1) Drink enough WATER!- Most of us drink too little pure water. Try this when you wake up – the first thing you do is drink 2 glasses of warm water (with a bit of fresh lemon juice if you like or with a little apple cider vinegar and honey), then go and wash, get dressed etc and eat nothing until about 20min later. Make sure you drink about 6-8 glasses of water daily (not cold, mainly room temp.).

2) Detox your Liver-  There are a number of good natural liver toxic products available from health shops, like milk thistle. The liver is basically the “chemical factory” for the body, so when we ‘overload’ with fats, alcohol, sugars etc., the liver battles to cope, and needs to rest and be cleaned.

3) Food supplements- Take cod liver oil tabs, (omega 3 oils), multivitamins, calcium & magnesium, turmeric, moringa.

4) Food Ratios-  Try to eat 3:2:1 so the breakfast is 3x larger than dinner, and lunch is 2x larger, there is an old saying eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, supper like a pauper. The body needs energy most in the morning, and least in the evening before we sleep. But many of us are in a “vicious cycle” of eating heavy dinners and small breakfast – that is wrong and affects our health negatively.

5) Food Mixing- Always try to separate proteins from carbohydrates (starches) when eating, if possible have them on the same day but at different meals. Always eat fruit first as it digests quickly. Then have the complex foods after fruit. Of the proteins, fish is about the best! I eat fish about once or twice a week, chicken two or three times a month, red meat about once or twice a month. I also try to eat starches with high fibre like brown wild rice, sweet potatoes (yam), Muesli etc.

6) Colon Cleaning- Plenty of water and a high fibre diet and exercise should make the colon work naturally after every meal. If your system does not work daily then that means some form of constipation and that means that whatever is in your intestine is fermenting and starting to get toxic, the result of a person having a refined diet over many years is a toxic colon/intestines that can be the root cause of many diseases.

7) Food Types- Try to have a food intake that is mostly natural (if possible raw fruit & vegetables) in the % ratio, 30% fruit, 30% green/yellow/red veg, 20% starch, 10% protein. Most western diets contain too much starch & protein.

8) Eat out of Eden- If at all possible, try to eat as much raw natural food as you can; fruits, vegetables, nuts etc…it is not complicated. Try to drink veg juices like carrot, beet, celery daily. Try eating okra (ladyfingers –  uncooked & often if possible). I try to eat a raw beetroot every morning peeled like an apple, later in the day I try to eat an entire cucumber. This will balance your body PH, to a more alkaline system, that is healthier (also stinging nettle powder and cayenne powder are excellent). If we only eat foods that have high acid then the result is disease over time! (find Berg tables for foods that are Alkaline vs Acid).

9) Cooking Methods- If you must cook, then AVOID SATURATED FATS, butter, etc rather use a little olive oil or coconut oil.

10) Avoid Alcohol- Alcohol has caused many diseases and heartache for mankind, although in the initial stages it might even seem fun, the end result is not good. Avoiding alcohol also reduces high blood pressure.

11) Avoid Processed Foods- If a food is in a box, tin, packet, glass container with an expiry date on it, then first ask yourself, why are you eating it? If at all possible, eat FRESH food. All processed foods are not natural any more, because they have been through a factory and contain chemicals and preservatives that are not good for our health.

12) Avoid all WHITE foods-  White sugar, white bread, white flour have all been processed and refined through a factory.

13) Avoid – SUGAR- All sugar in packets has been processed, rather eat fruits with fructose to balance the body’s craving for sugar. Sugar a highly acid causing.

14) Avoid – COFFEE / TEA- Especially if you suffer from high blood pressure- Hypertension!

15) Avoid – ALL SALT- Especially if you suffer from high blood pressure-Hypertension. However, a little coarse Himalayan salt is good if taken in moderation.

16) Minimise – HIGH LECTIN FOODS- Foods like nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, eggplant, legumes like peanuts, cashews, corn).

17) Minimise – DAIRY PRODUCTS- Especially yellow cheeses – they are high in fat and are acidic. Natural unsweetened yoghurt is good in moderation for the gut.

18) Super Foods- There are many wonderful, powerful foods that God made to help us – I use the following to reduce blood pressure –  Cold-pressed coconut Oil, chia seeds, moringa leaf powder, stinging nettle powder, turmeric powder, blueberries, garlic, beetroot, ginger, celery, dark chocolate (in moderation), sesame seeds (tahini- creamed sesame).

19) Control your body Weight- Check your B.M.I.- ideally should be around 25. Being overweight causes many diseases including high blood pressure.

20) Get EXERCISE!- Daily moderate exercise like walking or sports gets the blood flowing and also reduces high blood pressure.

21) Forgive Others- Often illness can have a root that comes from unforgiveness, anger, or bitterness, it is, therefore, best to let go of the things of the past, and move on, ask God to help you by praying.

22) Thinking Right- Simply speaking, negative thoughts = negative action and positive thoughts = positive action. Medical doctors often say that many patients have diseases because they want to believe they are sicker than they are.

23) Discipline- As with almost everything in life, to live a healthy lifestyle requires discipline. I do not try to be perfect (fanatical), my discipline is about 90% + with about less than 10% other. Nobody is 100% perfect, but then those that are 50% right, do not do so well, and those who are 90% wrong, have a terrible time. So pray for Discipline!!!

24) Eat Pumpkin Seeds- They are powerful anti-inflammatory agents particularly regarding men’s health in the later years, with a special focus on having a healthy prostate gland.

25) Trust in God- Over the years I have realized that simply Trusting God and following Jesus, has tremendous health benefits, for when we are weak HE is strong. I believe in the power of healing through prayer.