1:Has your work given you answers to your own mission in life?
2:IVF cycle and Ketogenics and Insulin Balance
3:Could the Ketogenics diet not be suited to my 41 year old body ?
4:Could supplementation with spirulina and kelp lead to any form of thyroid pathology?
5:What is the best way to de-stress and focus my concentration for my forthcoming exams?
6:A 10 day diet that I found amazing, can you please tell me where I can find it again?
7:Thank you so much for the X factor diet.
8:Am producing too much oestrogen and therefore my hair is falling out as a result?
9: Is Natural Progesterone Suppositories as advocated by Katrina Dalton in 'Once A Month' are an acceptable way of increasing progesterone levels at the peri menopausal stage?
10:Where can I buy Pyroglutamic acid in the UK.?
11:Are you able to point me in some direction to find any type of work involving Natural Health?
12:How safe is it to use seaweeds during radiotherapy?
13:Where can I Coenzyme A in the UK?
14:Leslie, do you know of any workshops about X factor and related topics in new Zealand?
15:How to allocate individual energy sources within a food in order to accurately measure calorific ratio?
16: Do I count all usable carbs on the Ketogenic Diet?
17: The thyroid function temperature test on waking.
18: Could there be a problem in having too much fish as I eat it every day?
19: Stretching exercises for people with bad backs. Where can I find them?
20: Fresh milkwhey from a farm in my neighborhood, how much carbs and proteins?
21: Where can I get some CoA?
22: What can I use as an alternative to deodorant?
23: Is the X-Factor diet suitable for conceiving and pregnancy?
24: How does eggplant rate on the Carbohydrate list?
25: Counting calories, is there an alternative?
26: Is Insulin Balance OK for children?
27: Do you have your latest book Age Power available in New Zealand yet?
28: Re the X Factor Diet, I was under the impression that bread and potatoes should not be eaten, but find them in Leslie's recipes?
29: Watermelon and GI listing.
30: Could I still continue to have Live Muesli for breakfast on the Insulin Balance?
31: Biogenics and Insulin Balance, also is oatmilk, ricemilk and almond milk OK on Insulin Balance?
32: I have hard skin and scars on my legs through epilation. can you recommend any creams or natural masks to help?
33: I was thriving on Raw Energy way of eating, why can't I lose weight on Ketogenics?
34: Which means of water purification is healthier - distillation or filtration?
35: This is Colin of "Colin and Barbara" at your talk last night.

1 Has your journey through writings and interviews with health practitioners, doctors and those relative to health given you the answers to your own mission in life? What were you looking for, what drove you to do so much research and become enlightened with your beautiful inspiration of words of hope to give to others? Thanking you. Sending you love and light.

What a wonderful question! It’s my belief that from the moment we are born until the moment we die each of us is involved in what I call the health process. This is a process of unfolding by which each one of us becomes in our outer life more truly who we are in our essence. Very often illness intrudes on our life in order to make us more aware of who we really are and help us question our values and in doing so, help us become more and more authentic. With authenticity – that is when we are living from our core rather than by other peoples rules - comes tremendous energy and passion as well as creativity of the highest order. I think the process by which I personally became involved in health is one that is highly complex and certainly one which I do not by any means fully understand. In some way, it centers on my fascination with beauty. Beauty to me has never been something decorative. It is rather an expression of truth and authenticity and health is the foundation that I have found necessary in my life and that I believe to be necessary in the lives of others for them to be able to realize their own beauty and live their own creativity to the fullest. I suppose in many ways the people that I have met and learned from, the experiences and struggles that I had as a child in my own life, and the research I have done have all been part of my own process of unfolding. In many ways, I see myself as a mapmaker. I am always exploring the nature of transformation, growth and change within myself and other people. In many ways the work that I do is the work of trying to create maps for transformation by which each one of us hopefully can become more fully who we are and take our place as part of the harmony of the living planet. I hope all of this makes sense. It’s about as close as I can come to the answer to your question. I think so often one lives from ones heart and only when asked to try to define things, does one really look very hard at the kind of question you have asked.

