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OFFIT OfficeFitness for the 9-5 Grind
By Thomas McSweeny
Dedication
I dedicate this book to you guys and gals at work, past and present, who thought youwere too busy to sort your fitness out. I said it then and i'll say it again: you're not.
I also dedicate this book to all the nay-sayers, complainers and party-poopers I've
come across. It's time to listen up! Your excuses have fled.
May this book help all of you to get healthier and fitter.
Onwards!
Tom
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Beginning
Getting Started
Please Wake Up
Eat Consciously
The Menu
Storing Fruits and Vegetables
Salt
Take a deep breath, smile and roll up your sleeves
Intention
Organization
Recipes
Sample Meals
Stress Free Eating
Staying Warm and Cooling Off with Food
Intermittent and Regular FastingHydration
Upgrading Cookware
Food Guidance
Sweeteners
Grains
Fats and Oils
Animal and Dairy Products
Caffeine
Chocolate
Supplements
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Healthy Habits
Oral Health
Sleep
Sunlight
If you get ill
Training
What Were Aiming For
Getting Started
Motivation
Workout IdeasSample Workouts
The Movements
Nasal Breathing
Factors to Keep in Mind when Exercising
Building a Daily Routine
Embrace Health: Into a New Life with a Stronger Will
Notes
Ditch These: Things to Totally Avoid
Eat These: Sample Recipes to Enjoy
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Introduction
Im a law student working within a solicitors office. I spend an average of 14 hours a
day sitting at a computer. I understand the pain of grinding the 9-5 routine prettywell. And like many of you Ive witnessed myself go soft and my health go sour since
started spending so much time indoors. I traded sunlight for pastries, coffee and cake
By the time I came home I had no energy or desire to exercise or cook myself aproper dinner. Takeaways became a regular choice and ready meals my best friend. I
got weak and fed up with the whole situation.
With the little free time I had left every night I decided to start asking friends,
browsing online and getting my hands on as much information I could that would helpme improve physically and mentally.
The real problem though, as any office fellow knows, is not so much what to do but
rather how to apply it within our busy schedules. How we can implement all those
necessary changes with so little time and energy available. And let's not forget thosedie hard, long lasting habits and addictions we're going to have to overcome along th
way.
This book is the result of my relentless pursuit of a solution. Its not professional
advice, legal or medical, but for your entertainment while turning your life around.What you find within these pages will help you get back on track. Ive simplified
everything down to a minimum and made things really easy to understand and apply
The whole I-feel-like-crap to I-feel-good transition is broken down into sections so yo
can get started one thing at a time. There are no fancy terms, fillers or long-asschapters to bore you to death. After all, you dont have all day to read this!
Beginning
For most of us living a healthy life is about being able to move with ease and grace
while enjoying good food and pleasant indulgences without a worry. But see, life has
habit of getting in the way of healthy living, especially when were stuck at a desk all
day with cakes, biscuits and coffee tempting us every few hours.
There is an alternative though. The approach that follows will allow you to do the
important things in your life while being confident that your health and fitness goalsare being met through smart eating, exercise and lifestyle choices. Yes, despite
continuing to sit down at work for 8-14 hours a day.
Planned, brief and intense workouts will maximize the time you have to exercise.
Youll add muscle and burn fat working out from start to finish in less than 30 minuteThats less than a lunch break or the time it takes to cook a delicious meal.
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The exercise is backed up by eating meat, fruit, nuts and vegetables which will giveyou proper nutrition, a huge amount of choice and the ability to eat as much as you
want. So if you fancy two steaks for dinner go for it. By dropping foods that containadditives and addictive substances youll be springing out of bed ready to go to work
without the need for a coffee, tea or energy drink.
Youll have the energy and time to devote to other things in your life. A month or two
down the line youll be getting more out of every day than ever before and wondering
what all the fuss was about.
Getting Started
We can be, if we so desire, shining examples of health, strength and joyful living. All itakes is clear guidance and the self discipline to change ourselves for the better. I
believe the most important aspect of any positive change in life is making itpermanent. Having a plan makes that more likely. This guide lays the foundations for
that plan in simple terms.
The guide is split into the following sections:
Section One Please Wake Up
Section Two Eat ConsciouslySection Three - Food Guidance
Section Four Healthy Habits
Section Five TrainingSection Six Building A Daily Routine
Section Seven Embrace Health: Into a New Life with a Stronger WillNotes:
Ditch These: Things to Totally Avoid
Eat These: Sample Recipes to Enjoy
Begin by giving the book one quick read. Then with your specific goals in mind gothrough each section in detail and gradually apply the changes outlined there until yo
get where you want to be.
Please Wake Up
Firstly please wake up. Yes, get that blindfold off your eyes. Physically were at an all
time low in our history. Compared to our early days as primates, cavemen, hunter-gatherers and farmers were rubbish.
Collectively we are growing weaker, we are getting sicker and we are getting dumber
Its more than obvious that as time has gone by things have gotten worse. Billions of
dollars spent on medicine, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, marketing diets, magic product
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etcetera have all gone down the drain.
In any case, take a look around your workplace, the street, your house or yourneighborhood. Chances are the majority of the people you see are not doing very wel
in terms of health (you arent either else you wouldnt be reading this book).
The specific purpose of this book is to simply get you back on track. And while I
sincerely applaud you for having the courage to turn your life around it will be in vain
if you continue to follow the conventionalisms and official version of health.
Its like being part of a herd running towards a cliff and not slowing down as you begi
to hear the screaming of those ahead of you who are falling down.
You cant just ignore whats happening. You must try something different in order to
get different results.
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Eat Consciously
What you eat goes 70% of the way towards keeping you healthy. Exercise takes the
other 30%. Giving yourself foods suited to your bodys needs is therefore extremelyimportant. Changing from your previous lifestyle to a much healthier one can be done
simply in a couple of ways:
A) The cold turkey approach:Dump all the crap you used to eat and go all out with natural foods straight away.
B) The gradual approach:Consistently make small changes at a slower pace until you have everything covered.
Going cold turkey simply involves throwing everything out that is not a natural food.
See the summary below and if it isnt in there get rid of it! Then go shopping andstock up on plenty of natural foods. Fill your pantry and enjoy eating as much as you
want. Make sure to buy enough so you dont go hungry. Running out of natural food
and being left hungry is the fastest way to make you crave for crap once more. And itis certainly not a position you want to leave yourself in, especially at work when cake
and biscuits are doing the rounds at snack time and a fast food lunch is on the cards.
If you live with others (loved ones, flat/house mates, whoever else, it makes no
difference) and they are not keen to adopt your new lifestyle I can guarantee they wido their best to tempt you with crap and sabotage your efforts. By starting the
process of transformation you prove to all that youre taking responsibility for yourlife. Youre having the courage to change your life around while they might not.
As unfortunate as it is this will likely anger and annoy them, externally or internally,and in return they will subtly seek to put an end to your quest. For its much easier to
kick the ladder while someone else is climbing it than it is to climb it yourself. Co-workers, family, friends and especially those you love are the ones youve got to keep
an eye on.
Going cold turkey is a bit tougher in the beginning but youll notice the positive effect
of eating naturally really quick and draw motivation from those. Be prepared forstrong cravings while your body first adapts. But get into the habit of eating satisfying
meals on a regular basis and youll have nothing left to fear.
Taking things slowly involves progressively upgrading the different foods you eat untiyouve discarded everything that is not natural. This is a less challenging approach to
follow because changing over time is much easier and youll be much less prone to
bouncing back or giving up entirely. Adapting to your new lifestyle will be easier,cravings will be less but great results will take a bit longer.
Both approaches result in a lifestyle where food consists of meat, vegetables, fruits
and nuts while animal products like cheese and eggs play a supporting role.
The word diet is filled with baggage and negativity. Ultimately, youre not supposed
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to diet, youre supposed to eat normally: natures normal not cultures normal,period. Well leave dieting to wannabes and the general crowd.
The Menu
Natural produce: the best and brightest for better nutrition. Eat meats, vegetables,
fruits, nuts and fresh animal and dairy products (eggs, cheese, milk). And those
should be pretty much all you consume regularly. That doesnt sound like it includes alot. But its everything edible that grows on the planet and then some.
Add some extra nutrient dense foods like raw chocolate and coconut oil and youll be
well on your way to great health. Eating this way will give you an ample supply of
nutrients from a wide variety of fresh sources allowing you to drink the odd pint orglass of wine without any worry.
