Writing this book has been an adventure. Travelling through time zones and date lines has led me to interact with various cultures and belief systems. In doing so, I have realised that so many aspects of life can be related to food. Food is not just what we see on our plates - it is what we smell, hear and feel. I have learnt most effectively from my teachers through the practice of their teachings on how food affects our way of life. Therefore you will find many practical instructions on a wide range of subjects, along with varied recipes. The intention is to enable us all to experience as the Himalayan mountain yogis or the African tribes' people do, by choosing to turn these words with some understanding into action.

Not all the recipes you find will meet all the criteria laid out in Section One. The choice is with the reader to enjoy, for what they are, some of the tastiest recipes I have found. You may easily adapt the recipes to follow a well-combined, living foods diet based on balanced Ayurvedic principles or simply enjoy as is. Whatever your path may be, this book will work for you in some way.

HEMP is not a diet book - there are many such fashionable ideas already available on the bookshelf. The book you have here is not a fashion, although it may be cool and hip for now. Re-discovered, hemp is a very useful tool but the basic principles outlined within the following pages will always remain, as most of them have for centuries past.

If you prefer to follow a set of rules then this book is not for you. Put it away for a rainy day. Fashion dieters become tired of searching and bouncing between different ideas and beliefs which, due to lack of success, cause stress, a factor which may be more damaging to the health than the diet. What I have laid out for you in the following pages is a viable alternative, a set of guidelines with some practical advice. You can follow it to where your instincts lead - to a natural, simple and practical way of life based around a hemp lifestyle.

I have travelled the four corners of the earth in search of the secrets of happiness, especially through nutrition. I wish to share what I have learnt from others and through practice. Any facts or information supplied herein are not meant as a cure for any disease or ailment - it is simply information that may or may not lead to a happier existence through the practice of simple and clean living. Not everyone will benefit from these ideas. Nothing here should conflict with any current therapy or treatment you may be undergoing, but if you are under a doctor or health supervisor's care, it is best to discuss any changes in diet or lifestyle with them first. This book has been designed to be as clear and concise as possible.