Books on Happiness / the happiness revolution - 2 students

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the juice of half a lemon, some honey and a pinch of salt. This hot- water-and-lemon beverage is useful twice daily to cleanse the digestive tract and stimulate a bowel movement. My patients usually need to drink two or three cups every morning and every evening in order to achieve the desired result.

Once the body is su ciently hydrated, and after a wait of 20 minutes or more, breakfast can be consumed. An ideal morning sequence would begin with the hot lemon drink followed by stretching and a morning walk. Then comes the showering and shaving, a delicious breakfast and finally, the last-minute preparations before heading out the door to work.

For many of my patients, transitioning to a Happiness Diet means taking the time to actually have breakfast. Too many of us rush past the breakfast table in order to accomplish more. Nutritionally, this is like to trying to win the Indy 500 with a quarter tank of gas. We’re much better o taking the time to fill the tank. I also had to be very specific in my instructions; my definition of breakfast had to be clarified in order to eliminate breakfasts consumed in the car or out of a grease-stained paper sack. Too many of my patients were eating on the run or on the drive.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2004, showed that consuming a breakfast high in fat (in this case an Egg McMu n and hash browns) produces a relatively immediate and large increase in arterial inflammation. The study suggests that eating a breakfast low in fat and high in fiber and fruit may decrease your risk for heart disease.11

BREAKFAST

Breakfast provides foods to restart your mind and body for the new day. Cooked grains -- including oats (oatmeal), buckwheat, quinoa, and millet -- are perfect breakfast cereals. For the busy, anxious ex-

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ecutive, millet is preferred. Millet is the only alkaline-forming grain and thus has a calming e ect. Millet, vegetables, and sweet fruits will counteract the acidic qualities of a busy lifestyle by improving the alkaline level in the body.

A high quality yogurt with live culture can be blended with sweet fruits, deep-colored berries and either walnuts, cashews, or almonds for a hearty, nutritious breakfast. Granola, scrambled tofu, bran mu ns, and whole grain pancakes are all useful considerations. These foods supply the protein, carbohydrates, and fats necessary to nourish your mind and body. Eggs may be used occasionally during this time of transition. (Note: recipes for breakfast can be found in the appendix.)

MID-MORNING SNACK

Mid-morning snacks are popular though not always necessary. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins are the best mixture for mid-morning snacking. Keep a second packet in the car for those rushed days when you need to snack on the go. For the fruit lover, apples, pears and berries should also be at hand.

NOON-TIME MEAL

The noon-time meal is the time to have your heaviest meal of the day. When the sun is directly overhead your digestive fire is at its peak. The subtle relationship between the solar plexus in your abdomen and the sun should not be ignored. Ayurvedic wisdom encourages you to consume at this meal the six major flavors: sweet, salty, sour, pungent (spicy), bitter and astringent. This is a wonderful enhancement from the standard seasonings of sweet and salt found in the fast food diets. Gradually increase your diversity of fresh foods and flavors at lunch. The meal needs to be heavy enough to fulfill you without dulling your alertness. Thus, keep your dessert portions small and satisfying.

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Include vegetables and protein and a simple salad with a homemade dressing in your lunch. You can use eggs, dairy, beans, cottage cheese or tofu for protein. Historically, beans and grains are consumed at the noontime meal as they take longer to digest and provide you with sustenance to complete your day. For lunch, try a bean burrito or a bean and rice combination. I have included a wide variety of recipes for your lunch-time delight in the appendix.

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK

Fruits are best eaten for a mid-afternoon snack. The pectin of apples is very helpful in moving the noon-time meal further along the digestive tract. Afternoon fruits also inject a little sweetness into our busy schedules. Fresh-baked apples with cinnamon are a lovely treat to serve to your coworkers in the middle of the afternoon. This snack time could also include clear teas (herbal teas, green teas, black teas), chai and tree nut-butters, such as almond and cashew butter.*

EVENING MEAL

The evening meal is designed to help us cleanse, refresh, and relax. Warm vegetable soups, salads, baked fruits, and baked tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) should comprise the evening meal. Depending upon your level of activity and your constitution, you may need a much heartier meal at dinnertime. This especially applies to all people under 25 years of age because in those growing and academic years, good foods should be available as needed.

