ITAL
Rastas are generally adherents to a natural lifestyle. The Rasta way of living (livity) is generally referred to as Ital (it Ital, it vital). I suppose the nature of this could have derived from adversion to food changed by Babylon, but I think it is much more simple than that. Rastas simply want to exist on and with what Jah provides. There is a lot of sense in that, I think.
To some, living Ital means that one will only eat food that is organic and natural. Ital is generally a strict diet that is easy to accomplish, depending on one’s views. Some refrain from dairy products, flesh, table salt (chemically created), etc. Others choose to eat white meat and fish, limiting themselves by the Old Testament dietary restrictions — but much like Rasta itself, it depends on the person. One common theme throughout the Ital views, however, is nature. This includes nothing polluted with chemicals, or even packaged like foods in supermarkets. In the “civilized” West, this lifestyle is difficult to follow as there are unfortunately few places available to shop in this manner. Recent studies show that in the U.S.A., only around 1% of agricultural acreage is organic. That means that 99% of produce is riddled with potentially cancer-causing pesticides, herbicides, etc.
The body, if taken care of properly, has a natural, built-in system to keep it healthy. In today’s world, however, we are continually exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals and toxins found in what we drink, the foods we eat and the products we use on our skin. Daily exposure to these toxins can overload our system creating an unhealthy environment within the body, inhibiting its natural ability to function the way God designed it.
The body’s natural ability to detoxify helps protect it from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals. We can assist the body in this process through detoxification baths, giving the body minerals, and adding lignans and greens to our diet. The body uses essential minerals, including potassium, clacium and magnesium to support a healthy environment for the cells to live in.