Wellbeing for Life: The authoritative guide to enhancing your wellbeing and permanently solving you and your family’s weight issues.

By Miriam Orwin

"There have been many books written through the years on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise and proper diet. "Wellbeing for Life" is at the top of the list when it comes to providing practical knowledge on utilizing recipes that will increase the probability of achieving that goal. This is one of the few books that have a place by my bedside that I frequently refer to. I recommend it for everyone. Thank you, Miriam Orwin!" - Stu Taylor, Radio America. In Wellbeing for Life you will discover how to recalibrate your wellbeing and which foods nutritionally amour you and restore your mind and body and: Easy tasty recipes for the time poor chef; How to alter consciousness and create new environments; How to re-balance your metabolism; Vegetarian options and numerous dishes free of peanut egg dairy and gluten; Health-giving fast food for all ages. The wellbeing book that will change your life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Apr 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781478733768

Miriam Orwin

www.miriamorwin.com

Book preview

Introduction

This is a ‘how to’ recipe book. It is about you looking better, living longer and having more fun by eating yummy food which balances your metabolism, slows ageing and gives you both the energy and edge on life.

There is much conflicting information and advice on what constitutes a healthy diet. Nutritionists generally agree that what you eat, drink and breathe is your body’s fuel, but this is where agreement ends and there is disagreement and consternation regarding the connection between our fuel, our waistline and our wellbeing.

Traditional advice aimed at improving wellbeing through weight loss recommends various methods of restricting fuel intake and increasing exercise. These recommendations appear to be based on the concept that the human body is as straightforward as a car and by simply consuming smaller amounts of fuel (irrespective of type) and driving around a bit (doing exercise) your body will turn into a smaller car — hopefully a sports car.

The concepts which form the foundation of my books are based on my clinical research and experiences, as well as the work of Dr Joseph Mercola, Professor Walter Willett, Dr George Schauf, Dr Robert Buist and Dr Joel Fuhrman among others. Interestingly, they all agree, for various reasons, that there is no direct link between our weight control and the portions, calories or quantity of fat we consume. Rather, they all connect our wellbeing and girth to the type of food we consume, not the quantity, and its effect on our blood sugar. This is the only responsible approach, as your blood sugar balance, weight and wellbeing are directly connected. This balance not only affects your rate of ageing, and what you look like but also contributes to how you sleep and feel.

Having suffered a diet induced eating disorder for much of my life, I give you my word that this book is rich in information that is personally researched. I am a self confessed kitchen klutz who has real trouble cutting straight with a knife, so be confident that the recipes in this book are quick, easy and tasty. They have been put together so you and your family can look better, live longer and have more fun.

‘I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself.’

— O

PRAH

W

INFREY

‘There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.’

— A

LBERT

E

INSTEIN

Neolithic Nutrition

When we consider the original diet of our ancestors as seen by archaeological investigation of ancient human waste, it reflects negligible glycemic content. These investigators found that the diet of our ancestors contained significant amounts of fat, protein and very little carbohydrate. Fruits and berries were seldom eaten as they were only available seasonally.

Then, during the Neolithic period (around 10,000 years ago) humans began to cultivate wild grains. In Egypt, wheat and lentils were planted, while further North, the Celts and Saxons grew oats, millet, rye and buckwheat. All of these grains have a minimal effect on blood sugar when consumed in their original form, as unrefined whole grains. This shows us that before the Neolithic period, our blood sugar balancing and regulating hormone — insulin — was not commonly used for blood sugar management, as virtually all foods consumed at that time did not rely on its action.

As our ancestors seldom used insulin in metabolizing their fuel, insulin’s original role was directly connected to survival. Its role was to release energy so that the alarm reaction — also known as ‘fight or flight’ — could be activated. This alarm reaction was, and still is, triggered by danger and our survival instincts. In the 21st century, this reaction is not launched by a sabre toothed tiger but by various factors including stress and stimulant consumption (including coffee).

