cleansing your body 37
fat cells, when compared to rats that ate normal and low - salt diets.
In addition, the rats on the high - salt diet ate more and had higher
blood pressure than did the rats on the low - salt diet. While we
humans are more evolved than rats, we certainly should be taking
some notes here!
Although many large health organizations in the United States
publish reports that call for a major reduction in the salt content of
processed and restaurant foods, little real change has actually been
implemented. For the food industry to change, we must change;
vote with your dollars and don ’ t buy processed foods. Long term,
you will save more money than you can count. When people tell
me that they can ’ t afford to buy whole foods, my usual response is
“ Pay now, or you and your children will pay later! ”
There are also hidden costs that result from having a diet of pro-
cessed foods: fi rst, medical bills due to health problems caused by
consuming this high - sodium, low - fi ber, nutrient - inferior food; and
second, the environmental and ethical problems that many people
are unconsciously creating by supporting conventionally grown,
highly processed, and transported foods. More on this later.
The Rice Diet Simplifi ed
The Rice Diet is made up of whole grains, beans, fruits, and veg-
etables that are free of processed ingredients; the diet is naturally
low in fat and sodium and has a minor emphasis on seafood and
other low - saturated - fat animal products (if they are appropriate for
one ’ s health). The importance of avoiding refi ned, highly addictive
foods that are rich in sugar, salt, and fat (especially saturated or trans
fats) cannot be overemphasized. These are triggers for people who
struggle with overeating and obesity, and they correlate strongly with
an increased risk of developing most chronic diseases (heart dis-
ease and its risk factors, cancer, arthritis, etc.). Although part of me
hesitates to say avoid , because I don ’ t want to set you up for feeling
deprived, I must repeat the twelve - step advice: “ If you don ’ t want to
fall down, don ’ t go onto slippery places! ” If healing is really a priority