By Hayley Wallace N.D.
This publication contains the ideas and opinions of its author. It is intended to provide informative material on the subjects addressed in this publication. This book does not diagnose, treat or act in a consultative manner with the reader regarding their own personal health care. The reader should consult his or her own healthcare professional for specific advice regarding any treatment they require. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from the use and application of any of the contents of this book.
Step 1. Hydration
Most people fall into the moderately to severely dehydrated category. It takes at least 2 litres of water daily for the average adult to remain well hydrated. In hot summer months or for people who are sweating most of the day, it can take up to a few litres more. We should filter our water to remove any traces of chlorine or other chemicals that are added to water, which removes the strain on the liver and kidneys to detox these out. Every cell in our body is at least 70% water and needs to be that way for the vitamins, minerals and enzymes to absorb and work properly. Even the act of breathing causes us to lose water from the lungs. Have you ever been out in the cold weather and noticed your breath looking like steam in front of you? That is the moisture leaving the lungs and it happens every time you breathe. We just don’t see it unless it’s cold. This alone can cause a loss of water of hundreds of millilitres daily.
Step 2. Salt
It is not only water that we need for adequate hydration, but also good quality grey sea salt, or pink Himalayan salt. The iodised table salt we buy at the store that is ‘sodium, chloride and iodine’ – 3 minerals - is very imbalanced and it can impact on our blood pressure and kidney function causing a range of potential problems. Grey or pink salt, however, contains 84 minerals. This is exactly what our body needs daily for all of our enzyme pathways and cells to function effectively. A 70kg adult needs about 1/3 tsp of good salt daily for adequate hydration to occur. When we begin to apply these methods, it can take up to 3 ½ months for every cell to become adequately hydrated. It goes to show what must be happening when we continually fall short of the required intake. I have had some amazing feedback from people just implementing this simple change in their lives. Feedback like – better concentration, sleeping better, no more 3pm fatigue and better digestion as well as ‘not running to the toilet every 5 minutes when I drink water now’. * Note – when consuming this amount of good salt, be certain to consume at least 2 litres of water otherwise you still risk dehydration.
Step 3. Raw Food
If I had to choose only one thing for people to do to improve their health then it would have to be ‘eat more raw food and less cooked or processed food’. In the 21st Century we seem to have a generation of people living predominantly on packaged, tinned or cooked foods. Even nuts, which are so easy to snack on, are often roasted, salted and smothered in oil. When you heat a food that is high in oil, it changes structure and no longer has the same benefits. Eating a piece of fruit is just as easy as opening a tub of yoghurt or un-wrapping a muesli bar. If we focused on eating at least a 70% raw food diet we would probably get much more vitamins, minerals and enzymes as well as fibre each day. It has been shown that a high fibre diet helps to keep our cholesterol levels lowered and since every cell in our body requires enzymes minerals and vitamins, it would stand to reason that we should eat foods that naturally contain high amounts of these. By eating more raw foods you minimise the level of artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, additives and sweeteners you consume which means less chemicals for your organs to deal with. Having salads rather than a cooked pasta dinner provides at least the same amount of fibre, if not more and a lot more minerals too. Try adding some raw carrot sticks with mashed avocado dip for morning tea and a mixed nut pack for a 3 pm pick me up.
Step 4. Lean Protein
Lean meats can provide the building-blocks for our skin and organs in the form of amino acids for our cells to grow and repair. We need to make sure the meat we eat is not marbled with fat which may be quite toxic from the animal sprays that may be used or any medications such as antibiotics that the animal may be given. Meat fat is also saturated fat, which is not good for us in high amounts. Always choose organic for meats. If you are vegetarian, good proteins can still be found in eggs, avocado and nuts and seeds. When you consume most of your protein from vegetable sources, it is good to understand food combining techniques so you ensure you receive every amino acid that we need daily. An example of this is consuming nuts together with legumes.
