Showing posts with label green-powder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green-powder. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Green Foods Protect Against The Acids and good for the heart
Researchers have discovered a possible reason why green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are good for the heart. Read more
Monday, April 20, 2009
Freedom with Greens
Good morning all!
As I am sitting here drinking my Goddess of Greens, reflecting on my alkalizing journey, some important thought came to me.
So, my first thought was, "This drink is so freakin delicious, I can have another one after this, oh, and another one if I want to, and one after that, too."
Being excited by that idea, I felt a sense of freedom; a deep freedom that goes beyond society, FDA, government, Pharmaceuticals, just kept going and going and going.
Freedom to live, live without fear of dying some horrible dis-ease, freedom to live without running to this doctor and that doctor just to find out, "We know you have (fill in dis-ease here) but we don't know how you got it."
Freedom without running to the pharmacy to pick up medications, freedom without worrying about pollen or not being able to go to the beach because the sun will kill us. Freedom from worrying when I am hungry I better eat something small so I won't gain 10 pounds.
Freedom from worrying about if my mom is going to get Alzheimer's and forget about me. Freedom from searching the web for rare dis-eases and how to cure them. The list goes on and on.
So, as I sat there and remembered all of the people who have told me how "extreme" I am being, I felt peace and guess what? FREEDOM!
On my journey of alkalizing, I have had a bumpy road, and it has all been good! I wouldn't change it for anything.
Living an acid life is actually more time consuming, more money consuming and worst of all, more life consuming. That is what occurred to me this morning.
To all you beautiful souls, HAVE A FABULOUS DAY! I have to go make another Goddess of Greens...........
As I am sitting here drinking my Goddess of Greens, reflecting on my alkalizing journey, some important thought came to me.
So, my first thought was, "This drink is so freakin delicious, I can have another one after this, oh, and another one if I want to, and one after that, too."
Being excited by that idea, I felt a sense of freedom; a deep freedom that goes beyond society, FDA, government, Pharmaceuticals, just kept going and going and going.
Freedom to live, live without fear of dying some horrible dis-ease, freedom to live without running to this doctor and that doctor just to find out, "We know you have (fill in dis-ease here) but we don't know how you got it."
Freedom without running to the pharmacy to pick up medications, freedom without worrying about pollen or not being able to go to the beach because the sun will kill us. Freedom from worrying when I am hungry I better eat something small so I won't gain 10 pounds.
Freedom from worrying about if my mom is going to get Alzheimer's and forget about me. Freedom from searching the web for rare dis-eases and how to cure them. The list goes on and on.
So, as I sat there and remembered all of the people who have told me how "extreme" I am being, I felt peace and guess what? FREEDOM!
On my journey of alkalizing, I have had a bumpy road, and it has all been good! I wouldn't change it for anything.
Living an acid life is actually more time consuming, more money consuming and worst of all, more life consuming. That is what occurred to me this morning.
To all you beautiful souls, HAVE A FABULOUS DAY! I have to go make another Goddess of Greens...........
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Low or No Protein Diet May Extend Life
The key to longevity is eating less protein or better still no animal protein -- and not just fewer calories and less acidity, as has previously been thought -- scientists have discovered.
"Animals that eat less live longer -- up to a point,"
says Professor Stephen Simpson of the University of Sydney's School of Biological Sciences. "Our research using animal models shows the balance of protein to carbohydrate in the diet is critical."
The idea that restricting food intake without malnutrition prolongs life has become a core belief in gerontology research, Professor Simpson says. "We know dietary restriction extends life in yeasts, fruit flies, worms, mice and monkeys, and it is widely held that the same affect should be true for humans."
But scientists couldn't be sure whether it was the restriction of calories in itself, or the restriction of specific nutrients, that affected aging. But now Professor Simpson and colleagues at Seoul University, Auckland University, UNSW and Macquarie have measured for the first time in any organism the relationship between diet, nutrient intake, lifespan and reproduction
Using new techniques developed by Professor Simpson and Professor David Raubenheimer (Auckland) the team showed in the fruit fly that calorie restriction is not responsible for extending lifespan: rather the balance of protein to carbohydrate in the diet was critical.
"Flies lived longest when the diet contained a low percentage of protein, and died sooner the more protein they consumed," says Professor Simpson.
"But protein is needed for reproduction -- so flies are faced with a conundrum: eat less protein and live longer, or eat more protein and lay more eggs?"
Professor Simpson said his team 'asked' the flies what they preferred. "When offered a choice, flies behaved like nutrient-seeking missiles, unerringly mixing a relatively high protein diet that maximized their lifetime egg production. In other words, flies preferred to achieve maximum evolutionary fitness rather than live as long as possible."
"In demonstrating the role protein plays in determining both lifespan and reproduction, my co-authors and I have united a body of apparently conflicting work within a common framework and provided a new platform for studying aging in all organisms," Professor Simpson said.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center, has stated, "proteins are organizations of salt minerals, oxygen and water.
The primary element in the formation of protein is nitrogen and oxygen which gives rise to phosphorus in the creation of protein. The word equation is as follow:
Nitrogen + Oxygen <=> Phosphorus
Proteins can also been formed through the transformation of sulfur in the following word equation:
Sulfur - Hydrogen <=> Phosphorus
Sulfur (S) is the element of transition to form phosphorus (P). Sulfur (S) is a biological transformation of nascent oxygen (O1) and/or phosphorus (P).
O + O <=> S
S - H <=> P
F + O <=> P
"Sulfur (S) is found in glutathione and B vitamins essential in maintaining the alkaline design of the body."
"Sulfur (S) and Phosphorus (P) play an important role in bone formation, gray matter, in the envelopes of neurons and a constituent element of the nucleic acids."
"In the chain of DNA molecules a phosphoric group alternates with deoxyribose. Phosphorus is thus one of the constituents of deoxyribo-nucleic acid (DNA), which carries the hereditary genetic code."
"Sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P) are major elements of life and are linked in the relationship of life which allows nature to go from one to the other in case of a deficiency."
Dr. Young further states, "the best sources of phosphorus and sulfur are the green veggies, green fruits and mineral salts from the sea, like broccoli, avocado, green cabbage, sea vegetables, grasses and sea salt."
"One of the most important reasons for not eating protein and especially animal protein is to reduce the acid load on the body. Animal proteins produce toxic acidic residues of uric and nitric acid.
These acids from eating animal protein compromise the delicate pH balance of the body fluids and sets the stage for a variety of cancerous conditions," states Dr. Young.
"The best diet for longevity, health, energy, fitness and vitality is a diet that contains NO PROTEIN and has a high concentration of chlorophyll, healthy medium and long chain fats, alkaline water and all the mineral salts or at least the 12 inorganic cell or tissue salts," explains Dr. Young.
Dr. Young further states, "I call this way of eating and drinking the COWS plan. Which is an acronym that stands for:
C = chlorophyll
O = oil and oxygen
W = water that is clean and alkaline
S = salts that are whole and unprocessed."
Dr. Young is now offering a 4 ounce concentrated liquid chlorophyll from organically grown alfalfa for $19.95 a bottle. This concentrated liquid chlorophyll has no preservatives, no sugars, no alcohol added, like all other liquid chlorophyll products on the market today. It is a freshly juiced concentration of organic alfalfa that can be added to any alkaline water. It is also great for children. He currently offers in capsule in powder a concentration of green fruits and vegetables.
"Animals that eat less live longer -- up to a point,"
says Professor Stephen Simpson of the University of Sydney's School of Biological Sciences. "Our research using animal models shows the balance of protein to carbohydrate in the diet is critical."
The idea that restricting food intake without malnutrition prolongs life has become a core belief in gerontology research, Professor Simpson says. "We know dietary restriction extends life in yeasts, fruit flies, worms, mice and monkeys, and it is widely held that the same affect should be true for humans."
But scientists couldn't be sure whether it was the restriction of calories in itself, or the restriction of specific nutrients, that affected aging. But now Professor Simpson and colleagues at Seoul University, Auckland University, UNSW and Macquarie have measured for the first time in any organism the relationship between diet, nutrient intake, lifespan and reproduction
Using new techniques developed by Professor Simpson and Professor David Raubenheimer (Auckland) the team showed in the fruit fly that calorie restriction is not responsible for extending lifespan: rather the balance of protein to carbohydrate in the diet was critical.
"Flies lived longest when the diet contained a low percentage of protein, and died sooner the more protein they consumed," says Professor Simpson.
"But protein is needed for reproduction -- so flies are faced with a conundrum: eat less protein and live longer, or eat more protein and lay more eggs?"
Professor Simpson said his team 'asked' the flies what they preferred. "When offered a choice, flies behaved like nutrient-seeking missiles, unerringly mixing a relatively high protein diet that maximized their lifetime egg production. In other words, flies preferred to achieve maximum evolutionary fitness rather than live as long as possible."
"In demonstrating the role protein plays in determining both lifespan and reproduction, my co-authors and I have united a body of apparently conflicting work within a common framework and provided a new platform for studying aging in all organisms," Professor Simpson said.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center, has stated, "proteins are organizations of salt minerals, oxygen and water.
The primary element in the formation of protein is nitrogen and oxygen which gives rise to phosphorus in the creation of protein. The word equation is as follow:
Nitrogen + Oxygen <=> Phosphorus
Proteins can also been formed through the transformation of sulfur in the following word equation:
Sulfur - Hydrogen <=> Phosphorus
Sulfur (S) is the element of transition to form phosphorus (P). Sulfur (S) is a biological transformation of nascent oxygen (O1) and/or phosphorus (P).
O + O <=> S
S - H <=> P
F + O <=> P
"Sulfur (S) is found in glutathione and B vitamins essential in maintaining the alkaline design of the body."
"Sulfur (S) and Phosphorus (P) play an important role in bone formation, gray matter, in the envelopes of neurons and a constituent element of the nucleic acids."