When triggered, this alarm reaction automatically stimulates a hormonal cascade (including adrenaline and insulin) which releases a burst of energy from short term storage. This energy is mobilized for immediate high level mental and physical activity to swiftly design and implement a survival strategy in order to get out of harm’s way and successfully overcome danger. This energy burst is like the energy output of a rocket, which has seen people escape danger, sometimes by performing superhuman feats.

Interestingly, the alarm response also activates our immune system to deal with injury. This activation is one of the ways chronic stress may over stimulate the immune system and lead to inflammatory conditions which can cause visible deterioration of the joints, muscles, and skin, and hasten ageing. Frequent immune arousal can also result in an immune inadequacy which may precipitate a wide variety of conditions, from simply catching every bug that is going around, to chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, digestive problems, lupus, arthritis, allergies, asthma and even cancer.

The alarm response is one in which hormone levels see saw. This see saw effect can be compared to kicking down hard on the accelerator or brakes of a car in order to avoid imminent danger. This method works well when an energy blast is required, but if it becomes a driving (or metabolic) pattern, it not only escalates and accelerates deterioration, but also threatens your looks, wellbeing and survival. Unfortunately some individuals also suffer energy and/or emotional swings by continuing to drive their bodies this way. When the blast is over, energy levels (and often a person’s mood) plummet.

So What’s Changed?

When we consider our primitive ancestors, we know that the water they drank was unlike the water we drink today. Ancient drinking water was free of the vast variety of pollutants that are present in our water now. Our ancestors often used water from streams which cascaded over rocks and pebbles, collecting oxygen and minerals in the process. They also breathed air free from the various contaminants that we encounter in the air today. But, even though both the water we drink and air we breathe have changed, the greatest change in the last 100 years has been in what we consume.

Although our original diet evolved over millions of years, the effects of the fuel we consumed on blood sugar remained insignificant and virtually unchanged over time. Then, around two hundred years ago there began what was to become a dietary revolution, where foods such as potatoes and sugar were introduced into our diet. Before the introduction of potatoes, legumes including broad beans were a staple part of our ancestors’ diet. At this time in nutritional history, sugar was first introduced as a trade item from the West Indies and initially was considered a luxury spice which sold at a high price few could afford. Its early users were mainly the nobility, who sprinkled it sparingly on foods such as fruit tarts. However, over the last 100 years, we have become accustomed to consuming increasing quantities of processed foods and sugar. The last 50 years in particular has seen this dietary revolution gain momentum, and with the arrival and growth of the fast food industry, our original diet has virtually been superseded by mass produced, factory farmed, packaged, sweetened foods and drinks.

Today, multinational food companies have become influential players in determining our eating patterns, luring us from a very early age into an ever increasing consumption of their processed packet foods, and ready to eat meals. What all these foods have in common is various combinations of refined grains, unhealthy fats, sweeteners, colors and preservatives (putting aside the possible impact of chemicals including phthalates in the packaging in which they are purchased). Their popularity indicates that the multinational food industry has become a persuasive and powerful nutritional force.

A study published in the Archives of Paediatric & Adolescent

Medicine showed that preschoolers preferred the taste

of carrots when they were packaged in a McDonald’s bag.¹

On average, we now consume more than our body weight in sweetener each year. Sweet, starchy and refined foods have become part of everyday life. This consumption has been accelerated by the promotion and consumption of low fat foods, which according to my careful analysis contain between double and triple the sweetener content of a comparative regular food.

Unfortunately the quantity of sugar and sweetener we are consuming is not obvious. Sugar and sweetener come in so many guises. Adding further to the confusion are foods that do not contain sugar, but contain other forms of sweetener which are commonly labeled ‘sugar free’. The list of added sweeteners is vast, but a short list includes sugar, glucose, malt, maltose, maltodextrine, amylase and high fructose corn syrup. US physician and health and nutrition advocate, Dr Joseph Mercola states that not only is high fructose corn syrup now the number one source of energy consumption in the US but that it also poses a substantial threat to our health and wellbeing. This is becasue it causes blood sugar and insulin levels to see saw more intensely than the sugar it replaces which further encourages weight gain and fat retention.

