McKeith, Gillian 2004. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.
London: Penguin Books
In this volume, Dr. Gillian proposes the adoption of an innovative and "revolutionary" diet focused on "microbiotics," the consumption of
good food that restores well-being and good health. She discusses
health problems arising out of a regular diet of calorie-laden
popular food: fish and chips, pizza, spaghetti bolognese, burger meal, fried chicken, kebab, English breakfast, chicken tikka masala, Chinese take-away, Shepherd''s pie. Chips, and toasts. She also debunks fad-diets which might be useful for immediate but temporary weight-loss, but inadequate in terms of providing substantial nutrition and maintaining physical well-being. She is a committed advocate of good food which boost thinking power, lift one''s mood, reduce stress, boost vitality, and give a healthy heart in contrast to
bad food which accelerate the aging process, cause weight gain, cause digestive problems, create feelings of lethargy and drowsiness, play havoc on one''s concentration, give mood swings, adversely affect fertility and libido, weaken joints and clog arteries, increase the risk of heart disease, promote toxic activity within the body, weaken immunity, trigger heardaches and asthma attacks, increase arthritic pain, and create unhealthy countenance of hair, skin, and nails.
The first step towards good health according to Dr. Mckeith, is getting to know one''s
body through the maintenance of a healthy tongue, hair and scalp, face, ears, hands, eyes, mouth, limbs, bladder, etc. A diet rich in grains, beans, non-meat protein. nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables is needed to prevent the accumulation of disease-causing toxins. McKeith, moreover, emphasizes the adoption of health-promoting habits focused on the eating of regular meals at the proper time, the avoidance of processed food and fad-diets the drinking of eight glasses of water daily, regular exercise and detoxification for the cleansing of the vital organs, and the taking of supplements. Thus, the eating of health-enhancing food (especially the
green superfoods: alfalfa grass, green barley grass, wheat grass. wild blue green algae, spirulina, and chlorella) complemented by the development of good health-enhancing habits, prevent illness, strengthen the organs, feed the cells, and increase the potential of the human body to heal itself. The most interesting feature of this volume is the chapter focused on the domestic cultivation of green superfoods and potted vegetables and fruits in the urban context where areas for growing plants are limited to ensure the supply and consumption of good food for the maintenance of good health and physical well-being.
More abstracts about the YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT