant-baseddiet.Insteadofgettingdrunkandeatingjunkfood,wespenttwoweekseatingfruitatparkgatheringsandcyclingupmountains.Itwasagreatexperience.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Surroundingyourselfwithapeergroupthatholdsyoutoahigherstandardandsupportsyourhealthylifestylewillworkwondersinhelpingyoustayontrack.

Theimportanceoflivingalkalinefoods

Anabundanceof livingalkalinefoods(mainlyrawvegetablesandfruits) is inharmonywith thebody’sneeds.As Idescribed inChapter1, alkaline foodshelp tomaintainourblood at a slightly alkaline pH 7.365, whereas eating acidic foods causes a low-levelemergencyinternallybecauseitforcesthebodytomakewithdrawalsofalkalinemineralsfromotherplaces(suchasbones)inordertomaintaincorrectpH.1

Soit’snotsurprisingthateatinglotsofalkalinelivingfoodsresultsingreatenergy,healthandvitality,becauseyouaregivingyourbodywhatitneeds,whereasacidicfoodsworkagainstyourbodyandmakeyoufeeltired,lethargicandunhealthy.

The phrase ‘you arewhat you eat’was derived fromAnthelmeBrillat-Savarin in 1826whenhewrote, inPhysiologieduGout,ouMeditationsdeGastronomieTranscendante,‘TellmewhatyoueatandIwilltellyouwhatyouare.’Later,in1863,inanessaytitledConcerningSpiritualismandMaterialism,LudwigAndreasFeuerbachwrote: ‘Aman iswhatheeats.’TheactualphraseemergedinEnglishsometimelaterinthe1920sand30s,when the nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, who was a strong believer in the idea that foodcontrolshealth,said,‘Ninetypercentofthediseasesknowntomanarecausedbycheapfoodstuffs.Youarewhatyoueat.’2 In1942,Lindlahrpublished thebookYouAreWhatYouEat:HowtoWinandKeepHealthWithDiet.

WhatBrillat-Savarin,FeuerbachandLindlahrweretellinguswasthatthefoodweeathasagreatbearingonourstateofmindandhealthbecausethefoodweeatgoesdirectlyintocreating new physical cells in our body. In other words, the food you put inside yourmouthandingest,makesupyourhair,nails,organs,muscle,brains,skin,teeth,etc.,anddirectlyaffectsyourenergy,mood,powersofconcentration,weight,health,abilitytocopewithstresses,speedofageingandhappinessorlackofit.

Think about it: the food we eat goes directly into creating new physical cells in ourbody….So,havingjustgiventhisproperthought,doyoureallythinkthateatingapieceof chocolate cake, or reconstituted and processed chicken nuggets, or GMO soya, orrefinedhydrogenatedvegetableoilcouldpossiblycreatehealthynewcellsorcleanseandnourishexistingones?

Wouldyoufillafishtankwithsewagewater?Ofcoursenot.You’dusefresh,cleanwater.Wouldyouputlemonadeinyourcar’sfueltank?No.Sowhydowe,whilstknowingthatourbodiesthriveonfresh,livingfoods,recklesslyputallsortsofjunkintoourselvesandexpecttokeepourgoodhealth?

Eatingfresh,unprocessed, livingalkalinefood is themasterkey togoodhealthbecausethatiswhatwearedesignedtorunon,ashumans.It’sourhigh-octanefuel.

Applyingtheprincipleoflivingalkalinefoods

We can best apply the principle of living alkaline foods by focusing on eating lots oforganic, fresh, ripe vegetables and fruits as themost dominant foods in our diet (thesefoodsarelivingalkalinefoods).

In addition, your dietary choices should be as natural and simple as possible. Anyprocessing,cooking,pickling,freezing,microwavingorrefiningdecreasesorcompletelydenatures the nutrients in your food.3 The exception to this is juicing and makingsmoothies fromfruitsandvegetablesbecause,whilst this is refining tosomeextent, thenutrientsareretainedandactuallymoreeasilyabsorbedbythebody.

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Fruits and vegetables aremostly carbohydrates (alongwith essential vitamins,mineralsandwater),whichmeansyou’llalsobekeepingyourfatandproteinintakeprettylowinratioontheA5D.

Therefore, I recommend eating a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-protein, plant-baseddiet.Thisechoes thedietprotocolsofDrDouglasGraham’sground-breakingbookThe80/10/10Diet,which is based on calories and eating 80 per cent of your calories fromcarbohydrates,10percentfromfatsand10percentfromproteins.DrDougGrahamisanexpert in natural hygiene and the raw alkaline lifestyle, and he created the 80/10/10principleforoptimumhealth.Iwouldrecommendreadinghisbookforhisin-depthlookathowtoeata100percentlivingrawdiet.4

However, I appreciate that this suggestion may pose some immediate questions oraversions for you, as it does for most people. Having had the privileged insight intopeople’sviewsonthealkalinedietandhoweasyordifficulttheyperceiveittobeoverthepastsevenyears,Ihaveseenprettymucheveryquestionandexcuseunderthesunastowhy followingan alkalinediet is too scaryordifficult orboringorweird, despite theirsincerewishtobehealthierandmorevital. Ishouldalsonote thatmanypeople’s initialaversionsarequicklyreplacedwithexcitement,enthusiasmandpersistence,oncetheyseehowsimplethislifestyleisandhowquicklythebenefitsarereaped.

Later in thischapter, I’lldispel thecommonmythsandgivemy top tipsandadvice forhowtolivethealkalinedietlifestyleeasily,consistentlyandwithsuccess.First,however,let’s look at how we can eat for optimum health every day. Simplicity is the ultimatesophistication, sowe’regoing tokeep thingsvery simple.Thatway,you’remuchmorelikelytoadoptthesepracticesintoyourdailyroutineoverthelongterm.

These eating suggestions are simple but require diligence and some discipline to startwith,soyoumaywanttoworkuptothem,ifthatisbestforyou.Oryoumaywishtogostraightinandeatinthisoptimalwaystraightoff–usetheapproachthatworksbestforyou.

Theeightrecommendationsfordailyeating

1.Eat15portions(or10–20)rawfruitsandvegetablesperday

Forexample:1rawcarrot,3rawfloretsofbroccoli,7cm(3in)sliceofcucumber,4cherrytomatoes, 1 stick of celery, 1 glass of wheatgrass juice powder with water (or freshwheatgrass juice shot, ifyougrow it),1banana,1apple,1pear, ahandfulofgrapes,1orange,10dates,1grapefruitand2otherfruits(e.g.,mango,halfamelon,pomegranate,persimmon,handfulofgojiberries,kiwi,handfulofcherries,handfulofstrawberries).

There are around 1,250 calories in the above,which is approximately half of the dailycalorieintakeformalesandaroundtwo-thirdforfemales.Yourremainingcaloriescanbetakenviaothercookedorrawfoodsofyourchoice.However,ifyou’reveryactive,asIam, thenyou’llneed toeatmanymorecalories.Forexample, Ieataround2,200–2,800caloriesperdaytomaintainmyweight.

2.Eatfruitforbreakfast

Eateitheraselectionoffruitsoramono-mealoffruits(e.g.,6bananasor20datesor2mangosor8oranges)asyourfirstdailymeal.Aimforaround600–800calories.

3.Drinkahigh-chlorophyllgreenjuiceeveryday

Choose awheatgrass juice or a leafy green vegetable and fruit juice. This provides thebloodwithahighamountofplantchlorophyll,whichcleansesandrebuildsthebloodandcells.4

4.Drinkatleast2litres(3½pints)ofpurewatereveryday

Iadvisedrinkingonlyfresh,purewaterandherbalteas,butifyouneedareminderofhowmuchwatertodrink.

5.Eliminate(orgreatlyminimize)refinedoilsfromyourdiet

Refinedoilsareanyoilsthatcomeinabottle,includingso-called‘healthy’or‘good’oils,suchasolive,flaxseedorothercold-pressedoils.Only10percentofyourcalorieseachday should come from fats – that equates to around 200 calories (22g/¾oz) and 250calories(28g/1oz)respectivelyforwomenandmen.Youcanobtainthisamountevenonadietexclusivelyofplantfoods,withnorefinedoilswhatsoever.

Byeatingfruits,vegetables,grainsandsmallamountsofseedsandnutsyouwillobtainallthefatsyouneed,soitisnotnecessarytoeatanyrefinedoilswhatsoever.Youcaneasilycookyourfoodsbyboiling,baking,steamingor‘frying’inwaterorinanon-stickpan,socookingwithoutoilisnotanissue,asyou’llseeintherecipesandmealplansinPartIII.

6.Combineyourfoodsproperly

To ensure good digestion and absorption of vitamins andminerals from your food, eatfruitsalone(onanemptystomach).Eatall themosteasilydigestiblefoodsfirst(simplecarbohydrates–e.g.,potatoes,riceorpasta)beforeeatingtheharder-to-digestfoodslast(proteins,especiallyanimalproteins,ifyoueatthem).

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Proper food combining will prevent you from feeling bloated, gassy and sluggish, aiddigestionandhelpyouloseweight.

Do not drink any liquids with your meals – even water, as this dilutes your digestiveenzymesandinhibitstheprocess.Drinkwaterbeforeyourmealoranhourafter.

7.Eliminateorgreatlylimitmeat,dairy,fishandprocessedfoods

TheAlkaline 5 Diet does not include anymeat, fish, dairy, eggs (or any other animalproduct) or processed foodproducts, but if you can’t gowithout those foods then limitthemtolessthan20percentofyourcalorieintake(around200–250caloriesperday)andonlybuyorganicvarieties.ThismaybeagoodwayforyoutotransitionintotheA5Dforacoupleofmonths.

You could try eliminating meat altogether for a month, but continuing with fish. Thefollowingmonth, you could try eliminating fish aswell, but continuingwithdairy.Thefollowingmonthyoucouldthenalsoeliminatedairytobefullyvegan,whichI’dhighlyrecommend.

8.Limitcookedfoods

Ifyouwant toeatcooked foods, then limit them topotatoes,baked, steamed, stir-fried,stewed vegetables and fruits, soups (preferably home-made), rice, buckwheat, bulgurwheat,millet,pasta,couscous,pulses,cerealsandpasteurizedandpurefruitjuices.

Atypicalday’sfood

Herearethreeexamplesofatypicalday’sfoodforme(thenumberofportionsoffruitandvegareinbrackets):

Example1

Breakfast: Fresh lemon juice in warm water (1 portion); 8 large Medjool dates (1portion);1pomegranatewithgratedapple,limejuiceandcinnamon(3portions)

Calories:700

Lunch:2bananas(1portion);6dates;freshlycutvegetables–broccoli,carrot,cucumber,redpepper,celery(5portions);400g(14oz)ofboiledpotatoesorhome-madebakedovenchips(fries)

Calories:950

Dinner:Grapefruit(1portion);biggreensaladwithfreshmangoandtomatodressing(2portions);wheatgrassjuicein500ml(18floz)ofwater(1portion)

Calories:450calories

Totalcalories:2,100

Portionsoffruitandveg:14

Example2

Breakfast:Freshlemonjuiceinwarmwater(1portion);largebowloffreshhome-madetomato,aubergine(eggplant)andonionsoup(2portions);4-bananaandkalesmoothie(1portion)

Calories:600

Lunch: 8 large Medjool dates (1 portion); freshly cut vegetables – broccoli, carrot,cucumber,redpepper,celery(5portions);greensmoothie(2portions)

Calories:850

Dinner:1apple,1pear,500g(1lb2oz)grapes,1mango(4portions);wheatgrassjuicein500ml(18floz)ofwater(1portion)

Calories:650calories

Totalcalories:2,100

Portionsoffruitandveg:17

Example3

Breakfast:Wheatgrassjuicein500ml(18floz)ofwater(1portion);mediumbowlofoatandfruitmuesliwithcoconutoralmondmilk;2bananas(1portion)

Calories:650

Lunch: 10 large Medjool dates (1 portion); big green salad with spinach, lettuce,tomatoes,cucumber,redpepper,celery(5portions)withhummus;1apple(1portion)

Calories:900

Dinner:1litre(1¾pints)greenjuicefromkale,spinach,cucumber,celery,parsley,limeand apples (4 portions); 4 rye crackers with watercress, tomato, ½ avocado and sweetchillisauce(3portions);2largeMedjooldates(1portion)

Calories:650

Totalcalories:2,200

Portionsoffruitandveg:17

Caloriesandeatingenough

Itendtoeat2,200to2,800caloriesperday,dependingonhowmuchexerciseIdo.Iburnanaverageof800caloriesatthegymorrunningonmostdays,soadjustmycalorieintakeaccordingly.Forexample,ifIwanttoloseweightImighteat2,400caloriesandburn800calories.Ortomaintain,Iwouldeat2,600caloriesandburn500calories.

Oneof theeasiestways tomodifyyourcalorie intake iswithdatesandbananas. Ifyouneedtoeatanextrafewhundredcalories,add5largeMedjooldatesor3bananas.IntheAlkaline 5 Diet there is a daily meal consisting of dates and bananas for fat loss andenhancedperformance(seeBananaGreenSmoothie).

Itisalsoagoodideatomonitoryourdailycalorieintakeandexpenditurewhenyoustartout,asoneofthebiggestchallengeswhenchangingyourdiettoonemadeupofmostlyfruitandvegissimplyeatingenough.You’llfindthatthesheervolumeoffoodyouneedtoeattoreachyourrequireddailycalorieneedsismuchgreater.Itisacommonmistakeforpeopleonarawfooddiettothinkthattheyareeatinglots,butwhentheyaddupthecalories, itcanactuallybe fewer than1,500or1,000adayand,asaconsequence, theyfeeltiredanddisillusionedthattheyarenotreapingthehighenergyrewardspromised.

Forexample, inaburgerandchips (fries)meal, thereare roughly1,000calories.You’dhave to eat 10 bananas, 25 whole lettuces or 25 largeMedjool dates to match that incalories.

Beawareofthecommonstigmaofeatingtoomuch,asotherpeoplemayseeyoueatingseveralbananasandsayyou’rebeinggreedy.However,itseemsthatourperceptionsaboutfoods–mainlyfromadvertising–arealittleconfused.Forexample,maypeoplethinkit’sperfectlynormaltoeatafamily-sizebagofcrisps(chips)ora200g(7oz)barofchocolate,buteating4applesisclassedasbeinggreedy,overindulgentorreservedforsomeonewithahugeappetite.

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Beingawareofotherpeople’sskewedperceptionsaboutfoodwillhelpyouovercomethepossiblenegativeeffectonyourmindset.Myadviceisjusttoobservethem,beamusedbythem,dismissthemandthencarryonwithwhatyou’redoing.

Commonquestionsanddispellingmyths

Q:Aren’tcarbsbadforyou?

A.No,thisisafallacy.Low-carbdietstendtobehighinfatand/orhighinprotein,bothofwhichareharshonyourdigestivesystemduetotheslowtransitoffood(foodhangingaround in the gut and colon, which can cause constipation), putrefaction andfermentation.Asaresult,low-carbdietsarenotbestforachievingoptimumhealth.Wearedesigned to eat carbs – simple sugars are used directly to produce ATP (see Theimportanceofdeepoxygenation),whichweutilizeasenergy.

Q.Ihaveasweettooth–Ilovechocolateandcravesweetthings,howdoIgivethisup?

A.Weare designed to havea sweet tooth,which canbe satiatedby eating lots of fruitsugars–dates,bananas,apples,etc.Eatenoughfruitandyouwon’tcravethehigh-sugar-and-fat hit of chocolate. You can combat cravings for refined sugar and high-fat junkfoods, such as chocolate, cakes, ice cream and so on by using the following five-fruitsolution:

Whenyoufeelacravingforsomethingnaughty,eat5pieces/portionsoffruitandthenifyou stillwant the food, eat it. I prettymuch guarantee that after you’ve eaten 5 fruits,you’llno longerwant theoriginalnaughty foodyouwerecraving.So, forexample,youcould eat 2 bananas, a handful of dates, an apple, a pear, or 3 mangos if you reallywanted,or5orangesjuiced.

Most of the time when we crave sugary foods, it’s because we are not eating enoughcarbohydrates.Eatingjustonepieceoffruit(averaging100calories)won’tcutit,sowetend togo fordense,high-calorieprocessed foods instead.Byeating5portionsof fruit(around500calories),you’llgetanatural,healthy,high-sugarhit.

Q.Aren’tlemonsacidic?

A.No, they are acidic in physical form, butwhenmetabolized by the body produce analkalinemineral ash residue,which alkalizes the blood. The same applies to limes andgrapefruits.

Q.WheredoIgetmyprotein?

A.Thereismorethanenoughproteininleafygreenvegetablesandfruits–remember,only10percentofcalories(around200–250)perdayneedtocomefromprotein.Plantproteintendstocontaincompleteproteinaminoacids(protein-buildingblocks)andismuchmoreeasilyassimilatedbythebody,sothis isreallynotalegitimateworryatall. In fact, therealconcernshouldbeeatingtooMUCHprotein,whichisaveryrealhealthissueinthe

West,astoomuchcandamageyourliverandkidneys.

Ihavebeeneatingalow-proteindiet foryearsandhavegood,strongmuscles–despitebeing a long-distance runner (which can sometimes cause muscle atrophy) and notparticularlydiligentwithaweightsprogrammeatthegym.Ifyouneedmoreconvincing–check out the vegan bodybuilding websites. The best source of protein our bodies canutilizeisfromplantsources,plustheyarenothighlyacidifying,unlikemeatprotein.5

Q.Won’tIfeelhungryordeprived?

A.No.Thekeyiseatingalargeramountoffood.Therearefarfewercaloriespergraminfruitsandvegthaninmostotherfoods,becauseoftheirhighwatercontent.Thereforeyouneedmuchbiggeramounts.Forexample,itmayseemexcessivetoarawfoodnovicetoeat5bananas,butthisisamoderatecalorificintakeof500calories–thesameasalargecookieorchocolatebarorburger.

Infact,mymotherusedtolaughatmesettingoff toworkinthemorningswithawholesackoffoodfortheday–around5kg(11lbs)offruitandvegandsmoothies.She’dask,‘Howdoyoueatallthatfoodandstillloseweight?’

Theanswer,ofcourse,isthatthefoodislowcalorieandhighquality,soitishardnottoloseweight,ifthat’syourgoal.

Q.Isn’titbesttohavewarmingcookedfoodinthewinter?

A.Notnecessarily.Cookedfoodcanbedevoidofmanyofitsnutrients(asmuchas80percentof thevitamins,mineralsandenzymesmaybelost)andactuallycausesalow-levelimmuneresponsebecausethefood’smolecularstructurehasbeenalteredintosomethingthat is not easily recognized and assimilated by the body.Cooked plant foods are veryrarelybetterthanrawplantfoods,butcookedplantfoodsarealwaysbetterthanraworcookedanimal products andprocessed foods.Even inwintertime, it is important to eatsomelivingrawalkalinefoodseveryday.

Q.Iamdieting,sowon’teatinghighcarbsmakemefat?

A.Absolutelynot.Eatinghighcarb,lowfatisthebestwaytoloseweightormaintainaslenderbody.Fruitsugarisnotthesameasrefinedsugarin,saychocolate,icecreamorcakes, but unfortunately gets lumped in the same no-no category for dieters. Plus, thefatteningingredientsinthelatterareactuallythesaturatedandunsaturatedfats.

Fruitssugarsareunrefined,combinedwithlotsofnutrients,fibreandwaterandaregoodforyou.Cake,icecream,chocolate,etc.,areprocessedproductswithminimalnutritionalvalueandarehighlyacidic.Donotmake themistakeof thinking fruitsare in the samecategoryasthesefatteningjunkfoods.

Eatinglotsoffruitonyourlow-fatdietwillfosteraleanandhealthybody.

Superfoodsandsupplements

Manyrawfoodexpertspromoteeatingso-calledsuperfoodsandusingsupplements.Camucamu, bee pollen, ormus gold, chagamushrooms,moringa, bear’s claw herb and otherweird and wonderfully named things have some purportedly excellent benefits andnutritionalqualities,buttheyareoftenveryexpensive.Youcouldbeforgivenforthinkingthatmany of these foods are promoted because there is a high profitmargin for thosepeoplesellingthemandbeingaffiliatedwithmanufacturersofthem,comparedtolittleornomargininpromotingwholefruitsandveg.

Inmy recipes, Ioccasionallyuse somesuperfoods, suchasmacaor acaiberrypowder;theseaddgoodflavourandarecheaperandeasiertofindthanmanyothers.Generally,theuseoftheseintherecipesisoptionalandnotnecessary.

As long as you are eating lots of fresh, ripe, raw, organic, high-quality fruits andvegetables,youwillreceiveallthenutrientsthatyourbodyneedstothrive.Afterall,ourancestorsdidnot,andourcloserelativesthechimpsdonothaveaccesstosuperfoods,soitisunlikelythatthesehard-to-obtainandconcentratedfoodsareessentialforus.

However,Iwouldrecommendincludingthefollowingfoodsinyourdiet:

Wheatgrass

Sprouts

Probiotics

Wheatgrass

I recommend drinking wheatgrass juice daily because it is packed full of greenchlorophyll, which is very similar to our blood’s haemoglobin and is a fantastic bloodcleanser and cell builder. It contains nearly the full spectrumof nutrients, vitamins andmineralsthatweneed–allinonesmallpotentshotofthejuicedgrass.

AnnWigmorefamouslyusedwheatgrassextensivelyinherinstituteinCaliforniatotreatterminally illpatients,withmuchsuccess.Shewroteanumberofbookson thesubject,including the excellentBe YourOwnDoctor. In factwheatgrass juice has beenwidelylabelled‘nature’sgreatesthealer’.6

Youcangrowandjuicewheatgrassyourself,orbuyitinpowderformandmixwithwater.Bothareinexpensiveandinmyexperience,agreatdailyinvestmentandinsurancepolicyforyourhealth,vibrancyandwellbeing.

Sprouting

Sprouting beans and seeds, such as alfalfa, broccoli seeds, mung beans, brown(wholegrain)rice,quinoaandbeansprouts,isagoodwaytogethigh-nutrientdenseplantprotein.Youcaneasilyspoutseedsandbeansathomeyourselfinafewdays,oryoucanbuy packs of fresh sprouts inexpensively from health food shops. Sprouts are a goodadditiontosalads,orgreateatenontheirownasasnack.

BacterialBalance

The bacteria in the colon, often referred to as ‘intestinal flora’, is a combination andbalance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria. Any time that you have less than two bowelmovements per day, you know that you need to increase your levels of probiotic goodbacteria.ThiscanbeachievedbyaddingculturedandfermentedfoodssuchasKombuchatea(whichisagreatalternativetowineoralcohol)orsauerkraut(whichyoucanmakeathome from cabbage) to your diet, in moderation, along with high-fibre fruits andvegetables.Avoiding processed and refined fat and sugar foods is the optimumway tomaintainahealthycolon.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Herearesomeofthemainbenefitsofeatinglivingalkalinefoods:

Feelingaliveandvital

Havingsustainedenergythroughouttheday

Sleepingwell

Weightlossorregulation

Betterskin,hairandnails

Brighteyes

Feelingcalmerandmoreabletocopewithlife’sstresses

Properlybalancedhungermechanismandlesslikelihoodofovereatingoremotionaleating

Beingabletoeatlargeamountsoffoodandnotputonweight

Yourpalatewilladjusttolivingalkalinefoodsandyoursenseoftastewillbecomemuchmoresensitiveandattunedtothesubtleanddelicateflavoursofaplant-baseddiet

Refined fats,meat,dairyandprocessed foodswill start tobecomeunappealingorevenrepulsivetoyou–makingiteasytoeathealthily

Greaterabilitytoconcentrateandfocus

Aleanerwaist,aslesscortisolisproduced(andlikewiseotherstresshormonesthatcontributetoabdominalfatretention)

Greaterathleticandstrengthperformance

Feelinghappier

Lookingandfeelingyounger

Greatlysupportsthehealingprocessandahealthyimmunesystem

Eatingismucheasier,simplerandfasterbecauselesstimeandeffortisrequiredinpreparingandcookingyourfood

Chapter8

DitchtheNasties:EliminatingAcidicToxinsThe flipside to eating living alkaline foods is eliminating, or at leastminimizing, yourconsumption and use of unhealthy, acidic toxins. These toxins can be classed into twogroups:

Foodanddrinks

Household,beautyandenvironmentalproducts

Itwouldbearealshametoeatlotsoffreshrawfruitsandvegandthencancelouttheirbenefits by (sometimes unwittingly) acidifying your body with toxic beauty products,pollutants, foods and drinks. So, here follows a concise list of things you should bemindfulofandavoidasfarasyoucan.

Theimportanceofeliminatingtoxins

There aremany things all around us in our daily life that can throw our bodies out ofalkalinebalance,ifwearenotawareofthemanddonottakestepstokeepthemoutofourlifeasfaraswecan.

Many of these toxins are heavilymarketed by advertisers and some even promoted asbeinghealthyandbeneficial.Othersarejustnotlabelledasbeingbadforus.Youhavetobemindfulthattherearemanypeoplewithmanydifferentagendasotherthanhealthandpreventingandcuringdisease–notleastthebigpharmacompanies.Thisiswhyweneedtobevigilantandtakeresponsibilityforourhealtheducation.

Acidictoxinsdirectlyacidifythebodyandittakesalotof‘doingtherightthing’torestoreyour alkalinity. For example, it has been reported that it takes 32 glasses of water toneutralize one can of cola, and it’s classed as a highly corrosive substance when intransport.1

Soit’snotquitethecasethatone‘good’thingbalancesoutone‘bad’thing.YouneedtobedoingalotmoreoftherightthingstoensureagoodbloodpHismaintainedcomfortably,without your body having to utilize its ‘alkaline buffering’ mechanisms to restorehomeostasis(i.e.optimumbloodpHof7.365).

Thinkofitlikethis:whenyouaretoohot,yourbodywillsweatandyourveinswillrisetothesurfaceofyourskintocoolyoudown.Whenyouarecold,yourbodywillshiverandgetgoosebumpsinordertogetyoumovingandwarmup.Thisisbecauseoptimumbodytemperature is37.5°C(99.5°F)and if itdeviates fromthisbyonlyasmallamount,youdie.

Inasimilarfashion,whenbloodpHisconstantlyerringonthesideofover-acidity,yourbodywillbeforcedtotakemeasurestobringitbacktoitscorrectpH.Unfortunately,thismeansdoingthingslikeleechingcalciumandotheralkalinemineralsfromyourbonesandusingittoalkalizeyourblood.Ifthiscontinuesforasustainedperiod,thendiseaseslikeosteoporosiscanoccur.

It’sverycleverthewayourbodydoesthisreally–itcompromiseslessvitalfunctionstosavethecriticalones,andcorrectbloodpHiscriticaltokeepingusalive.

Thismeansthatyoucangoformanyyearsoftenwithouthavinganysignsorsymptomsofdiseaseorill-health,butinalow-levelstateofacidosis.Eventually,yourbodywillnotbeable to cope any more and this acidosis will manifest into something serious, like anallergy,skincondition,obesity,oroneofthebigthreediseases–cancer,heartdiseaseanddiabetes.

Another way for our body to cope with over-acidity in its inner terrain, is by storingexcessfatand‘dumping’acidictoxinsinthere.Oftenwhenpeoplefollowamorealkalinelifestyleandeliminatetoxins,weightlossoccursnaturallyandprettyeffortlessly.2

Eliminating acidic toxins, coupled with eating living alkaline foods, is a great healthinsurancepolicy.You’llseethebenefitsalmostimmediatelyintermsofvitalityand,inthelongterm,withyourlongevity.

Applyingtheprinciplesofeliminatingacidictoxins

HereisaconciselistofthethingsthatIrecommendthatyoueliminatefrom,orat leastminimizein,yourdietandlifestyle:

Foodanddrinktoxins

Caffeine:Aneurotoxinandadiuretic.

Soya: It contains phytoestrogens that disrupt hormonal function. Also, unless organic,soyaishighlylikelytobegeneticallymodified.

Cigarettes:Notafood,butstilltakeninorally.Obviously,ifyouareasmoker,givingupisthenumberonebestthingyoucoulddoforyourhealth.

Alcohol:Eliminatealcoholfromyour lifeorseverelylimityour intakeas it’sactuallyapoison.Manypeopleareamazedhowmuch life improves for thebetterwhen theystopdrinking.Tryalcohol-freebeersandwines–they’reprettygood.

Sodas:Especiallycoladrinkswhicharehighlyacidicandharmful.

Dairyproducts:Milkcontainsmanymillionsofpuscells.Theaveragesomatic(pus)cellcountinUSmilkperspoonfulis1,120,000,3and,shockingly,hasbeenshowntodepletecalciuminourbodies,notreplenishit.SeetheHarvardnursesstudyof238,000nursesformoreinformationonthis,4ormywebsitearticle,‘IsMilkBadForYou?’(you’llfindthelinktothisintheResourcessection).

Meat:Thehusbandryandslaughterofanimalscausesthemtoreleasealargeamountofadrenalineandotherstresshormones,allofwhichmakesmeatmoreacidictoourbodiesthan it already is. There is also the issue of theGMO feed and hormones given to theanimals,aswellasgluesandfillersinjectedintoalotofprocessedmeat.Youcangetmorethanenoughandsuperior-qualityproteinfromplantsources.

Modernfactoryfarmingmethodsusedbythemeatanddairyindustriesmeanthatanimalsareoftenkeptinprettybadconditions.Thisisalsothenumberonecauseofourplanet’sdepletingresourcesandpollutionproblems.Youmaywanttoexploretheseethicalissuessurroundingtheconsumptionofeatingmeatanddairytoaddmomentumtoyouchoosingaplant-baseddiet.Thismadeitano-brainerforme.

Packaged and microwaved foods: Nutrient-poor, compared to foods in their naturalstate,andoftenfilledwithunnaturalpreservativesandflavourings.

Cookedfoods:Cutdownandincludealotmorerawlivingplantfoodsinyourdiet.TheA5D21-daymealplanadviseseating20–70percentrawfoodsandtherestcookedfoods.Soeverydayyouaregettingplentyofhigh-nutrientrawfoods.

Fish: Eat sparingly if you areminimizing rather than eliminating and choosewild fishoverfarmed.Highlevelsofmercurycanalsobeanissueindeep-seafish,suchastunaandswordfish.

Refined oils and salts: Refining foodsmakes them too concentrated and therefore notgoodforus.Adiethighinfatcanpromoteandexacerbatediabetes,asitdisruptsthebloodsugarlevelsinyourcells.Youmaybeshockedtohearthis,butdiabetesisoftenaproblemof toomuch fat in a person’s diet, not toomuch sugar. I knowmanypeoplewhohavereverseddiabetesonahigh-fruit (sugar)and low-fatdiet. I recommendreadingDrNealBarnard’sProgramforReversingDiabetes (seeResources),which covers the subject indetail.

By eliminating packaged and processed foods then you are ensuring that you are noteating all sorts of harmful chemical preservatives, additives, flavours and colourings.Here’salistofsomeparticularlynastyonestoavoid.

Modifiedmaizestarch

Aspartame(E951)

MSG(E621)

Maltodextrin

Soyalecithin

Sulphurdioxide(E220)

Hydrogenated/transfats,sodiumsulphite(E221)

High-fructosecornsyrup

Sodiumnitrateandnitrite

BHA&BHT(E320)

Potassiumbromate

FooddyessuchasE133,E110,E102,E124

This is not an exhaustive list of food additives to eliminate, but suffice to say that youshouldminimize packaged, processed and refined foods (with the exception of organicveganpackagedgoods)becausetheyareaminefieldofchemicalnasties.

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Obviouslynotall‘bad’foodsareequal–itisbettertohaveahome-cookedbroth(mildlyacidic)thanadeep-friedsausageandchips(fries)(highlyacidic)andasodawaterisbetterthan cola. So be discerning with what foods and drinks you choose if you’re notcompletelyeliminatingacidictoxinsfromyourfoods.

Householdandbeautyproducts,andenvironmentaltoxins

Parabens:Foundinamultitudeofshampoosandshowerproducts,butyoucanfindmanywithoutparabens.Consumerpressurehas ledmanymanufacturers to labelproducts thatareparaben-free.

Antiperspirants:Containaluminium,whichhasbeenlinkedtoAlzheimer’sDisease.5

SodiumLaurylSulphate(SLS):Asurfactant,detergentandemulsifierusedinthousandsofcosmeticproducts,aswellasinindustrialcleaners.Itisfoundinnearlyallshampoos,toothpastes, shower and bath products and make-up foundations. SLS been linked tocancer,neurotoxicity,organtoxicity,skinirritationandendocrinedisruption.6

Microwaveovens:Notonlydotheydenaturefood,buttheyharmfullychangethefood’smolecular structure, creating ‘radiolytic’ compounds and making it potentiallycarcinogenic.7Theydon’tcallit‘nuking’fornothing.

Mercuryamalgamdentalfillings:Mercuryisoneofthemostpoisonoussubstancesforus.Oneofthemaindangersistheinstabilityofthemercuryinfillings,whichcangiveoffharmfulvapours.Itisagoodideatoavoidhavinganynewamalgamfillings,andyoumaywanttoconsiderhavingyourexistingonesreplacedwithwhitefillings.

Fluoride: Found in most toothpastes, tap water (in some countries, banned in others),canned foods,many beers andwines. Fluoride can damage fertility, destroy bones andcauseearlypubertyinchildren.8Findfluoride-freetoothpastefromyourlocalhealthfoodshopandfilteryourtapwater,orbuybottled.

Wi-Fi emissions: Electro Magnetic Frequency (EMF) radiation from prolongedWi-Fiexposurebyusingyourcomputer, tabletorphonehasbeen shown tocauseall typesofhealth problems from impaired concentration and brain function to infertility9–10 andshouldbeminimizedbyusinganEthernetconnection toyourcomputer for the Internetwhereyoucan,insteadofwireless.Turnoffyourwirelessrouteratnightasitcandisruptsleep.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Being indoors, in a car or in public transport compromises the quality of your air andlimitsyourvitaminDabsorption.Seektominimizeyourtimeindoorsandinvehiclesbygettingoutside in the fresh air asmuchaspossible.Cycleorwalk asmuchasyoucaneveryday.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Whenyoueliminate,orminimize,yourconsumptionanduseoftoxins,you’llexperiencethefollowingbenefits:

Bloodpurification

Cleansingofyourbodybothinsideandout

Astrengthenedimmunesystem

Liftedmoodandrelieffromdepression

Feelingazestforlifeandhappy

Improvedliver,gallbladder,kidneyandcolonfunction

Clearedcongestion,especiallyinlungsbyreducingmucus

Betterconcentration

Lessanxietyandnervousness

Weightregulation

Improvedskin

Higherlibidoandsexualperformance

Delayedsignsofageing–lookingandfeelingmoreyouthful

Aidsfertility

Chapter9

BodiesInMotion:MovementandPostureWeliveinatimeandsocietywheresittingdownatdesksandonsofasforlongperiodsoftime is a commonplace everyday activity while using cars and other transportationvehiclestogetaroundisthenorm.

Ourbodies,however,havenot evolved for sucha sedentary lifestyle.Mechanically,wearedesignedtobestanding,moving,activebeingsandifwedon’tpayheedtothiswepaythepricewithourhealth.

For people who have physically active occupations, such as gardeners, builders,carpenters, sportspeople, customer service staff, cycle couriers, full-time parents etc.,keepingactivelymovingisnotanissue,butkeepingcorrectposturecouldbe.Forofficeworkersanddrivers,bothmovementandposturecandefinitelybean issueand,aswithyourdiet,sleepandotheraspectsoftheFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealing,youneed to bemindful and vigilant of your posture, getting your bodymoving throughouteachday.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Idefinemovementasanythingfromwalkingandcyclingtogardeninganddancing,butitmustbeforsustainedperiodsthroughouteachday.

Goodpostureisaboutyourbodybeing‘centred’,poisedandincorrectspinalalignmentwhenstandingandsittingsothatyourspineisuprightandyourchestopen.

Theimportanceofmovementandposture

Activemovementandcorrectposturekeepyourbodyingoodworkingorderandhelptomaintainthehealthofyourheartandcardiovascularsystem,lymphsystem,bones,jointsandmuscles,yourbrain,digestiveandimmunesystems.

Goodposture is vital inkeepingyour spine aligned correctly, preventingbackpain andensuring that your nervous system functionswell.Bad posture, over time, can result in‘subluxation’or‘pinching’onthenervesbyvertebraethatareoutofalignment.Thiscancause a multitude of problems, from headaches and sciatica to mental fog and evendepression.

Inshort,youhavetokeepyourenginetickingoverandmovingalongtherighttracksinordertobehealthy.

Applyingtheprinciplesofmovementandposture

The easiestway to apply this principle is simply by doing lots ofwalking every day. Iusuallywalkatleastthreemilesperday,aswellasdoinghardercardiovascularexerciseontopofthat.

Walking

Walking really is the perfect exercise: it’s low impact, it can be combined with deepbreathingandbeingoutinnature,itgetsyoustoodupright,whichisgreatforyourpostureand,unlikerunning,doesnotrequireahighleveloffitnessandprettymuchanyonecandoit.

Getregularwalkingbreaksthroughouttheday.Iusuallywalkamilebytheseafirstthinginthemorning,takeanothermileorsowalkatlunchtimeandthenintheeveningIwalksomemore.Inthisway,it’snotabig,onerousactivityandIfindit’seasiertofitinthree15–20minutewalksaday thanonewalkofanhourormore. It isalsomorebeneficialphysicallyandmentallytowalklittleandoftenthanonelongerwalkbecauseitgivesyourbodyachancetogetrevvedupseveral times throughout thedayandsogetsyourbrainworkingbettertoo.Thisreallyisagreatpracticeforyouroverallwellbeing.

Theveryactofstandingupandwalkingmeansthatyouhave100percentbetterposturethanbeingsatdown.Combinethatwithwalkingtallwithyourshouldersback,chestopenandbreathingdeeply,andyou’llbedoingwondersforyourposturetoo.

Cycling

Like walking, cycling is another fantastic way to get moving: it’s low impact, weightbearingandsimple.Theextrabenefitofcyclingoverwalkingisthatyoutendtogetmoreofacardiovascularworkoutandburnmorecalories,soit’sagreatactivityforweightloss.Also,youcancovermoredistanceonabike, so itcandoubleasaviablealternative tousingyourcar.

Pilates

Great for flexibility and increasing core (abdominal) strength, which helps to improveyourposture.Checkouttheclassesatyourlocalgymorhavealookonlineforasimpleinstructionalclassthatyoucandoathome.

