If you’re an athlete, you’ll want to hear this.  How an athletic champion elevated her game using Dr. Doug Graham’s 80-10-10 method.  It’s crazy but apparently it works. Find out more about vegan athlete Pam Boteler and how going ‘811rv’ has changed her game.

It looks like a new generation of ‘super athletes’ are coming up – the raw vegan athletes. Performance, endurance, and recovery like never before. You’ll believe it when you hear it for yourself.

And remember to sign up on my website for the latest! www.AliaAlmoayed.com

Whenever I write about why you should NOT have dairy products, people bring out all their defensive tactics in support of milk and cheese.

I’ve written about this numerous times (see Life After Cheese) and still receive some ‘hate’ for it.  But I’m sticking to my conviction that dairy is not as healthy as people make it.

But to answer the questions of all of you who still have doubts that Dairy is not good for you, I brought the ‘Not-Milk-Man’ himself. I grilled him with loads of challenging questions and his answers are bound to convince the most stubborn of us!

LISTEN TO THE REPLAY HERE

Why Are You Still Drinking Milk?

I’ve written about my own acne nightmares in many blog posts before, but here I am writing about the topic again because it’s soooooo close to my heart.

I still wonder how some people can’t seem to make the connection between food and health.  

I was reading the health section of a well-known Bahrain magazine and
it included a Q&A column.  The question came from a 20-year-old male
suffering from pimples and oily skin for many years.  The answer came
from a medical doctor who suggested that “there is no cure for pimples,”
but that skin creams, antibacterials, and antibiotics may be of help.  To my
surprise, the doctor specifically stated that “science has not proven any
relation of food to acne”!

Now I will ask you: how is it possible that food does not affect acne when people sometimes see a direct effect of certain foods on their skin health?  How is it possible for us to swallow an antibiotic pill and digest it and then it heals our skin?  Just like the medicine pills go into our digestion to affect our skin, is it not by the same mechanism that the food we eat goes into our digestion and affects our skin?  

And how is it that they say there is no connection between food and skin
when vitamin-A-based creams are the most frequently used creams for acne?
Is it not possible that the body needs vitamin A to fix skin cells from the inside
and not just from the outside in the form of cream?  And where would vitamin
A come from; not from food?

And yet, food is very often ignored as a factor in many health conditions.
We are living in a ‘medicalised’ society where medicine has become the
answer to everything.  We are losing our trust in nature and our faith in our
internal healing mechanisms.

What bothers me the most is that doctors are resorting to medication before
they even consider anything else.  shouldn’t a change in diet be the first consideration?
In this article, the doctor states that “..if you have mild to moderate acne and
oily skin, try oral antibiotcs like tetracycline pills”.  Of course he fails to mention
that tetracycline is one of the most powerful antibiotics around.  And he is
suggesting them for ‘mild to moderate’ acne!  Antibiotics have a huge negative
effect on the body, including lowered immunity, digestive problems, yeast
overgrowth, and even yellowing of the teeth!  Wouldn’t you rather try
making some changes to your diet first?

Nutrition has helped many people improve their skin, just by changing the diet.
Sometimes the solution is right in front of you but you just don’t see it.  Take a
close look at your diet: sugar feeds the bacteria that causes acne; fried foods
and dairy products block the pores; zinc helps skin healing..
And the list goes on…

So before you accept extreme treatment measures, look for more natural ways
to help your problem.  Remember that we are surrounded by healing foods but
we just have to know where to look!

Food is medicine, use it wisely.

Mai’s feedback

After reading what I wrote, one of my readers, Mai Al Hashimi, came back to me with her own powerful message.

“Yes Alia. I totally agree with what u wrote about the link between our skin and food. I had some acne problem in my face since high school. I went to most of our famous dermotoligsts in Bahrain.

They prescribed antibiotics, pills, moisturizing creams, peeling creams, you name it.. But none. I say it NONE of them asked me : what do u eat ?!!

By reading and googling about health in general, I read about what the cheapest source of food can heal in our bodies. Water! Yes water. I used to drink ZERO glasses of water a day. 2 juices (or I better say colored flavored drinks)

I immediately (after 7 or 8 years or acne problems) started to drink water. It was difficult for me at the beggining to drink a glass of water, but with time , I got used to drinking 2 or 3 litres a day!!