"In the chain of DNA molecules a phosphoric group alternates with deoxyribose. Phosphorus is thus one of the constituents of deoxyribo-nucleic acid (DNA), which carries the hereditary genetic code."
"Sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P) are major elements of life and are linked in the relationship of life which allows nature to go from one to the other in case of a deficiency."
Dr. Young further states, "the best sources of phosphorus and sulfur are the green veggies, green fruits and mineral salts from the sea, like broccoli, avocado, green cabbage, sea vegetables, grasses and sea salt."
"One of the most important reasons for not eating protein and especially animal protein is to reduce the acid load on the body. Animal proteins produce toxic acidic residues of uric and nitric acid.
These acids from eating animal protein compromise the delicate pH balance of the body fluids and sets the stage for a variety of cancerous conditions," states Dr. Young.
"The best diet for longevity, health, energy, fitness and vitality is a diet that contains NO PROTEIN and has a high concentration of chlorophyll, healthy medium and long chain fats, alkaline water and all the mineral salts or at least the 12 inorganic cell or tissue salts," explains Dr. Young.
Dr. Young further states, "I call this way of eating and drinking the COWS plan. Which is an acronym that stands for:
C = chlorophyll
O = oil and oxygen
W = water that is clean and alkaline
S = salts that are whole and unprocessed."
Dr. Young is now offering a 4 ounce concentrated liquid chlorophyll from organically grown alfalfa for $19.95 a bottle. This concentrated liquid chlorophyll has no preservatives, no sugars, no alcohol added, like all other liquid chlorophyll products on the market today. It is a freshly juiced concentration of organic alfalfa that can be added to any alkaline water. It is also great for children. He currently offers in capsule in powder a concentration of green fruits and vegetables.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Soy Helps to Reduce Belly Fat
A daily serving of soy may help postmenopausal women avoid gaining fat around the middle, preliminary research suggests.
In a study of 18 postmenopausal women, researchers found that those who drank a soy-based shake every day for three months tended to gain less abdominal fat than those who had a milk-based shake.
Soy contains compounds called isoflavones that are help to buffer the the hormone acid estrogen.
So in theory, soy isoflavones could help reduce the amount of stored fat that binds to hormones like estrogen.
The new findings appear to be the first to show that soy protein may affect abdominal fat distribution, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Cynthia K.
Sites of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
They report the results in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.
The study included 18 women in their 50s who had been menopausal for one to five years. Half were randomly assigned to drink a soy-based shake each day, while the rest were given a shake containing the milk protein casein.
The women were told to drink half of a shake with breakfast, and the other half with dinner, and to substitute the daily drink for other foods in their diet in order to avoid weight gain.
After three months, the researchers found, women who drank the soy shake showed less of a gain in abdominal fat, even though both groups showed similar changes in weight and overall body fat.
It's not clear why soy protein might affect belly fat in particular, according to Sites and her colleagues.
"Whatever the mechanism," they write, "our data suggest that soy protein containing isoflavones may prevent the accumulation of fat in the abdominal depot."
Because excess abdominal fat is especially related to higher risks of symptoms associated with excess acidity, such as diabetes and heart disease, limiting the well-known middle-age spread is important. They think larger, longer-term studies should continue to investigate the potential of soy protein.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center states, "organic sprouted soy contains the highest concentrations of isoflavones.
Isoflavones are excellent buffers of dietary and metabolic acids, especially hormones. I recommend a low heat dehydrated organically sprouted soy, with a 28 to 1 ratio. That means it takes 28 pounds of soy sprouts to make 1 pound of finished concentrated soy sprout powder.
This soy sprout powder is great to add to water or to a green shake. It is also a great source of protein at 41% by volume. I recommend at least 1 to 2 ounces a day of the concentrated soy sprouts which would be the equivalent of eating 2 to 4 pounds of organic sprouts."
Resources:
Fertility and Sterility, December 2007
In a study of 18 postmenopausal women, researchers found that those who drank a soy-based shake every day for three months tended to gain less abdominal fat than those who had a milk-based shake.
Soy contains compounds called isoflavones that are help to buffer the the hormone acid estrogen.
So in theory, soy isoflavones could help reduce the amount of stored fat that binds to hormones like estrogen.
The new findings appear to be the first to show that soy protein may affect abdominal fat distribution, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Cynthia K.
Sites of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
They report the results in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.
The study included 18 women in their 50s who had been menopausal for one to five years. Half were randomly assigned to drink a soy-based shake each day, while the rest were given a shake containing the milk protein casein.
The women were told to drink half of a shake with breakfast, and the other half with dinner, and to substitute the daily drink for other foods in their diet in order to avoid weight gain.
After three months, the researchers found, women who drank the soy shake showed less of a gain in abdominal fat, even though both groups showed similar changes in weight and overall body fat.
It's not clear why soy protein might affect belly fat in particular, according to Sites and her colleagues.
"Whatever the mechanism," they write, "our data suggest that soy protein containing isoflavones may prevent the accumulation of fat in the abdominal depot."
Because excess abdominal fat is especially related to higher risks of symptoms associated with excess acidity, such as diabetes and heart disease, limiting the well-known middle-age spread is important. They think larger, longer-term studies should continue to investigate the potential of soy protein.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center states, "organic sprouted soy contains the highest concentrations of isoflavones.
Isoflavones are excellent buffers of dietary and metabolic acids, especially hormones. I recommend a low heat dehydrated organically sprouted soy, with a 28 to 1 ratio. That means it takes 28 pounds of soy sprouts to make 1 pound of finished concentrated soy sprout powder.
This soy sprout powder is great to add to water or to a green shake. It is also a great source of protein at 41% by volume. I recommend at least 1 to 2 ounces a day of the concentrated soy sprouts which would be the equivalent of eating 2 to 4 pounds of organic sprouts."
Resources:
Fertility and Sterility, December 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Health Benefits of Broccoli and Broccoli Sprouts
Health Benefits of Broccoli and Broccoli Sprouts - The Major Ingredients in Doc Broc Rocks and the pHruits and pHolage Capsules or Powders
Promote Optimal Health
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains the phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles, which have significant anti-cancer effects.
Research on indole-3-carbinol shows this compound helps deactivate a potent estrogen metabolite (4-hydroxyestrone) that promotes tumor growth, especially in estrogen-sensitive breast cells, while at the same time increasing the level of 2-hydroxyestrone, a form of estrogen that can be cancer-protective. Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to suppress not only breast tumor cell growth, but also cancer cell metastasis (the movement of cancerous cells to other parts of the body). Scientists have found that sulforaphane boosts the body's detoxification enzymes, potentially by altering gene expression, thus helping to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly.
When researchers at Johns Hopkins studied the effect of sulphoraphane on tumor formation in lab animals, those animals given sulforaphane had fewer tumors, and the tumors they did develop grew more slowly and weighed less, meaning they were smaller. A study published in the cancer journal, Oncology Report demonstrated that sulforaphane, which is a potent inducer of Phase 2 liver detoxification enzymes, also has a dose-dependent ability to induce cell growth arrest and cell death via apoptosis (the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate abnormal cells) in both leukemia and melanoma cells.
Sulforaphane may also offer special protection to those with colon cancer-susceptible genes, suggests a study conducted at Rutgers University and published online in the journal Carcinogenesis.
In this study, researchers sought to learn whether sulforaphane could inhibit cancers arising from one's genetic makeup. Rutgers researchers Ernest Mario, Ah-Ng Tony Kong and colleagues used laboratory mice bred with a genetic mutation that switches off the tumor suppressor gene known as APC, the same gene that is inactivated in the majority of human colon cancers. Animals with this mutation spontaneously develop intestinal polyps, the precursors to colon cancer. The study found that animals who were fed sulforaphane had tumors that were smaller, grew more slowly and had higher apoptotic (cell suicide) indices.
Additionally, those fed a higher dose of sulforaphane had less risk of developing polyps than those fed a lower dose.
The researchers found that sulforaphane suppressed enzymes called kinases that are expressed not only in animals, but also in humans, with colon cancer. According to lead researcher, Dr. Kong, 'Our study corroborates the notion that sulforaphane has chemopreventive activity...
Our research has substantiated the connection between diet and cancer prevention, and it is now clear that the expression of cancer-related genes can be influenced by chemopreventive compounds in the things we eat.'
Another study, published in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, looked at indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a naturally occurring component of Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. I3C has been recognized as a promising anticancer agent against certain reproductive tumor cells.
This laboratory study evaluated I3C's effects on cell cycling progression and cancer cell proliferation in human prostate cancer cells.
I3C was shown to suppress the growth of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner by blocking several important steps in cell cycling and also to inhibit the production of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the prostate whose rising levels may indicate prostate cancer. Researchers noted that the results of this study demonstrate that 'I3C has a potent antiproliferative effect' in human prostate cancer cells, which qualifies it as 'a potential chemotherapeutic agent' against human prostate cancer. New research has greatly advanced scientists' understanding of just how Brassica family vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts help prevent cancer.
When these vegetables are cut, chewed or digested, a sulfur-containing compound called sinigrin is brought into contact with the enzyme myrosinase, resulting in the release of glucose and breakdown products, including highly reactive compounds called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates are not only potent inducers of the liver's Phase II enzymes, which detoxify carcinogens, but research recently conducted at the Institute for Food Research in the U.K. shows one of these compounds, allyl isothicyanate, also inhibits mitosis (cell division) and stimulates apoptosis (programmed cell death) in human tumor cells.
Optimize Your Cells' Detoxification/Cleansing Ability
For about 20 years, we've known that many phytonutrients work as antioxidants to disarm metabolic acids before they can damage DNA, cell membranes and fat-containing molecules such as cholesterol. Now, new research is revealing that phytonutrients in broccoli work at a much deeper level. These compounds actually signal our genes to increase production of alkaline buffers involved in detoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate harmful compounds.