Goodpostureintheoffice

If you’re anofficeworkeror spend any amountof timeon a computeror sittingdown(whodoesn’t thesedays?) thenmakesure thatyourshouldersareback(expandingyourchest) and that your back is straightwhen you are sitting at your desk.A poor posturecollapsesyourlungsandresultsinveryshallowbreathing.

Ifyouarecurrentlyusingaless-than-optimumchairatyourdesk,ditchit,bitethebulletandinvestinahigh-qualityergonomicchairorkneelertosupportyourspinecorrectlyandkeepyourposturegood.This is oneof thegreatest investments you’llmake– since somanyhoursarespentatworkandyourspineandbackhealthissoprecious.

Ifyouremployerprovidesyourofficechair,askiftheycandoanergonomicstestforyourdeskarea(thisisalegalrequirementinmanyplaces)tomakesureyourset-upissafeandhealthy.

Evenbetterstill, ifyourworkplaceallowsit, is toworkstandinguporsittingonagymball. Chiropractors and other back and posture experts recommend this. In fact, manyexpertssaythatthechairisoneoftheworstinventionsforourbodiesintermsofspinalalignment,postureandbreathing.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

Here are just a few of the benefits of getting more exercise and taking care of yourposture:

Greaterflexibility

Improvedcardiovascularfitness

Improvedimmunefunction

Anti-ageing

Strongercoremuscles

Greatersenseofcalmandmentalclarity

Atonedbody

Fatloss,whencombinedwithcorrectdiet

Greaterconnectionwithnature,whichcanleadtogreaterspiritualconnectedness

Improvedandsustainedenergythroughouttheday

Chapter10

TheBrightSideofLife:PositiveMindsetandEmotions

Theeffectofemotions,feelings,mindsetandattitudeonyourhealthistremendous.Weallknowsomeonewhohasanegativeattitudeandalwaysseemstobebemoaningtheirlot;theirhealth,energyanddemeanourtendtofollowsuit.

Manydiseasesare ‘psychosomatic’– relatingnegativemindsetandstresswith impairedphysicalwellbeing.Similarly,apositivemindsetandattituderelates topositivephysicalhealthandbeingfreeofdiseaseandillness.Atabiochemicallevel,ithasbeenshownthatpositive thoughts and feelings are actually alkalizing – they make your body morealkaline,whilenegativethoughtsandfeelingscauseacidityinthebody.1

Itisvitallyimportantthatyouhaveapositivemindset,ifyouwanttolivethebestlifethatyoucan;andhavingapositivemindsetisachoice,notanaccident.AsAbrahamLincolnsaid,‘Wecancomplainbecauserosebusheshavethorns,orrejoicebecausethornbusheshaveroses.’

Theimportanceofapositivemindsetandemotions

Apositivemindsetmeans that youhave a positive expectation that thingswill turn outwellandthatyouwillsucceed.Itgivesyoumorecouragetotryandpersistwithdietandlifestylechangesthanifyouhaveanegativemindset.

Makingpositivechangesinyourdietandlifestyleinturnincreasesyourvibrancy,energyandpositivity.Thisstrengthenedpositivitygivesyouincreasedcourageandpersistencetoexploreothernewareasofyourlifeandmakeotherintelligentchanges,whichinturncanincrease your confidence and positivity and desire to stay on a diet that facilitates thispositivity–andsothevirtuouscyclecontinues.

Alkaline-delicioustip

In a nutshell, being positive enhances all aspects of your life, which fosters morehappiness,andbeinghappycausesyourbodytobecomemorealkaline.

Applyingtheprinciplesofapositivemindsetandemotions

Itisalmostimpossibleinourmodernagetobe‘naturally’positive.Thereissomuchfear,scarcity, violence, resistance, apathy and other negative things thrown at us from everyangle–fromthetelevisionandnewspaperstootherpeoplewholiketocommiseratewitheach other over their grievances. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary to cultivateyourpositivemindsetandattitude,whichwillleadtoday-to-daypositiveemotions.

‘HowcanIdothat?’youmightbeasking.Here’swhatI’velearnedovermanyyearsfrommanydifferent seminars,booksandmentors,distilleddown intoonepageofguidelinesforyourconvenienceandimmediateuse,onhowtoliveapowerfullypositivelife.

Startbymakingthedecisionthatyourviewoftheworldisachoiceandoptimismisalearnableskill.Decidethattheworldisapositiveplaceandthatthereisasmuchgoodasthereisevil.Justdecidetoreleaseanyresistancetothisandchooseit.

Makea listof100 thingsyou’veexperienced inyour life thatshowevidence thatthe world you live in has many good facets. Acknowledge and decide that yourhappinessandyourfulfilmentinlifeonthisearthisyourresponsibility,notthatofothers. Realize that circumstances do not determine your happiness; it’s yourinterpretation of the circumstances and the meaning you attach to them thatdetermines your happiness. As Zig Ziglar said, ‘You cannot tailor-make thesituationsinlife,butyoucantailor-maketheattitudestofitthosesituations.’

Throwawayyourtelevision.Advertisersandthemediaaresupremelysophisticatedinmindconditioningandsubliminalmessagingtechniques,nottomentiontheplain,purenegativitythatispumpedthroughthenews24/7.Frommyextensivetraininginmarketing and studying the science of persuasion, I know first-hand just howeasy it is to influencehumanbeings toacertaindesiredactionorstateofmind. Ihavewatchedmanysalesspeakersusesystematic,puresciencetogetpeopletobuytheir products – they follow a technique and get the same results every time.Ofcourse,thiscanbeusedethicallyorunethically,butdoyouhonestlybelievethatthemedia,advertisers,politiciansandfood/medical industrieshaveyourbest interestsatheart,whenthereissomuchmoney,powerandcontrolatstake?Doyourselfafavourandgiveyourselflotsofextrafreetime–dumpthesquarebox.

Guardyourmindandbecarefulwhatyouallowin.Afriendofmineused tosay,‘Youwouldn’t let your neighbour come into your house and dump their rubbishthere, so don’t let people dump rubbish into yourmind,’ and this is so true.Oursubconsciousminds areverypowerful andare just that – subconscious.Wecan’ttell the impact something has on our subconscious mind, but we do need to bemindfulonaconsciouslevelofwhatweallowintoourmind.

Read upliftingmaterials (not magazines and newspapers), watch uplifting videos(notTV), listen tomusic that is inspiringyou (not standardpopand rockmusic).Thiscanreallyenrichourday-to-dayexperienceoflife.

Be proactive, rather than reactive. Other people and circumstances will alwaysdemandyourtime–emailsandphonecallstoanswer,expectationsoffriendsand

family,colleaguesandclients.Schedulesome‘me’time,butalsostructureyourdaytogetyourhigh-value,high-prioritythingsdoneandthelessimportantyet‘urgent’tasksdoneafterwards.Noonewillgiveyoupermissiontolivelifeonyourterms;youhavetotakechargeanddemanditofyourselfandothersaroundyou.

Surround yourself with good, kind, supportive, successful, uplifting, positivepeople. Distance yourself from negative types – the complainers, moaners andnaysayers – even if they might have been long-standing friends. Their negativeeffectonyouismuchmorepervasivethanyouthink.

Talk to yourself positively and guard against speaking negatively to, or about,yourself.Beyourownchampion.You,morethananyoneelseinyourlife,needanddeservethatanddoingthishelpsyoutobethebestyoucanbeforotherpeopletoo.

Don’t gossip ormoan about other people. If you have a problemwith someone,speaktothemdirectly.

Helpothersasmuchasyoucanandgooutofyourwaytoextendcompassion.Forexample,givetocharityortithe,helphomelesspeopleandvolunteer.

Keep yourword and keep agreements as far as you can.Thiswillmaintain youresteembothinyoureyesandotherpeople’s.

Liveabalancedlife:workhardonwhatyouenjoydoing,spendqualitytimewithfriendsandfamily,exerciseoften,spendtimeinnature,befunandsilly,enjoyyourhobbies, discover/develop your spirituality and faith by joining a prayer ormeditationgroup,forexample.

Begrateful–give thanksandpraiseoftenandactively thinkofat least10 thingseachday (ideallymorningandevening) thatyouare thankful for inyour lifeandthat have happened that day. An attitude of gratitude is a great way to get youinstantlyontoapositivevibeandtobemoreresilienttolife’severydaystressors.

Havingapositivemindsetandemotionsisnotaboutbeinghappyallthetime–allowyouremotionstobe,whetherpositiveornegative,andletthempass,don’tallowyourselftogetattachedtothem.Itisratheranoverallconvictionthatwhateverhappens,I’llhandleit.

Thebenefitsofapplyingthisprinciple

A positive mindset and outlook will improve your life in every way and you willexperiencesomedistincthealthbenefits,including:

Increasedlongevity

Reducedriskorsymptomsofdepression

Lowerlevelsofdistressandanxiety

Greaterresistancetothecommoncold

Greaterimmunityingeneral

Betterpsychologicalandphysicalwellbeing

Reducedriskofcardiovasculardisease

Bettercopingskillsduringtimesofstressandhardship

Greaterresilienceandresourcefulness

Bettercommunicationandrelationshipswithothers

Morehappiness,fulfilmentandmeaninginyourlife

Agreatersenseofpurposeinlife

Agreatersenseofconnectednesstoyourfellowhumanbeings,andspiritually

PartII:ThePrinciplesoftheAlkaline5Diet

Introduction

GetReadyforA5DSuccessSo,asyouhavereadsofar,livingahealthyalkalinelifestyleisaboutmuchmorethanjustfood,butIexpectyoualreadyknewthat.Itisaboutaholisticapproachtohealthandaboutbalanceinbody,mindandspirit.

Beforewemoveon to the specificsof theAlkaline5Diet, IwouldsuggestgoingbackoverChapters4–10(seeTheimportanceofdeepoxygenation)andmakingashortactionplan,basedoneachoftheelementsoftheFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealing:

1. Sunlightanddeepoxygenation

2. Purehydration

3. Sleepandbalancingrest

4. Livingalkalinefoods

5. Eliminatingacidictoxins

6. Movementandposture

7. Positivemindsetandemotions

Foreachoftheseelements,writedowntwoactionsthatyouaregoingtotakeinthenextweekandcommit tomaking themahabit for thenextmonth.Thisactionalone,beforegetting into the insandoutsofdailymealplans,will invigorateyour lifegreatly.Sogoanddoitnow;itissimpleandyou’llfeelgoodfortakingthisaction.

A5Dsuccessstories

To inspireyouonyourway,hereare justa fewof thesuccess stories frommywebsitesubscribersandpeoplewhohavetriedA5D.ThesearenotuncommontestimoniesandI’msureyou’ll agreeoffermanygood reasons for trying thediet for21days. Ihaveyet tomeetanyonewhohastriedthealkalinediet,ormorespecificallyA5D,andnotseensomeconsiderablehealthandbodyimprovements.

Until about eight yearsago Iwasonahigh-proteindiet, but not ingoodhealth: tired,pale,sicklylooking,retainingwateranddepressed.Thenafriend,whoownsahealthfoodstore,suggestedthatIcheckthepHlevelsofmyurineandtheywereabout4.5–totallyacid. Thatweekend Iwent on a broth fast, using vegetables and potatoes and drinkingfreshlymadegreenjuicesfrommyfriend’shealthfoodstore.IntwodaysIlostabout5lbs,thecolourbegantocomebackintomyskinandIfeltlikeanewperson…itwasasthoughahugeweighthadbeenliftedoffmyshoulders.Ibegantoreadbooksaboutrawfoodsandthealkalinelifestyle,andnoweatarawfooddietandamcarefultomonitormypHlevel.Iuse thealkalinediet food listonyourwebsiteand ithasmadeahugedifference.Sincethen Ihavenever lookedback,but it still amazesmehow incredible I feel andhowallthose crazy andannoying symptoms, like aches, pains, fatigue, bloating, excessweight,havejustgoneawaynowthatmybodyisbalanced.–ALICIA

I was on high-blood-pressuremedication for over 10 years, but have been an alkalineveganfortwoyearsnow.Duringsomerecenttests,mybloodpressurewasnormalwhileoff medication and, with my doctor’s approval, I weaned myself off my meds whilemonitoringmybloodpressureonadailybasis.MybloodpressureisnowwithinnormalrangeandI’moffmymeds.Somuchfor‘it’sinyourgenes’,Iamsohappy.–GRANT

I’veonlybeenusingtheAlkaline5Dietforthreeweeks,butItrulyfeelbetterthaneverbeforeinmylife.Iamconvincedofthebenefitsofthisdietandintendtokeeponitforlife.Theweight lossdoesn’tmatchanythingIhaveever,EVERtriedbefore.Andbelieveme,I’vedoneitall!Thankyou.–CAROLINE

IdidtheAlkaline5Dietfor21daysandfeltamazing.Myenergywasgreatandmymindwassoclear–I’manurseandjustfeltreallyonmygame.IusedanapponmyphonetocountcaloriestoensureIwasconsumingenough.ThedayIdidn’tcountcalorieswastheonlyonethatmycravingswereoutofcontrolandIwantedtoeatjunkfoods.Inowknowexactlyhowtothrivewithmydietandhealth,andthisdietissosimpleonceyougetusedtotheamountoffoodyouhavetoeat(whichisabonus!).–GREG

This is ULTIMATE. TheHOLYGRAIL of all diets! I am on and off raw (only cookedplant-baseddinners), but I still stick tohighcarbohydrate, low fat, lowproteinand theresultshavebeenphenomenal.Wewerebornwithasweettoothforareason–toenjoyanabundanceofjuicy,sweet,beautifulfruit.Carbsforthewin!–ANGELO

I scrupulously followed an alkaline vegan diet for over two years. At 47 years old, ithelpedmeachievesix-packabsinfourmonths.Itisanincrediblyhigh-energyandhealthydiet, and extremely easy to do. I stopped for a little while because it made socializingaround food nearly impossible.However, for the fewmonths I stopped, I didn’t feel asgood,gainedsomefatandlostmyabundantenergy,soIwentbackonit.NowIprepare

forwhen Ieatoutwith friends: I eatbeforehandandordera saladora simple riceorpasta or potato dishwith fresh vegetables andmaybe startwith a fruit salad. It’s quiteeasyactuallyandmyfriendsareallusedtoitandalsogettingveryinterestedinmydiet.Ieatavegandietwithatremendousamountofrawfruitandstronglybelievethe‘fruitsandshoots’diet is thenaturaldietofhumanbeings. Ifyouneed to improveyourhealthandlooks,thisdietwilldoitinspades.–MARK

The Alkaline 5 Diet worked really well for me in the first three to four months afterundergoingacoupleofoperations foradeadlycancer.Allmyailments(Iamnearly60yearsold)justmeltedaway:Isleptbetter,lost36lbsandfeltjustterrific–andthatafteralifetimeofhorrible ignorantabuseofmybodyand thehighestweightofmy lifeat16st12lbs.IresearchedmyparticularcancertolearnthatonlyapH-balancedbodycancreateanenvironmentwheretheserecurringcancercells(stromalsarcoma-a)cannotsurvive.IthoughtIwouldneverbeabletomaintaineatingorlivingthisway,butIwasverywrong.Inowdrink3litresofalkalizedwaterperday,haveatripleshotoffreshwheatgrassdaily,eatanavocado,alemon,atomatoandasmanydarkgreenveggiesasIcaneateveryday.Ifeelamazing.–PAUL

I’velost12lbsintwoweeks.Iknowsomeofthatmaybewaterweight,butmyclothesfeelmuchlooser,myskinlooksamazingandIlookforwardtoexercising.IneverthoughtI’dsaythat!Thisdietiswonderfulbecausetheresultsaresoclearsoquickly.Mysister-in-laworiginallytoldmeaboutit–shehaslostover40lbsinoverayearandlooksyoungerthan 10 years ago. I am convinced of the alkaline diet and with Laura’s five-mealapproach,itmakesitverysimpleforanyonetodoandstickwithitlong-term.–CHRIS

Isufferedfromfibromyalgia;itwasverypainfulandIwasalmostdisabled.ThenIreadabout alkaline water and the body’s pH levels. I bought a water ionizer and starteddrinkingabout3litres(5¼pints)adayandusingittomakeherbaltea.Withinfourweeks,thepainwasgoingaway.WithinfourmonthsIwascompletelypain-free.Ican’tmakeanyclaimastowhetherthealkalinewaterwasresponsibleornot,butIfeellikeanewperson.–STEPHEN

Ihadabigopensoreinthemiddleofmytongueforaboutfouryearsduetosufferingwithcollagenous colitis and could hardly taste any of the food I ate. Since I have beenalkalizing,itisdisappearingandisonlyasmallmarknow.HowdoIthankyouforyourwonderfulwork?Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou!–ANNEKE

IdidtheAlkaline5Dietfor21daysandlost10lbsinthattime.TheonlyhardpartformewastheFat-LossSugarMealbecauseitmeanteatingtonsofbananasanddates,whichare very sweet. However, it did stop any cravings, so I see its purpose andmy energylevels were very high. Thanks for showing me how to easily attain my goals. A5D issomethingsustainablethatit’spossibletododayinanddayoutforanunlimitednumberofdays,aswellasajumpstarttogreathealth.–KIM

Well–I’mfeelinggoodandhavemoreenergy,clearerthinkingandalighterspringinmystep.Idon’thaveanyscales,butIknowIhavelostsomeweight;Icanfeelit.MydaywillnowalwaysbeginwithlimeorlemoninwaterandIwillbeadoptingthegreenjuiceseachday.Thebananasanddatesarelovelyandenergy-giving,andmychildrenhavegotusedtoseeing20ormorebananasonthecountertop.Iamfindingmorewaystoenjoyaplate

ofvegetablesandmysoup-makingisgettingbettertoo.Overall,agreatsuccessandmyoldhabitshavechanged.Thankyou,Laura, forbeingthe inspirationandtheguide, theexampleofthepossible,thelightintomyshadows,muchappreciated.–ROBIN

I started with predominately alkaline foods to help with a stomach condition and amhavinggoodresultsso farandhoping todowithoutmedssoon.Thankfully Ihavebeenlargely vegetarian for years now, so don’t think there’ll be too much of a transitionproblem…it’sreallyjustingrainingitnow.Iamfeelinggreatatthemomentandit’sprettyeasy!–CATHY

In2002,IhadanaccidentatworkthatcausedaChiariMalformation(thisiswherethecerebraltonsilsdropdownintoyourspinalcolumnandpreventspinalfluidfromflowingproperlyintoyourbrain).Ihadsevensurgerieswithinsixmonthsin2004totrytocorrectthis and developed hydrocephalus. After the sixth surgery, I developed anMRSA staphinfectionandthiswasfollowedbymeningitis.Inearlydied.Forthenextfiveyears,Igotdebilitating migraines and was in and out of the emergency department every month.Doctors toldme thatwas just how itwasgoing tobeand therewasnothingmore thatcouldbedone.Icouldn’tacceptthatandstarteddoingmyownresearchintohealthandnutrition.Afriendtoldmeaboutthealkalinedietwhenhewasdiagnosedwithinoperablelungcancer.Hehadbeentoldthattherewerereportsthatcancercan’tgrowinanalkalinebody.Hetriedthedietandbecamecancer-free.Idecidedtoseeifitwouldhelpwithmyhealthissuestoo.AfteraweekIwasoffallmypainmeds.Ihaven’tbeentotheERinmorethanayearandamworkingfull-timeagain.Ihaven’tbeenonanyprescriptiondrugsformore than six months. When my mother saw how my health had turned around, shedecidedtotryitforherhealthissues–shehaddebilitatingfibromyalgiaandwastakingdrugs,includingmorphine,upto10timesadayandwasstillinpain.Afterthreedaysonthealkalinediet,shewasoffherpainmeds.Ihavebecomeahugesupporterofalkalinelivingandhopethatmorepeoplegiveitatry.Thankyouforyourworkandvideos,Ioftenclick the ‘share button’ and post to all my friends. I hope more people discover theamazingbenefitsofthealkalinediet.–SHARI

Chapter11

TheBasicsoftheAlkaline5DietA5Dismadeupoflow-fatplantfoodsonly,whicharemostlyalkaline-formingandworkin harmony with your body’s pH balance, and so keep us healthy and slim. It is alsoknown as a low-fat (raw) vegan or high-carb (raw) vegan diet because it excludes anymeat, fish,dairy,beeproductsor refinedoils–allofwhichareacidifyingbecause theycontainharmfullevelsofsaturatedfat,toomuchprotein,cholesterol,infectiousorganismsorharmfulandgeneticallymodifiedchemicals.