Meat, Fowl and Fish Organically raised and pasture fed meats (beef, lamb, goat,
pork, ox, rabbit etc), fowl (chicken, duck, goose, turkey, pheasant and anything elsewith wings) and organs (liver, kidney, brain, heart). While organically raised animals
might not be available make sure the meat is free range. Grains cause problems in
animals so go with pasture/grass fed when you can. Broths can be made from thebones.
Fresh and wild, deep sea fish, fresh water fish and shellfish from clean waters. Thoug
not ideal frozen and canned fish/shellfish stored in water or olive oil make for an
acceptable substitute to fresh sources.
You should avoid highly processed meats containing additives and preservatives(bacon, ready-to-eat meats etc). Fish stored with additives or anything other than
water or olive oil is a bad choice and, just as with meat, processed fish and seafoodare a redundant option. Its unfortunate that commercial grade fish are now laden
with toxics such as mercury and pesticides which have leaked into the sea.
Vegetables and Fruit Seasonal, locally grown organic fresh fruit and vegetables
are the very best you can get. Otherwise go with whatever is closest to that and washthe fruit/vegetables thoroughly before eating to remove any spray on preservatives o
wax.
Frozen fruit and vegetables come third on the list with commercially grown varietiestaking fourth place. Completely avoid canned, irradiated and sugared fruits andvegetables though.
Low sugar, high antioxidant fruits are the best to go for. These tend to be small
berries like blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries.
Colourful vegetables contain a high antioxidant count while root vegetables (sweet
potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions) and dark green vegetables (spinach, broccolis ansprouts) have a high mineral content.
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Fats and Oils Pure/Virgin/Cold-pressed Coconut oil, olive oil, raw butter, ghee,schmaltz, suet and dripping work really well. Avocado oil is another one worth trying.
In all cases consider how easy it is to extract the oil from its source: getting oil froman olive is easy, getting oil from a tiny, dry seed requires heavy processing which
indicates it probably shouldnt be eaten.
Eggs - Free-range organic eggs take the top spot. Free range eggs come in second
while you can flat out avoid battery farmed eggs. Remember: The egg is only as good
as the chicken which laid it. Consider these questions: Does the chicken move freely?Does it eat real chicken food (chiefly worms, insects and small herbs) etc? Locked up,grain-fed, antibiotic-injected chicken are not healthy and nor are the eggs they lay.
Nuts Pecans, walnuts, pistachios, macadamias, Brazils and almonds make for agreat crunchy addition to a plate. They are best soaked overnight in slightly salted
water and then slow dried in the oven for 6-12 hours before consumption.
Dairy If youre going to include dairy then it has to be high quality and raw anything less than that will produce negative results. Raw milk from pasture fed
animals, kefir/yoghurt with live bacteria made from raw milk and raw (unpasteurised)cream, butter and cheese.
Avoid all non-raw dairy/dairy products. That means anything with pasteurised,homogenised, Ultra High Temperature (UHT), low fat or powdered written on it.
Herbs and Spices -Should ideally be fresh, organic and seasonal.
Essentially:If you can catch it, collect it and eat it raw, and it was alive and growing 10,000 years
ago, eat it.
And Remember: Organic no longer means organic make sure it is not used as a
marketing tool to make the food/product sound better! It must be Certified Organicto adhere to what we think of when using the word organic i.e. does not contain any
added chemicals.
Storing Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables last longer when stored outside where its (normally) cooler thabeing left inside. I keep mine in the porch in a hemp bag with a towel draped over thetop. The towel captures any moisture keeping the vegetables dry.
If you live somewhere warm then the fridge is the obvious choice. Just be sure to dry
your fruits and vegetables thoroughly first. This helps them stay fresh for longer.
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Salt
Some of the best tasting and nutritionally beneficial salt is unrefined sea salt which
has come from evaporated water. Quality sea salt is sodium chloride with at least 6%
trace minerals and without any additives. These minerals are what round out theflavour and give a touch of sweetness.
Pure sodium chloride or ionized sodium chloride taste sharp and very bitter. Bychemically treating the salt to purify it and exposing it to extreme temperaturesmanufacturers make it harder to absorb (you dont get pure substances fit for
consumption in nature). Ionized salt, where lost iodine has been artificially grafted
back onto the sodium chloride compound, has to have more chemicals added tostabilize the iodine. Strictly avoid it and all salts containing added fluoride too. They
do you no good.
When buying salt be sure to read the label to check for additives and the place of
origin. Salt normally comes from one of two places a living sea, or a dead one.
Mined salt will come from the salt beds of a dead ocean. Millions of years of rain fallwill have percolated through the salt deposits leaching out the iodine and most of thetrace minerals over time, meaning it is not as nutritious as salt evaporated from a
living sea. Also look for a description of the processing involved. Ideally it will be
chemical free, using only enough heat to evaporate the water. Once youve found oneits normally cheaper to buy in bulk and definitely worth the taste and benefits.
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Take a deep breath, smile and roll up your sleeves
Lets not kid ourselves. Trying to change our way of eating isnt necessarily easy. But
having a clear intention to do so and being organised makes it a whole lot easier.
Intention
You must want to be healthy. Deeply intend and resolve with all your will to nourishyourself from this point onwards. Summon the desire for your goals: how you will be
super healthy and fit etc. Really let those fill your mind: the colours, the sounds, the
smells, the touch and the taste of your victory.
Although it is a personal experience, sharing the journey with others doing the samewill only help to keep up the encouragement. If co-workers and the like want to eat
sugary cakes every snack time then so be it. Don't preach to them and dont let thempreach to you. You're results will have the whole office asking genuine questions abou
why you look so vibrant soon enough.
Organization
The kitchen is where food happens. Start by recycling damaged, useless and unused
equipment. Now open your fridge and cupboards. See how all the damaging
foodstuffs, everything that isn't fresh and living, stand in the way of your goals. Throwthem all out with gusto! Banish these things from your home! They are poison to you
efforts! Dispose of out-of-date, unhealthy and artificial ingredients, anything that doenot contribute to your new health quest. A deep clean afterwards makes the place fee
fresh, exciting and filled with potential. In shared kitchens you can encourage othersbut out of politeness stick to your own section. Your own resulting healthy demeanou
will do the rest.
Time is the next issue. Allow yourself time to prepare and eat a decent meal, rushing
just leads to sub-par results and dissatisfaction. By eating full meals you obtainnourishment and leave no room for health leaching foods like sweets, snack bars and
sugary deserts. Taking the time and putting in the effort for a meal really makes thedifference. If that means getting up earlier so you can get a descent breakfast thenget up earlier. If it means cooking tomorrows lunch tonight then great, cook it
tonight. Thatll give you more time in bed tomorrow morning. I often just put somemeat and vegetables in the oven and then go for a run or do some exercise at home
until theyre ready. Or whack an omelette in the pan for breakfast and go take a
shower while it cooks.
Time also holds true for shopping. Its handy to write a list before you go out,including the ingredients for specific meals and useful stock-ups (root vegetables for
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example, which can be used in a huge variety of dishes). As you get used to buyingingredients rather than products though you can enjoy the process of looking for
different tastes and combinations freestyle.
Recipes
There are no set meals. Volumes can be written about how to combine different
natural foods for great tastes. Youre free to eat them how you want. Personalexperimentation is ultimately the best way forward and in time youll learn to feel
what you body is asking for. Ideally you want to get to a stage where from some rawingredients you can make a satisfying meal.
Start out by going broad. Buy a load of different ingredients to keep you stocked upand aim for variety over quantity. Generally its tasty to serve seasonal ingredients
together. Apple and pork works because both are harvested at the same time of yearThe same goes for beef and root vegetables.
As for how much and when to eat start with a light breakfast, a light lunch and then a
much as you want for dinner. If you fancy two steaks then go for it! On no account ar
you to snack however. Drink water if you're hungry before meals. After awhile youllfeel no desire to snack or eat a thing between meals anyway.
Below are a few example meals to get you started and recipes for each can be found
towards the back of the book. Experiment and dont feel these are set in stone.
More recipe ideas can be found at http://www.get-offit.com/recipes.
Sample Meals:
Breakfast
Omelette with ham, cheese and red onion
Boiled eggs, blueberries, pecan nuts and celery
Pork chops roasted with apple and red onion
Lunch
Minced beef with tomatoes, red onions, peppers and chillies
Salmon with avocado, red onions and tomatoesSalad of unpasteurised cheese, celery, grapes and carrots
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Dinner
Grilled steak with large salad of spinach, tomatoes, celery, spring onions, walnuts and
grated carrotsStir fried chicken with ginger, water chestnuts, spring onions, bamboo shoots, pepper
and pineappleLamb roasted with root vegetables
Stress Free Eating
Stress has a debilitating effect on your digestive system. Events playing on yourmind, worry and immediate physical distractions (reading, talking on the phone,
driving, watching television) all count when considering culinary stress. Consumingfood speedily also has a negative impact on the absorption and assimilation of food.
