

### Top Secrets of Health

### Sipiwe Mashingaidze

Smashword Edition

Copyright 2008 Sipiwe Mashingaidze

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Lose Weight Naturally and Look Younger

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Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 01: The World is Very Sick

Chapter 02: The High Price of Poor Lifestyle Choices

Chapter 03: Live a Balanced and Healthy Lifestyle

Chapter 04: Rewards of a Balanced and Healthy Lifestyle

Chapter 05: Healthy Eating

Chapter 06: The Role of Fats in Your Diet

Chapter 07: Nutritional Supplements

Chapter 08: Food Additives: Friends or Foes?

Chapter 09: The Sun: Friend or Foe?

Chapter 10: Mental Hygiene

Chapter 11: Emotional Health

Chapter 12: Do You Suffer From Stress?

Chapter 13: Relax!

Chapter 14: Sexual Health

Chapter 15: Addiction: The Modern Disease

Chapter 16: Get Sufficient Sleep

Chapter 17: General Hygiene

References

Books by the Same Author

About the Author

Connect With the Author

Disclaimer

Lose Weight Naturally and Look Younger

### Preface

We are sick and new diseases are being discovered every month. Diseases ravage us, leaving us bent and sick and aged prematurely. It is amazing how we just accept these illnesses in our lives and accept the less than perfect treatments that mask symptoms and never deal with causes. But why?

Our real problem is ignorance! We may be experts in our fields of study, business and work. We may have awards and fame for new discoveries and achievements. We may even accumulate a lot of wealth. But all that is meaningless because we lack the most fundamental knowledge, i.e. knowledge of our health. Of course, with fame one becomes public property, and we all get to hear about the illnesses and early deaths of the rich and famous. Even with money, we cannot buy health. We can only buy the most expensive doctors, nurses and hospital beds. We have no knowledge whatsoever and when we fall sick, and search for information on the internet, of course we read about all the statistics about "the disease". Because of the increases in numbers over the years, we accept our fate.

Yet health is the most valuable asset that we own. It is amazing that we do not recognize it as such. We never appreciate it till we lose it. Sometimes it is too late.

However, health can be regained with the right knowledge and the right practices. If you lack health and fitness right now, you can gain perfect health again. If you are tired of being obese and unattractive, you can lose weight and gain muscle and look great. If you suffer from constant exhaustion, you can gain unlimited energy. If you are sick, you can heal your body and become perfect again. If you suffer from stress, you can learn how to relax. If negative thinking, feelings, and attitudes are causing disharmony in your body and your world, you can transform all that to positivity and harmony. If a bad habit has you in its grip and all looks grim, you can overcome it and be free.

_"To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."_ (Buddha). You have a duty to manage your health. You can make any change you want to make to your body, your mind and your feelings. But it is all a matter of choice. You have to make the right choices and the right decisions that will enhance your wellbeing.

If you want perfect health, you can create it in your life, and enjoy a long healthy life. Get knowledge, take control of your health, and attain good health. This is what this book is all about.

Sipiwe

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### Introduction

This book is the first in the series _Master Your Health_. It explains what we are doing to our bodies to create illnesses. It also explains what we must do to give our bodies a chance to heal and to prevent disease in the future. The basic message is "Take control of your health. Take control of your life. Be the master of your destiny."

You might be asking quietly why a book like this is necessary since there are lots of books on health. Here is the answer: People throughout the world are sick and getting sicker everyday. Most research is focused on medicines rather than the causes. Many new medicines are being developed, yet people continue to die from new and old diseases. It looks like throwing money at the problem has not managed to reduce it. It has only increased profits for huge pharmaceutical companies.

There is too much focus on effects. If we could focus on the causes of diseases, we would spend very little on health care and doctors would go out of business. Fortunately you do not need to wait for the world to shift its perspective. You can change the way you do lead your life, and improve your health and the health of your family. If you focus on gaining perfect health and preventing disease, doctors will only see you when you have an accident.

The human being (body, mind and spirit), is the temple of God, the temple not made by human hands. Unfortunately we look after hand-made temples better than we look after ourselves. We treat our bodies as mortuaries for dead animals, as trash cans for the junk that we eat, as brothels, and as chemical-disposal units, to name but a few abuses. We put clean fuel in our cars yet we hardly put anything clean into our bodies. We do the same with our minds and our emotions. Then we are surprised when we develop diseases.

Desecration of the body, mind and spirit is what is causing disease, pain, suffering, early ageing and early death. It is unfortunate that we have come to accept disease as normal instead of finding out what we are doing wrong. We think popping pills will correct everything, only to be shocked when we cannot be repaired. We accept it when doctors cut off our limbs or our intestines, without questioning why we have come to that state of affairs.

Yet, it makes more sense to keep mind, body, and spirit healthy and in harmony. Then we become a suitable abode for God. Our creator is the God of perfection. The human body was made perfect, with millions of chemical reactions taking place in the body, each one timed perfectly, for a perfect purpose. Yet we interfere with natural processes resulting in dis-ease. Then we interfere further by taking drugs in an effort to get rid of symptoms.

Instead of nourishing and hydrating the body, we abuse and poison the body through food, drink and drugs. We focus on toxic thoughts, hate and greed which create negative vibrations in our bodies, creating disease and old age. We abuse sex, which is meant to be a beautiful experience between two loving human beings, resulting in disease and old age. We have allowed substances to be our masters or gods, controlling how we think, feel and act. We work hard to buy things that we do not need, thus creating a lot of stress which results in disease. There is a fault with many things that we do to ourselves!

_"Without health life is not life: it is only a state of languor and suffering - an image of death."_ (Buddha). That must not be allowed. This book explains what we are doing incorrectly and what we must do right in order to prevent the onset of disease. It explains that we must take control of our health, become our own authorities when it comes to our health and the health of our children. It explains how simple it is to live a healthy lifestyle and that all it takes is willingness to change.

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### Chapter 1

### The World is Very Sick

_'The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop." ~_ Quentin Regestein

People are sick everywhere. Hospitals are full and cannot take in all the sick people who need a hospital bed. Some governments spend trillions of dollars on healthcare, on people who cannot afford to see a doctor or to pay for hospitalization and medicines. Most people spend their hard-earned money on doctors, medicine and hospitalization. Medical staff work long hours to help the sick. Millions of dollars are spent on research. But people are getting worse. Yet, good health is every person's entitlement and it is within reach of everyone who wants it.

With advances in technology and improving 'civilization' you would think that by now we would have control of the health issue. Yet no one has control of health. Everyone, without exception, succumbs to diseases.

A hundred years ago cancer was a rare disease. It increasingly became a problem in the 20th century until it warranted government's attention. The USA's President Nixon declared war on cancer in the 1970s, and billions of dollars are put into cancer research every year. Yet more people have cancer today than there were in the 1970s. Cancer is becoming the number one killer in the USA and is getting to that position in other countries.

Diabetes was not heard of a hundred years ago, yet it has become a serious problem even in developing nations. It has become such a huge issue that even children have it. Amputation of legs has become almost normal, because the doctors cannot do much else. This is a fact with diabetes and many other diseases. Doctors cannot do much except pump drugs into us to alleviate symptoms.

Obesity has been creeping up on people since the end of the Second World War. Obesity is common in America, in the UK, in South Africa, in all nations, developed or not. People declare personal war against fat daily, and most of them do not even win. Linked to obesity are problems like heart disease, arthritis, hypertension, and diabetes. Add to that poor self-esteem which affects the ability to form lasting relationships.

As people grow older, arthritis becomes a serious problem in the back, the hands, the knees and the ankles. Doctors can't do much except to give pain killers and anti-inflammation medicine. With time, joints become seriously damaged, the pain becomes worse, and bones break easily. Fusion of vertebrae, hip replacement and knee replacement surgery become the only options. Can anyone have a happy life after this?

Heart disease used to be considered a man's problem. Now it is a huge problem for men and women, both young and old. I know a young woman who died of a heart attack at the age of 27 years. I also know a 37 year old man who is lean but has just been diagnosed with heart disease, and a 33 year old lean man who died of heart and kidney failure. People with heart disease have to see the doctor all the time and they have to take medicine the rest of their lives.

High blood pressure is a very common problem. It is now considered 'normal' for people aged over 40 years. People with high blood pressure have to take medicine the rest of their lives.

Digestive problems like acid reflux, colitis, diverticulitis, heartburn, leaky gut syndrome, colorectal cancer and Crohn's disease were rare a hundred years ago. Now they are common. As new diseases develop, names are found for them, as if to name the disease is to conquer it. Most people cannot eat without suffering pain afterwards. Some people can no longer eat certain foods because they increase the pain. Others have had parts of their damaged intestines cut off, which sometimes result in the wearing of a colostomy bag to catch the feces.

HIV and AIDS were not even known in the 1970s. Yet, now they kill millions of people annually and a great number of people are infected. Drugs have been developed to keep people alive but the disease still infects new people. The new attitude is 'HIV is a chronic disease like diabetes, so why worry?'

Depression has become a common chronic problem, instead of being a temporary and situational problem. Instead of dealing with the situations that cause depression, people take depression tablets so that they can function.

There is a war against ageing! There is botox which has temporary effects on the skin but has side effects unknown to the public. Research has discovered damage to muscles, nerves and the brain due to botox. Cosmetic surgery, when repeated too often, leaves facial muscles unable to move. Botox and cosmetic surgery make the face look young for some time, but they don't help with damaged joints and blocked arteries. No one wants to look old yet no one wants to make the effort to prevent ageing. The cells of the body are replaced continuously, so that no part of the body is more than 10 years old. To me that means we must look young for a very long time. Yet, we grow old and sick and die long before we should. Why is that? Does the fault lie in the design? I don't think so. Does the fault lie in us? The answer is yes!

The list goes on and on. New diseases are being discovered and new names are being invented, and new medicines are being developed to manage symptoms. I guess no pharmaceutical company complains about the state of our health.

Why do we have all these diseases?

_"Seventy percent of all diseases are lifestyle-related,"_ cites Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee. Research has found that few diseases are genetic, few are caused by environmental pollution and that most are caused by lifestyle choices. Sadly we make choices daily that cause us problems a few years down the line. When we break down we expect the hospital to make us better. We undergo lots of tests, scans, and X-rays. Most of the time, the doctors can't tell what is ailing us so we are lucky to get a correct diagnosis. Sometimes it's guesswork. Then we are shocked when the problems do not go away, and we have to live on symptom-reducing medicine.

These days there is any number of new technologies available to diagnose illness. The pharmaceutical industry continuously comes up with new medicines. So why do people not get better? The truth is that no one is attacking the root of the problem. No one is telling people how to prevent illness. All we get is chronic medicine to drug ourselves for the rest of our lives just to cover up pain and symptoms, never to cure us. The disease stays, accelerates ageing, creates side-effects, and later kill us too early.

Human beings associate going to the doctor, hospitalization, surgery and pills with health. What they do not realize is that once one needs a doctor, surgery, pills, and hospitalization, one is no longer healthy. It's misery from that point onwards. Therefore few people pursue health. Most pursue everything else on earth, but health. In other words, most people make lifestyle choices that eventually cause illness. And the disruption of family life is unbelievable. Why is that? People lack information. That is why I decided to write this book.

Is Disease Really Sudden?

In truth, we do not suddenly break down, grind to a halt, and get seriously ill. We do it over time, day by day, bit by bit, straw by straw, until we break down. It seems sudden, shocking and out of the blue. Yet all things manifest over time, and we choose to ignore the warning signs. It's all about choices.

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### Chapter 2

### The High Price of Poor Lifestyle Choices

_'Poor health is not caused by something you don't have; it's caused by disturbing something that you already have.' ~ Dean Ornish_

_"Seventy percent of all diseases are lifestyle-related,"_ cites Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee. By most estimates, lifestyle choices account for 70% of your life span. Your genes and environment are responsible for the rest. What is lifestyle? Lifestyle is how you choose to live your life. It is the end result of the hundreds of decisions, large and small, that you make every day of your life.

Exercising is a lifestyle choice, so is being sedentary. Choosing what to eat and what to drink, and in what quantities and what to exclude from your diet is a lifestyle choice. Choosing to keep learning or never to read books again, is a lifestyle choice. To complain about everybody and everything is a lifestyle choice, believe it or not. Anger, grudges, resentment and hate are lifestyle choices, so are love, compassion, peace, and forgiveness. Smoking tobacco is a lifestyle choice, so is abusing drugs. Celibacy, sex with one partner, polygamy, and promiscuity, are all lifestyle choices.

A combination of all the choices that you make becomes your lifestyle. Your lifestyle choice has consequences on your health, your family and the community that you are part of. If your lifestyle choice is poor, you certainly pay a high price, with poor health, and early death. There is nothing wrong with death, but there is something wrong with dying early, leaving a young family to suffer on its own.

We all know loved ones and associates who have died early due to lifestyle choices. It can be an uncle or a parent who dies early due to emphysema or lung cancer caused by smoking. It can be death of a loved one from an accident or liver cirrhosis due to alcohol abuse. I know people who died young of a heart attack due to obesity. I lost loved ones suddenly from high blood pressure. I know some people who suffered from incurable leg sores due to diabetes, and eventually died. I know even more people who died of HIV and AIDS-related illnesses. You probably have examples of your own.

All the losses were due to the unhealthy lifestyle choices. Some people just allow substances to make decisions for them. They allow bodily desires to lead them into self-destruction. Humans were made in the image of God, with dominion over everything on earth, yet we give substances and bodily desires dominion over us. Not only do we suffer, but we make family and friends suffer with us.

The Cost of Poor Food Intake

While excessive alcohol intake and smoking contribute to poor health, most problems are related to the food we eat. Any of the symptoms below can be linked to food:

  * Pain: frequent headaches, unexplained aches and pains;

  * Insomnia: we wake up in the middle of the night, can't fall back to sleep or we have nightmares and confusing dreams.

  * Hunger: poor eating causes gnawing or frequent hunger and cravings.

  * Sugar levels: you feel shaky, weak, and dizzy with blurred vision when hungry.

  * Poor Vision: night blindness and blurred vision;

  * Allergies: hay fever, rashes, eczema, etc.? Check your food.

  * Low energy: tire easily, chronic fatigue, can't get started in the morning;

  * Heart: heart beats fast (palpitates);

  * Bladder: frequent urination and frequent bladder infections;

  * Digestive Problems: constipation, diarrhea, acidity, gas, indigestion, nausea, hemorrhoids, among others;

  * Sweats: night sweats and general excessive perspiration;

  * Odor: Bad breath, body odor. (A pure body hardly smells even without deodorant.)

  * Ear, Nose and Throat: post nasal drip, frequent throat infections, heavy ear wax;

  * Hyperactivity: Can't sit still;

  * Sexual health: Reduced sex drive, impotence or frigidity;

  * Feet: burning feet, sore feet, swollen feet and legs;

  * Mental: fear, anxiety, poor memory, poor concentration, and poor decision making, making mountains out of molehills, can't take pressure;

  * Self-esteem: social withdrawal, hopelessness, poor self-image, self-hatred, shyness;

  * Hair and nails: dry scalp, dandruff, splitting nails, oily hair, split ends;

  * Eyes: watery bloodshot eyes, dark circles under the eyes;

  * Emotional: highly emotional, depressed, moody, nervous, cry easily, suicidal thoughts, fits of anger, irritable, feel like screaming inside, hostile, aggressive;

  * Skin: dry or oily skin, blotchy scaly skin, whiteheads, acne, pimples, frequent bruises, sores and boils.

I have suffered from urinary tract infections, bad breath, swollen feet, thrush, slow digestion and constipation. I have learned what triggers some of the problems, and decided that enjoying troublesome food is not worth the pain. I rarely indulge myself; what I eat now tastes so good I don't need my old way of eating.

I could have ignored the mild symptoms. I could have continued to take the medicines prescribed each time I had a problem. I am glad I did not. By now, some of the symptoms would have gradually become real illnesses. I could be taking medicines for chronic diseases like most women my age. Fortunately I chose to change my lifestyle, so I do not have any symptoms and I feel great!

Take Control!

One can pay a high price for neglecting health and for making unhealthy lifestyle choices. Is it not yet time for you to change? Go ahead. Take control of your health!

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### Chapter 3

### Live a Balanced and Healthy Lifestyle

_'Balance is the key to success in all things. Do not neglect your mind, body, or spirit. Invest time and energy in all of them equally. This will be the best investment you ever make, not just for your life but for whatever is to follow.' – Tanya Wheway_

A balanced lifestyle is a way of living that enhances physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, mental wellbeing and spiritual growth. A person is made up of the physical body, the mental body, the emotional body, the Etheric body, the soul, and higher spiritual bodies. When we talk about health we mean the health of all these bodies and spiritual wellbeing.

  * The physical body is the one that we see and feel.

  * The mental body is what we call our mind. It is an electronic field that surrounds the physical body. Its purpose is thinking and the recording of all our thoughts, past and present. It is the one that is connected to the Universal Mind. If we deliberately connect to Universal Mind we get inspiration for art, music, inventions, etc.

  * The emotional body is an electronic field around the physical body, whose purpose is to keep records of all our feelings, past and present.

  * The Etheric body, also known as the memory body, is an electronic field around the physical body whose purpose is to keep records of all our experiences, past and present. It is the archives.

  * The soul is the never-changing part of us that was created 'in the beginning'. It is who we are.

  * The higher bodies are what we can call 'spiritual bodies' for simplicity.

  * Self-improvement, (continuous), should include the four lower bodies, and spiritual development. Many people make the mistake of focusing attention on only one area. Some people exercise their bodies, and end up looking great, but they never exercise their minds by continuous learning. Have you ever met the "Johnny Bravo" types who are so much into their bodies and oh-so boring in conversation because they know nothing besides abs and biceps? I have.

Others continuously learn, pursuing degree after degree. They are very knowledgeable in their area of choice, but they totally ignore the state of their bodies, the minds and emotions, and suffer from various Lifestyle diseases. It's as if they hide in their work. They either die early or become sickly. All the learning and research is either wasted or it benefits those who inherit his legacy. A person may become famous for discovering a cure for a particular health problem, yet he can die early from neglecting his own health.

Most of us completely ignore our spiritual side. When time to die comes, we are afraid because we have no idea what to expect on the other side. Some people believe we will be extinguished like a flame and cease to exist. I read somewhere about a Catholic octogenarian, who was on his death bed. The priest was called to give him the last rite. He asked the priest to explain what he would experience after leaving the body since he was scared of the unknown. The priest said he had no idea, but that the old man must have faith. The old man was disappointed, and he was still scared when he died. He had been religious all his life, but had no idea what it was all about. He had religion without spirituality.

Self-improvement must include all areas. Feed and exercise the body and the mind, keep your emotions pure, and seek a personal relationship with God.

Feed and Exercise Your Physical Body

Exercise and nutrition do not need to be tedious, but need to be taken seriously. The body needs fuel and nutrition in order to serve you well during your life span. It is your duty to feed the body well, and to exercise it all the time, so that even in your old age, you have a great lean and young-looking body, free from pain and disease, and you can live a long, happy and productive life.

I have chosen the healthy and fit lifestyle and at fifty-three years of age, people tell me I look like a thirty-year old. I chose, since my teens, never to smoke, never to drink alcohol, never to be promiscuous, and to drink a lot of water daily.

In 2008, I chose better nutrition. I automatically lost all the weight gained in my mid-thirties. I am 168cm (5'6") tall and my weight used to vary between 72kg (158lb) and 76kg (167lb). Now it varies between 65kg (143lb) and 69kg (152lb). The little weight I gain during holiday times when I indulge a bit melts away on its own the moment I go back to my normal lifestyle. I never worry about my weight any more. When I changed the way I eat my symptoms disappeared. At 53 years of age I do not take any medicines! I walk and exercise a bit at home but I just can't go to the gym.

You too can make positive lifestyle changes. Any damage done to your body to date can be corrected or at least stopped. The body is so intelligent that it can repair itself once you give it a chance. Once your body is healthy and fit, you know that you are prepared to succeed in anything that you embark on. A number of chapters in this book are devoted to feeding and exercising the physical body.

Feed and Exercise Your Mind

By reading novels, you can increase your knowledge of world history, geography, religions, cultures, politics, economics, spirituality, science, lifestyles, etc. You can engage in interesting conversations with anybody. And few people can fool you, not even the media.

When you graduate from novels and read non-fiction books, you have gone up a notch in feeding your mind. Try it! You improve your personality, your self-confidence, your business skills, your social skills, your spirituality, and any area that you focus on. Feed and exercise your mind with knowledge. Choose that and you might never grow senile in your twilight years.

Feed your mind with positive thinking. Research has shown that at least 70% of our poor health is caused by negative thoughts which poison the body. If you have a problem, do not deny that you have it. Acknowledge the situation you are in, and the resulting feelings, then react positively. Thinking positively is a habit that you have to develop. I have included a chapter on mental hygiene, which discusses this in detail.

Your Emotional Health

Research has shown that our emotions affect the physical body. If you are dissatisfied, always complaining, always sad, always criticizing, always judging, always hating, etc., you will develop problems in your physical body. All your bodies, visible and invisible are energy, and they are all connected and interdependent. That is why heartbreak results in actual physical pain in the chest. It is also the reason why too much emotional pain results in weight-loss, or why stress can cause indigestion, poor sleep or headaches. A whole chapter has been devoted to your emotional health because it is a major factor in your life.

Your Etheric Body

Your Etheric body is connected to your physical body, your emotional body and your mental body. If you keep in your memory all the hurts and hates of long ago, you cause problems in the other bodies, and it shows mostly in your physical body as illness and early ageing. So you were hurt by your parent 20 years ago. Each time you think about it you go through the emotional pain, thus prolonging the grudge, and poisoning the relationship with the parent. Eventually you become a very unpleasant person, and affect relationships with other people. Then eventually you develop some kind of disease, maybe cancer. That is why we are told all the time to forget the past and move on. It's because we tend to dwell on the hurts rather than the good in the past.

If you choose to forget all the wrongs done to you, your thoughts become positive and you feel good. Your etheric body stays pure. Your health improves and stays good. It is therefore advisable to stay away from the past unless it is absolutely necessary to give others information. Keep your mind on the present, and let your memory dwell on the present experiences.

Grow Spiritually

Spirit is that part of us that is connected to God (also called the Great Spirit, the Source, the Universe, etc.). In other words, spirit is the part of God that is within us. We are "spirit living in a body", not a body with a spirit. Spirit is the portion of God that is enveloped within the soul, and both of them dwell in the body. Spirit is attached to the mind and the soul.

Feeding and exercising the body ensures that we continue to live happily in the body, for as long as possible. But, the life force, the spirit, cannot be neglected since it is the part that is connected to God. We tend to live as physical beings. We focus on satisfying only the physical nature through the accumulation of material things, sex, food, drink, and fame. We destroy anything that stands in our way. We destroy lives including our own. Then we wonder why there is no happiness to be found in all these things. Then we wonder why we become sick and miserable. Then we wonder why we lose so called friends when we lose our fame, beauty and wealth. Then we wonder whether God indeed exists. That is because we have completely ignored the truth, which is our spiritual nature.

Make a deliberate effort to get connected. God is Spirit. Since you were made in the image of God spiritually, you were created with God's characteristics built in. Getting connected will reward you with the awakening of God's characteristics. Mind you, these characteristics are already living in us, but we have to become aware of them, recognize them, and use them.

Learn as much as you can about spirituality. I have devoted a chapter to basic spiritual development. There are details there. However, spirituality is such a vast and varied subject that you will not benefit by reading that chapter alone.

The next book in the series Master Your Destiny is called _Behold! The Kingdom of God is Within_. It focuses on giving you knowledge about your spiritual nature and the Nature of God. The 3rd book is called _Journey to the Kingdom_ , which is a course in inner transformation. You are only transformed by the changing of your mind.

Take Control!

