Books in Review

The Liver-Cleansing DietOne of my first stabs at losing weight was taken when I was 15 years old. I had been quite a bit overweight and unhappy with myself for some time and I wanted to change. I went to extremes and lost a lot of weight quickly by starving myself. My goal was to be under 110 lbs and at 5' 6" that was a hard thing to do. I made it to 111 lbs. and became weak and very obviously anorexic. It took about a year but I overcame my anorexia only to replace it with bulimia. You see my goal was always thinner and a lower number on the scale. It wasn't until I was about 22 that I realized I needed to be not only thin but healthy.

The Liver Cleansing Diet was my first book that taught me how to be truly healthy. I was vegan for about 2 years and I have to tell you it was the best two years of my life. I have only fond memories of my vegan adventure which was started using the guidelines from this book. I have often wanted to begin again but it's harder now that I have a family to cook for. I still use some of the staple recipes from this fantastic book. This book is not 100% vegan but that would be the ultimate goal.

The Vital Principles of The Liver Cleansing Diet:

Think Raw:
Eat plentiful amounts of raw fruits and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables and orange, yellow, purple and red colored fruits and vegetables. Thirty to forty percent of the diet should consist of raw fruits and vegetables. Try to eat some raw fruits or vegetables with EVERY meal, as they contain living enzymes, vitamin C, natural antibiotic substances and anti-cancer phyto-nutrients.

Oil but don't grease your body:
Avoid the fats that present a high workload for the liver and gall bladder. These are full-cream dairy products, margarines, processed vegetable oils (hydrogenated fats), deep fried foods, foods that are not fresh and contain rancid fats, preserved meats, animal skins and fatty meats. In those with a dysfunctional liver, I recommend avoiding all animal milks and substituting them with oat, rice, almond or soy milks. Eat the good fats which contain essential fatty acids in their natural unprocessed form, i.e. cold pressed vegetable and seed oils, avocados, fish (especially oily fish such as salmon or tuna), shrimp, prawns and crayfish, raw fresh nuts, raw fresh seeds such as flaxseeds (linseeds), sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, alfalfa seeds, pumpkin seeds and legumes (beans, peas and lentils). Seeds such as flaxseeds can be ground freshly everyday (in a regular coffee grinder or food processor) and can be added to cereals, smoothies, fruit salads and vegetables.

Think natural:
Avoid artificial chemicals and toxins such as insecticides, pesticides, and artificial sweeteners and colorings, (especially aspartame), flavorings and preservatives. Excess alcohol, particularly spirits, should be avoided.

Be diverse:
Consume a diverse range of proteins from grains, raw nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, seafood, and if desired, free range chicken (without the skin), and lean fresh red meats. If you do not want to eat red meat or poultry this is quite acceptable as there are many other sources of protein. It is safe to be a strict vegetarian, however you may need to take supplements of vitamin B 12, iron, taurine and carnitine to avoid poor metabolism and fatigue.

Let food be your medicine.

Watch your sweet tooth.

Rehydrate your body.

Go Organic.

Keep your bowels moving.

Pamper your liver!

There is so much more information that is helpful in this book but it would take me all day to list it all. I have a better idea, go get the book! You'll be so glad you did!!!

Sample recipe and one I use all the time:

LSA

1 cup raw almonds

2 cups raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

3 cups linseeds (another name is flaxseeds)

It is important to grind the linseeds so they are more digestible. A coffee grinder with do the job nicely. So mix and grind the ingredients and store in a dark airtight jar in the refrigerator. I like to make it in smaller quantities and make it more often to keep my supply fresh.

This mixture has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. It can be sprinkled on fruit, vegetables, in smoothies or just about anything. It is a good source of protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and fiber and is definitely an anti-aging mixture.