Food As Medicine

"For the body to retain its
balance
and
harmony
requires only following a
proper diet! One should
never take medications in an
uncontrolled manner. The
power of medications is onesided, and there are cases in
which they are helpful.
Sun Si Miao.
" Recipes worth a thousand pieces of gold."
(Classical text of Chinese Nutrition Therapy)
Our food should be our

medicine and our medicine
should be our food.
Hippocrates
All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

www.LivingWisdomAcademy.com
| www.WholeLifeDetoxBali.com
1
About the author

Acknowledgements
How can healthy food bring you into balance?
Origin
Benefits
Introduction
Part 1. Western approach to Nutrition
Section 1. Diet
Section 2. Western Nutrition pyramid
Part 2. The most important Nutrients
Section 1. Sugar
3
4
5
7
9
10
14
17
32
39
41

2
Doctor Liana Nenacheva S.D., L.Ac., was born in Russia, where

she studied Western Medicine (SD) and practiced oral, facial and
reconstructive surgery.
She also successfully completed the following studies in Belgium
and China: Master in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture by adults
and children; Master in Tuina by adults, babies and children
(Chinese manual Therapy and Massage); Master in Chinese
Herbal Medicine and Nutrition Therapy; Trigger Point Therapy;
Macro-biotic Nutritional Therapy; Chef Training in Natural Cooking
with Simone Parris. Macrobiotic and Vegan training; Cooking
according 5 elements; Yoga Therapy.
With more than 27 years of experience in the field of human
health, her knowledge and skills come through an integration of
het studies and the practice of Western Medicine, Traditional
Chinese Medicine, Nutrition therapy, Yoga and Yoga therapy in
Russia, Belgium, and Bali.
She frequently gives talks and teaches seminars with the goal of
familiarizing physicians and practitioners with the concepts of
TCM, Nutrition therapy and broadening its applications in Western
medicine.

3
A heartfelt thank you to my parents, who gave me the freedom to

walk uncommon paths, and to my teachers, who showed me the
way. My gratitude goes to my patients, who time and time again
have proven to me how consistent integration of Chinese and
Macro-biotic nutrition into our daily diet helps overcome illnesses
and creates health.
I especially thank my friend Marc Antonsen and my daughter Nina
Ryckewaert, who have stood by me and supported me all the way.
A big thank you also goes out my friend Letia Ayres for providing
such valuable guidance and showing so much editorial patience,
and for offering many suggestions for improvements.

4
We've become estranged from the normal functioning of our body.

We need outside help. Nowadays we need caffeine and nicotine,
sugar to get going each day, suppositories to move out our
bowels, alkaline tablets to neutralize excess dietary acidity in our
stomach, sleeping pills for night time, statin drugs to normalize
blood pressure; multivitamins and different kinds of supplements to
gain health and so on.
Originally, our body functions were designed to work naturally,
without the support of medication.
Our refined-food diets, containing excessive amounts of sugar,
salt, chemicals and animal products, are prime reasons for such
dysfunctions and most prominently figure in any attempt to make a
foundational change to these conditions.
While exercise can support your therapy, it is still limiting because
a lack of dietary balance can undo the benefits of what you've
gained from exercising.
Eating a healthy diet isn't simply a matter of choosing
between good and bad foods, but more about knowledge of
what foods create health, as well as what foods are
compatible with the way you are designed and the lifestyle
you've chosen.
First you must activate your internal detox function. Reducing your
intake of garbage, so you are no longer contributing to the
problem, is the first step to your healing. Understanding how you
discharge internal toxins and how problems develop from an
overburdened system is essential for healing.

5
Healing common diseases and conditions with whole-foods

and lifestyle, means looking at the illness of imbalance from a
holistic perspective.
It's not only about taking special remedies, medications or applying
different therapies. It also requires that we discover natural and
nontoxic ways to halt pain, strengthen immunity, regulate blood
sugar and make stresses more tolerable.
Although these remedies can aid healing, the core of healing
must embrace a transformational approach of body, mind and
spirit. This requires an honest assessment of your
imbalances in every aspect of life and a willingness to
challenge these imbalances with determination and faith.

6
Inspiration for Food as Medicine has been developed from more

than 27 years of combined schooling and work experience by the
author, who has studied Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese
Medicine, Traditional Chinese and Macrobiotic Nutritional therapy,
Yoga and Ayurvedic Medicine.
A major complaint of people, who begin the study of diet, is the
proliferation of conflicting views in almost all sources of
information.
These books are written in part to resolve those conflicts by acting
as a guide for individual diagnosis and healing properties of
various foods. With knowledge of how foods act in the body and
ability to self-evaluate, the reader can learn which foods and diets
are best for his or her particular constitution and condition.
The other purpose of these books is to integrate the most
important food therapies from both east and west. In the west we
speak of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and other components of
food. But knowing only fats, proteins, vitamins and general
nutrition properties is not enough. Thousands of years ago, master
healers in China perceived a way to classify foods and diseases
according to simple, easily observed patterns. Various nutrition
therapies in the east focus on other dimensions: the warming and
cooling values of food, foods ability to moisten, strengthen overall
energy, calm the mind and more. Knowledge of these qualities is
indispensable for using food as medicine. This system can be
highly effective even if the medical name of the disease is not
known. For this reason, we have included the foundation of
traditional Chinese diagnosis and treatment, so that all
imbalances, regardless of the disease type, can be treated with
dietary measures.
Looking at personal diagnosis and individual properties of food,
one may conclude a universal diet does not exist, i.e. balance in
diet is unique for each person. To find balance, its helpful to know
7
not only one's own needs and properties of foods, but also the
correct preparation. It is necessary to exercise skill in eating by not
overeating, by choosing high-qualities foods, avoiding too many
food combinations, and by knowing a broad range of nutritious
foods including the chlorophyll-rich plants, the best source of
certain fatty acids, the least dangerous of the concentrated
sweeteners and so on. When a good attitude and sufficient
exercises are combined with a balanced and disciplined diet, one
finds no limit to health.
Most Asian nutrition therapies tend to be identified with macrobiotic
methodology; a distinct dietary philosophy focusing on health and
longevity through lifestyle principles.
This suggests that food becomes an ultimate medicine when
we recognize it as a facet of our mind.

8
Benefits
These books are for people who are interested in selfcare and want to change their lives; for people who
are ill and spend a lot of money on supplements and
doctors, for mothers, wives and managers. For people
who want to improve their health, balance energy and
life without spending a lot of money or time. For those
who enjoy learning, reading books, and people who
like to cook healthy foods
Eating right means more than what you should eat.
We are overwhelmed with dietary advice, (research
how many diets are out their at one time)
What is really healthy?
In one years course, I give 30yrs of experience in 3 x
different modalities. Financial benefits

9
How can food bring you into balance? People must understand
that food can make us ill or it can make us healthy.
With small changes to our food habits, we can make huge
changes to our overall health and wellbeing.
I want to teach the real reason why eating sugar is bad, including
the western perspective too.
It is good to look at food not just as nutrition but also as energy,
how it can bring us into balance and how we can also have a
happy life. There is NO DIET, because life is a picnic and you
must enjoy it.
Learn how in every part of the world, there are healthy ingredients
that will support you. Learn to make healthy choices and healthy
combinations for yourself, your partner and your children.
Its not about diet, but also who you are. You will find information
provided to understand what your body is telling you. You will learn
ways to increase your self-awareness and body awareness.
I will talk about the best way to arrange your kitchen, create a
shopping list, tips for a mother, a wife, a single person etc. Once
implemented, these things are easy, dont take long and provide
you with life-long healthy eating strategies.
In book 1 and book 2 we will we talk about western approach to
nutrition and eastern approach to nutrition. All this gives you the
possibility to keep you and your family happy and healthy.
Book 1: Western approach to nutrition
Western approach to nutrition: diet, sugar, fat,
carbohydrates & proteins
How these food groups affect our health in both a positive
and negative way

10
How you eat fruit? Whole? Juiced? How many pieces a

day?
What are good proteins and what are bad proteins?
Good oils, bad oils
What does diet mean, which diet is good, which diet is not
good?
Western nutrition pyramid
And much more
Book 2: Eastern approach to nutrition
Integrative nutrition pyramid. The important components of
this pyramid: love and self love, self care, self knowledge
and so on
Basic knowledge about the energy anatomy of our body,
five elements & the energy of emotions
Energy of food according the five elements
Macrobiotic nutrition pyramid
We will customise your meal plan
Best choice to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Some health tips
In book 3 and book 4 we will go deeper into western anatomy
and pathogenesis (the teaching about illnesses) and the energy
anatomy of our body. After studying this part of the Food as
medicine you will be able understand what is your energy type
and how your make-up can make you ill mentally, emotionally and
physically.
Book 3: Western approach to the digestive system
We will learn about: western anatomy, the digestion system
overall, how we digest our food and how we make problems
for the digestion system both anatomically and physically
We will discuss the difference between what is digestion
and what is absorption? Most people believe that digestion
is important; actually its absorption that is most important
We will talk about leaking gut syndrome. This is the biggest
problem of our modern time. This make as tired and ill. This
11
syndrome is responsible for most food intolerances,

allergies, asthma, low immunity, adrenal fatigue,
malabsorption, avitamonosis (vitamins and trace mineral
deficiency) and so on
The liver and gall bladder as anatomical and energetic
systems, play one of the most important roles in our
physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Step by step we
will learn about their substantial influence
Book 4: Energy anatomy of body and the influence of food
upon the subtle and gross body
We will understand more about the energy anatomy of the
body and what our energetic body looks like. We will see
what type of person you are, your blueprint
We will see how food affects our emotions, our stress
resistance and our moods. We will see how we create
illnesses and how food effects everything; first at an
energetic level and then on a physical level
We will look at how we make ourselves ill and how to make
ourselves healthy, without any special superman pills or
potions
Book 5 and book 6 are really the healing books. You become a
nutrition doctor, because here, you will study about different kinds
of illnesses according western and Chinese Medicine and than we
will discover different nutritional plans to heal these conditions.
Book 5: Western pathology and illnesses
We will see western pathology and illnesses as digestion
problems, leaking gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome,
gastritis, celiac disease, lung disease, heart and vessels
pathology, diabetes, candida, depression, and emotional
problems, tiredness, lack of energy, low immune system,
sinusitis and so on
We will look at the conditions that have enabled these
conditions to occur, how we may free ourselves from them
and what we must do on an energetic level
12
We will discuss how we can transform these conditions with

diet. We will make a food plan for these diseases according
to Chinese medicine and
Traditional Chinese Nutrition Therapy
Macrobiotic Therapy
Book 6: Vitamins, supplements, super foods, and home
remedies
We will talk about
The use of vitamins, supplements and super foods. I will
answer the following questions: Are they good for
everybody? How do I use them properly? What types of
super foods can I choose for my condition?
I will give you a substantial amount of home remedies for
common illnesses and problems such as flu, cough,

headaches, diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, low appetite
and indigestion. You can adjust these conditions with
kitchen herbs like cinnamon, garlic, turmeric and so on. Just
open your cupboard and use these magical medicines for
you and all your family
Book 7: Recipes and properties of foods
I will give you different cooking methods. You will
understand how you can use then according your health
condition, climate, and the season
We will discover the energetic and nutritional property of
different kinds of grains, fruits and vegetables
Of course, you will have delicious healthy recipes provided
too
All this gives you the possibility to keep you and your family happy
and healthy. I promise that it will be easy, because you dont need
to spend a lot of time in your kitchen to create very tasty, healthy,
dishe

13

14
We always study western nutrition, anatomy and physiology OR

eastern nutrition and energy anatomy of the body. OR, we just
study nutrition alone, without any deep knowledge of anatomy and
the physiology of our body (like most western nutritional
therapists). OR, we just study medicine, without studying nutrition
(this is a big problem with western doctors, they rarely study
nutrition). How many people study the length and breadth of
energetic anatomy? We always have one small piece of the big
picture as a specialist or a doctor. What do you expect from people
who have never studied this very wide and very difficult science?
The biggest problem in our current day and age is SEPARATION.
When we talk about food we constantly tend to divide our food into
healthy and unhealthy groups, according to western nutritional
science. Most of the worlds population still thinks about food in
terms of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, supplements,
trace elements, healthy juicing, detoxing, and so on. This approach
is relevant to the first chakra or first layer of our koshas or aura.
This is the correct approach for our physical body.
In this book 1, I will analyse the traditional western nutritional
approach. We will talk about
Food pyramid
Diet
Carbs, fats, sugars, proteins
You are probably aware of the food pyramid that tells us what
we should eat. Actually, there are many different types of food
pyramids on the market at any give time; for example, the Paleo
diet, micro-biotic diet and the raw-food diet. They all have different
approaches and different ratios of food in the respective food
groups.

15
Our society is bombarded with the latest designer diet every day.
There are so many ways to approach the topic of healthy eating:
multi-vitamins, probiotics, fibre, etc. You will be able to understand
what diet means, which diet is good, which diet is not good for
you and your family.
In the west we speak of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and
other components of food. This is very important to
understand:
What are good proteins and what are bad proteins?

What are good oils and what are bad oils?
What kind of carbohydrates do you need to eat?
Do I eat sugar? What types of sugar are healthy?
We use oils, sugar, carbohydrates and proteins every day. It is

very important to use them correctly to keep our physical body
healthy. You need to make the right choice between huge amounts
of all these types of products in the supermarkets. There are
unfortunately, more unhealthy types of food, than healthy food.
This is the first but very important step for you to lead a healthy
and happy life. Without a healthy first chakra, we cannot keep the
other 6 chakras and our aura healthy.
You cannot make very healthy and energetically

balanced meals, with unhealthy ingredients!!!
You will learn step-by-step, what is good and what is bad for you
and your family. What do you need to introduce to your meals and
what do you need to reduce in your consumption?
I wish you a fascinating journey through the carbs, fats, sugars,
fruits, oils and other kinds of foods for our first chakra and physical
body.

16

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Our society is bombarded with the latest designer diet every day.
There are so many ways to approach the topic of healthy eating:
multi-vitamins, probiotics, fibre, etc. However, are all these
supplements and foods appropriate for your body? What does your
body really need?
You cant turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party
without being confronted with western societys hottest obsession:
weight loss. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend
millions and millions luring you into trying the latest diet (low carb,
high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will
(finally) be the solution - your shortcut to a thinner body.
Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop a
distorted body image and are often on diets as early as nine or 10
years of age.
Our culture touts diet pills; celebrity workouts, convenience foods
and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these
quick-fix solutions have backfired. World populace has reached its
highest weight in history. For example, about half the population of
America is overweight; one-third is obese. Diets steer us away
from our own common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks
while eliciting few, if any, lasting results.
Why? Ill give you a couple of answers on this question from the
different perspectives of western and eastern nutritional science:
1. From the western scientific point of view, most

diets dont work because
They rely on small-scale studies or studies that have been
incorrectly conducted and published in scientific journals
with a low impact factor
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The conclusions are too far reaching (not every cholesterollowering substance automatically protects against heart
attacks)
They publish only studies that confirm their point of view
and ignore studies that negate their objectives
They concentrate on a biochemical mechanism and ignore
the entire biochemical picture
They focus mainly on weight loss and do not take into
account the long-term effects, such as a shortening of life
span expectancy. A diet or diet from the point of view of biogerontology (the science of aging), really keeps this in mind
2. From the perspective of Food as Medicine, which

emphasizes the importance of balancing the body,
mind and spirit
Diets dont work because each person is unique, with
different
needs based on gender, age, ancestry and
lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone?
Diets dont work because they are extreme
solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one
extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might
work for a short amount of time, but research shows that
almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet
Diets
dont
work
because
they
are
too
restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed or
weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at
levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body
Most people are disconnected from why they gain
weight and see diet as the only culprit. For example,
ignoring or discounting emotions, when often they are the
primary reason for weight imbalances
We are always trying to start our diet on Monday. We prepare
ourselves mentally all week (or a couple of weeks before). Monday
morning we wake up with one thought: Oh I am so fat; today I
will start this very difficult diet. I really need to lose weight. I want to
look sexy. Or, I want to be healthy. Or, I want to fit into this
beautiful bikini this summer. Or, the doctor says, that I need to
19
eat less meat. We push ourselves very hard. We are fighting with
healthy food, thoughts, emotions and people around us. We cant
go out with friends; we miss our chocolate, our coffee, and our
relaxing moments with pleasure food. We become very nervous
and irritated; then the craving comes. We start to think: Whats
wrong if I just eat just one small piece of chocolate, just one! Yes,
just one. Then it becomes 2, then 3 pieces. We give up. We feel
guilty. Then we eat even more bad food than before we started
the diet. Its the normal reaction of emotional eating. Naturally, we
start to gain more weight.
All of us know this situation: This is the typical western diet cycle.
Many of us, who have tried one or more western diets, have had
this kind of experience.
In all western diets we just miss one important thing Balance.

Unfortunately, balance is often the first casualty in the singleminded pursuit of another goal, usually weight loss. Who has tried
the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, the carb-free diet, or
another such diet that includes restriction from entire food groups?
Yes, you will probably loose weight (at least temporarily) if you eat
nothing but grapefruit. But will you be healthier? Extend your life
20
span? Increase your sense of wellbeing? Or in the end, will you

simply shudder at the thought of ever facing another darned citrus
fruit?
In our fast-paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects of life
that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down,
eating a home-cooked meal and spending quality time with loving
people. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes
will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle
of dieting.
Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is
only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to
what you truly need. Imagine taking all the outward energy you
expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that
you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom?
There is no such thing as a quick fix.
With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself in
a nourishing way. Working with your body rather than against it will
bring you increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable
health.
According to eastern philosophy, the most important
characteristic of nutrition is to bring balance to our body,
mind and spirit.
I always suggest my clients start with this kind of diet cycle. This
is the first small step to understand our bad eating habits. It
really helps to change these habits and become a mindful eater.
This is also the first step in balancing your food, body, emotions
and health.

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3. From the holistic perspective of health and wellbeing

Below you will find some common questions I am asked in my
practice daily:
What do you think about very healthy diets such as the
Paleo Diet, Raw Food Diet, Vegan Diet,
Low Carb Diet?
My answer is very easy. There is NO HEALTHY DIET!!!! Any diet has
both positive and negative traits.
The biggest problem in our current day and age is SEPARATION.
When we talk about food we constantly tend to divide our food into
healthy and unhealthy groups, according to western nutritional
science. Most of the worlds population still thinks about food in
terms of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, supplements,
trace elements, healthy juicing, detoxing, and so on.
In our modern time, we now have the tendency to overdo healthy
food. We become attached to some healthy stuff without
22
understanding how it really affects our SUBTLE BODY and of

course, our health. Just look at some modern new age
assumptions:
I eat a lot of salads and they contain a lot of vitamins. All
cooked food is dead.
Very interesting, but salad has the least amount of vitamins and
minerals and other nutritional value. However, it is very difficult
to digest. It constantly weakens our digestion and digestive fire.
It weakens all of our energy systems. We become tired, we feel
cold and have cold feet and hands, it cools our fire of life and
so on. You will learn more about this in the next book.
It has no taste. We take a lot of dressing and a lot of seeds and
nuts to make it tasty and easy digestible. But the dressing
contains a lot of oil and vinegar. Plus, nuts also contain a lot of
oil. This is very bad for our liver. Why do you think you need a
lot of detoxing for the liver? Because you have poisoned it with
your overindulgence of tahini, oil, seeds and nuts.
Salads contain a lot of water. This promotes the holding of
water in our system. What do you think is the cause of
cellulitis?
I eat a lot of fruit and juices. Perfect. In the section Sugar we
will talk about this topic.
I am a vegan; therefore, I am healthy. Yes, you can be a
perfectly healthy vegan as long as you know how to perfectly
combine your meals. Of course, you must know everything
about the energetic qualities of food. If you eat very strictly
macrobiotic, it means you must have spent a lot of time
studying vegan food and you cook at home a lot. The same is
valid for vegetarians.
Vegetarians, be careful with diary and eggs! I saw a
vegetarian who was drinking a lot of milk, eating cheese, as
well as yoghurt and eggs. You will learn about these products
in book 1. Dont forget about excessive amounts of dressings,
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fruits, fruit juices, nuts, seeds, healthy desserts and so on.

When we dont have enough proteins and fats, we just have a
sweet tooth. You will learn about it further.
I use a lot of very healthy super food. Did you know that if
you use super foods inappropriately, they could harm your
health? For example, using green-blue algae for thin, tired and
depressed people is very dangerous. The intention behind the
intake of this kind of super food is to tonify energy. However,
this type of person can easily become even more tired,
depressed and mentally tight. This is because blue-green algae
are not suitable for their body type. It makes them feel even
worse. For this type of person, its better to take spirulina.
Also, the manner in which we take the super food is often
very, very bad. We will talk about this later.
We become attached to the modern idea as Ahimsa
(from Sanskrit
ahims, which means not injuring
anything, do not harm anyone)". We feel at one with all worlds.
We are all one soul; we love our brothers and sisters all living
creatures. There is just one big problem: we are very often
himsic (from Sanskrit, which means harmful) towards
ourselves. We need animal products for some health condition;
actually, I mean unhealthy condition. For example, a very thin,
young girl, who loses a lot of blood during her menstruation,
suffers from anemia (blood insufficiency) and has a lot of
problems with low blood pressure, tiredness, stress and
insomnia, cant be vegan. She needs meat, but it doesnt mean
that she needs to eat half a kilo of steak every day. No, she
needs meat as medicine. It will be a small amount of a special
kind of meat, and probably in form of soup or bullion. Its the
same with women who have just given birth. They need to have
bouillon. In China, every woman after giving birth consumes a
bowl of pigeon soup. It is a very strong blood and kidney tonic.
Unfortunately, in my practice I often have patients who refuse
to understand this. They prefer to be ill rather than seeing
beyond Animism. They also remain very himsic to their Inner
Self.

24
These are just few very small examples of our unchallenged

assumptions and belief systems.
I wonder if you are still intrigued by the question: What is a healthy
diet?
My turn now; I would like to ask you a question:
How can a person who adheres to a very strict, low-fat diet,
still register a high cholesterol value in their blood, posing a
high risk for heart problems?
Or, why do we eat so much sugar/sweet when we are upset? Why
do we like salty chips so much? How does our food affect our
emotions and mind?
The answer is very easy. We always see our body, our mind and
our food as small stacks of puzzles. WE NEVER WANT TO SEE
THE WHOLE PICTURE!

25
Is this because of our ignorance or our lack of knowledge?

We always study western nutrition, anatomy and physiology OR
eastern nutrition and energy anatomy of the body. OR, we just
study nutrition alone, without any deep knowledge of anatomy and
the physiology of our body (like most western nutritional
therapists). OR, we just study medicine, without studying nutrition
(this is a big problem with western doctors, they rarely study
nutrition). How many people study the length and breadth of
energetic anatomy? We always have one small piece of the big
26
picture as a specialist or a doctor. What do you expect from people

who have never studied this very wide and very difficult science?
We just go to Google and punch in our questions. We are so
overwhelmed with information, all at our fingertips; we literally dont
know what we need to do next. Plus, we really dont know anything
about the energy of our body.
Hence, why there is all this food and diet confusion.
The most important mistake I see made is that that we only
consider our food as carbs, fats, proteins and so on. This approach
is relevant to the first chakra or first layer of our koshas or aura.
This is the correct approach for our physical body. We will learn
about the subtle body, further along in the course. We are very
complex bio-energetic systems.
Food is one of the most powerful medicines that can balance
all of our systems: our body, mind, emotions - ALL!
Unfortunately, we still try to use food just for its effects on our
physical body, without knowing first, how we can bring harmony to
our emotional, mental and spiritual body. It can be done. You are
the master or mistress of your existence. If you change your food,
you will change your energy and therefore, your entire life will
change!
Step by step you will learn about the miracle and powerful qualities
of food. You will learn about whom you are, how you exist, and
how you can bring yourself into balance and harmony just with a
knife, a pot, a pan and a gas fire!

27
We have more opportunity to condition our body and control our

health than we could ever imagine. Most people however, don't
take advantage of that capability. Our body is a detoxing,
cleansing, excess weight loss, super efficient machine. This is
what Its designed to do.
Looking at a personal diagnosis combined with the individual
properties of food, one may conclude that a universal diet does not
exist, i.e. balance in diet is unique for each person.
To find balance, it is helpful to know not only one's own needs and
gain knowledge about food properties, but also learn about the
correct preparation of food. Exercising skill in eating, by not
overeating, by choosing high-quality foods, avoiding too many food
combinations, and by knowing a broad range of nutritious foods
including chlorophyll-rich plants, the best source of certain fattyacids, the least dangerous of the concentrated sweeteners, is also
invaluable.

28
The most important statements regarding a healthy

diet are:
Positive effects over a long period of time
The aging process has slowed down
The risk for illnesses has been minimized
Weight loss is no effort. It will come by itself,
without emotional instabilities and strain
Food style becomes a lifestyle!
You need to know what is bad and unhealthy
Knowing what you cannot eat is more important
than knowing what you can eat. Unfortunately,
there is more unhealthy food readily available
than healthy food
Healthy food is the food we need to create an optimal weight,

improve the quality of our life and our longevity. It happens
because we stimulate different biochemical and metabolic
mechanisms in our body. Another effect is that we also feel
healthier and have a better overall condition.
Food becomes an ultimate medicine when we recognize it as a
facet of the mind.
The ultimate goal of eating healthy food and creating a vibrant
lifestyle is to create freedom from fear, from illness and from
living a life of indifference. Creating a fulfilling life is the
goal.
In the west we speak of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and other
components of food. In the east we focus on another dimension:
yin and yang, five elements and the warming and cooling values of
food.

29
In the late twentieth century, food finally began to be recognized as

an important healing force in the west. Comparatively speaking,
holistic practitioners have always seen food as medicine, as a
powerful tool for combating a myriad of diseases as well as
contributing to a happy and healthy lifestyle.
We've become estranged from the normal functioning of our body.
We need outside help now; we need caffeine and nicotine, sugar
to get going each day, suppositories to move out our bowels,
alkaline tablets to neutralize excess dietary acidity in our stomach,
sleeping pills to fall asleep, statin drugs to normalize blood
pressure, multivitamins and different kinds of supplements to feel
healthy and so on.
Originally, our body functions were designed to work naturally,
without the benefit of medications. Our refined food diets, with
excessive amounts of sugar, salt, chemicals and animal products,
are the premiere reason such dysfunction occurs and must
prominently figure in any attempt to change the foundation of any
sub-optimal condition.
While exercise can be helpful therapy, it is still limiting, because a
lack of dietary balance can undo the benefits of what youve
earned from exercise.
Eating in a healthy manner isn't simply a matter of choosing
between good and bad foods, but more about knowledge of which
foods create health and which foods are compatible with the way
you are designed, as well as the lifestyle you've chosen.
Healing common diseases and conditions with whole-food and a
change of lifestyle, means looking at the illness of imbalance from
a holistic perspective. It also requires that we discover natural and
non-toxic ways to halt pain, strengthen immunity, regulate blood
sugar and make stressors more tolerable. It's not about taking
special remedies and medications or applying different therapies.
Although these can aid healing, the core of healing must embrace
the body, mind and spirit, creating a transformational approach.
30
This requires an honest assessment of your imbalances in every

area of your life and a willingness to challenge these imbalances
with determination and faith.
Healing yourself with food is a comprehensive way of life, and
offers invigorating principles that guide and educate with practical
tools to strengthen the body, mind and spirit. Recognizing that we
are composed of many bodies- physical, intellectual, emotional,
creative and spiritual, possessing a healthy lifestyle and the best
food choices, offers unique nourishment to sustain growth and
alleviate judgment.
THINK ABOUT YOUR FOOD AS MEDICINE, refrain from dwelling on
what you may be missing and would like to indulge in. It's about
healing, and the need to do that in a focused and disciplined way,
is what enables you to see your body's honest reaction.
Remember! The most important quality that you can bring to
your eating is to be present with what you are doing. Taste
your food, use your senses and awaken to the miracle of
transforming your health.