Youeatatleastonefoodoptionfromeachofthefive‘meal’categorieseveryday,aswellasdrinkingatleast2.5litres(3½pints)ofpurealkalinewatereachday.

Herbalteas,mineralwater,freshfruitandvegetablejuices,coconutwater,smallamountsofcoconutoralmondmilkarepermittedonthisdiet;allotherdrinks(includingalcoholandcaffeine)arenot.Thatsaid,onceor twiceperweekyoucould includeaKombuchatea,fruitcordialornon-alcoholicwineorbeer–aslongastheyonlycontainhigh-qualitynaturalingredients.

Intermsofcalories,aimfor80percentcaloriesfromcarbs,10percentfromfatsand10per cent fromprotein.This is awell-documented and proven ratio for optimumhealth,energyandperformance,aspioneeredbyDrDouglasGrahaminhisbookThe80/10/10Diet(seeApplyingtheprincipleoflivingalkalinefoods).Thegoodnewsisthatbyeatingafruits-and-vegetables-baseddiet,younaturallyfollowthe80/10/10principle.

Guidelinesforsuccess

Raw:30–80percent

This includes a combination of 30–80 per cent (by calories) raw fruits, vegetables andleafygreens,aswellascookedvegetables–suchaspotatoesandvegetablesoups–andwholegrainsandwholegrainproducts–suchasrice,pasta,couscousandbulgurwheat.Inthisway,yougetthemaximumnutrientsfromthefruitsandvegetablesandthebenefitsofa raw food vegan diet. The addition of some cooked carbs makes the diet easier tomaintain.

Seedsandnuts

Youcanalso includeasmallamountofsoakednutsandseeds. I’dsuggesteatingabout50g(1¾oz)orlessperweek.

Naturalcondiments

Youcanuseherbs,spices,smallamountsofsugarandsalt,vinegars,chutneys(relishes),pickles,purees,saucesandothercondiments,as longas theyarevegan,GMO-free, lowfat and free of any additives, flavourings and colourings – ‘natural’ or otherwise – oranythingelsewithachemical-soundingname.

Easy-prepfastfood

Youwillneedtopreparethevastmajorityof thefoodyourself,sothat it’s100percentnaturalandthereareno‘mystery’ingredients.Thegoodnewsisthisistheultimatefast-foodconveniencediet. It’sveryeasy toprepareyourmeals, eaton thegoandcleanupafterwards. How hard is it to prepare a mono meal of dates or whiz up a 5-bananasmoothieinyourblender,forexample?

Noassumptions

Manypeopleassumethataveganlifestyleisextremeorwillbedifficultduetothebeliefthat it will be inconvenient or expensive or that they will feel deprived in some way,without even trying it. Actually a vegan lifestyle is quite the opposite: it is the mostsatisfying,energizing,abundantandconvenientdietthereis;youjusthavetoexperienceitforyourself.

IrecentlyspenttwoweeksinThailandwith200otherhigh-carbvegansandwewereallinagreementthatthisdietandlifestyleisoneofeaseandabundance.That’snottosaythatit’salwayseasytoeatoutinrestaurantsandsocially–it’snot,unlessyouliveinThailandwhereveganrestaurantsareplentiful.Soforthisreason,Iwouldsaythatit’sprobablybesttoavoideatingoutforatleasttheinitial21daysonA5D.

Thankstoyou,Laura,Iamjustabouttohitmytwo-yearalkalinevegananniversary.Iwasneveravegetarian,sowentstraighttoveganforamonth’strial.Wow,it’sagreatlifestyle.You lookgreat andareagreat advertisement for the vegan lifestyle.Keep runningandsinging!–ROBERT

Youmight be concerned about food cravings, but because youwill be getting all yournutrientrequirements,youwillsoonfindthatyouarenolongersubjectedtothepowerfuladdictiveelementsinsomanycommonfoodsandwon’tcravefatty,sugaryorprocessedor refined foods. Many people also find that their monthly food bill goes down, theirenergyanddigestivefunctioningimprovesandit’sactuallyeasiertofollowthisdietthanhavingtoprepare,cookandcleanupafterstandardWesternmeals.Tryitforatleast10–21daysandthenformyouropinion,nottheotherwayaround.

What’smore, there is plenty of evidence to support the fact thatwe, as human beings,should only be eating plants – not only because it’s best for the animals and theenvironment,butbest forourhealth too.There isnopropagandaneeded tosupport thisviewpoint–unlikethemeatanddairyindustriesthatspendbillionseachyearlobbyingthehealth service, pushing their agenda and influencing our food choices, often in a verynegativeway,towardsadiethighinrefinedandsaturatedfats.

Finally,ifyouhaveanydoubtsaboutwhethertheveganlifestyleisahealthyone,pleasewatch any of the eye-opening and interesting documentaries listed in the Resourcessection.

Thekeytohealthsuccessisinthedetails

It’sthesubtledifferencesthatmakethebigdifferencesinthedietandhealthgame–thebiggestandmostimportantgameyou’lleverplayinyourlife.Loseyourhealthandprettymuch everything else goeswith it.Maintain your health and you can have a good andactivelife.Optimizeyourhealthandyoucanlivealifeofabundanceandjoy.

Here’swhatImeanbythesubtledifferences.Let’suseJohnandJaneasanexample.

John and Jane are both having curry and rice for dinner. John’s ismadewith a bottledsauce that contains MSG, (genetically) modified maize starch and 50 per cent of itscalories from refined oils. He adds some lean chicken that’s been fed a putrid mix ofcrushedcowbonesandGMOcornandservesitwithsomefriedwhiterice.

Jane’scurry ismadewith freshlysteamedvegetables, spices,a littlealmondmilkandacanofchopped tomatoes.Sheaddssomechickpeasandsweetpotatoandserves itwithboiledbrown(wholegrain)rice.

Thetasteandfeelofthemealforbothiswarming,spicyandsatisfying,butthere’sahugedifference between the two curries: John’s is highly acidifying and contains manyfatteningandpotentiallyharmful ingredients,whereasJane’s ishealthy,naturally lowinfatandenergizing.

Ortakeanotherexample.

JohnandJanebothfancyasweet treat.Johngrabsabagof toffeesandachocolatebar.Janegrabstwobananasandapackofdates.Theybotheataround700calories,butJohn’streat containsGMOsoya lecithin, saturatedmilk fat, flavourings andpreservatives, andleaveshimfeelingsluggishaftereatingit.Jane’s treat isverylowfat,highinfibre,100percentrawandnaturalsoitsatisfieshersweetcravings,digestsveryeasilyandmakesherfeelgreatfortherestoftheday.

Thereisahugedifferencebetween,forexample,twodifferentbottlesoftomatoketchup–one might contain just tomatoes vinegar, salt, sugar and spices while another mightcontainmodifiedmaizestarch,flavourings,MSG,etc.,andsopotentiallybedamagingtoyourhealth.

The message here is to take care with your food choices and read the labels ofcommerciallypreparedfoods.Bychoosingnaturalplantfoods,youwon’thavetodothisnearlyasmuch,becausefruitsandvegdon’thavelabels.

Bestforweightloss

Did you know that not all calories are created equal, and that 2,500 calories of naturalplant foods and whole grains is not the same as 2,500 calories of burgers, ice cream,chocolate, lasagne and pastries? When you switch getting your calories – from fattysugaryandrefinedprocessedfoodstoplantsources–forasignificantamountoftimeyouliterally‘turnoff’thefatgenesinyourcellsandthiswillhelpyouloseweight.

DrNealBarnard,whomImentionedearlier,isamedicaldoctor,founderofthePhysiciansCommitteeforResponsibleMedicineandauthorofsixbooks,includingTurningOff theFatGenes.Hisworkandresearchhasshownthatfatgenesarehighlyinfluencedbyourdiet,andthetypesoffoodsweeatdeterminehowfatorthinweareratherthananygeneticorinheritedtraits:

‘Everybodyhasageneforfatstorage,whichislocatedonchromosome8,anditseffectsbecomeobviousonour thighsandwaistlines.But itessentiallyshutsoff, ifyoukeep fatoutofthefoodsyoueat.Ifyourfat-storagemachineryhasnothingtoworkwith–nofattostore, that is – it quits…. In our researchwe use low-fat, vegan diets and find that theresultingweight loss isabout1to1½poundsperweek,weekafterweekafterweek.Wealso see dramatic improvements in cholesterol. We reported last year in the AmericanJournalofCardiologythegreatestcholesterolloweringeverfoundinwomenunder50.’Itoccurredin5weeks,simplyusingalow-fatvegandiet.’1

Awordonfruitsandcarbohydrates

Avoidgettingsucked intoall themarketinghypeabout low-carbohydrateand low-sugarfoodsbeinghealthy.Simplesciencerefutesthis–ourcellsrunonsugar.WeneedglucosemoleculestoconverttoATPforenergyandyoucanbefairlycertainthatobesityclinicsanddentists’chairsarenotbeingoverburdenedbyrawveganfruitarians.2

Byitsnature,eatingalow-carbdietmeanseatingfoodsthatarehighinfatand/orprotein–bothofwhichdisruptourdigestivesystemandputaheavyburdenonourorganssuchasliver,heartandbowels.

If youwant great digestion, to loseweight and/ormaintain a slim and toned physique,sustained energy throughout the day and good sleep, youmust eat a high-carbohydratediet.Morespecifically,youmusteatadietwithplentyoffruitandvegetables,andsomecooked,starchcarbs,suchaspotatoes,riceorpasta.

Fruitsugaranddiabetes

DrNealBarnardalsowrote theground-breakingbookProgramforReversingDiabetes,basedontheresearchheandhiscolleaguesconductedovermanyyears–themostnotablefunded by theNational Institutes of Health and published in theAugust 2006 issue ofDiabetesCarejournal.3,4DrBarnard’sprogrammehasbeenfoundtobethreetimesmoreeffective at controlling blood sugar than the American Diabetes Association dietaryguidelines.Herecommendseatingfruit inabundance–it’sthemeatanddairythat’stheissue.Here’swhathesays:

‘Loaduponbeans,vegetables,andfruits.Choosewholegrains(trybarley,oats,quinoa,millet,wholewheatpasta,etc.).Aimforatleast3gramsperservingonlabelsandatleast10gramspermeal.Chooseunlimitedamountsofgrains,legumes,fruits,andvegetables.’

Chapter12

TheAlkaline5DietMealsTheA5Dmakesiteasyforyoutogetallyournutrientsandnoneoftheharmfulacidifyingfoods,infivememorablesteps,withfiveeasymeals.

Eachmeal typehasbeenoptimizednutritionallyforgooddigestion,aswellas tasteandsatiation.Yousimplypickoneoptionfromeachofthefivemealseveryday:

1. BloodCleanser(BC)

2. VitaminVitalityMeal(VVM):15percentofyourdailycalories

3. Fat-LossSugarMeal(FLSM):10–70percentofcalories

4. RawAlkalineMineralMeal(RAMM):5percentofcalories

5. HeartyCooked-FibreMeal(HCFM):10–70percentofcalories

As you can see, there is flexibility between the FLSM and theHCFM; a good rule ofthumbistohave50percentrawand50percentcookedcaloriesperday–soyou’dhave50 per cent calories fromHCFM, 30 per cent calories from FLSM and then the givenratiosfor theothers.TheBloodCleanser(BC)containsnegligiblecalories,socountsaszero.

Establishingyourdailycalorieneeds

Toworkoutyour specific calorieneeds–adjustedveryaccurately toyourage,weight,height,levelsofactivityanddesiretolose,gainormaintainweight–youneedtoknowyourcurrentweightinpoundsandyourheightininches.

1.Workoutyourbasalmetabolicrate(BMR)

This is the number of calories you need to maintain your body weight by just themetabolicprocess,notfactoringinanyactivityyoumaydo.

BMRFormulaWomen

BMR=655+(4.35×weightinpounds)+(4.7×heightininches)–(4.7×ageinyears)

BMRFormulaMen

BMR=66+(6.23×weightinpounds)+(12.7×heightininches)–(6.8×ageinyears)

2.Determineyourtotaldailycalorieneeds

Tocalculatethis,multiplyyourBMRbythemostappropriateHarrisBenedictFormula1number,asfollows:

Ifyouaresedentary(littleornoexercise):Calorie-Calculation=BMR×1.2

Ifyouarelightlyactive(lightexercise/sports1–3days/week):Calorie-Calculation=BMR×1.375

If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3–5 days/week): Calorie-Calculation=BMR×1.55

Ifyouareveryactive(hardexercise/sports6–7daysaweek):Calorie-Calculation=BMR×1.725

Ifyouareextraordinarilyactive(veryhardexercise/sportsandaphysicaljobor2×training):Calorie-Calculation=BMR×1.9

3.Calculatecaloriesrequiredtoloseorgainweight

Toworkoutthecalorieconsumptionyouneedtoloseorgainweight,takethenumberyoucalculatedusingstep2(yourcalorieneedsforweightmaintenance)andadjustasfollows:

Forweightloss–subtract500caloriesperdayfromthisnumber.*

Forweightgain–add500caloriesperdaytothisnumber.

Forweightmaintenance–donothingandusethenumberfromstep2.

Writedownyourtargetdailycalorieintake.

* The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levelsshouldneverdropbelow1,200caloriesperdayforwomenor1,800caloriesperdayformen.Eventhesecalorielevelsarequitelow.2

Thereareapproximately3,500caloriesinapoundofstoredbodyfat.Soifyoucreatea3,500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, youwill lose onepoundofbodyweight.Ifyoucreatea7,000-caloriedeficityouwilllosetwopoundsandso on. The calorie deficit can be achieved either by calorie-restriction alone, or by acombinationoffewercaloriesin(diet)andmorecaloriesout(exercise).Thiscombinationofdietandexerciseisbestforlastingweightloss.Indeed,sustainedweightlossisdifficultorimpossiblewithoutincreasedregularexercise.

YourfivedailymealsonA5D

Drink theBloodCleanser first thing, on an empty stomach.You can then eat the othermealsinanyorderyouprefer,butitisimportanttorememberthefollowingtworules:

Drink500ml(1pint)ofpurewaterbeforeeachmeal(excepttheBloodCleanser–drink500ml/1pintofwater20minutesafterwards).

Eatfruitonanemptystomach(atleast2hoursafterthepreviousmeal)andonitsownorbeforeyourRawAlkalineMineralMealorHeartyCooked-FibreMeal.

Herefollowthedetailsabouteachofthefivedailymeals.

1.BloodCleanser(BC)

Drinkingahighlyalkalizingbloodcleanseristhebestwaytostartyourday.Thiswillgiveyouadoublewhammyofbenefits:cleansingyourbloodandliverwhileprovidinglotsofnutrientsandgivingyouenergyforthedayahead.

Wheatgrassjuice(powderedorfresh)

Wheatgrassjuiceisafantasticbloodcleanserandbuilderbecauseitcontainsgreenplantchlorophyll, which is only one molecule different to our blood’s haemoglobin andharnessessunlightenergy.Wheatgrassisknownasnature’spanaceaandwasusedbyDrAnnWigmoreextensivelyinherNaturalHealthInstitutefordetoxandhealing.YoucanreadmoreaboutthebenefitsofwheatgrassandwheretobuyitbycheckingtheResourcessection.

Greenvegetablejuice

Youcanjuiceanyleafygreensorothergreenvegyoulike,suchaslettuce,spinach,kale,cucumber, celery, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. High in green plant chlorophyll andsunlightenergy,greenjuicesprovideagreatstarttotheday.

Lemonjuiceinwarmwater

Thisisagreatliverandurinarytractcleansertooandhighlyalkalizing(remember,it’sthemineralash that’s leftbehind inyourbody thatmakesa foodacidicoralkaline; lemonsleave an alkaline ash). Simply juice onewhole lemon and add 200ml (7fl oz) ofwarmwater.Don’tuseboilingwateroritwilldenaturethenutrientsandenzymes.Drinkforarefreshing morning zing that freshens your breath, regulates your appetite and gives agooddoseofvitaminCfirstthing.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal(VVM):15percentofcalorieallowance

Youcanthinkofthismealasyourvitaminpillsandsupplementsdeliveredinaflavourful,complete, pretty package, just as nature intended – called fruits. Quite simply we aredesignedtoeatlargeamountsofsweetfruitseveryday.Ourbodyissetupforit,intermsof our digestive system and physicalmake-up, and is the reason for the tongue’s sugarreceptors.Innature,wewouldeasilyandnaturallybeabletofind,‘catch’andeatafruit,unlikeeatingananimal.

Therearevariouswaystoeatyourfruit–wholeorasafreshjuiceorsmoothie.Toreallyget themostoutofyourfruityouwillneedablenderanda juicer,asbothareessentialequipmentforanyhealthenthusiasttohaveintheirkitchen.However,ifyoudon’talreadyown these items then consider buying an inexpensive blender to start and then, as youcarryonlonger-term,upgradingtoahigh-speedblenderanda‘masticating’juicer,whichsqueezesratherthanspinsthefruittoobtainjuice.

FreshFruit

AVVMmealcouldconsistofamono-mealof sixorangesor fivepears, fiveapplesor450g(1lb)ofgrapes,oramixofafewdifferentfruits.

Eatyourfruitwhenit’sfullyripeandbuyorganicwheneverpossible,sothatyougetthemaximumnutrientsandtastefromitwithoutanypotentiallyharmfulchemicals.

Freshfruitjuice

Freshly squeezed or juiced at home is the best juice to drink. Second to that, freshlysqueezedorpasteurizedshop-boughtjuiceisacceptable,andgoodasabackupwhenyougetcaughtoutfeelinghungryorcan’tfindabetteralternative.Goforfruitjuiceandcarbyourselfupratherthanbeingtemptedtoreachforsomethingnotwithintheparametersofthis optimum diet lifestyle. Remember, we’re aiming for 80 per cent of calories fromcarbs,10percentfromfatsand10percentfromprotein.

Simplythrowyourfavouritefruitsintoajuicer–youcangoforasinglefruitjuice,suchasorangeor pineapple, ormix a few fruits together.As a general rule don’tmix citrusfruits (e.g., oranges, lemons and limes) with sub-acid fruits (e.g., apples, grapes orcherries).Also,melonsshouldbejuicedontheirown.Aslongasyourfruitsareorganicorwashedwell,youcanleavetheskinsonthem–evenpineapples,lemonsandoranges,butnotmangoes.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Pasteurizedjuiceiscooked,soifyou’relookingtofollowahigh-rawversionofA5Dthenstrictly itshouldnotbe includedinyourVitaminVitalityMeal.Checkthe labelsofanycommerciallybought juicesandavoidany that include thewords‘fromconcentrate’,astheylackboththefibreandnutrientsof‘freshjuice’.