The foremost rule when it comes to eating is to always sit down. Never stand, walk odrive. The next thing to do is eliminate all distractions. Lay the table and enjoy the
meal for what it is, on your own on in the company of others. Make sitting down witha plate and cutlery part of the process.
Eating is satisfying physically, mentally and emotionally. If you are distracted you wileliminate much of the mental and emotional satisfaction since your mind is engaged i
other things. Dont eat while watching TV or the computer screen. If you want a goodlaugh, record either yourself or someone else doing it and you will rapidly notice what
a sloppy and sad event it is.
Next, remember to eat slowly. Your glands release saliva which then initiates thedigestive process even before food enters your mouth. So for digestion to occuroptimally you dont want to surprise your stomach by flooding it with food before its
ready. Eat slowly and chew your food completely before swallowing. It also helps if thfood is mixed with plenty of saliva so try to have a glass of water 30 minutes before
the meal to keep hydrated. But you dont want to dilute the digestive juices once the
food is in your stomach so avoid drinking during and for 30 minutes after the meal.
Eating too fast without chewing properly will put more stress on the stomach and takemore energy, aside from the fact that some of the food will go undigested and be
excreted intact. To combat this put your fork down or take your hands off your food inbetween every bite. This drill will force you to focus on chewing and swallowing the
food already in your mouth completely before you initiate the next bite. Remember
food consumption is not supposed to be an unbroken chain from plate to stomach inthe manner of a conveyor belt. It is a joyous and nourishing activity which deserves
our attention.
Finally, its great eating loads when youre hungry but beware overconsumption and
gluttony. Once your stomach is full it takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain toreceive the message. If you are eating too fast you will continue to ingest food long
after youre truly full. To combat this, aside from the above advice, consider serving
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the food on a smaller plate. Measure out a reasonable quantity and put it on a smalleplate than normal. You, and anyone you try this out on, will feel full on the lesser
portion (or the same portion on a smaller plate to stop them from having seconds).
And thats it. Take it slow, make it pleasurable and savour every bite.
Staying Warm and Cooling Off with Food
Early Persian, Indian and Chinese literature all make reference to how foods were
ranked according to their ability to influence body temperature. In the winter warmingup with a good meal really makes the difference between getting up feeling active and
wanting to climb back into bed. Below are a few tips on how to select the right food
for the season:
Growth time Fast growing foods (normally found in spring/summer) are not asphysically dense as those which grow slowly (generally found in autumn/winter) and
as such tend to cool the system when eaten. They feel light. Examples would be beasprouts and cucumbers as cooling foods, and carrots and parsnips as warming ones.
Colour Just as with room colour when it comes to home decor, colours play a role inhow a food feels. Blues, greens, and purple coloured foods tend to be more cooling
than bright and fiery reds and oranges.This applies to foods of the same type; a redpepper will give a warmer sensation than a green one.
Region Foods from tropical and sub-tropical regions tend to be more cooling thantemperate/cool-zone foods. Strawberries are more warming than pineapples. Coconut
is refreshing while cherries give a sense of warm satisfaction.
Water content Dry foods warm more than juicy or liquid ones. Cheese is moresatisfying on a winters day than a glass of milk, while a juicy grape is better suited
than a raisin when the sun is beating down.
Seasonal - Notice how foods grow in accordance with the seasons. Dense, warm
coloured vegetables grow in the winter while fast growing juicy fruits appear in thehotter months. If you eat mainly whats available in your area during the seasons you
will feel more balanced. Doing a bit of research, shopping at a Farmers Market, or
buying from the What's In Season Aisle of the supermarket will help you know what'
available locally at that time of year.
Preparation - Cooking gives heat to the dish and starts to breakdown the foods
structure. Adding more fat only enhances the warming factor. Eating something raw oonly slightly cooked on the other hand will give a greater cooling effect.
Temperature - Put a glass of water in the fridge for five minutes on a hot summersday and itll make a big difference to how refreshed you feel. Do that on a cold day in
the winter and its likely to send a chill through your system. A cup of hot soup on ahot day will make you sweat but when the temperatures biting cold itll warm you to
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your bones.
Our climates differ extensively across the world. Play around with different recipes aningredients to see what works best in your location.
Intermittent and Regular Fasting
If you eat regularly then once in awhile its good to skip a meal to give your body achance to reset and regulate itself. This is called intermittent fasting. It involves
skipping one, two or three meals in a 24 hour period once or twice a week. It can be random meal (e.g. skipping dinner because you got home late rather than ordering
takeaway food) a planned one (e.g. deciding to skip breakfast and lunch every Friday
and make it up with a big steak for dinner) or a whole bunch (e.g. fasting the whole oSunday) once or twice a week.
To implement begin by skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner here and there. At first you
may get hungry as your body is probably used to getting fed three times a day.However after a while your hunger will regulate and your cravings will disappear.
A different approach and one which I really like is to skip breakfast everyday and theneat everything youre going to eat that day within a certain timeframe e.g. 8 hours. S
you basically just eat a good sized lunch and a big dinner. Then exercise when you gehome before dinner to really work up an appetite before eating as much as you fancy
This is normally quite a bit and thats just fine. For me, eating three steaks is not
uncommon.
Burning fat and gaining muscle is something that occurs naturally when followingfasting and it has been shown to give incredible health benefits. These range from
improved insulin sensitivity, a stronger immune system, increased Growth Hormonesecretion, improved aging, better digestion, increased energy, fat loss and muscle
retention.
Fasting becomes very easy very quickly. But listen to your body. Some people can
implement regular fasting cold turkey while others prefer to start irregularly (like onca fortnight) and then build it into their routine. The best thing to do is experiment.
Remember though, this is fasting on a very short term basis. Its fine to be hungry bu
if you went a week without food your body would definitely slow down yourmetabolism. By keeping the time spent without food short were encouraging the bodto accelerate into getting food again by keeping muscle and burning fat.
Hydration
Water plays a vital role in our bodies. Through the activities of daily living and with thoffice air conditioning and heating systems drying out the air we lose a lot of that
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water. To maintain optimum health this has got to be replaced.
Get DrinkingThirst does not develop until body fluids are below levels required for optimal
functioning which means if youre thirsty your cells are dehydrated. A dry mouth is th
last outward symptom of dehydration. Other symptoms can include headaches,decreased coordination, fatigue, dry skin, decreased urine flow and dry mucous in the
mouth and nose.
We have evolved to drink plain natural water. So forget substituting other drinks, onlywater will do when considering hydrating figures. To determine how much water you
need each day, divide your body weight in pounds in half. The answer is the
approximate number of water ounces you should drink daily. For example, if youweigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces, which is about 2.2 litres or 7 cups of
water a day.
No Really, Get Drinking!Drink half a pint of water when you get up and another when you go to bed. Morning
is when you have the highest concentration of toxins and are most likely to bedehydrated so filling up before bed helps flush these out.
You should always drink water prior to eating to support the digestive process. Thestomach depends on water to help digest food and a lack of water makes it harder fo
nutrients to be broken down and used as energy. A glass an hour before eating will
suffice.
Keep a glass of water on your desk at all times. Once youve drunk it all go fill theglass up again right away. By always having some water on hand youll encourage
yourself to drink more without having to consciously think about it.
Adding a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to every 4-5 glasses of water will help to maintain your
sodium/water ratio.
If youre over in a hot climate remember to drink more. It sounds obvious but its easto forget. The last thing we want is you looking like a dried fruit!
Use a Filter
There is a great strain on the water suppliers to remove all chemicals, hormones and
compounds from the water before it gets back to you. In some areas the water needs
boiling first before it can be drunk. In some areas it cant be drunk straight from thetap. Therefore wherever you live its a good idea to get a water filter. Added to thatthere is the fact that if you dont filter the water you drink you become the filter.
A really good filter removes chemicals, pesticides, hormones, heavy metals, chlorine,fluoride, bacteria, and viruses. But any filter is better than no filter so get some sort
right away. A carbon filter is a decent minimum requirement to look for. Youll makeback your initial investment in money and health. If you live in or near the countrysid
you can also attempt to find a local spring or run off from any hills and mountains as
supply.
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The best source of information about the water quality in your area is your local watesupplier. These are usually required to issue an annual water quality report detailing
the local levels of compounds found, the processes by which they remove them andthe levels of chemicals left in your water. You can contact your supplier to get a copy
of this posted to you or view it online.