31

32
You are probably aware of the food pyramid that tells us what we
should eat. You can find these posters everywhere, even in
Doctors offices. They tend to look like the pyramid below.
At the base of this pyramid, we see mostly starch products (bread,

pasta, white rice, cereals, cornflakes and potatos). At the top, you
will find sugar and oils. You will also find pyramids that place dairy
products at the base, representing the largest group of servings
per day.
Actually, there are many different types of food pyramids on the
market at any give time; for example, the Paleo diet, micro-biotic
diet and the raw-food diet. They all have different approaches and
different ratios of food in the respective food groups. In this
section, I will analyse the traditional western nutritional approach to

33
food, (i.e. the image above) a pyramid that has been used for a
very long time.
Most food pyramids you see circulating around, are very old now.
You may be asking the question; why do we still use these
pyramids? Let me share with you a couple of reasons why.
A significant period of time is needed to introduce

innovative methods in the medical world
There is a huge amount of economic interest,
invested in your daily food consumption
The Government agencies that provide nutritional
information, often assume that the general public is
gullible
The general public lacks health consciousness
Its easy to manipulate a large mass of unaware
consumers
Many doctors are more comfortable prescribing
medicine than considering food as medicine
I am a western medical doctor. I know from my experience, that

our industry needs a lot of time to introduce innovative
methods into the medical field. It can sometimes take a number
of years, even decades before adequate, non-biased research
reaches our consciousness.
There are also huge economic interests invested in your daily
food consumption.
One of the reasons why the old pyramid is still visible and
circulating around, is that agriculture, meat and dairy industries
strongly lobby the government to preserve the pyramid in its
present form: a shape with a strong emphasis on grain, meat, and
dairy products the products of these industries. So it is no
34
coincidence that these foods make up a large portion of the food

pyramid.
The grain, meat and dairy industries not only guarded the pyramid,
they also had a significant impact on the creation of it. Many
pyramids are based on the American model. The agriculture
industries in the United States, have for many decades, had a
significant impact on government institutions.
These industries largely determined how the American
pyramid looked; it was the department of agriculture and not
the department of health that created it.
Actually, the agriculture, food manufacturing and
pharmaceutical industries have a huge influence on the
western medical world including scientific research
Money influences what we can eat. We receive information that
has been manipulated. Think about the publicity around healthy
yoghurt, vegetable margarine, and sugar. Are these campaigns
really truthful? Or, are you being manipulated, because as a
consumer, you can be influenced concerning how you spend your
money?
An additional reason is, that the government agencies that provide
nutrition, often assume that the general public is gullible.
According to them, the wider public would not understand the
changes in the general nutritional guidelines. Furthermore, people
would not be able to adapt to these changes. In short, government
authorities also play with our health because they believe, that
some scientific insights about nutrition are too difficult for the
general public to comprehend.
On the other side, we dont have a lack in health consciousness
by the general public. A lot of people really eat most food
because it tastes delicious or its about convenience (think about
deep fried pizzas or ready-made meals with a lot of preservatives).
In our culture, we were never taught about the medicinal or
energetic aspects of food. Food was only considered as something
35
to put in our stomach to satisfy our different types of needs

(physical, emotional or stress-reduction).
It is also easy to manipulate a large mass of unaware
consumers, who never ask questions. We just buy healthy
products, because everybody does that, or we saw an
advertisement for this in between our television program, or the
doctor advised it, or we read it in one of our favourite magazines.
We do this because we have been taught from an early age what
to think is healthy and what to purchase thats healthy too.
The biggest problem is that the government wants to keep us like
a docile, manipulated, mass of consumers who make a small
sector of society very rich. This is not about conspiracy theories;
this is about a very slow but concerted effort between big
agricultural industries and government (who are funded by these
industries) to subtly influence our thinking over generations.
If we start to learn about the individual nature of diet, we became
aware, that WE ARE INDIVIDUALS. We become conscious
individual with a lot of questions. Do you think that governments
and all big industrial corporates want this? Absolutely no - they do
not. There is too much at risk financially for them.
The next problem is, that most doctors feel more comfortable
prescribing medicine that considering food as medicine. The
food-as-medicine philosophy of Hippocrates that was given to us
many centuries ago was generally ignored, for a very long time.
Why? Because knowledge about diet for most doctors is
rudimentary. During their medical degree, young doctors receive
virtually no information about nutrition. Also modern western
medicine is an acute medicine, not a preventive medicine. I mean,
that we treat the acute condition or chronic symptoms of diseases. Western medicine is not about preventative medicine.

36
Lets look at the most widely known food pyramid and the
associated problems behind this pyramid:
1. Contents: The base of pyramid shows food that is supposed
to be consumed in the largest amounts: dairy, starch
products (bread, pasta, white rice, cereals, cornflakes and
potatos). Actually, these foods are the most, unhealthy
foods. We should absolutely be avoiding these foods in our
daily life
2. The pyramid doesnt separate healthy and unhealthy food. In
general, we have a lot more unhealthy food available to us
than healthy food: unhealthy grains (refined white rice and
pasta), unhealthy oils (refined oils and margarine) and so on
3. There are no any alternatives for your diet. For example: We
need to eat less meat, most people are aware of this. What
is the alternative according to the pyramid? The alternatives
are vegetables and fruit. But my question is what do I eat
instead of meat? I dont find the answer there. The pyramid
doesnt talk about legumes, beans, and tempeh or fish. We
have the same problem with grain products (bread, pasta,
pizza). We know that we are supposed to eat less grain
products, but what is the alternative for grain products?
4. The other big problem is the amount of food. In the top of the
pyramid we see a very small triangle with fats, oils, and
sweets. Again, we encounter the same problem: what does it
mean: not much? Also, we cant see the difference
between good and bad oils. Adding to this problem, there is
also a large amount of healthy foods that we should be
consuming in small amounts, for example: black chocolate.
Where do we find this? I dont see it anywhere
5. Other important foods missing from this pyramid are sea
weeds, fermented food, herbs and so on
6. Fruit problem. Further you will learn more about the healthy
influence of fruit. You will probably start to change your mind
about the importance of fruit in our overall food consumption.
37
In this traditional food pyramid, fruit takes an all-important

place.
I hope you are starting to ask questions after you read the section
about Diet and the Food Pyramid and that you are considering
this: So, what are healthy foods that are good for me?

38

39
There are five main groups of nutrients, which can be divided into
two groups
1. The macronutrients
2. The micronutrients
In book 1, we will talk about macronutrients.

We will learn about sugars, carbohydrates, fats and proteins in
general by comparing an eastern traditional view of macronutrients
with present-day western attitudes towards nutrition.
I will give you some dietary bottom lines for macronutrients, and
provide practical suggestions for reducing cravings and making the
healthiest choices that enable you to balance and secure your
individual nutritional needs.
I will also help you make informed decisions about supplements,
herbs, and quality salt, all which contribute to your health.
Micronutrients are Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are complex chemicals that have a range of biochemical
functions within the body. They cannot be made by the body and
therefore must be consumed within food. There are fat-soluble
vitamins (provided by fat-containing foods because they require fat for
absorption in the gut) and water-soluble vitamins
Minerals are a vital part of the human diet as they help in building up
strong bones, transmitting nerve impulses through the body, to create
hormones, or to maintain heart health and a healthy heartbeat. They
facilitate general body growth and support various functions and
processes in the body. The body needs both the macro minerals and
the trace minerals
In book 6 we will learn about the most important minerals for our health as
well as the best salt. Also, you will understand, which supplements you need
to use in certain conditions and according to your body constitution. I will give
you the correct manner to use them as well as the correct daily doses.
Book 5 and 6 will be about the medical aspects of foods. We will go very
deeply into the properties of vitamins and minerals, as well as super-foods
and food supplements.