Step 5. Good Fats
Our body needs a balance of the right kinds of fat. We are continuously told to reduce fat intake and avoid saturated fats and cholesterol. This is okay to a degree, but we need a better understanding of the kinds of fats that are harmful rather than a blanket approach to fat reduction. Saturated fat from coconut oil for example contains thermogenic properties, helping to speed up the metabolism and increase the body’s ability to burn body fat. This is vastly different from the effect of consuming saturated fat from sausages or bacon. We need small amounts omega 3, 6 and 9 oils which can be obtained from eating nuts, seeds, flax and fish oils as well as avocado and olives. The omega 3 oils are especially beneficial for balancing hormones, reducing inflammation, encouraging liver detox pathways and keeping the cell walls supple. Best sources are flaxseeds, fish, fish oils and walnuts.
Step 6. Cooking
When cooking, try steaming, baking or stir-frying in preference to boiling or frying. When we boil, we encourage the leaching of minerals and vitamins from the foods into the water which usually gets thrown away. Frying can cause the oils to change structure, possibly even rendering them carcinogenic. Frying doesn’t allow fats to drip away which means the food remains higher in fats and calories. Lightly steaming or stir-frying allows more of the nutrients to remain in food; provided you don’t let it overcook. Vegetables should remain slightly crispy. When baking use a cooling rack on the baking tray to allow the fats from meats drip though onto the tray rather than collecting around the bottom of the food. Try to bake at moderate temperature and not with extreme heat.
Step 7. Supplements
In the 21st century our soils can be very deficient in nutrients due to the over-farming of land and the addition of chemicals to our crops. Unless we are buying organic we are quite likely to be missing out on the optimal amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes we need daily to thrive. This may even be the case with some organically grown foods if they are stored for long periods of time. We have many people in the Western world suffering malnutrition-based diseases even though they have plenty of food. On average, our diets have become higher in calories and lower in nutritional value. Supplementing with omega 3 in the form of flaxseeds, flaxseed oil or fish oils seems wise as they have anti-inflammatory effects and the common 21st century illnesses like cancer, CVD and diabetes are all inflammatory in nature. Taking additional anti-oxidants would be prudent since we live in a very polluted world and these can help to mop up the free radical damage created. I also believe that we should take a colloidal mineral formula daily as this is the easiest way to make sure we are getting all of our 84 minerals daily in a highly absorbent form. Without all of these minerals, we are much more likely to become ill in our lifetime.
Step 8. Minimise Dairy
If we were baby cows then cow’s milk would be the perfect food for us to thrive. If we are to follow the laws of nature it would show us that animals in the wild only drink milk from their own species unless forced to do otherwise. Likewise, in nature, animals wean off milk by the time they are 3 times their own birth weight, which for humans happens around the age of one. Natural milk doesn’t come from animals that have been injected with antibiotics or any type of hormone or pro-hormone which may have the effect of contaminating the milk. Natural milk is also never pasteurised or homogenised but maintains its natural unadulterated state, full of immune boosting nutrients and colostrum. This is vastly different from the milk we get today. Many years ago, studies showed that cows fed pasteurized, homogenized milk only survived a few weeks at best. I think we should take heed of those studies. Calcium from cow’s milk is a large molecule which is also very different from the type of calcium found in human milk. All of these factors should be taken into account when deciding if cow’s milk really is an ideal food for humans like the advertisements try to tell us.
Step 9. Minimise Alcohol
Alcohol contains many calories and absolutely NO nutritional value. It is consumed solely for taste or for social occasions. We should make sure we keep alcohol to an absolute minimum for the health of the liver as it does add extra stress to the detoxification pathways. Excessive alcohol consumption can strip necessary vitamins and minerals out of the body and increase the need for extra nutrients as the liver requires these nutrients to process the alcohol. The need for anti-oxidants increase for someone who regularly consumes alcohol and contrary to popular marketing there are only very small amounts of anti-oxidants in very few types of alcohol. If you do drink alcohol, be sure to get plenty of B vitamins and anti-oxidants in your diet or supplement regime. Alcohol causes the tissues of the body to become more acidic, causing the loss of minerals from bone tissue. Be sure to have an increased intake of water if you are consuming any alcohol, due to its dehydrating nature.