If your tap water is found to contain fluoride or chlorine definitely buy a filter which
will remove these right away. Fluoride accumulates in bones making them more
susceptible to fracture. It also increases the uptake of aluminium into the brain (avery bad thing) and inhibits antibodies forming in the blood which compromises theimmune system. Chlorine indiscriminately kills bacteria which is no good for your
internal ecology as your stomach is full of useful varieties.
When youre out and about bottled waters biggest advantage is convenience.
However, the water has been sat in the bottle absorbing the plastic for a LONG time.It tastes funny/odd when left in the sun because of this. So its recommended that
you take your own water with you in a stainless steel container. And remember you
can always ask for free tap water in a restaurant in place of buying bottled. If the tap
water is drinkable then its preferable to bottled as whatevers in it is usually easier foyour body to flush out than plastic.
Upgrading Cookware
Your kitchen is your workshop. What your tools are made of is extremely important.
Without a shadow of a doubt some materials are better than others. Some degradeand leach crap into your food. Others dont. Invest in the best and your cookware will
last a lifetime. Once its done thats it. There is no need to think about the subjectagain.
Theres a good reason why glass and ceramic beakers are used in the chemistry labwhere its critical that containers dont taint the reaction: glass and ceramic are inert
and non-reactive. Used in the kitchen they bring out all the flavours of foods. There isno loss of flavour which makes the overall taste full and complete. What more can a
chef ask for!
Glass - Glass pots and casserole dishes make ideal containers for all types of food;
dry, wet, neutral or acidic. They are extremely easy to clean and are dishwasher safe
Earthenware and Ceramic Aside from being inert these containers channel theheat through the whole dish which enables a full range of flavours to emerge. They
are normally used for lengthy simmering (soups, stocks) though they really come into
their own with one pot dishes like roasted meat and vegetables. Beware of antiqueceramic or earthenware pots though which may contain lead.
Wood Wooden spoons are non-reactive. They are robust, do not melt and are poor
conductors which makes them great for stirring and mixing. Bamboo steamers andpaddles, chopsticks and crockery are just some of the other wooden items that can be
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Food Guidance
Sweeteners
Sweeteners play a huge role in the western world and those biscuits at break time aresure to contain a good selection of the worst. So we need to be aware of the betteralternatives to use instead.
Naturally mineral-rich, minimally refined honey and syrups will allow us to enjoy the
sweet taste while nourishing our body at the same time. Use them in place of
white/brown/etc sugar when cooking or making drinks as refined sugar and thoseartificial sweeteners are just plain bad for you (see below).
Raw Honey
Natures prime natural sweetener should look rough and thick. It may even containbits of pollen or honeycomb. As a food source it is very nutritious containing a whole
array of vitamins. It should be raw, unheated and local for added freshness.
Dont consume loads at once and definitely dont give it to infants.
In recipes honey can be used as a cure for meats or as a light brush on oven bakes.
Added to the run-offs from roasts it can make really tasty gravy. Be aware though
that the nutrients and enzymes in your honey will be destroyed when heated above37C / 98F making it a dead food so its best to apply it to dishes or dressings after
they have been cooked.
Maple/Birch SyrupTwo natural sweeteners made from sap and accompanied by other nutrients from the
tree. As with honey they should be used sparingly. While maple syrup comes from
north-eastern United States and Canada, birch syrup is largely produced inScandinavia and Alaska. Unless you live in those areas, pure quality syrup may be
difficult to find amongst the heated, mixed, and defective brands organic andspecialised food outlets would be the best places to look. Beware of maple syrup
flavoured hoaxes though. One is the real thing and the other is just a lab-made mix o
unhealthy chemicals and lots of sugar that miserably attempts to copy the flavour of
the real thing.
Refined Sugar (Pure Sucrose)
Pure sugar draws nutrients from your body rather than adding them. The health
dangers of ingesting refined sugar on a habitual basis are undeniable. Regardless of
the dosages it's a one way road that leads to unhappy results.
Left in the mouth as a sticky residue sugar gives a fast supply of food to bacteriawhich then eat away at the tooth surface. And when theres none left the tooth
structure too.
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The body uses calcium to dispose of sugar. Because junk foods that contain sugardont come with any you have to use calcium from your teeth and bones instead. The
result is decalcification and that isnt a good thing.
Continuous consumption of pure sucrose leads inevitably to diabetes as it messes up
your blood sugar and insulin levels. Insulins important because it plays a role in thestorage of nutrients and minerals as well as functioning as an anabolic hormone - a
muscle builder. Muscle mass keeps us young. Low muscle mass enhances the effects
of ageing and you definitely dont want that.
Refined sugar also depresses the immune system. Lots of sugar in the blood prevents
Vitamin C being absorbed by the cells meaning they are less capable of fighting off
disease.
In short ditch refined sugar and all its kind and your health will improve significantly.On the chance you end up eating something sugary though bear in mind that a large
dose of it all at once will do considerably more damage to yourself and leave a greateimprint on your genes than a couple of smaller doses.
Avoid the numerous sugar cane products that attempt to convey a healthy image totrick you into buying them too. These are virtually as devoid of nutrients as white
(pure) sugar and offer nothing useful to your body: Brown Sugar, Demerara,Evaporated Cane Juice, Muscovado sugar, Milled sugar, Raw sugar and Unrefined Can
Juice. A great many of these cane products are refined to pure sucrose and then
painted with a little molasses to lightly colour and flavour the sugar. Blackstrapmolasses do contain some trace minerals but not in high enough levels to be of any
real benefit after the damage from the sucrose. Be aware too that natural, wholeand unrefined are open terms without legal protection which means they can be
used deceitfully in marketing to give a healthy image. Always check a packages
description. If it has sugar in the ingredients list its best not to eat it.
Artificial Sweeteners
Worse than sugar itself these are often found in products that say sugar-free or low ocalories. They are fed through deceit to people who are genuinely looking to avoid
consuming sugar. Unfortunately these so called alternatives are much, much worse.
From the very beginning they were proven to be highly toxic and dangerous. It is only
through intense lobbying and corruption that these proven poisons remain approved
for human consumption. They act as neurotoxins (destroying brain cells),carcinogenics (increasing your chance of getting cancer) and affect insulin secretion(increasing your chance of getting diabetes). That carries over to symptoms such as
migraines, muscular pain, chronic fatigue, and inflammation. They are normally
labeled as an E Number on packaging. Common ones include:
Sorbitol (E420), Mannitol (E421), Glycerol (E422), Acesulfame-K/ AcesulfamePotassium (k) (Sunette, Sweet One) (E950), Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal,
Canderel) (E951), Cyclamate (E952), Isomalt (E953), Saccharin (SweetN Low,
SugarTwin) (E954), Sucralose (Splenda, Altern) (E955), Alitame (E956), Thaumatin(E957), Neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (E959), Aspartame-acesulfame salt (E962),
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Neotame (E961), Maltitol (E965), Lactitol (E966), Xylitol (E967), Erythritol (E968)
Totally avoid them.
Grains
Humans cannot fully digest grains. It is only in the last 10,000 years that grains have
been used as a main source of food. Not enough time has passed for us to haveproperly adapted to eating them.
Grains break down slowly in the digestive tract and the body has to work overtime to
transform them into simple, usable, sugars. Unfortunately these sugars then tend to
hit the body hard and get burnt up far faster than our body can cope with, paving theway for diabetes. The proteins found in grains, like gluten, add additional strain as
they themselves resist digestion. This is not a favourable thing in terms of energyexchange as you spend a lot of time and energy breaking them down for little in
return.
People living mainly on grains have been found to have a pancreas at least double the
size of those who eat no grains. This is due to the extra digestive juices which must bproduced in order to break down the complex molecules. The pancreas takes a secon
hit once the complex carbohydrates are finally broken down to sugar. On top of that, they go undigested, parts of the grains rot in your stomach and lead to bloating
around the waist.
Grains contain nutrient and enzyme inhibitors. These substances block and inhibit bot
nutrient absorption and the breaking down of the food by enzymes. Phytic acid blocksthe absorption of calcium, copper, phosphorous, iron and zinc, while enzyme inhibitor
stop digestion of the bran. This means you cant eat grains raw without spending morenergy and nutrients than you get back. These inhibitors can only be partially
removed through sprouting or soaking the grains first. By eating grains at all your
digestion and absorption of nutrients will progressively deteriorate.
Grains have no significant taste of their own. Oats, spaghetti, pasta, rice you alwaysadd something to these because they taste so bland and unappetizing on their own.
This is, somewhat tellingly, in stark contrast to everything else we eat.
