The Choice (18 page)

Tap water contains certain dangerous substances that are added to the drinking supply:

• Fluoride
  is not approved for human consumption in any country in the world, and has never been safety-tested on humans. It damages bones and enamel, it is not recommended in pregnancy, and is unsuitable for babies. Fluoride accumulates in the skeleton, joints and glands and is linked to irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, arthritis and osteoporosis. According to Dr Dean Burk, the chief chemist from the US National Cancer Institute, fluoride causes more human cancer deaths than any other chemical. It has been rejected or banned by Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales and most of England. More insidiously, new studies have pointed to a link between fluoride and chromosomal damage. It has been used as rat-poison. Fluoride is a by-product of aluminium mining and contains high concentrations of heavy metals such as lead and arsenic – proven carcinogens. Surely here are just about enough reasons not to want this in our water, don't you think?
  

But what about teeth, you will ask? Preventing tooth decay by adding fluoride to our water makes little sense as it creates an unacceptable toxic health hazard. All the evidence I have seen suggests that the jury is still out on fluoride being of any real benefit to our teeth. A recent Report for the Department of Health and Social Security in the UK stated that ‘no essential function exists for fluoride in the diet'. The truth is that cavities are caused by bacteria and excessive acidity, not lack of fluoride, and good dental hygiene is the answer. Many health stores now stock safe alternatives (more of this in Step Four: Safe Personal Care).

• Chlorine
  was used during World War I to gas people. Now it is added to our water supply because it is a cheap disinfectant which kills harmful bacteria (although not – it is important to note – the nasty bugs E. coli and Cryptosporidia). This is a good idea in principle, but unfortunately this practice may be hazardous to human health. While it destroys harmful bacteria, chlorine also kills good bacteria in the digestive system, it destroys Vitamin E, and can form chloroform, a known carcinogen. Studies have shown links with increased risk of heart disease, as well as many cancers, including prostate, colon, bladder and rectal. Chlorinated water also has an unpleasant taste and smell. Perhaps this is why we are all so dehydrated?
  
• Aluminium
  is used to clarify the water. It also potentiates the effects of heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium – which are all present in our drinking water. The links of aluminium's toxic effects with Alzheimer's are well documented.
  

OK, so I think you have got the picture by now. The tap water we drink is not safe, despite modern treatment stations, and despite the best efforts of the water authorities. Quite simply, it is too expensive to clean our water sufficiently to make it healthy to drink. Indeed, even if today's water-treatment facilities were able to purify water completely, it would become re-contaminated by old, leaky and outdated water mains and pipes.

It follows that what we need is natural, pure water. Water that does not ‘take' or ‘give' nutrition. Water that simply does the job it is intended to do: hydrate all the cells of our bodies so they can work efficiently.

We need to clean up the water coming into our homes. It is an easy and effective step to take, and I'll tell you how.

How to Clean Your Water

Plastic jugs with water filters are limited in their effectiveness. These merely use a screen to separate only particles of dirt sediment from water. The good news is that there are two very effective water systems currently available:

• 
Distilled Water

The use of a home distiller is a very effective way of cleaning your water and leaving it free of contaminants. Tap water is heated to 100° centigrade, a temperature at which bacteria, germs, viruses and cysts are killed. The steam rises, leaving behind dissolved solids, chemicals, salts, contaminants and impurities. This steam then condenses into distilled water – water just about as clean as you can get. These distillers are available in portable, compact units (at the lower price range) or larger more permanent units (higher priced). The smaller units need quite a bit of cleaning so they are not always suitable for busy families.