2 I have just started the ketogenic diet & feel very good on it; I am wishing to lose 10 kilos' by mid January. I weight 90 kg's & am 165 cm. The reason for the weight lose is I am due to have a cycle of i.v.f. When would you suggest I stop ketogenics & go to the insulin balance program as I have read in your book not to do the ketogenic before an operation, many thanks.

I would suggest you switch over the insulin balance a couple of weeks before surgery and then continue on insulin balance afterwards until you are fully recovered, at which point, if you wish, you could switch back to Ketogenics. Good luck with your surgery.

3 Dear Leslie I am from Adelaide Sth. Aust. When I started following your raw food diet, low calorie low food intake, I lost 20 kg. I felt I could live like this. Some time later I started following your Ketogenic diet as I felt that it made good sense to me, I also must admit it allowed me to eat more than I had been. Fun, fun, fun. Alas I found that the kilos started creeping on again, clothes getting tighter etc. I followed the rules religiously. Enough of my sad story, what my question is, is it possible that the Ketogenics diet may not be suited to my 41 year old body? I have gone back to the low calorie, raw intake that my body is used to and to my horror it is very difficult to keep the kilos in track. P/s Have a fulfilling day Leslie.

It sounds to me as though it’s important for you to listen to the messages from your own body that tell you how much it is appropriate for you to eat. I would also, if I were you, combine your Ketogenics as much as possible with salads made from raw vegetables. Each of us is absolutely unique. The whole purpose of Ketogenics, Raw Energy or any of the other books that I have written is to help bring people to a point of detoxification and strength where they can hear from within what is appropriate for them to eat and not to eat. It sounds to me like you are someone who thrives on a high raw diet. If this is the case, I would certainly follow that inclination. By the way, you might be interested too know that I am currently working on a book which will come out in just over a year’s time which combines Raw Energy with anti Syndrome X eating, as in Insulin Balance and Ketogenics.

4 Algae supplements such as spirulina and kelp despite their highly nutritious value are avoided by some due to their rich iodine content. Is this a rational fear? Could supplementation with spirulina and kelp lead to any form of thyroid pathology, thus affecting one's metabolic rate?

Iodine in natural foods such as spirulina or kelp is necessary for thyroid function whether the thyroid is overactive or under-active. I would certainly not be the least bit concerned about eating these nutritious foods unless for some reason your doctor indicates that in your case it would be unwise.

5 What is the best way to de-stress and focus my concentration for my forthcoming exams?

I would go for a walk for 30 minutes a day, no matter how busy you are with your studying. Exercise is enormously important in clearing anxiety. It also produces high levels of noradrenaline – one of the feel-good brain chemicals – that will help a great deal with your concentration.

6 A few years ago I read an article of yours in I believe Harpers and Queen, which was about your detoxification diet. It was a 10 day diet that I found amazing, can you please tell me where I can find it again?

What you are referring to is the "10-Day Clean-Up Plan". The book is very much available. You can certainly order it from Amazon.co.uk or get it from your local bookseller.

7 Thank you so much for the X factor diet, in particular ketogenics, I read the book, followed and changed things to suit myself, have endless energy, no cravings, no longer drink coffee, and have lost 21 kg in 4 months, 110cm in total and cannot recommend it highly enough to all the people who pass comments on how great I look, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am so pleased to hear that you have found X Factor Diet useful and congratulations on the weight you’ve lost. Terrific!

8 I find my hair is thinning despite my eating extremely well. I was at one time very much overweight. Could this mean that I am producing too much oestrogen and therefore my hair is falling out as a result?

There are so many different causes to hair loss that it would be impossible to determine exactly what is causing the problem you are having. You need plenty of B complex vitamins and exercise (this is particularly important in making sure that circulation throughout the body and especially to the scalp is working properly). What I would suggest is visiting a good Trichologist in your area. I have no idea where you live but I think if you were to look up on the net Trichologist in the area that you live in, you will probably locate one. I would also suggest that you massage your scalp 2-3 times a day, simply by placing the tips of your fingers on your scalp and moving them around, so that the fingers stay in place but the scalp itself moves underneath it. If you have been very much overweight, it can mean that you are producing very high levels of oestrogen, since fat cells themselves produce oestrogen. I would suggest that you try using a progesterone cream (see Resources on this web site) to help balance the oestrogen in your body. The other thing I would suggest is that you get some silica in nutritional form and take it as a supplement daily. Silica is one of the elements that helps strengthen nails, hair and skin. I wish you the very best.