Grains are not great for us and you should ditch them all. Youll feel lighter and moreenergetic as a result. The most pressing thing to do is to eliminate the really refinedwhite flours (normally wheat) and white rice. These are the most degraded forms of
grains. Then move onto cutting out the rest.
Fats and Oils
There are two main categories of fats and oils discussed here: those that come from
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animal sources and those that come from plants.
Both have gained a bad reputation in the last fifty years or so after relentless lobbyingand campaigning by the medical establishment. Before this happened everybody was
eating fat no matter where you looked:
Animal fat, skin and organs all over the world
Olive oils in the Mediterranean
Coconut oils in the Pacific Lard, tallow or butter where animal husbandry or dairy farms are to be found
Downplaying fats is a shame because they add flavour to dishes and theyre one of thmost nutritionally dense, health supporting and flavour enhancing food types
available.
Consume on a weekly basis: wild (not farmed) fish or game and the flesh, organs
(particularly liver), raw milk and eggs of free range, grass-fed animals in order toacquire enough fatty acids. Organs tend to be exceptionally cheap from butchers as
the demand for them is low. This applies to the highest quality sources too.
Fish oils are the superior omega-3 fatty acid sources. They strengthen both the
immune and circulatory systems, help lubricate the joints and provide nutrients criticafor healthy brain function. The quality manufacturers sell these oils in opaque bottles
or capsules to protect them from light degradation but if you can buy fresh fish thatseven better.
If youre eating a variety of quality foods then youre sure to be getting an ample mixof quality fats. As toxins migrate to the fats in animals, organic sources provide all the
benefits without the toxic bill. A local butcher or farm is your best chance of finding
someone who knows the conditions the animals are brought up in.
When it comes to plant derived oils, quality manufacturers cold press in the absence
of light and oxygen. The oil is bottled in an opaque glass bottle or a tin can to protect
it from light.
Coconut oilThis has been consumed in tropical places for thousands of years and it gets used as
source of energy by the body without getting stored as fat. Its one of the few
significant plant sources of lauric acid, found in human milk, which enhances brain
function and the immune system. Coconut oil is proven to be antiviral (it attacks andkills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, hepatitis C and the flu),antibacterial (it kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities,
urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhoea, food poisoning and pneumonia) andantifungal (it kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause Candida, ringworm, athletes
foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash) while giving off a light nutty flavour and aroma. It
supports thyroid function and increases your metabolism, aiding in the digestion of fasoluble minerals, vitamins and amino acids. You can cook with it (its the most heat
resistant oil so it retains its nutrients even through cooking) or consume it by theteaspoon. It is arguably the most beneficial oil in the world.
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Olive OilAs the regulations regarding the classification of this oil vary across the world it is
sufficient to say that the highest quality comes from those which are cold pressed,come from the first pressing of olives (extra virgin olive oil as opposed to just olive
oil) and are grown organically. The higher the quality the more antioxidants the oil
will contain. Heat treated oils have been destroyed to a greater extent and so are tobe avoided as the resulting dead material leads to clogged arteries. Get organic where
possible and look for extra virgin or virgin. Try to avoid the generic olive oil.
Olive oil isnt too good for cooking as its not highly heat resistant so its best used asa dressing over salads and meats.
ButterButter made from unpasteurized milk/cream is a good source of Vitamin A, contains
trace minerals and has antimicrobial, antifungal and antitumor properties. It consistsof fat, water and a little protein. Butter makes for a useful addition to meals where it
broad nutrient content aids in the assimilation of other nutrients.
Flavour wise, the higher the fat content the better the butter. Unsalted butter requirefresher cream to make and so is of higher quality than the salted varieties.Additionally butter made from fermented cream, known as cultured butter, tastes
more buttery and is easier to digest as bacteria convert milk sugars into lactic acid.Many European-style butters are cultured. When purchasing look for packets that
state the use of cultured cream, low-speed churning and high (up to 85%) butterfat
levels.
Note: be on the look out for a source of raw milk/cream with which to make your own
Ghee/Clarified Butter
Ghee is butter with everything removed save for the fat. It has a long shelf life andcan be used to enhance both sweet and savoury foods. It contains butyric acid, a fatty
acid with antiviral and anti-cancer properties, and the high fat content aids nutrientuptake.
Ghee made using a centrifugal separator is preferable to heat extraction. Clarified
butter is similar to ghee though not all the water and solids are removed, giving it les
of a buttery taste and a shorter life. Because toxic chemicals concentrate in the fats oanimal products try to use organic varieties wherever you can.
Schmaltz/Suet/DrippingThis consists of the saturated fat from animals, straight off the bone or as a runofffrom cooking. If coming from organic, free range, and pasture fed sources then it
makes a great addition to roasted and one-pot meals. Toxins accumulate in the fats s
dont use those made from commercially farmed animals.
Hydrogenated Fats/Trans-fats/Vegetable and Seed OilsAvoid margarine, shortening products, any oil that can only be produced by modern
technology and any oil lacking a historical precedent as a fat supply. That means
saying no to canola, corn, grape seed, cotton, peanut and soy oils.
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They are mostly dead matter with dangerous toxic properties.
Cooking with Fats/OilsFood cooked with fats tastes warmer and more delicious. Overheating will damage the
fat and lead to an unsavoury taste. As fats aid in digestion it is important to
understand some of the different cooking methods and how they affect the fats weeat.
Frying - First warm the pan and then add the fat. When it is aromatic, add food. Listefor a quiet chattering sound. If the pan starts to sputter the fat is too hot. With oils ifthey ripple or smoke they have become oxidized and useless. Remove the pan from
the heat, allow it to cool, wipe out all traces of the damaged fat and start over.
Baking - Bake only with animal fats like butter or coconut oil as they are heat stable.
Most of the oils will denature when cooked at high temperatures.
Marinating - After marinating and to avoid damaging the oil by cooking, in place of anoil-based marinade consider marinating with the acidic citrus juices (lemon or orange
salt and other herbs.
Animal and Dairy Products
Eat them fresh
Herbivores in the wild wander around eating grasses and bugs. They do not farm and
grow commercial crops with which to feed themselves. Meat that comes from animals
fed grains and other sources of commercial 'food' / animal 'feed' is devoid of nutrientsand loaded with toxins which means their meat will not only fail to nourish you it will
also weaken and poison your body. The meat we eat should come from free range,pasture grazing animals.
Dairy producing animals were domesticated in areas where there were not manysources of protein, originally in areas of eastern and northern Europe, Arabia and
Africa. This kept the owners healthy by providing needed vitamins while there was alack of other protein sources. The dairy consumed was always raw and always came
from free range grass grazing animals. They didn't need to take anything away fromor add anything to the milk because milk straight from the animal carries within itself
the necessary enzymes for you to digest it. And it still does today.
Raw cheese (made from unpastuerised milk) can be bought or made. Yoghurts and
butter can be cultivated from a raw milk base. If you can't find a raw milk supplier orraw dairy is illegal around by you then ditch dairy altogether.
Many of the problems associated with dairy allergies are caused by a lack of theenzymes, amino acids, vitamins and minerals naturally present within the milk itself.
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These help you digest it. But they are killed and destroyed when the milk ispasteurized leaving you with a dead drink.
Homogenisation forces fat particles through tiny strainers to make them small enough
to remain suspended in the liquid rather than rise to the top. However homogenised
fats are much more likely to go rancid and oxidize and have been linked to causingincomplete protein digestion in the small intestine. This processing not only renders
the fat in the milk useless for your system by becoming a mere waste but also
contributes to producing an allergic reaction given your body's rejection of uselessmatter entering the system time and time again.
You must understand that despite the efforts of some farmers in looking after their
herds once the milk has been pasteurised and/or homogenised it's no good to us. Notto mention that a lot of commercial milk comes from sick, grain-fed, manure-
plastered, dying cows kept alive by means of antibiotic overdose. The milk is acidic,harbors bacteria and thus can only be consumed once pasteurized and heavily treated
anyway. Fresh milk from free-range, grass-fed cows raised in clean conditions is the
standard of quality to drink. The milk is loaded with nutrients from the grasses the
cows eat and it can safely be consumed raw. There is a world of difference betweenthe two.
Caffeine
Time to say goodbye
Office folk know a lot about caffeine. I'm sure reading this now you know how much
you and/or your coworkers rely on it. I used to drink a pint of tea before heading outin the morning. But then I learnt some more about our friend caffeine and decided to
end the relationship. I advise you do the same.
Caffeine is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) and naturally
occurs as a compound in the leaves and fruits of certain plants. Coffee, tea, energyand soft drinks all contain caffeine. Acting on the CNS caffeine improves coordination
and causes you to become more alert, focused and less drowsy. By raising thebreathing and heart rate it leads to an increase in physical ability and a rise in body
temperature over a short period. This all sounds pretty good.