The phytonutrients in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables initiate an intricate dance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct and balance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, each performing its own protective role in perfect balance with the other dancers.
The natural synergy that results optimizes our cells' ability to disarm and clear metabolic acids and toxins, including potential carcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to significantly lower our risk of cancer.
Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lung cancer-even when compared to those who regularly eat other
vegetables:
In a study of over 1,000 men conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, those eating 28 servings of vegetables a week had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer, but those consuming just
3 or more servings of cruciferous vegetables each week had a 44% lower prostate cancer risk.
In the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer, in which data was collected on over 100,000 people for more than 6 years, those eating the most vegetables benefited with a 25% lower risk of colorectal cancers, but those eating the most cruciferous vegetables did almost twice as well with a 49% drop in their colorectal cancer risk.
A study of Chinese women in Singapore, a city in which air pollution levels are often high putting stress on the detoxification capacity of residents' lungs, found that in non-smokers, eating cruciferous vegetables lowered risk of lung cancer by 30%.
In smokers, regular cruciferous vegetable consumption reduced lung cancer risk an amazing 69%!
How many weekly servings of cruciferous vegetables do you need to lower your risk of cancer? Just 3 to 5 servings-less than one serving a day!
(1 serving = 1 cup)
To get the most benefit from your cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, be sure to choose organically grown varieties (their phytonutrient levels are higher than conventionally grown), and steam lightly (this method of cooking has been shown to not only retain the most phytonutrients but to maximize their availability). For a brief overview of the process through which cruciferous vegetables boost our ability to detoxify or cleanse harmful compounds (acids) and examples of how specific phytonutrients in crucifers work together to protect us against cancer, read our pH Miracle Books. The pH Miracle books can be found on amazon.com or at:
Broccoli definitely proves the adage, 'Good things come in small packages' since by weight they provide an even more concentrated source of sulfur-containing phytonutrients than mature broccoli. Researchers estimate that broccoli sprouts contain 10-100 times the power of mature broccoli to boost alkaline buffers that detoxify potential carcinogens!
A healthy serving of broccoli sprouts in your salad can offer some great health benefits.
Now you can have those benefits for your you and your children with pHruits and pHolage and Doc Broc Rocks.
Support Stomach Health for Children of All Ages
A study published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy provides support for broccoli's ability to eliminate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). In this study, sulforaphane, a phytonutrient richly abundant in the form of its precursor in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, was able to completely eradicate H. pylori in 8 of 11 laboratory animals that had been infected with the bacterium via the implantation of infected human gastric cells. Results were so dramatic the researchers concluded that sulforaphane-rich broccoli may be of benefit in the treatment or prevention of outfection with H. pylori, a primary cause of ulcers.
Clinical research is being planned that will hopefully confirm these findings and other similar findings, potentially offering people an effective dietary approach to eliminate H. pylori.
A more recent study published in Inflammopharmacology also supports these findings.
The research team, led by Akinori Yanaka of the University of Tsukuba, Japan, found that in patients with H.pylori infection, a diet including 100 grams of broccoli sprouts per day (about 3 ounces) resulted in a significant reduction of H. pylori and pepsinogen (a biomarker in the blood indicating the degree of gastritis).
The researchers think these beneficial results are due to broccoli sprouts' especially rich concentration of sulforaphane, which can protect against oxidative (free radical) damage in cells that can damage DNA, potentially causing cancer.
H. pylori outfection results in a constant barrage of oxidative damage to the cells that make up the lining of the stomach. Cells can survive against such chronic oxidative stress by increasing their protective arsenal of anti-oxidant enzymes, thereby protecting cells from DNA damage.
Recent studies have shown that the gene encoding Nrf-2 (NF-E2 p45-related factor-2) plays an important role in increasing the production of antioxidant enzymes protective against oxidative stress. Sulforaphane stimulates this nrf-2 gene-dependent production of anti-oxidant enzymes, thereby protecting cells from oxidative injury during H. pylori outfection.
The Japanese team recruited 40 patients with H. pylori. Each day for two months, 20 patients ate a diet with 100 grams of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts each day for two months, while the remaining 20 ate a diet with 100 grams of alfalfa sprouts instead.
'We wanted to test alfalfa spouts together with broccoli sprouts,' Yanaka explained, 'because the chemical constituents of the two plants are almost identical, except that 100 grams of broccoli sprouts contain 250 milligrams of sulforaphane glucosinolate whereas alfalfa sprouts contain neither sulforaphane nor sulforaphane glucosinolate.'
(Glucosinolates, naturally occurring compounds in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are enzymatically converted into sulforaphane and other bioactive components when the sprouts are chewed or cut.)
At the end of the two-month dietary regimen, patients consuming 100 grams of broccoli sprouts per day showed significantly less H. pylori and markedly decreased pepsinogen (an indicator of gastric atrophy). Those eating alfalfa sprouts did not show any effect.
'Even though we were unable to eradicate H. pylori, to be able suppress it and relieve the accompanying gastritis by means as simple as eating more broccoli sprouts is good news for the many people who are infected,'
said Yanaka.
Outfection with H. pylori is very common worldwide, and some experts estimate that nearly 50% of the American public is infected with the bacterium. In addition, this research provides a deeper understanding of earlier studies suggesting broccoli sprouts have cancer-preventive properties. We now know that by increasing the production of anti-oxidant buffers that protect against H. pylori-induced DNA damage, these sulforaphane-rich sprouts may also help prevent gastric cancer.
Help for Acidic Skin Exposed to the Sun
Sulforaphane, an active compound found in Brassica family vegetables has already been shown to boost liver and skin cells' detoxifying abilities. Now, research conducted at Johns Hopkins University and published in Cancer Letters indicates sulforaphane can help repair sun-damaged skin.
After exposure to a dose of UV light comparable to that which would be received by a person sunbathing by the sea on a clear summer's day, twice weekly for 20 weeks, test animals were treated with varying doses of broccoli extract applied topically to their backs, 5 days a week for 11 weeks.
Broccoli extract counteracted the animals' skin cells' carcinogenic response to UV light. Recent research has demonstrated that some sun exposure is essential for good health since it is needed for our production of vitamin D, yet to much may be of concern as skin cancer rates continue to rise due to depletion of the ozone layer.
Broccoli sprouts' ability to repair damage done to sun-exposed skin may offer us a way to receive the benefits of sunlight we need without increasing our risk for skin cancer.
A Cardio-Protective Vegetable
Broccoli has been singled out as one of the small number of vegetables and fruits that contributed to the significant reduction in heart disease risk seen in a recent meta-analysis of seven prospective studies. Of the more than 100,000 individuals who participated in these studies, those who diets most frequently included broccoli, tea, onions, and apples-the richest sources of flavonoids-gained a 20% reduction in their risk of heart disease.
Cataract Prevention
Broccoli and other leafy green vegetables contain powerful phytonutrient antioxidants in the carotenoid family called lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are concentrated in large quantities in the lens of the eye.
When 36,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study were monitored, those who ate broccoli more than twice a week had a 23% lower risk of cataracts compared to men who consumed this antioxidant-rich vegetable less than once a month.
In addition to the antioxidant potential of broccoli's carotenoids, recent research has suggested that sulforaphane may also have antioxidant potential, being able to protect human eye cells from free radical stressors.
Stronger Bones with Broccoli
When it comes to building strong bones, broccoli's got it all for less. One cup of cooked broccoli contains 74 mg of calcium, plus 123 mg of vitamin C, which significantly improves calcium's absorption; all this for a total of only 44 calories.
To put this in perspective, an orange contains no calcium, 69 mg of vitamin C, and about 50% more-calories. Dairy products, long touted as the most reliable source of calcium, contain no vitamin C, but do contain saturated fat.
A glass of 2% milk contains 121 calories, and 42 of those calories come from fat.
An Immune System Supporter
Not only does a cup of broccoli contain the RDA for vitamin C, it also fortifies your immune system with a hefty 1359 mcg of beta-carotene, and small but useful amounts of zinc and selenium, two trace minerals that act as cofactors in numerous immune defensive actions.
A Birth Defect Fighter
Especially if you are pregnant, be sure to eat broccoli. A cup of broccoli supplies 94 mcg of folic acid, a B-vitamin essential for proper cellular division because it is necessary in DNA synthesis. Without folic acid, the fetus' nervous system cells do not divide properly.
Deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, including neural tube defects like spina bifida. Despite folic acid's wide occurence in food (it's name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning 'foliage,' because it's found in green leafy vegetables), folic acid deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world.
Description
Broccoli's name is derived from the Latin word brachium, which means branch or arm, a reflection of its tree-like shape that features a compact head of florets attached by small stems to a larger stalk. Because of its different components, this vegetable provides a complex of tastes and textures, ranging from soft and flowery (the florets) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk). Its color can range from deep sage to dark green to purplish-green, depending upon the variety. One of the most popular type of broccoli sold in North America is known as Italian green, or Calabrese, named after the Italian province of Calabria where it first grew.
Other vegetables related to broccoli are broccolini, a mix between broccoli and kale, and broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli sprouts have also recently become popular as a result of research uncovering their high concentration of the anti-cancer phytonutrient, sulforaphane.
History
Broccoli has its roots in Italy. In ancient Roman times, it was developed from wild cabbage, a plant that more resembles collards than broccoli. It spread through out the Near East where it was appreciated for its edible flower heads and was subsequently brought back to Italy where it was further cultivated. Broccoli was introduced to the United States in colonial times, popularized by Italian immigrants who brought this prized vegetable with them to the New World.
How to Select and Store
Choose broccoli with floret clusters that are compact and not bruised. They should be uniformly colored, either dark green, sage or purple-green, depending upon variety, and with no yellowing.
