Wilson - The alkaline 5 diet : lose weight, heal your health problems and feel amazing!

Dedicated to my parents, Catherine and Keith, and to God.

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
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Text Laura Wilson, 2015

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third party websites.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-78180-482-7 in print
ISBN 978-1-78180-533-6 in ePub format
ISBN 978-1-78180-534-3 in Kindle format

Interior images: 51, 127, 173 Charlie McKay; 53 Laura Wilson

Contents

Id like to thank God for giving me the courage, the vision and the right words to bring this message of preventative health through a plant-based alkaline diet to the world.

Thanks to my dad, Keith, for believing in me, adopting this diet and being a great advocate of it. Thanks also to my website subscribers and clients; our work together, your feedback and your health improvements have inspired me tremendously.

I acknowledge Dr Neal Barnard, Dr John McDougall, Jason Vale, Harley and Freelee, and Anthony Robbins for their pioneering work in this area of health.

Personal thanks for their help and encouragement go to my mum, Cathy; Naso; Tom and various other family and friends. Finally, great thanks to my publisher and editors.

For health advocates like Laura and me, there is excitement in the air. If you are reading this book, I am excited for you. Though Western countries are still burdened with obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other diet-related diseases, knowledge that a plant-based diet can combat these diseases is spreading like wildfire. The more we learn, and the more we put this knowledge into practice, the better off we will be.

When I founded the Physicians Committee in 1985, few doctors were advocating a low-fat, vegan diet for health. Today, thousands of doctors, dietitians, nurses and other healthcare professionals promote a plant-based diet. Research studies showing that fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes promote better health continue to be published day by day, confirming that plants are the optimal source of nutrition. In our studies at the Physicians Committee, weve seen a low-fat vegan diet reverse diabetes, bring on weight loss, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, eliminate migraines, help workplaces reduce their employee healthcare costs, and so much more. The power that a plant-based diet can have on health is simply astounding. And I am glad to see that this knowledge is spreading.

Every day, more and more people are taking meat off their grocery lists. The USDAs latest figures indicate that meat consumption is currently the lowest it has been in three decades. In the past ten years alone, Americans have dropped an average of 9kg (20lbs) of meat per year from their diets. And between 2009 and 2012, the number of people following vegan diets doubled. If we continue at this pace and, more likely, an increased pace our worlds health will be revolutionized.

Switching to a plant-based diet helps more than our health. It also helps the Earth. Eating meat accounts for more greenhouse gases than all transportation worldwide. In fact, a recent analysis by Worldwatch Institute found that eating animals and their by-products accounts for 51% of global warming. We also lose more land space and resources by supporting the livestock industry animals that we grow to eat consume seven times more grain than the entire US population! Think how much land we could save, and how many hungry mouths we could feed, with all of that food. Not to mention, when we eat a plant-based diet, we spare the lives of animals. Eating a vegan diet saves roughly 200 animals lives per person per year. Putting plants on your plate wont just benefit you, but also the planet and all who live here.

Of course, everyone needs a bit of help getting started. And thats okay. This is one reason that 3-week programmes like the meal plan in this book, or our 21-day Kickstart, are so effective. Three weeks gives you enough time to test-drive this new way of eating and really experience what it has to offer. In three weeks time, your taste buds will change to appreciate, and actually prefer, fresh wholefoods. Three weeks also gives you a chance to see effects such as weight loss (if you are trying to lose weight), higher energy levels, better digestion and more. So give it a try! Use Lauras meal plan to guide you, and see what you think. I have a good feeling youll enjoy it.

Dr Neal D. Barnard

Founder and president of the Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine (PCRM),
and author of Power Foods for the Brain.

I am so excited that youve picked up this book because I have seen how this diet can change lives for the better. So if, like many people, you yearn to look and feel your best, or are struggling with a health challenge and have lost faith in the possibility of ever healing yourself, then youve arrived at the right place, because the road to feeling fantastic starts here. Thousands of other people are already enjoying the results of following the Alkaline 5 Diet (A5D), and my hope is that you too will find that following the diet for just three weeks will be transformative to your health, your eating and your relationship with food.

So get ready for a truly great experience.

The principles of the Alkaline 5 Diet (A5D) are simple: abundance, balance and working in harmony with your bodys nutritional needs. However, there is more to a healthy lifestyle than just food, so the A5D takes care of your emotional wellbeing, fitness and rest needs too. Taking care of both your physical