Step 10. Minimise Caffeine
Like alcohol, caffeine is very acidic to the body tissues and can create a loss of calcium from the bone tissue if it is consumed in excess. Even in small doses, caffeine is very stimulating to the adrenal glands which can give you a nice little buzz of energy. However, at the rate that most people drink coffee, tea and caffeine drinks that nice little buzz turns into a very big stress on the adrenals, draining it of Vitamin C in the long run. You will feel energized in the short term but very overtaxed and tired in the long run. Caffeinated beverages can also upset the blood sugar and blood pressure balance causing it to rise. For this reason it should be avoided by anyone with hypertension and diabetes.
Step 11. Minimise Sugar
Just as caffeine and alcohol are acidic to the system, so too is sugar. Sugar from sugar cane contains very little mineral content and a high GI (glycaemia index) making it an ‘empty’ food. (High in calories, low in Nutritional Value). Sugar may tax the adrenal glands the same way that coffee does, draining them and creating a ‘burn out’ effect. Other than creating some instant energy there really isn’t any true benefit from consuming table sugar, apart from taste. If we need energy, fruit is one of the best choices. Eating sugary foods regularly can lead to blood sugar imbalances in the long run and can also cause gut and tissue inflammation. Parasite infestation in the body can also create sugar cravings. (More about this in Step 20).
Step 12. Minimise Grains
Like caffeine, alcohol and sugar, grains can also create an acidic system causing the loss of minerals from storage sites in the body. Grains are often processed, refined and bleached to make many of the foods we eat today. These processing methods cause the loss of many vitamins and minerals making them somewhat ‘empty’ foods. Unless you are eating wholegrain (not flour products) you will be getting very little fibre. This can lead to problems with constipation if we don’t add in other fibrous foods.
Step 13. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial Sweeteners are exactly what the name suggests – artificial. Aspartame for example is made from three different amino acids which create the sweet taste when combined. The problem is however, that those three amino acids are NEVER found together in that sequence in nature. When they are broken down in our body they form formaldehyde, a highly toxic substance. They also damage the liver to such a degree that it greatly inhibits your body’s fat burning and detoxing ability, meaning you are not likely to lose weight. In fact, many studies have shown that people who consume alot of products containing these sweeteners put on more weight over the long term than control groups. It also does not teach people to eat properly and instead keeps them wanting more sweet tasting foods. Saccharin and cyclamates also create health problems causing cyclamates to be banned in many countries. It is not just food and drinks that contain these artificial sweeteners either; many commercial brands of toothpaste also add this in to sweeten the toothpaste. The mucous membranes under the tongue are so highly absorbent that it is the quickest way to get something into the bloodstream. I don’t believe there is ANY safe way to consume artificial sweeteners and I strongly recommend avoiding them if you want optimal health.
Step 14. Avoid Trans Fats
We all know that deep fried foods are not healthy choices, however, many people are not sure exactly why. Apart from being low in enzymes, vitamins and minerals the fats may be carcinogenic especially when the oil used is re-heated again and again. When mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated fats become heated they can convert to cis-trans fatty acids or trans fats. Trans fats are carcinogenic, greatly increasing your risk of many different types of cancer – particularly pancreatic cancer. Margarine is also predominantly trans fats as is evidenced by the fact that some brands are starting to write things on their labels such as ‘25% reduced trans fats’. If trans fats were good for us, they wouldn’t reduce it and advertise the fact, would they. It doesn’t matter what type of healthy oil it is made from, olive oil for example, once it is heat treated and made into margarine it is now trans fats, which are carcinogenic. Butter is natural and our body can deal with small amounts of it quite easily, regardless of what the margarine manufacturers try to tell us.
Step 15. Sun Exposure
It concerns me that we are constantly told to stay out of the sun. We do need to be sensible about the amount of exposure we get, but remember that when our skin tans, it provides some protection from sun damage. We need to find a good balance. In Australia, we now have a high percentage of people experiencing a deficiency of vitamin D. This is leading to high rates of cancer, particularly breast cancers and prompting many people to supplement with synthetic vitamin D. This is not as good as getting natural vitamin D from small amounts of sun exposure. We are encouraged to always wear sunscreen outdoors which perpetuates the vitamin D deficiency problem and very few people realise that some of the ingredients used in certain sunscreens are carcinogenic, especially when heated. It seems crazy to protect us from a possible cancer trigger by applying carcinogens.
Our bones also require vitamin D to help us absorb calcium effectively. As a nation we have a high rate of osteoporosis which a small amount of sun exposure daily would help prevent. We need to take a sensible approach to this problem and not be too afraid to venture out into the sun.
Step 16. Exercise and Stretching
If we don’t move daily, then it stands to reason that we will breakdown muscle tissue and bone and our joints will stiffen and our metabolism will slow down. Most people tend to lead very sedentary lives working in an office, driving for long periods and sitting to watch TV at night. Any wonder we are now the fattest nation on Earth. To keep our blood well oxygenated and our circulation moving well we should undertake at least ½ hour or preferably 1 hour of exercise each day. When we undertake weight bearing exercises it encourages calcium to deposit into bone tissue creating stronger bones. By stretching, we increase blood flow and keep our muscles and joints supple, preventing stiffening of joints and tight muscles. Yoga is a terrific way to maintain flexibility.
Step 17. Avoid Toxic Chemicals
When we discuss chemicals, most people immediately think of industrial pollutants and car pollution but the reality is many of the same chemicals used in industry are the same chemicals used in products we buy to use in our own homes. Skin care, hair care, make-up and cleaning products contain many ingredients potentially dangerous to our health such as, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) and Propylene Glycol as well as Talc. These may have problems being detoxed out of the system and therefore accumulate in organs eventually building up to significant amounts. This may have drastic effects on our health. I find it incredibly tragic that we are using the same ingredients to bath newborn babies and put on them as nappy creams. If we continue with such madness, I imagine the rates of cancer in the future will continue to climb at an alarming rate. I strongly recommend you investigate these and other ingredients for the long term health of yourself and your family. Don’t be fooled by ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ labels on these products as ALL of the ingredients don’t have to be natural to be marketed as such.
Step 18. Choose Organic
I recommend buying organic foods as much as you can. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers are far from natural and the general public knows little about the health effects these could have over the longer term. We are at the beginning of the Genetically Modified era and companies are now making terminator seeds so that we can’t plant seeds from the crops we have just raised and we therefore have to buy new seeds for each crop. This kind of market is solely in the interest of economics and not remotely to do with health. Personally, I do not want my money supporting that kind of industry. By buying organic, we are speaking with our dollars.
Step 19. Parasites
Major health issues can come about due to parasitic infestation. Recent research is beginning to show some connections between parasites and tumours, although studies along these lines appear to be thwarted at almost every turn by those with vested interests in opposing styles of treatment. Parasites can be viral (example the common cold), bacterial (example Staph), fungal (example Candida) moulds or worms. We are encouraged to worm kids every 12 months when they are young but when you get older that seems to all of a sudden no longer be recommended - yet adults are exposed to parasites daily as well. Every time we handle money, touch door handles, eat raw or poorly cooked food or pat an animal it is almost a certainty that you have been exposed to bacteria or another type of Parasite. Our immune system doesn’t always recognise and eliminate these nasties so they can remain in our bodies creating all kind of havoc.
I recommend Hulda Clark’s book “The Cure for All Diseases” as an informative read on this topic.
Step 20. Emotions
Even with the best of care from a physical perspective, emotions such as stress, anger, anxiety and others can perpetuate illness in our system. It is not enough to just deal with physical ailments, we need to create emotion, mental and spiritual balance also, for optimum wellness. Spiritual health will mean different things to different people depending on their beliefs and we will all find our own ways to create this balance. The message here is that we need to understand its importance.
From a mental/emotional aspect, I believe one of the key things to remember is that it is not the situations and circumstances that we find ourselves in that create imbalance and illness, it is our reactions to them that are important. We each need to find our own method of learning to deal effectively with life’s situations. If we spend our life feeling angry, stressed or depressed, our risk factors for illness are significantly increased.
I hope that these 20 steps will help to create an increased level of wellbeing for you and your family.