Ask yourself serious questions about your health. You should because you are the one who feels the pain. Rather than relying on others to try and fix you when your body finally breaks down, it's better to take control of your health and wellbeing whilst you can. It's better to take control of your health now, and live a long, healthy and happy life. It's better to make changes now in your lifestyle, than to spend your hard earned savings on doctors, hospitals and medicine. It's better to be the ultimate authority in every area of your life.

Why wait until life takes a bite out of you, before you get up and take action? Do you know that if you wait until you are sick and weak, you are going to miss out on the joy of being fit and healthy?

Yes, there is joy in health and fitness. There is joy in being able to go to work and earn a living and to provide for your family. There is joy in being able to start a business venture and have the energy and health to work hard on it until it succeeds. There is joy in being able to enjoy the fruit of your labor through holidays and play. There is joy in being healthy and fit after retirement, when you have time to really enjoy life and play with the grandchildren. There is joy in a painless life, when you can jump out of bed without a worry.

If there is anything God gave us in abundance, it is freedom of choice, making us masters of our destiny. So, you have the power in you to choose a healthier and positive lifestyle. You can choose to:

  * Eat only healthy foods in reasonable quantities.

  * Drink enough water, and less coffee, tea, and no fizzy drinks.

  * Exercise daily, sleep adequately and relax more.

  * Develop spiritually and enjoy the power that is inherent in you.

  * Think positive thoughts and manage your feelings.

  * Forgive and forget the past entirely and focus only on the present.

  * Be happy and never worry about the future.

Once you decide to live a balanced lifestyle, you can enjoy the good life that suits a child of God, the heir to God's Kingdom.

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### Chapter 4

### Rewards of a Balanced and Healthy Lifestyle

_'Man lives on one quarter of what he eats. On the other three quarters his doctor lives.' ~ carving on an ancient Egyptian pyramid_

In 2011, I gave healing to someone very close to me who was suffering from bronchitis and emphysema. He has been a heavy smoker all his life and he was suffering greatly. After the healing he woke up feeling like a million dollars and could do a lot of things that he could not do before. I asked him to stop smoking. He continued to smoke when he left my home, and he suffers greatly from constant chest infections and breathing problems. Had he stopped smoking, he could be living a much better life than he does now.

Good health is not the result of one single action, so no magic is involved. It is the result of making many right decisions, e.g. to stop smoking, to eat right, to eat less, to exercise, to love, think positively, to relax, to meditate, and so on.

Combined, the right daily decisions become empowering habits where you do the right thing automatically. This will result in good health, lots of energy, a lean and fit body, peace of mind, happiness, and longevity. But before you make all these small daily decisions, make the big decision to take control of your health and live a balanced lifestyle. Below I discuss the reasons why you need to live a balanced lifestyle.

**Lean a** **nd Fit Body**

Healthy eating is different from popular 'dieting'. 'Dieting' is a short-term effort to lose weight by denying the body any nutrition. This gives you short-term results and a tired look. Healthy eating is eliminating damaging foods, eating/drinking the right foods, eating at the right time, and eating the right quantities. Add to that positive thinking, loving feelings, physical exercise, and relaxation. The result is natural weight loss, a lean fit body, and beautiful skin.

Greater Health

Not only do you lose weight from a balanced and healthy lifestyle, you attain health. How fast you achieve good health depends on how bad it was when you started. But, time is not a problem. The process of attaining health and seeing results gradually is worth every effort. With each step you take towards health and happiness, you learn more about your body, your feelings, mind and spirit, and you improve that way.

Positive Emotional States

Just by losing weight, you become a happier and more positive person, with lots of self-appreciation for a job well done. The improved health is a welcome state of being, which brings happiness. As a happy person, your overall outlook on life simply becomes more positive. Your entire life changes and you become a better person. You reach a point in life where you are comfortable, satisfied, and peaceful.

Clearer Mental Functioning

A positive mind, a beautiful lean body, and good health, lead to less stress, and less dissatisfaction. You do not worry about diseases. You even develop more interest in life. You are more positive. A positive mental attitude brings better health. Better health brings a more positive mental attitude. But you still have to work on any new thoughts of anger and resentment inside you. You interact with many people daily so you tend to get the nasty with the good. How then do you attain peace, joy and love? You have to work on it. See the section on mental health.

Rejuvenation and Graceful Ageing

_'But the foods which you eat from the abundant table of God give strength and youth to your body, and you will never see diseases. For the table of God fed Methuselah of old, and I tell you truly, if you live even as he lived, then will the God of the living give you also long life upon the earth as was his.'_ ~ Essene Gospel of Peace Book 1 (Jesus' teachings to his disciples).

My Vision

Let me tell you my vision. I am fifty three years old now (2016) as I revise this book. People tell me I look like someone in their thirties. I like that. Twenty years from now I will be seventy three years old, but I intend to look and feel the way I look and feel today, which is 'great'. Because I developed healthy habits a few years ago, as a 70-something I will have no diseases, I will recover quickly from minor ailments, I will be slim, firm, and quite active. I will continue working and learning, otherwise my active brain will be bored. That is my vision.

What is Your Vision?

How do you want to look and feel twenty years from now? Does it matter to you? If you live a balanced, healthy and active lifestyle, you will be twenty years older chronologically, but you will be ten to twenty years younger in terms of your looks and how you feel. If you feel and look good in your seventies, most likely you will look and feel good in your eighties and nineties. Age will cease being an issue. I know how good it feels to tell my age and see the surprise and disbelief!

It all starts with that decision to take healthy food and drink, to avoid unhealthy foods, to take nutrition supplements, to drink plenty of clean water, to exercise regularly, to maintain a positive attitude, to get sufficient clean air, to get enough sun exposure, and to just be happy.

How long and how well you live do not depend on how wealthy you are or the health care you can afford. You have heard of all the rich and famous people who have one disease or another but cannot buy health. Eventually they die, leaving all that wealth for others to enjoy. And the problem with that fame is that we all get to know when they are sick or when they die.

While your genes play a part too, the condition of your health as life goes on mostly depends on the lifestyle that you choose.

More Energy

If you eat healthy food and exercise regularly, you end up having a lot of energy. A lot of energy means that you can get up and go and do a lot of things, either to make money or to have fun. You end up accumulating wealth and happiness.

In 2006 and 2007, I already had a lot of information available to write this book, yet I did not have enough energy to do it. I used to drag myself out of bed and depend on coffee to get me going. The moment I changed the way I ate in 2008, my digestion improved, my elimination improved, my sleep improved, I lost weight, and I had more energy! I have become unstoppable! I wrote and finished this book in 2009. In 2012 I completed writing my third book! I could have finished it earlier if my father had not gotten ill in 2011, needing my care for many months. In 2014 I wrote the 5th book. Now I am revising this one. I have lots of energy and I can work long hours without stressing.

Learn to Enjoy Healthy Foods

You see, junk and processed foods have a lot of chemicals added to enhance color and taste and keep you hooked. That has led to the belief that healthy food is boring. On the contrary! Once you shift to healthy wholesome foods, your taste buds adjust. You will be able to enjoy even delicate tastes of some fruits and vegetables.

My journey of transition involved discovering a lot of vegetables that I did not know before, and I had to learn to cook them in mouth-watering recipes. I discovered a lot of interesting recipes all made of fresh vegetables and whole grains. My eldest daughter and I have written a recipe book for you to use. It is called Healthy is Tasty and it is available online for any reading device.

Discover all those beautiful and colorful fruits, vegetables, seeds, grains and herbs. Go on a journey of learning how to cook them. Learn even how to make mouth-watering vegetarian sandwiches. Enjoy the new taste. Who says healthy is boring? Healthy is tasty!

Take Control!

Take control! A lean, fit, healthy and young-looking body is just so beautiful that you have to do everything you can to get it. The positive outlook on life is just what you are probably looking for. Being happy is the best feeling ever. Happiness is the goal of every person who goes looking for it in sex, drugs, alcohol, political power, fame and wealth. Yet, happiness is attainable naturally!

If you choose a positive and healthy lifestyle, you can enjoy the rewards in a few months' time, and for the rest of your life. It is your choice. Start with what you put into your body through food and drink.

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### Chapter 5

### Healthy Eating

_'If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.' –_ Hippocrates

Edward Stanley was right when he said that those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find the time for illness. More than anything else, it's what you put in your mouth that determines your level of health. It's not genetics, your neighborhood, how much money you have, and not even exercise. All these play a part but, by far, food is number one.

What is Healthy Eating?

No doubt food has a high impact on your wellbeing and that cannot be stressed enough. Each of your cells needs specific nutrients and just the right amount of blood-sugar in order to function efficiently. If you aren't giving your cells the fuel they need, then like a car given the wrong fuel, your cells will start to get sick and you will develop illness and old age. You also won't have the energy to move your life forward. What you need is to eat healthy. How? Healthy eating is eating:

  * A light breakfast of fruits, which creates a huge chunk of your energy and nutrition for your day's work.

  * Small amounts of food several times a day.

  * The right food, that gives you nutrients and energy.

  * At the right time, i.e. when you are hungry, not craving.

  * Properly combined foods for perfect digestion.

  * With joy and focus, in a relaxed atmosphere.

  * More fresh food than processed food and more raw than cooked food.

Healthy eating is also avoiding junk and processed foods, animal products, sweets, high GI foods and ill-combined foods.

Your body's needs change according to exercise level, climate, mental work, physical work, season, ability to digest, illness, ethnicity, temperature, pregnancy, age, and many other factors. Be in tune with your body's needs, and consult doctors and nutritionists if you already have health conditions.

Learn From the Animals

Due to human wisdom (or lack thereof) domestic animals eat unnatural food and get arthritis, diabetes, cancer and other human lifestyle diseases. Ask the vet if you think I exaggerate.

That is different from wild animals. When we stop to watch and take pictures at the game reserve, we are always careful and respectful when close to the elephants. Our car is nothing compared to the sheer size and strength of this animal. We never risk an attack.

What do these elephants do right, that renders them so huge and strong? The key is in the food. They eat the way nature meant them to eat. Grass, leaves, bark and fruits make up their diet. They do not take cow's milk to grow big strong bones and huge tasks. They get all the minerals required for strong bones from plant food. Like the elephant, all herbivores are large and strong. Even during the lengthy drought conditions, they will not change their diet. They just migrate to greener pastures. No wonder these animals are big, healthy and strong! They only eat the natural way.

Because they eat the natural way, we never hear that they suffer from arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis or any of the life-style diseases. I could be wrong but I have not yet heard of any. They suffer broken bones and infected wounds only when poachers leave traps around. They are hurt by human intervention!

It is time for us to learn from wild animals. Instead of eating anything under the sun in our 'wisdom and smartness,' we should copy our fellow creatures in the bush and eat food that we are supposed to eat naturally.

What to Eat?

Look for food that is high in nutrient density (has high nutrition per portion). Your fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds and grains are high in nutrient density. Your food must be fresh, not processed, and mostly raw. If cooked, limit exposure to heat as this tends to kill nutrients. Copy the animals in the bush which eat only living food while we eat food that has been cooked to death. Is dead food good enough for the temple of the Most High, which should be kept pure?

Where possible, eat organic food, for the chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides in regular foods poison the body. Grow some of them in your own garden whenever you can.

Avoid Processed Foods and Fast Foods

Food processing damages the nutrient value of food. The added flavors, preservatives and other additives just poison the body. Reduce and eventually avoid all alcohol, coffee, fizzy drinks and candy as much as possible. Reduce consumption of animal products, and when you eat them stick to organic products which are free from growth hormones, antibiotics and steroids. If you want to stop eating animal products gradually eliminate them out of your diet, until you eat only food that grows from the richness of Mother Earth.

How About Your Packed Meals?

Your packed meals are very important because they provide you with much needed nutrition and energy during the busy hours of the day. Your packed lunch should meet the criteria in the paragraph above. Learn to make sandwiches with vegetable fillings. Include vegetables and fruit all the time, and follow the food combining principles. Have seeds and nuts at your work area and in your car for afternoon snacks. Include a variety of grains, as they contribute nutrients and energy.

When You Eat Out!

I am vegetarian, mostly vegan, and I find it difficult to eat out, as most restaurants have only one or two vegetarian meals. That means ordering the same thing each time I go out. Stay in control and make wise choices. First, choose a restaurant that makes your type of food. Going to Carnivore's Haven is not exactly wise when you are a vegetarian or a vegan. Once you find a good restaurant, choose to eat wholesome meals rather than fast foods. Then insist that your food be prepared the way you want, e.g. do not accept fried food when you want it steamed or grilled.

You will most likely have a salad with your meal. To avoid eating too much oil, ask them to bring the salad dressing on the side, to control how much you use. Alternatively bring your own low fat home-made salad dressing.

Lastly Do Not Overeat

I have discovered that a lot of restaurants dish out double the amount of food that I can eat. If that happens to you, ask for a lunch box for the leftovers.

How Should You Eat?

Make sure that what you feel is genuine hunger, before eating. At home, feel relaxed in the loving company of family and friends, and give thanks for the food, and the nourishment that you will get from it. Then:

  * Eat slowly, focus on the taste, and enjoy the food.

  * Be 'present' when you eat, focusing on the nourishment that you are receiving from the food;

  * Chew your food thoroughly to a liquid to ensure good digestion in the mouth, stomach and intestines. Carbohydrates are specifically digested in the mouth so they need good exposure there.

  * Eat only small amounts. Food needs space for turning and movement in the stomach as it is digested, otherwise you get indigestion;

  * Eat small portions more often per day to keep your body supplied with nutrients and energy. This way you maintain good blood sugar levels.

  * Combine your food properly for maximum digestion and assimilation;

  * Limit conversation during eating in order to focus on the food. That way you eat at leisure without conflict arising from conversation.

  * At work, use lunch and tea times wisely for eating, not gossiping.

How Often Should You Eat?

There seems to be two schools of thought on this. One school of thought believes that you should eat up to 6 small portions, per day, to avoid unstable blood-sugar levels and prolonged periods of amino acid deficiency. Another school of thought says 2 or 3 average meals per day are good enough, unless you are a laborer who needs more energy.

Experiment with both to see what works for you. I prefer taking 3 meals per day. I am never hungry when I get up so I don't eat breakfast early. I eat fruits between 9am and 10am. I need another portion of fruits, or a vegetable salad around midday, a handful of nuts mid-afternoon, and then a cooked meal for supper. I find this to work perfectly for me.

When Should You Eat?

Eat when you are hungry. Hunger is nature's way of telling you that your body needs more nutrients and energy. So when there is hunger, it is time to eat. When you are not hungry, it is not natural to eat, because the body has not indicated the need for food. During the day when you are busy, you are bound to use a lot of nutrients and energy, so you are bound to feel hungry.

Most people do not feel hungry first thing in the morning, simply because they eat in the evening, and as they sleep, the food is not completely used up. They continue to use the nutrients and energy from their previous supper until mid-morning, when they have started working. Such people really should not force themselves to have an early breakfast. They can breakfast mid-morning, when they feel hungry. Tune in to your body so that you know and understand its needs.

It is recommended by natural nutrition experts that the last meal of the day be completed early in the evening, say by 7.00pm. If you are really late, eat by 8.00pm at the latest. That gives you time to digest, so that by the time you go to bed, there is very little food left in the stomach. Avoid late suppers. If you go to bed with a full stomach, digestion is not accomplished properly. If you are late, and you really need food, then eat as lightly as possible, maybe a small salad.

Avoid Comfort Eating

Negative emotions and eating are intrinsically linked, for when people are feeling down, they need comfort. In the absence of human comfort, they resort to food. When you find yourself eating unnecessarily, you need to identify exactly why you are eating. Once you understand your motives, you will make better food choices. Of course, you will want the occasional treat, but in moderation.

When You Have Company?

When you have visitors, be accommodating by supplying a variety of food. Let everyone choose what they want to eat. If you are visiting friends and family, let your hosts know the type of food that you eat. If you cannot do that, choose what you want from the choice provided. If they genuinely do not have healthy food, be good company and eat sparingly of what is provided. Good manners count. The idea is to enjoy the company, so be patient and considerate of other people's feelings. You can go back to your lifestyle once company is not there anymore.

Wisdom of the Ancients

_'For the table of the Lord is an altar, and he who eats at the table of God is in a temple. For I tell you truly, the body of the Son of Man is turned into a temple, and his inwards into an altar, if he does the commandments of God. Wherefore, put naught upon the altar of the Lord when your spirit is vexed, neither think upon any one with anger in the temple of God. And enter only into the Lord's sanctuary when you feel in yourselves the call of his angels, for all that you eat in sorrow, or in anger, or without desire, becomes a poison in your body. For the breath of Satan defiles all these. Place with joy your offerings upon the altar of your body, and let all evil thoughts depart from you when you receive into your body the power of God from his table. And never sit at the table of God before he calls you by the angel of appetite.'_ ~ The Essene Gospel of Peace Book 1.

Obviously, Jesus trained his disciples in natural nutrition, knowing that their spiritual development and mastery depended on pure and healthy bodies. Now you know good health is not a new concept; it was practiced in by the ancient wise ones. It is hidden because it is not profitable for corporations.

Health is Wealth

_'Like it or not, the food you eat will affect your ability to generate the financial energy you need to function at your best. If you are eating a lot of refined foods (sugar, white flour, sodas, etc.), heavy carbohydrate foods (bread, pasta, potatoes, grains) and/or frozen and dried foods (rather than fresh food), then you are not going to be at your best physically, emotionally or financially.'_ — Joan Sotkins, Prosperity Tips, Issue #97.

Making money and building wealth involve physical, emotional and mental work. You need tremendous clarity and vision to master the self in business situations. You can't take an idea and grow it into a large successful business without good mental and physical health. It's no wonder that most wealthy people have proudly healthy trim bodies. If you want to build wealth eat the best.

Health and wealth are both forms of abundance. An Arabian Proverb says, _'He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.'_ If you are healthy, you are wealthy, because you have much more than the majority of the people on earth. If you are healthy, you can create wealth. So, if you want material wealth, start with health, because you will not attain the former without the latter.

Take Control!

What you put into your body determines the state of your health. It is imperative that you choose to put only the best into your body. It is not an easy choice to make because we are creatures of habit. Once you make that one big decision, then you need a lot of courage and will-power to live according to your decision. Do not be too hard on yourself when you get tempted here and there. Rather accept that it happens and continue to do what is right.

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### Chapter 6

### The Role of Fat in Your Diet

_'In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.' ~_ Author Unknown

It is common these days, to see foods that claim to be healthy, labeled "fat-free", "low fat", or "free from saturated fats". Fats have received bad publicity over the past few decades. There is so much focus on cutting down on fats that one wonders if fats are even necessary for our health. Are fats really bad for our health?

Learn which type of fat is good for you and which is your enemy. When you have the information, you will be able to reduce your misconceptions that all fat is bad for you.

Monounsaturated Oils

Monounsaturated fats are those that are typically liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. They benefit your health when eaten in moderation and when used to replace saturated fats or trans-fats. Monounsaturated fats can:

  * Help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood.

  * Lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

  * Provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body's cells.

  * Contribute Vitamin E, an antioxidant the body needs more of.

Monounsaturated fats are generally found in natural foods such as nuts, seeds and avocados. Canola oil (rape seed oil) is 57%–60% monounsaturated fat, olive oil is about 75%, and tea seed oil is commonly over 80%. Other sources include grape seed oil, peanut oil, wheat germ, flax seed oil, sesame oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil.

About Omega-9

Omega 9 is a monounsaturated fatty acid present in all animal and vegetable fats. Oleic acid is the most common Omega 9 fatty acid. Omega 9 is not considered an essential fatty acid because the human body can manufacture a limited amount of it if Omega 3 and Omega 6 are present. It is found in olive, canola, grape seed, safflower and sunflower oils. Other sources are avocados, nuts and seeds. If you include these oils in your diet, there is no need to take Omega 9 supplements.

Polyunsaturated Fat (Essential Fatty Acids)

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and also when chilled. They can have a beneficial effect on your health when consumed in moderation and when used to replace trans-fats or saturated fats. They can help reduce the cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease. Most of them must be used cold as heating too much turns them to trans-fats.

Omega-6

The Omega-6 family is an essential fatty acid, meaning that the body cannot synthesize it therefore it must be taken into the body through food or supplements. It is derived from linoleic acid found in sunflower seeds and vegetable oils such as olive, wheat germ, corn, and sesame oil. Linoleic acid is converted by the body into gamma linoleic acid (GLA) which is found naturally in safflower oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, and hemp seed oil.

Omega-3

The Omega-3 family is an essential fatty acid. It is found in vegetable oils from soybean, rapeseed, hemp, flax seed, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Fish oils are the best source. If you eat salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, cod, pilchards, anchovy, and marine algae you will never worry about lack. Alternatively you can take Omega 3 fish-oil supplements, which is highly recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children with learning and behavioral problems.

Benefits of the Polyunsaturated Fats

These fats regulate certain body functions. They help to maintain our brain, reduce inflammation, and improve the functioning of our heart, joints, eyes, skin and even our moods. Polyunsaturated fats also promote health when they:

  * Help balance hormones.

  * Alleviate symptoms associated with arthritis.

  * Protect arteries by lowering the bad cholesterol and fat content levels in the blood.

  * Assist in the development of baby's immune system and brain.

  * Modulate moods in women who have just given birth, and in the more mature brain.

  * Reduce platelet stickiness, which in turn protects the heart-muscle cells.

  * Increase the rate at which the body burns fat by increasing the metabolic rate.

  * Help in reducing cravings and addictions to food, cigarettes and alcohol; and

  * Protect against cancers of the breast, pancreas and bowel, which are associated with obesity and excessive total fat intake.

Deficiency of Essential Fatty Acids

Deficiency of Essential Fatty Acids leads to health problems, some of them chronic. Some health experts say that if you are deficient in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), the following major health problems can arise:

  * Slow healing of wounds;

  * Depression;

  * Changes in personality and behavior (hyperactivity and autism);

  * Skin disorders such as dry skin, acne, etc.;

  * Brittle nails;

  * Gall bladder dysfunction;

  * Hormonal imbalance;

  * Prostate inflammation;

  * Kidney problems;

  * Immune system problems;

  * Cardiovascular problems;

  * Miscarriage and other pregnancy complications;

  * Arthritis;

  * Fertility problems in both males and females;

  * Stunted growth;

  * Prevalence of infant and childhood illnesses like Barr, Candida Albicans overgrowth, sinus allergies and chronic ear, nose and throat infections.

Thus to gain optimum health one should include essential fatty acids in an eating program. If you still eat fish, then eating more fish and / or taking a good fish oil supplement, is a good way to improve the health of every cell in your body. However, if you have gone vegetarian, you can still get your Omega 3 and Omega 6 from vegetable oils. If olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and avocados are part of your daily diet, you get most of your oils without a thought.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. They occur naturally in many foods. The majority come mainly from animal sources, including meat and dairy products. Common sources are fat beef, lamb, pork, poultry, lard, cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat (2%) milk. These foods also contain dietary cholesterol.

Some plant foods, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil, also contain primarily saturated fats, which luckily do not contain cholesterol.

Saturated Fats from Animals

Health authorities, such as the World Health Organization, the American Dietetic Association, the Dieticians of Canada, the British Dietetic Association, the American Heart Association, the British Heart Foundation, the World Heart Federation, the British National Health Service, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the European Food Safety Authority, advise that saturated fat from animals is a risk factor for cardio-vascular disease.

Consuming large amounts of saturated fats from animals can result in fatty substances such as cholesterol being deposited in the walls of arteries. This may lead to atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries) leading to high blood pressure, and later heart disease and stroke. Therefore avoid animal fats.

Saturated Fats from Vegetables

Saturated fats from plants are very good for you; they are necessary for optimum health. Your heart runs on these saturated fats and is surrounded by saturated fats. It is where your body derives its sustained energy. Of all the fats/oils that you consume daily, 30% must be saturated fats and 60% must be monounsaturated fats. The polyunsaturated oils (that are balanced with 1:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids) make up the rest of the fats you should consume daily.

Coconut Oil and palm oil are good sources of vegetable saturated fats. Cook with either of these two. Because they are saturated, they don't break down into trans-fats when heated.

Trans-Fats or Hydrogenated Fats

Hydrogenated fats are vegetable oils that have been blasted with hydrogen, at high temperatures, to make them behave like saturated fats. The hydrogen makes the fat harder, which is why they are solid at room temperature. That is also why they stick to your arteries. This solidity is desirable for food manufacturers as it adds substance and body to the product, whereas the healthier oils make things too squidgy and oily to the touch. Margarine is a good example of hydrogenated fat.

In the effort to make foods last longer in the supermarket, all traces of good oils are completely destroyed from processed foods, and hydrogenated fats are added. Hydrogenated fats are possibly the most dangerous types of fat and are used in most so-called 'healthy' products. It is advisable to check the ingredients when shopping!

Sources of Trans-Fats

A small amount of trans-fat is found naturally, in some animal-based foods. Most trans-fats are found in vegetable shortenings, margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

Effect of Trans Fats on Health

Trans-fat raises the LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol that increases your risk of heart disease. In the Western world, people consume on average 4 to 5 times as much animal fat as trans-fat in their diets, causing the increase in heart diseases. Some margarine brands are promoted as "good for your heart". If a heart foundation or some other organization endorses any margarine as healthy, their motives need to be questioned.

The Margarine vs. Butter Debate

Do you remember the old butter vs. margarine debate? Makers of margarine claimed that butter has too much saturated fat and encouraged heart disease and obesity. Margarine received a clean bill of health, because it was high in polyunsaturated fats and low in the heavier saturated fats. They completely ignored the fact that margarine is high in hydrogenated fat, the chemically transformed fat rich in unusual trans-fats. Here is a comparison of the two products:

  * Margarine is a man-made trans-fat while butter is a natural saturated fat;

  * Butter is higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to margarine's 5 grams;

  * Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few "added" artificial nutrients;

  * Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Now that you are informed, you can make an informed decision whether to use butter or margarine. I sometimes use butter for cooking but never margarine. For spreads we use peanut butter and avocado.

Review Nutritional Labels of Food

Aim to reduce the amount of saturated fat that you consume. Check nutritional labels. Find products that have a higher level of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Look out for trans-fats. If you see "hydrogenated oils" listed before the monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils, then the product contains a lot of trans-fats. The more you know about the foods that you put in your body, the better.

Take Control!

Fat is essential for your health. Never eliminate it from your diet. Rather maintain a balance between monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and the vegetable saturated fats. Practice moderation in the use of any oil in your food. Eat fatty fish here or there or take fish oil supplements.

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### Chapter 7

### Nutritional Supplements

_'It is wrong to look upon a Vitamin as a substance which just combats specific symptoms. Like a lubricant, the Vitamin makes the normal working of your body possible.' ~_ Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Under ideal conditions, fresh, whole foods provide all your nutritional needs. In that case it might seem contradictory to recommend Vitamin and mineral supplements. However, the life that we lead today is far from ideal. There are a number of reasons why you need nutrition supplements.

Intensive Farming Methods Destroy Nutrients in the Soil

Urban people work in secondary and tertiary industries and commerce, and their food needs are met by farmers. Farmers developed intensive farming methods to increase yield per piece of land and to maximize profits.

Intensive farming means that farmers do not rotate crops therefore the soil cannot recover. Soil nutrients have been completely depleted, and crops grow on artificial fertilizers. Because labor is expensive, farmers use herbicides to kill weeds, poisoning the soil. They use pesticides to kill pests. Pesticides poison the soil, kill pests, poison birds and animals that feed on the pests, thus creating an imbalance in the ecosystem.

Food grown under such unnatural conditions cannot provide all the nutrients that they used to provide when they were grown organically. Therefore, even though you eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains, you still need supplements.

A Complex Life Demands More Nutrients

Civilization has taken humans away from their natural environments, to live in concrete jungles. Urbanized lives are much more complex and people have to deal with many pressures and much stress. This creates a need for more nutrients as cells strive to cope with the added stress. For example, under stressful conditions, adrenal glands need more B and C Vitamins. Vitamin E is required to protect against the effects of air pollution. Extra minerals are needed to counteract the effects of physical and emotional stress.

You need extra nutrients to help your body and mind repair damage that has been done during the years that you ate unhealthy foods. Your body and mind need all the help they can get.

Many people today, especially younger people whose parents were brought up on health-destroying foods, have one or more 'nutritional errors of metabolism'. These can be minor, but even one small deficiency can upset the chemical balance of the cells and cause incomplete reactions to take place. By supplementing food with extra Vitamins and minerals, these genetic deficiencies can be offset.

Start with Healthy Food

If you have never paid much attention to the nutritional value of your food, and if you want to improve the way you feel, you will probably have to make quite a few changes in your eating habits. The goal is to reach a point where you are eating:

  * Small frequent servings of vegetables. Ensure that you choose a wide variety of vegetables so that you get as much Vitamins, minerals and proteins as possible.

  * A minimum amount of high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, beans, grains, and grain products. Make sure they are not refined.

  * A wide variety of fruits. Combine sweet, acidic and plain fruits, so that you do not have too much acid or too much sugar.

A Basic Program of Supplements

The following supplement program is a good basic one for the average city dweller who does not suffer from any serious disease. It is not a one size fits all, since needs differ from person to person. It is advisable to ask for advice from your nutritionist or health food shop.

Vitamins

If you suspect your emotional state may be the result of your worn-down nervous system, you might benefit from a strong multivitamin and mineral supplement. If you feel run down or if your skin is not in optimum condition, you definitely need supplements.

Nutritional experts recommend daily intake of Vitamin A, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. For the right amounts ask the health store near you. Quality differs, as some Vitamins are natural while others are chemically manufactured. Choose the best to get a good return on your investment.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A has multiple functions. It is important for cell growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. It helps to form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, skeletal tissue, soft tissue, and mucus membranes. It is also important for the maintenance of the immune system, for reproduction, for good vision, for breast feeding and as an antioxidant.

You can get pre-formed Vitamin A from animal products. Unfortunately animal products must be reduced or eliminated from your diet. Pro-Vitamin A is found in fruits and vegetables, e.g. cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash, broccoli, spinach and most dark green leafy vegetables. In case you don't get enough, take a supplement.

B Vitamins

B Vitamins are a group of 8 Vitamins that are chemically different but co-exist in the same foods. Specific B Vitamins are referred to as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. They play important roles in cell metabolism. They are responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. They are responsible for muscle tone in the stomach and the health of the intestinal tract, skin, hair, eyes, mouth and liver.

The best way to get our Vitamin B complex is naturally through whole unprocessed foods. Good sources for B Vitamins include kombucha, whole grains, potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, tempeh, beans, nutritional yeast, brewer's yeast, and molasses. Refined grain products contain little or no Vitamin B so manufacturers are required by law to add the Vitamins to breakfast cereals and flour. Take supplements to make sure you get enough.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble Vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and the formation of blood. It is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body. It especially affects DNA synthesis and regulation as well as fatty-acid synthesis and energy production. Neither fungi, nor plants, nor animals are capable of producing Vitamin B12. Only bacteria and certain single-celled microbes have the enzymes required for its synthesis. Whole foods are natural sources of B12 because of bacterial symbiosis. Most animal products contain it. If you are vegetarian, you get it from cheese, eggs, whey powder, fortified tofu, fortified soy milk, and yeast extract spreads like Marmite. Take supplements to make sure you do not get anemic.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is used to:

  * Form an important protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

  * Heal wounds and form scar-tissue.

  * Repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth.

  * As an antioxidant, to prevent or block some of the damage caused by free radicals.

The body is not able to make Vitamin C on its own, and it does not store it. It is therefore important to include plenty of Vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet. All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of Vitamin C. Fruits with the highest sources of Vitamin C include cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and watermelons. Vegetables that are the highest sources of Vitamin C include broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, green and red peppers, spinach, cabbage, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, tomatoes and winter squash.

If you eat some of these fruits and vegetables daily, you should be getting enough Vitamin C. In case you do not eat any of these foods daily, it is advisable to take Vitamin C tablets.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the intestines, for bone growth and for bone remodeling. Other functions include modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduction of inflammation.

Vitamin D is available in very few foods. It is mostly synthesized by the body if a person stands in the sun a few minutes daily. Because some people live in areas where there is no sun for six months, it is advisable to take supplements. Dark-skinned people in the northern hemisphere must take Vitamin D supplements because they do not absorb enough sun in summer, and there is no sun in the cold season.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is both a vitamin and a powerful antioxidant. The functions of Vitamin E in the body are to protect the skin from UV light, to prevent cell damage due to free radicals, to allow cells to communicate effectively and to prevent prostate cancer and Alzheimer's Disease.

Excellent sources of Vitamin E include leafy greens, cayenne pepper, sunflower seeds, asparagus, avocado, nuts, vegetable oils and bell peppers. Eat these and take supplements in order to prevent premature ageing.

Selenium

Selenium is an essential trace mineral, and a powerful antioxidant, helping to protect cells against free radicals. A study in Finland showed that men who had low levels of selenium in their bodies were more than three times more likely to develop lung cancer than men who had high levels. Therefore take Selenium daily to prevent cancers, to assist thyroid function and enhance your immune system. People with rheumatoid arthritis and some types of cancer, often have low levels of selenium in their blood.

Other Minerals

Most people are not aware of the importance of minerals in their daily diet. They are only beginning to learn about them. Scientists have just begun to investigate them. Minerals are not only used in many chemical reactions in the cells, they are also an important part of the body-brain's electrical system. They help transmit energy through this system which is essential to life and the healing process.

Sugar and junk foods often contribute to severe mineral imbalances. Stop eating fast foods and processed foods, and eat fresh nuts, vegetables, fruits, seeds and whole grains.

For supplements, a multi-mineral tablet, or capsule, that contains a variety of chelated minerals and which includes the trace minerals, is recommended. Chelated minerals are easier for the body to absorb and utilize than those that are not. Be sure that the tablet or capsule you choose contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, manganese, chromium, selenium, and potassium.

Hair analysis which will show you which minerals may be seriously out of balance.

What You Need For Cell Repairs

Nucleic acids in the cell nucleus are able to repair themselves, provided there is an adequate supply of Vitamin C, amino acids, folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B5 and Choline, Zinc, Manganese, and Chromium.

What You Need for DNA and RNA Repairs

Some cells in the body are replaced every few months, others every few years. No part of the body is older than 10 years. If a person lives in harmony, keeping the body in harmony, there is no reason for the body to age. So why do we age? And why do organs and glands malfunction? The villains are tiny things called free radicals.

Free Radicals

Free radicals are molecules that are very unstable and seek to bond to other molecules to increase their stability. Some are produced through normal internal functions of the body, e.g. metabolism. Others are produced when the body is subjected to toxic environments, created by fried foods, cigarette smoking, eating animal products, and pollution in the external environment. This is one good reason why one must detoxify the body regularly.

When free radicals bond to other molecules within the body's tissues, they can cause damage to cells or to the DNA and the RNA in the cells. They disrupt genetic information and synthesize abnormal proteins. This way cells are damaged and no longer reproduce themselves accurately. When cells are damaged, cancers, heart disease, and certain auto-immune diseases develop. The body degenerates and the person ages. This explains why organs and glands stop working properly and why the body ages.

A number of studies have shown that sulphur amino acids, selenium, and Vitamins C and E promote DNA and RNA repairs.

Antioxidants to Neutralize Free Radicals

The most effective way to fight free radicals is to significantly increase antioxidants in your body. Antioxidants are a form of enzyme that attacks free radicals by attaching to the unpaired electrons and neutralizing them. There are two kinds of antioxidants. The first type patrols the body, blocking the formation of free radicals. The other type disarms the existing free radicals before they bind with healthy molecules. This is part of our built-in defense system.

Your body produces antioxidants naturally or gets them from fruits, nuts and vegetables. Studies show that fruit and vegetables are not as rich in anti-oxidants as they used to be a few decades ago due to intensive farming. It is wise to take supplements.

Vitamins A, C, and E are the "All-Star" Vitamins as they double up as powerful antioxidants. Buy good quality Vitamins. However, some of the most effective antioxidants are not vitamins, e.g. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and Coenzyme Q10, the two powerhouse disease fighters.

Super-foods

Super foods are concentrated high quality sources of phytonutrients, i.e. vegetable and fruit nutrients. They are particularly good for vegans who sometimes do not get sufficient essential amino acids from their diet. Manufacturers take only organic raw vegetables and sea weeds, which they then dry and grind to a powder.

Hormone Replacement

The drastic change in hormone levels during menopause can cause a lot of discomfort for some women. Doctors normally prescribe hormone replacement therapy, which is the replacement of natural hormones with artificial hormones or hormones taken from female horse urine. These have serious, life-threatening side effects. It is worthwhile to consider a more natural alternative such as bio-identical hormones. They are compounds that have exactly the same chemical and molecular structure as the hormones that are produced in the human body. They are natural and safer.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live micro-organisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human digestive system. They are also called "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria." They are vital for proper development of the immune system, for protection against the bad microorganisms, and for the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients.

People's bodies are full of these microorganisms, on the skin, in the gut, and in other orifices. Each person's mix of bacteria varies. Interactions between a person and the microorganisms in his body, and among the microorganisms themselves, are crucial to the person's health. This bacterial "balancing act" can be affected by rapid multiplication of disease-causing bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and parasites. It can also be affected by antibiotics, which kill friendly bacteria and unfriendly bacteria in the gut. Therefore one has to take probiotics after a course of antibiotics.

Probiotics are available in yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, some juices and soy beverages. In food the bacteria may have been present originally or added during preparation. They are also available as dietary supplements.

Take Control!

It is no longer enough to eat your fruit and vegetables as they are seriously depleted of nutrition. Even when you eat organic food, it is wise to supplement just to be on the safe side. Have a good supply of good quality Vitamins, minerals, selenium and anti-oxidants.

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### Chapter 8

### Food Additives: Friends or Foes?

_"The longer I live the less confidence I have in drugs and the greater is my confidence in the regulation and administration of diet and regimen." ~_ John Redman Coxe, 1800

Modern man has a habit of taking food in its natural form, and altering it until you cannot recognize it, not even the taste. Then they add chemicals to preserve it and to make it taste and look better. Are these additives beneficial to health?

Salt

Due to the increase in cases of hypertension salt has received bad publicity, and doctors even put patients on a no-salt diet. Is salt the devil that causes disease?

Salt is Essential for Your Health!

Sodium and potassium, that get from salt from salt, work together to keep a normal balance of water between the cells and bodily fluids. They are needed for nerve impulses to travel like they should and for the muscles to contract. They also help maintain a proper acid-alkaline balance in the blood. The chlorine from sodium chloride assists in the formation of hydrochloric acid for digestion, and helps the body eliminate wastes.

Therefore salt is necessary for our health. Without it certain bodily functions are impaired. It is not the satan that causes diseases. Like any good thing, it must be taken in moderation. Unfortunately people abuse it the way they abuse sugar.

Table Salt has Additives

After the raw salt is obtained from the sea or salt lakes, it is refined to purify it and improve its storage and handling characteristics. Table salt is refined salt, which contains 97-99% sodium chloride. It usually contains substances that make it free-flowing (anti-caking agents) such as sodium silicoaluminate or magnesium carbonate. It may contain a desiccant to absorb extra moisture and help break up clumps when anti-caking agents are not enough. Other chemicals that can be added are iodine-containing compounds, sometimes sodium fluoride, and iron salts.

The Salt That We Should Use

Generally use rock salt that you have to grind because it is pure. Sea salt contains sodium chloride and other salts, so it is good. Potassium alkali salts, found in non-grain plants, are also good since they are natural, alkaline to the body and have essential minerals like potassium and calcium.

We Eat Too Much Salt

The USA government currently recommends salt intake of 3,800mg/day (2/3 of a teaspoon). The average American eats anything between 4,000mg/day and 15,000 mg/day. The rest of the world is just as abusive. Clearly, we are addicted to salt and our taste buds are so used to it that we can't taste the natural flavors of foods.

Food Additives in Processed Foods

Processed food is the stuff that you get after real food is put through processes that make it completely unrecognizable from its original state. The processes include drying, freeze-drying, fragmenting, bleaching, heating, and evaporating. When processed the "food" becomes tasteless and very difficult to digest. It is completely devoid of its original nutrients, and is nothing but empty calories. At that point, the MOST harmful chemicals are added to the mix to serve a variety of purposes:

  * Coloring;

  * Preservatives;

  * Artificial sweeteners;

  * Appearance enhancers;

  * Artificial flavors;

  * Appearance Enhancers;

  * Artificial flavors;

  * Taste depressants; and

  * Artificial Vitamins and minerals.

You end up with stuff that used to be real food, loaded with chemicals that you are not meant to ingest, that lasts forever on your pantry shelf or in your freezer. It has become junk! Why do we spend billions of dollars on this stuff every year? It's all to do with clever marketing! It is skillfully marketed to be tasty, fun, fast, convenient and even good for you. It is the ultimate convenient food.

Food Coloring

Food coloring is a substance that is added to food or drink to change its color. It is used both in food industries and in domestic cooking. Humans have always used the color of food to form judgments about its desirability. The act of eating is a multi-sensory experience, synthesizing perceptions of sight, taste, smell, and texture. Color provides visual information about food's quality and condition, and influences the perception of its flavor. That is why manufacturers use food color.

Long ago people used natural colors. Artificial food colorings were first introduced after World War II. The chemical industry agreed with the food industry on using chemical-based colors since they were cheaper than natural colors and had a longer shelf life. Unfortunately, all artificial food colorings contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and other harmful chemicals.

Lead

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (June 23/30; 281:2294), data was analyzed from 24,901 children, and a correlation between lead and tooth cavities was established. The researchers estimate that cavities of 2.7 million US children result from lead, about 10% of all cases in that age group. The researchers speculated that either the lead stunts development of the glands that produce saliva (which protects teeth from harmful acid and bacteria) or lead might hinder enamel growth.

Lead exposure is has been linked to lower IQ, delays in development, altered thyroid hormone, reduced fertility, and damage to nerves in hands, feet, arms and legs. Symptoms of this nerve damage are numbness, burning, tingling and pain in the hands and/or feet. In elderly people, levels over 4 mcgs of lead can have neuro-behavioral effects like memory loss, dementia, depression, headaches, insomnia, and difficulty in concentration.

Mercury

Mercury has been implicated in autism, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), learning disabilities, endocrine problems, allergies, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other disorders. According to the FDA, _'The toxicity of mercury compounds is extensively documented in scientific literature.'_ This is one reason why mercury was banned in the mining industry.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a poisonous chemical that we commonly know to be used as rat poison. Arsenic poisoning has been associated with respiratory, cancer, neurological, developmental, and cardiovascular problems.

Artificial Colors Banned in Some Countries

Red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and blue 2, are the most popularly used dyes in the United States, added to children's cereals, snacks and jelly. Research has shown these additives can cause behavioral problems as well as cancer, birth defects and other health problems in laboratory animals. Red 40 and yellow 6 are suspected of causing an allergy-like hypersensitivity reaction in children. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest reports that some dyes are also "contaminated with known carcinogens."

These dyes are banned in Norway, Austria and Britain. The European Union requires a warning notice on most foods containing dyes. In countries where these food colorants are banned, food companies use natural colorants such as paprika extract, beetroot, and annatto. As a parent avoid feeding children such chemicals.

Should You Eat Food Color

Several major studies show that academic performance increased and disciplinary problems decreased in large non-ADD student populations when artificial ingredients, including artificial colors, were eliminated from school food programs. Think about it. Should you and your family be eating any food that has chemical color added to it? To me, the simple answer is no. Rather take fresh whole food and prepare it the way you like it.

Food Preservatives

Some preservatives prevent the growth of moulds, bacteria, and yeasts. Other types keep foods from becoming rancid, brown, or from developing black spots. They also minimize the damage to some essential amino acids and the loss of some Vitamins.

Nitrates, nitrites, sulphites and sodium dioxide are used to preserve meats such as ham and bacon, but are known to cause asthma, nausea, vomiting, and headaches in some people. Sodium nitrite in some foods is capable of being converted to nitrous acid when ingested by humans. Animal testing showed that nitrous acid caused high rates of cancer, which must be enough to scare you.

Benzoic acid (a.k.a. sodium benzoate) can produce severe allergic reaction and even death in some people.

Sulphur dioxide is a toxin used in dried fruits and molasses and to prevent brown spots on peeled fresh foods such as potatoes and apples. It also bleaches out rot, hiding inferior fruits and vegetables. In the process, it destroys the Vitamin B contained in produce.

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and its cousin butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are two of the most widely used, yet controversial, of all preservatives. They are found in breakfast cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum, butter spread, meat, dehydrated potatoes, beer, to name but a few. They cause allergic reactions, may contribute to the development of tumors and cancer, and may be toxic to the nervous system and the liver. So alarming were the results of BHT and BHA in animal testing, that a number of countries have severely restricted their use. In the UK, BHA is not allowed in infant food. Both BHT and BHA are banned in parts of the European Union and Japan. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program's 2011 Report on Carcinogens, BHA _'is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.'_ Most people have difficulty metabolizing these chemicals, which are thought to result in health and behavioral problems, and hyperactivity. In many countries these chemicals are still used in food and consumers remain unaware. It is advisable to eat fresh whole foods which have not been processed and therefore do not need preservatives.

Artificial Sweeteners

Most processed foods contain sweeteners, many of which are artificial sugar substitutes, such as saccharin and aspartame. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and allergies. Because saccharin was shown to increase the incidence of bladder cancer in animal testing, all foods containing this sugar substitute are required to carry a warning label.

Aspartame was approved by the American FDA a few years ago, but it too should not be used for human consumption. Below is an extract from the report _Escape the Aspartame Trap_ , by William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

'For years, the GD Searle Corp., the company that manufactures aspartame, tried in vain to get it approved. No one wanted to go near the stuff. The FDA refused to approve it for 16 years. In fact, according to a report I read, Dr. Adrian Gross, the FDA's own toxicologist, told Congress that "without a shadow of a doubt, aspartame can cause brain tumors and brain cancer..."

For years, doctors and scientists have scratched their heads over the "mysterious" rise in neurological diseases. But there's no mystery about it. Hundreds of diseases can be traced back to one root cause: aspartame. Over the years, various reports have implicated aspartame in headaches, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma, and cancer. It also appears to worsen or mimic the symptoms of such conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue, and depression.'

Some people stopped taking sugar because of diabetes and they went on to take artificial sweeteners, jumping from the pot into the fire. I guess they just can't stop taking sweet things. I say take control! Don't allow the tongue to control your life!

Appearance Enhancers

Emulsifiers, stabilizers, and thickeners are additives that alter the texture of foods. Emulsifiers, for example, prevent ingredients from separating into unappealing globs, in foods such as mayonnaise and ice cream. A first cousin to anti-freeze, propylene glycol is a synthetic solvent used as an emulsifier in foods. Although it is recognized as toxic to the skin and other senses, and is considered toxic to the brain and the nervous system, the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed it generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

This FDA pronouncement does not make it safe. It points to the fact that we should all take control of our lives. To leave responsibility for our health in the hands of government agencies is to lose control. We should buy fresh, whole, and natural foods and prepare them ourselves. With all the food-processing gadgets in our kitchens, it doesn't take time to prepare wholesome food.

Artificial Flavorings

Flavorings are the most common food additives, with over 2000 in use. They may be natural or artificial, and usually consist of a large number of chemicals. Artificial flavors are linked to allergic and behavioral reactions, yet these ingredients are not required to be listed in detail as they are "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA.

MSG (monosodium glutamate), for example, is a popular artificial flavor enhancer. Found to cause damage in laboratory mice, it has been banned from use in baby foods, but is still used in adult foods. It causes common allergic and behavioral reactions including headaches, dizziness, chest pains, depression, and mood swings, and is also a possible neurotoxin.