What encouraged me to continue my efforts to drink water on daily basis was the immediate result and positive effect it showed on my skin in general, and my face in partiuclar. My acne reduced to a remarkable degree that many asked me about the name of doctor I discovered with the cure for acne problems.

Alhamdullela, now I learned this the hard way but I try to deliver it to my loved ones as 1 2 3 info.  This is my story with food and skin. Thanks” Mai Al Hashimi

Here are links to what I wrote about skin in the past..

Teenage Skin Diaries

Skin SOS + Arabic video التغذية للبشرة النضرة

Krazy Talk to Rescue Your Skin

And remember to sign up on my website for the latest www.AliaAlmoayed.com

I wrote a few weeks ago about Patrick Holford’s visit to Bahrain. I was very excited about him coming and inspiring the people of Bahrain to take their health seriously and look into nutrition as a way forward.

I was very happy to attend his Diabesity workshop & Kids Nutrition seminar. They were both received very well.

Alia Almoayed with Patrick Holford. 'Diabesity' workshop Bahrain Nov 2011

I hope his message continues in Bahrain and the Middle East even after he’s gone. Diabetes is a serious issue in this part of the world and the tips given here are not to be taken lightly.

For you, I have made sure I’ve interviewed him TWICE on the subject of Diabetes, in the hope that my efforts make a difference to someone somewhere.

Have a look at the YouTube video interview (above). And the extended radio interview (listen to the replay below).

Here’s my extended chat with Patrick Holford on DARE TO BE HEALTHY

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

To sign  up on my personal mailing list, go to AliaAlmoayed.com

Then he told me a story.

When he was a yoga student in an Ashram in Kerala India in the late 80s, one of his classmates said to their guru that he’s happy being vegetarian but he’s having a hard time explaining why he’s vegetarian to the people around him who keep asking him!

So Swami Sathyananda Saraswathy (a monk who lived well into his 90s) answered his question by asking him to use common sense.  He said you can decide for yourself if you should be vegetarian or not by analyzing the human body and what it was made for (compared to other creatures).  These are the argument points he used (as recounted):

• Birth – Herbivores have babies that can open their eyes immediately after birth.  Carnivore babies cannot.
• Height – Carnivores (lion, cat) are shorter when compared to herbivores (elephant, giraffe, etc.)
• Jaws – Herbivores have a lower jaw that moves side to side (for chewing). Carnivores’ lower jaw doesn’t move (they need to catch their prey, tear, and swallow)
• Teeth – The structure of the teeth of herbivores is made for chewing not tearing. Herbivores have flat teeth and flat back molars to grind their food. Carnivores have long, sharp and pointed teeth for tearing, not chewing.
• Drinking – Herbivores drink through their lips. Carnivores use their tongue to slurp/drink.
• Walking – Carnivores do not produce any sound when walking; they are hunters (e.g. lions, panthers). Herbivores walk with sound.
• Nails – Carnivores have nails that come out when needed, for hunting.  Herbivores cannot move their nails in and out and they are not sharp.
• Saliva – Herbivores’ saliva is alkaline, containing carbohydrate digestive enzymes to pre-digest plant food; and large salivary glands in their mouth.  Carnivores have small salivary glands and their saliva is acidic and does not contain digestive enzymes.
• Tongue – Herbivores tongues respond pleasurably to sweets (carbohydrates) but have lost the taste for amino acids.
• Mouths – Herbivores have little mouths in relation to their head size, unlike carnivores.
• Vision – Carnivores can see clearly in the dark (for hunting); Herbivores cannot
• Intestines – Carnivores have small intestines that are 3-6 times the length of their trunk; this is designed for rapid elimination of food that rots quickly. A herbivores intestine is 10-12 times the length of its trunk (as in humans) and winds itself back and forth in random directions, so that the food stays longer for extracting the valuable nutrients and minerals.  Large intestines of carnivores are short and simple, so fatty waste and cholesterol can slide out before it putrefies (that’s why it’s impossible for carnivores to get cancer or heart disease from clogged arteries).  In herbivores, the large intestine runs in 3 directions (ascending, traversing and descending) designed to hold wastes until fluids and nutrients are extracted.
• Stomach – Carnivores can eat rotting raw flesh without getting sick because they have stomach acids that kill germs and allow them to digest it.  The stomach of carnivores secretes powerful enzymes and about 10 times the amount of hydrochloric acid than than of humans or herbivores.
• Kidneys – Carnivores have kidneys that are 3 times bigger than herbivores to be able to eliminate the uric acid produced to break down proteins.  “That’s why lions are not coming to hospitals for dialysis.”
• Sweat – Carnivores perspire through their tongues (no skin pores); herbivores perspire through their skin.
• Sleep – Carnivores tire easily and sleep the most. Herbivores sleep the least.  All the animals that are used for high-energy work (camels, donkeys, buffalo, etc.) are herbivores.
• Hunger – Carnivores have the ability to survive long without food (e.g. lion) while herbivores need frequent meals.
• Instincts – Carnivores find the smell of blood and dead animals attractive; they are quick, like cats, hawks or other predators.
• Health – plant-eating creatures (Herbivores) have the longest lifespan (e.g. elephants, horses). Humans have even longer lifespans than that.
• Vit C – Carnivores make vitamin C internally in their body. Humans and herbivores don’t
• Nature – Herbivores are calm and quiet; carnivores are ‘roaring’ and angry