9 Please can you tell me if Natural Progesterone Suppositories as advocated by Katrina Dalton in 'Once A Month' are an acceptable way of increasing progesterone levels at the peri menopausal stage? I would like to get some on prescription from my doctor but am not sure how you feel about them.

Progesterone suppositories are available by prescription. To my knowledge they need to be made in a compounding pharmacy. I would ask your doctor about this.

10 Where can I buy Pyroglutamic acid in the UK. Solgar say that it is not one of their products. Many thanks.

I’m sorry I don’t know. What I would do is search for it on the net. Type into a search engine "Pyroglutamic acid" UK and see what you come up with.

11 Leslie, I have not long been in London (ex Waiheke Island NZ) and I am looking to find employment here in the Natural Health field. I am a member of the NZ Health Charter as a Natural Therapies practitioner in Reiki & Massage and have recently completed a nutrition course with British School of Yoga and A Natural Health certificate in NZ, along with other courses /workshops in the same field. I have been an avid reader of many of your books over the past 10 years plus and have followed much of your advice with great success. Are you able to point me in some direction to find any type of work involving Natural Health as there do not seem to be recruitment agencies covering this? Congratulations on Age Power - a fantastic book - I have just turned 50 and it couldn’t have been better timed for me! I can feel differences already - Co Enzyme A at work?? I have just finished reading Age Power and am very impressed by the amount of in-depth scientific research you must have put into writing it - thank you - knowledge certainly is empowering and I feel even more inspired to continue following the insulin balance way of life. I am also finding doing my daily walks a breath of fresh air in every sense - as a teacher it is wonderful to get out of the building and spend a few moments in peace! Just one question, however: I am finding trying to buy organic and use some of the supplements you recommend really quite expensive. What are your thoughts on the financial demands of following your advice and does this not exclude people on a low income?

I’m so sorry. I’m afraid I don’t know what of people until I found the health practitioners’ whose work I respected most. Then I would go to them and tell them that you are looking for work and ask what their advice would be, or if they know anyone that would be helpful to you in locating the right job. I am a firm believer that when you are actually clear about what it is you are looking for, the job is looking for you at the same time and it’s just a matter of time until the two of you come together. I wish I could be of more help. Thank you for direction to point you in, in your search for the right job in the natural health field. I am probably the worst person in the world to ask about how to find a job anywhere in fact. I have only had one job in my life and that was for 3 days working, collating and duplicating at the Department of Record Company when I was 17 years old. I loved the work, stapling things and stuffing envelopes but I would finish all of my work at 11-00am. They wouldn’t give me more work to do, but neither would they let me read the novel I was reading at the time. So I quit. That was the end of my career in the work place. If I were you, I would ask a lot of questions of a lot your kind remarks about my work.

12 How safe is it to use seaweeds during radiotherapy. I initially bought in barley miso to use with shiitake mushrooms and sea vegetables. But the more I scour the Internet the more confused I have become. Recently I've come across research suggesting that using soy is inadvisable one week before, during and one week after radiation. What do you think? If seaweeds remove heavy metals will they interfere with the radiotherapy treatment of killing cancer cells? I am about to have 33 radiotherapy treatments over 6 weeks to my face and neck after having a squamous cell carcinoma node removed from my neck. Doctors have been unable to find the primary site in my body and say radiotherapy should kill any remaining cancerous cells presuming they are in my face neck area. I have always eaten well with plenty of fruit and veg. and never ever smoked and drink very moderately, so it is particularly galling to get a disease associated with smoking and heavy alcohol. Even if you can't answer this Leslie I just want you to know that many of your books and articles have given me a great deal of pleasure over the years. Pauline

I am not aware that there is any danger is using seaweeds for foods when you are having radiotherapy but I would be guided here by what your doctor tells you, for there may be something in this area that I remain completely unaware of.