Do we need to use laboratory chemicals? God created sufficient herbs and spices to make our food taste good. It is time to take control of our health by using natural herbs and spices in wholesome food that we buy fresh and prepare at home.

Taste Depressants

There has been a lot of noise about salt, sugar and MSG so food manufacturers now use less. But, because the resulting processed food does not taste good, food manufacturers developed chemical "manipulators" that turn off the taste receptors in your tongue, so you cannot taste the lousy food. On the label, the processed food appears more "healthy" because it has lower amounts of sugar, salt and MSG. But, people can't tell that it tastes bad because part of the tongue is shut off.

The company that developed these manipulators already has nice big contracts with giant food manufacturers. By the end of 2008, they had 113 patents and 371 more pending in the US, Europe and other areas of the world. Some food giants are already using these poisons.

Chemicals Fed to the Animals That You Eat

You might not be aware that all the animal products that you eat at your dinner table are full of chemicals. Intensive farming means a great number of animals are reared in very small spaces, increasing risk of diseases. Hence the farmer aims to get the desired size of animal faster than before, to reduce death, to save money on feed, and thus increase profits. Below are a few examples of what chemicals are given to animals to manipulate them as they grow in their concentration camps.

Antibiotics

It is easy for animals to die from disease when they are raised in concentration camps. So they are routinely fed antibiotics to prevent infections. According to the American Cancer Society, the increased use of antibiotics promotes the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but the extent to which these are transmitted to humans is unclear.

Milk and Dairy Products Laced With rBGH

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is the largest selling dairy animal drug in America. It is a synthetic version of natural bovine somatotropin (BST), a hormone produced in the cow's pituitary gland. The manufacturer developed the recombinant version from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Farmers inject rGBH into cows to increase milk production.

This chemical causes an increased risk for colo-rectal, prostate and breast cancers in humans. Cows injected with rBGH suffer at least 16 different adverse health conditions, a major one being very high rates of mastitis that contaminate milk with pus and antibiotics. If you take milk and other dairy products, you are consuming some of pus and antibiotics.

The use of rBGH is banned in at least 30 nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Israel, the EU, and Canada. In 1999, the United Nations Safety Agency ruled unanimously not to endorse or set safety standards for rBGH milk. This effectively resulted in an international ban on US milk. Maybe it is time you reconsidered whether you should be eating any dairy products.

Arsenic Chicken

Arsenic-based drugs are approved for use in animal feed in the US because they make animals grow quicker and make the meat appear pinker (i.e. "fresher"). The USA's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated these products are safe because they contain organic arsenic, which is less toxic than the inorganic form, which is a known carcinogen. Scientific reports surfaced stating that the organic arsenic can transform into inorganic arsenic, which has been found in increasing levels in supermarket chickens. The inorganic arsenic contaminates manure where it can eventually migrate into drinking water and may be causing heightened arsenic levels in American rice.

Several environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the FDA calling for their removal from the market. In 2011, Pfizer announced it would voluntarily stop marketing its arsenic-based feed additive Roxarsone. In September 2013, the FDA announced that Zoetis (former subsidiary of Pfizer) and Fleming Laboratories would voluntarily withdraw current Roxarsone, approvals in place. The European Union never approved arsenic based compounds as safe for animal feed. But other companies continue to manufacture and sell similar products in other countries. Should you be eating this chicken? It might be the right time for you to think seriously about this and take up a healthier lifestyle.

Ractopamine in Your Meat

Ractopamine is a drug used for asthma. Researchers found that it makes mice muscular, so it is now given to animals to increase muscle and reduce fat. In the USA, about 45% of pigs, 30% of ration-fed cattle, and an unknown percentage of turkeys are pumped full of this drug a few days before slaughter. Up to 20% of it remains in the meat you buy from the supermarket, according to veterinarian Michael W. Fox.

Ractopamine is known to affect the human heart and circulatory system. It is thought to be responsible for hyperactivity, and may cause chromosomal abnormalities and behavioral changes. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have been "poisoned" from eating pigs that were fed the drug. In animals, ractopamine is linked to reductions in reproductive function, increase of mastitis in dairy herds, and increased death and disability. Again you get pus and more drugs in dairy products.

Ractopamine is banned from use in food animals in no less than 160 different countries due to its harmful health effects! Effective February 11, 2013, Russia issued a ban on US meat imports until the US agrees to certify that the meat is ractopamine-free. At present, the US does not even test for the presence of this drug in meats sold. Should you be eating that meat?

Farm-Raised Salmon

Wild salmon gets its bright pinkish-red color from natural carotenoids in their diet. Farmed salmon, on the other hand, are raised on a wholly unnatural diet of grains plus a concoction of antibiotics and other drugs and chemicals not known to be safe for humans.

This diet leaves the fish with an unappetizing greyish flesh. To make the flesh look pinkish-red, farmers give the salmon synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals. This chemical has not been approved for human consumption and it has well-known poisonous effects. According to a featured article, some studies suggest it can potentially damage eyesight. Use of synthetic astaxanthin is banned in Australia and New Zealand. You should question your government if it is not banned in your country.

You can tell the difference between farmed and natural salmon. The flesh of wild salmon is a bright pinkish-red with thin stripes of fat. The flesh of farmed salmon is pale pink with wide fat stripes. Most restaurants sell farmed salmon therefore stay alert when you buy it.

Take Control of Your Health!

Take control! Protect your family. Minimize processed foodstuffs. Make most of your food at home, and flavor it with natural herbs and spices. Make your own mayonnaise, salad dressings, and pasta sauces.

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### Chapter 9

### Sun: Your Friend or Foe?

_'I think you might dispense with half your doctors if you would only consult Dr. Sun more.' ~_ Henry Ward Beecher

Like sugar, salt and fats, the sun has had its own share of bad publicity. You have all been warned time and again to stay away from the sun. You probably listen to this "good" advice and stay away. Or maybe you love the sun too much to care? But do you understand why you should or should not stay in the sun?

The Nature of Sunlight

Sunlight is white light which, as we learned in our physics classes, consists of several types of energy, including cosmic energy, gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet light, infrared light, and visible light of many colors. The visible light is basically what you see as the rainbow, which consists of many colors.

Sunlight Supports All Life

The sun's rays vaporize the water which eventually falls as rain and snow, filling our rivers and reservoirs and making possible the generation of hydroelectric energy. Through photosynthesis, sunlight is used by plants to create life and growth. All of the food we eat depends upon sunlight to grow. The energy our bodies receive from the food we eat is solar energy that the plant has stored in the form of fats, carbohydrates, Vitamins and proteins. So, sunlight definitely supports all life, directly and indirectly.

Healing Effects of Infrared Rays

Heat from the sun, which is infrared rays, is useful in the treatment of neuralgia, neuritis, arthritis, and sinusitis. Heat is generally good in the treatment of any pain. Warmth also helps bring healthful, natural body oils to the surface of the skin, keeping it smooth and protected.

Antiseptic Ultraviolet Light

The ultraviolet rays are antiseptic, killing bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts, moulds, and mites in the air, water, and surfaces. Even reflected light from windows kills bacteria in the dust. Most window glass filters about 95% of the ultraviolet rays, so keep windows open and curtains pulled back all day.

Sun-bathing is a useful treatment for problems like diaper rash, athlete's foot, psoriasis, acne, boils, and impetigo. If you can't find time for a daily sunbath, eat lunch in the sun and expose as much of your skin as decency permits. Also expose your skin to the sun when taking your daily walk.

Sunlight Toughens the Skin

Sunlight toughens and thickens the skin, making it less prone to injury and infection. Regular, controlled, moderate exposure to sunlight doesn't damage and age the skin. It protects it by building up a natural resistance to the harmful effects of UV light, while giving it a nice velvety texture.

Vitamin D

Ultraviolet light converts cholesterol in the skin to Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for the proper handling of calcium in the body, preventing rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones due to deficiency of calcium and phosphorus, and the loss of calcium). Vitamin D is keeps your heart, bones, colon and brain healthy. It also helps prevent anxiety, and depression.

The body makes only as much Vitamin D as it needs so is not possible to get too much. If you expose 15cm by 10cm (6" by 4") of your skin to direct sunlight for 15 minutes per day, you obtain your minimum daily requirement of Vitamin D. Increase the size of the skin exposed to get more.

Sunlight Lowers Cholesterol

In a study, the blood-cholesterol level of thirty patients was tested just before sun exposure. Two hours after exposure, the cholesterol level had decreased by 13%.

Sunlight Corrects Hormone Imbalances

It has been said, _'Dark nights and bright days will help keep the hormones in the body functioning properly.'_ Sunlight has been shown to increase the sense of wellbeing and to improve sleep. It regulates almost all bodily processes. UV light coming into the eyes stimulates the pineal gland, helping to regulate activity cycles. It improves thyroid function. In one experiment, hyperactivity in school children decreased when the classroom's fluorescent lights were changed to full spectrum lighting.

Sunlight and Your Vital Signs

Resting heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rates are all decreased after a sunbath. This is especially true if any of them were high to begin with. Blood-sugar levels can be stabilized.

Sunlight Improves Immunity

According to research done decades ago, sunlight stimulates production of more white blood cells and enhances oxygen utilization. This helps the body to maintain its defense against disease.

Cancers

While certain skin cancers are associated with over-exposure to the sun, the incidence of some of the more serious internal cancers, like colon cancer, seems to decrease. Moderation is the key here.

Sunlight Improves Muscle Strength

In research, muscular strength has been increased by sun exposure, even in those unable to exercise. It stimulates production of red blood cells, hence increasing the oxygen content of blood, and thus increasing muscular endurance.

Sunlight Improves Metabolism

Sunlight improves appetite, assimilation, elimination, and other metabolic processes. Sunlight has even been found helpful in the treatment of stomach ulcers.

Sunlight Helps to Remove Heavy Metals

Researchers have found that poisonous chemicals and heavy metals are removed from the bloodstream faster through exposure to the sun. Levels of healthy trace minerals in the blood were found to actually increase.

Moderation is the Key

Moderation is the key. Totally staying away from the sun leads to health problems. People who live in the extreme north, where there is no sun winter, suffer from diseases caused by lack of sunlight. Over-exposure leads to health problems like skin cancer.

Take Precautions in Summer

After the initial exposure in the morning for health purposes, protect yourself against over-exposure later in the day at the beach. The following precautions are recommended if you are going to avoid damage:

**Avoid midday sun.** At mid-day, stay under the umbrella or, even better, head indoors and wait a few hours before you venture out again.

**Wear protective clothing** over your swim suit. Put on a T-shirt, or a surfer's vest or other clothing made of UV-Protective material.

**Face cover:** Always wear a broad-brimmed hat. A peak cap doesn't protect your whole face and your ears are exposed.

**Always use sun block** with Sun Protection Factor of at least 30, and a combination of UVB and UVA protection. This does not mean you can lie fully exposed to the sun. Reapply your sun block every two hours when in the sun and every time you swim (even if it says 'waterproof').

**Safeguard your eyes** by wearing sun-glasses with UV-protective lenses.

**Kids** should always wear sun-safe bathing suits made of UV-protective fabrics. Babies under six months should never be in the sun.

**Use artificial tanning products.** Never tan on a sun-bed. Regular sun bed users have an increased incidence of malignant melanomas.

**Never use perfumed products** on areas of your body that are going to be exposed to the sun. You will risk pigmentation.

**Diabetics** must use extra caution as they are at greater risk of permanent injury from sunburn.

**Dark-skinned people** need to follow the same rules as lighter-skinned beachgoers. Dark skin may be less susceptible to sun damage, but it burns and it is prone to pigmentation as a result of exposure to sunlight.

Precautions for Light Skins

Burning is the main concern for light skin. Tanning takes time before it can protect. A good tan from previous exposure may screen out up to 90% of the burning rays. Blue-eyed blondes and red-haired people cannot develop a tan, and they burn easily so they must be careful. There are persons who for some reason are supersensitive to even a brief exposure to the sun. They must be very careful.

Precautions for Dark Skins

Because of high melanin levels, dark-skinned people only have about 20% as much skin cancer as Whites. But, dark skin reflects the sun so they do not produce sufficient Vitamin D, making them prone to rickets and certain cancers. A slightly longer exposure to the sun, on a daily basis, helps. Still, use sun-block because light brown skin easily gets burned and develops pigmentation problems.

Over-Exposure Damages the Skin

Overexposure to sunlight creates a leathery texture, reddening, roughness, dryness, and scaliness of the skin, plus wrinkles, especially for white people. The capillaries in the skin can be permanently injured, losing their elasticity, bruising and breaking easier. These conditions are not due to any normal ageing process, because unexposed areas on the same individuals do not show these signs until after age 50.

Over-Heating Can Lead to Skin Cancer

The biggest concern is skin cancer. This is the most common cancer, and 80% of it occurs on exposed areas of the face, head, neck, arms, and hands. Ultraviolet light from sunlight is believed by many to be the chief culprit. The key to prevention is to avoid sunburn and overexposure. Remember to practice moderation.

Watch Out for Reflected Sunlight

Only 1/3 of burning rays come directly from the sun; the other 2/3 of burning rays are reflected from all directions. Sand reflects 17% of light, while snow reflects up to 85%. Combine snow with high altitudes, where the atmosphere is thinner, and you have chances of sunburn while you are skiing or mountain climbing.

Watch Out for Accumulated Burns

Burns accumulate. If you burn only once a year, in fifty years you have tallied fifty burns, increasing the risk of skin cancer. Any excessive sun exposure can he considered as setting up pre-cancerous conditions in the skin. The lower layers of skin get damaged by the sun and show no signs immediately. One day when damaged layers become the top layer, you will suddenly look old. Therefore always take precautions to protect the skin.

Take Control!

Sunbath in the morning, use sun block and wear a hat to avoid burning. Allow the sun into your home and make the necessary home renovations to make sure you have plenty of sunlight indoors. Use sunscreen with a sun-protection-factor of 30 if you have to stay in the sun for some reason. In summer stay away from the sun during midday. Protect the eyes.

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### Chapter 10

### Mental Hygiene

_'Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body.' ~_ Cicero

My mother died in 2009. When I think about her, how she laughed easily and how she enjoyed telling folk-stories, I just smile or even laugh. When I think of the day when I heard of her sudden death and the pain that I felt in my heart, tears flow. I can make myself laugh or cry depending on which thoughts I entertain. I have found that when I am sad or angry or worried, I cannot sleep well. If I have too many work worries I get a headache. If I have a serious work presentation or a job interview my tummy tightens, making it difficult for my food to digest.

It is clear that one cannot separate mental processes, feelings, memories and the body. This can easily be explained by the fact that the physical body, the mental body, the memory body and emotional body are interconnected. They are the four lower bodies (planes of existence) out of a total of seven bodies. Activity in one body affects the other bodies. The consequences are felt in the physical body as stress, pain, or disease.

Physiologists have discovered that body cells have the power to receive impressions and carry them to the complete cellular structure of the human form. Cells have power to recall impressions (memory), power to compare impressions (judgment), and power to select between good impressions and bad impressions. Good impressions are good for the body. Bad impressions are bad for the body. Hence doctors are tracking specific diseases back to specific negative states of mind. These negative states of mind poison the body, eventually causing illnesses.

Love or Fear?

According to Gregg Braden in _The Isaiah Effect_ , ancient traditions suggest that we are capable of two primary emotions, Love and Fear. The way we think about situations and people depends on which emotion rules us in that area. Let's say you have just been told you have cancer. There are different ways that you will react.

If your basic emotion is love, you might think, _'This is not good. Cancer can kill, but a lot of people survive. I am going to fight this in every way I can, and live to raise my family. I am going to raise funds for further research into cancer.'_ Following this line of thinking, you might feel confident that you will beat it. You might try alternative healing methods, or new cures on the market. You might change your lifestyle if you are advised to. You might spend a lot of time raising funds, never focusing on the disease. You might even be alive ten years from now.

If your basic emotion is fear, you might think, _'I have the 'big C!' There is no cure! Oh no, I am going to die. How can God do this to me? I am going to hit back at the world.'_ Following this line of thinking you might feel angry at the world and at God. You might feel depressed and drown yourself in drink. You might stop caring about your work or turn away from loved ones or go on a sex spree. Within a few months you could be dead. Have you watched Breaking Bad?

Thought is Power

Thought is the guidance system that directs our feelings. What we think or imagine determines where our feelings and attention are directed. Love or Fear, the situation that has arisen and the resulting thought determine how we feel.

Thoughts are the Key to Well-being

Whatever your situation, thought is what affects your life, by triggering guilt, hate, stress, sadness, and depression. We reduce the vibration of the body this way, and make it possible for disharmony to manifest. Through negative thoughts, we create sickness, disease and discordant conditions.

In childhood and youth, the flesh structure of the physical body is beautiful, strong, and responsive to the demands made upon it. As negative thoughts and feeling are allowed to express in the self over time, the body becomes incapacitated and the Temple falls into ruins. Observe the world at large to see what discordant thought and feeling do to the beautiful bodies that Nature provides.

This is how negative thinking leads to negative feelings, which eventually lead to physical health problems. So, besides food and drink, your physical health strongly depends on your mental and emotional well-being.

However, it is easy to heal ourselves by the changing of our mind. The greatest Spiritual Law is Love. Love all bar none. If you love only your family, friends or race, you don't love. Love with the Love of God, i.e. unconditionally.

With love come positive words, thoughts and feelings that add energy to the body. With love you create an influence that returns and surrounds you with emanating energy. Therefore start loving others, say only words that empower others, which leads only to positive thoughts, feelings and deeds. Finally you will reach a point at which you live only in joy, and in peace that passes understanding.

Negative Thinking is a Bad Habit

Negative thinking is a habit. If your doctor, or a loved one, tells you that you are sick due to the state of your mind, do not regard that by feeling judged and condemned. Rather, feel the reproach of someone who cares enough to point this out. Then change that habit of negative thinking to positive thinking.

Fortunately you have the power to change. It takes extra work and an alert mind! You are either willing to do the extra work or you are not, depending on your vision. If your vision is longevity, happiness, to be fit for life and to glow with vitality and youthfulness, you can change the way you think. Thought is power, and focused thought is focused power. So focus on positivity!

A Positive Attitude is Essential to Health

The very first essential for good health is a positive attitude to life. Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Be enthusiastic about your family, work, and leisure.

Best of all get close to God. I don't refer to orthodox religion. I mean you develop a personal relationship with God. God is in his Holy Temple, i.e. you. He is closer than your arms, even closer than your heart. You are never alone, because He goes everywhere with you. Learn as much as you can from my book _Behold! The Kingdom of God is Within_. Then live by the greatest law of all, which is to _'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.'_ (Luke 10:27). Love is the key to the Kingdom of God.

Analyze yourself. Understand how you feel and the thoughts that cause those feelings. Get to know whether the underlying emotion that creates the thoughts and feelings is love or fear. Be honest with yourself. With the honest analysis you come to the conclusion that you are either driven by love or by fear.

If you are driven by love, then you only feel positively about yourself, other people, nations, situations and things. You are kind, compassionate, helpful, understanding, accepting, and forgiving. The Law of Love requires you to genuinely love yourself, so that you can love others. Then everything that you think, feel and do is loving and positive. Your health improves greatly.

If you are driven by fear, your thoughts are naturally negative, so you feel hateful, greedy, competitive, angry, depressed, guilty, and you blame others for your situation. Problems follow you everywhere and you attract horrible people into your life. Your energy goes down, the body becomes toxic, and you attract microbes that cause disease.

If you can clear your mind of negativity and worry, your healthy gradually improves. Your relationships improve, your problems diminish, and you cope better with new problems because you no longer view any obstacle as a mountain.

Stop Worrying

Buddha Gautama said, _'The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly._ ' I recommend that you read _The Power of Now_ by Eckhart Tolle. He explains this beautifully. If you live in fear of what might happen now or in the future, or fear that the past will catch up with you, you can't be happy. Nor can you be happy as long as you focus on past hurts and mistakes.

Rather develop a personal relationship with God. You find that as the image and Child of God, you have God's Power within you to solve any situation and the right to use that Power to overcome any obstacles or to create the ideal life.

Mental Hygiene

Thoughts are powerful energy that can affect you and others. It is imperative to manage them. Mental hygiene is your state of mind and attitude towards different areas of your life. To control your thoughts is to control your health. Generally, look at the bright side. It is the right side. Then you will feel happy inside.

Situations always arise in life that hurt you badly or cause a lot of trouble. How you react to them is up to you. A negative reaction makes the situation seem unbearable. A positive reaction makes the situation seem manageable.

Never take anything personally unless it is personal. If the economy is down or the weather is horrible, it affects everyone the same. The situation is what it is. It is neutral. It is your thinking that either makes it negative or positive. And it is your thinking that determines the quality of your life within that situation. Deal with the situation the best way you can. I like what Dave Sharp said, _'You are not a body with a mind attached. You are a mind with a body attached. Remember this, and you take your first step toward self-mastery.'_

Spirit and mind are one and the same thing. You are spirit that controls the body by controlling how you think! By controlling your body, you are on your way to mastery of your destiny. Beyond improving your health, you have time, your environment, atoms, and the elements, to master. Mastery means you will never suffer from disease, old age, poverty, physical limitation, mental limitation, the economy, the weather, and control by others. Jesus is a good example of one who mastered the self and the environment. Be like Him!

Listen to this. _'Now you can understand, are you the slave or the master of your mind? Are you the king? This is a personal question directed to you. How far can you make your own decision and do you have the willpower to say NO to your mind? One cannot run away from one's mind. Mind is a mighty process in us. All our sufferings are connected to our mind. But we must learn to master the mind and use it positively for our own benefit. You are what you are and you are where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You change what you are and you change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.'_ \- Zig Ziglar.

You are responsible for your thoughts. Control them. It is common wisdom. Think and act positively. Do not wait to react to people and situations. Be proactive in thought and deed. By thinking the way you want to think and by acting the way you want to act, you have total control of your life. Provided you harm none, do what you want.

If you do not take control of your thinking and your action, you react to other people's thoughts and deeds. That makes you a feel like a victim, then you act like a victim and, indeed, you become a victim. Victimhood is a state of total lack of control, so you become depressed and despondent.

Take back control! Control your thoughts. Purify your thoughts, think positive, and purify your words, then you become cleaner in your mental outlook. Mental health problems then won't find a home in you. You can say with Jesus, _"The prince of this world comes and has nothing in me."_

Your Thoughts and Your Health

Health is not a random state of being. It is a deliberate state of being. Here is how the power of positive thinking works. If you think only thoughts of perfect health, you can cause within yourself the functioning of perfect health. Learn how.

The truth with thought is that there is this surface conscious thought of everyday living. Then there is deeper thought, the one referred to in the saying _"As a man thinketh in his heart..."_ That deep subconscious thinking in the heart is laced with your feelings, and it is the one that affects your health either negatively or positively. You might like to speak positively about health, yet deep down you think you are sick or sickly or that a certain organ does not work well. That deeper thinking makes you sick, and you might not catch it in action. And, you fill your cupboard with all sorts of medicines. It is this deeper thinking that needs to be changed to thoughts of perfect health.

Here is one way of thinking perfect health. You are the child of God. You have all the properties of God, which is why Jesus said, _"Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect."_ Accept that perfection as your natural state of being. Ignore what you see, what you hear and how you feel. See yourself in your mind's eye as perfect. Do this in meditation before going to bed and first thing in the morning.

Next, learn how to eat, drink, breathe and sleep in a perfectly healthy way. If you put poisons in your body you defeat the purpose of your positive thinking. It means deep down you prefer illness.

If you take these two steps, you will certainly become well, and remain so. Health is therefore linked to the way you think. You are what you think. That is how powerful you are! Use that power positively.

I used to have a colleague who needed to impress us all the time about 'her disease'. She claimed that she had lupus. She claimed that she had to see all types of specialists and she had to undergo all sorts of tests regularly, for the different diseases caused by "her lupus". She had to talk about "her lupus" daily, lest we forgot. She looked fine and was never sick, therefore no one knew for sure if she had all these problems, but we knew that her intention was to impress us. Who knows, maybe in the process she created the condition. If she started by lying about 'her lupus', later she probably created it and it became fact. Power of the mind!

Stop all thinking and talk about disease, and create a new relationship with health, by thinking 'perfect health'. Remember, _"God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes."_ (Ecclesiastes 7:29). God made us all perfect.

Depression

An estimated 19 million American adults are living with major depression. Feeling sad or depressed, here and there, is a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem. But when feelings of intense sadness last for weeks or months, and interfere with normal functioning, you may have clinical depression.

In his article _Are You Depressed_? Dr. Adolf J. Lowies listed the following symptoms of depression.

  * Irritability, restlessness;

  * Changes in weight;

  * Constant feelings of tiredness/ lack of energy;

  * Reduced or excessive appetite;

  * Loss of interest in activities;

  * Feelings of anxiety;

  * Feelings of guilt or helplessness;

  * Finding it difficult to concentrate;

  * Finding it difficult to make decisions or to remember things;

  * Loss of interest in personal appearance;

  * Difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep or sleeping soundly;

  * Difficulty getting up in the morning;

  * Symptoms like headache, backache, chronic pain, digestive disorders;

  * Loss of interest in sexual activities;

  * Thoughts of 'giving up', death, suicide or even suicide attempts;

  * Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism;

  * Deterioration of social relationships, withdrawal from social activities;

  * Rapid mood shifts (e.g. from tears to anger, etc.);

  * Tearfulness or a feeling of wanting to cry but unable to do so;

  * Increased use of alcohol, drugs or pain pills; and

  * Alteration in menstrual cycle.

If you have five or more of these, then you are depressed. If you have ten or more of these symptoms, you urgently need to consult a mental health specialist.

The number of depressed people is alarming. Doctors prescribe medicines, making lots of money for pharmaceutical companies without solving problems. We need solutions to remove the causes.

It is easy to wallow in negative thinking and self-pity. You can go on and on about how bad a situation or a person is. Before you know it you have thought ten negative thoughts. Within a short time you feel depressed. I know this because I have gone through this before.

A very simple way of dealing with depression is to allow yourself five minutes of negative thought at a time, and then simply switch off! It's difficult at first, but it is possible and becomes easier with practice.

Laughter the Best Medicine

Have you ever noticed that if you laugh you feel good? Laughter is a whole body and whole soul experience. The body quivers and shakes from the inside out, releasing tension and nudging you into new postures and new attitudes. It releases negative mind energy. It makes you to breathe more deeply, enabling oxygen to be carried to all parts of the body. It is both a preventative and a healing medicine you can take daily. There are recorded cases of people who beat cancer by watching television comedy daily.

Laughter opens places in you that are locked down. In laughter you can find something precious that somehow had been withheld from your experiences. If you learn to laugh at yourself or at situations, you become less attached to what you think you know, making room for fresh points of view and light-heartedness.

I believe that those who are born with a genuine sense of humor maintain their own health as well as helping others. In the same way that you walk or jog or run up the stairs to keep your heart healthy, include laughter into your daily activities. Have a new motto, something like, "exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day". Cultivate the gift of humor.

A Joke a Day

I make sure that I laugh at least once a day. Every day I get at least one joke from friends, family, colleagues and Facebook friends. When I laugh I feel great and I share the joke with others. It takes at most 5 minutes to read jokes, laugh and forward them to others. No one should begrudge you a few minutes of fun no matter how busy you are. It is never a waste of time. It is necessary to lighten you up and reduce depression.

Mental Strengths

According to Jon Benson, co-author of _Fit Over 40_ , people with healthy bodies and clinically normal body weight exhibit the following mental strengths:

  * A decreased reaction to social and environmental changes;

  * More excitement and less fear;

  * A sense of adventure and possibility for their lives;

  * A feeling of being sexually desirable and capable;

  * Willingness to take acceptable risks;

  * Comfort in social settings;

  * Less tendency to demonstrate self-destructive behavior;

  * A feeling of acceptance around younger people (they feel young); and

  * A tendency to bond within healthy and animated networks (perhaps the most important).

That last point refers to a mindset that finds comfort in bonding with people, not food or drink. The bonds a healthy person forms tend to be with other healthy people, not with inanimate objects, be they food, video games, or constructs of their imagination. Again, these are tendencies, not hard and fast rules, but the patterns are noticeable. Go ahead, get fit, get healthy, and be happy!

Wisdom of the Ancients

_'Look to this day for it is life, the very Life of Life. In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your existence: Bliss of growth; the Glory of Action; the Splendor of Beauty. For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision. But, today well-lived makes every yesterday a Dream of Happiness and every tomorrow a vision of Hope. Look well therefore to this day.'_ ~ From the Sanskrit.

Yes, live well, as well as you can, in the now.

Your Health in the Bible

The greatest law is _'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'_ (Luke 10:27).

Love is indeed the greatest law. With love come all the good thoughts and feelings towards the Self and towards others. Fear brings all the negative thinking, negative feelings, and negative actions towards the Self and others.

Moses taught the Israelites how to keep God's laws. He said in Deuteronomy 11:1, _'Love the Lord your God and keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands.'_ If you disobey God's Laws, bad things will be attracted to you, affecting your work, your business and your wealth. Specifically in Deuteronomy 28:22 it says, _'The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.'_

Breaking Spiritual laws has automatic negative consequences. Failing to love leads to fear, anxiety, stress, rage, greed, hate, self-hatred, condemnation, jealousy, envy, strife, gossip, judgment, anger, resentment, grudges, and bitterness which eat us up till we create diseases within our bodies.

Medical research has found that cancers, infections, high blood pressure, heart problems, arthritis, etc. can be traced back to our states of mind. For example, fear, anxiety and chronic stress can lead to any cancer. Jealousy, envy and bitterness lead to osteoporosis. I will not list all the diseases and their causes. I am sure you get the point. If you do not practice the Law of Love, you reap bad consequences within your body. This is happening to people in all walks of life. Being religious does not exempt anyone from the laws of God. Follow the Law!

Only obedience of the law makes you reap positive rewards. Exodus 15:26 says, _'If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'_ Healing is promised if you love God, the self and others starting today.

Take Control of Your Mind

Choose love. Then control your mind accordingly. Discipline your mind to complete control. At first it is not easy to reach a positive and peaceful frame of mind all the time. However, if you begin from love, I assure you that the direction of your mind can be reversed. Whenever a negative thought comes, think 'Is this love?' You can also say to your surface mind 'Be still, and know that I am God.'

Always give yourself a long break from thinking about anything negative, until it finally leaves of its own accord. Never mind temporary failure. Do it till you subdue that tendency. Keep trying, and eventually positivity will become part and parcel of your whole being. You will in fact become a whole new human being. Then you will find no reason to think negatively about a person, a nation, a race or a situation.

It is said that the greatest mastery is mastery of the Self. Mastery is a choice. Make the right choice. I leave it up to you to master your destiny, by mastering your mind first. With love, all is possible.

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### Chapter 11

### Emotional Health

_'A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.' ~_ Irish Proverb

Deep within the soul are the emotions and feeling faculties of human beings. They are so powerful that they form the great driving force of action. If thoughts are the fire then emotions are the fuel. They are more powerful than the intellect. Watch them. Experts have discovered this truth in their research work as shown in the following quote.

_'More and more research studies show the link between the heart, the emotions, stress and the fact that the heart also functions as a brain. The abyss between the emotions and physiology narrowed in 2005 as researchers discovered that emotional stress can indeed produce symptoms of a heart attack... nicknamed the "broken heart syndrome". The cause might best be described as "adrenalin poisoning"_.' ~ Dr. Arien van der Merwe.

Continued negative thoughts lead to continued negative feelings, which lead to health problems. Scientist Barbara Fredrickson has shown that positive feelings have two important effects: they broaden a person's perspective of the world (thus inspiring more creativity, wonder, and options), and they build up over time, creating lasting emotional resilience and flourishing. Work on controlling your thoughts and the resulting feelings if you aim to achieve optimum health.

Major Emotions That Affect Your Life

Love and Fear are the major emotions that rule every person's life. Every act, thought and feeling that you have in your life, is based on these basic emotions. They are the foundations of your wellbeing or your lack of wellness.

Love is the Key to Life

Jesus told us that of all the laws that God gave us, love is the greatest. He was not referring to infatuation between two people, nor to the love between friends nor between parent and child. He was referring to Godly Love, or Divine Love. Most people know it as Unconditional Love. This is love that you feel for another for no reason. When you meet a stranger, and you have only love in your heart, you treat that stranger well. If the stranger acts in an unacceptable manner, your response is one based on compassion and understanding. You don't treat people differently based on race, gender, or religion. It is amazing that some people, who purport to follow the teachings of Jesus, actually discriminate against those who worship God in a different manner. Clearly they do not follow the teachings in deed.

Fear is the Opposite of Love

Fear is a healthy reaction to danger, for then you take the right action to save your life or the life of another. Unfortunately, there is irrational fear that threatens and jeopardizes and limits us. Some people tend to fear anything that is different from them. That fear is the basis of gender violence, racism, tribalism, homophobia, xenophobia, and religious intolerance. The irrational fear of the perceived shortage of natural resources leads to the stealing of land and natural resources from other people. This always leads to destruction of nations, poverty for those who lose and over-abundance for those who take.

Fear of situations, e.g. stage fright and a whole range of phobias, is another form of irrational fear that is crippling. When looking at a somewhat frightening situation it is all too easy to exaggerate it, to over-generalize and assume the worst. It is easy to be more negative than we need to be about our own capabilities and about the scale of the threat. It is this fear that causes people to keep guns in their houses leading to unintended crimes in moments of weakness.

If you do not face a fear, it grows. Each time it resurfaces, you have a harsher experience, until it becomes a phobia and ruins your life. It also determines how you feel about people and situations and how you react to them negatively. For this reason it is important to focus on and identify each fear clearly. Once you see it in its true light you confront it realistically. Then learn its inherent lesson, and let go.

Your Feelings

Feelings are the result of thought, and thought is based on whether fear or love rules your life. Love and fear determine how you live your life.

If love is the ruling emotion in your life, you do everything with love. Love creates positive thoughts. Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings, like joy, peace, compassion, forgiveness, happiness, kindness, gratitude, etc.

If fear is the ruling emotion in your life, you do everything based on fear. Your thoughts are negative, because you fear whatever you are thinking of. Negative thoughts lead to hate, guilt, dislike, greed, envy, jealousy, grudges, etc. They also lead to negative behavior like gossip, cheating, stealing, substance abuse, etc.

Fear is the major ruling emotion in the world today, making negative feelings like sadness, depression, greed, anger, and hate more common than the positive. Hence the resulting wars, illnesses, poverty, scarcity of goods, crimes, economic problems, etc. As a result, people have lost faith in the goodness of humanity. And they wonder if God exists. But that can be changed.

Where Do Feelings Come From?

Feelings relate to the inner world, the world of thought, past and present. They are a major part of who we are, and they determine, significantly, what we shall be in the future. Without them, there is no warmth, power, movement, and birth.

Current Thought Patterns Determine Your Feelings

Hear no evil, see no evil, think no evil and feel no evil. Thought triggers feelings. That is why you must not think of discord, past hurts, limitation, or become emotionally involved with evil in any way. Watch what thoughts you are thinking right now and what feelings they create. Tune into how you feel. Does everything feel right or comfortable in the way you are responding or feeling? If you don't like what you are feeling, change the thoughts you are thinking. Get a new perspective. Healing comes from taking responsibility, from realizing that it is you, and no-one else, which creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions.

Hurts from the Past Haunt You

Due to past hurts, you are not aware of your response; it is mechanical, like the trigger of a gun. Instead of being objective in the present, you are subjectively in the past. A situation reminds you subconsciously of the past and there you go. Thoughts from the past trigger an unpleasant or self-defeating emotional reaction now, and result in behavior that is not in your best interest. It is your old beliefs and perspective on things that determine your feelings, and drive your behavior.

Remembered hurts, slights and insults are the connection between confusion, frustration, disorder and disease. To regain control instead of being reactive, you must become aware of these thoughts and examine them objectively. Then forgive the self and forgive others in order to let go of the past. There is more on this topic in my book _Journey to the Kingdom._

Be conscious of the present moment, and so act (rather than react) as circumstances change. If you can't let go, get emotional therapy.

Beliefs Determine How You Feel

We each have a belief system full of ideas imprinted by race, culture, religion, school, upbringing, earlier traumatic experiences, and other influences. Our beliefs are with us now and all the time, affecting our view of things and interpretation of events. Beliefs are conditioning, limiting and difficult to escape. Other people use them to force us to conform to what they believe is the norm. Due to our beliefs we are not free to be ourselves, and to know our true selves, and purposes in life.

If you are going to be master of your destiny, free yourself of outdated beliefs. Read more in the book _Journey To The Kingdom._

Negative Feelings That Affect You

Grief

I have an old friend who lost her husband when she was in her twenties, after 7 years of marriage. I met her seven years after the loss and she was still grieving for her husband and could not date anyone. She was ageing fast. I could not relate to how she felt because I never experienced that type of loss. Still I thought she could have moved on after a few years.

My sister-in-law lost her husband of fifteen years. After one year or so she started to date again. She introduced her boyfriend to us, and she says she is keen to remarry. At thirty-eight years of age she looks like a thirty-year old and she is full of life.

These two women suffered a similar loss but they grieved differently. One held onto her past and quickly aged in her grief. The other grieved for a year, and let go and she looks like a young girl. Obviously prolonged grief affects our lives negatively.

How does a person overcome the greatest loss? How does a person move on? How does one rise up from the ashes to experience the greatest triumph? It appears to be impossible. But it can be done.

What keeps people in a cycle of grief is resistance to the facts of life, and lack of knowledge. It is very important to understand that the human soul is eternal. Before the soul enters a baby in the womb, it exists in the spirit world. After it leaves the body at death, it returns to the spirit world. So the loved one is not lost as such, but is reborn into the spirit world. Death is but an opportunity for rest and reattunement. It frees a person from the turmoil and discords of earth life long enough to receive an inflow of Light and Strength. Then the soul is ready to experience life on earth again.

It is natural to grieve. However, prolonged grief is selfish as it impedes the progress of the dead person. As long as we grieve, the soul of the departed person feels our pain and tends to hang around instead of moving on to its greater good. Yet, without the body, the departed one cannot really help us anyway. We impede their growth for nothing.

As long as we resist the death of a loved one, we cannot move on. It is important to move on to greater things without the loved one. For us to do that we must recover. The first step to recovery is acceptance of whatever has happened. Accept that:

  * The loss is fact (not easy but this is important).

  * You were meant to move on (also not easy because of guilt).

  * You were meant to rise higher as a direct result of this loss.

  * You don't have all the answers (mostly this is true).

  * You don't understand all the meanings, but you will make it.

From acceptance, you will find surrender (no more resistance), then grace, then adjustment. Once you adjust to the loss, you begin to become involved in life again, first by redefining how you want to live. This may include finding new interests, developing new and old friendships, and starting new ventures. Finally, Triumph!

If you have been bereaved and you find that you cannot recover on your own, join a support group or to seek counseling.

Guilt

According to the Golden Rule, "right action" is what you would accept another to do to you. "Wrong action" is that which you would not accept another to do to you. It is the 'wrong action' that leads to guilt. To avoid guilt, let love and the Golden Rule be your guide.

Guilt is the feeling of self-reproach for believing you have done a wrong. It usually involves a judgment you make about your character or behavior and it is this which sticks and makes you feel bad afterwards. It is related to shame, which makes it very difficult to come out in the open and tell the truth to the right people.

It may arise when you fail or refuse to do something which you believe you should have done, e.g. following your parents' career expectations. It may also arise when you do something deliberately or by mistake that you know you should not have done, i.e. you have failed to live up to your moral standards.

The longer you leave the guilt, or the more you lie to cover up your tracks, the worse it gets for you. You feel bad all the time about the deed. You live in fear of discovery. Guilt can be depressing and can keep you from moving forward with your life. It may lead to substance abuse as you seek to hide from it. It is one major cause of psychological problems.

If you have wronged another, take responsibility for your actions. Genuinely apologize. You will increase self-respect and the other person will respect you. Learn lessons from the error, and move on! You will have peace of mind. If you don't find peace after apologizing, you are still judging yourself. Forgive yourself.

Sometimes you do something you know another won't like, because it is the right and responsible thing, to do. In that case feel right because you have taken right action. Never feel guilty for doing what is right. The other person's reaction is his/her personal responsibility. You cannot do "wrong" in order to please another. Improved communication will increase understanding of each other's viewpoints, leading to acceptance of the differing personal realities.

Guilt may involve deeds done to the self, like illicit sex or abortion. Admit the mistake to the self and move on. It is important to forgive the self. Forgiveness is for you too. In truth, we are our worst critics and worst judges. We must learn to forgive ourselves more often, to learn lessons from our mistakes, and to move on.

Anger

_"In a controversy, the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves."_ (Buddha). Anger gets people into trouble more often than any other feelings. That is because an angry person either attacks or moves into a state of fear. Reasoning is destroyed. Solution to the issue at hand is not sought. Everything is about the self. Wrong action is perpetrated. Sometimes serious crimes are committed in a fit of anger.

Anger is a normal reaction to a wrong being done. Do not deny, suppress or avoid it. Express it in a positive way that does not harm yourself, others and your relationships, and preferably in a way that enhances your situation. Communication is critical here.

When anger is not acknowledged and expressed properly, and when the situation does not change, this energy stays locked up inside. This suppressed energy leads to stress, and the stress negatively impacts your ability to perceive objectively, and may result in depression.

If you are depressed about a situation, allow yourself to experience and express your anger and much of your depression can lift from your shoulders. Never leave anger to grow. When feelings of anger grow to a point that they are extremely hard to contain, go for anger management.

Feelings of Hurt and Resentment

If are angry, fail to expose the hurt, to express and release the anger, you soon turn anger into resentment. You feel 'victimized'. It can undermine your self-confidence. If the same hurtful experience is repeated several times, you may develop a belief based on resentment. Unless corrected, you unconsciously use the belief as a self-fulfilling prophecy. You become a perpetual victim.

Resentment poisons you. It is like drinking poison and waiting for another person to die, which won't happen. If you resend someone you suffer from it. The other person is most likely not aware of your feelings unless you express them.

Conquer hurt feelings. Acknowledge and face the hurt, to the point where you can accept it and then release it. The act of looking squarely at the situation frees you from some of the pain. If possible, let the other person know that they have hurt you. Discussing the matter might help you release the hurt from your system.

People are entitled to have quite different opinions from you. So when they oppose you or differ from you, don't take it as a threat or invalidation of your opinions. The other person may lack sensitivity and the ability to empathize with your views, but that is their problem, not yours. If you believe in what you say and do, then you don't need external validation. Only your inner validation counts.

Finally, forgive. Forgiveness releases the other person of guilt. It unlocks for you the prison doors of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It means an end to bitterness and pain. Starting from now, go on a forgiveness spree.

Envy

Imagine having a brother who envies you. He only says negative things about you. He tries but fails to get the same qualification that you have, forgetting that you are born with different abilities. He tries to marry for money and it does not work. He engages in criminal activities and ends up in trouble because he is trying to be better than you. He resorts to black magic against you or your loved ones, just to pull you down. He keeps finding problems with business, relationships and work. He does not understand why problems follow him even across oceans. Why? He does not understand that envy only destroys the self.

Envy is a totally destructive and negative feeling that comes from fear of another's success. Malicious envy is a psychological state in which a person wishes for the deprivation of a blessing, talent, or merit possessed by another person. Qualities in others such as intellectual, spiritual, and moral merits, or good and pious deeds, or outward factors such as honor, prestige and wealth cause envy. Even immoral or negative traits that are imagined to be merits can cause envy. The problem is inferiority and dejectedness. When a person perceives others to be more perfect than him, a feeling of inferiority comes. With the help of external factors and inner tendencies, inferiority generates envy.

Envy is one of the deadliest diseases of the heart. It produces vices such as hypocrisy, backbiting, slander, abuse, taunting, and torturing, all of which are grave sins. It makes the heart so narrow and gloomy that it affects a person's inner and outer being. So an envious person develops inner disharmony (disease) which leads to disharmony in all external affairs, like work, business.

The more envious you are of others, the more problems you attract into your life, therefore the greater your unhappiness. Never envy anything or anybody. It only leads to problems and unhappiness. You have tremendous potential within you. Once you think, act and have your being in love, and you acquire the habit of positive thought, you can attain similar heights and similar achievements in your own special way. You will be happier than a lot of people.

Greed

Greed is another feeling that is based on fear, and must be avoided. Some people accumulate things because they can. Others do it because they are afraid of public opinions, or they are hungry for approval, due to low self-esteem. This has resulted in serious debt for things they do not even need.

Verily, if possessions or success don't come easily to you, go without rather than build-up a stressful situation trying to achieve the impossible. Free yourself from group thinking. Steadily work towards mastery of the self, then you can manifest anything that you desire. This takes patience and determination to succeed. Yet you can be master of your destiny!

Hatred

The most negative of all feelings is hatred, which again is based on fear. If you do not experience all human feelings, you do not progress, so acknowledge your hatred, and feel it, but don't hang onto it. Dwelling on it will draw your energies inward and down into the subconscious, causing havoc. The damaging effects of hatred are so powerful that they erode the human spirit as powerfully as any chemical toxin. For example, hatred in this life time or previous lives is one of the major causes of cancer.

When you realize the damage hate causes to your brain and body, you will want to dismiss the feeling immediately. If someone has hurt you badly, put it down to experience and let it go. If someone is different from you in terms of belief, behavior, religion, politics, and other choices, leave them alone. Live and let leave. No need for hate.

Worry

Worry is a feeling created when you imagine the worst that might happen. Its basis is fear. It influences what you will and will not do, and has a major impact on your character. Worry limits you and causes much distress. As Jesus said, no one can add anything good to life by worrying.

Worry indicates your ability to project what might happen in the future. You can mentally create feelings based on whatever you focus on. Why don't you use this ability to imagine positive outcomes of any situation, and create positive feelings, like joy, hope, love, and peace?

Express Your Feelings in a Healthy Manner

Feelings, by their nature, need to be expressed. When they aren't expressed, they get stuck in your body and mind causing blockages and disharmony in the body. This eventually manifests as disease.

If expressed through confrontation or discussion, writing, art, or any pathways, a feeling reaches a point of conclusion. If not, it will find an alternate way of expression, like breaking a bone, cutting yourself, and back pain. According to Joan Sotkins, feelings can express themselves through finances, causing difficult or painful situations like foreclosure, debt, investment losses, financial scams, or an ongoing condition of lack.

Negative Feelings Block Your Spiritual Growth

Negative feelings cause a lot of unhappiness to the self and to others. They block energy channels causing physical diseases. If you wish to be healthy, deal with each negative feeling and transmute them all to positives.

Negative feelings block your spiritual path. If you wish to grow spiritually and become master of your destiny, then dig even deeper to uproot fear and its related feelings out of your life. Details are given in my book, _Journey to the Kingdom_.

Uncontrolled Feelings Ruin Your Will-Power

Ever seen people who eat excessively whenever they are emotional? Ever heard of the guy who batters his wife when he cannot handle stress? That is total lack of control. If you give way to uncontrolled feelings of any kind, you weaken your willpower. To give way to anger, hatred, passion, excitability, sensitiveness, grief, discouragement, despair, or any other uncontrolled feeling, is to weaken the will. You cannot control yourself through your will when you permit yourself to be controlled by your feelings.

Any act that rules out the will weakens the will. Whenever you permit yourself to become angry, you weaken the will. Whenever you permit yourself to become offended, or hurt, you weaken your will. Whenever you permit yourself to become despondent, or discouraged, you weaken your will. Whenever you give way to grief, mental intensity or excitability, you weaken your will.

If you permit some artificial mental state to take possession of your mind, your will at that time is put aside. Be in control. Develop poise. Avoid absolutely all emotional excess. Do not permit any feeling whatever to take possession of you. Do not allow yourself to be influenced in any form or manner by anything that may enter the mind uncontrolled through your feelings.

This does not mean you should ignore your feelings. Feelings are valuable factors in human life, and should be used and enjoyed under normal circumstances. They just should never become a ruling factor in your mind, and your affairs.

You may look at a beautiful picture, and lose yourself in its charms. You may listen to exceptional music, and be carried away, or be thrilled through and through by the joy of its harmony. You may witness some scene in nature that causes your soul to take wings and soar to the seventh heaven, e.g. looking at the Victoria Falls. You may permit yourself to enjoy all of these ecstasies at any time, provided you have conscious control over every feeling at the time.

Whenever you feel the touch of some magnificent feeling, try to direct its force into a finer and a higher state of expression. Thus you will not be controlled by it, but will exercise control over it. So you will enjoy the pleasure of that feeling many times as much. To control your feelings is to lose nothing and gain much.

Negative Feelings Cause Diseases

Psycho-neuro-immunology is the study of how emotions impact our health and wellbeing. Both Louise Hay and Bruce Lipton are pioneers in this scientific field of study.

Thoughts motivate you to action. Thoughts create. Every thought or feeling creates your state of health and wellbeing. This startling new awareness has resulted in the emergence of a whole new field of medicine called "energy-psychology". Here are some of the effects of negative feelings on the body:

  * An imbalance between your rational mind and your emotions will cause digestive upset, constipation, diarrhea or digestive disorders. That's because your mental 'digestion' or assimilation process is mirrored by your body's physical assimilation process.

  * Resentment and bitterness cause inflammation and pain. Stubborn, inflexible resentment goes to the knees and joints — the parts of your body that are designed to be open and flexible.

  * Arthritis is bottled-up hurt.

  * Cancer is a deep secret, hatred, guilt, or grief "eating away" at you.

  * Breast and uterine cancer reveals a lack of nurturing or self-nurturing in your life, or an inability to nurture others.

  * Back pain reveals feeling a lack of support.

  * Lumbar back pain points to lack of financial support.

  * Thoracic back pain shows no emotional support or love.

  * Middle back pain is carrying the weight of the past.

There is no space here to discuss all the symptoms, but I am sure you get the point. Generally negative emotions have a dense, slow vibration and are "heavier", so they sink to the lower parts of your body. Your legs, calves and feet store much of your trauma, resentment, jealousy, and emotional pain, both past and present.

Watch how you feel and how you react to situations, and how you think. Then deal with each one of your feelings. You will become a much happier person.

General Guide to Transforming Your Feelings to Joy

  1. First and foremost, make a conscious decision to love others unconditionally. Secondly deal with your fear(s). Once you do that, jump boldly into your feelings; they will lead you to your ineffective and disempowering beliefs. By changing these beliefs, you live a happier life. Below are simple steps that you can follow:

  2. Take Full Responsibility for Your Feelings. No matter who or what you think caused the feelings, take full responsibility now.

  3. Name Your Feeling. Naming the feeling increases your clarity, awareness and consciousness. Don't just say you feel sad, bad or mad. Expand your vocabulary till you can properly identify the exact feeling.

  4. Let Go of the "Story". The 'story' is whatever is outside yourself that you think caused the feelings. Revise the story and live a positive one.

  5. Bless Your Feeling. Accept the feeling and the lesson. This is necessary in order to do the next step properly.

  6. Feel it fully. Deliberately create the feeling. Let your feeling fill your entire body and mind. If the feeling is grief, break into tears; if it is anger, feel your blood begin to boil. That's good, now is the time to fully feel. What do you really feel? Open up, become aware of the physical sensations attached to the feeling and focus on them.

  7. Ask for Light and Clarity as to the Reason for the Feeling. In the spirit of learning and willingness to grow, ask your inner guide for a reason for the feeling. Don't go back to the old story, it is no more. Remember the cause of the feeling is you! Ask, 'What do I need to learn from this feeling? What ineffective belief raised this feeling? How can I deal with this in the future?'

  8. Identify the Ineffective Belief at the Root of the Feeling. Spot the underlying emotion, thought, assumption, belief, decision or intention that has been driving your feelings. See now how irrational it is in interpreting your current circumstances, even though it may have seemed appropriate in the past. What do you learn from this?

  9. Replace the Ineffective Belief With a More Empowering One. Once you have identified the belief, choose to replace it with a new belief. For example, if in step 7 you identified, 'My spouse should make me happy' as the ineffective belief, replace it with 'I am responsible for my own happiness'.

  10. Release. Sooner or later you will be able to say, 'I am willing to let this feeling go now.' So let the feeling go, simply release it, if you haven't done so spontaneously. It feels good to let it go. All the built-up energy that has been held in the body is released. There is a sudden decrease in physical and nervous tension. Now you feel more relaxed, calm, and centered.

Master Your Thoughts and Feelings

Fear is related negative thoughts. The resulting negative feelings diminish your frequency of vibration. Love, is related positive thoughts. The resulting positive feelings raise your frequency of vibration.

Move into a higher vibration by practicing Divine Love. Love unconditionally. Love universally. Love everyone, because each person that you meet is the image of God. Do not limit your love only to those close to you, for that is not love; it is discrimination.

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### Chapter 12

### Do You Suffer From Stress?

_'In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else.' ~_ Alison Rose Levy

Have you noticed that everyone talks about stress? It is not fashionable talk. People are seriously stressed. Stress is now recognized as a major contributor to chronic degenerative diseases like heart disease, depressive conditions, arthritis, cancer, chronic lung problems and muscular problems, lower back pain, etc. Stress in itself is not the cause of disease, but rather a major contributing factor.

What is Stress?

Stress is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. It leads to bodily and mental tension. Here is the definition by Hans Selye, a scientist and research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill University in the 1930s _. 'Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it'_.

Reactions to Stress

Hans Selye found the human body non-specific reactions whenever it is stressed, i.e. whenever its integrity is challenged. It can have wide ranging effects on emotions, mood and behavior. Equally important but often not appreciated, are effects on various body systems, organs and tissues. The challenge or the stressor can be: bacteria, environmental poison, excessive heat or cold, overwork, intense emotion, physical injury, shock, a threat or anticipated loss.

All of these stressors trigger stress. Selye discovered that stress occurs in three well-defined stages: alarm, resistance (or adaptation) and exhaustion.

**The first stage is Alarm.** This is when the body calls its defensive forces to arms. During this stage the body's immune system is challenged, overall resistance is lowered, the sympathetic nervous system fires, brainwaves change, muscles prepare for action, circulation to the muscles increases and the adrenals secrete hormones. All of this is a kind of biological preparation to 'fight or flee'.

**The second stage is Adaptation or Resistance.** This follows close behind alarm. Many of the body's systems are stimulated into increased activity in order to meet the challenge presented and to protect the body from harm. Resistance is raised and the symptoms of alarm disappear. Adaptation can last for a long or short time depending on individual inner ability or the intensity of the stressor. But it cannot go on forever. A body can withstand stress only for so long then adaptation energy is used up. If the stressor remains, sooner or later exhaustion sets in.

**The third stage is Exhaustion.** The body's adaptive qualities get exhausted and its weakest systems start to break down. Chronic fatigue and illness are the hallmarks of the exhaustion stage. If they continue then eventually the body dies.

What Causes Stress?

Bacteria, poisons, extreme temperature, injury, threat and shock are not the only stressors. According to Dr. Arien van der Merwe, there are other stressors where the heart and the cardiovascular system are constantly put on red alert to react in the classical fight or flight response! These are:

  * Issues with unconditional love;

  * Heart not 'in it anymore' at work or in relationships;

  * Perfectionist, driven, workaholic: type A behavior;

  * Harshly judgmental of self and others;

  * Difficulty expressing emotions or feelings;

  * Denying feelings;

  * Difficult relationships: cannot cope with needs of others;

  * Self-control issues: the drive to always be in control of situations;

  * Fear of failure: empathy with yourself and others.

Slow Down Expenditure of Adaptation Energy

Adaptation energy can be used up leading to exhaustion, illness and, later, death. You can slow down the expenditure of adaptation energy through:

  * Eating fresh raw fruit, vegetables, seeds and grain.

  * Regular exercise.

  * A positive attitude.

  * Nutrition supplements like Vitamins, anti-oxidants and minerals.

  * Regular good night's sleep to take care of daily exhaustion.

  * A few weeks of restful holiday every year for severe exhaustion.

Why Stress is Bad for You

Stress Causes Aging

Selye said, _'Ageing is the result of the sum of all the stresses to which a person has been exposed during a lifetime.'_ Stress contributes to lack of sleep, giving the body no chance to heal itself during the night. That leads to early ageing. Prevent the wear and tear of ageing that people accept as normal, and preserve precious adaptive energy.

Stressors are part of life. Either adapt to stress or eliminate it. For example, if your job is stressful, then either adapt to the stress or get transferred to another department, or ask for conflict resolution, or change jobs. If a marriage is not working, get counseling. Failing that, get a divorce.

Stress Causes Many Diseases

Stress is a serious issue. I have come across a list of 50 conditions that are linked to stress. There are numerous emotional and physical disorders that have been linked to stress, including depression, anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, ulcers, kidney disease, heart disease, arthritis, and many other chronic diseases. It is hard to think of any disease in which stress cannot play an aggravating role. It is hard to think of any part of the body that is not affected. Stress is so serious that a lot of healthcare facilities have stress management departments. It is serious enough for companies to provide stress management courses for their stressed employees. Take advantage of them.

Stress Depresses the Immune System

During periods of stress, the immune system gets depressed. You become susceptible to infections, common colds, herpes, AIDS, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Stress directly affects the skin (rashes, hives, and atopic dermatitis) and the digestive system (GERD, peptic ulcer, IBS, and ulcerative colitis). You can develop cancer.

Stress Destroys Relationships

Stress is a personality spoiler. When you rush about, too busy and too up-tight to eat, to breathe and to rest properly, you are also too busy to connect properly with others. I know people like that.

Stressed people are generally not popular. They are snappy, selfish and a strain to be around. They miss out on the sweetness and subtleties of life. Stress robs them of the pleasures to be found in simple things in life and can cause them to drive others nuts with their ranting about little inconveniences that become mountains. Subordinates, spouses and children are normally very unhappy when they have to deal with stressed people.

Stress Leads to Weight Gain

When we feel low and stressed out, appetite increases due to the kick-start of the stress hormone. This causes us to invariably reach for food without thinking. If this happens often enough, fat deposits gradually start building up on the stomach and this is how stress affects belly fat.

Check yourself if you reach for food each time you need comfort. It can easily become a bad habit and an addiction. Rather reach out for people and let them listen to you and give you comfort hugs. Just don't moan each time you are in the company of friends and family; they will avoid you.

Stress Causes Depression

Depression is a frequent reaction to excessive stress. Research shows that, taken together, stress and depression represent two major psychological hazards. They often lead to the development of physical problems, though they can remain disorders in themselves.

Stress Causes Increased Heart Rate

At rest, the heart beats between 60 beats and 100 beats per minute in an adult. An increased heart rate is a normal reaction to stress, like when something startles you. That is fine for a short period of time. But if it continues, you develop tachycardia (a rapid heart rate above 100 beats per minute). If that condition remains undiagnosed, the heart might deteriorate. Possible complications include:

  * Blood clots that can cause a stroke or heart attack.

  * Inability of the heart to pump enough blood (heart failure).

  * Frequent fainting spells.

  * Sudden death.

Stress Causes Muscles to Clench

Stress makes the skeletal system to become rigid, e.g. clenched jaws. That is fine for combat, since you wouldn't be so easy to push over. But if that clenching is not released, you will begin to develop musculo-skeletal pain, compression in the lower back, tension headaches, migraines, muscular spasms and tics. This prolonged and chronic stress reaction literally kills.

And Much More!

This list of what stress can do to the body is not complete. I shared just enough to show you that stress is hazardous to your health.

How You Should React To Stress

Choose your response to any situation consciously. At work and at home, and in other life situations, respond appropriately.

If you react actively, your body prepares to fight or flee by secreting adrenaline. Blood pressure, blood-sugar and fatty acid concentration in the blood rise. This is a good response in a threatening situation, like a truck coming towards you on the pavement. So you jump out of the way! In a non-dangerous situation you might have a heart attack for nothing.

When you respond passively, your body responds differently. In normal human interactions, passive response is good. If someone is trying to attack you with a knife, a passive response will get you killed.

Master Your Stress

We live in stressful times, and stressors affect us daily. Be aware of your stress patterns and what your limits are. Get to know what stresses you and what you are comfortable with. Learn to react appropriately. Take time out to relax with family, friends and, sometimes, alone. Create time for exercise. Working evenings and weekends must be an exception, not the rule. Otherwise change jobs. If possible, do not carry work home. Home time is family time. Maintain good health.

Communicate more so that your superiors are aware of your work stress and they will help you by getting you an assistant, or by moving you.

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### Chapter 13

### Relax!

_'We don't suddenly break down, grind to a halt, and get seriously ill. We do it over time, day by day, bit by bit, straw by straw, until "snap" — we break the proverbial camel's back. It seems sudden, shocking and out of the blue, but the truth is that all things manifest over time. They only appear sudden if we haven't noticed what was going on in the build-up to the final crescendo that actually gets our attention.' --_ Ananga Sivyer

We have found that stress causes fast ageing, depression, weight gain, damaged relationships, depressed immune system, clenched muscles, anxiety, and many diseases. If you are stressed and exercise excessively, your body produces hormones which lead to high blood pressure, which damages your heart and arteries.

The modern stressful life requires people to relax. In order to work at your best, and to enjoy a long and healthy life, get proper rest. Medical research has found out more and more, that a more relaxed way of life is important for your health.

Anxiety

Stress causes anxiety. Anxiety is an unsettling feeling, close to fear, which comes from negative self-talk caused by stressful situations. Normally it is temporary, but if prolonged, it becomes overwhelming, then it may become anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of mental illness of abnormal and extreme fear. So how do you know if you have anxiety? You have anxiety if:

  * Your breath stops up high in your chest.

  * Your thoughts are obsessive, racing or telling you things to do.

  * Your physical body is too tight and tense, or too loose and fat.

  * You cannot sit still and be in the moment without activities.

  * You are not aware of your physical surroundings or physical body as you go through your day.

  * You hyperventilate, i.e. you breathe quickly in certain situations.

  * You are startled by any noise, movement or situation.

  * You can hardly remember the last time you had a moment to yourself.

  * You feel an unquenchable inner yearning.

  * You don't laugh as much as you used to.

  * All you do is take care of others' needs, neglecting your own.

  * Your heart feels closed.

  * You rush everywhere.

  * You feel disconnected, without an inner centre.

  * You know there is more to life, but you don't know what it is.

  * You feel like you are running on empty.

  * You have no energy for anything so you watch TV all the time.

  * To manage anxiety, learn how to manage stress and learn how to relax.

What is Relaxation?

Relaxation is the act of letting go of mental processes, releasing tension in the body, bringing equilibrium in the person, and a state of calmness.

You might respond to stress by becoming overwhelmed, depressed or both. Yoga, Qigong, Taichi, and other techniques that include deep breathing calm people who are overwhelmed by stress. Rhythmic exercise improves the mental and physical health of those who are depressed. People who feel depressed in some ways and overwhelmed in others, may do best by walking or by performing yoga techniques that are focused on strength.

What Does Relaxation Do for You?

Daily deep relaxation will calm the muscles, nerves and all bodily systems, and thus helps to rejuvenate the body and mind. Deep relaxation, in conjunction with other techniques, helps with the development of a strong and healthy immune system. It will also decrease muscle tension, lower the blood pressure and slow the heart rate and breath rate, among other health benefits.

Relaxation and Visualization

There are many visualization exercises that you can practice in order to relax. You can buy guided visualization CDs on the internet or from the book store.

How to Relax at Work

Your work is very important. Unfortunately, you are at the mercy of shareholders, directors, managers, customers, and co-workers. You have problems to solve, crises to manage, targets to achieve, and deadlines to meet. It can be quite stressful. Here are five tips to help you relax at work.

**Take a break:** When things begin to get out of hand and you feel yourself reaching breaking point, STOP! Finish what you are doing and take a break before you start a new task. If someone is driving you mad, excuse yourself, and leave the room. Then take a walk, get some fresh air, find some calm within and then prepare yourself to get stuck in again!

**Avoid stimulants:** Tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and chocolate all contain caffeine, which adds to your stress level considerably. Rather drink a healthy alternative. Bottled water, fresh fruit juice and herbal teas are excellent for maintaining your body's natural balance and for keeping cool under pressure.

**Learn to prioritize:** Plan your work ahead. Make a list of tasks you must accomplish on each day. Put the most important things at the top and list every task in descending order of importance. Take care of things before they become a problem, then your time is more productive and you will feel less stress.

**Delegate your less important work:** Delegate your lesser responsibilities. This will leave you with enough time to finish the most important tasks. Also, it will give your subordinates new challenges and new experiences. If you do not have subordinates, ask for an apprentice who will learn from you while doing some of your lesser work.

**Use a soothing voice:** Use a relaxed and soothing tone of voice when talking to other people or to yourself. The tone opens up the relaxation circuits in your mind and helps you stay calm even in heated situations.

Relax as a Rule

Considering the health hazards of stress, develop the habit of relaxation. It is a new habit, so it will take you time to get used to it. Your health is your greatest asset, so relax. After work, relax and unwind so that you can reenergize yourself for another day at work. When you relax you become approachable to your family and friends. Here are a few ways to relax:

**Make healthy food choices:** Avoid stimulants. Eat healthy foods and combine your food so that it does not cause you digestive problems during the night.

**Find a quiet place:** When you feel overwhelmed, you need a quiet space to unwind during a stressful situation. Even the bathroom will work if you have no other place to go and relax.

**Mental holiday:** Create your own mental paradise, maybe a garden or a beach or a mountain top. When you feel stressed, close your eyes, see yourself in your paradise, and enjoy. It is a good way to relax.

**Breathe deeply and slowly:** Slow, deep breathing will calm anxieties, lower your heart rate and allow you to concentrate. Breathing techniques are discussed in another chapter.

**Avoid negative people:** Stress is contagious, so avoid transmitters like angry people and those who complain all the time.

**Always take right action:** Guilt is a potent source of stress. Don't allow destructive behavior to sabotage your life and your health. If you already suffer from guilt, seek help from a professional if necessary.

**Set aside "me time":** Parents of little children particularly need "me time" to rest, to deal with life's challenges, and to work on the inner self, developing a state of acceptance. When you can calm your mind and you can separate yourself from your problems, you are on the road to significant improvement.

**Relax in bed:** Take a bath, play soft music, sit in bed and escape into a very good book.

**Easy Does It:** You can accomplish more through calm reason and a soft voice. Most physical movements should be loose, light, fluid, agile and flexible, rather than tense, hard, rigid and stiff.

**Long baths:** Draw a warm bath, light candles around your tub, switch off the lights, add bubbles, or lavender, and then soak.

**Have a calm weekend:** Curl up on your couch with a blanket, a good book, calming music, and a cup of relaxing herbal tea.

**Start a hobby:** Try fishing, knitting, painting, chess, sewing, singing, painting, or photography, to keep your mind off the things that stress you, or things that you just need a break from.

**Get pet therapy:** Spend time cuddling and playing with your pet. Talk to your pet about all the stress and anxiety you are going through and you'll feel a lot better. It will love the attention, and so will you.

**Exercise every day:** At least twenty minutes every day of moderate activity, like walking, swimming or bike-riding, has been scientifically proven to significantly reduce stress.

**Practice yoga:** It relaxes your body, and helps clear your mind.

**Take regular walks:** Go to a park where there is a fountain, or a beach or lake. The calming sound of water will soothe you.

**Think positively:** Most of our stress comes from focusing too much on a negative situation. Turn around and focus on the positive side of what is currently happening. You will feel less stressed.

**Meditate:** Meditation stills your mental chatter and relaxes your body and you focus on an ideal that you want in your life. After each session you feel renewed.

**Get regular massages** : Touch is as essential as sunlight. Pamper yourself with a full body or back massage, every six months. Energy-oriented systems like shiatsu, Thai massage and spiritual healing relax the nervous system and reduce negativity. Steam baths, whirlpools and saunas relax tense muscles.

**Use hypnosis if all fails** : Ask a professional hypnotherapist to hypnotize you so you can be relaxed.

**Read an inspiring book:** Stories about a great leader or great mind like Martin Luther King, or Winston Churchill or Nelson Mandela, or Franklin Roosevelt tend to inspire the reader. Whatever inspires you to a positive useful life adds new energy.

**Listen to relaxing music** : Music has a powerful effect on your state of mind. At work, in the car and at home, play songs that make you tap your foot or smile, or remind you of being in love. You'll be surprised how good you'll begin to feel.

Take Control!

Stress should not destroy your life. Take control! Relax even when you are working. Relax once your work-day is over. Take a good holiday regularly to recharge your batteries and reconnect with your spouse.

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### Chapter 14

### Sexual Health

_'Sex is the most wonderful thing on this earth, as long as God is in it. When the Devil gets in it, it's the most terrible thing on this earth.' ~_ Billy Graham

Sex is natural. We are sexual beings. In order to live a healthy balanced lifestyle, our sexual behavior has to be incorporated into our lifestyle. No one can deny how powerful and intrinsic sex is to a human being. Because sex is so powerful, religions call for either total abstinence or limited exposure to it. I don't agree that sex should be suppressed just because it is powerful. Unless a person is trained in how to transmute sexual energy into creative energy, it is advisable not to suppress it. That kind of energy, if not channeled in a healthy manner, can explode into something violent. What is required is balance.

Sex Has its Place in Our Lives

Sex has a lot to do with our lives. The primary purpose of sex is to produce new generations and pass down our genes. But in humans it is not merely a physical act. Sex is also the way adults play, and it is a way to show love to our partners. It is the most intimate act of love.

Scientists have proven that when women make love, they produce amounts of hormone estrogen which makes their hair shine and the skin smooth. The sweat cleanses the pores and make the skin glow. Therefore sex enhances beauty. There are many more benefits of sex. Sex:

  * **Improves weight loss** by burning up calories.

  * **Is exercise**. It stretches and tones every muscle in your body.

  * **Is an instant Cure for Depression**. It releases endorphins into the blood streams, producing a sense of euphoria and well being.

  * **Improves Sleep.** Both women and men feel the urge to relax and close their eyes after an orgasm. Who needs valium?

  * **Is a headache Cure.** Sex relieves headaches by releasing the tension that constricts blood vessels in the brain.

  * **Reduces Stress.** Sex lowers blood pressure and stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland, in the journal Biological Psychology.

  * **Enhances immunity.** Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA. This protects against colds and other infections.

  * **Improves heart health.** Having sex twice or more a week reduces the risk of fatal heart attacks by half for men, compared with having sex less than once a month.

  * **Boosts Self-Esteem.** If the sex is loving, connected, and you want it, it raises self-esteem. Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, according to research findings by University of Texas researchers, as published in _The Archives of Sexual Behavior_.

  * **Increases blood oxygen:** Deep breathing during sex increases the supply of oxygen to cells and stimulates the activity of various organs and systems within the body.

  * **Creates marital Bliss.** Love and affection can increase the level of oxytocin, a hormone that induces sexual desire. A higher level of oxytocin will increase the frequency of sexual acts between the couple.

  * **Is pure pleasure.** The orgasm is a person's most intense experience. It is totally focused, providing not only a great sense of pleasure, release and relaxation, but also a powerful enhancement of all senses.

Sex-Addiction

Sexual addiction is a term used to describe the behavior of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive or obsession with sex.

Sex-addicts are people who, for unknown reasons, repeatedly and compulsively try to connect with others through highly impersonal non-intimate behaviors like masturbation, empty affairs, frequent visits to prostitutes, voyeurism, etc.