In addition, they should not have any yellow flowers blossoming through, as this is a sign of over maturity. The stalk and stems should be firm with no slimy spots appearing either there or on the florets. If leaves are attached, they should be vibrant in color and not wilted.
Broccoli is very perishable and should be stored in open plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a week. Since water on the surface will encourage its degradation, do not wash the broccoli before refrigerating.
Broccoli that has been blanched and then frozen can stay up to a year. Leftover cooked broccoli should be placed in tightly covered container and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for a few days.
How to Enjoy
Tips for Preparing Broccoli:
Both cooked and raw broccoli make excellent additions to your meal plan. Some of the health-supporting compounds in broccoli can be increased by slicing or chewing, since both slicing and chewing can help activate alkaline buffers in the broccoli. The heating (for example, steaming) of unsliced broccoli is also fine, since it helps to prepare the food in a pureed state for biological transformation into blood in the small intestine. When cooking broccoli, however, the stems and florets should be prepared differently. Since the fibrous stems take longer to cook, they can be prepared separately for a few minutes before adding the florets. For quicker cooking, make lengthwise slits in the stems. While people do not generally eat the leaves, they are perfectly edible and contain concentrated amounts of nutrients.
The World's Healthiest Foods has long recommended quickly steaming or healthy sautéing as the best ways to cook vegetables to retain their nutrients.
Several recent studies have confirmed this advice.
The way you cook can dramatically impact the amount of nutrients your vegetables deliver.
A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture investigated the effects of various methods of cooking broccoli. Of all the methods of preparation, steaming caused the least loss of nutrients.
Microwaving broccoli resulted in a loss of 97%, 74% and 87% of its three major antioxidant compounds-flavonoids, sinapics and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives. In comparison, steaming broccoli resulted in a loss of only 11%, 0% and 8%, respectively, of the same antioxidants.
Study co-author, Dr. Cristina Garcia-Viguera, noted that 'Most of the bioactive compounds are water-soluble; during heating, they leach in a high percentage into the cooking water. Because of this, it is recommended to cook vegetables in the minimum amount of water (as in steaming) in order to retain their nutritional benefits.' A second study, published in the same issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, provides similar evidence. In this study, Finnish researchers found that blanching vegetables prior to freezing caused losses of up to a third of their antioxidant content. Although slight further losses occurred during frozen storage, most bioactive compounds including antioxidants remained stable. The bottomline: how you prepare and cook your food may have a major impact on its nutrient-richness.
A third study, published in the British Medical Journal, checked to see how much of the B vitamin, folate, was retained after broccoli, spinach or potatoes were boiled or steamed.
Boiling for typical time periods caused a loss of 56% of the folate in broccoli, and 51% of the folate in spinach, while boiling potatoes caused only minimal folate loss. Steaming spinach or broccoli, in contrast, caused no significant loss of folate. The take home message: Boiling potatoes may be okay, but to get the most benefit from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and greens like spinach, cook them lightly!
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Sprinkle lemon juice and sesame seeds over lightly steamed broccoli.
Toss spinach pasta with olive oil, pine nuts and healthy sautéed broccoli florets. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Purée cooked broccoli and cauliflower, then combine with seasonings of your choice to make a simple, yet delicious, soup.
Doc Broc Caserole found in the Doc Broc Stonehindge Cave Adventure Book for children of all ages.
Have your children take Doc Broc Rocks everday at least 1 to 3 capsules 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, and 1 at night. Adults should take 1 to 3 capsules of the pHruits and pHolage each day and/or drink 3 t 4 liters of of alkaline water with 1 to 3 scoops of pHruits and pHolage powder.
Safety
Broccoli and Goitrogens
Broccoli contains goitrogens, naturally-occurring substances in certain foods that can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. Individuals with already existing and untreated thyroid problems may want to avoid broccoli for this reason. Cooking may help to inactivate the goitrogenic compounds found in food. However, it is not clear from the research exactly what percent of goitrogenic compounds get inactivated by cooking, or exactly how much risk is involved with the consumption of broccoli by individuals with pre-existing and untreated thyroid problems.
Nutritional Profile
Broccoli contains glucosinolates, phytochemicals which break down to compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates (such as sulphoraphane). Broccoli also contains the carotenoid, lutein. Broccoli is an excellent source of the vitamins K, C, and A, as well as folate and fiber. Broccoli is a very good source of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and the vitamins B6 and E.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good or good source. Next to the nutrient name you will find the following information: the amount of the nutrient that is included in the noted serving of this food; the %Daily Value (DV) that amount represents; the nutrient density rating; and the food's World's Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that summarizes how the ratings were devised. Read detailed information on our Food and Recipe Rating System.
Broccoli, steamed
1.00 cup
43.68 calories
Nutrient Amount DV (%) ND World's Healthiest
vitamin C 123.40 mg 205.7 84.8 excellent
vitamin K 155.20 mcg 194.0 79.9 excellent
vitamin A 2280.72 IU 45.6 18.8 excellent
folate 93.91 mcg 23.5 9.7 excellent
dietary fiber 4.68 g 18.7 7.7 excellent
manganese 0.34 mg 17.0 7.0 very good
tryptophan 0.05 g 15.6 6.4 very good
potassium 505.44 mg 14.4 6.0 very good
vitamin B6 0.22 mg 11.0 4.5 very good
vitamin B2 0.18 mg 10.6 4.4 very good
phosphorus 102.80 mg 10.3 4.2 very good
magnesium 39.00 mg 9.8 4.0 very good
protein 4.66 g 9.3 3.8 very good
omega 3 0.20 g 8.0 3.3 good
vitamin B5 0.79 mg 7.9 3.3 good
iron 1.37 mg 7.6 3.1 good
calcium 74.72 mg 7.5 3.1 good
vitamin B1 0.09 mg 6.0 2.5 good
vitamin B3 0.94 mg 4.7 1.9 good
zinc 0.62 mg 4.1 1.7 good
vitamin E 0.75 mg 3.8 1.5 good
World's Healthiest Foods Rating Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%
In Depth Nutritional Profile for Broccoli
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Anticarcinogenic activities of sulforaphane and structurally related synthetic norbornyl isothiocyanates.
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Promote Optimal Health
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains the phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles, which have significant anti-cancer effects.
Research on indole-3-carbinol shows this compound helps deactivate a potent estrogen metabolite (4-hydroxyestrone) that promotes tumor growth, especially in estrogen-sensitive breast cells, while at the same time increasing the level of 2-hydroxyestrone, a form of estrogen that can be cancer-protective. Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to suppress not only breast tumor cell growth, but also cancer cell metastasis (the movement of cancerous cells to other parts of the body). Scientists have found that sulforaphane boosts the body's detoxification enzymes, potentially by altering gene expression, thus helping to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly.
When researchers at Johns Hopkins studied the effect of sulphoraphane on tumor formation in lab animals, those animals given sulforaphane had fewer tumors, and the tumors they did develop grew more slowly and weighed less, meaning they were smaller. A study published in the cancer journal, Oncology Report demonstrated that sulforaphane, which is a potent inducer of Phase 2 liver detoxification enzymes, also has a dose-dependent ability to induce cell growth arrest and cell death via apoptosis (the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate abnormal cells) in both leukemia and melanoma cells.
Sulforaphane may also offer special protection to those with colon cancer-susceptible genes, suggests a study conducted at Rutgers University and published online in the journal Carcinogenesis.
In this study, researchers sought to learn whether sulforaphane could inhibit cancers arising from one's genetic makeup. Rutgers researchers Ernest Mario, Ah-Ng Tony Kong and colleagues used laboratory mice bred with a genetic mutation that switches off the tumor suppressor gene known as APC, the same gene that is inactivated in the majority of human colon cancers. Animals with this mutation spontaneously develop intestinal polyps, the precursors to colon cancer. The study found that animals who were fed sulforaphane had tumors that were smaller, grew more slowly and had higher apoptotic (cell suicide) indices.
Additionally, those fed a higher dose of sulforaphane had less risk of developing polyps than those fed a lower dose.
The researchers found that sulforaphane suppressed enzymes called kinases that are expressed not only in animals, but also in humans, with colon cancer. According to lead researcher, Dr. Kong, 'Our study corroborates the notion that sulforaphane has chemopreventive activity...
Our research has substantiated the connection between diet and cancer prevention, and it is now clear that the expression of cancer-related genes can be influenced by chemopreventive compounds in the things we eat.'
Another study, published in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, looked at indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a naturally occurring component of Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. I3C has been recognized as a promising anticancer agent against certain reproductive tumor cells.
This laboratory study evaluated I3C's effects on cell cycling progression and cancer cell proliferation in human prostate cancer cells.
I3C was shown to suppress the growth of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner by blocking several important steps in cell cycling and also to inhibit the production of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the prostate whose rising levels may indicate prostate cancer. Researchers noted that the results of this study demonstrate that 'I3C has a potent antiproliferative effect' in human prostate cancer cells, which qualifies it as 'a potential chemotherapeutic agent' against human prostate cancer. New research has greatly advanced scientists' understanding of just how Brassica family vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts help prevent cancer.
When these vegetables are cut, chewed or digested, a sulfur-containing compound called sinigrin is brought into contact with the enzyme myrosinase, resulting in the release of glucose and breakdown products, including highly reactive compounds called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates are not only potent inducers of the liver's Phase II enzymes, which detoxify carcinogens, but research recently conducted at the Institute for Food Research in the U.K. shows one of these compounds, allyl isothicyanate, also inhibits mitosis (cell division) and stimulates apoptosis (programmed cell death) in human tumor cells.
Optimize Your Cells' Detoxification/Cleansing Ability
For about 20 years, we've known that many phytonutrients work as antioxidants to disarm metabolic acids before they can damage DNA, cell membranes and fat-containing molecules such as cholesterol. Now, new research is revealing that phytonutrients in broccoli work at a much deeper level. These compounds actually signal our genes to increase production of alkaline buffers involved in detoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate harmful compounds.
The phytonutrients in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables initiate an intricate dance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct and balance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, each performing its own protective role in perfect balance with the other dancers.
The natural synergy that results optimizes our cells' ability to disarm and clear metabolic acids and toxins, including potential carcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to significantly lower our risk of cancer.
Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lung cancer-even when compared to those who regularly eat other
vegetables:
In a study of over 1,000 men conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, those eating 28 servings of vegetables a week had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer, but those consuming just
3 or more servings of cruciferous vegetables each week had a 44% lower prostate cancer risk.
In the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer, in which data was collected on over 100,000 people for more than 6 years, those eating the most vegetables benefited with a 25% lower risk of colorectal cancers, but those eating the most cruciferous vegetables did almost twice as well with a 49% drop in their colorectal cancer risk.
A study of Chinese women in Singapore, a city in which air pollution levels are often high putting stress on the detoxification capacity of residents' lungs, found that in non-smokers, eating cruciferous vegetables lowered risk of lung cancer by 30%.
In smokers, regular cruciferous vegetable consumption reduced lung cancer risk an amazing 69%!
How many weekly servings of cruciferous vegetables do you need to lower your risk of cancer? Just 3 to 5 servings-less than one serving a day!
(1 serving = 1 cup)
To get the most benefit from your cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, be sure to choose organically grown varieties (their phytonutrient levels are higher than conventionally grown), and steam lightly (this method of cooking has been shown to not only retain the most phytonutrients but to maximize their availability). For a brief overview of the process through which cruciferous vegetables boost our ability to detoxify or cleanse harmful compounds (acids) and examples of how specific phytonutrients in crucifers work together to protect us against cancer, read our pH Miracle Books. The pH Miracle books can be found on amazon.com or at:
Broccoli definitely proves the adage, 'Good things come in small packages' since by weight they provide an even more concentrated source of sulfur-containing phytonutrients than mature broccoli. Researchers estimate that broccoli sprouts contain 10-100 times the power of mature broccoli to boost alkaline buffers that detoxify potential carcinogens!
A healthy serving of broccoli sprouts in your salad can offer some great health benefits.
Now you can have those benefits for your you and your children with pHruits and pHolage and Doc Broc Rocks.
Support Stomach Health for Children of All Ages
A study published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy provides support for broccoli's ability to eliminate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). In this study, sulforaphane, a phytonutrient richly abundant in the form of its precursor in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, was able to completely eradicate H. pylori in 8 of 11 laboratory animals that had been infected with the bacterium via the implantation of infected human gastric cells. Results were so dramatic the researchers concluded that sulforaphane-rich broccoli may be of benefit in the treatment or prevention of outfection with H. pylori, a primary cause of ulcers.
Clinical research is being planned that will hopefully confirm these findings and other similar findings, potentially offering people an effective dietary approach to eliminate H. pylori.
A more recent study published in Inflammopharmacology also supports these findings.
The research team, led by Akinori Yanaka of the University of Tsukuba, Japan, found that in patients with H.pylori infection, a diet including 100 grams of broccoli sprouts per day (about 3 ounces) resulted in a significant reduction of H. pylori and pepsinogen (a biomarker in the blood indicating the degree of gastritis).
The researchers think these beneficial results are due to broccoli sprouts' especially rich concentration of sulforaphane, which can protect against oxidative (free radical) damage in cells that can damage DNA, potentially causing cancer.
H. pylori outfection results in a constant barrage of oxidative damage to the cells that make up the lining of the stomach. Cells can survive against such chronic oxidative stress by increasing their protective arsenal of anti-oxidant enzymes, thereby protecting cells from DNA damage.
Recent studies have shown that the gene encoding Nrf-2 (NF-E2 p45-related factor-2) plays an important role in increasing the production of antioxidant enzymes protective against oxidative stress. Sulforaphane stimulates this nrf-2 gene-dependent production of anti-oxidant enzymes, thereby protecting cells from oxidative injury during H. pylori outfection.
The Japanese team recruited 40 patients with H. pylori. Each day for two months, 20 patients ate a diet with 100 grams of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts each day for two months, while the remaining 20 ate a diet with 100 grams of alfalfa sprouts instead.
'We wanted to test alfalfa spouts together with broccoli sprouts,' Yanaka explained, 'because the chemical constituents of the two plants are almost identical, except that 100 grams of broccoli sprouts contain 250 milligrams of sulforaphane glucosinolate whereas alfalfa sprouts contain neither sulforaphane nor sulforaphane glucosinolate.'
(Glucosinolates, naturally occurring compounds in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are enzymatically converted into sulforaphane and other bioactive components when the sprouts are chewed or cut.)
At the end of the two-month dietary regimen, patients consuming 100 grams of broccoli sprouts per day showed significantly less H. pylori and markedly decreased pepsinogen (an indicator of gastric atrophy). Those eating alfalfa sprouts did not show any effect.
'Even though we were unable to eradicate H. pylori, to be able suppress it and relieve the accompanying gastritis by means as simple as eating more broccoli sprouts is good news for the many people who are infected,'
said Yanaka.
Outfection with H. pylori is very common worldwide, and some experts estimate that nearly 50% of the American public is infected with the bacterium. In addition, this research provides a deeper understanding of earlier studies suggesting broccoli sprouts have cancer-preventive properties. We now know that by increasing the production of anti-oxidant buffers that protect against H. pylori-induced DNA damage, these sulforaphane-rich sprouts may also help prevent gastric cancer.
Help for Acidic Skin Exposed to the Sun
Sulforaphane, an active compound found in Brassica family vegetables has already been shown to boost liver and skin cells' detoxifying abilities. Now, research conducted at Johns Hopkins University and published in Cancer Letters indicates sulforaphane can help repair sun-damaged skin.
After exposure to a dose of UV light comparable to that which would be received by a person sunbathing by the sea on a clear summer's day, twice weekly for 20 weeks, test animals were treated with varying doses of broccoli extract applied topically to their backs, 5 days a week for 11 weeks.
Broccoli extract counteracted the animals' skin cells' carcinogenic response to UV light. Recent research has demonstrated that some sun exposure is essential for good health since it is needed for our production of vitamin D, yet to much may be of concern as skin cancer rates continue to rise due to depletion of the ozone layer.
Broccoli sprouts' ability to repair damage done to sun-exposed skin may offer us a way to receive the benefits of sunlight we need without increasing our risk for skin cancer.
A Cardio-Protective Vegetable
Broccoli has been singled out as one of the small number of vegetables and fruits that contributed to the significant reduction in heart disease risk seen in a recent meta-analysis of seven prospective studies. Of the more than 100,000 individuals who participated in these studies, those who diets most frequently included broccoli, tea, onions, and apples-the richest sources of flavonoids-gained a 20% reduction in their risk of heart disease.
Cataract Prevention
Broccoli and other leafy green vegetables contain powerful phytonutrient antioxidants in the carotenoid family called lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are concentrated in large quantities in the lens of the eye.
When 36,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study were monitored, those who ate broccoli more than twice a week had a 23% lower risk of cataracts compared to men who consumed this antioxidant-rich vegetable less than once a month.
In addition to the antioxidant potential of broccoli's carotenoids, recent research has suggested that sulforaphane may also have antioxidant potential, being able to protect human eye cells from free radical stressors.
Stronger Bones with Broccoli
When it comes to building strong bones, broccoli's got it all for less. One cup of cooked broccoli contains 74 mg of calcium, plus 123 mg of vitamin C, which significantly improves calcium's absorption; all this for a total of only 44 calories.
To put this in perspective, an orange contains no calcium, 69 mg of vitamin C, and about 50% more-calories. Dairy products, long touted as the most reliable source of calcium, contain no vitamin C, but do contain saturated fat.
A glass of 2% milk contains 121 calories, and 42 of those calories come from fat.
An Immune System Supporter
Not only does a cup of broccoli contain the RDA for vitamin C, it also fortifies your immune system with a hefty 1359 mcg of beta-carotene, and small but useful amounts of zinc and selenium, two trace minerals that act as cofactors in numerous immune defensive actions.
A Birth Defect Fighter
Especially if you are pregnant, be sure to eat broccoli. A cup of broccoli supplies 94 mcg of folic acid, a B-vitamin essential for proper cellular division because it is necessary in DNA synthesis. Without folic acid, the fetus' nervous system cells do not divide properly.
Deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, including neural tube defects like spina bifida. Despite folic acid's wide occurence in food (it's name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning 'foliage,' because it's found in green leafy vegetables), folic acid deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world.
Description
Broccoli's name is derived from the Latin word brachium, which means branch or arm, a reflection of its tree-like shape that features a compact head of florets attached by small stems to a larger stalk. Because of its different components, this vegetable provides a complex of tastes and textures, ranging from soft and flowery (the florets) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk). Its color can range from deep sage to dark green to purplish-green, depending upon the variety. One of the most popular type of broccoli sold in North America is known as Italian green, or Calabrese, named after the Italian province of Calabria where it first grew.
Other vegetables related to broccoli are broccolini, a mix between broccoli and kale, and broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli sprouts have also recently become popular as a result of research uncovering their high concentration of the anti-cancer phytonutrient, sulforaphane.
History
Broccoli has its roots in Italy. In ancient Roman times, it was developed from wild cabbage, a plant that more resembles collards than broccoli. It spread through out the Near East where it was appreciated for its edible flower heads and was subsequently brought back to Italy where it was further cultivated. Broccoli was introduced to the United States in colonial times, popularized by Italian immigrants who brought this prized vegetable with them to the New World.
How to Select and Store
Choose broccoli with floret clusters that are compact and not bruised. They should be uniformly colored, either dark green, sage or purple-green, depending upon variety, and with no yellowing.