These are the argument points he made.  They are worth pondering as most of them seem to imply that we are meant to be herbivores / vegetarians.
I’m sure there are exceptions to these points, and I’m sure many carnivores would like to argue otherwise.

Are humans meant to be carnivores (meat-eaters), herbivores (plant-based) or omnivores (a bit of both)?

Tough question! What do you think?

Alia Almoayed with Patrick Holford - Oct 2008

A few years ago, Patrick Holford ran a conference called ‘Food for the Brain’ in London. I decided to attend that conference in spite of my 7-month pregnant belly.  I went specifically to meet Patrick Holford because I am a big fan and I really admire all the work that he’s done for the nutrition field.

In fact, his book ‘Optimum Nutrition Bible’ was what got my husband and I interested in nutrition in the first place, in 1999.

Flash-forward TWELVE years, and Patrick Holford is coming to Bahrain!  That’s the best news ever!  I know I have certainly made myself free for the two workshops that he’s holding here, and I hope you will too!

CLICK HERE to listen to my interview with Patrick Holford

Patrick Holford will be talking about two topics:

Bahrain – Saturday 26th Nov, 9am-5pm: Diabesity workshop [Gulf Hotel, BD35/person]

Bahrain – Sunday 27th Nov, 3:30-5:30pm: Optimum Nutrition for Children

Tickets to be purchased in advance and are available from Organic Foods & Café, Seef Mall, Bahrain. Call 3888 2085 or 1782 2230 or book online at www.patrickholford.com

Diabetes is a very big problem in Bahrain and the Gulf region.  It is a silent killer and it is on the rise even in children.  Here’s more information about the Diabetes seminar:

******

Say No to Diabetes

‘There is a simple cure for the obesity and diabetes epidemic, but everyone is looking in the wrong place.’ Professor Charles Clarke, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The diabetes epidemic is upon us. More than 230 million people world- wide have diabetes and, according to the World Health Organization, that number will increase to 333 million by 2025.

BUT new evidence shows diet CAN reverse diabetes.

The vast majority of people with diabetes can achieve perfectly stable blood sugar balance, even without the need for medication, by following the advice in Patrick Holford’s new book Say No to Diabetes which explains clearly how to prevent or reverse diabetes, lose weight and restore health and wellbeing and provides a practical action plan with diet and lifestyle advice plus recipes for every meal.

“For some readers, this book may seem eye-opening, and to others shocking, because it may turn upside down their perception of what is healthy and unhealthy in relation to an appropriate diabetes diet. Patrick Holford has been an important and courageous voice in the UK and internationally, and has dared to challenge the establishment. However, it is important to understand that the challenge is a credible one because the thrust of this book ties in with what the latest research is beginning to show,” says Dr Fedon Lindberg, a leading diabetes expert in Norway.

Patrick Holford, one of the most inspiring and informative health and nutrition experts in the world, is supporting the release of Say No to Diabetes with worldwide Diabesity seminars beginning in South Africa this August and taking in London, Dublin, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Singapore and Manila.

