Guest Post: Island Life No8

January 18, 2010 by Brenda
Filed under Featured Posts, Food & Drink, Green Living, Guest Posts, Lifestyle

Island Life No8 – Your New Year Upgrade

Happy New Year! I hope that you have enjoyed the start of your year as much as Ian and I have. I know that for many the heavy snow has caused considerable disruption and inconvenience – but even at age 38 I can’t have grown up because my heart still sings with delight when I look upon pristine hills blanketed in pure, fresh snow… I swear I can hear bells ringing the close of school, as I anticipate many joyful days of snowball fights and frostbitten fingers to come!

However, the more serious minded of us may have made New Year Resolutions, and I wish them all the will power in the world in order to achieve them. Many resolutions will be concerning diet and weight and, as that is something I have a little interest in, I’d like to toss my opinion in with the thundering avalanche of others.

In many ways modern man is still the ape-like mammal that emerged 30,000 or so years ago. In the mind-blowing 23 million year history of the primate, this is just the blink of an evolutionary eye. The success of our species, with our incredible technological skill, makes it easy for us to forget that it was only 5000 years ago that we discovered agriculture and some indigenous cultures are still hunter gatherers. We still share 99% of our genes with our cousins the chimps – although closer examination of the more revealing DNA segments puts our similarity to 96%.

I hope to illustrate that although our species has been uniquely innovative by dramatically altering our personal environment (we have actually become genetically weaker by ensuring such unprecedented comfort), biologically we are not too different from the first Homo Sapien. Seasonal rhythms that conditioned our responses then, still call to our genes today. And winter is still definitely a time for hibernating!

Of course, we never hibernated – but we do slow down. It’s a lot harder to get up in the morning (or is that just me?), wounds take longer to heal, we feel a strong desire for energy rich foods, and we are more prone to introspection. Winter is the season of the dreamer. Just as the energy of plants retreats deep into their roots to await the spring, our energies are best focused within. Rest, heal, dream and plan for the year ahead; and as the death of one year results in the birth of the next, the New Year is a good time to shed your bad habits and prepare for a new, healthier, more vibrant and more fulfilled New You.

I don’t believe in strict ‘diets’ – that may sound odd to those who know that I follow a living foods vegan lifestyle! What I do believe in is choosing to ‘upgrade’ your current lifestyle. Forget calorie counting and the multitude of diet books – there are no rules to fall foul of in your quest for upgrade, just a continuous gentle dietary improvement. You’re free to make better choices for yourself, that’s all.

In winter we desire rich, comforting food – so eat rich comforting food…but consider better choices. You love chocolate so eat raw chocolate (Mulu are our current favourites!) You like pizza – eat whole wheat pizza, with home made tomato sauce and vegan cheese such as Cheezly or Scheeze. You eat whole wheat vegan pizza already? Great, upgrade to raw pizza made with a sprouted wheat base and cashew cheese. Swap chips for roast potatoes. Bangers and mash could become Cauldron Foods Lincolnshire veggie sausage with mashed sweet potato and onion gravy. Snack on nuts, seeds, dried figs and dates rather than crisps and chocolate bars. Like coffee? Upgrade to organic coffee, organic decaf coffee or coffee substitute such as Yannoh or Barleycup.

Do you see the pattern? Returning to nutrient rich simple foods that our genetic bodies are familiar with will help to correct the imbalances and cravings caused by nutrient deficient, chemically enriched, genetically modified foods (GM not only through modern technology but through years of cross-breeding) that we assume to be the norm today.

So winter is a time to prepare for your ‘upgrade’ (Thanks to David Wolfe for coining the expression). Believe that you are the person who has already made your desired improvements. Clear your cupboards of unhealthy foods by replacing them with the upgraded versions. Plan your meals, find new restaurants and cafes. Buy Organic (excess chemicals in our system cause us to retain water to dilute their toxicity, and fat in which to store them). Don’t deprive yourself when hungry; instead eat healthy foods to satiation. When you have satisfied your nutrient needs your body will turn off hunger – unfortunately this point is rarely reached when eating today’s mineral depleted yet energy rich convenience foods. And don’t be hard on yourself if one day you go back to your old ways – tomorrow is a new day after all!

Vicky Ewbank, homoeopath, living foods coach and co-founder of Live Native.

Handmade on the Isle of Skye, Live Native is a new and truly unique collection of living skin care products inspired by the life-loving ideals shared by all who enjoy vegan, organic and raw-food led lifestyles. www.livenative.co.uk

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