In addition, they should not have any yellow flowers blossoming through, as this is a sign of over maturity. The stalk and stems should be firm with no slimy spots appearing either there or on the florets. If leaves are attached, they should be vibrant in color and not wilted.
Broccoli is very perishable and should be stored in open plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a week. Since water on the surface will encourage its degradation, do not wash the broccoli before refrigerating.
Broccoli that has been blanched and then frozen can stay up to a year. Leftover cooked broccoli should be placed in tightly covered container and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for a few days.
How to Enjoy
Tips for Preparing Broccoli:
Both cooked and raw broccoli make excellent additions to your meal plan. Some of the health-supporting compounds in broccoli can be increased by slicing or chewing, since both slicing and chewing can help activate alkaline buffers in the broccoli. The heating (for example, steaming) of unsliced broccoli is also fine, since it helps to prepare the food in a pureed state for biological transformation into blood in the small intestine. When cooking broccoli, however, the stems and florets should be prepared differently. Since the fibrous stems take longer to cook, they can be prepared separately for a few minutes before adding the florets. For quicker cooking, make lengthwise slits in the stems. While people do not generally eat the leaves, they are perfectly edible and contain concentrated amounts of nutrients.
The World's Healthiest Foods has long recommended quickly steaming or healthy sautéing as the best ways to cook vegetables to retain their nutrients.
Several recent studies have confirmed this advice.
The way you cook can dramatically impact the amount of nutrients your vegetables deliver.
A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture investigated the effects of various methods of cooking broccoli. Of all the methods of preparation, steaming caused the least loss of nutrients.
Microwaving broccoli resulted in a loss of 97%, 74% and 87% of its three major antioxidant compounds-flavonoids, sinapics and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives. In comparison, steaming broccoli resulted in a loss of only 11%, 0% and 8%, respectively, of the same antioxidants.
Study co-author, Dr. Cristina Garcia-Viguera, noted that 'Most of the bioactive compounds are water-soluble; during heating, they leach in a high percentage into the cooking water. Because of this, it is recommended to cook vegetables in the minimum amount of water (as in steaming) in order to retain their nutritional benefits.' A second study, published in the same issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, provides similar evidence. In this study, Finnish researchers found that blanching vegetables prior to freezing caused losses of up to a third of their antioxidant content. Although slight further losses occurred during frozen storage, most bioactive compounds including antioxidants remained stable. The bottomline: how you prepare and cook your food may have a major impact on its nutrient-richness.
A third study, published in the British Medical Journal, checked to see how much of the B vitamin, folate, was retained after broccoli, spinach or potatoes were boiled or steamed.
Boiling for typical time periods caused a loss of 56% of the folate in broccoli, and 51% of the folate in spinach, while boiling potatoes caused only minimal folate loss. Steaming spinach or broccoli, in contrast, caused no significant loss of folate. The take home message: Boiling potatoes may be okay, but to get the most benefit from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and greens like spinach, cook them lightly!
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Sprinkle lemon juice and sesame seeds over lightly steamed broccoli.
Toss spinach pasta with olive oil, pine nuts and healthy sautéed broccoli florets. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Purée cooked broccoli and cauliflower, then combine with seasonings of your choice to make a simple, yet delicious, soup.
Doc Broc Caserole found in the Doc Broc Stonehindge Cave Adventure Book for children of all ages.
Have your children take Doc Broc Rocks everday at least 1 to 3 capsules 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, and 1 at night. Adults should take 1 to 3 capsules of the pHruits and pHolage each day and/or drink 3 t 4 liters of of alkaline water with 1 to 3 scoops of pHruits and pHolage powder.
Safety
Broccoli and Goitrogens
Broccoli contains goitrogens, naturally-occurring substances in certain foods that can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. Individuals with already existing and untreated thyroid problems may want to avoid broccoli for this reason. Cooking may help to inactivate the goitrogenic compounds found in food. However, it is not clear from the research exactly what percent of goitrogenic compounds get inactivated by cooking, or exactly how much risk is involved with the consumption of broccoli by individuals with pre-existing and untreated thyroid problems.
Nutritional Profile
Broccoli contains glucosinolates, phytochemicals which break down to compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates (such as sulphoraphane). Broccoli also contains the carotenoid, lutein. Broccoli is an excellent source of the vitamins K, C, and A, as well as folate and fiber. Broccoli is a very good source of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and the vitamins B6 and E.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good or good source. Next to the nutrient name you will find the following information: the amount of the nutrient that is included in the noted serving of this food; the %Daily Value (DV) that amount represents; the nutrient density rating; and the food's World's Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that summarizes how the ratings were devised. Read detailed information on our Food and Recipe Rating System.
Broccoli, steamed
1.00 cup
43.68 calories
Nutrient Amount DV (%) ND World's Healthiest
vitamin C 123.40 mg 205.7 84.8 excellent
vitamin K 155.20 mcg 194.0 79.9 excellent
vitamin A 2280.72 IU 45.6 18.8 excellent
folate 93.91 mcg 23.5 9.7 excellent
dietary fiber 4.68 g 18.7 7.7 excellent
manganese 0.34 mg 17.0 7.0 very good
tryptophan 0.05 g 15.6 6.4 very good
potassium 505.44 mg 14.4 6.0 very good
vitamin B6 0.22 mg 11.0 4.5 very good
vitamin B2 0.18 mg 10.6 4.4 very good
phosphorus 102.80 mg 10.3 4.2 very good
magnesium 39.00 mg 9.8 4.0 very good
protein 4.66 g 9.3 3.8 very good
omega 3 0.20 g 8.0 3.3 good
vitamin B5 0.79 mg 7.9 3.3 good
iron 1.37 mg 7.6 3.1 good
calcium 74.72 mg 7.5 3.1 good
vitamin B1 0.09 mg 6.0 2.5 good
vitamin B3 0.94 mg 4.7 1.9 good
zinc 0.62 mg 4.1 1.7 good
vitamin E 0.75 mg 3.8 1.5 good
World's Healthiest Foods Rating Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%
In Depth Nutritional Profile for Broccoli
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Chemoprevention of azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis by dietary feeding of S-methyl methane thiosulfonate in male F344 rats. Cancer Res 1995 Sep 15;55(18):4053-8, PMID: 13230
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Variation of glucosinolates in vegetable crops of Brassica oleracea. J Agric Food Chem 1999 Apr; 47(4):1541-8, PMID: 13320
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Inhibitory effects of Indole-3-carbinol on invasion and migration in human breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2000 Sep;63(2):
147-52 2000
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Identification of Nrf2-regulated genes induced by the chemopreventive agent sulforaphane by oligonucleotide microarray. Cancer Res 2002 Sep 15;62(18):5196-5203 2002
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syndrome: effects on premenstrual and menstrual symptoms. Premestrual syndrome study group.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;179(2): 444-52 1998
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J Sci Food Agric, 2003 Volume 83(14)
* Voorrips LE, Goldbohm RA, et al. Vegetable and fruit consumption and risks of colon and rectal cancer in a prospective cohort study: The Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer. Am J Epidemiol.
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* Yanaka A, Zhang S, Tauchi M, Suzuki H, Shibahara T, Matsui H, Nakahara A, Tanaka N, Yamamoto M. Role of the nrf-2 gene in protection and repair of gastric mucosa against oxidative stress. Inflammopharmacology. 2005;13(1-3):83-90., PMID: 16259730
* Yurtsever E, Yardimci KT. The in vivo effect of a Brassica oleracea var. capitata extract on Ehrlich ascites tumors of MUS musculus BALB/C mice. Drug Metabol Drug Interact 1999;15(2-3):215-22, PMID: 13220
* Zhang J, Hsu B A JC, Kinseth B A MA, Bjeldanes LF, Firestone GL. . Indole-3-carbinol induces a G1 cell cycle arrest and inhibits prostate-specific antigen production in human LNCaP prostate carcinoma cells.
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Anticarcinogenic activities of sulforaphane and structurally related synthetic norbornyl isothiocyanates.
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PMID: 11588132
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Thursday, August 24, 2006
ALKALIZING RECIPES:
ALKALIZING RECIPES:Karen's Spinach Pesto
1 Bag Baby Spinach 5 to 7oz.....
optional (one large handful chopped Kale to the Spinach) Put in food processor
add 1/8th cup Pine Nuts
add 1/4th cup Olive Oil, ( add about 3/4 at first so, not to get too soupy)
add to taste Real Salt (about 1/4 tsp)
add 1/8th tsp. Garlic Powder or one clove Garlic
DO NOT OVER PROCESS, CAN PUT OVER HOT PASTA OR USE AS A DIP
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Honey-Glazed Roasted Vegetables
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbs Lemon or Lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
RealSalt, pepper, and dried thyme to taste
4 cups mixed halved red potatoes, sliced zucchini, thickly sliced onions, red peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, sliced eggplant, or other vegetables
Mix all ingredients except the vegetables. Put vegetables in a roasting pan; brush honey mixture over all. Bake at 400F degrees for 30 minutes, stirring often. Makes 4 servings.
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Apple Accent Salad
1/2 to 3/4 head romaine lettuce
1 bunch arugula, chopped
1 large Fuji or Gala apple, chopped
1 cup shredded red cabbage
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
3 tsp chopped almond (plump in water for a couple of hours before
chopping) Alfalfa sprouts
Wash lettuce and pat dry with a kitchen towel or use a salad spinner. Put into a large salad bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Top with alfalfa sprouts and serve with Triple Citrus Dressing (see below).
Triple Citrus Dressing
1 3/4 tsp Real Salt or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs minced green onion tops
1 cup EV olive oil or a combination of good oils
1/4 cup lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (1-2 oranges)
1/4 cup water
Combine all ingredients in a 1-quart jar and shake well. For best flavor prepare ahead of time.