13 Where can I Coenzyme A in the UK?

Check the Resources of Age Power. You will find there listed the supplier of Coenzyme A in Britain.

14 Leslie, do you know of any workshops about X factor and related topics in new Zealand?

I’m afraid I don’t know of any workshops on X Factor Diet. This is a pity, there really should be some. Sadly I have no-one in New Zealand to organize workshops for me or I might teach one myself.

In the X-Factor Diet you recommend a certain daily breakdown of the energy we should be getting from the 3 key energy sources in foods (carbs-protein-fat)20:50:30 for Ketogenics, and 35:35:30 for Insulin Balance. In most foods we find more than one energy sources, reported in weight (e.g. 100g of grated parmesan cheese include 35,8g protein, 25g fats, 3.2g usable carbs), whereas energy content is reported in one aggregate figure (456 Kcal in the case of parmesan). How does one allocate this aggregate figure to individual energy sources (carbs-protein-fat) within a food in order to accurately measure his daily calorific ratio? When using Micro Filtered Whey Protein, you suggest mixing it with water, why not soy milk products?

It is important not to become obsessed with specific measurements of the fat, protein and carbohydrates in foods. Of course most foods contain fats, proteins and carbohydrate. The guidelines for Ketogenics and Insulin Balance in X Factor Diet are just that – guidelines. Using the palm method you should not have much difficulty working out what is appropriate for you. Microfiltered whey protein can indeed be mixed with soy milk products. However, it is important to read the labels carefully on soy milk products since many of them have some sort of malt added to them which can increase dramatically the carbohydrate content. This is particularly important for anyone on Ketogenics.

15 Referring to the X-Factor Diet and Ketogenics. The daily intake of usable carbs is not supposed to exceed 20g. Do I count usable carbs in Vegetables, Nuts/Seeds and Fruit only, or also those in other products (Meat, Dairy, etc)? If all usable carbs "count" I find it VERY difficult to keep them down to 20g. even in the 14-day diet you recommend! What might I be doing wrong (I am using the USDA-SR15 tables)?

It’s not necessary that you keep your usable carbs under 20g a day. The book suggests this only because it kick-starts the Ketogenic process for many people. Each of us is entirely unique as to how many grams of carbohydrate we can eat and still trigger the Ketogenic process. This is where the keto-sticks are so useful. What’s most important is that you check your own levels of ketosis and keep them within the parameters of "trace" or "small"

16 Ref the X-Factor diet, p. 178, Nutritional Supplements for Ketogenics and p. 189 Nutritional Supplements for Insulin Balance. Are these supplements recommended because we do not get enough of their ingredients from the respective diets? If not, then why? How does one decide if one really needs them or not? Exactly the same questions apply for the antioxidants recommended for Ketogenics on p. 172.

It is not necessary to use nutritional supplements for either Ketogenics or Insulin Balance. The program works extremely well for most people without them. Because our foods have become so depleted of essential minerals and some vitamins, however, nutritional supplements can be helpful for some people if you can afford them. If not, I would not concern myself about it with the exception of cold-pressed flax seed oil which I think is a good supplement for anyone to take.

17 In your book 'The X factor Diet' you say that if your temperature on waking is below 98.2 after 10 minutes then it suggests that your thyroid may be overactive (hyperthyroidism) but in one of the books you recommended 'Solve The Riddle of Illness' it gives the same test but suggests that with the same temperature result you are likely to be hypothyroid (underactive). Can you clarify this for me please?

Thanks so much for your question. I think what you’ve picked up is definitely a typographical error in the book. It should say that if your waking temperature is below 98.2, you are hypo-thyroid, not hyper-thyroid. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I will let my publisher know about it.