A large number of sex-addicts claim that their unhealthy use of sex is a progressive process. It starts with an addiction to masturbation, pornography (either printed or electronic), or a relationship. Over the years it progresses to increasingly dangerous behaviors.

The essence of any addiction is the addict's experience of powerlessness over a compulsive behavior, resulting in life becoming unmanageable. One may wish to stop, and repeatedly fails to do so. The unmanageability of an addict's life can be seen in the consequences suffered. This can be losing a relationship, difficulties with work, arrests, financial troubles, a loss of interest in things not sexual, low self-esteem and despair.

Sexual preoccupation takes up tremendous amounts of energy. As this increases for the sex-addict, a pattern of behavior (or rituals) follows, which usually leads to acting out. For some it is flirting, or searching the net for pornography, or driving to the park for any casual sex available. An addict can even encroach on family boundaries. When the acting out happens, there is a denial of feelings usually followed by guilt, despair, shame, hopelessness and confusion.

If you have a problem with sex-addiction, seek professional help. Otherwise you will ruin your life and your relationships. All the pain and stress resulting from job loss or loss of relationships leads to poor health.

Negative Effects of Addiction to Sex

As in all cases, addiction is always the master. The addict is the slave. The following are the negative effects of sex-addiction:

  * The shame from the sexual acts and the fear of being exposed and rejected are powerful motivators that keep the sex-addict trapped in isolation. He closes himself off, not realizing he's creating a "vacuum of emptiness" inside. Loss of friendship and family relationships may result.

  * To try to run away from the mess on the inside, the addict fakes it on the outside. Some throw themselves into their career, mistakenly thinking the temporary successes of their job can fill their deep hunger for love.

  * Anxiety and extreme stress are common in sex-addicts who live with constant fear of discovery.

  * Shame, self-blame, self hatred, and guilt increase, as the addict's lifestyle is often inconsistent with personal values, and beliefs.

  * Boredom, pronounced fatigue and despair are inevitable as addiction progresses.

  * Compulsive sexual thoughts and/or behavior lead to severe depression, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, hopelessness, helplessness, resentment, self pity, fear of abandonment, spiritual bankruptcy, distorted thinking, remorse, and self-deceit.

  * The ultimate consequence may be suicide.

  * Continued sexual activities outside the primary relationship result in loss of self-esteem for both partners, and severe strain on the relationship. Many sex-addicts end up with broken relationships.

  * Some addicts try to fill their growing emptiness with food, drugs, alcohol, people and more sex. But nothing satisfies. The addict's emptiness only intensifies, keeping one trapped in the cycle of misery.

  * In his isolated state the sex-addict becomes the centre of his world. He obsesses about acting out, (or not acting out), his wants, his problems, his current feelings, looking successful and what others think about him.

  * Some of the problems which may occur due to sexual addiction are cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS, herpes, genital warts and other STDs.

  * Sexual addiction results in violation of the law, such as sexual harassment, obscene phone calls, exhibitionism, voyeurism, prostitution, rape, incest, child molestation, etc.

  * Sex-addicts may place themselves in situations of potential harm, resulting in serious physical harm, genital injury or even death.

  * Debts may arise directly from the cost of prostitutes, cyber-sex, phone-sex, pornographic material, and multiple affairs. Indirectly, debts can occur from legal fees, the cost of divorce or separation, and decreased productivity or job loss. Bankruptcy may result.

Sex and Aging

_'Commit not whoredom, by night or by day, for the whoremonger is like a tree whose sap runs out from its trunk. And that tree will be dried-up before its time, nor will it ever bear fruit. Therefore, go not a-whoring, lest Satan dry up your body and the Lord makes your seed unfruitful.'_ ~ The Essene Gospel of Peace Book 1.

Sex is like a drug. Abusing it withers and destroys you, while using it wisely restores and preserves you. Have you seen how quickly prostitutes age? Also how the men who engage in too much sex age fast? Without moderation, they quickly become over-used. Their ageing comes from the continuous wastage of regenerative energy. Sex creates life, and if you retain your creative juices, you retain creative energy that gives more life to your body.

Moderate Sex is Wise

We have discussed sex-addiction above, and we have seen how it affects the life of the addict as well as the life of those related to him/her. The list of negative effects is too long so it is advisable to seek professional help if one is obsessed with sex.

Total abstinence goes against what nature intended. Abstinence is advised only if you have learned how to transmute sex energy into other forms of energy. If you are not trained, abstinence is just suppression of sexual urges. Any energy that is suppressed tends to explode, leading to health problems. If you cannot transmute sexual energy, why introduce guilt and stress into your life?

Like everything else in life, moderation is the key. Have sex in moderation and in a loving relationship, in order to gain the benefits. Avoid both extremes.

Your spiritual growth will help you with your sexual behavior. God consciousness leads to godly behavior. It will help you to be considerate of others, to genuinely love, to be responsible, and to be moderate. As you become spiritually mature, sex will no longer be a priority, and you will feel better empowered to overcome addiction.

HIV and AIDS

HIV infection progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves an individual susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors.

AIDS is a set of symptoms and infections resulting from damage to the human immune system that is caused by the (HIV).

AIDS is Now a Pandemic

In 2007, an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide lived with HIV and that rose to 36.9 million by the end of 2014. In 2007 AIDS killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children. In 2014, the death rate went down to 1.4 million due to availability of antiretroviral drugs. Between its discovery and 2014 AIDS has killed 39 million. (Statistics are derived from HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet No. 360, WHO, November 2015).

It is Your Duty to Prevent HIV Transmission.

Take serious responsibility for your actions. If you are free from HIV, make sure that you have responsible sex so as not to get infected. If you are HIV positive, protect others by practicing safe sex. If you are married, make sure that you have healthy sexual relations, to prevent your partner from cheating. And do not focus too much on sex, in case you are tempted to get it when you are away from home. Use your time alone to meditate and for self improvement.

Take Control of Your Sex Life!

Our God-given dominion starts with dominion over the self. If you are master of yourself and your habits, nothing can harm you. You can be master of your bodily urges if you find out who you are.

Have one partner that you love and respect. For your own sake, and for the sake of your partner, be physically clean, in and out. Keep your mind clean, away from evil and negative thoughts that can lead to illicit sex. Lose weight, and improve your health and fitness. You will become more attractive to your partner, leading to great sex. Great sex will lead to happiness and greater health. Have self-control, exercise moderation, and avoid temptation.

A healthy sex life can be destroyed by worry, tension, nervous conditions, lack of confidence and the resulting emotional states. Therefore manage your stress. All this will lead to greater health. With greater health you become unstoppable!

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### Chapter 15

### Addiction the Modern Disease

_'It is estimated that up to 224 million people use cannabis worldwide.' ~_ CNN, August 2012

Addiction is a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life. The term is often reserved for substance-abuse problems but it is also applied to other compulsions, like gambling and sex.

People might become hooked on medical drugs after serious injury or surgery. That is understandable. Where sex, recreational drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and food are concerned people make a choice, at least to start with. We turn to drugs for inspiration, when we can all contact our creativity in much safer ways. We turn to substances for comfort, when we fail to deal with pain and disappointment. We are just out of control!

Drug Addiction

People who abuse drugs experience a wide array of physical effects other than those expected. The abuse of drugs, whether they are legal or illegal, can create a wide variety of mental and physical health problems. Here's a look at some of the effects that popular drugs have on the user.

  * The excitement of the cocaine high, for instance, is followed by a crash, which is a period of anxiety, fatigue, depression, and an acute desire for more cocaine.

  * Marijuana interferes with motor control and is a factor in many automobile and machinery accidents.

  * Users of marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs may experience flashbacks, i.e. unwanted recurrences of the drug's effects, weeks or months after use.

  * Sudden abstinence from certain drugs results in withdrawal symptoms, e.g. heroin withdrawal can cause vomiting, muscle cramps, convulsions, and delirium.

  * With the continued use of a physically addictive drug, tolerance develops, i.e. constantly increasing amounts of the drug are needed to duplicate the initial effect.

  * Sharing hypodermic needles used to inject drugs dramatically increases the risk of contracting AIDS and some types of hepatitis.

  * Increased sexual activity among drug users, both in prostitution and from the non-discriminatory effect of some drugs, puts addicts at a higher risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

  * Because the purity and dosage of illegal drugs are uncontrolled, drug overdose and poisoning is a constant risk. Over 10,000 deaths in the USA annually are directly caused by drug abuse.

  * Drug users are more likely than non-users to have occupational accidents, endangering themselves and those around them.

  * Physical effects of hallucinogen use include dilated pupils, sweating, insomnia, loss of appetite, tremors, and increased body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

Alcohol Addiction

As people attempt to cope and deal with the pressures in their lives, alcohol consumption is becoming too much of the norm. We release stress via an alcoholic beverage or two without even thinking. We celebrate everything with alcohol, which appears to be just another excuse to drink. No one thinks of the effects. Alcohol affects the waist line, appetite and overall health. Most people think they are in control but unfortunately alcohol addiction develops subtly over time.

In the first phase one engages in relief drinking, which is characterized by an urgent need to drink, and the need to drink more. The person finds socially acceptable excuses to drink, and when an excuse is found, there is binge drinking, which is followed by feelings of guilt.

In the next phase there is increased dependence on alcohol, which is accompanied by failure to keep promises, and loss of will power. There is more binge drinking which eventually leads to alcohol tolerance, and therefore the need for even more alcohol.

In the chronic stage the person is obsessed with drink and easily gets drunk. He neglects diet, family and work. Thinking and relationships deteriorate. It is a sad state of affairs.

Alcohol is a Poison

First and foremost, alcohol is a poison, hence the term 'intoxication'. Each time you drink it, your body must fight to get it out of your system. When your liver is processing alcohol it stops all other metabolic functions. That slows down the metabolism of fats. It does this until it rids your body of ethanol toxicity which is the by-product of alcoholic consumption. This leads to fat gain. That is why people who drink alcohol develop belly fat. Now you understand the term "beer belly".

Alcohol Destroys Will-Power

Have you ever wondered why you might be suffering from low will-power? Or why generally people have low will-power and achieve very little even when they have high intelligence?

Studies have shown that the use of alcohol from generation to generation through the centuries is one of the principal causes for this universal low will-power. The use of alcohol weakens the will in you and in all your descendants. Nearly every nation, as far back in history as we can go, has been using alcohol in some form or other. Since its weakening effect upon the will is transmitted through the genes, you realize that practically every member of the race has been burdened with this adverse inheritance.

Due to alcohol, there is just enough will-power to produce an occasional mental giant. Here and there we produce men and women who tower above the rest and are written about in history books. If you read the biographies of these mental giants, you find that their minds are strong, their wills powerful, and their souls invincible. Lack of alcohol makes them powerful.

How different is the condition among the majority! Most of them are mere driftwood that follows blindly the leadership of the few mental giants. They also follow blindly the corrupt and cunning ones who end up creating cults. This was not God's intention for humanity. _'This alone I have found: God has made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.'_ (Ecclesiastes 7:29). We were created to be mental and spiritual giants, and to have dominion over everything on earth. We were not created to follow the will of another. But we have ignored the intentions of God.

Here is how alcohol weakens will-power. It takes control over your desires, feelings or intentions. By taking it you permit it to control you. Once you drink, the will is laid aside for the time being. It is law that whenever the will is laid aside by anything whatsoever, it is weakened. By allowing yourself to be controlled by alcohol, you undermine that element of the will which gives it the power to direct and control. If you continue to take alcohol, the power of the will is gradually decreased more and more, until its very foundation has been practically removed.

When you permit alcohol to control your feelings and emotions at frequent intervals for a long time, your mind will soon get into the habit of submitting to its control. Your mind no longer responds to any effort that the will may make to regain its original power of control. That is why:

  * There are very few genuinely great men and women.

  * The majority are so easily influenced by temptations.

  * Powerful characters are found only here and there.

  * Every great nation of past history has fallen. A nation will prosper as long as it has mental giants in charge. Once second-rate citizens lead a nation, it declines.

Knowledge is power. It is not necessary to be disturbed by this dark picture because what you have inherited, you can overcome. It is said, _'Be ye transformed by the changing of your mind.'_ You can change this and other weaknesses by the changing of your mind, and sticking to your decision.

Alcohol Affects Spiritual Development

Alcohol consumption affects spiritual development. When you take alcohol, it is difficult for influences from God to reach your consciousness. It damages faculties of the astral body which acts as the bridge between the physical and the mental dimensions. If you fail to grow spiritually, you have wasted a whole lifetime!

There is another reason why you should stay away from alcohol. Under the influence of alcohol, you undergo a bestial transformation. You then attract lower level spirits moving around in the astral dimension, which can affect your life. If the spirit is that of a dead alcoholic or a sex pervert or an abusive person, then you may become an alcoholic, or a sex pervert or abusive to your family. The spirit that you attract completely takes control of your mind and body. If you know someone who started drinking and then became degenerate, this could be the reason. Think seriously about this

Smoking

In the 1950s doctors used to prescribe cigarettes! When taken in small amounts, nicotine creates pleasant feelings that make the smoker want to smoke more. That pleasant feeling could be the reason why doctors prescribed cigarettes for their patients, and it is why smokers find it difficult to stop smoking. Now we know that cigarette smoking is dangerous to our health and that the nicotine in cigarette smoke is addictive.

It is Difficult to Stop Smoking

Here is some sobering research ( _Psychology Today Online_ , 2004; Sherman, 1994) about smoking that illustrates that it is a serious problem:

  * As many as 90% of smokers are clinically "addicted" to smoking, making tobacco one of the most addictive drugs in existence.

  * Estimates of those making a serious attempt to quit smoking each year is about 50% for all active smokers.

  * Quitting usually requires complete abstinence. Once a person has a single puff after quitting, they go back to full-time smoking 80-85% of the time.

  * 70% of relapses occur after an upsetting or stressful event triggers a negative mood.

The Effects of Smoking on Health

Smoking is hazardous to health. Here is an explanation why smoking is bad for your health.

  * Each puff of nicotine from tobacco smoke temporarily increases the heart rate and blood pressure, as less oxygen-rich blood circulates through the body.

  * Smoking leads to clumping or stickiness in the blood vessels feeding the heart. Therefore it is the biggest risk factor for sudden death from a heart attack.

  * Smoking causes 87% of lung cancer deaths, and causes cancers of the voice box, mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder. It contributes to the development of cancers of the pancreas, cervix, kidney, and stomach. It is also linked to some types of leukemia.

  * More than seven million current and former smokers in the USA suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the name used to describe both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America.

  * Nicotine can make new smokers, and regular smokers who get too much of it, feel dizzy or sick to their stomachs.

  * The resting heart rate for young smokers increases by two to three beats per minute.

  * Nicotine lowers skin temperature and reduces blood flow in the legs and feet.

Smoking Accelerates Ageing

Years ago, a new employee joined the company that I worked for. The first time I saw her I thought we had employed a sixty-five year old woman. I later learned that she was only forty-one years old. That is how wrinkled her face was. She was a heavy smoker, which, I am convinced, was the reason for the seriously wrinkled face.

Smoking accelerates the ageing process of the skin, contributing to wrinkles. The changes may occur after only ten years of smoking and are irreversible. It does this by causing narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin. This impairs blood flow to the skin, depriving it of oxygen and important nutrients, such as Vitamin A. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin (fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity). As a result, the skin to sags and wrinkles prematurely.

Smoking Impairs Spiritual Development

Spiritually, smoking has the same effects on your astral body as alcohol. If you smoke and/or drink all your life, you have wasted a lifetime of opportunity for spiritual growth.

Other Forms of Addiction

Caffeine Addiction

Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, cocoa, and in some over-the-counter drugs such as pain killers, diet pills, cough and cold remedies. High doses may cause nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches, nervousness, agitation, and the shakes. It may increase rates of miscarriage and cause low birth weight. Withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea and irritability. Most caffeine addicts do not even realize that they have an addiction.

Gradually lower your daily coffee intake till you do not take any more. Learn to relax so that you sleep well and do not need caffeine to wake up.

Sedatives or Barbiturates

Valium, Quaaludes, Librium, and Xanax, have appropriate medical uses, but they are abused. Barbiturates cause slurred speech, disorientation and "drunken" behavior. They are physically and psychologically addictive. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, convulsions, and possible death.

Anabolic Steroids

Steroids are artificially produced testosterone. The side effects include liver and kidney dysfunction, high blood pressure, heart disease, degeneration of the testicles, premature baldness, and acne. Abnormal aggression, mood swings and other psychiatric symptoms can also be attributed to steroid use. Steroids are linked to a number of athletes' death.

Take Back Control!

One cannot underestimate the power of an addiction _._ Make that very important intention to change. Seek professional help and join a support group if you want to overcome an addiction. They will help you to overcome it without hurting yourself. Set realistic recovery goals. Take it a day at a time. Forgive yourself if you slip here and there. Keep telling yourself that you are strong enough to overcome this. Congratulate yourself for achieving milestones, e.g. a month of no smoking. Learn to manage stress, your attitudes and your emotions so that you do not need to rely on substances. Eat better, exercise more. Avoid those companions who might bring back the addiction. Make new friends.

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### Chapter 16

### Get Sufficient Sleep

_'I've always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed.' ~_ David Benioff

When something stresses me, I cannot sleep. I turn it round and round in my mind, and never come to a solution. It is a bad habit that comes back once in a while. Without sufficient sleep, I am not as efficient as I should be at work. I don't think this is unique to me. As far as I know lots of people depend on coffee to fix them up and keep them going during the day. Sleep, or lack of it, is one of the most common 21st century health complaints. According to research findings:

  1. Only 1 in 10 people claim that they always sleep well.

  2. 1 in 5 suffer from lack of sleep.

  3. Two-thirds say they get around 90 minutes less sleep now than they did a few years ago, according to one leading American sleep expert.

Every person needs enough sleep to feel refreshed in the morning and to stay awake and alert throughout the day.

What is Good Sleep?

Good sleep is falling asleep rapidly when you are ready and waking up when you want to, feeling refreshed and ready for the day; and remaining bright, alert and happy until you next want to sleep constitutes a good sleep. This is what every person needs. The number of hours to achieve this differs from person to person. The often quoted eight hours is just an average. Also, the key is not in the number of hours, but in the quality of sleep.

Effects of Insufficient Sleep

Disturbed sleep can make you feel depressed and out of control, which can lead to extra stress in your life. But, although inadequate sleep is stressful and unpleasant, it's not necessarily harmful. Thanks to looking after babies, we have evolved with lots of reserves to draw on. However, inadequate sleep leads to impaired concentration particularly in monotonous situations. The danger of driving with insufficient sleep is one prime example that is getting just recognition.

A Bad Bed is Bad for You

Moving around in bed during the night is quite natural and necessary. But when you toss and turn because you are getting sore and stiff, then your sleep is likely to be less refreshing than it should be. Consequently, despite the amount of time spent in bed, you still won't feel good. The quality of sleep is more important than the duration of sleep. The foundation of good sleep is the bed. If you get up in the morning with aches, pains, stiffness or irritations then buy a more comfortable bed.

Get a New Firm Bed

Back in 1988, a ground-breaking study by sleep expert Dr. Chris Idzikowski found that swapping an uncomfortable old bed for a comfortable new one accounted for an average of 42 minutes' extra sleep. This is four times that achieved by over the counter sleep aids. So, if you need to improve the quality of your sleep, invest in an expensive, comfortable, firm bed. The comfort and the good sleep are worth every cent. The bed will serve you for decades. Always go to a good retailer and "test drive" a selection of beds to compare comfort and support. Only you can judge what is right for you.

I invested in an expensive bed in 1989. When I emigrated I gave it to my parents. It is still as firm as new. Then I invested in one that has a 25-year warranty. After 10 years, the mattress is still as good as new.

The Direction of Your Bed May Matter

Some people are sensitive to the direction of the bed. This is related to the earth's magnetic lines. Sometimes the effect is poor sleep. If you have sleep problems, it is generally recommended that your bed be in the North-South direction. But, if you want more details on how to place your bed, consult a feng-shui specialist.

It is Important to Stay Warm

Always be warm in bed. First buy a mattress which has a thicker side for use during winter. A soft sleeping surface is a better insulator than a hard one. Use a fleecy under-blanket to retain the heat. Choose a duvet that has a high tog-rating or use several layers of bedding rather than one single layer. Layers will trap warm air and are easily removed if you get too hot. Keep the bedroom warm, but not too hot. Make sure the bedroom is free from draughts. In cold weather, pre-warm the bed with an electric blanket, and then switch it to prevent dehydration.

Relax Before Bedtime

Have a hot relaxing herbal tea and a warm bath just before you go to bed. This will gently warm and relax you and help you feel sleepy. Avoid all stimulants. In winter wear wool, cotton or silk pajamas or a large T-shirt to keep you warm. In summer wear light night clothes to stay cool.

Eat Well

For supper eat foods that are easy to digest and properly combined food. Such food will digest well and therefore it will not cause acid problems in the stomach and the esophagus. Eat early to ensure that the stomach is empty by bed time. So nothing will disturb your sleep. I have always fed my family between 6.30pm and 7.00pm. It works for me. Try it.

Catch up on Sleep

When I have a busy week, I catch up on sleep by sleeping late on Sunday mornings. Sunday is my 'Sabbath', so I relax, and slow down everything. You too can find ways to catch up with your sleep and just relax.

Use the Power of Your Mind to Improve Sleep

The way you think affects how well you sleep. Watch if you have negative inner conversations. Replace your negative self-talk about sleep with positive self-talk. For example, don't say, "I am tired because I never sleep well." Instead say, "I sleep like a baby every night."

Create the Right Environment for Sleep

Make simple changes in your house. Set aside your bedroom for sleep and rest, not for watching television. Keep the temperature mild. Keep it as quiet and dark as possible. If you have relaxing music, play it quietly before bedtime if you like. Make sure the rest of the household is quiet too.

Keep Regular Hours

Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time, all the time, will program your body to sleep better.

Get More Exercise

Regular, moderate exercise such as swimming or walking late in the afternoon can help relieve the day's stresses. Exercising too close to bedtime may keep you awake, so avoid it!

Don't Smoke

If you smoke, quit. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, wake more often and often experience more sleep disruption. Besides, if your partner does not want to inhale your smoke, then you have to go outside in the evening just to smoke. That might affect your sleep. Why not quit smoking?

Plan and Organize Your Work

Before leaving work, plan for the following day. Then relax and sleep well. If you can't sleep, don't lie there worrying about it. Get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again.

Wisdom of the Ancients

_'But when the sun is set, and your Heavenly Father sends you his most precious angel, sleep, then take your rest, and be all the night with the angel of sleep. And then will your Heavenly Father send you his unknown angels that they may be with you the livelong night. And the Heavenly Father's unknown angels will teach you many things concerning the kingdom of God.....For I tell you truly, you will be every night the guests of the kingdom of your Heavenly Father, if you do his commandments.'_ ~ The Essene Gospel of Peace Book 1.

Take Control!

Take control! If you are not sleeping well, do not rely on sleeping pills. Change some of your habits and make changes to your home environment. Great sleep is healthy for you. With good sleep you become calmer, more rested, more positive, and more energetic and hence more productive. Good sleep means your spirit is free to travel at night to the spiritual worlds to learn new godly things. Take control!

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### Chapter 17

### General Hygiene

_'Hygiene is two thirds of health.' ~_ Lebanese Proverb

Hygiene is a set of practices that you perform to keep yourself and your surroundings clean in order to maintain good health. During my primary-school years, hygiene was one of the subjects that we were taught. Basics like daily baths, brushing the teeth, washing hands after using the bathroom, washing hands before handling food, cleaning the house where we live and the classroom where we learn, washing and ironing of clothes, were the basics that we were taught.

Personal Hygiene

As the body uses food to nourish the cells, it gets rid of dead cells, waste matter and toxins which are excreted through the bowels, the urine, the sweat, the mouth, and the breath. To complete the excretion in the morning, brush your teeth and gently scrap your tongue. Have a bowel movement, and take a bath to complete the excretion via the skin, and the bowels.