However, like many other drugs it is possible to build up a tolerance to caffeine
meaning greater amounts are needed in order to achieve the same effect. I'm sureyou've noticed this before as the coffee strength creeps up. Over time your body may
become dependent on caffeine in order to function normally. This is commonlyexperienced with the first cup of tea/coffee when you get that kick and suddenly fee
centered, calm and ready for the day.
As an addictive substance caffeine has no place in a healthy lifestyle. Healthy people
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are not addicted to anything. A reliance on caffeine to get you started in the dayhighlights a fundamental issue in one's lifestyle: poor nutrition, a lack of exercise and
unfulfilling sleep which in turn leads to low energy levels. When one fixes those theneed for caffeine disappears.
The most comfortable way in which to phase out caffeine dependence is to cut downconsumption gradually, allowing your nervous system time to adapt to functioning
without the drug. Start by having half a cup each time. Then miss a cup. Then work
down to having one cup. And sooner than you would have thought you'll be caffeinefree.
Stopping abruptly gets the end result much faster but is likely to cause withdrawal
symptoms for a few days. Withdrawal symptoms can include tiredness, irritability anda persistent headache. Once it's done it's done though. Drinking plenty of water will
help.
Chocolate
A topic close to many people's heart
Commercial chocolate takes crap ingredients to the next level by creating something
entirely unnatural. When the percentage of natural ingredients gets outweighed byrefined substances and additives you have a problem. Quality cocoa solids are long
gone and have been replaced by mere cheap, toxic vegetable fats and refined sugars
or soya milk and sweeteners. White chocolate is the epitome of anti-chocolate. We'vebeen fooled into buying dead, poisonous foods devoid of nutrients.
However, there are champions afoot setting out to restore what is right and good
about the cocoa bean and the wonders we can gain from eating it. A growingresistance in favour of rich flavours, tastes and nutritional content. One where the
cocoa bean is respected and enjoyed in full. It's the raw chocolate movement. And
such products of delight can be obtained from sellers such as:
Living Food of St IvesThe Raw Chocolate Company
RAWRThe Raw Chocolate ShopDetox Your World
Red23
https://www.livingfood.co.uk/http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/http://www.rawrchoc.com/http://therawchocolateshop.com/http://www.detoxyourworld.com/http://www.red23.co.uk/https://www.livingfood.co.uk/http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/http://www.rawrchoc.com/http://therawchocolateshop.com/http://www.detoxyourworld.com/http://www.red23.co.uk/7/30/2019 offit-pdf diet
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Supplements
Pointless pills and phony powders
The whole purpose of supplementing is to actually get nutrients into our body when
the foods we eat don't give us enough. The simple approach is to just eat higherquality food and ditch the pills, tablets and powders. As 99% of commercially soldvitamin, protein, mineral, nutrient etc supplements are crap choosing to just eat
better in the first place guarantees results without sending your money down thedrain.
I often get asked where I get the money to buy better quality food. My golden answeis always the same: from the money I don't spend on take-outs, ready meals, alcoho
medicine or doctor's appointments. Seriously, invest a little in your health you will seegreat returns in terms of health and meal satisfaction and also a sharp decline in
medical bills and days spent feeling sick.
Below is a list of highly nutritious foods to put on the menu:
Liver - Great for gaining lean muscle mass.
Celery - Gives a great testosterone boost. A few stalks daily will do the trick.
Eggs - Full of nutrients needed for growing. They contain protein, vitamins,
minerals and fat soluble nutrients. The less cooked the yolk is the better. Theideal way of preparing eggs is to do them 'sunny side up' so the yolk stays raw
while the white is cooked.
Berries - High in antioxidants. Low in sugars.
Fish oil - Contains essential omegas and Vitamin A. Great if you don't eat a lot ofish.
Coconut oil - One of the healthiest oils in the world. Cook with it and eat rawstraight off the spoon.
Sea Salt - Salt in this form contains the trace elements from the sea. The colou
will be light grey. Use with meat and vegetables. Use more after you've beenworking out.
Fresh stock/broths - Take the bones from the animal you ate earlier and boil
them up for 12 hours. Use the nutritious liquid as a base for soups, stews andbroths.
The exception is Vitamin D. Buy this in D3 form. The reasons are explained in the
section 'Sunlight' below.
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Healthy Habits
Oral Health
Healthy gums, teeth and a beneficial oral environment all contribute to how the rest othe body works and provide an indicator of how things are going. A direct link hasbeen found between oral health and heart disease. You can tell the intestinal health o
a person by looking at his/her tongue. Slave traders paid particular attention to theteeth of their slaves as healthy teeth indicated strong bones and good overall health.
As such this is not a topic to be ignored.
Our bodies have the ability to maintain perfect conditions in the mouth. However a
number of factors affect this: the foods we consume; the levels of Vitamin C in ourbody; bits of food remaining in the mouth; the quality of our saliva and our hydration
levels.
Having used toothpaste all our lives this ability will have either atrophied, been
overshadowed by the use of toothpaste (and other synthetic cleaning solutions) orhave stopped altogether. Restarting it is what we're aiming to do.
Vitamin C forms the basis of this path. Vitamin C acts as an invisible toothbrush,
outperforming toothpaste and fighting off the bacteria that would dissolve your teeth.
If you look at traditional tribal peoples they don't use toothpaste or mouthwash yettheir teeth are in better condition than most 'civilized' men and women. What they
have is a lot of Vitamin C, Calcium and Vitamin D.
High sugar foods affect your pH and thus which bacteria grow in your mouth. Thesugar loving, acid producing bacteria being the most corrosive while also leaching the
calcium responsible for the structural integrity/strength of your teeth.
Debris remaining in the mouth provides a veritable source of food for micro-organism
and if left over time starts to calcify, forming hard white solids between the teeth. Itsremoval is paramount. This can be done swilling with water (spitting it out
afterwards), by lightly brushing the teeth with water and/or with floss and tooth picks
To surmise the actual practices:
Drink plenty of pure water. 1.5 2 Litres a day.
Stop using all synthetic mouth cleaning products.
Increase daily Vitamin C intake to 5g a day through food.
Wash your mouth with water after all food intake, spitting it out afterwards.Most especially after eating highly acidic foods such as lemons and limes as wel
as sugary foods to avoid the erosion of the enamel layer.
At the end of the day, as part of your bedtime routine, start by picking and thenflossing the teeth. Follow this with a light brush using water/sodium bicarbonate
(bicarbonate of soda). Finally, swill some sodium bicarbonate around your
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mouth. This will produce a great deal of saliva and leave things in a good statebefore sleeping.
I've found all this to really make a positive difference, keeping my teeth clean and my
mouth fresh.
'Natural' toothpaste is the next best option after the above and any toothpaste using
sodium bicarbonate as a base is probably pretty good too. Don't use ANY toothpaste
with fluoride in it. Fluoride is an industrial, poisonous waste product that damagesyour teeth. It's one of the most reactive substances found in nature and reacts withthe enamel of your teeth degrading it until it's gone.
A note on fillings: I'd also like to mention that one should refuse amalgam fillings eveif the dentist says they're okay (most don't nowadays but I think some still use them
in countries where the dentistry lobbies are strong). They tend to contain mercury another trace metals. And you definitely do not want mercury in your mouth. It's a
neurotoxin that can permanently impair memory, learning centers and behaviour. Gofor the porcelain alternatives.
Sleep
Proper sleep is the cornerstone of our daily life. A good night's sleep can determinethe difference between waking up and getting things done or staying in bed feeling th
day go to waste. Too little sleep can make you insulin resistant. It can be the factor
that can make you keep weight on or not gain muscle. A bad night's sleep will alsoruin your day. A good sleep helps you wake up with a good attitude which leads to a
good day. As such it's important to take into consideration the best conditions for afull, healthy sleep.
When - We're wired to sleep when it's dark. So try not to stay up too long after that
(short winter days granted).
Length - Aim for a solid 7 hours. More if you're doing heavy strength training and
looking to gain mass. Supplement with a short 20 minute nap in the afternoon ifyou're training heavy or just fancy one too. I love lying outside on the grass taking a
nap in the sun during my lunch break.
Light - Light - Night in the wild is dark. Period. The same should hold for your room.If you live in a city then some blackout curtains are an especially good investment asstreet lights keep the area lit up 24-7. If your room is light or dimly lit then your eyes
dont get a break from stimulation and are not given a chance to fully relax. You wonfeel as refreshed come the morning because any light tricks the body into believing it
is day so the regenerative mechanisms are not fully triggered. If you live right out in
the country then youre in a much better position. Not only will it be dark at nightwithout having to use curtains but the suns light can wake your body up slowly,
without you going straight from dark to bright artificial illumination.
