The steps seven - ten on the ten day challenge are all covered on this resource as they are all inextricably linked and they all boil down to one key approach to health - the alkaline diet. 

This page:

- Eliminate Excess Fats and Oils
- Eliminate Animal Flesh

Next page:

- Eliminate Dairy Products
- Eliminate Acid Addictions

To be more accurate, the lesson should be to eliminate excess bad fats and oils, but to maximise the consumption of good fats and oils.  First, however, lets tackle the bad fats.

Bad fats include, hydrogenated fats, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and any oil that has been heated, fried, exposed to light or air excessively.  In less technical terms this includes margarine, butter (although better than margarine), vegetable oils, castor oils, canola oil, sunflower oil, any oil contained within packaged foods and any cooked or heated oils or those packaged within clear, plastic containers.  Milk and dairy products are also very high in saturated fats and so should be limited (as discussed below).

There are several consequences of a high fat diet:

- Diabetes: According to Diabetes UK, Type 2 Diabetes is, in most cases, caused by being overweight.  Type 2 is caused when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough.  A diet high in fat leads to insulin production becoming desensitised, causing poor glucose control.

There are hundreds of studies including this one undertaken by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute which prove, beyond doubt that a high-fat diet dramatically increases the onset of type 2 diabetes.

- Cancer: Research published in one of the most respected medical journals in the world, The Lancet has shown that women who eat 90g of fat per day have twice the risk of developing breast cancer than those who eat less than 40g of fat.  More specifically, they are measuring this as being a high proportion of saturated fats such as 'high fat milk, butter, meat and some cereals such as biscuits and cakes'. 

- Arthritis: The Arthritis Research Campaign point out that fat is 'the most important single link between your diet and arthritis''.  If nothing else, the weight gain from a high-fat diet will cause far more stress on our joints and bones and the lowered oxidation caused by excess fat can accelerate the wear and tear of our joints. 

- Increased Blood Pressure: a diet high in fat causes thickened blood and blocked arteries increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases. According to the American Heart Association: Eating too much saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol level, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease (clogged arteries) and heart attack.

These are just a few, however, what is more important to note is the health benefits that are gained by including good fats in your diet, namely the Essential Fatty Acids omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 in the correct proportions.  They are called 'essential' because the body relies upon us to provide a food source as it cannot produce them on its own.

While most diets contain ample, if not some omega 6 and omega 9, it is estimated that up to 90% of the UK are deficient in omega 3 (according to the Institute for Optimum Nutrition). 

The benefits of increasing your intake of essential fatty acids include:

- Increased Energy

- Weight Loss

- Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

- Decrease in Symptoms of Inflammatory Diseases such as Arthritis

- Strengthened Immune System

- Improved Brain Function

- Increased Recovery and Healing Capabilities

- Healthy development of Infants

- Decreased Possibility of Infection

- Stronger Bones

- Protected Genetic Material

- Reduced PMS Symptoms

- Clearer Skin, Stronger Nails, Shinier Hair!

More recently, studies have also highlighted the positive effects of omega3 fatty acids on the development of infants, in treating ADHD and other behavioural problems, in treatment for depression and to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Among other things, omega 3 can be gained from the following food sources:

- Flax/ flaxseed
- Hemp Seed
- Sesame Seed
- Walnuts
- Brazil Nuts
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Salmon, Trout and other Freshwater Fish
- Soy
- Many Leafy Green Vegetables
- Spinach
- Pumpkin Seeds

However, the most effective way to ensure that you are consuming the recommended amount of EFAs is to take a high-quality, organic oil supplement such as Udo’s Choice.  Udo's Choice ensures that a correct balance of high-quality EFAs are delivered to your body on a daily basis.

The pro's and con's of eating meat have been and will probably continue to be debated to death.  For that reason, it is not necessary to regurgitate the same arguments again and again here.  Eating meat is a personal choice that most people hold strong opinions on and do not make their choices lightly. 

Our philosophy at EFL is generally to stick to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle and we have created a vegan resource here for Vegan Week 2005 which outlines some important articles and resources on how to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle.  However, there are many extremely healthy athletes such as Stu Mittleman who live a 99% alkaline lifestyle but still enjoy the odd steak every now and then.

The key principle here is that you must make the decision that is right for you and makes sense to you long-term.

For the ten day challenge, I urge you to attempt a vegan lifestyle and to assess how this works for you over the ten day period.

Here is a list of some of our favourite vegan and vegetarian resources:

Vegan Forum - an extremely busy and friendly forum dedicated to the vegan lifestyle
The Vegetarian Society - the home of vegetarianism
VegWeb - great source of recipes
PCRM - Vegetarian Starter Kit from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine