I shared a flat with a couple of low pH* hippies in London in 1971. Their diet, which was therefore my diet, was allegedly macrobiotic. No meat, no tomatoes, a bit of yin, brown rice, a pinch of hing, an occasional dollop of yang, (see yin) carrots, green tea, no onion or garlic. That was it.

 It was inexpensive, but not too appetizing. I didn’t dare ask about alcohol so I’d sneak off to meditate, adopt the full lotus position and slurp a glass or two of cheap claret (chateau-bottled, in Bulgaria) for a vitamin boost.

 After three weeks of this, I was more at one with my inner self. It was easy. My inner self, due to sudden weight loss brought on by self-inflicted malnutrition, had moved very much closer to my outer self.

 In recent years the two have again distanced themselves. Considerably.

 *Due to added acid.