Modern life requires the use of deodorants in the armpits to prevent unpleasant smells. Unfortunately, people use anti-perspirants which prevent sweating and excretion of body wastes. It is wise to look for a deodorant that does not contain an anti-perspirant. That way the body can freely perspire without causing odors.

Keep your hair clean as dead cells and oils mix with dust, causing unpleasant smells. Change your clothes daily, to be washed and ironed. This might sound surprising but some people in some countries do not bath daily.

Environmental Hygiene

Your Home

The house where you live, and raise your family should be kept clean, for the health and happiness of everyone. Floors, walls, the kitchen, bathroom and furniture should be free from dust, food, mould, mud and general dirt.

Keep the air clean by keeping windows wide open all day to allow circulation of fresh air. If your house has small windows, renovate to open up more. When you hunt for a house, ventilation should be one of the key things that you consider.

Unlike in the olden days, the modern home can be an extremely dangerous place. Most of the cleaning products and air fresheners used in the home, and the personal care products used in the bathroom, are highly toxic. Read labels and avoid toxic chemicals. I do not see the need for air fresheners. Just keep the house clean and there can be no smells.

If you choose to smoke, avoid smoking in the house or car, for the sake of your family members. They need clean air to breathe! Loud music is noise. Noise is pollution too! Keep your music down and allow family and neighbors to have some peace.

Work Environment

There are too many sad stories of people who suffer from work-related diseases. Because we spend at least one third of our life at work, employers should ensure that the environment is physically safe, clean, and free from smoke and chemical fumes. Laws of many countries require organizations to implement a health and safety policy in order to protect employees. Ask for hygienic and safe conditions if you feel that the standards are too low. If you can't fight them, report them or quit! Your health is that important.

External Environment

The earth is called Mother Earth because we all suckle from the earth for nourishment. Our body chemical composition, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air that we breathe all come from earth. It therefore makes sense to look after earth!

Pollution has become the worst health hazard the whole earth faces. We pay carbon tax as if it is going to clear our water, our soil and our air. All we need to do is to stop polluting our earth and stop destroying ecosystems. It is our duty as a race to protect the earth, the only home that we will ever have. The duty begins with you, where you are right now. If you can reduce carbon emission, reduce the use of plastic packaging, reduce the use of dangerous chemicals on your farm, or in your house, or in your garden, you are doing a good job.

It is illegal for companies to dump chemical waste into the land and rivers. Chemicals in the soil and the water eventually get into our food and our drinking water, and a whole community can easily get sick or even die from cancer and other diseases. Wildlife is also seriously affected. Every small effort to keep the environment clean contributes to a cleaner earth. If you are aware of any violations in your neighborhood or at work, just report this to the authorities. Nowadays, hotlines are provided and confidentiality is assured, so feel safe to make a report.

Chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are the only chemicals deliberately made to be toxic and introduced directly into the environment. They are used in agriculture, in homes and in urban areas to kill or control insects, weeds and plant diseases. Poisonous residues can be found in humans, animals, birds, air, water, food, and the soil.

Personal Care Products

In the quest for cleanliness, we all use products for hair, mouth, skin, etc. which, unfortunately, contain harmful chemicals.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste labels say we must not eat soon after brushing our teeth. That is because many brands of toothpaste contain the dye Blue #1, which is proven to be carcinogenic. A blockbuster new study published in the journal _Food and Chemical Toxicology_ finds that blue dye might be doing more harm to our bodies than we thought. The dye may inhibit cell respiration, and has been linked to ADHD, allergies, and asthma. In particular, the team found, the blue dyes can seep into the bloodstream, when the skin's barrier is impaired, like after shaving, or when the dyes are exposed to the mucous membrane of the tongue. They recommend that the dyes be banned in hard candies and certain cosmetic products to reduce consumer risk.

In 2003, when Brilliant Blue was used as a dye in feeding tubes, the FDA issued a public health advisory because of side effects like blue-tinged skin, urine, and feces, as well as hypotension and death. So toothpaste with Blue #1 is not safe, whether you swallow it or not. Read labels and buy toothpaste that does not contain Blue #1.

It is wise to opt for all-natural toothpaste (available at your nearest health shop). I use coconut oil mixed with baking soda and a few drops of peppermint essential oil as my toothpaste that I make at home. Sometimes I just floss, brush without toothpaste then I pull coconut oil for about 30 minutes. Oil pulling has helped me with my sensitive teeth. I don't use toothpaste for sensitive teeth anymore.

Cosmetics

Products that we use daily on our skin contain harsh chemicals like parabens, sulfates, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oils and synthetic fragrances. These are absorbed by the skin into our bodies where they cause problems in various parts of the body. It is safer to wean yourself from your favorite brands and move on to natural products like coconut oil, Shea butter, olive oil, aloe vera, and good quality essential oils. You can also use commercially made products which are based on natural ingredients and do not contain the harmful chemicals mentioned above.

I now cleanse my skin with either olive oil, or coconut oil or castor oil. I use either coconut oil or Shea butter as moisturizer. I scrub my skin once a week with a mixture of olive oil and bicarbonate of soda. I use a mixture of honey and lemon as a moisturizing mask, whenever I remember. I use either coconut oil or black castor oil to oil my hair. I still need to use more natural products but I am getting there slowly.

Underarm Deodorant

The anti-perspirants that are sold in the supermarkets contain toxic ingredients. Aluminum is linked to breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. It is implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Parabens, propylene glycol, phthalates and triclosan are all known to cause a great variety of health problems.

Opt for natural products that are available in health stores. You can even use bicarbonate of soda mixed with a bit of water. It kills the germs under the armpits without causing health problems.

Shaving Cream

Some shaving creams contain cancer-causing preservatives like BHA, triethanolamine and/or diethanolamine (nitrosamine precursors) and Blue #1. Choose shaving soap that can be applied with a brush.

Hair Conditioner

Some brands of hair conditioner contain formaldehyde and the carcinogenic dye FD&C red #4. Choose a super-market conditioner that does not contain these substances or buy natural plant-based conditioners (available from good health stores).

Take Control!

Cleanliness of body depends on cleaning the outside through bathing and the inside through fasting, colon cleansing, breathing clean air, deep breathing, and eating healthy foods. Healthy foods depend on healthy soil, clean air and clean water so keep the environment clean. Keep your mind focused on positive thoughts, and your feelings positive. Keep your home and workplace clean and safe.

When everyone at home and at work is healthy, you are happy, stress-free and unstoppable!

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### References

Abbort, K. Article _, Qigong, Accessing the Healing Power of the Universe_ , The South African Journal of Natural Medicine, Issue 32, Dreamcatcher Publications CC, October/November 2007.

Abubaker S. _What's for Lunch?_ The South African Journal of Natural Medicine Issue 28, Dreamcatcher Publications CC, February/March 2007.

_Anti-Ageing Fitness Program_ , Optimum Vision Pte Ltd, 2005.

Bernstein C. Article, _Fats, How to Achieve a Healthy Balance_ , Renaissance Magazine, Issue 49, Dec/Jan 2007/8

Braden, G. _The Isaiah Effect_ , Hay House Inc., 2004

Brescia, Sherry. Article: _How to End Stomach Pain Forever, Even if Your MD says "No Way"._

Diamond, H and M. _Fit for Life_ , Warner Books, New York, 1985.

Erasmus, C., Stent Pinha, C., and Rich, M., in the article, _Hungry All the Time?_ The South African Journal of Natural Medicine, Issue 32, October/November 2007.

Graham, B. Article, _Think Like a Thin Person_. Oprah Magazine South Africa, November 2007.

Gerard, P and van Noort, A. Article, _What Does Cooking Do to the Nutritional Value of Food?_ The South African Journal of Natural Medicine. Issue 28, Dreamcatcher Publications, February/March 2007.

Kenton, L. _Ageless Ageing_ , Arrow Books, 1987

Lancet, _Food Additives and Hyperactive Behavior in 3-Year-Old and 8/9-Year-Old Children in the Community: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial,_ Sept 2007

McKenzie Dr, R. Article, _The Golden Rules,_ Marie Claire Magazine, Associated Magazines, November 2007.

Pache, M. Article _, How to Look After Your 75 Trillion Cells Daily_. Vibrations, Issue No. 4, August/September 2007.

Phelan, N & Volin M, _Yoga for Women_ , Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd, 1963.

Pinckney, C. _Callanetics, 10 Years Younger in 10 Hours,_ William Morrow and Company, Inc/New York. 1984.

Rampa, T. L. _Wisdom of the Ancients_ , Corgi Books, 1965

Richard W. Pressinger M.Ed. _Graduate Student Research Project conducted at the University of South Florida._ 1997

Schoenthaler SJ, Doraz WE, Wakefield JA. _The Impact of a Low Food Additive and Sucrose Diet on Academic Performance in 803 New York City Public Schools,_ Int. J Biosocial Res., 1986, 8(2); 185-195

Serfontein, W. J., Article, _Diagnosed With Cancer – What Now?_ The South African Journal of Natural Medicine, Issue 32, Dreamcatcher Publications, October/November 2007.

Shearer, M. _The Natural Way, a Family's Guide to Vibrant Health_. IBIS Books, 1995, South Africa

Stilles, M. Article, _Honey, Raw Gold._ The South African Journal of Natural Medicine. Issue 28, Dreamcatcher Publications, February/March 2007.

Szekely, E. B, _The Essene Gospel of Peace Book 1_ , International Biogenic Society, 1981, (Translation and editing of Original Hebrew And Aramaic Texts)

van der Merwe, A. Article, _Opening Your Heart_ , The South African Journal of Natural Medicine, Issue 32, Dreamcatcher Publications, October/November 2007.

Wattles, W.D, _The Science of Being Well_ , 1910, Edited by & with new material by Dr. Alexandra Gayek

WebMD. _'Food Additives May Affect Kids' Hyper-activity'_ , Web MD Medical News, May 24, 2004

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### Books by the Same Author

Lose Weight Naturally and Look Younger

Are you overweight or obese? Have you tried all sorts of diets on the market and failed to lose weight? Are you tired all the time? Do you want to lose weight?

Then get a copy of _Lose Weight Naturally and Look Younger._ This book contains good information about the foods that we must avoid and the foods that help us to lose weight while improving in health at the same time. The result is a lean and beautiful figure, lots of energy, and young looking skin!

That is not all! If you adopt the recommended way of eating as a lifestyle, then the weight stays gone!

Imagine looking good every day of the year!

Imagine never rushing to lose weight at the end of winter!

Imagine eating good wholesome food daily till you are satisfied and still looking slim!

Imagine feeling good and looking young every day of your life!

Imagine having so much energy that you become more productive now than when you were younger!

All that is possible if you get this book and start a new way of living today. And you will feel and look younger from now on. Get your own copy of the book!

Behold! The Kingdom of God is Within

In this book, the author explains that human beings are born masters of their destiny and yet they do not seem to know it and they do not claim this right. That accounts for why humanity is riddled with war, poverty, illness, crime and drugs. She explains why the various spiritual masters came to teach us about the Kingdom of Heaven which, they pointed out, is within us. A number of ancient texts, written after each master was gone, have pointed out the same thing. If the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, should we not claim our heir-ship to this Kingdom? After all we are joint heirs with Christ, made in the image of God?

Journey to the Kingdom

In this book, the author explains that to gain mastery, or dominion over all earth, you must first gain mastery over the self. If you wish to enter the kingdom of God, you have to embark on a process of transformation. It is a process of overcoming those beliefs, attitudes, habits, thoughts and feelings that rob you of spiritual progress. She explains why it is important to break these bonds that keep you bound to this material plane, with all its hardships. That process is your journey to the kingdom.

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### About the Author

Sipiwe Mashingaidze was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and spent the early part of her childhood in both rural and urban environments. She is married with three grown up children and a grandson. She is a Chartered Management Accountant by training. She held various senior positions in financial and general management in several organizations in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Now she has become an author of health and spiritual books.

For over ten years she searched for solutions to minor health problems that her doctors were not helping with. Research for one item led to another and soon she had accumulated a lot of material. When she tested the recommended way of eating in 2008, all her symptoms disappeared! She then decided to share the secrets to health with those who are interested in their wellbeing. That is how this book was born in 2009.

### Connect With Me Online

Twitter: <http://twitter.com/controlofhealth>

Facebook: <https://www.facebook.com/topsecretsofhealth>

Website: http://www.yourhealthisyourasset.com

Smashwords: <http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/664201>

Blog: http://sipiwem.wordpress.com

Your Health Naturally Newsletter: http://healthnewsletter.sipiwemashingaidze.com

Email: sipiwe.mm@gmail.com

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### Disclaimer!

The author of this book has written about the results of her desktop research and her personal experiences with the principles given in this book. Results may vary from person to person. No medical advice is given or implied in this book. The information given is not a form of treatment, cure or a substitute for professional medical care. It is a way to get you thinking critically about your lifestyle choices and their impact on your health.

This book is not intended as an alternative to professional medical care. It is advisable to consult your doctor before changing your healthcare regime, nutrition, exercise, and supplementation, especially if you are undergoing treatment. The author has made every effort to ensure that the information in this book is accurate. However, further research is recommended before making any critical decisions based on this information. The author and publisher disclaim any warranties and shall in no event be held liable for any outcome that may result from acting on this information

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### Lose Weight Naturally and Look Younger

### Chapter 2: How I Lost Weight By Mistake

When I was growing up I was skinny. As a young woman in my twenties, I became a mother three times but I never gained weight due to pregnancy. I was never in the habit of weighing myself so I only got weighed during my prenatal checkups. I remember that just after giving birth in 1986 I weighed 137 pounds (62 kg).

In my mid-thirties I began to put on weight. It crept on me gradually. At the same time I developed a number of symptoms which I will explain below.

I had frequent burning urine. At times it was caused by urinary tract infections and the doctor gave me antibiotics. At other times it was high acidity and I was given an alkalizer. But the problem itself kept recurring. Anybody who has ever had burning urine knows how difficult and painful it is. Eventually I questioned my doctor and he sent me to a urologist who examined my system and found it to be perfect. As a result my doctor had no explanation as to why I kept getting this burning urine.

I had frequent vaginal thrush. First my doctor blamed me for wiping my bum in the wrong direction. I asked how I can fail to do it right in my middle age when I have done it right all my life. Then my doctor blamed my husband for causing the problem. I disagreed with him. Still I wanted answers and none came from the good doctor.

I had permanently swollen feet and ankles. My doctor sent me to a cardiologist in case I had a heart condition that caused my swollen feet. My heart was found to be perfect. Still I needed answers because I had to wear a larger shoe size. My doctor had no answers for me.

I suffered from chronic constipation, indigestion, flatulence and bad breath. The gas particularly smelt terrible. The bad breath came from the stomach through burping. I had to use laxatives sometimes just to move my bowels. I never ate breakfast since my stomach was still full in the morning up until lunchtime. Even though I only ate at lunch time and at supper time, and sparingly, I gained weight. I remember well that my highest recorded weight was 76 kilograms. If I ever exceeded that I don't know.

I was always tired. I used to take advantage of my senior position at work so I would sleep late hoping to feel stronger but all I got was a bad reputation for coming to work late.

I had skin breakouts! This was strange because I had a perfect skin as a teenager when other girls suffered greatly from acne. From the age of 40 I went for monthly facials and used expensive skin care products but nothing helped my skin. My eldest daughter had a problem skin since teenage and the facials did not help her either. This went on for more than ten years.

Knowledge is Power!

From 2006 I decided to do my own research since expensive skin care products, facials and doctors could not get rid of any of my problems. I searched online. I subscribed to a lot of health newsletters. I learned a lot, but basically it all pointed to the fact that the food that I ate was the major cause of my misery. And it is the cause of all chronic diseases. So basically I was a good candidate for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and arthritis. My brain went on alert when I learned about the chronic diseases.

In 2007 I made up my mind. I decided to enjoy the festive season as usual and to change my diet soon after. In January2008 I stopped eating all animal products, i.e. all meats and all dairy. I also stopped eating wheat products since they could contribute to thrush. I had fruits only for breakfast, a banana during mid-morning and a vegetarian dish at lunch time and at supper time. At times I felt hungry mid afternoon and I would eat a handful of nuts. It was a 4 month experiment. After 4 months:

  * My feet were no longer swollen and my shoes became too big.

  * The vaginal thrush disappeared.

  * The burning urine never came back.

  * My digestion improved so I was actually hungry in the morning.

  * My bowels moved daily.

  * The gas mostly went away and whatever was there did not smell bad.

  * I had lots of energy and I was the first to arrive at the office.

  * My skin cleared.

  * I lost weight from 76kilograms to 62 kilograms though this was never the aim.

Since this change in diet solved all my problems, I decided to stick to it. In the early days I ate meats when we had parties only but I could tell my mistake by the indigestion and constipation that followed. My body just does not tolerate any animal products. I still eat pizza with cheese once in a while but my body reacts through slow digestion. Living a clean life means I can immediately tell when something is wrong.

I feel fabulous in my 50s!

Now I am 54 years old. People tell me that I have the body and face of a 30something woman. Those who know me actually tell me that I look better now in my fifties than I did in my forties. They want to know how I manage it. I tell them that it took a lifestyle and diet change, which began with the changing of my mind. The moment I mention doing without certain 'foods' they say forget it. So I tell them it's their choice really. To me it means they are not ready to lose weight and to achieve perfect health.

My Lifestyle Changes Needed a Change of Mindset

I have always been disciplined when it comes to food. But because of ignorance, I ate foods that made me sick and tired. The reason why I developed problems in my 30s is because I ate more animal products during that time. I had qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 1996 and I had a high position of Finance and Administration Manager. I bought a large freezer and filled it with all sorts of meats. My family ate a meat dish every evening. During the weekend when people came to visit we would barbecue the meat and have a great time. I never associated this huge change in diet with the problems that I developed. Neither did my doctors. Only research told me that my problem was due to the eating of animal products.

My mindset change came when I decided that I love myself enough to stay healthy, slim and fit. I wanted health. I started to think "health" and visualize myself "healthy". First, I avoided all animal products and became 100% vegetarian (vegan) for 4 months. Slimming came naturally with that lifestyle change. Then I became 80% vegetarian for 4 years. In 2012, I was 99.99% vegetarian; I ate meat on New Year's Day, during the Easter holiday and on my 50th birthday only in June 2012. Since then, I became 100% vegetarian or vegan.

At fifty-four years of age, I weigh 65-69kg (148lb-152lb). My BMI ranges between 23.0 and 24.4. I indulge a bit during the holidays without fear of becoming overweight. I definitely look way younger than my age-mates. A former high-school classmate, who has become obese, refused to meet with me when her daughter told her I looked very young and slim.

Are "Slimming Diets" Good for Us?

_'Confusion aside, the answer is really a simple NO. 95% of fad diets fail. Put another way, only about 5% of dieters are able to maintain a significant weight loss.'_ \- Julie Garden-Robinson, Nutrition specialist, North Dakota State University.

No matter what diet you start, your chances of success are about 5%. With such a very low rate of success, why start a diet? Even if you succeed in losing weight permanently, you will be smaller in size but you won't be in good shape. Some "successful" dieters look awful. Why? Most of them lose weight but do not improve health and fitness in the process. They actually look "aged" and perhaps they are a bit aged because they lack good nutrition due to the restricted diet.

Most people make the mistake of "dieting" very rigorously in the hope that they will slim down as they remain hungry for long periods. Going hungry makes the body go into "starvation" mode, as it decreases metabolism and fat cells break down less. It is another way to increase belly fat. Also, most people cannot maintain the hunger so they end up eating more. That is why "diets" fail 95% of the time.

The reason why diets do not work is that human bodies were designed to function on natural, whole foods. We need proteins to build and repair our cells, carbohydrates to provide energy, and fats to maintain our nervous system. We also need Vitamins and minerals to help facilitate these processes. Most of the diets deprive the body of all this nutrition, leaving the dieter skinny and scrawny for a few weeks, and then overweight again once the diet is over.

I Am Not on Diet!

From January 2008 to May 2008, I lost a total of 13kg (28 lb) after changing to a vegetarian lifestyle. I dropped from 75kg to 62kg. Family members, who believe a woman should have lots of fat, kept telling me to stop my "diet" because I had lost too much weight. Those who liked what they saw wanted to know which "diet" I was on so they could try it too.

I had the opportunity to tell them that I had made a lifestyle change to about 80% vegetarian, so I was not on any 'diet'. Some lost interest when I told them about my new lifestyle which is meatless and involves mild exercise. They said, 'But I love meat, all types of meats. I can never survive without it.' So I told them that my lifestyle is the secret to eating all the foods I want and still lose weight. It was up to them to make similar choices.

It is interesting that I started by looking for solutions to certain health problems and lost weight as a result. I then knew that the way I eat is the secret to sustained low weight. So I concluded that if you seek health, weight loss will come.

Are You Ready to Lose That Weight?

Are you ready to adopt a healthy lifestyle which will lead to weight loss? Are you motivated to change? What is your motivation? Before you start making changes to your lifestyle, it's important to ask yourself if this is the right time.

Losing weight is about more than just fitting into your favorite pair of jeans after starving yourself for a few weeks. In order to lose weight and keep it off, address the bigger problem, the real reason why you are overweight or obese. Examine your attitude towards food and exercise, the way you think, and the feelings that lead to comfort eating. Once you understand root causes, you can change your way of living. You need to change your mind-set. Remember _'Be ye transformed by the changing of your mind.'_

You want the healthiest way to lose weight. That is a challenge for most people, but here is a chance to lower your risk of serious health problems while losing weight. In this book, I show you how I eat in order to maintain perfect health, to keep weight gone, to increase my energy levels and to look young

You Can Safely Slim Down for Life

Yes You Can! Instead of going through the springtime slashing off the fat rolls, and packing it back in winter, reach a normal range on the scale and stay there all year long, every year. It's easier than you think.

Eat delicious, nutritious foods that are easily digested together in your body. Stop eating when you are full. Take long walks every other day. Do this as a new lifestyle and you will drop excess fat. And because it is a healthy lifestyle rather than a "diet", the weight never comes back. You lose it and keep it gone, effortlessly, while you enjoy your food.

Love yourself and stop judging yourself. Be motivated to improve in health and fitness. Make food choices driven by health, not weight loss.

  * Eat plenty of organic fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

  * Eat low quantities of whole grains for nutrition and energy.

  * Eat less food at a time, and only when you are hungry.

  * Gradually reduce intake of animal products, till you eat none.

  * Properly combine your meals for ease of digestion.

  * Never follow a "diet" because there are no short cuts.

  * Exercise for fitness and to burn excess calories.

Exercise to Lose Weight

Weight loss is the number one reason why people exercise. With exercise, you burn extra calories, and shed fat. It is simple arithmetic. But that is not all. With exercise, you get a toned body.

You can join a gym. But, if you are like me, you probably want to go home directly after work. In that case exercise at home using weights, body weight and stretching exercises. And walk! Walking is one of the easiest exercises that you can do. It is simple, no gym membership is required, no special clothes are needed, but it burns calories.

Look out for ways to incorporate movement into your daily life that will help you lose weight, gain lean muscle, and become more trim, fit and healthy. For example, you can:

  * Walk to the shops instead of driving.

  * Take the steps instead of taking the elevator (lift).

  * Do leg lunges while mowing the lawn.

  * Do lunges and squats while photocopying or doing the dishes.

  * Do quick circles with your arms in both directions when you wash your car.

  * Do leg squats while lifting plants during gardening activities.

  * Use your treadmill and stationary bike while watching TV.

Change your mindset, and change your lifestyle. You will benefit greatly. Look for my book _The Fit, Slim and Youthful Woman_ , for equipment-free home exercise.

Take Control and Lose Weight!

By understanding the fundamental aspects of good nutrition, the modern perception of dieting will become a thing of the past. Embark on a journey develop good levels of health while losing weight naturally. This is easily achievable through the choices you make when selecting your foods, and exercise! This enables you to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life.

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