Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (179 page)

Once you have changed your diet, you will find more inspiration to move and exercise your body. But make a promise
to yourself to take up a form of exercise that you enjoy. As soon as you exercise, you will find that your mood improves.

One night a week before bed, mix 1 tablespoon of warm olive oil with the juice of a grapefruit and drink. Lie down on your left side and massage your right side underneath the ribs. This supports liver detox.

Meditation has been shown to improve both psychological and physical well-being.

I suffer from depression and had to go on antidepressants after having my first child, Daniel, who’s now three and a half years old. I’d been having very low spells through my second pregnancy (I’m 31 weeks pregnant) where I just couldn’t bring myself to even get out of bed and just cried for hours. I decided to find the foods that contain serotonin, as I thought it was worth a try. I now eat lettuce with every sandwich, four celery sticks a day (love them), drink boiled water with a slice of fresh lemon, and make sure I have vegetables with my main meal, and fruit in the evening. I’m by no means strict, as I still very much enjoy my naughty foods! But the difference it’s made is incredible. My lows are nowhere near as low and I have so much more energy. I’m 30 pounds lighter at this stage in my pregnancy than I was in my last and feel fantastic!

DIABETES

Diabetes mellitus (from the Greek for “fountain of sweetness”) is characterized by a high blood sugar (glucose) level, resulting from a defect in the production of the hormone insulin. What this means is that if you have diabetes, your body is unable to regulate your blood sugar properly.

When we eat carbohydrates or starchy foods, they are broken down in the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream as glucose. In a healthy person, the pancreas produces insulin, which helps to transport the glucose from the bloodstream into cells where it is used as energy. However, in people with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin, so the glucose is not transported from the bloodstream into the cells. If left untreated, raised glucose levels in the blood can damage surrounding tissues, leading to complications such as eye, kidney, and heart disease.

SYMPTOMS

Increased thirst.

Frequent urination.

Excessive hunger.

Tiredness and fatigue.

Weight loss.

Irritability.

Blurred vision.

Slow wound healing.

Genital itching.