• 
Reverse Osmosis

This filtration system uses the principle of reverse osmosis to remove 95–98 per cent of all the mineral and chemical contaminants from raw tap water. Reverse osmosis was originally designed to make sea water drinkable for the Navy. You may remember from your schooldays how osmosis works: if a salt solution and a water solution are separated by a membrane, the water will pass through the membrane to reach the salt in order to achieve equilibrium. It is the process by which our cells absorb nutrients. Using this system, by reversing the process the two are separated again – salt and contaminants on one side; pure water on the other. Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane that removes not only particles but a very high percentage of dissolved contaminant molecules from water. Several separate filters remove rust, dirt, chlorine, organic chemicals, multi-chemical compounds and micro-organisms and bacteria. The system usually fits under your sink unit and has a separate tap that you can have installed on your kitchen work-surface or sink, and gives you an unlimited supply of good drinking water. It is easy to maintain, and the filters only need to be changed once a year.

Getting Started

Both these systems give you water which is clean, fresh and delicious, and I'm sure it will encourage you to drink it in preference to fizzy drinks, coffees and teas. It takes time to adjust to drinking larger amounts of water, and gradually you will get used to it. Adding some lemon juice and warming it to body temperature is a very easy way to consume those extra few glasses that your body so desperately needs. As an added benefit, your kettle will no longer fur up with lime deposits. Thanks to the purity of the water produced, both these systems are used within medical and pharmaceutical laboratories, which I think is a pretty good recommendation. Check the Resources section at the end of this book for ideas on where to find a system to suit you. They are not cheap, but in the long run much safer, more convenient and economical than buying gallons of bottled water.

Your body will immediately feel the benefits.

Step Three: Powerful Foods

In my experience most people find that any changes to the food they eat are the most challenging to make. I have found it best to find alternatives and add them to the diet before eliminating those foods you are already used to.

In this section I will tell you about some powerful food groups which you can add to your diet to make your body stronger at fighting disease. I want you to feel positive about the changes, because only then will you actually incorporate them into your lifestyle.

The good news is that to put good foods back into our diet is easy.

Nitrilosides

One group of foods you should know about are the Vitamin B17 foods, or nitrilosides. They have been called the ‘missing link' in our modern diet. Before the Industrial Revolution our bread was made with millet, a rich source of B17. Around the beginning of the last century it was discovered that wheat was easy to grow and cheaper to produce, and this one massive agricultural change took that important source of B17 away from the population. In countries where people consume foods rich in B17, there are lower rates of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Studies show that nitrilosides are highly effective in protecting us from disease. Fortunately, Nature has provided us with many common foods which contain these nitrilosides.

Wheatgrass is the richest source, but humans can only digest this in juice. Other good sources include apricot kernels, apple seeds, pear seeds, bitter almonds, walnuts, pecans, blackberries, gooseberries, cranberries, buckwheat, lentils and millet. And – wait for it – sprouts!

Sprouts

The greatest boon to my diet – in terms of what I eat, rather than drink – has without question been the discovery of sprouting. These little seedlings contain so much of the vital health-giving nutrients that they simply cannot be ignored. Foods that are sprouted contain the most concentrated and easily assimilated forms of the nutrients we are in desperate need of. They are one of the best natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids (which are proteins in a digestible form). I include sprouts I have grown in my own kitchen in sandwiches, salads, stews, cereals, juices and soups. They are always fresh, they are cheap to produce, and – although you can find them in some organic supermarkets – anyone can grow them. They can also be slipped unobtrusively into family meals!

Sprouting is a wonderful source of nutrition that can be prepared in your own kitchen, and takes about five minutes a day. From three to four ounces of seeds you can produce five litres of sprouts. When activated by moisture and warmth, a huge amount of life force is released: they begin to grow, and after a few hours they begin to release Vitamin C, a process which continues for up to a week. After a few days they release the B vitamins. They also contain protein, vitamins A, B-complex, C, D and E, enzymes, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

Sprouts have been found to:

• protect against cancer, arthritis, heart disease and other illnesses
  
• help the body to flush out waste
  
• improve immune system function
  
• improve mood and vitality
  

Getting Started

You will need a few clean wide-necked glass jars covered with net or muslin secured with an elastic band; and a selection of organic seeds – available from health-food stores (not garden centres!).

