How to relax your body?

Stress in excess is also the cause of a wide range of disorders, both mental and physical. The food combining diet seems to make us more resilient to excess stress, but we need to be aware of the symptoms, and take control of our own lives.

Stress can result from any situation where we feel we are not confident, and in control. Such situations cannot always be avoided, but we can recognise the symptoms and take steps to reduce the level of stress that we experience.

Stress can result in difficulty in sleeping, or sleeping too much when we don’t want to wake up and face the world. It can cause appetite problems, indigestion and stomach upsets diahorrea and frequent urination. It can produce headaches, muscle tension, clenched jaws and grinding teeth. It can result in nervousness, mood swings, and irritability and angry outbursts.

Identifying the sources of stress and recognising how they are affecting you is the first step to keeping stress under control. If possible stop for a few minutes and take several slow deep breaths before continuing, and ensure you get a good night’s sleep.

1. Eat a light starch meal early in the evening.

2. Avoid drinking tea, coffee or alcohol after mid afternoon.

3. Ensure you have enough exercise every day.

4. Check that your bed is comfortable and your bedroom at a reasonable temperature.

5. Don’t watch exciting TV or video programmes – or the news – last thing at night.

6. Keep a pad and pen by the bed and jot down any ideas you want to remember; don’t try to solve your problems last thing at night.

A caterpillar on your cauliflower is a sign that both are safe to eat!

Wash all fruit and vegetables well and discard the outer layers where these may accumulate pesticides. The only _way of being sure that your vegetables are free of pesticides is to grow them yourselves, but you will then discover how hard it is to produce the unblemished pest-free produce on the supermarket shelves without the aid of pesticides.

Pesticides are probably more harmful than no pesticides, because many are nerve poisons and can accumulate to dangerous levels in the body over many years. But for many people in the world the choice is to accept a low pesticide residue on their food, or starve to death as a host of pests decimate the world’s crops while they grow, or destroy crops while in storage.

Aluminum in the diet is best kept as low as possible because of potential harm to the brain and the nervous system. Aluminum pots and pans are safe to use, provided they are NOT cleaned until shiny!

Aluminums protect itself with a hard layer of dull grey oxide. This will prevent any aluminium dissolving in the food. Provided this layer is left intact, aluminium is safe to use. Always wash aluminium with a soft cloth and detergent. Never scour it clean. Any food that leaves the pan bright and shiny – such as rhubarb or vinegar – should not be cooked in aluminium pans.

Cooking food may destroy enzymes and the chemicals which plants produce in order to try to prevent them being palatable to animals. This may improve the flavour, texture and digestibility of the raw food.

Cooking foods in liquid and then throwing away the liquid is very wasteful of many nutrients, particularly the water soluble vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C. There is almost never any need to discard cooking water if the right amount is used in the first place. Any surplus liquid should be used for soups and gravies, or even, as in China, served as a cold drink.

The most nutrients are lost at high temperatures and by prolonged cooking. Foods left to stand may also lose nutrients.

Microwave and infra-red cooking can improve the nutritional status of food by reducing the use of liquids and cooking times. They are a good way of reheating food provided the food is heated right through.

Cooking protein and starches together results in destruction of the amino acid lysine, severely degrading the quality of the protein. Prolonged cooking of protein can also make it more difficult to digest.

Freezing is the best method of storing food, although the blanching of food can reduce the thiamin and vitamin C content – but this is less than the loss that takes place in vegetables in a box during transport to and from a shop. Frozen foods should be kept below -18 C (0 F) until required for use.

Food that is processed for storage in tins, cans or glass jars will lose nutrients such as thiamin, folate and vitamin C as a result of the heat treatment. Other nutrients may be lost if a glass jar of food is stored in daylight.

Sulphur dioxide which is used as a preservative completely destroys all thiamin but helps to preserve vitamin C.

Prolonged drying in bright sunshine also destroys many of the vitamins in the food. Dried foods should be stored in sealed containers to exclude both oxygen and light.