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In her book, The Plant Programme, Professor Jane Plant explains that a dairy-free diet is beneficial to one’s health. She recommends that besides eliminating all dairy, one should also cut down on the amount of meat one eats – so that it only consists of ten per cent of your daily intake. If you are going to eat meat, it should be thoroughly cooked organic meat. Protein should preferably come from pulses, cereals and soya based food. Read on for more Plant Programme principles.
Avoid carcinogenic man-made chemicals
Eat organic foods ‑ if there is even a suspicion of the presence of man-made chemicals in food, don’t eat it. Plant advises that one should avoid farmed fish and fish liver oils. Don’t use soft plastic wrap on food or eat food that comes from cans that have been lined with plastic.
The same goes for drinks. Avoid plastic bottles. Drink liquids that have been stored in glass. If possible, tap water should be filtered through charcoal and boiled. Don’t drink so-called diet drinks that have been sweetened with saccharine or aspartame. Rather drink green tea.
Eat more of the good (unaltered) stuff
Eating good food that has been freshly prepared reduces the need for supplements.
Eat a highly varied diet that is rich in nutritional value, packed with food that protects against cancer and prevents cell damage from free radicals. There doesn’t seem to be a limit on how much fresh organic fruit and vegetables one should eat in a day. Professor Plant says that one should try and consume at least 30 different ingredients a day!
Cruciferous vegetables, garlic and ‘red and orange’ vegetables are highly recommended – as are phyto-oestrogens, spices, berries, nuts and seeds.
Extra goodies
Include brewer’s yeast, Icelandic kelp and selenium in your diet but refrain from any artificial chemical substances including vitamins and minerals not made from whole foods. Use molasses, maple syrup or honey rather than relying too heavily on refined sugar. Opt for herbal teas instead of coffee and if you’re going to drink alcohol, choose organic red wine, real ale or lager.
Vegetables should be eaten as fresh and raw as possible. Overcooked, refined and preserved food should be low on your priority list! Use brown unrefined rice, pasta and flour.
Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and stress
One should take in extra nutrients when recovering from chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. The same applies to a person who is stressed as more vitamins are needed by the body. Many drugs destroy vitamins, including those used in chemotherapy treatments. Antibiotics can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the body.
Professor Plant says, ‘drink as much freshly made fruit and vegetable juice as possible.’ She also recommends eating seaweed, garlic and organic eggs as they have properties that can help repair DNA. Brewer’s yeast, folic acid and minerals are also a good call, as are unrefined foods which include wholegrain cereals.
Professor Plant prefers not to use microwaves as ‘free radicals are formed in the food.’
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