Freshfruitsmoothies

Ipreferfruitsmoothiestojuicesbecausethereislesswasteandyouretainallofthefibre,whichalsohelpsfillyouup.Simplyblendamixofyourfavouritefruitstogetherfor30seconds.Tryablendof2bananaswithalargehandfulofblueberries,apearandanapple.Experimentandthenenjoyallthefruitygoodness.

Greensmoothies

Adeliciousblendoffruitsandsomeleafygreenvegetablescanbeagreatalternative toall-fruitjuicesandsmoothiesbecauseitprovidesminerals,proteinandcalciumfromtherawgreenswhilestill tastingsweetandfruity.Experimentwithdifferentblends.Oneofmyfavouritesisablendof3apples,ahandfulofspinachleavesandaheadoflettuce.

DriedfruitwithNOadditivesorpreservatives

Itcanbedifficulttofindqualitydriedfruit(exceptperhapsfordates)thatis100percentfruit,withnoadditivesorpreservatives(e.g.,sulphurdioxide,atypeofsulphitethatcancause or irritate asthma and allergies3) inmainstream supermarkets and grocery stores.However, ifyoucan findunadulterateddried fruit, it’s fine to include in thismeal.Youcangenerally findhigh-qualitydried fruitonlineand itmakes it cheaper tobuy inbulktoo.

Coconutwater

Coconutwater–freshfromacoconutorshop-purchased–isamildlysweet,fresh-tasting,healthydrinkandcanmakeagreatadditiontoyourbananasmoothies.Makesureit’s100percentcoconutwaterandnothingelse.Thisisnotthesameascoconutcreamormilk,althoughyoumightwanttoincludesomecoconutmilkasamilksubstituteonthisdiet.

Stewedfruit

Stewedorpureedfruitcanalsomakeawarmingmeal.Fruitcompotesorjamsmadewithonlyfruitandfruit juicearealsousefuladditions.Steerclearof jamsandfruitpreparedwithaddedrefinedsugarandpectin.Theyareabackupplanor‘treat’only.

3.Fat-LossSugarMeal(FLSM):10–70percentofcalorieallowance

A banana and dates meal should be a staple in your diet every day, unless you livesomewherelikeThailandwhereyoucangetanabundanceoftropicalfruitseasilyandallyearround,inwhichcaseyoucouldreplacethismealwithotherfruits.

The reason that thismeal is included is that it is veryhard to get enough calories on avegandiet, inparticularcarbohydratecalories,withouteatinga lotofnutsandseedsorotheroils(whicharenothighcarb).Therefore,fruitistheperfectfoodbecauseitprovidesplentyofvitamins,waterandsugarthatwecanuseasourfuelforenergy.

Bananas and dates are delicious when they are fully ripe, but, more importantly, aresweeteranddenserincaloriesthanmostotherfruits.Forexample,you’dhavetoeat12orangestogetthesamecaloriecontentasa6-bananasmoothie,whichcontainsabout600calories.

Manyfruitsare fullofwaterand thenumberonemistake thatmanypeoplemakewhenfollowingalow-fatvegandietisnoteatingenough.Ifyoudon’teatenoughcalories,thenyouareliabletofailbecausegettingtoohungryleadstomakingunsuitablefoodchoicesandgrabbingthenearestthingtohand.Eatingbananasanddateskeepsyouwalkingtherightpathanditismynumber-onestrategyfordealingwithhungerorcraving.

IfIfancyachocolatebar,Ieatbananasordates.

IfIfancysomealcohol,Ieatbananasordates.

IfIfancyacake,Ieatbananasordates.

IfIfancybread,Ieatbananasordates.

IfIfancyapizza,Ieatbananasordates(ormyHeartyCooked-FibreMeal).

IfIfancysomenuts,Ieatbananasordates.

IfIfancysomethingfatty,Ieatbananasordates.

IfIfancysomeicecream,Ieatfrozenbanana‘nicecream’.

The craving for the original food goes every time (which suggests the need forcarbohydrates)andhastheaddedbonusofnotcreatinganyofthosesluggishandbloatedfeelings afterwards, unlike the original fattening, unhealthy choice. What’s more, theFLSM is designed to help you put an end to any ‘emotional eating’, cravings andovereating,andmaintainsteadyenergylevels.

Gettingyourfoodratiosright

Your FLSM meal should make up 10–70 per cent of your calories and your HeartyCooked-FibreMeal (HCFM)shouldmakeup theother10–70percent.So, the total forbothshouldequal80percentofyourdailycalories.Herefollowsomeexamplesof theratioofFLSMtoHCFM:

50percentdates:30percentricemeal.

30percentbananas:50percentpotatoes.

40percentbananasanddates:40percentricemeal.

Someexamplesfora2,000-calorieintakedaymightbe:

1,250caloriesdates:750caloriesricemeal.

750caloriesbananas:1,250caloriespotatoes.

1,000caloriesbananas:1,000caloriesricemeal.

Whenyoufirststartthediet,aimtoeat50percentofyourdailycaloriesfromrawfoods.ThatmeansthattheratiosforyourFLSMandHCFMshouldbe3:5–30percentFLSMto50percentHCFM,whichisagoodratiotostartwith.The21-dayA5DmealplaninPartIII is in linewith these ratios. If youwant tomaximize the nutritional benefits, simplyincreaseyourrawintakeasyoubecomemoreaccustomedtothediet,afterthe21days.

WhatifIdon’twanttolosefat?

If you have no extraweight that youwant to lose, that’s fine.Maybe you’re very leanalready– an athleteor bodybuilderor have alwaysbeen slender. If this is the case, theFLSMbecomesyourHighPerformanceSugarMeal.Aswellasaidingfat loss–duetocurbingcravingsandbeinglowfatandtasty–bananasanddatesarealsoapremiumfoodforbothmentalandphysicalperformanceandrecovery,duetotheirhighnutritionalvalue.

YourHighPerformanceSugarMealissimplytheFLSMwithmorecalories–youcanaddextrabananasanddatestothismealandyoucanalsoaddmoretoyourHeartyCooked-FibreMeal.

Bananas

Simple,convenient,delicious,super-healthyandrelativelyinexpensive,trytobuyorganicwhenyoucanandeatthemonlywhentheyareripe–brownandspotty.Thisiswhenthefull range of vitamins, minerals and sugar has had time to develop, as well as whenbananasareattheirlovely,bestflavour.

Some people might worry that they are eating too much potassium by eating lots ofbananas,butthisreallyisnotthecase.You’dneedtoeatanddigestaround100bananasinaminutetooverloadyourbodywiththismineral.Manylong-termbananafruitarianshavehadtheirbloodtestedandtheirpotassiumlevelsarejustfine.Potassiumisalsogreatforanti-ageing.4

Dates

Aswell as sugar, dates contain anoptimumamount of protein, fats, vitaminsA andB,

mineralssuchasiron,magnesiumandpotassium.Theyareclassedbymanyexpertsasaperfectfoodandusedbypeopleacrosstheworldtobreakfasts5becausetheyareeasytodigestandcontainsimplesugars,whichsatiatehungerquickly,aswellasdeliveringlotsof vitamins and minerals. Be mindful that they must be 100 per cent dates with nopreservatives.

My favourites dates areMedjool,Deri andDegletNoor and you can buy them in bulkonlineandinmostmajorsupermarketsandgrocerystores.

You’llfindlotsofbananaanddaterecipesandideasforyourFat-LossSugarMealinthe21-daymealplan.

4.RawAlkalineMineralMeal(RAMM):5percentofcalorieallowance

Thismealdeliversafullspectrumofaminoacids,whicharemuchmoreeasilyassimilatedby the body than animal proteins, vitamins and minerals, and are a better source ofcalcium thandairy.6Leaving the vegetables rawmeans they retain all of their nutrientsand enzymes. Buy organic when you can and make sure you wash the vegetablesthoroughlybeforecooking.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Thinkofthismealasyourhealthinsurancepolicyandbeautyregimeallrolledintoone,aseatingplentyofrawvegetableswillgiveyouclearskinandbrighteyes,andsohelpkeepyoulookingandfeelingyouthfulinsideandout.

A big green salad is a wonderful addition to your daily diet, especially if you wantsomethingsalty.ItalwayssurprisesmejusthowmuchIenjoymunchingonagreensaladonceIgetintoit.Youcanmakealow-fatsaladdressingwithvariouscondimentssuchasmustard, agave syrup, apple cider or balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices, lemonor limejuice.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Eating plenty of raw vegwill keep your digestive system running smoothly and, givenyou’redoingsomuchto improveyourhealth,alsogivesyoua little leewaytohavetheoccasionalnaughty(vegan)treat,suchasafewsquaresofdarkchocolateorafreshbreadrollandjam.

GreenVegetableJuice

Iamnotparticularlyfondofgreenveg juice,except forwheatgrass juice,whichI love.However,IdoliketheenergykickIgetanhourorsoafterdrinkingit.It’saninstantandveryalkalizingnutrientboost.Agreenjuice isalsoabeautifyingdrink.Thechlorophyllandmineralshaveanti-ageingpropertiesandcangiveyourskinandeyesarealglow,nottomentionhealthy-lookinghair.

IliketojuicemyleftoverswhenIhavecabbage,sprouts,kale,springonions(scallions),beetroot greens, celery, cucumber or spinach that need to be used up. Add enoughvegetables tomakeabout200ml (7floz)of juice.This isa relativelysmallamount,butkeepinmindthatthisjuiceispackedfullofnutrientsandisverypotent.

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal(HCFM):10–70percentofcalorieallowance

Thismealwillbeyour secretweapon,as itwillhelpyou tokeepon trackandeatingalow-fat,alkaline,plant-baseddietlongafterthe21days.IknowthistobetruebecauseforyearsIwantedtoeat100percentrawvegan,butfoundmyselfcravingcookedfood.Iamhappytoeatjustfruitsandveginwarmerclimates,butIliveintheUKwhereit’scolderandIfinditmoredifficulttostickto100percentrawfood.

However, I made the mistake of thinking that I had to eat raw vegan 100 per cent ornothing.Inotherwords,ifIcouldn’tsticktorawplantsthenImightaswelljustfalloffthewagonandeatanything–dairy,chocolate,pizza,etc.

This is a classic mistake we make: aiming for gold standard (raw fruits and veg) andfeelinglikeafailurewhenwedon’tquitemakeit,andsogivingup.However,thesilverisstillupforgrabsandwithinourreach,andthisiswheretheHCFMcomesin.I’vebeeneating this way for years now and I love this meal because it’s just so satisfying andsimple.

TheHCFMisalsoagreatdigestivetractandcoloncleanser.Ifyou’reusedtoeatingmeatand dairy then you’ll immediately notice an improvement in your bowels as yourmovementswillbecomemorefrequentandyourstoolswillbesofterandeasiertopass.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Whenyoustarteatingalow-fatvegandiet,youquicklyfindthatyourtasteschange.Youbegin to appreciate simple, subtler-tasting dishes, which are made from only a fewingredients, rather than the taste-overloaded processed foods with their artificial,overpowering and addictive flavourings and additives. So try thisway of eating for 21days, or 10 days at the very least – with no expectations or pressure on yourself tocontinueafter21days.Remember,noassumptions!

Cookedstarcheswithaflavourfulsauce

TheprincipleoftheHCFMistohaveasatisfyingcookedstarchwithalow-fatsauceordressingmadeofonlynaturalingredients.Toaddgreatflavour,youcanuseherbs,spices,curry powder, small amounts of sugar and salt, vinegars, chutneys (relishes), pickles,purees,saucesandothercondiments.Theonlythingtorememberisthattheyshouldbe:

GMO-free

Lowfat

Freefromadditives,colourings,flavourings(including‘natural’flavouring)

Vegan

Organic,ifpossible

I prefer to keep it very simple by just having, say, some boiled couscous or brown(wholegrain) rice with a few vegetables, some mango chutney (relish) or sweet chillisauceoranorganicvegetablestockcubeandspices.Warming,satisfyingandverytasty.Thekeyistoexperimentwithdifferentsauces.Tostart,youmaypreferastronger-tastingsauce,butit’slikelyyou’llsoonstarttoappreciateasimpler,subtlerflavour.

MakeHCFMaluxuriousritual

You can make your HCFM a more luxurious ritual by serving your food in attractivebowls–minearesmallandornate,sothatIcanhavesecondandthirdhelpingsandfeelvery indulgent.This is similar to the traditionalAsianwayof eating (and, asweknowfromTheChinaStudy,6theirdietisgreat).

Putonsomerelaxingmusic–I’dsuggestclassicalasithasaprovencalmingfrequency7–andreallyenjoyyourmealbyeatingslowlyandtastingeverymouthful.Eatingthiswaymakes mealtimes more indulgent and satisfying, plus it aids digestion and nutrientabsorption.

IliketohavemyHCFMforbreakfastandfinditagreatwaytostarttheday.For20ormoreyears,Iateonthego,rushing,whilstwatchingTV,etc.It’sonlyrecentlythatIhavelearnedtositandenjoymyfood,andfeelgratefulforitanditsnourishment.Iamaslow

learneronthisfront.

Hereistheselectionofcookedstarchesthatyoucanchoosefromforthismeal.

Potatoesorsweetpotatoes

Baked, steamed, boiled or added to vegetable soups, potatoes are very versatile andsatisfying. You can even make your own oven-baked potato wedges, which are asdeliciousasabowlofchips(fries),butarelow-fat,gluten-free,cheap,avegetablesourceoffibreandstarchandcontainthecorrectamountofplantproteinandfats(seerecipe).Ifyoubuycommerciallyavailableovenchips(fries),justmakesurethattheingredientsarejustpotatoesandalittlevegetableoil,nothingelse.

Rice

Organicbrown (wholegrain) rice is best andmakes a simple, delicious and inexpensivemeal.Iliketohaveabigbowlofbrown(wholegrain)ricewithvegandspicesorwithalittle rice wine vinegar, organic brown (wholegrain) ricemiso and organic sweet chillisaucewithaleafofwakame(seaweed)forbreakfast–yum!

Pasta

Mostpeopleloveapastadishandyoucaneatitguilt-freeonA5D.Wholegrainorganicpasta is best. It’s also inexpensive, and quick to cook. Teamed with a tasty tomato orpepper-based(bellpepper)sauce,itmakesadeliciousmeal.

Quinoa,couscous,millet,buckwheatandbulgurwheat

Anydishesyouwouldmakewithpasta,potatoesorrice,youcanalsosubstitutequinoa,couscous, millet, buckwheat or bulgur wheat instead. They are all low-fat, complexcarbohydratesandhavetheoptimumproportionofproteinandessentialfats–around10percentofbothineach.

I like toswitchbetween thesegrains forabitofvariety in theweek.Also,somegrainstakemoretimetocookthanothers–forexamplebrown(wholegrain)ricetakesaround30minutestocook,butcouscousonlytakesafewminutes.SoifIwantmymealsooner,I’llchoosecouscous.

Vegetablesouporstew

Vegetablesoupsandstewsaretastyandfilling,butbearinmindthatvegetablesaremuchlowerincaloriesthangrains,soyouhavetoeatmuchmoretogetyourdesiredintakeofcarbohydratesandnutrients.Toget600caloriesfromavegetablesoup,youwillneedtoeataboutthreelargebowls,comparedtoonemedium-sizedbowlofrice.

Ifyouprefer,youcanalwaysaddriceorpastatoyourvegetablesoupstomakearisotto-styleorcasseroledish.

Wholegraincrackers

Makesureyourcrackershavejustafewsimpleandnaturalingredients–suchasryeandsalt.Team themwith ahomemade avocado and tomatoguacamoleor salsa or chickpeahummus.Thesedipsareallfairlylowfatsinceyou’renotaddinganyoil,butdon’thavemorethan2to3avocadosperweekastheyarequitehighincalories.

Alkaline-delicioustip

If you can find a good local wholemeal (wholegrain) organic bread (made with flour,water,saltandyeast)ormakeyourownbread,thenthisisOKtoincludeinyourHCFM.Commercial breads with a longer shelf life tend to have all sorts of additives andpreservatives in them, as well asmilk derivatives and lots of salt. For this reason, I’dadvisekeepingbreadtoaminimum.Rootvegetablesandgrainsareafarmorenutritiouswaytoeatyourcookedstarches.

Pulses

Youcanaddlentils,beans,peasandchickpeastoyourHCFM,buttheyshouldn’tbethemainbulkofyourmealbecausetheyarehigherinfatandprotein(usuallyonlyaround68per cent carbs).Makepotatoes, rice, pasta, quinoa,millet or couscous themainportionandaddaround30g(1oz)ofpulsesforabitmorebodyandvarietyintasteandtexture.

100percentrawormorecookedfood?

Thebeautyofthisdietisthatitcatersforyourneedswhetherit’sforashort100percentraw vegan cleanse (for example a seven-day, fruit-and-veg-juice-only cleanse), or ifyou’rededicatedtoeating100percentrawallthetime.Ifyouarefacingaseverehealthchallengethenpersonally,Iwouldstartdoingthisimmediately.

Todo this,simplyreplaceyourHeartyCooked-FibreMealwithanotherFat-LossSugarMealorVitaminVitalityMeal.Sincecookingfoodcausesittoloseasmuchas80percentofitsnutrients,going100percentrawofferssuperiornutritionalintakefromyourfood.

Conversely, if you want to add more cooked food to the A5D then you can. I don’tnecessarilyrecommendit,butsomepeoplemayprefertomakeatransitionalstagefromthestandardWesterndiet.

In this case, simply replace half of your calories from your Fat-Loss SugarMeal withanotherHeartyCooked-FibreMeal.So,forexample, ifyouraveragedailycaloriesfromyour FLSM are 1,000 calories, eat 500 calories as your FLSM and have the other 500caloriesasasecondHCFM.

Tipstohelpyouonyourway

Splitupmeals

Youdonothavetoeatallofyourallocatedcaloriesforeachmealinonego.Forexample,yourHCFMisgenerally50percentofyourdailycalories.Forafairlyinactivewoman,thiswouldequal1,000calories.Eating200g(7oz)ofcookedgrainswithsomevegetables,spices and a dollop of chutney (relish)would be around 1,000 calories, but youmightchoosetoeathalfofthismealinthemorningandhalflaterintheday.

Thesamegoesfortheothermealstoo,asyoucanspreadthemthroughouttheday.Thismight mean having three small FLSMs. Just make sure that you follow the foodcombiningrulesandeatfruitonitsown.

Combatthecold

Ifyoufeelthecoldorliveinthecoolernorthernhemisphere,theneatingmorerawfoodislikely to make you feel colder. This is a common issue and certainly true for me.Overcomethecoldbywearinglayersofclothesandmakeyourselfahotwaterbottletocuddleupwithintheevenings.Onceyouknowandprepareforthis,it’seasytostaywarmandcosy.

Urinaryandbowelmovements

Drinking lots of water and eating water-rich fruits and veg means that you will beurinating often. It may seem like an inconvenience, but is a sign of good health. Youshouldbeurinatingatleast10timesperdayanditshouldbelightstraw-orclear-coloured–notyellow.Youshouldbehavingtwotofourbowelmovementsaday.

Bepreparedforotherpeople

Beawarethatmostpeoplewillthinkthatyournewdietandlifestyleisalittlestrangeandwillnot,necessarily,agreewithwhatyouaredoing.On topof that, theymaygiveyoutheir well-meaning, albeit misinformed, opinions about not getting enough protein orcalciumbyfollowingthisdiet.Allofasudden,everyonebecomesadietexpertwhenyousayyou’reonavegandiet.

Tobefair,veganismisnotthemainstreamwayofthinkingorpractice.Soyoumayneedtodevelopacertainlevelofresilienceandanticipationwhenitcomestowhatotherswillthink of this and the questions theymight ask you – asmuch out of their curiosity asanything.Oryoumaywishtokeepittoyourself,especiallywhenyou’rejuststartingout.

When you make a change, it throws up all kinds of issues for friends and family.Especially if that changehighlights some things thatdeepdown theyknow they shouldprobablybedoingtoo,oratleastconsidering.

Forexample,unlessyourfriendsandfamilyareparticularlywell-educatedorenlightenedaboutnutritionanddiet, it isnatural for themto try topersuadeyoutogobacktowhatyou were doing before – to keep being part of the ‘pack’, so that they don’t feel likeyou’vechangedandare leaving thembehind.Respondwithcompassion tootherpeopleandbeopeninyourresponsestothem,ratherthandefensive.

Useacaloriecounter

You can calculate your daily calories and nutrients using a free online tool such aswww.cronometer.com.Thiswillhelpyoukeepontrackofthecaloriesyouareeatingandmakesureyourratiosofcarbohydratestofatandproteinare80:10:10.

TakevitaminB12

TheonlynutrientthatisscarceontheA5Ddiet–andindeedanydiet,bothvegetarianandomnivorous–isvitaminB12(alsocalledcobalamin),whichisneededforgoodbrainandnervous-systemfunctionality.Adeficiencycanleadtothingslikeperniciousanaemia.Wecannotmanufactureitinthebodyandonlybacteriacanmakeit.

Inthefullnessoftime,youmaywanttoconsidergettingyourB12levelstestedtoensureyoudon’thaveadeficiency,andIrecommendtakingasupplement–eitherasublingualsprayortablet,oraninjection.Although,ifyoueatalotoforganicproduce,youmayfindthatyouaregettingsufficientB12becauseitisfoundinrichsoil,soyoumaybegettingtracesthisway.

Catchsomerays

Makesureyougetoutinthesunshineandfreshairforawalkatleastonceaday.Keepyourarmsand/or legsuncoveredforabout20minutes thenyoucanabsorb thesunlightenergyandproducetheamountofVitaminDyouneed.Ifyouplanstayinginthefreshairlonger than this, then make sure you cover up or apply a natural sunscreen after 20minutes to avoid sunburn. In the wintertime, you may need to eat more foods rich invitaminDsuchasmushroomsortakeagood-qualitysupplement.

Beyondthe21days

Afteryouhavecompletedthe21-daydietandtrulyexperiencedthelow-fatveganlifestyleoftheAlkaline5Diet,youmaywishtoadoptitfull-time.Iwouldcertainlyadvocatethis100percent.Itisatotallysustainablediet,aswellasbeinggreatforyourhealth,greatfortheplanetandgreatfortheanimalstoo.Youwillalsocontinuetoexperiencenewbenefitslongintothefuture,assomanypeopledo.

Ifyoudodecidetoadoptthislifestyle,it’sagreatideatofindyourlocalvegangroupormeet-up – or start one yourself. This will help you feel part of a community of like-mindedpeopleanditisafantasticwaytomakenewfriendsandsharemealsandideas.

In the past there has been somewhat of a stigma attached to beingvegan.Veganswereportrayedasbeinghippieswholistenedtofolkmusic,hadlongunderarmhairandworetie-dyedclothes.Thisisaprettyoutdatedstereotype,andifyouadopttheveganlifestyleyou’llbeinthecompanyofnumerousA-listcelebrities:BradPitt,NataliePortman,JaredLeto,Mike Tyson, PamelaAnderson, CaseyAffleck, Alicia Silverstone, Garth Brooks,TedDanson,EllenDeGeneres,DemiMoore, JasonMrazandJoaquinPhoenix, tonamebutafew,allfollowavegandietandlookgreatonit.

Thetideisnowchanging;thereisariseinthiswayofthinkingandlivingandyoucanbethenextshining,vital,healthy,beautifulexample.

Portionsize

The21-dayA5Dmealplanisbasedaroundeating2,000caloriesperdayandwilllikelyresultinsignificantweightloss,whetheryouexerciseornot.Ifyouarealargemanand/ordo a lot of physicalwork thenplease adjust the portion sizes upwards by500 to 1,500caloriesperday(calculateyourdailycalorieneeds).

Donotgobelowtherecommendedportionsizesoryouwillburnoutandnotsucceedwiththe21daysorbeyond.Restassured,ifit’syouraimtoloseweightthenyouwilldosobyeatingabundantly,withoutfeelinghungryorasifyou’rerestrictingyourself.Infact,whatother diet do youknowwhere you can eat suchgenerous portions of food and lose fatwhileimprovingyourhealthandwellbeingallatthesametime?

Stockingupyourfoodcupboards

Starches

Here’sabasicshoppinglistofsomeofthefoodsyou’llneed:

Brown(wholegrain)rice

Buckwheat

Bulgurwheat

Couscous

Millet

Porridgeoats

Quinoa

Whiteandsweetpotatoes

Wholegrainnoodles(egg-free)

Wholegrainryecrackers

Wholegrainspaghetti/pasta

Wholegrainspeltspaghetti

Seasonings

Agavesyrup

Balsamicvinegar

Basil

Blackpepper

Brownsugar(organic,unrefined)

Cidervinegar

Cinnamonpowder

Coconutsugar

Cuminpowder

Freshrootginger

Groundginger

Mangochutney(relish)plusotherchutneys(relishes)

Oregano

Seasalt

Tamarisoysauce(organic)

Thaisweetchillisauce

Tomatoketchup

Tomatopurée

Turmericpowder

Vegetablestockcubes

Wholegrainmustard

Freshfruitandveg

Apples

Apricots

Aubergines(eggplant)

Avocados

Bananas

Basilleaves

Beetroot

Celery

Cherries

Coriander(cilantro)leaves

Courgettes(zucchini)

Cranberries

Cucumber

Garlic

Grapefruit

Grapes(whiteandblack)

Greenbeans

Kale

Leeks

Lemons

Limes

Mangoes

Medjool,DeriandDegletNoordates

Blueberries

Broccoli

Brusselssprouts

Butternutsquash

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Melon(allvarieties)

Mixedsaladleaves

Mushrooms

Olives

Oranges

Pears

Peppers(bellpeppers)

Pineapple

Pomegranates

Raspberries

Redandwhiteonions

Redchard

Spinach

Springonions(scallions)

Strawberries

Sweetcorn

Tomatoes

Watercress

Basicallyanyofyourfavouritefruitandveg,preferablyorganicandwhateverisinseason,ifpossible.

Drinks

Almondmilk

Coconutmilk(carton,notconcentratedinacan)

Coconutwater

Freshvegetableandfruitjuices

Herbalteas

Kombuchatea

Wheatgrasspowderorjuice

Whattoexpectonthe21-daydiet

Youarejust21shortdaysawayfrommakingsomelifelongpositivechangestoyourdiet,nutritionandoverallhealth.Thefirstweekofthediet,andcertainlythefirstfewdays,willbeaboutgettingusedtotherecipesandthevolumeoffoodyouneedtoeat,andobservinghowyourbodyandmindfeels.

I’ve includedsome recipes togetyoustarted;eachmakesone serving unless otherwisestated.

If you prefer to use cupmeasures rather thanmetric or imperial, use an online site toquicklyandeasilyconvertyourmeasures.

PartIII:The21-dayAlkaline5DietProgramme

Day1

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1litre(1¾pints)freshlysqueezedorangejuice.Ifyouwanttomakethisyourselfratherthanbuyingit,you’llneedaround15orangestoproducealitre(1¾pints)ofjuice.

Calories:500

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

You’llbesurprisedhowyou’llcometoloveeatingrawvegetables.Itakeabagofcruditéswithmeeverydaytoworkortohaveasasnackafterthegymorarun.Simplyeatfiveofyourfavouritefresh-cutrawvegetablesorpickfivevegfromthefollowinglist:

3floretsofbroccoli

3floretsofcauliflower

2carrots,slicedintobatons

5cherrytomatoes

1stickcelery,slicedintobatons

5cm(2in)stickofcucumber,slicedintobatons

⅓red,green,orangeoryellowpepper(bellpepper),deseededandsliced

Calories:150

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BananaGreenSmoothie

Addinggreenstoyoursmoothiesreallybooststheirnutritionalqualityandyouwon’teventaste them.This ismy standardpost-run recoverymeal; it helpsmymuscles to recoverquicklyandreducesaching–especiallyifI’vedoneaparticularlylongorhardrun.Ithinkthis is the ultimate sports drink, and amuch healthier alternative to commercial sportsdrinksandproteinshakesthatareoftenfullofadditivesandpreservatives.

5ripebananas,peeled

100ml(3½floz)waterorcoconutwater(optional,forathinnerconsistency)

Handfuloffreshkaleorspinach

1largeor2smalldates,pitted(optional,forextrasweetness)

Place thebananas,coconutwater (ormilk),kaleanddates inablenderandblitz for30seconds.Pour into aglass and enjoy its goodness.Formaximumnutritional value, it isbesttoprepareyoursmoothieswhenyouareabouttodrinkthem,ratherthanmakethemforlater,asthispreventsoxidationandlossofnutrients.

Calories:500(600withdatesandcoconutwater)

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableCuminBrown(wholegrain)Rice

Thisisalovelywarmingricedishthat’sperfecttoeatanytimeandveryeasytoprepare.Highintasteandnutrients,itwillsatiateyourhungerandgiveyoulotsofenergy.Useanyvegetablesthatyoupreferandpreferablyonesthatareinseason.

150g(5½oz)brown(wholegrain)rice(uncookedweight)

3largemushrooms,sliced

1stickcelery,finelysliced

5cm(2in)courgette(zucchini),finelyslicedorcubed

3broccoliflorets,chopped

¼redpepper(bellpepper),deseededandfinelysliced

Forthesauce

1vegetablestockcube,crumbled

½tspturmericpowder

½tspcuminpowder

½tspcinnamonpowder

1tbspagavesyrup

½tspblackpepper

Place the brown (wholegrain) rice in a saucepan, cover with boiling water then cookaccordingtothepacketinstructions(usuallyaround30minutes).Inthelast5minutesofcooking, add themushrooms, celery, courgette (zucchini), broccoli and redpepper (bellpepper).Tomakethesauce,placethestockcube,cumin,turmeric,cinnamon,agavesyrupand black pepper in a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Drain the rice andvegetables before returning to the heat and gently stirring in the sauce until it is wellcombined.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Mostmajorsupermarkets,grocerystoresandhealthfoodshopsstockanexcellentrangeoforganicwhole grains, but youmight find it cheaper to buy them in bulk online; it alsosavesyouhavingtocarrylotsofgrocerybagshomeortoyourcar.

Day2

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

2apples

2oranges

1pear

Calories:300

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

ActivatorGreenSmoothieorGingerActivatorGreenSmoothie

Thisdeliciousblendoffruitsandvegetables ismystandardgo-togreensmoothie.Afterdrinkingit,you’llfindthatyouenjoyarealboost,bothmentallyandphysically.

2½cm(1in)sliceofpineapple

2apples,peeledandcored

5cm(2in)sliceofcucumber

½stickcelery

Largehandfulofspinachorkale

Juiceof1lime

½avocado(optional),pitted

150ml(5floz)water,ormoreifyoupreferathinnerconsistency

2½cm(1in)pieceoffreshrootginger,peeled(optional)

Roughlychopalltheingredients,placeinablenderandblendfor1minute.Ifyouwanttoadd more zing to your smoothie then include some fresh ginger, I call this ‘GingerActivatorGreenSmoothie’anditisquitedelicious

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

200g(7oz)Medjooldates

1ripebanana

Calories:700

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

BulgurWheatCabbageWraps

Bulgurwheat takesmuch less time tocook thanbrown(wholegrain) riceandgivesyouvariety in your grains. It is inexpensive andwidely available frommajor supermarkets,grocerystores,healthfoodshopsandonline.Thesecabbagewrapsaredelightfullytastyasthe crunchiness of the cabbage goes well with the chewy nuttiness of the bulgur. Plusyou’llbegettinganextrahitofrawgreenveg,whichisalwaysabonus.

150g(5½oz)wholeorcrackedbulgurwheat(uncookedweight)

3largemushrooms,finelydiced

1stickcelery,sliced

¼redpepper(bellpepper),deseededandfinelysliced

2.5cm(1in)sliceofaubergine(eggplant),finelydiced

3largeouterleavesofSavoycabbage

Forthesauce

1vegetablestockcube,crumbled

½tspturmericpowder

½tspcuminpowder

½tspcinnamonpowder

½tspblackpepper

1tbspagavesyrup

Placethebulgurwheatinasaucepan,coverwithboilingwaterthencookaccordingtothepacket instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the mushrooms, celery, redpepper (bell pepper) and aubergine (eggplant). Tomake the sauce, place the vegetablestock cube, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and agave syrup in a bowl and mixthoroughly.Drainthebulgurwheatandvegetablesandreturntotheheat.Addthesauce,stirringwelluntil evenlymixed.Divide themixturebetween theSavoycabbage leaves,androllupeachwrap.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

It isquitenormaltoexperiencesomedetoxsymptomsinthefirstfewdays.Youwillbeeatingaverycleandietandyourbodywilltaketheopportunityto‘cleanhouse’andexpeltoxins from your system. So, you may get a few headaches, skin breakouts and tiredspells;theyareasmallshort-termtribulationthatwillyieldtoamazinglong-termbenefits,sodon’tsweatit.

Day3

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

2apples

2oranges

Calories:250

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

ActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

200g(7oz)dates

Calories:600

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableSpaghettiMarinara

This is a super-easy, throw-together andvery tasty alternative to the classic Italiandishandwithoutthemeatandcheese,you’llfeelsatisfiedaftereatingwithoutfeelingstodgyandsluggish.It’sfullofherbytomatoflavour,withasweetedge.

150g(5½oz)wholegrainorspeltpastaorspaghetti(uncookedweight)

2tomatoes,finelychopped

4mushrooms,finelychopped

½stickcelery,finelychopped

5cm(2in)sliceofcourgette(zucchini),finelychopped

⅓redpepper(bellpepper),deseededandfinelychopped

Forthesauce

2tbsptomatopurée

1tbspagavesyrup

PinchofmixedItalianherbs

Pinchofseasaltandblackpepper

Placethespaghettiinalargesaucepanandcoverwithboilingwaterthencookaccordingtothepacketinstructions.Inthelast5minutesofcooking,addthetomatoes,mushrooms,celery,courgette(zucchini)andpepper(bellpepper) tothepan.Tomakethesauce,mixtogether the tomatopurée,agavesyrupandmixedItalianherbsand thenseason to tastewithsaltandpepper.Drainthepastaandvegetableswell,returntotheheatandpouroverthesauce.Gently toss thepastaandvegetables in thesauceforabout1minute,oruntilwellcombined.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Sincerice,potatoesandtheothercookedcarbsinA5Daregenerallyinexpensive,indulgeyour taste buds by buying a selection of fine organic chutneys (relishes) from localfarmers’markets.Althoughbecarefultoreadthelabelsbeforeyoubuybecausemoreofthesmallerproducersarenowusingmodifiedmaizestarch.

Day4

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1ripemediumpineapple,peeled,coredandchoppedintochunks

Calories:450

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

FruityGreenSaladwithAppleandAvocadoDressing

Theadditionofcranberriesgivesthistastygreensaladanaddedtwist,andtheappleandavocadodressinggivesitalovelycreamytextureandflavour.

2largehandfulsofsaladleaves

5cm(2in)cucumber,finelyslicedordiced

5cm(2in)celery,finelyslicedordiced

Handfulofcranberries

Forthedressing

½mediumavocado,peeledandpitted

2handfulsofspinach

½apple,peeled

Pinchofcayennepepper

300ml(10floz)water

Pinchofseasaltandpepper

Place the salad leaves, cucumber, celery and cranberries in a large bowl and combinegently.Tomakethedressing,placetheavocado,spinach,cayennepepperandwaterinablenderandblitzfor1to2minutes.Seasonthedressingwithseasaltandfreshlygroundblackpeppertotastebeforepouringitoverthesalad.Tossthesaladgentlyinthedressinguntilallthevegetablesandberriesarecoated.Serveimmediately.

Calories:300

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BananaBlueberrySmoothie

TheadditionofblueberriestoyourbananasmoothiemakesadeliciousFLSMdrinkwithajuicytang.

5ripemediumbananas

200g(7oz)blueberries

Placethebananaandblueberriesinablenderandblitzfor30seconds.Serveinasmoothieglassanddrinkimmediately.

Calories:550

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableCuminBrown(wholegrain)Rice

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Keep goingwith your firstweek. The overall attitude to adopt for thisweek is one ofcuriosity,sogowiththeflow,beopentothenewexperiencesandchangesyou’remakingto your diet, and be interested in how this differs from how you’re used to eating andfeeling.

Day5

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1litre(1¾pints)offreshlysqueezedorangejuice.Ifyouwanttomakethisyourselfratherthanbuyingit,you’llneedaround15orangestoproducealitre(1¾pints)ofjuice.

Calories:500

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

BigGreenSweetMustardSalad

This salad is easy, tasty and has a clean, sweet dressing that is full of flavour andwillreallysatiateyourappetite.

2largehandfulsofspinachleaves

1largebeeftomatoor5cherrytomatoes,slicedordiced

5cm(2in)cucumber,finelyslicedordiced

¼redpepper(bellpepper),deseededandfinelysliced

Forthedressing

1tbspapplecidervinegar

1tbspwholegrainmustard

1tbspagavesyrup

Placethespinachleaves,tomato,cucumberandredpepper(bellpepper)inalargebowland gently combine. To make the dressing, mix together the apple cider vinegar,wholegrainmustardandagavesyrup.Drizzlethedressingoverthesaladandtossgentlytocombine.Serveimmediately.

Calories:300

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

5mediumbananas

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableBulgurWheatandMangoChutney(Relish)

Havingagoodselectionofchutneys(relishes) isoneofmysecretweaponsonA5D,astheyreallyaddaburstofflavourandvarietytoyourHCFM.Choosevarietieswithonlynaturalingredients(noGMO,flavouringsoradditives).

150g(5½oz)wholeorcrackedbulgurwheat(uncookedweight)

3largemushrooms,finelydiced

1stickcelery,finelydiced

5cm(2in)courgette(zucchini),finelydiced

3broccoliflorets,finelychopped

2mediumtomatoes,finelychopped

Forthesauce

1vegetablestockcube,crumbled

1tspcuminpowder

2tbspmangochutney(relish)orsweetchillisauce

½tspcinnamonpowder

½tspblackpepper

1tbspagavesyrup

Placethebulgurwheatinasaucepan,coverwithboilingwaterthencookaccordingtothepacketinstructions.Inthelast5minutesofcooking,addthemushrooms,celery,courgette(zucchini), broccoli and tomatoes.Tomake the sauce, place the cumin,mango chutney(relish),cinnamon,blackpepperandagavesyrupintoabowlandmixthoroughly.Drainthe bulgurwheat and vegetables, return to the heat then stir in the sauce until it’swellcombined.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Don’texpecttobeperfect–it’slikelythatyou’llendupunder-eatingornotquitegettingyourcaloriesright–butdon’tworry,asitisallpartoftheprocessandislikelearninganynewskill;whichiswhatA5Disallabout–learningthenewskillofeatingforoptimumhealth and effortless fat loss. This is a skill that you can reap the benefits of for life.Remember,ifyoufindthatyoucan’teatyourHCFMallinonesitting,feelfreetosplititinto twosmallerportionsandeatone later in theday. Ifyougethungry thenaddmorebananasordatestoyourdailydiet.

