Raymond Tyndale

At age 36, Raymond Tyndale, of Exchange, St Ann, is tall and slim, looking very healthy. And chances are, he is. But, he will tell you he doesn't cook his food, he only dehydrates what is to be dehydrated. Cooking, he says, only destroys the nutrients and energy-giving properties in foods. His diet consists of mainly live food, herbs, and fruits and vegetables ripened by the sun. Thus, he doesn't have a close relationship with his stove.

"I don't use a stove, none at all, because what you call cooking is destroying ... just imagine food in the pot for two hours. In nature, the growing process of food is actually the cooking process. Once the food has been ripened and mature on the tree, it has been cooked by the greatest chef on Earth, which is the sun. We take that energy from the sun. Sun to plant to body," he explained.

Good nutrition

Originally from Manchester, where he attended DeCarteret College and West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University), Tyndale, who studies food sciences, became aware of the importance of good nutrition after his mother died from diabetes.

Tyndale said, "Her five children, I being the youngest one, all got checked (for diabetes). The other four were negative and when they checked me they said I was positive. The doctor gave me an injection (and) there wasn't another painful injection I could go through in my life. It was like he stuck my bone. I can't forget it. He said, 'You will get used to it', and I said, 'Doc, you'll never see me again.' And then I started to avoid everything that she used to eat."

His interest in nutrition was further heightened when he met a black American chef, who used to work with American actress Demi Moore. The man introduced him to the whole concept of eating uncooked foods, which are packed with essential minerals. The idea is that foods which give energy to the body, and not foods that will sap the body of its energy, are what we need.

That's why we feel tired, lethargic and drowsy when we eat much starchy and/or non-nutritious food. The body is working above its optimum to rid itself of the waste, depleting our energy level in the process.

"If you are eating all these starches and you are not eating all these vegetables to give you some juice, the scale is thick and these are complex starches that will convert to complex sugar and ruin your body, and you have a complex condition called diabetes," he reasoned.

Now a serious proponent and practitioner, Ray is a sought-after nutritionist whose reputation goes way beyond the shores of Jamaica. He is consulted by local and international celebrities, including the royal family of Austria. He conducts seminars for corporate clients and institutions, teaches 'therapeutic dining' online with international groups, and is called upon from time to time to make presentations.

Philosophies

His nutritional philosophies are simple and logical. For example, the types of foods that we eat must be determined by our blood groups. The digestive enzymes that the body produces are related to our blood groups. Certain foods will not be properly digested, if at all, if they are not compatible with our enzymes. Undigested and incompatible foods become stored waste and the body turns toxic, causing ill-health.

"Enzymes are like the work forces of the body. There are two types of enzymes, the digestive enzymes, and the metabolic enzymes. Metabolic enzymes are responsible for your organ functions. They keep your organs clean. Now, when you eat food that doesn't have any digestive enzymes because you cook them out, your body have to borrow from your organs, the more you borrow from your organs, you leave your organs vulnerable to attacks," he said.

Wastes and toxins from food are responsible for certain chronic and lifestyle illnesses and the body will not get well unless it is detoxified and the right foods are eaten. Also, that's why people who diet on certain foods without knowing what type of food is required by their body will fail to lose weight and/or get well. For instance, you cannot be a vegetarian if your blood group is not 'A'.

Imbalances

People get sick because of the imbalances in the body, as the organs operate in tandem with one another. If they are not getting the right nutrients then the entire system will be in disarray.

Coming from a very poor background, "from zero", the Stoveless Kitchen entrepreneur has come a far way to be telling people what to eat and what not to. His role as a nutritionist is to create a diet plan which works for you and you only. Not everybody has the same enzymes and metabolic rates. "You have to eat food that is in harmony with you" is the message he's conveying.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com