40

41
We will learn about sugar s and sweet flavor in general by

comparing an Eastern traditional view on sweets with present-day
Western attitudes towards nutrition.
Sugars are of course present in sugary foods such as jam, table
sugar, soft drinks, cakes and biscuits, but can also be found in
milk, fruit and vegetables.
Why quit sugar, you might ask? Sugar is natural! Well, yes, but so
is petroleum, and surely you dont mean fruit and honey? Yes, yes,
I do.
Lets be clear: its fructose that is the enemy when we talk about
sugar. Your body transforms table sugar into fructose (and
glucose), and the sugar in fruit is also fructose. Honey is 40%
fructose and agave is up to 90% fructose. Now heres the
untechnical gist of the matter: every single molecule we stick in our
mouths has a corresponding appetite hormone that, when weve
eaten enough of said molecule, tells our brains OK, we are full
now. Our bodies are good that way, were designed to eat only as
much as we need.
Every molecule, that is, except fructose.
This is because back when we were cave people, sugar was both
highly valuable (as instant energy for chasing wildebeest) and
extremely rare (a berry here and there). Thus we evolved with no
fructose full switch so that when we did stumble on a berry bush
we could gorge ourselves silly (and store it as instant fat).
Our digestion and metabolisms have not changed in over 100,000
years. Our sugar intake, however, has. In just 150 years, its gone
from 0kg to about 60kg a year.
Everybody knows that sugar is unhealthy. It is more dangerous
42
than we think. The problems we experience with our teeth and

weight are the least serious problems to contend with.
The substitution of healthy food choices for large amounts of sweet
foods leads to
Obesity, hypoglycemia, diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart disease, anemia, immune deficiency, tooth decay,
bone loss, herpes, yeast infections, cancer, pre-menstrual
syndrome, menstrual problems and male impotence
It weakens the mind, causes loss of memory and
concentration, nervousness, shyness, violence, excessive
talking, negative thoughts, paranoia and emotional upset
such as self-pity, arguments, irritability and the desire for
only sweet things in life
Lets see how sugar affects our body. Excessive intake of sugar
causes
Activation of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) which
leads to excessive growths and formation of body
tissues aging, cancer
Agglutination of the protein molecules (sticking of the
molecules): problem with skin, kidney, blood vessels,
atherosclerosis, brain, immune system (asthma, allergy,
rheumatism), gastro-intestinal tract, nerves (nerve pain,
slow impulses between synapses), problems with vision,
problems with erections, problems with intestinal nerves
Increases in heart and vessel problems
Suppression of immune system
Increased acidity of blood and body increased
Osteoporosis: sucks calcium from the bones
Activation of fat production cholesterol heart and
vessel problems

43
Why and how does this happen?
The first problem

Sugar activates insulin production by the pancreas. Every time we
consume sugar it increases the amount of insulin in the blood. It
also activates the production of Insulin-like Growth Factor
(IGF). This is a growth hormone. It will stimulate production and
growth of cells and tissues in our
body. Different metabolic processes will also be activated. Of
course, if the person starts to take a growth hormone, he or she
will feel better and also start to look healthier and will have
increased muscular strength and beautiful skin. They will have
more energy; their libido will increase. HOWEVER, This only
occurs in the beginning, later it becomes a very dangerous
situation. With growth hormone you quickly become old. The aging
process will be accelerated. The metabolic processes in the body
become more powerful and you also have excess amounts of
sugar as fuel. We can compare this situation to the workings of a
motor. Our body acts like a motor. If the motor works more
powerfully and faster, then it wears out and becomes older,
quicker.
The second problem

Sugar molecules work as glue. They have a tendency to stick to
the molecules of proteins. This makes it easier for protein
molecules to stick to each other. This is called agglutination. It
can change the structure of all tissues, because protein is an
essential building block of all cells and organs. If agglutination
happens to our skin tissue, our skin becomes less elastic and we
will have more wrinkles. If it happens in our blood vessels, they
become more rigid. It creates an easier rupture of the blood
vessel wall. If a person has high blood pressure, then it can cause
44
bleeding in the brain. It is called a stroke, CVA or TVA in the

brain.
The third problem

If agglutination happens with any kind of cells in our body, the
immune system will not recognize its own cells. The immune
system will consider these cells as foreign to the body. The body
will start to destroy its own cells. This increases the risk of
autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The fourth problem

It also changes the conduction of nerve impulses in our
nervous system. It causes polyneuropathy (nerve pain) and
reduced function of the organs. For example, it will affect the
peristalsis of our intestines; so ultimately, it affects bowel
movement.
All of these problems are found in Diabetes. Diabetes patients
have a wide range problems and illnesses such as aging, heart
and vessel problems, problems with vision, kidney problems,
problems with erections, polyneuropathy, problems with digestion
and bowel movements.
The fifth problem

We need sugar as fuel to feed the ongoing fire of lifes process.
However, we need it in specific and small amounts. The way
fructose is converted in our bodies means its not used upfront as
energy, but converted directly to fat. It also becomes like a
porridge in our arteries, leading to cholesterol and cancer and all
the rest. Eating fructose is like eating fat that your body cant
detect as fat.

45
People who eat a lot of sugar have a much higher risk of getting
cancer. Why does this happen?
First, IGF is a very important cause of this problem. IGF stimulates
the growth of cancer cells. For example, men who have a high
secretion of IGF, have a nine times higher chance of contracting
prostate cancer. (3,4). Cancer cells are very dependent upon
sugar. They need it to grow and they use it in much higher
amounts than a normal cell, they use it as a fuel. Also, sugar
suppresses the immune system. Every day our body produce
thousands cancer cells and the immune system destroys them. If
our immune system is not efficient enough, the body will not
destroy the cancer cells.
Sugars are simple carbohydrates made out of single units called

monosaccharides. Glucose, the bodys main fuel, is a monosaccharide.
Other monosaccharides include fructose, found in fruit, vegetables and
honey, and galactose a component of the sugar present in milk.
Another type of sugar is called a disaccharide this means that

the sugar is made up of two monosaccharaides that are
molecularly stuck together.
46
Disaccharides include
Sucrose table sugar, made from one molecule of glucose
and one of fructose
Lactose found in milk and made from one molecule of
glucose and one of galactose
Maltose (malt sugar) found in cereals; made up of two
paired glucose molecules
The sugar in whole-foods is balanced with proper minerals. The
energy obtained from breaking down and assimilating these
sugars is of a constant and enduring nature.
The refining process of sugar disperses the life force and the
natural balance is upset. Refined sugar passes quickly in the
bloodstream in large amounts, giving the stomach and pancreas a
shock. This causes blood-sugar imbalance and further cravings for
sugar.
Refined sugar delivers high energy and enables us to keep
working, but unfortunately, it is addictive and contributes greatly to
disease and imbalances and cravings for sugar.
Lets compare the Western point of view and knowledge of
Traditional Chinese Medicine to the workings of sugar.

47
According TCM
Modern Physiology and Nutrition
1. Enter
the
Spleen-pancreas
exegetical system
Sugar activates insulin production

by
pancreas.
Whole
food
activates enzyme amylase.
Sugar influence and fuel of the
brain. Hyperglycemia (to much
blood
sugar)
promotes
a
scattering, disorienting effects.
Sugar dilates blood vessels,
causing blood to move to the
periphery of the body
Deficient blood sugar levels is
cause of irritability, dizziness,
headaches,
and
others
disharmonies; also with enough
of certain amino acids such as
Tryptophan
in
the
brain,
insomnia, depression, and pain
diminish,
while
harmony
predominates. Balanced blood
sugar level maximizes tryptophan
sent to brain
2. Ascending, outwardly dispersing,

and
Harmonizing
3. Remove coldness
4. Tonifies, is proper food for
deficiency and weakness
5. Moistening
Carbohydrates
and
promotes warmth.
sugar
Sugar of unrefined carbohydrates

is fuel for the muscles, nerves,
and brain and is the most
important source of energy for all
body functions.
Quality sweet flavor in the form of
unrefined complex carbohydrates
forms thin, healthy coating on the
mucous membranes. Excess
sweet food or that of poor quality
promotes
unhealthy
mucus
conditions, favoring the formation
in the body of yeast and fungi as
Candida albicans. It also causes
the watery swelling (edema) and
cellulitis

48
According TCM
Modern Physiology and Nutrition
6. Lubricate dryness in the

mouth, throat, and longs
The most effective cough syrups,

drops and throat lozenges are
made in a sweet base
7. Excess make bones ache
Excess sweet food retards

calcium metabolism and initiates
skeletal
problems
including
osteoporosis and arthritis
8. Excess make head hair fall out
Too much sugar acidifies the

blood, destroys B and other
vitamins, deplete the minerals-all
of which cause unhealthy hear
Table 2: Actions of the sweet flavor

The numbers 3 and 4 do not apply to the majority of fruit,
which is generally not proper food for deficiency, coldness
and weakness.
Sugar affects every organ in the body. During digestion, glucose is

stored in the body as a form of glucose (called glycogen) in the
liver. However, the liver has only 60-80 grams of storage, so its
capacity is limited. Daily overconsumption of sugar can create a
big problem for the liver and it can become as big as a balloon.
The problem is that the liver tissue will change. The liver can
become a fat balloon, thereby causing a reduction in overall liver
function.
49
If the liver cant store excess glycogen, it returns it to the blood in

the form of fatty acids. This fat is distributed to the most inactive
and fatty areas of the body: abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and
breasts. When these areas become filled, the excess fat goes to
active organs such as the heart and kidneys. Actually, this
process diminishes the organs functioning, causing the tissues to
degenerate and turn into fat.
Our entire body is influenced by this fat degeneration. It can create
blood pressure problems, weakened circulation, lymph system as
well as immune system problems.
Chinese medicine counsels one against an excess of any flavor.
1. The meat, sugar, and drugs syndrome.

From a western point of view, the action of too much sweet
flavor can be explained by the following principle:
Carbohydrate metabolism regulates protein metabolism,
and vice versa. If too many sweet flavors (carbohydrates)
are eaten, especially in the form of refined sugars and
refined carbohydrates, then protein levels needs to
increase also.
For most individuals, grains and legumes have a balanced
amount of protein and carbohydrates. They also contain
healthy levels of sweets.
As the use of concentrated sugar increases, one will desire a
more concentrated protein and will often find it in animal
products; if this cycle accelerates, a meat and sugar
syndrome is common result- i.e. excess quantities of both are
consumed.

50
Such syndromes cause obstruction in the body and mind.

Tranquilizers, pain-relieving drugs and intoxicants are
often then employed for immediate, but temporary
clearing of the obstruction.
The entire cycle is called the meat, sugar, and drugs
syndrome
2. Another sweet syndrome may develop when a person is

deficient in protein relative to sugar.
In this case, the controlling function of protein on sugar
metabolism decreases, and if protein is not increased in the
diet, then one will desire more and more sugary food.
We can observe this pattern in a vegetarian and vegan diet,
meaning with those who:
Dont have enough knowledge about the energetic
property of food
Dont have knowledge about the correct combination of
foods
Just use a lot of vegetables and dont use whole
carbohydrates
Use denatured proteins, lacking in minerals
Use a lot of white rice
Use a lot of fruit juices as compensation for lack of
proteins.
Throughout my long working practice, I have always had the
same experience, when I meet so called healthy
vegetarians or fruitarian people with a lot of health
problems. The first imbalances in food that I see are
They consume a small amount of protein,
They consume large amounts of fruit and dry fruit (which
contain a lot more sugar),
They consume a large amount of raw salds,

51
They compensate all of these salads with large amounts

of dressings containing a lot of oil, vinegar and tahini,
They consume a lot of raw nuts and seeds.
Problems related to this diet include
Excessive consumption of oils in the form of dressings,
seeds and nuts
Excessive consumption of sugar in the form of fruit juices
Excessive consumption of seeds and nuts. This causes
problems with the liver, especially if taken in raw form.
When we start to change the diet and introduce the whole
food diet, the first problem that arises is a sugar craving
because these people have stopped eating such a large
amount of fruit.
In our modern society we have a luxury problem. We have at our

disposal every type of fruit in every country and these fruits are
also available during the whole year. We can buy papaya in
Belgium in the middle of winter and we can eat a great amount of
different kinds of fruit. We call them smoothies or fruit salads and
we do our best. We are convinced, that we are trying to be healthy.
How healthy is it?
In the early days, people ate local fruit and also just in the season
that they were available. Fruit was eaten on special occasions.
People believe that fruit contains a lot of vitamins. The problems
are
We grow fruit in Africa or other tropical countries. This fruit is
picked when it is not ripe and then shipped to other countries.
After that, the fruit is stored and will eventually be delivered to a
52
shop we can purchase it from. The final step before the fruit is
eaten is that it spends some time in your refrigerator. This is a
long way to a healthy meal. Our ancestors went to the garden
and picked an apple or pear from the tree. This is the best way
to have healthy fruit and also the taste is delicious. Just
imagine that papayas are growing in Germany in January!!
Do you think that all these chemicals that make your papaya
artificially ripe in your country and also all the chemicals that
keep that papaya for such a long time are healthy?
The next problem is an energetic one. (You will learn about the
energy of food in the next module). We eat tropical fruit in
tropical countries to cool our system down. Tropical fruit is the
coldest food. Have you ever seen Alaska Natives eating
pineapples? No, they never do it because tropical fruit will cool
and slow your metabolism and digestion. Tropical fruits also
activate the production of: sinusitis, flu, and bronchitis problems
in our modern countries in the winter
People believe that fruit contains simple sugar. That this simple
sugar does not elevate blood sugar in the same way as refined
sugar. Yes, this is true, however, they have the same acid
effect on the body
Fruit sugar has an exaggerated response on people eating
whole foods
In excess, fruit sugar can produce fatigue, inflammation and
weaken mineral stores
Eating too much fruit, particularly fruit juices, can elevate
triglyceride levels - a type of fat, which increases the risk for
heart disease
When we eat sugar, it is transported into our blood. Actually, fruit