Day6

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

500g(1lb2oz)grapes

1grapefruit

Calories:450

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

ActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BananaGreenSmoothie

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

ButternutSquashandSweetPotatoSoup

This ismy favouritewinter soup and a great hitwithmy clients, friends and family. Ifsquashesarenotinseason,simplyreplacethebutternutsquashwith5choppedcarrotsandanextrasweetpotato.

1largebutternutsquash,peeledandchopped

2largesweetpotatoes,peeledandchopped

1onion,finelychopped

400g(14oz)canofchoppedtomatoes

1tbspwholegrainmustard

1tspcuminpowder

1tspcinnamonpowder

2vegetablestockcubes,crumbled

Dashofbalsamicvinegar

Pinchofblackpepper

Place the butternut squash, sweet potatoes, onion, tomatoes,mustard, cumin, cinnamonand vegetable stock cubes in a large saucepan.Coverwith boilingwater, stirwell thenleave to simmer forabout30minutes,oruntil thepotatoesand squashare soft.Seasonwithblackpeppertotasteandserveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Mostoftoday’smealsareliquid-based,whichmeanstheywillbeeasytodigest.It’sgoodtohaveadaylikethiseverynowandagainbecauseitgivesyourdigestivesystemabitofabreakandachancetoremoveanytoxicityorrepairanydamage.

Day7

1.BloodCleanser

Juiceonewholelemonandaddto200ml(7floz)ofwarmwater.

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

2apples

2pears

Calories:300

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

RawVegetableCruditésandSalsa

Pick five vegetables from the following list and team themwith this spicy salsa for aquick,crunchyandcolourfulsnackthatwillleaveyouenergized.Ifyou’reonthego,orifyouprefer,youcaneatthevegetablecruditésforatastysnack.

3floretsofbroccoli

3floretsofcauliflower

2carrots,slicedintobatons

5cherrytomatoes

1stickcelery,slicedintobatons

5cm(2in)stickofcucumber,slicedintobatons

⅓red,greenoryellowpepper(bellpepper),deseededandsliced

Forthesalsa

1mediumonion,roughlychopped

3largetomatoes,roughlychopped

1Medjooldate,pitted

Juiceof1lime

Handfuloffreshcoriander(cilantro)leaves

½tspcayennepepper

½tspcuminpowder

Pinchofsaltandpepper

Placetheonion,tomatoes,date,limejuice,coriander(cilantro)leaves,cayennepepperandcumininablenderandblendfor30seconds,ortoyourpreferredconsistency.Seasonwithseasalttotaste.Makestwoservings.

Calories:100(150withsalsa)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

200g(7oz)dates

5ripebananas

Calories:900

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

BakedPotatoWedges

Potatoes are simple, filling and tasty.These are a lovely alternative to chips (fries) andhavealovelycrispytexture.Servewithorganictomatoketchup,mustard,chutney(relish)orsweetchillisauce.

800g(1lb12oz)potatoes(uncookedweight),scrubbedandcutintowedges

Preheattheovento200°C(400°Forgasmark6).Placethepotatoesinapanandcoverwithcoldwater,bringtotheboilthensimmerforabout15minutesoruntilthepotatoesarefirmbutnotsoft(parboiled).Drainthepotatoes,placeonanon-stickbakingtrayandbake in the oven for 10–15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking for an evenbrownness.Servewiththecondimentofyourchoice.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Bekindtoyourselfand, ifpossible, takethisweekeasyonthesocializingfront,sothatyoucanfocusyourenergiesongettingtogripswithA5D.

Day8

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

500g(1lb2oz)grapes

1grapefruit

Calories:450

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

GingerActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

200g(7oz)dates

Calories:600

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

AlkalineVeganPorridge

You canmake a delicious and warming porridge with oats and either coconutmilk oralmond milk. Top it with a drizzle of agave syrup or coconut palm sugar for addedsweetness.

150g(5½oz)largeoats(uncookedweight)

200ml(7floz)coconutoralmondmilk

1tbspagavesyruporcoconutpalmsugar

Pinchofcinnamonpowder

Placetheoats,coconutmilk,agavesyrupandcinnamonpowderinasaucepan.Bringtotheboil, stirringcontinuously toprevent sticking, then reduce theheatandsimmer, andstir for a further 3 minutes or until the porridge is cooked and has a thick, creamyconsistency.Place inabowlanddrizzlewitha littleextraagavesyruporcoconutpalmsugar,coconutoralmondmilk,ifdesired.Enjoyimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Thisweek,you’llbehavingwheatgrass juiceasyourBloodCleanser, insteadof lemonandwarmwater.Soyou’llbehavinganextradailydoseofchlorophyll,whichhasanti-ageingpropertiesamongstmanyotherbenefitsandispackedfullofminerals.

Day9

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1 litre (1¾ pints) of freshly squeezed orange juice. If youwant tomake this yourself,ratherthanbuyingit,you’llneedaround15oranges.

Calories:500

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

RawVegetableCruditésandSalsa

Calories:100(150withsalsa)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

5ripebananas

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableCuminBuckwheat

Buckwheatisgluten-free,tastyandnutty,anditcooksquickly.Itisinexpensiveandyoucanfinditinyourlocalhealthfoodstoreoronline.

150g(5½oz)buckwheat(uncookedweight)

2bigsprigsofcurlyordinosaurkale,finelychopped

3mushrooms,finelychopped

½mediumonion,finelychopped

3broccoliflorets,finelychopped

2mediumtomatoes,finelychopped

Forthesauce

1vegetablestockcube,crumbled

½tspturmericpowder

½tspcuminpowder

½tspcinnamonpowder

½tspblackpepper

1tbspagavesyrup

250ml(8½floz)boilingwater

Place the buckwheat in a pan and coverwith boilingwater then cook according to thepacket instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the curly kale, mushrooms,onion,broccoliandtomatoes.Tomakethesauce,addthevegetablestockcube,turmeric,cumin,cinnamon,blackpepperandagavesyruptoabowlbeforepouringinthehotwaterandstirringwelluntilthestockcubehasdissolved.Drainthebuckwheatandvegetables,returntotheheatandpouroverthesauce.Gentlymixthesauceintothebuckwheatandvegetablemixture,whilesimmeringforafurtherminute.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Ifyouhadanydetoxsymptoms lastweek then theseshouldbeeasingoffnowandyoumaybenoticingthatyourclothesfeelalittlelooser.

Day10

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1mango

1apple

1pear

200g(7oz)blueberries

Calories:500

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

AvocadoandSpinachSaladwithAsianDressing

Saladsaresoversatileandtheadditionofavocadoandthisdeliciousspicydressingmakethissaladawarmingtreat,evenonacoldday.

3largehandfulsofspinachleaves

2mediumtomatoes,diced

5cm(2in)cucumber,diced

1stickcelery,finelydiced

⅓redpepper(bell),deseededandfinelysliced

½avocado,pittedandfinelysliced

Forthedressing

2dates,pitted

½redpepper(bellpepper),deseeded

½cloveofgarlic

1¼cm(½in)pieceoffreshrootginger

3tbspwater

Pinchofblackpepper

Placethespinach,tomato,cucumber,celeryandredpepper(bellpepper)inalargemixingbowlandtossgentlytocombine.Makethedressingbyplacingthedates,redpepper(bellpepper), garlic, ginger andwater into a blender and blitzing for 1minute. Seasonwithblackpeppertotaste.Addtheavocadotothesaladvegetablesthendrizzlewithdressing.Serveimmediately.

Calories:300

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BananaGreenSmoothie

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableSpaghettiMarinara

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Weonlytendtocravewhatourbodyalreadyhasinit.Inthesamewaythatanon-smokerdoesn’t crave cigarettes, a vegetarian doesn’t crave meat. You’ll soon get used tosatisfyingyoursugarcravingswithdatesandbananas.

Day11

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

500g(1lb2oz)grapes

1grapefruit

Calories:350

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

ActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

Banana‘NiceCream’

Thisrecipe isastandardvegansecretandmeans thatyoudon’thave tomissoutonicecreamifyou like it,as this isa reallydeliciousalternative. It tastessurprisinglycreamyandjustlikeregulardairyicecream,butitwon’tadverselyaffectyourwaistline,skinorhormones.

5ripebananas,peeledandfrozen

50ml(2floz)waterorcoconutwaterorcoconutmilk

Dashofnaturalvanillaextract

1tspagavesyrup

Placethefrozenbananas,waterandvanillaextractinahigh-speedblenderandblitzfor1–2minutes, or until the consistency is thick and creamy. Serve immediatelywith agavesyrupdrizzledoverthetop

Calories:600

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

HeartyHalf-and-HalfMash

400g(14oz)potatoes(uncookedweight),scrubbedandchopped

400g(14oz)sweetpotatoes(uncookedweight),scrubbedandchopped

1vegetablestockcube,crumbled

1tspcuminpowder

1tspcinnamonpowder

1tbspagavesyrup

1tspblackpepper

Place thepotatoesandsweetpotatoes ina largesaucepanandcoverwithboilingwater.Simmerfor25minutesoruntilthepotatoesaresoft.Drainthepotatoeswellandthenaddthevegetablestockcube,cumin,cinnamonandagavesyrup.Mashwellwithaforkandseasonwithblackpeppertotaste.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Thedietcanbeasexpensiveorinexpensiveasyouwouldlikeittobe,butcostshouldnotbeanexcuse. In fact,youmay find thatyour foodbillsgodown,particularly ifyou’reusedtoeatingalotofmeatandfish.

Day12

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1largemango

2pears

Calories:350

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

BananaGreenSmoothie

Calories:500

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

100g(3oz)dates

Calories:300

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

EverythingVegetableandBrown(wholegrain)RiceSoup

When root vegetables aren’t in season I tend to make an ‘everything’ vegetable soup,whichisreallytastyandfilling,especiallywiththeadditionofsomebrown(wholegrain)rice.Thevegetablesinthesoupdependonwhat’sinmyorganicseasonalvegetableboxthatweek, but I usually use a cabbage, a can of chopped tomatoes, an onion and thenmaybethrowinsomeaubergine(eggplant),leeks,carrotsorcourgettes(zucchini).Trythisrecipeandfeelfreetoaddtheseasonalvegetablesofyourchoice.

100g(3oz)brown(wholegrain)rice(uncookedweight)

½smallcabbage

2carrots,scrubbedandchopped

1leek,sliced

1onion,chopped

400g(14oz)canofchoppedtomatoes

½aubergine(eggplant),chopped

2vegetablestockcubes,crumbled

1tspwholegrainmustard

1tspcurrypowder

½tspblackpepper

500ml(18floz)boilingwater

Placetherice,cabbage,carrots,leek,onion,tomatoes,aubergine(eggplant),stockcubes,wholegrainmustard,currypowderandblackpepper ina largesaucepanandcoverwiththeboilingwater.Stirwellthenleavetosimmerforabout30minutes.Helpyourselftoabigbowlortwo,andenjoy.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

You are over halfway through this 21-day programme. Take a moment to note yourachievementsofaranddoamentalscanofyourbodyforhowit’sfeeling.Havealookinthemirror;canyounoticeanychangestoyourweight,skin,hairoreyes?

Day13

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

ApplePomegranateMedley

This is a wonderful breakfast recipe that is zingy and sweet, has great texture, isenergizingandisagreatalternativetogranola,cerealorporridge.

2apples,grated

½pomegranate,peeledanddeseeded

Handfulofblueberries

Juiceof½lemon

½tspcinnamonpowder

Placetheapple,pomegranateandblueberriesinalargebowlandgentlycombinewiththelemonjuiceandcinnamon.Placeinabowlandserveimmediately.

Calories:350

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

You’lleattwosmaller‘meals’foryourRAMMtoday.

MangoTomatoSalad

Thissalad iseasyandfast tomakeandhasaclean,sweet taste.Mangoesand tomatoescombinereallywelltogethertomakeadressingthatisfullofflavourandwillmakeyoursaladcomealive.

2largehandfulsofspinach

1largebeeftomatoor5cherrytomatoes,sliced

5cm(2in)cucumber,finelysliced

¼redpepper(bellpepper),deseededandfinelysliced

Forthedressing

½mango,peeled,pittedandsliced

2mediumtomatoes

Pinchofcayennepepper

Placethespinach,tomato,cucumberandredpepper(bellpepper)inalargemixingbowland toss gently to combine. Tomake the dressing, place themango and tomatoes in ablender and blitz for 1 minute, then season with cayenne pepper to taste. Drizzle thedressingoverthesaladandgentlytossthesaladtocombine.Serveimmediately.

Calories:300

GingerActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

5mediumbananas

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

AlkalineVeganPorridge

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Ifyoufindyouarestrugglingtoexplaintootherpeoplewhyyou’redoingthisdiet,thenyoucanalwayssayithasbeenrecommendedtoyoubyadoctor–andthatwouldbetrue:doctors Barnard, McDougall, Esselstyn, Campbell and Graham all recommend thateveryoneshouldeatthiswayandyou’llfindalistoftheirbooksintheResourcessection.

Day14

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

2mediummangoes

Calories:400

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

DateMilkSmoothie

Ifyoufinditdifficulttoeatlotsofdatesorwantadrinkthatreallypacksinthecaloriesandnutrients,youcan’tdomuchbetterthanthissmoothie.It’screamy,sweetandmakestheperfectsportsdrinkforbefore,duringorafterexercisebecauseit’sconvenient,easilydigestedandprovidesinstantenergy.

10largeMedjooldates,pitted

500ml–1litre(18floz–1¾pints)water(dependingonyourpreferredconsistency)

Place the dates into a blender, coverwith 500ml (18fl oz) of thewater and blitz for 1minute.Ifyoupreferathinnerconsistency,keepaddingliquid(upto1litre/1¾pints)untilyoureachtheconsistencyyouprefer.Pourintoalargeglassorsportsbottleandenjoy.

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

4mediumbananas

Calories:400

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

MangoMillet

Millet is a small, gluten-freegrain, similar toquinoaandwith ahintofnuttiness andagreattexture.Forsomereasonitisoneoftheleastpopulargrains,but,asyou’lldiscover,millet is a great choice for your dailyHCFMand it goes reallywellwith somemangochutney(relish).

150g(5½oz)millet(uncookedweight)

3mushrooms,diced

5cm(2in)sliceofcourgette(zucchini),finelydiced

Forthesauce

2tbspmangochutney(relish)

½tspcuminpowder

Pinchofblackpepper

Placethemilletinapanandcoverwithboilingwaterthencookforthetimespecifiedonthepacketinstructions.Inthelast5minutesofcooking,addthemushroomsandcourgette(zucchini)tothepan.Tomakethesauce,placethemangochutney(relish)andcumininablenderandblitzfor30secondsthenseasonwithblackpeppertotaste.Drainthemilletand vegetables, return to the heat and stir in the sauce until well combined. Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Areyourememberingtodoyourotheralkalineactivities–deepbreathing,dailywalkingandtheotherthingsfromtheFrameworkforOptimumHealthandHealing?RefreshyourmemorybycheckingbackthroughPartIIofthebookagain.

Day15

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

1 litre (1¾ pints) of fresh orange juice. If youwant tomake this yourself, rather thanbuyingit,you’llneedaround15oranges.

Calories:500

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

RawVegetableCruditésandSalsa

Calories:100(150withsalsa)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

PersimmonSpiceCakeMix

This recipe isdivine!Tome it tastes just like thecakemix thatmyMumused tomakewhenIwasachildthatIlikedtospoonoutofthebowl–butithasnoneofthefat,dairyorrefinedsugars.Serveinabowlasapudding,orasasmoothie.Ifpersimmonsarenotinseason,use2applesinsteadforanapple-pieflavour.

1veryripepersimmon,topped

6Medjooldates,pitted

½tspmixedspice(pumpkin-piespice)

4tbspwateroralmondmilk(optional,forathinnerconsistency)

Placethepersimmon,datesandmixedspiceinablenderandblendfor1minute.Serveinapuddingbowl.Forathinnerconsistency(morelikeasmoothie),add4tbspofwateroralmondmilkandblendfor1minute.Serveinatallglassanddrinkimmediately.

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

VegetableCuminBrown(wholegrain)Rice

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Thisweek,feelfreetoexperimentmorewithyourHeartyCooked-FibreMeal;addextravegetables, try different spices and herbs if you wish. Keep going, I bet you’re doinggreat.

Day16

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

500g(1lb2oz)grapes

1grapefruit

Calories:350

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

RawVegetableSoup

This recipeworkswell ifyouhaveahigh-speedblender–youcancreatea semi-warmvegetable soup by blitzing the vegetables on high for 5 minutes. It is technically rawbecauseit’snotheatedenoughtocooktheingredientsandiseasierandquickertopreparethanaconventionalsoup.Simplythrowtheingredientsintoyourblender,blendandserve.Try the recipebelow,butdon’t forget to experiment too.Tomakea rawsoup,you justneedaleafygreenbase,twoorthreeotherrawveg,someherbsandspices,lemonjuiceandsomethingtogiveitabitmoreflavour,suchasanonionortomatoesorgarlic.

3largehandfulsofleafygreens,suchaskale,spinach,chard,watercress,orrocket

½onion

Juiceof½lemon

1mediumtomato

1stalkofcelery

100ml(3½floz)water

Pinchofcayennepepper

Pinchofsaltandpepper

½avocado,pitted(optional)

Placeall theingredientsinablenderandblitzfor2–3minutes,oruntil thesoupisyourpreferredconsistency.Addtheavocadoifyoupreferacreamier,richersoup.

Calories:100(200withavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BananaGreenSmoothie

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

AlkalineVeganPorridge

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

TrycookingaHeartyCooked-FibreMeal foryour familyor friends.Youcangenerallymakeoneof thevegetableandgrainmealsfor less than thepriceofa loafofbreadperperson.Give it a go! If youdon’t tell them it’s alkaline andvegan, it’s unlikely they’llevennoticethatit’sasuper-healthywayofeating;they’lljustsayit’stasty.

Day17

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

2pears

2apples

Calories:300

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

RawVegetableCruditésandSalsa

Calories:150

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

200g(7oz)dates

2bananas

Calories:800

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

QuinoawithPeas

ThisaddsanicebitofvarietytoyourHCFM.Peasandquinoagowelltogetherwiththissimpletomatosauce.Keepquinoaasastapleathomeasyou’realwayslikelytohavetheingredients for this typeof recipeandcanwhip it togetherquicklywhenyou’re feelinghungry.

150g(5½oz)quinoa(uncookedweight)

100g(3oz)frozenpeas

1carrot,scrubbedandchopped

2mediumtomatoes,chopped

Forthesauce

3tbsptomatopurée

1tbspagavesyrup

½tspdriedoregano

½tspdriedbasil

½tspblackpepper

Placethequinoainasaucepan,coverwithboilingwaterandthencookaccordingtothepacketinstructions.Inthelast5minutesofcookingaddthepeas,carrotandtomatoes.Tomakethesauceplacethetomatopurée,agavesyrup,oregano,basilandblackpepperinabowlandmixwell.Drainthequinoaandvegetableswell,returntotheheatthenpouroverthesauceandmixforatleast1minuteoruntilwellcombined.Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Keepgoinguntiltheendofthe21days,you’redoinggreat.Ifafterthe21daysyoucarryonwithoneortwoofthemealseveryday,thiswouldstillmakeaverypositiveimpactonyourhealth.