The food processing industry generously adds sweetener to virtually all processed foods including baby foods, diet foods, low fat foods, bread (including whole grain and multigrain), breakfast cereals, spreads (including peanut butter), frozen and tinned vegetables and almost all packaged foods. We appear to have been lured into dependence by the taste. As a result, consumption of our original natural food has declined, as have home preparation methods.

Dr Robert Harris, an Australian chiropractor, argues that sweetener is capable of reducing the effectiveness of the natural defenses of our immune system. When we are born our body’s natural defense system is in its infancy, thus babies and small children are more vulnerable to the effects of their environment and positive or negative nutritional influences. Many early life illnesses are the result of a passing weakness that can be attributed to nutritional and environmental factors including teething, water quality, food, weather changes and stress. Dr Harris firmly believes that consumption of refined carbohydrates and all forms of sweetener can lead to many health concerns including being overweight and obesity. Even though we clearly have become accustomed to its taste, there are other researchers who endorse the opposite position that the consumption of sugar/sweeteners is not directly connected with weight gain or obesity.

I find this position hard to comprehend. I have spent the past 25 years analyzing research that has been funded independently of the food processing industry. I have consistently found that this research shows that fuel containing sugar or sweetener — that substantially raises blood sugar — not only inhibits weight loss, but also increases energy conversion into storage as body fat.

The supporting rationale for those opposing these independent findings is probably based on a calculation around the time it takes for the rise and fall in blood sugar to occur after eating. When the rise and fall of blood sugar measurements are taken over a two hour period and then averaged, the end result masks, or completely dismisses measurement of the critical thirty minute blood sugar peak. This two hour average forms the glycemia index (GI), which has become another way the food industry classifies and markets food — and does not give heed as to how it really affects our body (more about this in Section 2).

Currently, sweetener is added to virtually all processed foods including vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, breads, baked goods, preprepared meals and most baby food. Be aware that many baby foods contain added sweetener in the form of fruit sugar and fruit concentrate which may have negative effects on various aspects of early development.

American Research

American research has directly connected the increasing girth of children to the number of sweetened drinks including soda (which contain between eight and seventeen teaspoons of sugar or equivalent sweetener) that they consume daily. This research is supported by the epidemiological research of US health researcher Professor Walter Willett, who shows a direct link between the consumption of refined and sweetened modern foods and the incidence of various health concerns including weight gain and obesity.

This research is also confirmed by US physician and childhood obesity expert Dr David Ludwig’s findings, which link fuel type to appetite. His research shows that consumption of refined and sweetened fuel for breakfast and lunch increased both appetite and fuel intake later on. He also documented that eating only blood sugar balancing fuel for breakfast and lunch resulted in decreased appetite and reduced energy/fuel consumption in the second half of the day.

As the pattern of consuming factory farmed, processed, packaged food and sweet beverages has become a part of daily life, we have increasingly lost control of our wellbeing and weight. This eating pattern has overwhelmed our metabolic and blood sugar regulating capacity, giving rise to a growing number of health concerns. In fact many researchers draw a direct link between modern food consumption and the increasing incidence of many health issues, including skin conditions, asthma, depression, concentration and learning disorders, fertility and other gynaecological problems, sleep apnea, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, immune concerns (including chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and fatigue) and some cancers.

Looking to the Hunza

The little kingdom of Hunza is nestled in an isolated corner of Asia, protected by the high mountain ranges of the Himalayas. The people who live there have roots that trace back to the military officers who deserted Alexander the Great in 325 BC. Although a scenic place, it has very few visitors thanks to the inaccessible mountain passes so perilous that they repelled the advancing armies of Genghis Khan.

The Hunza are famous for looking good, living to be over 100 and having fun at every age. There are many theories as to why Hunza men of 90 are virile enough to father children, and why (irrespective of advanced age) both men and women can walk the 65 miles to Gilgit and back, carrying heavy loads without rest. Walking is a way of life as there is little level land and farming is done on mountain terraces, whose retaining stone walls were hand built and leveled out with mineral rich riverbed silt that was carried up the mountain in baskets centuries ago.