Discover:

• What’s driving diabetes, weight gain and metabolic syndrome
• How to become master of your blood sugar balance
• The perfect low GL diet to minimise insulin need
• The practice of a low GL diet – what you buy, cook and eat with menu planning
• How to cut the sugar load of meal
• The best anti diabetes daily supplement programme
• The best exercises

-       plus plenty of time for your questions

*******

Here are the details again:

Patrick Holford will be talking about two topics:

Bahrain – Saturday 26th Nov, 9am-5pm: Diabesity workshop [Gulf Hotel, BD35/person]

Bahrain – Sunday 27th Nov, 3:30-5:30pm: Optimum Nutrition for Children

Tickets to be purchased in advance and are available from Organic Foods & Café, Seef Mall, Bahrain. Call 3888 2085 or 1782 2230 or book online at www.patrickholford.com

HERE’s the link to my interview with Patrick Holford again

I hope to see you there, Bahrain!

To sign up on my email list, go to www.AliaAlmoayed.com

I got it from one of my favorite cookbooks: RAW FOOD MADE EASY. This book is worth every penny.

I just added a few variations to the recipe to make it suit our tastes

Raw Apple Pie

For the crust:
- 2 1/4 cups ground almonds
- 3/4 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Process together in a food processor until it is well mixed together.
Flatten the crust into a pie plate or a cheesecake plate.  Press it down.
Store in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Note: if you feel the crust is too flaky, you can add more dates.

For the filling:
- 2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup pitted dates (soaked)
- 1/2 cup raisins (soaked)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Toss the sliced apples with 2 tbsp lemon juice and set aside.

Place the chopped apples, dates, raisins, cinnamon, and remaining 1tbsp. lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth.  Remove from the food processor and mix with the sliced apples.

Remove the crust from the freezer.  Pour the apple filling into it and press down with a rubber spatula.  Bring to room temperature or warm in a slow oven (do not cook).

I also dusted more cinnamon powder on the top and sprinkled desiccated coconut for a little crunch.

For more exciting health updates, sign up on www.AliaAlmoayed.com

I wrote all about it here in my blog post  ‘I’m Trying the Liver & Gallbladder Flush’

But this week something even better happened.. I spoke to the author of the book himself – Andreas Moritz – to get all the juicy details directly from him!

Have a look. And if you haven’t yet tried a liver flush, NOW would be a good time. Trust me.

At the beginning of summer, I set out to find a solution for better hair and skin. I was doing everything I could do from a nutritional perspective so I hated it when I still had dry skin or hair!

Part of my quest for that improvement, was a hunt for a water testing company that will test my water and tell me if I was showering in hard water, which is known to be a major cause of dryness for both skin and hair, as well as a host of problems (such as aggravating eczema, blocking hair follicles, and worsening frizzy hair).

The test

Rami (from the Arabian Gulf Bio-Remedies group) came to test our water and as expected, it turned out we had VERY HARD water, which means our water was high in dissolved minerals, especially calcium and magnesium carbonates which make it tough and abrasive on delicate cells like those of skin and hair. These minerals also cause problems in household equipment such as washers, bathroom fixtures, etc.

Anyway, so I had them install a water softening device for our water supply. I wanted to try it out for a few months before I wrote about it.  And here I am!

My water-softening device at the back of the house

These are just some of the benefits of soft water:

• Gentler on skin and hair (marked difference)
• More effective use of detergents, soaps, and shampoos because soft water lathers better
• Kinder to household equipment such as washers, plumbing, etc. because it does not cause hard sediments
• … and many more which I will leave to the experts to explain

Addicted

Since then I have become addicted to the softness of the water.  When you have soft water, it feels like the soap on your hands is not washing off properly, but in reality it’s the natural oils in your skin that are keeping them soft and oily. I love that feeling.  And I now get the softness on my face so I have less need for moisturizers and my hair as well.

The truth is that I was very happy with Rain Soft, and I wished I had known the benefits of soft water earlier (because I had heard about the company before and thought it’s just another gimmick that they’re trying to sell me).

If you’re not sure if this is something you’d like to do, I suggest you just give them a call and get them to do the free water testing and demonstration for you. That way you’ll know if it’s worth it.  I was blown away by what I found.  Oh, and if you move houses, you can just take the whole system with you and re-install it in your new location.