18 As a semi vegetarian (I only eat fish) I was wondering if there could be a problem in having too much fish as I eat it every day. I understand due to the mercury levels in Tuna that I shouldn't consume it more 3 times a week? Is it o.k to eat salmon and sardines every day? Also I love fruit and veges. Can I eat as many veges as I want and fruit so long as they are low on the Glycaemic rating? One last question! Can I eat Tofu every day and is 100gms a day too much? Thanks, I really enjoyed your book The X Factor, it makes a lot of sense to me. I feel fantastic! Juliet

It sounds to me Juliet as though your diet is excellent. The answer is you can eat as much fish as you want. I would be careful about eating the large cold-water fish like tuna too often since you are quite right, tuna is high in the food chain which means that it tends to concentrate heavy metal in its flesh, such as mercury. I see no reason why you shouldn’t eat wild salmon and sardines every day if they please you.

19 I read somewhere that you had developed stretching exercises for people with bad backs. Where can I find them?

Take a look at the section on Feldenkrais in "Ten Steps to a Younger You". These exercises are excellent for anyone with a bad back or aches and pains in their body.

20 Hello Leslie, thank you for your great books. I have a problem and nobody seems to know the answer. At the moment it is not possible to buy Solgars whey powder in the Netherlands, but I can buy fresh milkwhey from a farm in my neighborhood Nobody seems to know how much carbs and proteins are in the whey. Tyou. Carmen

Carmen, your question is a very important one. Microfiltered whey is not the same thing as ordinary whey (see X Factor Diet for further explanation of this). Microfiltered whey is by no means essential to an X Factor program However, if you are dead keen on ordering it nonetheless, I would suggest that you get in touch with the NutriCentre, 7 Park Crescent, London WIN 3HE , Telephone (44) 0207 436 5122 and www.nutricentre.com. or e-mail enq@nutricentre.com. You could order it by post from them. They are an excellent source of anything that is difficult to get in the realm of nutritional supplements.

21 Dear Leslie, I live in Adelaide Australia. I have just read your new article in "What's New" on CoA. I have gone to many of our best health shops but no one has heard of it. I have gone to the Internet to find out but all it gives me is info. on CoQ10. They wouldn't be the same thing by any chance? Thanks for your precious time again. Claudine Deneuve

Co-enzyme A is not the same thing as Coenzyme Q10 at all. CoA is manufactured in the United States. I understand that recently the company that manufactures it is Coenzyme A Technologies, 12512 Beverly Pk. Road.,B1, Lynnwood, WA 98037, USA Telephone 1 425 438 8586 www.coenzyme-a.com. I suggest that you contact them direct. I understand that they have recently set up an Australian distributor and I’m sure they would be happy to let you know where to buy the product in Australia.

22 I remember you once saying that anti-perspirant deodorants could be unsafe because of their aluminum content. Where can I buy or what can I use as an alternative? Many thanks, Eileen

One of my favorite non-aluminium deodorants is made by Vichy. Vichy products are sold in pharmacies alone. I have to tell you Eileen that personally I never use a deodorant or antiperspirant I think that when your body is relatively clean on the inside, and you take a shower or a bath everyday, there is really very little need for one.

23 Is the X-Factor diet suitable for conceiving and pregnancy? Also how do you figure out how much fat you are carrying? I have got polysystic ovaries is this diet suitable for me?

The X Factor Diet in its Insulin Balance form is excellent for anyone intending to conceive or who is pregnant. See the book for determining how much fat you are carrying. If you have polysystic ovaries, it is likely that your body is oestrogen dominant. You might like to read my book "Passage to Power" which speaks about the relationship between hormones and conception. You might also like to read either of Dr. John Lees books which cover similar territory. One is called "What your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause". The name of the other one slips my mind for the moment.

24 How does eggplant rate on the Carbohydrate list?

Eggplant is low on the glycaemic index with a rating of 15.

25 Usually to follow a diet correctly we have to count the calories that we consume everyday, and this is very time consuming and a big hassle indeed. Do you have any recommendations to make things simple?

See X Factor Diet. You will find no calorie counting in this book.

26 Is Insulin Balance OK for children? After what age?

Insulin Balance is absolutely fine for children, although provided you give children natural fruits and don’t give them large quantities of convenience foods made with grains and so forth, there is no reason to be in any way strict on how many natural fruits and vegetables they eat. Their bodies will know very well what is right for them and what is not.