*Peanuts and peanut butter are discouraged because they contain aflatoxin, a neurotoxin. A recent study documented 36 di erent brands of peanut butter (organic included) containing aflatoxin in quantities 300 percent above the acceptable levels of safety. The e ect of neurotoxins on our ability to think and on the neurotransmitters that regulate every function in our body is a well-documented concern. Therefore, tree nuts -- such as walnuts, cashews and almonds -- are the preferred choice for nut butters.12

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AYURVEDIC MEAL PLANNING

Ayurveda provides a structured plan for choosing the foods that are best for your unique constitution. Once you identify your constitution, it is easy to design menus that are suited to your particular temperament. Foods that correspond to your constitution will supply you with the nourishment required to create psychological comfort, mental stability and the finest enhancement of physical functioning. These foods may be new to you, but keep an open mind and remember that it is imperative that your food be delicious and satisfying.

Let’s begin to investigate the wonderful simplicity of Ayurvedic meal planning by briefly summarizing the unique characteristics and dietary needs of the three constitutions — the Vata, the Pitta and the Kapha.

Foods for Vata

It is no wonder that Ayurveda’s first food of choice for a Vata is ghee (clarified butter). Ghee provides lubrication for all of the tissues and improves the function of the large intestine (the colon), which is known to be the physiological abode of Vata. The classic ‘spaciness’ of Vatas is easily resolved by helping the individual feel more grounded through the consumption of warm, soothing beverages consisting of boiled milk with spices, thick creamy soups, or protein-enriched gravies in the form of mung, toor and lentil dahl. Every main dish for the Vata constitution comes with that satisfying, grounded feeling from the addition of a small amount of ghee (1 teaspoon per main dish).

Vatas need warm food that has firmness and a light oiliness. Highquality oils, such as ghee and cold-pressed olive oil, will not make the mind dull or lethargic. This constitution is known to prefer smallsized meals and thus may need to eat four times per day. The Vatic tendency to become overly excited and scattered can be easily man-

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aged with the consumption of firm, heavy foods. Beverages should vary between fresh ginger tea and hot milk drinks, such as chai or hot chocolate. Co ee may be especially irritating to the Vatic constitution and should be avoided.

Foods for Pitta

Known for their invincible stomachs, Pittas may consume massive amounts of all foods — even impure ones, with seemingly no adverse e ects. However, there are a few foods that can really enhance Pittas unwanted aspects. The classic saloon fistfight is the epitome of a Pitta being a ected by alcohol. Alcoholic beverages can be particularly aggravating to Pittas, so they should be consumed in moderation, if at all. The role of the Happiness Diet for this temperament is to drive their enthusiasm and vigor closer toward joy. In time, the diehard Pittas will be comfortable limiting their intake of spicy sauces, salty chips, fat-dripping burgers and alcohol. These seemingly zesty flavors spur the Pitta into a hurried frenzy that can result in regret or error.

To cool down the fiery Pitta, begin with cooling beverages like mint, licorice, or anise teas. Anthropologists, studying desert tribes living and eating under the hot sun, found that the tribes had discovered a unique method for keeping cool — they use cooling spices in their tea and food. They can eat warm-cooked food and still have it provide relief from the heat. These secrets have allowed indigenous tribes to live comfortably in extremely warm climates without ice cubes or refrigeration. Such menus benefit the Pitta.

While Pittas can seemingly digest anything, spicy and salty foods can aggravate their mood and temperament. Sweet, refreshing fruits and lightly cooked vegetables should replace salty and spicy foods. Ghee is the best antidote for Pittic imbalances. If you are a Pitta, you can bring your metabolism back into balance by consuming small quantities of ghee with each meal.

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Foods for Kapha

Kaphas would be quite satisfied living on cheesecake and ice cream, never feeling the need for a salad or hot spice. Known for their nurturing attitude, their problem-solving skills and their sweet tooth, Kaphas require an activating, energizing formulation of spices in their diet. Kaphas’ tendency toward a sleepy inertia is cured with simple things like using the nasal wash (see more on this in my earlier book, Happiness: The Real Medicine), using black pepper with any fatty food and learning to temper their sweet tooth in exchange for mental alertness. While Kaphas crave heavy foods, they can gradually learn to eat lighter foods by increasing the spiciness in their meals.

Initially, black pepper, fresh ginger, cooked garlic, ground cumin and cinnamon are the spices used to awaken their digestive fire. Kaphas’ tendency toward obesity can be prevented by discouraging over-con- sumption and by using spices that keep the mind alert.

Along with the aforementioned spices, it is the delicious nutrientdense foods that are fresh and easy to digest that can further stimulate the Kapha into action. Fresh, deep-colored berries (ideally blueberries) are cleansing, delicious, and loaded with antioxidants. The dynamic life-force of fresh berries and cherries is refreshing and filling.

THE FOUR FOOD GROUPS OF MODERN TIMES

Today’s modern diet seems to consist of only four food groups

— fake, frozen, foreign and fast.

Fake foods are those that aren’t really foods. You cannot trace them back to a specific animal or plant; instead, these foods are really chemical conglomerations made in a factory. Fake foods can include blends of meat (baloney, hot dogs, Spam) and blends of grains (chips that contain many more ingredients than just corn, wheat or potatoes). If you want sour cream and chives on your potato chips, then

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I suggest you go to the refrigerator and pull out the container of sour cream and fresh chives.

Frozen foods have become a necessity for households unable to regularly shop for fresh produce. When fresh foods are not an option, quality frozen foods are preferred over commercially canned food products. The freezing process causes fewer nutrients to be lost than other chemical preservation methods. Canning heats the food inside the can, which causes a breakdown of many nutrients, especially the water-soluble vitamins.

The thawing of food with microwaves of radiation may be creating an unknown change to both the food and the person who eats that food. Historically, cooking of food has always been done by roasting, scorching or steaming the food from the outside. The radiation of the microwave heats up the cells of the food from the inside out. We still do not fully recognize the potential loss of nutrition and prana from this method. Thus, using an oven, a skillet, a grill, or a toaster is the preferred method for heating foods. Quietly and discreetly retire your microwave oven in favor of healthier cooking options.

Advanced high-tech methods of harvesting and transporting foreign foods to our local grocer provides us with many benefits but also a few concerns. During the snowy winters in Wisconsin, I can dine on fresh fruits and vegetables grown in lands much warmer than mine. Rare medicinal foods grown in other countries are now available to help you heal – an advantage unheard of 50 years ago. However, when the seasons permit, I encourage my patients to consume locally grown foods that provide the optimal level of freshness and nutrition.

Whether your foods come from your own garden or from farmers in a foreign land, there are multiple benefits to eating organically grown food. The first and most important benefit is that organic farmers are not using chemicals that harm the land, the wildlife and the water tables deep below. Clean water and a healthy environment o er you

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Food Combining

Here are some food combinations to avoid for all constitutions. Certain blends of food may adversely a ect your mind and emotions:

•Milk should not be consumed with sour fruit, all melons, banana, loaf breads or yogurt.

•Yogurt is not compatible with cheese, sour fruit, sourdough bread, ca eine or seafood.

•Lemon does not mix well with milk, yogurt or eggs.

