18 October 2010

Food 101: What fuel goes into your tank?

Food is directly linked to six of the ten most common causes of death. Some people live for their next gourmet food experience. Some eat to fill an emotional hole and become the size of a whale. Some just hope they will get something, any old thing to eat today. And some base their health and their healing around food.

One recent, very hot summer’s day, I pulled in to a garage for petrol. Beside me, a hot, sweaty, overweight and grumpy man approached a nearby pump for his fuel. He had three choices – low, medium and high octane, and he seemed clear on which to choose.

Seeing his foul mood, the mischievous part of me thought to suggest he take out his grumpiness on his van and put the wrong fuel in it. The sane part rapidly decided this was not such a good idea! Not to be outdone, the mischievous part rose up with: “ tell him to do a really good job of it and fill up with diesel instead of petrol”. No came the response, you will get hit for sure if you say that!

So I held my tongue and watched. Very attentively this man put the right petrol into his simple combustion engine van. Then he went into the shop, bought all sorts of junk and proceeded to put absolute rubbish into his own highly sophisticated, super complex combustion engine ie his body? My guess is that this fellow was like the rest of us and regularly attends to his vehicle’s service timelines.

Why the disconnect with the body? Surely it is common sense that food builds our bodies and is the mainstay of running and repairing them.

If you want a junk body, eat junk food. Want a healthy body? Eat healthy food. Just think each time you are putting fuel into your vehicle, what sort of fuel am I asking my body to run on today?

THIS BLOG then will be the start of a series to examine three crucial questions:
  1. What is healthy food? - for those who are basically well, and those seeking healing.
  2. How is it best to handle food? – selection, storage, preparation, eating.
  3. Once you have confidence in what to do – how do you actually get into the habit of eating well and sustaining it?

WHAT TO DO?
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one dietary regime we could confidently recommend for everyone! Problem is, people are different – physically, metabolically, psychologically, every which way. How, therefore do we work out what is best for us?

FIRST STEP:
Sort out what value you place on food, ie how important is it to you? How much attention will you give it?
In my opinion, it is very important – for our health, for healing and for wellbeing. But you may prefer to eat, drink, and be merry!

SECOND STEP:
Decide who decides.
Given the complexity of this subject, you may choose to seek out the best health professional available, and follow their advice. Perhaps you will prefer to follow someone else’s established formula - such as the guidelines set out in my Wellness diet outlined in “You Can Conquer Cancer”(YCCC) which suit the needs of most people. Or you may decide to take the time to develop your own, personalised program.

INDIVIDUALISING YOUR DIET:

Based on nearly 30 years of learning about nutrition, and clinical experience helping people attending to their food seriously, I have come to realise there are two steps that reliably sort this out.

  1. Establish Healthy Boundaries:
    By this is meant, in broad terms establish what is good for you and what is not. This leads to the sort of list most nutritional experts will agree with – things to eat, things to avoid. Too long for a blog, my own list is set out in YCCC or on my CD “Eating Well, Being Well”
    The essence of this approach is a whole food, plant based diet.
  2. Individualise Your Food:
    Again, this can be achieved by following the advice of an external, trusted expert, or by turning yourself into the expert. How? By developing your responsiveness to your food. By building your own sense of what is good for you and what is not, and your capacity to respond to this knowing.

This later approach requires a concerted effort but is rewarding in the sense of achievement and confidence you will feel, and the results that follow.

A Short Summary of How to Do It:
  1. MEDITATE:
    Meditation heightens mindfulness and awareness. You notice the effects of what you do. You become more responsive to, and appreciative of your food.
  2. PHYSICALLY:
    Let your body be your guide. Help your body to become more responsive.
    • Detoxify: Like servicing the car, use a detox to refresh and purify your system. TIP: Just eliminating sugar and salt quickly enhances your body’s capacity to discriminate between foods that agree with you and those that do not.
    • Balance Your System: Supplements may be useful for a while but food is the main event. Remember, good supplements will never make up for poor food.
    • Observe your reactions and adjust accordingly.
  3. EMOTIONALLY:
    Treat any negative emotions. Quite a lot to say in a few words, but many people’s dietary habits are driven by their emotions.
  4. MENTALLY:
    Learn! Take an interest. Read. Go to groups and seminars. Visit the experts. Ask questions and discriminate.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Remember, whenever considering nutrition it is wise to seek professional help. This is essential if you have had bowel surgery, or if anything untoward or unexpected happens.


RESOURCES:

  1. BOOKS:
    You Can Conquer Cancer - Dr. Ian Gawler: Three chapters on food; as much for prevention of cancer and for the healthy as it is for those dealing with the disease.

    The Miracle of Mindfulness- Thich Nhat Hanh: How to develop your awareness and so your responsiveness to food.
  2. IAN’S CDs:
    Eating Well, Being Well: The healthy boundaries explained – a sound, enjoyable basic diet. Suitable for many people.

    Eating For Recovery: The healing diet for cancer. Note: If you are dealing with cancer, you need both CDs as the first explains the foundations and the second the details.

    Emotional Health: Particularly useful for resolving “racket”, or habitual emotions that can override our common sense when it comes to what to eat.
  3. PROGRAMS:
    The Gawler Foundation provides residential and non-residential programs, as well as counselling and a great resource centre.

NEXT BLOG:
I will go “Out on a Limb” recounting what I did eat to get well, what I eat now and discuss food in relation to cancer – its role as a cause, how it supports other treatments, and the possibilities it holds as a cure.

FEEDBACK
Pardon the poor pun but I am very interested in what is working for people and any difficulties or questions you may have. Just click on Comments and let me know.

12 comments:

  1. thank you for your information-I enjoy hearing your info again, after attending one of your workshops- a good reminder

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  2. dear ian, this is GOLD. it's great to have regular support around living and eating for wellbeing, because out there in the big wide world where 'junk' food and 'gourmet' food rule, it's easy to feel like a lone ranger. it's also easy (for me anyway) to veer off track. it's always good to be reminded to come back to mindfulness. thanks for ringing the bell.

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  3. HI THERE,
    GOOD TO SEE YOU IAN 'BACK IN ACTION' COMBINING SOMETHING NEW (THE COMPUTER WORLD) WITH SOMETHING YOU DO BEST....SUPPORTING PEOPLE.
    NO WONDER THAT WE FOLK NOWADAYS GET QUITE CONFUSED BY THE 'RIGHT DIET' SINCE EVERYWHERE YOU WILL FIND CONSTANT NEW SUGGESTIONS (MAGAZINES,NEWS,BOOKS,INTERNET ETC...) OF WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU.
    AND THE THING IS THAT ONE WEEK SOMETHING IS THE HIT ONLY TO BE TOLD WEEKS LATER THAT IT CAUSES THIS OR THAT.
    WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER I WAS SEARCHING THE NET FOR ANSWERS AND WAS CONFRONTED WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT I FELT UTTERLY CONFUSED AND JUST WANTED TO PUT MY HEAD IN THE SAND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO FOLLOW.
    I TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT CANCER DIETS BUT NONE SEEMED RIGHT FOR ME......NO APPROACH WAS CONVINCING ENOUGH TO KEEP AT IT FOR LONG ENOUGH.
    WHEN I VISITED THE 10 DAY RETREAT AT THE GAWLER FOUNDATION (I'M NOT ADVERTISING HERE....)I LIVED THE HEALING DIET FOR 10 FULL DAYS AND IT JUST FELT RIGHT....TASTED DELICIOUS AND WASN'T THAT HART TO COOK AND NOT TO FORGET TO MENTION IT MADE SENSE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I FOLLOWED A FULLY VEGAN DIET FOR ALMOST 2 AND A HALF YEARS (HAVE TO ADMIT THOUGH I WAS ALMOST (ATE FISH) VEGETARIAN ANYWAY AND IT WASN'T SO HART TO GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR ME AS IT WOULD BE FOR THE FULL-ON 'MEAT EATER' AND 'COFFEE/ALCOHOL DRINKER'). MY EXPERIENCE WAS THOUGH THAT I WAS TOO STRICT AND I CREATED ANOTHER SOURCE OF STRESS IN MY LIFE WHEN HERE AND THERE I SLIPPED IN MY DIET BECAUSE I WAS EATING OUT (WHAT RARELY HAPPENED THEN...)AS IF MY LIFE WAS DEPENDING ON IT. SO I REALIZED THAT IT IS NOT ONLY THE FOOD FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTH OR IN THIS CASE ILLNESS BUT A COMPLEXITY OF THINGS. WHAT REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING IAN SAID ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS....'YOU CAN BETTER EAT JUNK AND ENJOY EVERY BITE OF IT THAN SIT IN FRONT OF HEALTHY MEAL AND RESENT EVERY BIT OF IT'...IT JUST MAKES SENSE BUT NOT TO BE USED AS AN EXCUSE THOUGH ;-)
    TODAY I ADAPTED A DIET THAT CONSTISTS MOSTLY OF PLANT FOODS AND OCCASIONALLY INCLUDES FISH OR SOME DAIRY PRODUCTS WITHOUT THE BEATING UP AND THE SHOULDS AND SHOULDN'TS AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL FOR ME....I'M NOT SO STRESSED ABOUT FOOD ANYMORE AND ENJOY EVERY BIT OF IT :-)
    THANK YOU IAN FOR STARTING HIS BLOG, IT WORKS AS A REGULAR REMINDER FOR ME NOT TO SLIP BACK INTO OLD HABITS BUT ALSO TO GET INSPIRED TO ASSESS MY SITUATION ALONG THE WAY AND ADJUST WHERE NECESSARY.
    CHEERS

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  4. Ian this blog was timed perfectly with me about to head toward the chocolate machine at the train station. After a long day working and feeling the onset of a cold, I missed the train by thirty seconds. My first instinct- chocolate. Thanks for talking me out of it. I look forward to your next installment.

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  5. Ian I'm so grateful to be on the receiving end of your communiques. I'm probably one of the 'needy' ones who are weak on perserverence but do need to discipline themselves much more in terms of the correct fuel. Am hoping your regular advice will provide some much needed motivation.

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  6. Hi Ian
    It's useful to be reminded of how food impacts so much on our well-being. I am lucky I have always watched what I have eaten, and definitely reaping the benefits. Loved your courses and look forward to ongoing tips.

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  7. thanks Ian, this is really helpful. I wonder why doctors seem to undervalue food so much and give little attention to how it can be like a treatment in its own right?

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  8. Hi Ian, so nice to have you online with all your helpful points, topics and support. I have been on my gawler diet for 2 years now and I find it simply amazing how my mind and body reacts when I put something in my mouth that doesnt belong to the diet e.g. a piece of process bread. My mind and body scream out arrgh!!!don't feed me that poison!!!!if I do eat it I pay for it. So powerful......and I feel great. Keep 'Out on a Limb" coming our way. Wendy Howl

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  9. So nice to have this blog Ian! Not only is your motivation and advice needed but reading what others go through has helped me with my anxiety and choices. I too am struggling to put the 'proper' diet in place. I have seen you speak, read your books and tried to follow your advice as I believe it to be some of the best around. However, there are times when I CAN'T eat exactly as I know I should. My family lives all over the world so if I want to see my kids and grand kids we usually travel to them. This makes it impossible to only eat unprocessed food etc. I have been very anxious about this. I realize after reading your blog that for the time I am away eating things that may not be on the diet BUT enjoying the company of family with the meal MUST outweigh the negatives of the wrong foods. I am home now and getting back on track. Thanks again for your blog!!

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  10. Many thanks Ian. I value your regular reminders of a healthy way of living - as a mother with young children there are constant pressures to succumb to what has become the trend of poor eating, particularly,poor snack eating. Thanks

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  11. Thanks Ian for sharing all of your experiences and advice. I have just listened to Eating for Recovery and Eating Well Being Well. I was surprised to hear you say that that the use of Marijuana depresses the immune system and was not something you would recommend.
    Having recent being diagnosed with cancer myself, my research has lead me to an avalanche of research and interviews and statements by medical doctors, research scientists and in particular oncologists that are stating that marijuana (in particular cannabis oil that is either eaten or vaporised as opposed to smoking) is looking like a miracle substance in the treatment of cancer. It posseses anti-tumour, anti- proliferation, and many other positive effects to not only manage symptoms, but have a direct effect on tumour growth. I have read hundreds of articles from doctors, patients, and research studies and find nothing but promising news. As you are opposed to this, I was hoping you could elaborate on your views or information to help clear up this confusion for me.
    The National Cancer Institute (US) recent published a statement on their website:

    In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.”
    The comment on direct 'anti-tumour effect' was promptly removed after a fuss was made by
    those in the anti-marijuana establishment.
    Below is an address to studies of 1000's of positive effects of marijuana (cannabis oil - eaten or vaporised) including cancer.
    http://forum.grasscity.com/medical-marijuana-usage-applications/436257-granny-storm-crows-list-july-2009.html
    I would very appreciate an elaboration on your views on the matter.
    Thanks for all of your hard work.

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    Replies
    1. There is a great deal of new research coming out regarding the use of medical marijuana. It does seem likely that there is a significant difference between smoking it, where side-effects can be considerable - and using the more medicinal forms of oil and ingestion - where many benefits are being touted. I am currently working through the evidence available and have not formed a personal view; but will soon and will comment on the blog once I feel more confident of the research.

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