27 Do you have your latest book Age Power available in New Zealand yet?

Age Power was published in New Zealand in November 2002.

28 After reading the X Factor Diet, I was under the impression that bread and potatoes should not be eaten, but find them in Leslie's recipes? I am eating a lot of nuts as snacks. Is this is OK?

There are no recipes for bread and potatoes in the X Factor diet.

29 I have encountered extreme deviations among different sources for the GI, even when it comes to relative values (e.g. in The X-Factor Diet, p.p. 144-5 Watermelon is listed as Low GI; other sources give it the maximum GI among fruits. The opposite applies for cherries). Would you kindly name a reliable and exhaustive source for the GI, that I can use in following Ketogenics?

The reference to watermelon as low glycaemic is incorrect in The X-Factor Diet and will be corrected in subsequent printings of the book. You are right, it is a high glycaemic fruit.

30 I’m doing the Insulin Balance diet although I'm not overweight but would like a healthier lifestyle. I've really missed my Live Muesli breakfast, which is 1tblsp oats, 3tblsp Soya yogurt, fruit (not bananas) 2 tblsp ground linseeds and 1 tblsp ground pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds mixed. Could I still continue to have this for breakfast?

I would certainly continue to have your beautiful Live Muesli for breakfast. It sounds like it suits you very well and it is such a beautiful breakfast. You might be interested to know that I am currently working on a book that will combine the health-enhancing properties of Insulin Balance with a Raw Energy approach to living. It won’t be out for another 15 months or so, but when it does come out, I think it could be very relevant to your inquiry.

31 I'm the strict vegetarian who is trying to follow you Insulin balance diet. I have two more questions for you: could you please tell me if oatmilk, ricemilk and almond milk are acceptable drinks, and which one is more acceptable than the other? And one more thing: in your biogenic diet you have always maintained that mixing carbohydrates and proteins was the worst you could do to your digestive system, so how is it possible that now, on your X factor diet you can have both in the same meal? And one more: are apples really a fruit that you must avoid because very high on the GI.

There is no problem with using oat milk, rice milk or almond milk on Insulin Balance. It is just important to read labels carefully and be aware that some of these products have malt or sugar added to them so you will need to take this into account. Your question about biogenic food combining is an important one. There is no question that food combining is tremendously useful to many people. It is something I have advocated, written about and had the highest respect for, for many years. What we have discovered – those of us who have been exploring the potential of Insulin Balance eating - is that provided you eliminate cooked grain foods such as breads, cereals, pasta etc. and sugar from your diet, most people find that it is no longer necessary to food combine. For what I did not know until two or three years ago, is that it is primarily the massive amounts of these cooked grainy products that cause the problems with digestion anyway. What I would suggest is that you explore both food combining and not food combining using the Insulin Balance program, and see how you fare. I would be very interested to know. This kind of feedback is invaluable.

32 From a young age (13) I have scratched my legs to pieces through various methods of epilation. My skin is sensitive and despite this, because I’m fair but have black hair, I went through hell to remove the hair and now have dark brown marks, hard skin and scars on my legs. I am considering glycolic peel to help get rid of the marks - can you recommend any creams or natural masks that would help instead? I must add that I love your books and have convinced my friends and cousins to read them too! I have just ordered Age Power and can't wait to read that - I read X-Factor in one weekend!

I am not aware of any creams or masks that will clear the kind of scars that you are speaking about. What I would investigate if I were you, is the use of pulsed light therapy for the permanent removal of hair on the legs. Pulsed light therapy or one of the other medically based modalities can permanently remove the hair on your legs. There is an excellent treatment center in Harley Street in London, Telephone 0207 323 1532, as well as Romford in Essex Telephone 07000560821. The clinics are run by Nuala Briggs, who may well be the most knowledgeable woman in the UK about noninvasive skin and body therapies. If they were my legs, I would contact Nuala direct and speak to her about what she would suggest. Her e-mail address is epilight@btinternet.com.

