- excerpt from Lesson 2 of http://www.chidiet.com/lessons.htm
IT IS WELL TO RECOGNIZE that changing dietary habits requires a growth process, and that this growth process may be facilitated by an understanding of different foods and their effect upon the body. The following list of food groups is designed to give you a perspective into food, their relationship to one another and to different stages of growth toward a simple health program.
Be patient with yourself, and as you desire better health habits, learn to substitute natural foods for those old addictions. Begin at the bottom of the page and find the group containing most of the foods you consume. Visualize the growth pattern you would like to follow, choosing foods in other groups, progressing toward the top of the page and IDEAL HEALTH.
The top two categories being ideal, the third may also be included for a high-quality maintenance diet. Remember: LOVE yourself!
IDEAL HEALTH PRODUCED BY SIMPLE LIVING FOODS: Sprouts, indoor greens, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, cleansing with wheatgrass, Rejuvelac and fasting - tuning into your own body! This is a high-consciousness diet, promoting non-violence in thought and action.
CONCENTRATED QUALITY NUTRITION (used along with the cleansing foods above for desired effects): Dried fruits, nuts, Essene breads, sprouted legumes and sprouted grains, fermented foods, seed and nut milks, concentrated fruits and vegetables, virgin olive oil, sesame oil, and seaweeds.
"VEGAN" VEGETARIAN: Includes cooked foods, is nutritionally sound, and contains no animal products. It includes steamed or baked vegetables and fruits with some raw vegetables and fruits (for enzymes), whole grain breads and other cooked grains, nut butters, honey, maple syrup, cold-pressed oils, and beans. Any cooking done over gentle heat, baked, stir-fried, steamed or crock pot. No microwaved foods.
VEGETARIAN TRANSITION FROM MEAT: This includes high-quality dairy products such as raw goat or cow's milk, soft unpasteurized cheeses, raw milk cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, soy dairy products, some meat substitutes made from nut, soy or grain products. Also, included are whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. In this step, effort should be made to replace all refined and processed foods with whole, organic natural foods.
TRANSITION FROM RED MEAT AND CHEMICALIZED FOODS: No more refined foods! Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans are a new world to explore. Educate yourself to understand the truth regarding your body and the way it works WITH your food to digest, assimilate, and eliminate waste material accumulated in the body. Study nutritional food values and their production methods. Choose foods for yourself and your family that are high in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes and low in added processing, chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides. Your first step is to eliminate red meat (pork and beef) from your diet and gradually drop another type of heavy food substance such as dairy, eggs, poultry, shellfish, etc., from your diet each month or so, working your way up the transitional ladder to the optimal way of eating.
Caution: These items, if maintained in the diet, will be hazardous to your health: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, junk food, fast food, processed food, cigarettes, additives, fried foods, carbonated beverages, and OVEREATING.