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Surface - Sleeping on a hard surface will keep your spine in its natural position. Ahard mattress is a good investment. Make sure any pillows you have are the right size
too because ones too small or too large will strain your neck. Smaller pillows are lessproblematic than big pillows.
Ventilation - Having air circulate at night will keep the room cool and stop it fromgetting stuffy. Open a window or keep a fan on. If you have them, opening both the
top and bottom of sash windows creates a really good circulation of air. Fresh air
provides better breathing which gives more oxygenation which results in a better rest
Clothing - When we sleep we expel toxins through sweat. Wearing some loose
clothes like pyjamas ensures this is soaked up keeping the sheets clean. If it's too hot
then pyjamas and a lighter quilt is better for you than going naked with a very thickquilt. If you do sleep naked or with little clothing you'll end up sleeping in your own
sweat night after night, which isn't particularly pleasant after a while. Changing thesheets regularly is therefore a good idea. It's also not a bad idea to change them afte
having vigorous sex or sweating out a fever.
Noise - The quieter the better. Don't fall asleep listening to anything. Cutting out theexternal sounds will help quiet your mind and make for a better rest. If you haveexternal noise you can't get rid of such as street cars/trucks or annoying neighbours
go for soothing, relaxing music devoid of lyrics or the human voice. Natural soundssuch as rain or waves seem to work the best.
Electromagnetic Radiation/Wireless Devices - Turn off all electrical appliances atthe plug. Switch off the modem/router. Turn off your mobile phone. The signals these
items emit interact with and excite the cells in the body and in high doses can causecancer. Turning them off when they are not needed saves your body the trouble of
having to deal with them and helps you sleep a whole lot better.
Blue Light - Avoid blue/white light (e.g. light from a computer screen or the sun)
before bed. Programs like f.lux (http://stereopsis.com/flux) reduce blue light outputfrom your computer and replace it with red light. This allows you to work at the
computer late at night without leaving your mind buzzing afterwards. If you stick tousing blue/white light before bed your brain will taka a long time to 'slow down' which
will delay any decent sleep for a couple of hours.
Waking Up - As the sun rises and the light levels increase our body starts to warm
things up in preparation for the day. Waking up is as gradual as falling asleep.
However, we all know it doesn't happen like that so much nowadays. It's not great togo from fully asleep to awake immediately we all hate alarm clocks because the
whole sleeping/regenerative process is interrupted which leads to bad moods, angerand crankiness as well as feelings of exhaustion throughout the morning. As nice as it
might be, we're not like flicking a light switch where we're suddenly all systems go.We need time to 'turn on'. So, while we do obviously have to get up by a certain time
in order to get ready for work (and that can mean getting up in the pitch black duringwinter) one thing you can do is to set the alarm 10 minutes before you need to get
up. This'll give you 10 minutes in bed to think about the day ahead and let your body
wake up too.
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Routine - Having a nightly routine will help you relax before getting into bed. Yourbody soon starts to adapt and once you finally hit the sack it's ready to turn off
without any fuss. Finish the night with a relaxing activity that's not overly taxing onthe brain. For example meditating or reading a novel followed by a full body stretch
before retiring. It will only take a few minutes all told and greatly improve your sleep
You could follow this with a classic relaxation technique: tense all muscles one at atime from the toes working up to the head. Repeat. Then tense all your muscles at
once. Relax and let thought and awareness of your body go and drift off into a deep,
comfortable sleep. Building a wake-up routine has an equal advantage you trainyourself to get up and go, getting stuck into the day's activities without any internal
fight or struggle to get out of bed once you're awake.
Sunlight
Sunlight is important to us because we are able to synthesis Vitamin D via our skinfrom it. Vitamin D is vital to our health. The pigment in your skin is an indicator of
how much sunlight your ancestors were exposed to. The darker your skin the strongeyour 'cover' and thus the more sunlight you need in order to activate Vitamin Dproduction. This is why so many people with darker skin living in places far from the
equator like Britain and Russia are Vitamin D deficient. Most of us though, regardlessof skin pigment, spend far too little time outside under natural light in order to obtain
enough Vitamin D anyway. Workplaces have few windows and are lit with artificial
lights which, while keeping us awake, don't contain all the frequencies available fromthe sun.
Vitamin D - A Pro-Hormone
Vitamins are organic substances that can't be produced by the body but are requiredfor function. A hormone on the other hand is a substance produced by specific organs
and carried through the bloodstream to affect various organ systems. The Vitamin D
produced in your skin is technically not a vitamin, but a pro-hormone; it provides theraw material from which a hormone is produced. We evolved to produce the pro-
hormone Vitamin D from the sun. The hormone it produces is an essential nutrient;the body cannot operate fully without it.
The effects of Vitamin D include:Producing hormones e.g. growth hormone, calcium regulation and absorption (which
can't happen without Vitamin D), helping to regulate apoptosis (programmed cell
death), energy regulation, neurotransmitter production, reduction of inflammation,encouraging brain development, insulin production stimulation, strengthening theimmune system by increasing the white blood cell count and oxygen content in cells.
It also helps prevent inflammatory bowel disease and inhibits the blood pressure
hormone rennin.
All in all Vitamin D is VERY important. So get out and enjoy the natural light as muchas you can. Taking lunch out of the office on a sunny day is a perfect example. Expos
naked skin to the sun, ditch the sunscreen, the sun glasses (we spent millions of year
successfully evolving without these) and have fun.
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Also, because we're working inside, take a Vitamin D supplement in the form ofVitamin D3 to make sure you get a descent dose of at least 10,000 IU a day (an hour
spent topless in full sunlight will produce 10,000 IU).
Vitamin D supplement:
Healthy Origins
If you get ill
We all know getting ill sucks. Living a healthy life pretty much stops you from evergetting ill or rundown. However, it can happen so here are some pointers to bear in
mind:
Vitamin C is all important for maintaining the body's defenses. So, take extra
vitamin C! Lemons and cherries are a favourite. Mix fresh lemons with warm
water and a bit of honey to make a refreshing drink.
Increase your intake of Vitamin A. It helps mucous membranes resistmicrobiological attack. A big dose (200,000 IU) can normally kill most intruderswithin a couple of days.
Increase your Vitamin D intake: get out in the sun more and/or down a few
more 10,000IU capsules.
Eat less. This frees your body to focus on healing rather than using loads ofenergy digesting. Most animals don't eat when they're sick. It works very well
for humans too. Skip a meal or just eat a bit less.
Keep workouts light and get the heart pumping a bit. Raise the heart rate, exertyourself reasonably and then finish up. Don't push yourself to exhaustion. Don't
stop completely either though. Stopping altogether and falling into a 'too sick tomove' attitude will only lead the body to fall into a slump. Keep moving. And if
there is sunlight get out in it and breathe some fresh air too!
Walk in nature. Woods are full of beneficial compounds released by plants whichhelp relax the body. Wrap up warm and go enjoy the sights and smells. But
keep it fairly short.
Sleep! Don't stay in bed all day feeling sorry for yourself. Instead get up andjust take a couple of naps throughout the day. Power napping will leave you
feeling refreshed and a lot better.
Completely avoid refined sugars as well as off the shelf 'medicines' that containthem as they inhibit the immune system.
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Training
What We're Aiming For
A body able to confidently carry out multiple activities with ease and grace is thebaseline physique we're after. This section of the book will help guide you towardsgetting that. Later on you may want to do something particular like row a 30km race
or squats 1000lbs. But for now stick with being a generalist.
The most direct and effective method for gaining general fitness is intense training
routines involving simple compound movements which use lots of muscles. Thismaximizes results without taxing time while burning fat and growing lean muscle.
Examples movements include pushing and pulling with your body, walking, runningand sprinting, climbing and swimming.
Notice how athletes in competitive games such as football, basketball, hockey, boxing
sprinting and tennis all mimic this kind of action. They are all "burst, rest" / "fight or
flight" types of activities involving arm, leg and core movement. Their bodies are builtfor speed and power and used in full over short periods of time. We're going to do the
same.
Because starting today is better than starting tomorrow or after you've joined a gym
or brought your own weight set etcetera this book focuses on training using you as thsource of resistance. And don't think that is a compromise. It's the strain you place o
your muscles that changes them and whether that strain comes from weights,
machines or you isn't that important. Training with your bodyweight just gives you noexcuse not to workout because all you need is you.