What sets the Hunza aside from us is that everything they consume has a blood sugar balancing glycemia, and that the water they drink, wash in and cook with, trickles down from mountain glaciers formed at 25,000 feet. Everything the Hunza eat is appetizing, readily available and simple to prepare in your own home. The ingredients they use are easy to obtain and inexpensive. Fortunately, you can easily replicate how the Hunza live in modern cities by Wellbeing for Life eating which is based on Hunza principles and making tap water into freshly filtered living water simply and inexpensively at home.

The Hunza way of life has meant that common first world health problems including obesity and weight gain, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, fatigue, addiction, skin problems, asthma, depression, mood disorders, arthritis, endometriosis, fertility and menopausal problems are unheard of. Dr Allen Banik, an optometrist, who personally trekked the mountain pass to visit the Hunza people, found even their eyesight remains unaffected by old age.

The Hunza story is a clear example of the remarkable looks, wellbeing and vigor produced by a diet rich in fresh natural unprocessed ingredients and living water. The truth is that every enhancement a person makes to the food they eat and the water they drink will directly be reflected in feeling better, living longer and having more fun.

The Global Healthocracy

As wellbeing and weight issues are intricately interwoven we are becoming a ‘healthocracy’, comprising of those who ‘have’ and ‘don’t have’ wellbeing and balanced weight. The ‘have’ group we know well. It includes celebrities and other individuals whose livelihood depends on their appearance or image. These individuals actively ignore advertised foods and diets, and have taken both time and effort to find out what works for them, often employing trainers, nutritionists and other professionals to assist. Celebrities who promote or advertise modern foods don’t usually let their personal opinions or habits be known.

Irrespective of the television or magazines advertisements they are featured in, many celebrities already live by the principles outlined in this book. Of course, there are some celebrities who, because of work pressures, fall into the habit of following restrictive diets. This causes their weight to see saw noticeably over several weeks. Then, with each episode of either rapid weight loss or gain, comes not only publicity but an increased risk of ending up with an eating disorder.

We live in a society where image and weight are connected at the hip, the way family name and birth were in the past. Those who aren’t slim are often disadvantaged in today’s society. Statistics indicate that they may find it harder to secure a job and a relationship, and have higher than average levels of depression and anxiety. Discrimination against overweight individuals is unfortunately real and based in part on the false assumption that they are lazy and undisciplined.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. Dr George Schauf, an obesity expert states in his book The Calorie Conspiracy that ‘most people with weight issues have depleted levels of muscle and vital organ tissues, and have corresponding high levels of fat mainly due to repeated restrictive (calorie and portion counting) programs which cause around two thirds of weight loss to be from vital tissues,’ lowering the amount of energy the body burns as aerobic energy.

Globally, medical researchers and governments are concerned about the social impact and associated medical costs of expanding girths of both children and adults. Many researchers are aware that the long term wellbeing of our nation is now being jeopardized by health issues related to increased weight. Even so, while they can see the trends and statistics, they have trouble searching for a viable remedy to the problem, as nutrition professionals and influential stakeholders present conflicting opinions and highly varied solutions. The government response to this quandary is to issue warnings about the dangers of smoking, obesity and waistline girth, but while the government seems concerned, its worry is not met in dollar terms. Less than one percent of the US’s national health budget is spent on disease prevention, including antismoking, maternal and infant health campaigns.

Drug companies became financially involved in medical education in the late 19th century. Since then, medicine has increasingly focused on disease treatment, rather than prevention. Even though much has been accomplished in the field of medicine, from both a human and financial viewpoint, we need to focus more on prevention. Disease prevention strategies not only reduce the incidence of disease and suffering, but also improve the quality of our lives, thus empowering us to look better, live longer and have more fun.

Genetics and Wellbeing

One of the theories science has proposed is that our genes are to blame for our health problems. We have been surreptitiously encouraged to forget that our lifestyle interacts with our