sugar becomes acid in our blood stream. Think about the most
common symptoms of acidity in our body: muscle pain,
inflammation and arthritis. The body does not like acidity. The body
is smart. It will immediately neutralise acidity and alkalize your
53
system. (You will learn more about acid/alkaline balance in our

body in Level II). How does this happen? Large amounts of
calcium will be drawn out of the bones. This is known as the
activation of the self-regulating system in our body, called
electrolyte buffers. Our bones became weak. This condition is
called osteoporosis. Think about women during menopause or old
aged people who want to be healthy. Fruit sugar increases this
dangerous condition, because people increase their chance of
bone fracture.
Today, fruit is presented as a source of natural sugar;
however, this depends upon your health. If you suffer from
loose bowels, fatigue, anaemia, cancer, sugar cravings, poor
memory, unsatisfying sleep, yeast, fungus, candida infection,
or have any kind of infectious conditions, it may be wise to
reduce or eliminate fruit temporarily and see how quickly your
body responds to a whole-food diet of grains, vegetables and
beans. Complete your meal with some hot tea, often a
satisfying way to conclude your meal
First you must eat fruit according the season. It means that
during a hot summer, you can eat tropical and mediterranean
fruit. In the winter, apples and pears are welcome!
Never start the morning with fruit or fruit juices
For some, the additional amount of sugar present in tropical
fruits may warrant a reduced amount of fruit
Fruit juices are concentrations of sugar minus the fruit fiber
(smoothies are the ecxeptions). You get a lot of fruit with one
glass of juice. You will not be able to eat such a big piece of
melon, but you will easily consume it in one glass of juice. An
ordinary healthy orange juice in the morning can be extracted
54
from six oranges. Thats way too much sugar and too much
acid. It is also very energeticly cold for your system and
harmful for your digestion
Fruit can be eaten in a number of ways: fresh, cooked, or dried.
Howewer, a couple of handfuls of deceptively innocent dried
fruits may fill a basket if they were fresh. Also, dried fruit
contains more sugar, so beware!
Last, but not least!
Fruit is best when eaten alone and not on top of a

meal.
Fruit creates indigestion, bloating and gas. Fruit often ferments the
rest of the meals contents because it digests quickly, while other
more complex sugars are still being broken down. We make a
wine in our digestive tract. You need a minimum of a two hour
pause between any intake of fruits and your meal. I suggest you
eat fruit as healthy snack at 10.00 am and 4.00 pm.

55
Some people are aware that white sugar is bad so they are
replacing it with equally large amounts of honey.
For people who use a whole-food diet, a small amount of honey is
OK.
Heat produced honey, should be not used by people with
copious amounts of mucus. Raw, completely unprocessed,
unheated honey is preferable. The more medicinal qualities of
honey will be discussed in level II.
Essentially, quitting sugar means quitting fructose, for good.

If you're looking to give it a try, why not start with some simple
swaps. How can we satisfy our sweet tooth? I will give you a
couple of simple but effective rules.

56
The best source of sweet is our diet of whole-vegetable foods and

complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and legumes
You need to chew well to draw out whole-foods natural flavor and
sweetness. They become sweeter the longer they are chewed.
Craving for sweets will gradually go away and simply balanced
meals provide this satisfaction
Say no to natural sweeteners such as fructose and brown sugar.
They are nearly as refined and concentrated as white sugar and
have similar effects
Think about the yin-yang balance, it helps a lot. Salty food such as
sea-salt, pickles, miso and soy sauce strongly direct energy lower
in the body and thereby create a craving for sweets, which has an
ascending nature. This means that you will crave more. Most
animal foods- meat, fish, and cheese are high in protein and should
be used in small amounts to avoid sugar cravings
If you do consume meat regularly, balance it with salads, radishes,
mushrooms, potatoes and wheat or barley grass products
Sweeten desserts with fruit, fruit juices, rice syrup, barley malt,
stevia, unrefined cane juice powder, maple syrup, molasses, or
amasake
Eat sweet vegetables (beet, artichokes, carrots, winter squash,
sweet potatoes, parsnips) for dessert or in desserts. Raw carrot is
especially helpful for sweet cravings
Use sprouts or sprouted products such as Essene bread, as
sprouting changes starch to sugar
Micro-algae pre-digest a certain amount of their own starches into
sugar. Theyre also an amazing source of easily digested proteins
for quickly regulating sugar metabolism: spirulina and chlorella are
highly effective in reducing sugar cravings
Eat sometimes, sour, spicy or pungent foods/flavors to diminish
cravings
Cravings can be caused by hyper-acidity, which often results from
lack of exercise or eating too quickly, too much, or an excess of
meats and refined foods. In this case, have some raw or lightly
cooked vegetables or a glass of Bancha tea with lemon.
Alternatively, do exercise or breathing
Prepare meals at home to avoid sugar in restaurants and
manufactured food. Read labels. Sugar and chemical sweeteners
are in almost everything: breads, cereals, salads, dressings, soup,
cured food, canned food, and bottled drink
Reduce the intake of sugar slowly. Never do it suddenly

57
Use sugar with awareness. One can be blinded by quality and

forget quantity. A little refined sweetener can be more balancing
than too much of a better one.
Sweet food has become such an everyday occasion in our society,
that we have lost our gratitude for its special nature. Dont forget
about its strong, harmonizing, ascending, pain and stress
reducing, as well as dispersing qualities. It is always a time for
celebration!!!! Just celebrate it with mindfulness.

58

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"For the body to retain its

Our food should be our

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

About the author

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

Doctor Liana Nenacheva S.D., L.Ac., was born in Russia, where

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

A heartfelt thank you to my parents, who gave me the freedom to

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

We've become estranged from the normal functioning of our body.

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

Healing common diseases and conditions with whole-foods

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

Inspiration for Food as Medicine has been developed from more

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

How you eat fruit? Whole? Juiced? How many pieces a

syndrome is responsible for most food intolerances,

We will discuss how we can transform these conditions with

common illnesses and problems such as flu, cough,

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

We always study western nutrition, anatomy and physiology OR

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

What are good proteins and what are bad proteins?

We use oils, sugar, carbohydrates and proteins every day. It is

You cannot make very healthy and energetically

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

1. From the western scientific point of view, most

2. From the perspective of Food as Medicine, which

In all western diets we just miss one important thing Balance.

span? Increase your sense of wellbeing? Or in the end, will you

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

3. From the holistic perspective of health and wellbeing

understanding how it really affects our SUBTLE BODY and of

fruits, fruit juices, nuts, seeds, healthy desserts and so on.

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

These are just few very small examples of our unchallenged

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

Is this because of our ignorance or our lack of knowledge?

picture as a specialist or a doctor. What do you expect from people

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

We have more opportunity to condition our body and control our

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

The most important statements regarding a healthy

Healthy food is the food we need to create an optimal weight,

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

In the late twentieth century, food finally began to be recognized as

This requires an honest assessment of your imbalances in every

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

At the base of this pyramid, we see mostly starch products (bread,

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

A significant period of time is needed to introduce

I am a western medical doctor. I know from my experience, that

coincidence that these foods make up a large portion of the food

to put in our stomach to satisfy our different types of needs

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

In this traditional food pyramid, fruit takes an all-important

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy

All rights reserved Liana Nenacheva. Copyrights Living Wisdom Academy