I remember reading a story once about a little boy who ate salt straight from the salt shaker. This was deemed to be improper, so they withheld the salt from him. He died. He had CAH (congenital adrenal hyperplasia) and could not retain salt. So if you have a strong need for something, check with a health-based doctor to make sure you don’t have a condition that requires it before you judge yourself harshly.

I have come to realize that if we have overdone it food-wise in one area, then going to the opposite extreme might help us balance again. Some people appear to thrive (at least temporarily) under regimes that are opposite their usual, habitual fare. However, if we stay at the ‘other extreme’ too long, then we will need to balance again. The best thing to do is to clean out the excess, accumulated weight from the body… get down to your lean teenage weight… and begin to notice which foods do what to your health – physical, mental and emotional.

The one thing that is missing in most people’s daily fare is chlorophyll. It’s not good enough to get our greens secondhand – to eat herbivores and hope that what they ate will nourish you. Some think meat gives them strength, but meat actually gives them adrenaline. We inherit the fear hormone that floods the animal’s system when we eat animal flesh. Greens contain chlorophyll, which is only one ion different from hemoglobin. Eating (or drinking the juice of) greens is like getting a blood transfusion – without adrenaline. They actually used chlorophyll for transfusions when blood was unavailable during wars. Eating greens is very effective at restoring health. Even vampires can be vegetarians if they drink chlorophyll.

Water soluble foods are much easier for the body to process than those that require world class detergents and scouring to clean off pots and pans, silverware and plates. Fruits cleanse. Vegetables sustain. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy build, i.e., they add weight.

So don’t stick religiously or emotionally to any one regime. Be flexible. Summertime heat calls for fruits – fruits to wash away the salt that accumulate in our digestive tract. Wintertime calls for more hearty fare to keep us warm – protein, grains, nuts, oils. Listen to your body. As long as it’s not craving tobacco, alcohol, drugs and sugar – honor its hungers. This is called wisdom.