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t took about 2.5 million years ...........
with whole grain flour, Maple Syrup or dark dark brown sugar, South American Rapadura sugar (from your local organic shop), which still contains the naturally occurring minerals. Try to reduce (or give up) highly processed white carbs, such as white bread, white flour and white rice.
for early human tool makers to evolve into our modern human ancestors who lived about 200,000 years ago. We are the last born in a continuous life line that goes back 3.8 billion years. WOW! That’s a lot of healthy people, getting on and procreating, just for US to be here. So why are many of us so unhealthy? The fact is that in the last 150 years we have been doings things to ourselves that are entirely new to our species, and new to the planet. We evolved over aeons to adapt to the food supply that was naturally present in our environments. We adapted to every altitude, humidity, hot and cold climates, forest, desert, savanna and cave to eat whatever was alive around us. Those inner abilities to obtain nutrition from natural resources are coded in our genes. As change takes time, we are not adapted to eat the cleverly concocted industrial chemicals of colours, artificial flavourings, genetically modified proteins and carbohydrates that the food corporations market to us as food. No one really knows how safe they are. So, how lucky we are to be alive and kicking and eating in Hérault, where we are fortunate to have good quality, fresh food that we can use to boost our immune systems through the winter months and beyond… In our practice, many people seek help for their stress, aches and bodily ailments, some arriving with whatever cold, flu or stomach bug is doing the rounds. Yet much of their misery is self inflicted: smoking, too much alcohol, eating processed “food”, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and inflexible mind set, which can all diminish the immune system. Here is some common sense WINTER ADVICE to help you and your family get through the darker months.
Whenever you can, buy organic and LOCALLY GROWN veggies and fruits from people you get to know in the markets. Eat what is in season and local, because it is treated less and comes naturally from our environment.
Anything sweetened with corn syrup will tire your liver and eventually put fat round your middle. It is hidden in many processed foods and drinks. Manufacturers label it as a fruit sugar, which is a lie.
- At the first sign of nose/throat infection, colds and flu, I start taking vitamin C. Up to 5 times 1000 mg a day for three days will usually keep you from getting sick.
Hugging fellow humans face to face feels good, but it spreads winter infections. In France everyone kisses cheek to cheek on meeting. Even my German and English friends have taken up the habit. If you want to reduce the risk of infection you can do what I do. I tell people I have just had a bad cold, and they back off.
WASH HANDS regularly. Keep your hands away from you face, that’s where the virus and bacteria enter your system from all the people and things we touch. When you get home, WASH YOUR HANDS. This REALLY REDUCES INFECTIONS.
Get lots of good sleep, especially before midnight which is more regenerating. Best is to BREATH fresh air in the sunshine, move your body, and know you are really alive! Barry Beckett trained in Rolfing Structural Integration in Boulder, Colorado. In practice in Berlin since 1992 with his osteopath wife Annette Beckett DO, now in Lodève, Centre d’Ostópathie et d’Intégration Structurelle (Rolfing) motionpresent@gmail.com
EAT FRESH - lots of seasonal fruits, clementines, oranges, also apples, pears. Avoid white sugar as it tires your system, so that you crave more sugar! (that includes bought cakes, biscuits, sweeties, etc. which can be very challenging around Christmas). Bake your own
IF YOU SMOKE and want to stop, PLEASE TRY THIS ADVICE
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f you smoke and like it, then really enjoy it, be positive about it so you have no internal conflict. If you smoke and wish you didn’t, make a deal with the part of you that wants to smoke and the part of you that doesn’t. For example say, “You can smoke one cigarette after a meal if you let me be smoke free for two hours”. Get the smoker part to agree, “Ok I can do that” with the non-smoker part. And if you find yourself smoking and it tastes bad, put it out. Only smoke when you enjoy it. Most people naturally start reducing how much they smoke from this regime. 17