Day18

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

ApplePomegranateMedley

Calories:350

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

GingerActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BakedBananasand‘Caramel’Sauce

These are like the banana fritters that you get in Asian restaurants, but without thesaturatedorhydrogenatedfatandbatter.Warm,sweetandgooey.Yum!

5ripebananas,peeled

3dates

2tbspwater

Firstmakethesaucebyplacing1banana,thedatesandthewaterinablenderandblitzingfor30seconds.Halvetheremainingbananasbycuttingthemlengthwise,andplaceunderahotgrill(broiler)for3–4minutesoruntiltheystarttosizzleandbrown.Removefromthegrillandthendrizzlethesauceoverthetop.Serveimmediately.

Calories:500

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

BulgurWheatCabbageWraps

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

The low-fat and nutrient-densemeals will be helping you to feel energized. Hopefullyyou’ll notice that you aren’t experiencing the afternoon tiredness that so many peopleexperienceafterlunch.

Day19

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (madewith 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz ofwater) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

2pears

2apples

Calories:300

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

BananaMustardSalad

Thesaladisfullofcolourandflavourandthebananadressinggivesitspicysweetness.

2largehandfulsofsaladleaves

5cm(2in)cucumber,finelysliced

5babytomatoes,halved

1stickcelery,finelysliced

1mediumcarrot,grated

Forthedressing

1banana,peeled

1tbspapplecidervinegarorbalsamicvinegar

1tbspagavesyrup

1tbspwholegrainmustard

1tspcuminpowder

300ml(10floz)water

Pinchofblackpepper

Place the salad leaves, cucumber, tomato, celery and carrot in a largemixingbowl andgentlytosstocombine.Tomakethedressing,placethebanana,applecidervinegar,agavesyrup,cuminandwaterintoablenderandblitzfor2minutes.Seasonwithpeppertotaste.Drizzlethedressingoverthesaladandgentlytosstocombine.Serveimmediately.

Calories:300

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

200g(7oz)dates

Calories:600

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

HeartyHalf-and-HalfMash

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Whenyou’reoutandaboutorfoodshopping,keepalookoutforfoodbrandsthatmaybecompatiblewithA5Dandthenyoucanincludetheminyoureverydayfoodchoicesafterthese21days, ifyouwant.Driedfruits, ricecakesandcorncrackerscanallmake tastysnacks.

Day20

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

ApplePomegranateMedley

Calories:350

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

GingerActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

Banana‘NiceCream’

Calories:600

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

SweetChilliAsianNoodles

Thislovelynoodledishusestamarisoysauceforthefirst time.Tamariissimilartosoysauceandit’smucheasiertofindanorganicversionthansoysauce,whichisimportantsincemostnon-organicsoyisGMO.You’llbeabletocookthisinamatterofminutesandittastesauthenticallyAsian.

150g(5½oz)wholegrainnoodlesorspaghetti(uncookedweight)

½onion,peeledandfinelychopped

½redpepper(bellpepper),deseededandfinelychopped

3floretsofbroccoli,chopped

3mushrooms,sliced

Forthesauce

1tbspsweetchillisauce

1tbsptamari

1tbspagavesyrup

1cm (½ in) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced, or pinch of groundgingerpowder

Pinchofblackpepper

Place the noodles, onion, red pepper (bell pepper), broccoli andmushrooms in a largesaucepan and cover with boiling water, then cook according to the noodle packetinstructions. Tomake the sauce, place the chilli sauce, tamari, agave syrup, ginger andblackpepperinabowlandcombinewell.Drainthenoodlesandvegetables,returntotheheat, then add the sauce and gently mix together well for about a minute. Serveimmediately.

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Eatmore: remember,youneed to thinkvolumeon thisdiet,whichyouwillquicklygetusedto–it’sjustasimplemindsetshift.

Day21

1.BloodCleanser

Wheatgrass juice (made with 1 tsp of powder in 500ml (18fl oz) of water) or freshlyjuicedshot

2.VitaminVitalityMeal

500g(1lb2oz)grapes

1grapefruit

Calories:450

3.RawAlkalineMineralMeal

GingerActivatorGreenSmoothie

Calories:400(300withouttheavocado)

4.Fat-LossSugarMeal

BananaSmoothie

This isastandardbananasmoothie–sweet,deliciousandverysatisfying.Somepeoplefindfullyripebananasabittoosweet,butblendedtheytastelikeabananamilkshake.

5mediumbananas

100ml(3½floz)coconutwaterorcoconutmilk

2largeor4smalldates,pitted(optional)

Placetheingredientsintoablenderandblitzforabout30seconds.Pourintoaglassanddrinkimmediately.

Calories:550(650withthedates)

5.HeartyCooked-FibreMeal

CouscouswithMushroomsandMango

Whenyouarereallyhungryordon’thavetimetocook,thisrecipeisyourquickandeasysolution.It’sverytastytoo,withgorgeousMoroccanflavours.

150g(5½oz)couscous(uncookedweight)

3mushrooms,finelychopped

¼onion,finelychopped

20g(1oz)raisins

½tspcuminpowder

1vegetablestockcubedissolvedin175ml(6floz)boilingwater

Pinchofblackpepper

1tbspmangochutney

Placethecouscous,mushrooms,onion,raisinsandcuminintoasaucepanandcoverwiththe vegetable stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the water isdissolved.Turnofftheheat,coverandleavefor5minutestosteam,thenforkthroughthegrains to loosen and fluff them. Season with black pepper and serve with a dollop ofmangochutney(relish).

Calories:700

Alkaline-delicioustip

Youdid it.Welldone!Howdoyoufeel?Writedownwhatyou lovedabout thepast21days.GotoouronlinecommunitydetailedintheResourcessectionandletusknowaboutyourexperienceandyourresults.

Conclusion

MovingForward:StayingAlkalineNowthatyou’vecompleted21daysonA5D, Iencourageyou tocontinuewith it.Thisdiet isverymuchsustainableover the long term.Remember, I createdand refined it tomeetfivespecificcriteria:

1. Simple

2. Satisfying

3. Super-healthy

4. Sustainable

5. Systematized

As long as you eat one of each of the fivemeals each day, there is a lot of flexibility.Experiment all youwantwith fruit andgreen smoothies andwithyourHeartyCooked-FibreMealsbyaddingdifferentvegetablesandgrainsandspices.

Alkaline-delicioustip

Remember, it’s important to eat enough.Monitoryour calories tomake sureyou’renotunder-eating,whichisalltooeasyonaplant-baseddiet.

Finalthoughts

Youmay have noticed throughout your life things that simply haven’tworked out thatwellwhenitcomestoyourdietandlifestyle;maybeevenyouroverallhealthandphysicalcondition.Manyofthesethingswillbeduetothelong-heldhabitsthatyou’veengagedin.ItcouldbethosefewglassesofredwineafterworkonFridayevenings,orthatlunchtimechocolatebar,ortheicecreamwhilewatchingTV,ordailymeat-basedmeals.

TheAlkaline 5Diet offers you a refreshingly different and healthierway of living andeating and, if you’ve now completed the 21-day programme, I’m sure you’ve alreadyexperiencedsomegreatbenefits.

Thetendencyhowever,maybetogobacktosomeoldhabitsthatdonotserveyouoryourhealth.IwantyoutobemindfuloftheseandIurgeyoutokeepupmanyofthenewhabitsandmealsthatyou’vediscovered.

Don’tletoldmindsetsandbadfoodscreepbackin.Don’tletotherpeople’sviewsputyouoff.Don’twasteyourtimeandhealthwithotherdiets.ThemajorityofpeopleyouandIknoware unhealthy andwill be battlingwith somekindof preventable disease in theirlifetime,ifnotalready,sodon’tlettheirmisplacedviewsswayyou.

Ifyouneedtoaddleveragetocommittingtothislifestylethenyoumaywanttocheckoutsomeanimalrightsdocumentaries,likeEarthlings,tobringtheethicalangleintothemixtoo.

Embracethislifestyleandyouwillreapamultitudeofbenefitsoverthelongterm,aswellas the short term, just like sustained exercise over a periodof years really sculpts yourbodyandfitness,aswellasgivingyouagreatinitialkickifyoudoitforafewweeks.

Wearelivinginseriouslyunhealthytimesandenvironments.TheAlkaline5Dietandthesevenprinciples of theFramework toOptimumHealth andHealingoffer you a lifelineandaninsurancepolicyforachievingandkeepinggreathealth,agreatbodyandagreatmind.Takeactionnowtosecurethehealthofyouandyourfamily;don’tgetentangledinthedownwardspiralofthemedicalsystem.

Havealookbackovertheframeworkandwritedowntwonewgoals,actionorhabitsforeachofsevenareas.Committostickingtothesefor30daysandthen,attheendofthatperiod,reviewthemandupdate themfor thenext30days.Thiswill reallyhelp tokeepyoufocusedonthepathofgreathealth.

SharingA5D

Aswe’vecometotheendofthisbookandourtimetogetherhere,I’dliketotellyouhowgratefulIamtobeabletosharethisdietandideaswithyouandIsincerelyhopethatyoucanexperiencealevelofhealthandhappinessthatsurpasseswhatyou’vebeenusedto.

Theinformationinthisbookhascreatedmagnificenceinmyownlifeandinthelivesofotherpeoplewhohavesokindlyemailedtoletmeknowhowit’sworkedforthem.Iknowitcanworkforyou,too,andyoucanexperiencethepurejoyofbeinglean,fitandhealthy.

Pleasedoletyourfriends,familyandcolleaguesknowaboutthisbookandengagewithmyonlinecommunityandotherpeoplewhoarefollowingA5D;I’dlovetohearfromyouandcontinuetoprovideyouwithresourcestohelpyou.

Remembertogetyourfree,full-colourA5Dprintablewallchartandvideoguidefrommeatwww.Alkaline5Diet.com.Usethepasswordlaurawilson.

Wishingyougreathealth,afitbody,apositiveandhappymindandanabundanceoffruitsandvegetables.

Godbless,

LauraWilson

Resources

Sinceyouboughtthisbook,youareentitledtogetafreecopyofmyfull-colourAlkaline5Diethandyinfo-graphicthatyoucanprintandputonyourwallorhaveonyourdesktopasaneasyreferralguidetohelpyousucceedwithA5D.YoualsogetafreevideoguidethatI’verecordedforyou.Simplygoto:

www.Alkaline5Diet.comandusethepassword:laurawilson

Mysitealsofeaturesarticlesandinformationaboutone-to-onecoachingandwheretobuyequipment,foodsandsupplements.

Documentaries

Breaking theFood Seduction (2011),DrNealBarnard (Based on his 2003 book of thesamename)

Earthlings(2005)

FightingtheBigFatLieswithTheFadFreeTruth(2004),DrJohnMcDougall(seriesof11interestinglectures)

FoodMatters(2008)

ForksOverKnives(2011)

Books

FoodsThatFightPain(1998),DrNealBarnard

TurnOfftheFatGenes(2001),DrNealBarnard

ProgramforReversingDiabetes(2007),DrNealBarnard

TheChinaStudy(2005),DrTColinCampbell

TheStarchSolution(2012),DrJohnMcDougall

PreventandReverseHeartDisease(2008),DrCaldwellEsselstyn

EatMore,WeighLess(2001),DrDeanOrnish

The80/10/10Diet(2006),DrDougGraham

BeYourOwnDoctor(1975),AnnWigmore

Wheatgrass:Nature’sFinestMedicine(2007),SteveMeyerowitz

Websites

www.Alkaline5Diet.com–bookandhealthwebsite

www.laurawilsononline.com–mypersonalwebsite

www.nealbarnard.org–DrNealBarnard

www.juicemaster.com–JasonVale

Endnotes

Introduction:WelcometoAbundance,BalanceandHarmony1.www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/[accessed12October2014]

Chapter1:TheGoodandBadNewsaboutDietandHealth1.www.corporatewatch.org.uk/content/corporate-watch-food-drink-federation-influence-lobbying#gov[accessed12Oct2014]

2.www.ion.ac.uk/information/onarchives/vitamincontroversy[accessed12October2014]

3.www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/[accessed12October2014]

4.Barnard,N.TurnofftheFatGenes(Harmony/RandomHouse,2001)

5.rt.com/usa/gmo-gluten-sensitivity-trigger-343/[accessed10October2014]

6.responsibletechnology.org/media/images/content/Press_Release_Gluten_11_25.pdf[accessed10November2014]

7.www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637[accessed10November2014]

8.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23756170[accessed10November2014]

9.earthopensource.org/files/pdfs/Roundup-and-birth-defects/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5.pdf[accessed10November2014]

10.Warburg,O.‘ThePrimeCauseandPreventionofCancer’,LecturedeliveredtoNobelLaureatesatLindau,LakeConstance,Germany,30June,1966

11.mosao2.org/Article%20-%20Medicine/cancer_Otto_Warburg_00.pdf[accessed12November2014]

12.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._P._L._S%C3%B8rensen[accessed10November2014]

13.www.ion.ac.uk/information/onarchives/alkaline[accessed10November2014]

14.Lanou,A.andCastleman,A.BuildingBoneVitality(McGraw-HillContemporary;1stedition,2009)

15.www.biotherapy-clinic.com/alkalize.html[accessed10November2014]

16.hippocratesinst.org/the-institute/ann-wigmore-founder[accessed12October2014]

17.Young,R.ThepHMiracleBalance(Piatkus,2009)

18.Vasey,C.TheAcid–AlkalineDietforOptimumHeath(HealingArtsPress;2ndRevisededition,2006)

19.PaddenJubb,A.SecretsofanAlkalineBody(NorthAtlanticBooks;Reprintedition,2004)

20.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/03.13/09-kidney.html[accessed12October2014]

21.www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271663.php[accessed12October2014]

22.https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/protein.htm[accessed12October2014]

(PartI)Introduction:EssentialElementsforHealth1.Tomljenovic,L.‘AluminumandAlzheimer’sDisease:AfteraCenturyofControversy,IsthereaPlausibleLink?’Alzheimer’sDisease,2010;23:567–98

2.Barr,L.Metaxas,G.etal.‘MeasurementofParabenConcentrationsinHumanBreastTissueatSerialLocationsAcrosstheBreastfromAxillatoSternum’,JournalofAppliedToxicology,2012;32(3):219–32

Chapter4:ABigBreathofFreshAir:DeepOxygenation1.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration[accessed12October2014]

2.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warburg_hypothesis[accessed12October2014]

Chapter5:PlumpYourCells,LubricateyourBrain1.www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393[accessed12October2014]

2.www.alive.com/articles/view/17570/are_you_chronically_dehydrated[accessed12October2014]

3.www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002471.htm[accessed12October2014]

4.www.brainfacts.org/brain-basics/neural-network-function/articles/2008/the-neural-regulation-of-thirst//[accessed12October2014]

5.drsircus.com/medicine/water/dehydration-3[accessed12October2014]

6.water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/[accessed12October2014]

7.www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/uscities.asp[accessed12October2014]

8.water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/[accessed12October2014]

9.www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/uscities.asp[accessed12October2014]

10.articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/24/fluoridetoxicity.aspx[accessed12October2014]

11.Kouchakoff,P.‘TheInfluenceofFoodontheBloodFormulaofMan’,FirstInternationalCongressofMicrobiology,Paris,1930

Chapter6:DreamsAbounding:SleepandBalancingRest1.articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/09/drrubin-naiman-on-how-much-sleep-do-you-need.aspx[accessed12October2014]

2.Hung,C.,Anderson,C.,Horne,J.,McEvoy,P.‘Mobilephone“talk-mode”signaldelaysEEG-determinedsleeponset’,NeurosciLett.21Jun2007;421(1):82–6.Epub

2007May24

3.www.memoryfoammattress-guide.org/off-gassing-andmemory-foam/[accessed12October2014]

4.www.myessentia.com/learn/the-icky-truth/list-of-chemicals-inmattresses/[accessed12October2014]

Chapter7:LiveandLetLive:LivingAlkalineFoods1.www.biotherapy-clinic.com/alkalize.html[accessed12October2014]

2.Lindlahr,V.YouAreWhatYouEat(NationalNutritionSociety,Inc,1942)

3.foodnsport.com/index.php[accessed12October2014]

4.hippocratesinst.org/living-food/benefits-of-wheatgrass[accessed12October2014]

5.nutritionstudies.org/animal-vs-plant-protein/[accessed12October2014]

6.hippocratesinst.org/the-institute/ann-wigmore-founder[accessed12October2014]

Chapter8:DitchtheNasties:EliminatingAcidicToxins1.caloriecount.about.com/forums/motivation/water-vs-coke-off[accessed12October2014]

2.phmiracleliving.com/t-faq-fat.aspx[accessed12October2014]

3.nutritionfacts.org/2011/09/08/how-much-pus-is-there-in-milk[accessed10November2014]

4.www.channing.harvard.edu[accessed10November2014]

5.articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/22/aluminum-toxicity-alzheimers.aspx[accessed10November2014]

6.articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/sodiumlauryl-sulfate.aspx[accessed10November2014]

7.www.health-science.com/microwave_hazards.html[accessed12October2014]

8.www.fluoridation.com/c-country.htm[accessed12October2014]

9.www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-shockingfacts-health-dangers-wifi/[accessed12October2014]

10.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24138364[accessed12October2014]

Chapter10:theBrightSideofLife:PositiveMindsetandEmotions1.www.phmiracleliving.com/t-faq-emotions.aspx[accessed12October2014]

Chapter11:theBasicsoftheAlkaline5Diet1.pcrm.org/shop/byNealBarnard/turn-off-the-fat-genes[accessed12October2014]

2.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration[accessed12October2014]

3.care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/8/1777.abstracthttp[accessed12October2014]

4.www.nealbarnard.org/books/diabetes/[accessed12October2014]

Chapter12:TheAlkaline5DietMeals1.www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedictequation/[accessed12October2014]

2.www.acsm.org/access-public-information/acsm%27s-sportsperformance-center/factors-that-influence-daily-calorie-needs[accessed12October2014]

3.www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/securit/2012-allergen_sulphitessulfites/index-eng.php[accessed12October2014]

4.www.worldhealth.net/news/potassium/[accessed12October2014]

5.www.nutrition-and-you.com/dates.html[accessed12October2014

6.Campbell,T.C.,Schurman,J.andCampbell,T.TheChinaStudy(BenBellaBooks;1stedition,2006)

7.www.naturalnews.com/035632_music_sound_healing_medicine.html[accessed10November2014]

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

Photo:MarkDunk/iBrandBoost

LauraWilson is an experienced health coach and competitive athlete. She is a trainednutritionistwho has been researching nutrition and natural health since 1999, and trulyknows the simple secrets to achieving optimumphysicalwellbeing, nomatterwhat thestartingpoint.

As a university student, Laura transformed her own health from an overweight, unfitsmokertoalean,vibrant,ultra-marathonrunner.Shehassincehelpedthousandsofpeoplearoundtheworldtonaturallyimprovetheirhealth,getingreatshape,lookyoungerand,insomecases,healdisease.

LauraisaformerMedicalResearchManagerfortheNationalHealthService,aqualifiedadvancedgymanddance instructorand theorganizerof theNaturalHealthandVitalityConference.HeryearsofexperienceindifferentfieldsofhealthandcoachinghavegivenLauraauniqueanddeepinsightintowhatittakestotrulythriveintheunhealthyworldwelivein.

www.laurawilsononline.com