Want my opinion? Get the water-softener, NOT the Reverse Osmosis (RO) system (RO has a lot of water wastage and is disastrous to the environment).

To get more information from AGBR (Arabian Gulf Bio-Remedies), you can call Rami in Bahrain on 3944 6575.  Rami is probably tired of all my questions because I grilled him about how the system works, its benefits, and I made him wait for weeks before I told him whether or not I enjoyed soft water.

So if you tell Rami you came through me, he will know you are a very educated consumer who is only looking for the best.  Not only that, but he’ll know you’re also looking for the best deal.  And he promised that for my special readers, he’ll give you ‘Alia’s Super VIP Discount & Gift’ should you choose to purchase the system. Seriously. Ask him for it!

Remember: the test and demo are free. It’s very educational and a lot of fun, so get your kids around as well.

If you are in Bahrain or Saudi, you can call Rami on +973 39446575.  I bet you’ll love how soft water feels and your cells will thank you for it

If you enjoyed this info and want to get more updates, sign up on my site at www.AliaAlmoayed.com

Alia Almoayed with Patrick Holford - Oct 2008

A few years ago, Patrick Holford ran a conference called ‘Food for the Brain’ in London. I decided to attend that conference in spite of my 7-month pregnant belly.  I went specifically to meet Patrick Holford because I am a big fan and I really admire all the work that he’s done for the nutrition field.

In fact, his book ‘Optimum Nutrition Bible’ was what got my husband and I interested in nutrition in the first place, in 1999.

Flash-forward TWELVE years, and Patrick Holford is coming to Bahrain!  That’s the best news ever!  I know I have certainly made myself free for the two workshops that he’s holding here, and I hope you will too!

Patrick Holford will be talking about two topics:

Bahrain – Saturday 26th Nov, 9am-5pm: Diabesity workshop [Gulf Hotel, BD35/person]

Bahrain – Sunday 27th Nov, 3:30-5:30pm: Optimum Nutrition for Children

Tickets to be purchased in advance and are available from Organic Foods & Café, Seef Mall, Bahrain. Call 3888 2085 or 1782 2230 or book online at www.patrickholford.com

Diabetes is a very big problem in Bahrain and the Gulf region.  It is a silent killer and it is on the rise even in children.  Here’s more information about the Diabetes seminar:

******

Say No to Diabetes

‘There is a simple cure for the obesity and diabetes epidemic, but everyone is looking in the wrong place.’ Professor Charles Clarke, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The diabetes epidemic is upon us. More than 230 million people world- wide have diabetes and, according to the World Health Organization, that number will increase to 333 million by 2025.

BUT new evidence shows diet CAN reverse diabetes.

The vast majority of people with diabetes can achieve perfectly stable blood sugar balance, even without the need for medication, by following the advice in Patrick Holford’s new book Say No to Diabetes which explains clearly how to prevent or reverse diabetes, lose weight and restore health and wellbeing and provides a practical action plan with diet and lifestyle advice plus recipes for every meal.

“For some readers, this book may seem eye-opening, and to others shocking, because it may turn upside down their perception of what is healthy and unhealthy in relation to an appropriate diabetes diet. Patrick Holford has been an important and courageous voice in the UK and internationally, and has dared to challenge the establishment. However, it is important to understand that the challenge is a credible one because the thrust of this book ties in with what the latest research is beginning to show,” says Dr Fedon Lindberg, a leading diabetes expert in Norway.

Patrick Holford, one of the most inspiring and informative health and nutrition experts in the world, is supporting the release of Say No to Diabetes with worldwide Diabesity seminars beginning in South Africa this August and taking in London, Dublin, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Singapore and Manila.

Discover:

• What’s driving diabetes, weight gain and metabolic syndrome
• How to become master of your blood sugar balance
• The perfect low GL diet to minimise insulin need
• The practice of a low GL diet – what you buy, cook and eat with menu planning
• How to cut the sugar load of meal
• The best anti diabetes daily supplement programme
• The best exercises

-       plus plenty of time for your questions

*******

I hope to see you there, Bahrain!

To sign up on my email list, go to www.AliaAlmoayed.com