1. Soak the seeds in their jars in water overnight or for 6–12 hours.
   
2. Rinse and drain. They should be placed at a 45-degree angle so the water drains off.
   
3. Rinse and drain the sprouts twice daily.
   
4. When the sprouts have grown, place in indirect sunlight.
   
5. After a day or two small green leaves will appear.
   
6. They are now ready to eat. Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate.
   
7. They can be stored for up to a week. (If they have not sprouted, or you forget to rinse them, throw them out and start again.)
   

Some of the easiest seeds to start with, to my mind, are the following:

Alfalfa
Red
clover
Fenugreek
Onion
Sunflower
Sesame
Pumpkin

Some Powerful Supplements

This is an area I would like to touch on as I believe many people spend a lot of money on supplements and are often confused as to what to buy. So here are the basics, as I call them. I am often asked my opinion on supplements, and my advice is to obtain nutrients through food. I don't advise people to take supplements because I have found the scientific evidence too contradictory, and if you are juicing you will be getting high doses of nutrients direct from Mother Nature. However, I do make an exception for these three supplements – essential fats, enzymes and probiotics.

Essential Fats

These are also known as omega-3 and omega-6 fats. They are not produced by the body, so we must supply the body and the brain with these fats. Because of recent trends towards low-fat diets, most of us are so low in these essential nutrients that our bodies cannot survive properly without them. Before I list a few of the benefits (too many to describe here!), let me first say this as clearly as I can:

Essential fats do not make you fat.
Excessive carbohydrates make you fat.

If you restrict your carbohydrate intake you will not gain weight. It is essential to feed the brain – it is a large organ and must be supplied with essential fatty acids. Some of the most common signs of deficiency of these fats are dry skin conditions such as eczema, as well as acne, allergies, water retention, and a sluggish metabolism – which can result in obesity.

The benefits

Essential fats are nature's moisturizers, making skin soft and velvety smooth and forming a barrier against loss of moisture and dehydration. Dry skin is not life-threatening, so the body will rob from the skin to supply the vital inner organs. You can obtain excellent results with essential fatty acids against eczema, acne and psoriasis; you will tan better and burn less. Essential fats increase metabolic rate and noticeably boost energy levels which increases calorie burning. These fats keep us slim! Essential fats also balance hormones and reduce the symptoms of PMT and the menopause, which is good news for women. They greatly assist in reducing inflammation and improving mobility in the joints where arthritis is a problem, thereby reducing pain and discomfort. They significantly help children suffering from dyslexia, hyperactivity and attention deficiency.

Sources

Essential fats are easy to obtain in seed oils such as flax, sunflower and sesame. They are also present in oily fish but as most fish harbour parasites and sometimes environmental poisons, healthy fats from fish might be accompanied by some less desirable substances. Seeds oils should be refrigerated or they will become completely ineffective. You can add these oils to food (your body will absorb them more easily) such as salad dressings, mashed potato, or steamed vegetables. Start with small amounts, gradually increasing to allow your body to adjust. Your skin and hair will love these fats.

Enzymes

I have mentioned enzymes in the sections on juicing and sprouting, and here they are again. Enzymes are behind every chemical and muscle action in your body, from digestion to the repair of damaged tissue. They convert the foods we eat into smaller, usable nutrients and play a key role in all the body's systems.

Enzymes come from two sources: internal and external. Internally, the digestive system secretes enzymes in saliva, gastric juices, and in the pancreas and intestine. External enzymes are best found in raw food. Nature endows all raw food with the enzymes required for its digestion. Modern food-processing techniques and cooking methods destroy almost 100 per cent of these enzymes needed for the vital job of breaking down and absorbing food. Our diets no longer contain as much raw food as they once did. Our bodies also produce fewer digestive enzymes as we age or if we are ill. Cooked food, alcohol, stress and micronutrient deficiencies also take their toll on our enzymes reserves and decrease production. This combination puts enormous strain on our digestive system.