•Eggs should not be combined with cheese, potatoes, yogurt or sour fruits.

greater benefits than the organic food alone. Furthermore, our ability to import foods grown all over the world has both its benefits and risks. There is a risk that imported foods could be grown under agricultural conditions that are no longer allowed in the United States. The use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, that are banned in the U.S., can strongly influence the safety of foreign foods. As consumers, it is difficult to know whether or not these chemicals were used in growing the imported foods we purchase. However, the “organic” foods will keep you safe regardless of their country of origin.

Nutritionists have multiple reservations about fast food: the quality of the food may not be in your favor, you might be traveling 30 to 70 miles per hour while you eat it, and it was probably prepared by complete strangers. Fast foods are commonly seasoned unnaturally, using excessive amounts of salt, sugar, processed grains, preservatives, fats and oils, which can lead to over-consumption.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER

You may notice that your thirst to drink is much more frequent than your desire to eat. This is because it is essential that your body

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stays well-hydrated. Since you are going to have to drink something, why not make that something clean, pure water? Not only is it wonderfully refreshing, water has a multitude of health benefits.

For example, water is essential to the lining of every internal organ and tissue in your body. Every living tissue will become sticky, obstructed, and eventually diseased if it is not well hydrated. Also, water is a carrier, providing a means for blood cells to move around the body, nutrients to move into cells and wastes to be removed. The amount of circulating water volume controls the temperature of your body and your blood pressure. Blood, lymph, and cerebrospinal fluid are all primarily composed of water.

Water uses the colon (stool), the bladder (urine), lungs (exhaled air) and the skin (sweat) as exit points for waste materials. While all four exits are equally important, modern life has diminished our opportunity to experience the positive power of perspiration. Sweating is a total body cleanse. Participating in any activity that can produce full body perspiration from head to toe will be cleansing from the inside out. This is the reason that Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of waiting to shower for 30 minutes after vigorous exercise, so that you can take full advantage of this cleansing process. It is very important to adequately replenish your fluid levels both during and immediately after your workout.

Years ago, a physician commented to me that America has ten thousand restaurants for every one colonic center. His humorous insight is sadly true. We focus the majority of our attention on taking in food and pay little attention to removing the waste matter. While I am not endorsing generic colonic therapy, my point is this: to maintain good health it is as important for waste to be safely and thoroughly removed as it is for nourishment to be received. I always advise my patients to pause for two or three glasses of warm water before retiring to the bathroom to pass a stool. An infusion of warm water makes it is much easier to pass solid matter and gas from the

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bowel by allowing the bowel to maintain its tone. Also, if a person uses excessive pressure to push the stool out, the presence of water prevents harm to the intestinal lining. Such a simple act — having a few glasses of warm water — can prevent diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and inflammation of the bowel.

The warmth of the water allows it to be quickly absorbed without waiting too long for the body to heat it up to the standard body temperature of 98.6 F. A cold beverage cannot be absorbed into the blood stream until the body has expended extra energy to heat that beverage to body temperature. Ayurveda discourages this avoidable waste of energy caused by ice-cold drinks.

Water is not solely important in fluid balance; it is also a form of liquid oxygen which can remove fatigue from your mind and body. Whenever you feel tired, your first response should be to drink one or two glasses of warm water. This simple elixir is both masterful and mysterious in the myriad of ways it aids us.

The body is composed of approximately 65 percent water and adults lose about three liters of water every day. The majority of this water loss tends to be replenished through food, leaving a little less than half of the fluid requirement to be directly replaced by beverages.

In order for the water to be absorbable by your body, certain trace minerals (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, etc.) must be present in the water. Distilled water is an example of a water source without trace minerals. When you drink water that is devoid of minerals, then your body must compensate by using its own storehouses to assist in the absorption of water. This results in a draining e ect on the body. Drink clean water that still has all of its nutritional value.

CARBONATION, COFFEE AND COMMUNITY

The benefits of community and socializing with your loved ones are profound and should be upheld. And yet, I am the fellow who