“Let your foods be your medicine, not your medicine be your food”
Maimonides/Rambam (1135-1204)
Here are some general guidelines of diet therapy & eating habits that we should all follow:
“No disease that can be treated by diet should be treated with any other means.”
Eating & Drinking Habits:
- Eat only when you are hungry, and not when 'it's time to eat' or when everybody else is eating around you. How do you know when you are hungry? your tummy makes gggrrrrrrr noises...
- Stop eating when you are not hungry.
- Eating slow = eating less! So eat slowly -- it takes at least 20 minutes to the hunger center in your brain to know that you are full. So if you eat fast, you eat more.
- Give your stomach a rest, and don't eat in between meals. Let your stomach get empty before filling it with more food. So, no snacking if you're bored, instead go for a walk, move your body.
- When you are eating, avoid other activities such as watching TV, reading and driving etc. Just sit down and eat. It's that simple.
- Avoid eating when you are moody. When you are upset, sad, angry etc., walk it off, don't eat it off.
- Don't overeat. Portions are getting bigger and bigger and so are people in this country. How to eat less? Eat 3/4 of your meal, stop, and put the plate aside, far away from you. After 10 minutes, ask yourself if you are still hungry. Often the answer will be no. Stop eating before you are completely full.
- Drink more water. A lot more. At least 12 cups of room temperature water is highly recommended for an adult.
- Avoid eating or drinking cold food & drinks. What a waste of energy! – warming your ice-cold water to reach your body temperature?! Ask for a room temperature water in restaurants. Say no to ice.
- Avoid eating and drinking at the same time. Water dilutes the stomach acid, which makes the digestion slower and harder. Drink half an hour before and/or after the meal. Your digestive system will thank you.
“A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.” ~ Joan Welsh
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”
Maimonides
What and When to Eat?
- Eat a big breakfast with protein, you need the energy to start your day; medium size lunch, not too much; and a small dinner, because you are soon going to sleep. It's like putting gas in your car before you go on a journey, and not at the end.
- Eat a variety of foods, not only few types of food that you have gotten used to. You can get a lot more from Mother Nature if you eat different fruits & vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, etc.
- Avoid eating too much cow-based dairy products. Switch to goat and sheep. They are easier to digest and cause less digestive system symptoms.
- Eat more veggies! mostly steamed, some raw; small amount of stir-fried (too much oil...eek).
- Take a short easy walk after the meal, move your Qi.
- Spice up your food with ginger, black paper, fennel seeds, cumin, sweet paprika, etc.
Exercise:
Move your body!
There are two types of exercise, and they complete each other. Please do both, at least 2-3 types of different exercise regimens.
- YIN types such as Tai Qi Chuan, Qi Gong and Yoga are very relaxing and also strengthen your body.
- YANG types such as swimming, walking quickly, bicycling and running move your Qi faster and make you big and strong.
The easiest exercise is to walk quickly. How do you know that you are walking fast enough? Your are all sweaty, your heart beats rapidly, and you are still alive!
After exercising, it is very important to eat well. Your body needs the energy to build up the muscles. It is harmful not to eat when you are hungry after exercising.
The best time to exercise is when the sun is up. At night, it is better to read a book, or take a slow walk, thus directing your Qi inward, and prepare for sleep.
what we eat is who we are
Diet therapy can treat many diseases:
- Insomnia – eating a big dinner is the most common reason for sleepless night.
- Diarrhea & constipation, abdominal pain & discomfort – attributed to bad eating habits such as overeating, eating when not hungry, eating junk food, eating late at night, eating when upset or have nothing to do, etc.