The central idea is to progressively increase the difficulty of the moves you do. As an
example you might start off only being able to do pushups on your knees. Then overthe course of some weeks you work up to doing full pushups. Then you might take it
further and over the next few months progress to doing one arm pushups, which is animpressive feat. After that you might fancy making it even more challenging by doing
the moves while wearing a weight vest. And the list goes on. As each move becomes
easier you get stronger.
Getting Started
There is no rush. If you've not done any strenuous physical activity for awhile thenstart by going for a brisk weighted walk a few times a week (see below). Do that for a
month then begin working in some more challenging routines like some of the basic
ones given here. It may be that you just want to lose a bit of weight rather thanreshape your body entirely but either way thorough planning pays greatly. By taking
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things steadily you can set a goal and work on achieving it without getting frustratedby overexerting yourself or floundering without direction. Afterwards you can move
onto achieving something else with a success already under your belt.
Starting slow is the way of the game. If you can't run a mile don't start by trying to
run five miles. Work up to running 100m, then 200m then 300m until you've built thaup to the mile. Then work up from that to the five mile mark.
We start with small goals so as to avoid failing, losing motivation and ultimatelythrowing in the towel. Giving up quickly because you're asking too much of yourselfgets you nowhere. Minor victories add up fast so make haste, slowly!
Motivation
One of the fastest ways to get motivated is to watch others. Have a search on the netfor athletes, sportsmen and practitioners who do the things you want to be good at or
have a body you like. Then watch some videos of them training. If the sight of heavylifting makes you want to go exercise then go watch some power lifters, Olympic
lifters and strongmen go at the weights/heavy objects. If running is your thing then g
watch some classic races. The content isn't important, getting you pumped up andinspired is. There are hundreds of motivational compilations on the internet too,
bringing together inspiring quotes, images and videos of people achieving great thingto get your heart pumping in anticipation.
When the time comes to work out then music can be of great help too. Faster trackswhich get your heart racing, fill you with excitement and make you feel energetic are
the ones to go for.
Workout Ideas
Working out can seem like a challenge. And so it should, albeit a fun one. But in fact
finding the time in the first place can seem like an even bigger challenge to overcomeYou may come home from work and after cooking the kids' dinner and putting them t
bed find you just want to sit down and relax in front of the TV. Or you might exercisestarting Monday for a few days then take a couple of days off to rest only to find that
this weekend you're going away and you won't get a chance for the rest of the week.
Structure is the key. As most of us tend to be at work for five straight days a week(Monday to Friday) it makes a lot of sense to plan workouts on workdays. This keeps
the diary straightforward and the weekends free.
Varying the intensity and movements is important. There's no point exhaustingyourself for five days only to be useless at the weekend. Or cramping your legs at the
start of the week meaning you can't run later on. Mixing up what you do keeps the
body fresh. With a variety of movements you stop yourself from over training any onepart or overspecializing. Plus you're much better off during life, you're much more
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useful to others, and you'll probably have a lot more fun if you can do a lot of differenthings.
When it comes down to exercising you'll get more out of a workout by having a plan.
Make sure you know what you're doing before you start. A clear set of goals gives you
something to aim for and stops you floundering mid-way through as excuses to stopor rest rear their ugly head. And excuses are the bane, arch nemesis and sworn
enemy of productive exercise.
Putting all that together you could follow a general plan like this:
On Mondays workout.
On Wednesdays do a more intense workout.On Fridays finish the working week with a really intense workout.
At the Weekends kick back and enjoy a well earned break for all your hard work.
Here are some example workouts to get you started...
Sample Workouts
Low Intensity:
Workout 1 Complete 5 sets of 10 pushups + 10 squats + 10 pullups + 10 lunges
Workout 2 Swim fast and steady for 30 minutes.Workout 3 Run fast and steady for 30 minutes.
Medium Intensity:
Workout 1 Run for 30 minutes sprinting 100m every five minutes.Workout 2 Complete 10 pushups + 10 squats. Repeat ten times (that's ten sets). N
rest between sets.Workout 3 Swim a pyramid of lengths. Swim one length then rest 30s. Swim two
lengths then rest 30s. Work up to five lengths. Then work your way back down the
pyramid resting 30s after each set.
High Intensity:
Workout 1 Swim 100m as fast as you can then rest 30 seconds. Do that five times.Give yourself a few minutes rest then do the whole thing again. Do this as many timeas you can within 30 minutes.
Workout 2 Sprint 100m, do 10 pushups then 10 jumping jacks. Repeat 8 times asfast as you can.
Workout 3 Complete 10 pushups + 10 lunges + 10 pull-ups + 10 squats. Do thatten times.
You could also place a toll at home. Every time you go up the stairs do ten squats. Onthe way down do ten press ups. Before serving breakfast and dinner go for a fast ten
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minute run. Throughout the day this will soon add up keeping you active betweenworkouts.
In order to save space only a small selection of workouts has been given in this text.
More can be found, with explanations of exercises and progressions, over at
http://www.get-offit.com/exercise.
The Movements
Weighted WalkingThis is one of the most effective ways of beginning physical exercise, burning fat and
improving endurance. It's also extremely simple:
Fill a backpack with 5-10kg
Go for a fast walk for 30 minutes
Ideally this would be over some hills or in a green space (park, countryside, wood).
Start with 5kg and work up to carrying 10kg either in a rucksack or weight vest
(decent brands include the Xvest and Fitstream) and make sure to drink plenty of
water beforehand and afterwards. Importantly do not eat anything before doing this.Having an empty stomach will force your body to burn fat.
To quickly burn off excess fat do this every day if you can (30 minutes is just skipping
a TV program). For even better results take a short, 30 min weighted walk twice aday: one in the morning before breakfast and one in the evening before dinner. Doing
this will soon see you buying new clothes as fat just melts off you.
Sprints
Sprints are awesome and worth doing at least once a week. They'll help you developsome real speed and power and the best thing about them is that they can be done
anywhere and in a number of ways:
You can do them during a walk or run. After going along enough to warm up
sprint 20 - 200m. Do not stop walking/running afterwards though. Whensuitably recovered sprint again. Then repeat. This training is very good for
improving your endurance, recovery and power.
Go for a walk amongst some hills. Sprint each hill as you come to it, walkingdown the other side. Work up to including more hills over a longer walk.
Find a path up a hill about 100m in length. Sprint that and then walk back.
Repeat up to ten times.
However, not everyone is ready to do sprints when just starting out. Joints may be
unstable and weak or maybe your body is simply carrying too much weight. If youcan't sprint yet spend a good month or two with the weighted walking. This'll bring
down the weight, strengthen the joints and heart and get your body ready. It may bethat at first a sprint is fairly slow but as long as you're going as fast as you can you're
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doing it right.
RunningRunning is a very efficient way of getting fit. It's easy, cheap and flexible. You can do
it pretty much anywhere, only need a pair of shoes and can whack up the intensity to
suit. You burn fat, build up your legs and back and strengthen your joints. For ourpurposes it's best done on an empty stomach at a fast pace. That is, you shouldn't be
able to hold a conversation but you're not sprinting flat out.
It is very important to point out the difference between running and jogging. All thetime I hear people saying 'I run' when in fact they jog at a very slow pace. Make no
mistake, running is not jogging. Running is moving rapidly from one place to another
while jogging is moving at a slow steady pace from one place to the other.
Running makes you stronger. Jogging wears you down and will lead to injuries. Twoout of every three so called 'runners' in the world (actually joggers) suffer from ankle
or knee injuries because of the brutal way in which their feet impact the groundthousands of times per session. Or worse yet suffer heart attacks and the like becaus
the slow, long, steady pace is unnatural and your heart is not built for it.
Runs are best kept short in duration. The heart is not a machine built to pump at a
steady pace for long periods of time. It likes variation in rhythm. You'll get more outof three fast 30 minute runs over the course of a week than one run of an hour and a
half. After running you should feel refreshed and full of energy. Five miles in 30
minutes is a good pace to work towards (2.7km/10 minutes) and any further in thesame time is even better. There is little to be gained in terms of health by running for
longer periods of time. Focus on running faster and further within the 30 minutewindow.
With regards to form you should stay upright, leaning forwards slightly while keepingthe shoulders relaxed. Pump your arms as you run keeping enough tension in them to
grip something in your hands without becoming rigid. Strike the ground with the ballof your foot, like you were running up stairs, transferring the weight to the heel befor
springing off for the next step. The legs should be bent at all times. This may feel a bweird at first but it's how you'd run if you were barefoot and goes a long way to
preventing injuries and wear on the knees and shins.
Aim to go running at least once a week. You could go in the morning before any
breakfast (go to bed e