Diet and Nutrition
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What Diet is For Me - R
tal or I-tal is food approved of in the Rastafari movement. The word derives from the English word vital, with the initial syllable replaced by i. This is done to many words in the Rastafari vocabulary to signify the unity of the speaker with all of nature.
Early adherents adopted their dietary laws based on their interpretation of several books of the Bible, like the Genesis ("And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.", the Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Though there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and from the earth; Rastas therefore avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial additives (e.g., color, flavourings, and preservatives). Some also avoid added salt in foods. In strict interpretations, foods that have been produced using chemicals such as pesticides and fertiliser are not considered ital.
In common with religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Ethiopian Christianity, Rasta prohibits the eating of pork. Some Rastas also avoid eating shellfish because, in common with pigs, they are considered to be scavengers. Most Rastas avoid the consumption of all red meat, many do not eat fish or those fish over 12 inches in length, and some are strict vegetarians.
Stricter interpretations also avoid food that has been preserved by canning or drying and even prohibit the use of metal cooking utensils, something that Ayurvedic diet followers also avoid. In this case, only clay and wood cooking pots, crockery, and cutlery are used. Few adherents of ital follow the strictest interpretation; some Rastas do not adhere to them at all.
Rastafarians do not allow alcohol, cigarettes, or coffee. To them, these are drugs that cloud the mind. Rastas, however, do allow cannabis because they believe it causes a strong prayerful state. Some Rastas do not believe in medicine, but many urbanized Rastas allow such practice.
The Rice Diet is a program specializes in the prevention, treatment and reversal of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and congestive heart failure. The diet consists of fruits, grains, vegetables, beans, and olive oil with small amounts of non-fat dairy and seafood (& lean meats), which is what patients are directed to eat when they return home both for continued weight loss and maintenance. On completion of the program, resources are available for participants to continue with a healthy lifestyle, and to maintain the improved health gained while on the residential program. It is crucial that the rice be brown rice. White rice has the fiber and nutrients stripped from it vitamins are often put back in but the fiber is lost. Part of what makes the diet work is the fiber in the brown rice.
Participants in the program have a limited menu selection initially, then choose from a range of items comprising fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, and legumes (beans), varied daily. The name Rice Diet is somewhat confusing (the diet origins being the study of rice as a staple), as more than 30 food items are available, including a number of rices.
- Day 1 - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: 2 Starches, 2 Fruits
- Day 2- through 7 - Breakfast: 1 Starch, 1 Non-fat Dairy, 1 Fruit
Lunch and Dinner: 3 Starches, 3 Vegetables, 1 Fruit
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