IT is the time of year when our thoughts are centred on food and new beginnings. What will you resolve to do differently in the coming year? It could be to create a healthier you.

It is undeniable that we have more doctors and hospitals today than at any time in the history of man, and it is not because we are getting stronger as a nation. It is actually quite the opposite; we are getting weaker.

Today, the average individual in his lifetime may eat 15 cows, 24 hogs, 12 sheep, 900 chickens, and 1000 pounds of assorted animals that swim in the sea or fly in the air. This large amount of flesh is being forced into a bloodstream that was originally designed for fruits, vegetable, grains, and nuts.

The World Health Organization has confirmed that meat consumption can cause cancer. That is because we really do not need to consume all that ‘meat’.

Chickens make their flesh by eating grains, and we can do the same. This would save our stomachs the hard work of breaking down chicken’s complex proteins to the simple amino acids found in grains.

Holiday seasons, with all the joy of drinking and partying, often leave people with a lifetime of sadness and regret. Changing our food — the raw material that makes every cell in our bodies — is a good way to ring in the new year.

Fruits, vegetables and herbs are rich in phytochemicals that will offset disease in many ways. They will stimulate the vital processes of detoxification and strengthen the body’s immune system to fight against disease.

Just imagine, if we could maintain this change for seven years, we would have a healthier, more youthful self.

Having balanced hormones will help you on the journey to achieving excellent health. Here is the recipe for my hormone punch, which can be enriched with ‘stinking toe’ and tuna.

Hormone punch

Ingredients

1 tsp almond

1 tsp pumpkin seed

1 tsp flax seed

1 tsp sunflower seed

1 tsp peanut

1 handful spinach

1 stalk calalloo

2 stalk spanish needle

3 okra

¼ cup irish moss

2 cups coconut water

Directions

Blend all ingredients together, adding a little honey and molasses for flavour.

As we strive for better health in the new year, remember to make healthy living a lifestyle.

Maureen Minto is the chief naturopathic consultant at the Healthy Living Herbal Clinic and president of the Caribbean Natural Remedies Association. Contact her at 940-1197 or e-mail healthylivingjamaica@gmail.com