Fit For Life

This is more of a plan than diet. With its accompanying book, it was introduced in 1990 and is still a very popular eating regime. With over seven million copies of the book in print and translated into 16 languages, it's founders Harvey and Marilyn Diamond found their way into my life a few years ago and I still practice most of their principals today.

Fit for Life is based on the principals of 'natural hygiene' and properly combining foods during a meal. For example, the Diamond's, though their research and studies, declare that proteins and starches should not be eaten together because the body cannot digest the two together. Therefore, lunch may be a garden salad with bread, but no cheese or meat. Dinner may be a piece of meat, with veggies (except potato and corn) or salad but no bread. Vegetables can accompany all types of eating.

By eating this way, Fit for Life says you will have more energy, better health and lose weight because your digestive system will run more effectively.

This eating plan also says the body goes through three cycles a day and if they are followed properly, by eating the correct foods at the correct time of the day, you will lose weight.

1. From noon to 8pm is our "appropriation" cycle - when eating should take place.
2. From 8pm to 4am is our "assimilation" cycle for absorption of previously eaten food.
3. From 4am to noon is the "elimination" cycle, when the body gets rid of the waste.

Fit for Life also suggests to eat fruit on an empty stomach or to wait at least 2 hours after a meal. Why? Fruit is a natural product and does not require the stomach's gastric acids to break it down, unlike other food, therefore it will go straight through the stomach to your digestive tract. If however, you have eaten other food, lets say a Sunday roast with all the trimmings, and then follow that up with watermelon, the watermelon will sit in your stomach - while it works at breaking down the roast - because it can't get through.

By the time the stomach has digested the food - and it can take up to eight hours to digest meat - the watermelon has fermented and rotted and this leaves you feeling bloated and heavy stomached because it has spoilt everything in your stomach.

The effects are not the same if you have just eaten veggies and then eat fruit, as veggies require little if any gastric acid for digestion.

I apply this to my eating everyday. I never finish a meal off with fruit, unless I have only had a totally vegetable-based meal. Try it and let me know how it works for you.
If you are eating a breakfast of fruit, cereal and toast, start off by eating the fruit, followed by the rest.

Fit for Life are also advocates for vegetarianism, but do not make you feel guilty if you do eat meat. They do however suggest you stick to fish and white meat.

Here is what you could eat tonight is you were on the Fit for Life Plan.

Version 1.(a protein based meal)

A piece of fish chicken or lean meat - cooked to your liking.
A medley of roasted, steamed or stir-fry vegetables.
A green salad.

Version Two. (a carbohydrate & starch based meal)

Omit the chicken/meat and replace with steamed rice, noodles or baked potato. You may have the veggies and salad and bread.

The book is available in all bookshops and worth having a read. There is also a follow up book to their plan called The Fit for Life Cookbook.

Stay fit, healthy and enjoy living. Don't forget to order your fresh fruit, veg and a host of other grocery goodies at www.grocersonthego.com.au.
There are heaps of products being added every week, such as bread, flowers, magazines, low fat goodies and more. We have some fantastic FAT FREE SALAD DRESSINGS and a 2 die 4 99% FAT FREE Turkish Bread for just $2.00

Angie K - caring for your health and well being
info@grocersonthego.com.au