33 Dear Leslie, I have been an avid follower of the raw energy diet for about a year now and have lost considerable amounts of weight. I have since purchased X-Factor Diet, liked what I read and decided to go with it. I tested my ketones before I actually started the diet and was already in the trace-small indicators. Since then no matter how low my carbs are, and how much exercise I do, also making sure to watch my protein levels, I cannot register on the scale, forever negative. I have also put on three kilos in three weeks. I only had 5 kilos to loose before I was at my ideal weight before I started. Help. What could I possibly be doing wrong?

I am not aware that you are doing anything wrong. I would be more inclined to trust your metabolism. It seems to me that you are thriving on a raw energy way of eating. If I were you I would continue to eat that way, simply eliminating any cooked grains from your diet, as well as honey and sugar. I would also be inclined to add a little more high quality protein. I think you will find that this way, you will be able to experience the same level of energy and clarity that you could on Raw Energy, and, you will also be able to shed those last few kilos. I am currently working on a book that will bring these two programs together, I hope in a very powerful way. (see above)

34 Which means of water purification is healthier - distillation or filtration?

This is an important question and hard to answer for all water purification systems are by no means the same. In my home in Wales and in London I use a reverse osmosis filter to purify my water and then, afterwards, distill it further. In my home in South Island New Zealand I actually drink tap water without any purification. The water on the Banks Peninsula where I live is probably the best tap water in the world – so pure it does not even require chlorine. However, this is a very unusual state of affairs. I am not aware of any other place in the world where the water is as good as it is here. If you are in a city in most places in the world, I think I would certainly have a reverse osmosis filter. Then if you want to be extra extra careful, I would then distill the water as I do in Britain.

35 (This is Colin of "Colin and Barbara" at your talk last night. The gray haired Aussie guy who asked you how the experiment in NZ affected your attitude.) Thanks. Thanks for the affirmation on my attitude to life. Yes, I have a thousand questions to ask you; but not technical questions - all that is in your books. What intrigues me about you is your mind. This is why I asked you if you had read Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich." Written in the mid thirties it basically says don't chase the dollar - start with a dream, turn it into an idea, plan your step by step goals, and go for it with a passion (but only with something that you absolutely "love to death"). Like your passion - one can feel it burning. By the way, Hill says that your worst enemies are your family and friends - "Oh, but you can't...." Sound familiar? All of Hill's ideas are now "the latest rage" for psychologists in books on "neuro-linguistic programming". Marvelous what a difference a name makes! I was very surprised when you told me that you were not a vegetarian when you wrote "Raw Energy" (which inspired me).( I must stop saying that, it sounds as though I am easily inspired when in fact I dismiss most health fanatics as "a bit off" to say the least, and note that a good proportion of the patrons of health food shops are pretty pale and whimpish.)Anyway, the only thing that I disagreed with you about, and now find that we don't disagree anyway, was that I always felt that a million years of evolution said that we ought to eat a little (lean) meat. And I am delighted that you also feel that evolution cannot be cast aside. Evolution even plays a major role in our social/sexual/psychological behavior (rather than" my mum never loved me" stuff); as Dr Helen Fisher (an American Anthropologist and Psychologist) says in her book "The Sex Contract: The Evolution of Human Behavior" I want to live to 120 years at least. My Dad is approaching 83 years and still gets up to fix the roof, and I'm damned sure that I'm not going to let him beat me! He'll probably make it to 100 if I can convince him to stop eating cream. (He is still mentally active - learning to use my old computer.) My big burden is that Barbara likes living in noisy, dirty, crowded London, and doesn't want to live to 100; while I yearn to hear the silence of a distant crow on the Australian plains, or think I hear the soft air move, or not sure if a beetle walked. (Don't misjudge me: I love Jazz et cetera...) And finally, your mention, last night, of the inner self, was one of the "best connections" I felt with you. Great stuff Lady.

I have not read Napoleon Hill’s book "Think and Grow Rich". However I certainly will order it today and read it, as you suggest. Indeed, why should we not live to be 120. My ambition is to die young, late in life. What I think is sad, is the unnecessary degeneration that I see taking place in people’s bodies as they grow older. That’s the bad news. The good news is that so often it can be reversed simply by shifting the way one is eating and living.