The Joy of Eating. Petia Raeva

situations that “require” an angry reaction like when we start the day in the morning driving on the busy city streets, for example. You can see that one third of the drivers on the road are terribly nervous and angry. In fact they do not embitter our lives, but destroy their own. I noticed that when I react with a calm voice to an angry person, they also react normally. In my life I face lots of anger. Most people in Bulgaria dislike MPs. But when I react with a smile and kind words, we discuss the problem and things fall into place.

      Patience: is also very difficult, but I believe that I must give enough time to fulfill my intentions. And during this time I look optimistically at life and to the good side of it. I have time to laugh about my shortcomings, because I know I've made the necessary effort and time will decide the rest.

      Decision making and taking responsibility: it is perhaps the most important component of my physical and mental health. This firstly means to be responsible for myself and do not blame others for my problems. The feeling of guilt often comes to me but I accept the fact that I create my life and do not blame anyone for the mess I have created. I have the power to take decisions and take full responsibility for it. I want to change first myself, and the social relations I have in a positive direction. Here stands the most important question: How do you want to live? Herein lies everything in our life. On this basis you take important decisions, from the minor – how to dress in the morning, to the major- what will work and how, whom you will marry, how to educate your children. What you eat, how and with whom - is also a key point in everyone's life. I haven’t eaten a meal witht with people I do not like for a long time now. When I do it, I suffer from a phobia, that everything I eat sticks to my butt and piles on the pounds. Since long ago I decided to eat only in pleasant surroundings and never fast food, on the go, never in a hurry. I have taken an important decision about myself – to be honest. I do not lie! Of course I suppress many things and I don’t say everything that comes to mind. But this way l form my dignity. If someone asks me, I'm honest. But I know that this truth is purely subjective and that to the person in front of me the truth is quite different; so to be sincere is very complicated and dangerous. Most people want to hear whatever is convenient to them to hear. For example the most frequently asked question to me is: Now tell us the secret of how did you lose 30 kg? And when I honestly answer that there is no secret and everything is result of balanced diet, perseverance and patience, all are very disappointed. It sounds terribly simple. My sincerity spoils the magic of the secret.

      Humility and gratitude: I believe that all the trouble in life comes mostly from our own arrogance and conceit. If we take health as example - when we lead unhealthy, unharmonious, unpardonable lifestyles, eat and drink indiscriminately, when we strive only for power and money, pay attention to nothing and no one else then we can get out of control. Fierce destiny whips us in the face and we see that we are insignificant and the world has bigger plans than us. I went through this. I saw how frail and fast one can lose loved ones, I saw how quickly ambition turns into a terrible curse, how powerful people become jerks, how many people’s values are actually well disguised greed and lust, and I saw how friendship is a cover for personal interest and love is spent for pennies. I saw many other things but in this book will not write about it, about how seemingly simple things are actually the salt of life. I discovered the greatest splendor is to share a glass of wine and some fresh seafood on the beach and listen to the sound of the waves with the people you love. Ordinary, pastoral, someone will say, it sounds silly and romantic, but is delightful when you are grateful for your health and you love life - and life loves you back.

      Love: I started with love for this book! Many people are healthy and are committed to chase their vanity and ego. This is a disease of the soul. But to eat with the people you love and not to judge them if they don’t live according to your understanding, to me this is the way to achieve absolute harmony and wholeness.

      To have a good appetite and enjoy food whether it be caviar and toast or bread and butter means that you are a person, ready to love. And the one who loves has a stable nervous system and stable relationship - mind-body-soul. Hopefully it does not sound corny to you, but what is my health for? If I do not love, I would die without it.

      No-one else except yourself can bring you peace

      Ralph Waldo Emerson

      The most rapid changes in the body are in the blood and lymph system because it constantly circulates. Your body needs 120 days for the renewal of all blood cells. After that time passes you will see the change eating well has had on your health and only then will you feel much better. Keep in mind that your body is clogged and needs time for cleansing. It is estimated that your body can take up to 7 years for the renovation of all its cells literally turning you into a new person.

      Humans are the only beings on the planet that cook food, speak, write and read. It is good when food serves us well, not as our Master, but as our assistant - like a tool and a means for a better life. It turns out that the nutrition of primitive people was better than that of civilized, because it was natural and lead to excellent health and longevity. They consumed only fresh/dried local seasonal and ecologically clean food. In this book I will show the positive and the negative impacts of some types of food. I'll leave it up to you to decide which of them is suitable for your lifestyle.