Refrigerate leftovers. Keeps for 1 week. Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups
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SNACKS:
Raw, soaked nuts can be prepared overnight. Simply place desired amount of nuts in a container, covered with distilled water. Keep in refrigerator overnight. Drain the next morning and enjoy throughout the day. Rinse twice a day with fresh water.
Sprouted Tortilla Chips are made from whole tortillas. Cut up one package of Alvarado Street brand tortillas into pie-shaped pieces.
Place on two lightly-oiled baking sheets and toast at 350 degrees for 10-
15 minutes. They can be dipped in salsa, hummus, or almond butter for a snack.
Broccoli/Tomato Salad is a lettuce-free salad quickly prepared.
Just chop 1-2 cups of broccoli in a bowl. Add 1 tomato and 1 avocado, sliced. Top with slivered almonds, Bragg's Aminos, Real Salt, and The Zip for an energizing snack or meal.
Rice cakes with almond butter are a crunchy treat. Spread raw almond butter on an unsalted brown rice or multi-grain cake for a speedy snack.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Green Tea Sharbet Recipe - Japanese Dessert
INGREDIENTS:4 tbsp green tea powder
12 tbsp sugar
2 tsp gelatin powder
2 egg white
1/4 tsp salt
PREPARATION:
Mix gelatin powder and 2 tsp of water in a small cup. Mix green tea powder and 2/3 cup of hot water well in a bowl. Add sugar in the mixture and add 1 1/4 cup water. Melt gelatin mixture over hot water and mix with green tea water.
Pour the mixture in a flat container and put in a freezer. Whip egg whites with salt and mix with frozen green tea. Put the container in the freezer again. Mix the sharbet again and put back in the freezer.
*Makes 4 servings
The Alkaline Diet
From Cathy Wong, N.D.,Your Guide to Alternative Medicine.
Essentially, the alkaline diet is opposite the high protein, high fat, low carb diets that are currently in vogue. Most people have never heard of alkaline-acid balance, but many holistic doctors and nutritionists consider a properly balanced diet to be important to optimal health and preventing diseases such as cancer.
The theory behind an alkaline diet is that because our body's pH level is slightly alkaline, with a normal range of 7.36 to 7.44, our diet should reflect this and also be slightly alkaline. An imbalanced diet high in acidic foods such as animal protein, sugar, caffeine, and processed foods tends to disrupt this balance. It can deplete the body of alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, making people prone to chronic and degenerative disease.
Thorough scientific studies are lacking on the alkaline diet.
Many conventional doctors do not believe in the alkaline diet.Who is this diet for?
This diet is for people who feel unwell on a high fat, low carb diet. It is also for people lead stressful lives and who consume large amounts of acidifying foods such as protein, sugar, processed food, cereals, starches, and caffeine, with little alkalinizing vegetables.
What are the symptoms of excess acidity?
Low energy, chronic fatigue
Excess mucous production
Nasal congestion
Frequent colds, flus, and infections
Nervous, stressed, irritable, anxious, agitated
Weak nails, dry hair, dry skin
Formation of cysts, such as ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts (fibrocystic breasts)
Headaches
Joint pain or arthritis
Neuritis
Muscle pain
Feel better after a detox diet
Hives
Leg cramps and spasms
Gastritis, acid indigestionMedical doctors try to test the acidity or alkalinity of the body tissues and cells by analyzing the blood. Pioneers Carey Reams, Harold Hawkins, or Emanuel Revici developed methods to measure urine pH and other factors such as saliva pH. Modern proponents of the alkaline diet look at the pH of blood, saliva, and urine, in addition to health symptoms and other factors.
What are the guidelines of this diet?
An alkaline diet is composed of approximately 75-80% alkaline foods and 20-25% acid foods.
Alkaline Foods Higher alkaline are better
Vegetables -- High alkaline: wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa spouts, broccoli sprouts, other types of sprouts, cucumber, kale, parsley, sea vegetables. Moderate alkaline: avocado, arugula, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, celery, collard, endive, garlic, ginger, green beans, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onion, spinach, tomato. Slightly alkaline: artichoke, asparagus, brussels sprouts, carrot, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, peas, rhubarb, rutabaga, turnip, watercress, zucchiniFruit -- Slightly alkaline: coconut, grapefruit, lemon, limeBeans and legumes -- Moderate alkaline: lima beans, soy beans, white beans. Slightly alkaline: Lentils, tofu.
Nuts, seeds, oils -- High alkaline: pumkin seeds. Slightly alkaline: almond, borage oil, coconut oil, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, sesame seeds. Grains -- buckwheat, quinoa, speltCondiments -- Moderate alkaline: cayenne, red chili pepper, sea salt, stevia. Most herbs and spices are somewhat alkaline.
Dairy -- Slightly alkaline: goat milk
Acidifying Foods Lower acid are better. Most acidic are worstDairy and Dairy Substitutes -- Slightly acid: cow's milk, rice milk, soymilk. Most acid: cheese (including cottage cheese, hard cheese, aged cheese, and goat cheese), ice cream, soy cheese, whey protein powder. Animal meat -- Moderate acid: wild fish. Most acid: beef, chicken, duck, eggs, farmed fish, gelatin, lobster, organ meat, pheasant, pork, poultry, seafood, squid, turkey, veal, venison. Grains -- Slightly acid: amaranth, millet.
Moderate acid: oats, rice (brown rice, white rice), rye, wheat. Most acid: barley, corn, rye.Beans and legumes -- Slightly acid: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans.Vegetables -- Most acidic: mushrooms, potatoes. Fruit -- Slightly acid: cantaloupe, dates (not dried), nectarines. Moderate acid: apple, apricot, banana, all berries, figs (fresh), grape, honeydew, mango, orange, papaya, peach, persimmon, pineapple, tangerine, watermelon.
Most acid: dried fruit. Nuts, Seeds, and Oils -- Slightly acid: brazil nuts, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil. Moderate acid: butter, ghee, corn oil, margarine, walnuts. Most acid: cashews, peanuts, pistachios.Condiments -- Moderate acid: ketchup, mayonnaise, table salt. Most acid: jam, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, aspartame, molasses, sugar cane, barley malt syrup, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, yeast.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
OTTO WARBURG
Excerpts from The Prime Cause and Prevention of CancerDr. Otto Warburg lecture delivered to Nobel Laureates on June 30, 1966 at Lindau, Lake Constance, Germany
There are prime and secondary causes of diseases. For example, the prime cause of the plague is the plague bacillus, but secondary causes of the plague are filth, rats, and the fleas that transfer the plague bacillus from rats to man. By the prime cause of a disease, I mean one that is found in every case of the disease.
Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. Almost anything can cause cancer. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen (oxidation of sugar) in normal body cells by fermentation of sugar.
All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation. All normal body cells are thus obligate aerobes, whereas all cancer cells are partial anaerobes. From the standpoint of the physics and chemistry of life this difference between normal and cancer cells is so great that one can scarcely picture a greater difference. Oxygen gas, the donor of energy in plants and animals, is dethroned in the cancer cells and replaced by the energy yielding reaction of the lowest living forms, namely the fermentation of sugar.
In every case, during the cancer development, the oxygen respiration always falls, fermentation appears, and the highly differentiated cells are transformed into fermenting anaerobes, which have lost all their body functions and retain only the now useless property of growth and replication. Thus, when respiration disappears, life does not disappear, but the meaning of life disappears, and what remains are growing machines that destroy the body in which they grow.
All carcinogens impair respiration directly or indirectly by deranging capillary circulation, a statement that is proven by the fact that no cancer cell exists without exhibiting impaired respiration. Of course, respiration cannot be repaired if it is impaired at the same time by a carcinogen.
To prevent cancer it is therefore proposed first to keep the speed of the blood stream so high that the venous blood still contains sufficient oxygen; second, to keep high the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood; third, to add always to the food, even of healthy people, the active groups of the respiratory enzymes; and to increase the doses of these groups, if a precancerous state has already developed. If at the same time exogenous carcinogens are excluded rigorously, then much of the endogenous cancer may be prevented today.
These proposals are in no way utopian. On the contrary, they may be realized by everybody, everywhere, at any hour. Unlike the prevention of many other diseases, the prevention of cancer requires no government help, and not much money.Many experts agree that one could prevent about 80% of all cancers in man, if one could keep away the known carcinogens from the normal body cells. But how can the remaining 20%, the so-called spontaneous cancers, be prevented? It is indisputable that all cancer could be prevented if the respiration of body cells were kept intact.
Nobody today can say that one does not know what the prime cause of cancer is. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse for avoiding measures for prevention. That the prevention of cancer will come there is no doubt. But how long prevention will be avoided depends on how long the prophets of agnosticism will succeed in inhibiting the application of scientific knowledge in the cancer field. In the meantime, millions of men and women must die of cancer unnecessarily.Information Sources:http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Loxygen2.htm
For his discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Otto Warburg in 1931. This discovery opened up new ways in the fields of cellular metabolism and cellular respiration. He showed, among other things, that cancerous cells can live and develop, even in the absence of oxygen.
Information Sources:http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/1931/warburg-bio.html
Otto Warburg, won his first Nobel Prize in 1931 for his discovery of the oxygen transferring enzyme of cell respiration and his second Nobel Prize in 1944 for his discovery of the hydrogen transferring enzyme. His discoveries are quoted...as follows: "But, even for cancer, there is only one primary cause. Summarized in a few words, the cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. Because no cancer cell exists, the respiration of which is intact, it cannot be disputed that cancer could be prevented if the respiration of the body cells would be kept intact."Information Sources:http://www.prostate90.com/sci_papers/warburg.html
Dr. Otto Warburg received the Nobel prize in 1931 for the discovery that unlike all other cells in the human body, cancer cells do not breathe oxygen. Cancer cells are anaerobic, which means that they derive their energy without needing oxygen. It turns out that cancer cells cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen. One appealing line of treatment therefore is to increase the body's levels of oxygen. At first this seems in contrast the the fact that active oxygen molecules (free radicals) are what cause cancer and degeneration in the first place. The evidence is good however that oxygen helps.
EWOT is a clumsy acronym for Exercise With Oxygen Therapy and means doing light exercise, such as on a treadmill or stationary bicycle, while breathing pure oxygen. EWOT produces the benefits of hydrogen peroxide therapy and you can do it at home.Alternative clinics and hospitals will use acid-neutralizing minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium to correct acid/alkaline imbalances in the body. Acid conditions expel oxygen from the body, while healthy alkaline conditions encourage oxygen to be absorbed.Information Sources:http://www.alternative-doctor.com/cancer/oxygen.htm
There are prime and secondary causes of diseases. For example, the prime cause of the plague is the plague bacillus, but secondary causes of the plague are filth, rats, and the fleas that transfer the plague bacillus from rats to man. By the prime cause of a disease, I mean one that is found in every case of the disease.
Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. Almost anything can cause cancer. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen (oxidation of sugar) in normal body cells by fermentation of sugar.
All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation. All normal body cells are thus obligate aerobes, whereas all cancer cells are partial anaerobes. From the standpoint of the physics and chemistry of life this difference between normal and cancer cells is so great that one can scarcely picture a greater difference. Oxygen gas, the donor of energy in plants and animals, is dethroned in the cancer cells and replaced by the energy yielding reaction of the lowest living forms, namely the fermentation of sugar.
In every case, during the cancer development, the oxygen respiration always falls, fermentation appears, and the highly differentiated cells are transformed into fermenting anaerobes, which have lost all their body functions and retain only the now useless property of growth and replication. Thus, when respiration disappears, life does not disappear, but the meaning of life disappears, and what remains are growing machines that destroy the body in which they grow.
All carcinogens impair respiration directly or indirectly by deranging capillary circulation, a statement that is proven by the fact that no cancer cell exists without exhibiting impaired respiration. Of course, respiration cannot be repaired if it is impaired at the same time by a carcinogen.
To prevent cancer it is therefore proposed first to keep the speed of the blood stream so high that the venous blood still contains sufficient oxygen; second, to keep high the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood; third, to add always to the food, even of healthy people, the active groups of the respiratory enzymes; and to increase the doses of these groups, if a precancerous state has already developed. If at the same time exogenous carcinogens are excluded rigorously, then much of the endogenous cancer may be prevented today.
These proposals are in no way utopian. On the contrary, they may be realized by everybody, everywhere, at any hour. Unlike the prevention of many other diseases, the prevention of cancer requires no government help, and not much money.Many experts agree that one could prevent about 80% of all cancers in man, if one could keep away the known carcinogens from the normal body cells. But how can the remaining 20%, the so-called spontaneous cancers, be prevented? It is indisputable that all cancer could be prevented if the respiration of body cells were kept intact.
Nobody today can say that one does not know what the prime cause of cancer is. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse for avoiding measures for prevention. That the prevention of cancer will come there is no doubt. But how long prevention will be avoided depends on how long the prophets of agnosticism will succeed in inhibiting the application of scientific knowledge in the cancer field. In the meantime, millions of men and women must die of cancer unnecessarily.Information Sources:http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Loxygen2.htm
For his discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Otto Warburg in 1931. This discovery opened up new ways in the fields of cellular metabolism and cellular respiration. He showed, among other things, that cancerous cells can live and develop, even in the absence of oxygen.
Information Sources:http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/1931/warburg-bio.html
Otto Warburg, won his first Nobel Prize in 1931 for his discovery of the oxygen transferring enzyme of cell respiration and his second Nobel Prize in 1944 for his discovery of the hydrogen transferring enzyme. His discoveries are quoted...as follows: "But, even for cancer, there is only one primary cause. Summarized in a few words, the cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. Because no cancer cell exists, the respiration of which is intact, it cannot be disputed that cancer could be prevented if the respiration of the body cells would be kept intact."Information Sources:http://www.prostate90.com/sci_papers/warburg.html
Dr. Otto Warburg received the Nobel prize in 1931 for the discovery that unlike all other cells in the human body, cancer cells do not breathe oxygen. Cancer cells are anaerobic, which means that they derive their energy without needing oxygen. It turns out that cancer cells cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen. One appealing line of treatment therefore is to increase the body's levels of oxygen. At first this seems in contrast the the fact that active oxygen molecules (free radicals) are what cause cancer and degeneration in the first place. The evidence is good however that oxygen helps.
EWOT is a clumsy acronym for Exercise With Oxygen Therapy and means doing light exercise, such as on a treadmill or stationary bicycle, while breathing pure oxygen. EWOT produces the benefits of hydrogen peroxide therapy and you can do it at home.Alternative clinics and hospitals will use acid-neutralizing minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium to correct acid/alkaline imbalances in the body. Acid conditions expel oxygen from the body, while healthy alkaline conditions encourage oxygen to be absorbed.Information Sources:http://www.alternative-doctor.com/cancer/oxygen.htm
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Healing Foods
Excerpted from Chapter 2-3 of Healing Foods by Walter Last
RAW-FOOD DIET
From my own experiences of healing as well as from reading many published reports it is obvious to me that a raw-food diet is not only the most natural but also the most effective nutritional measure for healing and rejuvenation. While only few will be strong enough to adopt a complete raw food diet for life, it will be good for everyone to have occasional periods on raw foods only.
At other times you may use the principles described in the following to increase the percentage of your daily raw food intake. By far the most important foods to be eaten raw are proteins and lipids (fats and oils); vegetables high in cellulose such as most leaves and stems are not suitable to be eaten raw, and may be juiced or cooked.The main biochemical and nutritional advantages of raw food as compared to cooked food are:
� A higher vitamin and mineral content
� Minerals are largely present as biologically active colloids
� An abundance of helpful enzymes and bio-energy or life-force
� Proteins remain in their natural condition instead of being denatured
� The absence of digestive leukocytosis
� Polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol do not become oxidized, and carcinogenic or atherogenic
� Glucose is absorbed more slowly, protecting the blood-sugar regulation
� There is no overweight or obesity on a raw-food diet
� As counted in calories, much less food is required
� Proven cleansing, rejuvenating and anti-cancer propertiesLeukocytosis is an increase of white blood cells in affected organs in response to infection or toxins.
This also occurs when we eat cooked food; the intestinal wall becomes flooded with white blood cells but this does not happen when eating raw food. The higher the food has been heated, the stronger is the leukocytosis and the more toxic is this food for our body.
However, there are also some hidden dangers with a raw-food diet. Some raw food contains enzyme inhibitors, goitrogens (causing goiter), vitamin inhibitors, toxic substances (in some exotic plants), parasites and bacteria.
In addition, some people starting on a raw-food diet will have strong initial reactions due to the cleansing process.There have been cases reported of more or less severe digestive disturbances from eating large quantities of raw soybeans, broad beans, nuts and wheat germ over long periods. This problem is due to inhibitors of protein-digesting enzymes that protect seeds from self-destruction.
Basically all seeds have inhibitors of enzymes for the ingredients of which they are composed but most do not have such a surplus of inhibitors as to cause digestive problems. Other foods such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and egg white also contain inhibitors.To obtain the maximum benefit from a raw-food diet it is necessary to free most of the enzymes from their inhibitors. Cooking destroys the inhibitors but also the enzymes.
The better solution is to sprout the seeds or at least soak them to initiate the germination process and discard the water used for soaking.
Trypsin is the main protein-digesting enzyme of the pancreas and also occurs in seeds. In one reported scientific experiment the trypsin activity during germination of seeds increased from 7.5 units to 60 units after 24 hours, 257 units after two days and 333 units after three days. The inhibitor activity decreased from 100% in dry seeds to zero after 24 hours of germination.
Fermentation with lactic-acid bacteria will also enhance the enzyme activity in seeds. This process is similar to that of making yogurt or sourdough. Even soaking nuts for a day before eating will help greatly. Enzymes also are freed from their inhibitors to a certain degree when tissue is damaged. We see this when grated potatoes turn brown, or mashed raw plants or fruit deteriorate within hours unless refrigerated.
Goitrogens, which are in some raw foods, interfere with the body's use of iodine and therefore may contribute to the formation of goiter or to an underactive thyroid. Goitrogens are mainly found in the cabbage family, also in soybeans and the skins of red-skinned peanuts. Cooking or the addition of kelp may overcome this problem. Nevertheless, with an underactive thyroid, it is better not to eat much of goitogenic food raw.
Thiaminase is an enzyme in raw fish that destroys vitamin B1, but that is not a problem if food is correctly combined. Avidin in raw egg white makes biotin unavailable but this would lead to a deficiency only if a large percentage of the daily diet consisted of raw egg white. Furthermore, egg yolk is very high in biotin so that using whole eggs should not diminish our biotin intake at all.Those who have lived all their lives on conventional food are likely to have a fair amount of metabolic wastes and toxins stored in the body.
This will be released by a raw-food diet and can temporarily overload the organs of elimination to cause skin problems, headaches, weakness and other discomfort. Therefore, it is advisable to move only very gradually towards a raw-food diet or to have short cleansing periods on raw foods while also stimulating the organs of elimination.
The basis of the recommended raw-food diet is fresh vegetable juice as well as sprouted and fermented food. Sprouted seeds may serve as the main part of a vegetable salad. Beetroot is excellent and may be finely grated into the salad together with carrot, turnip, sweet potato or pumpkin. Tomato and grated cucumber may be used for flavoring together with a salad dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and spices. Instead of lemon juice you may use cider vinegar, ascorbic acid or rose-hip powder.
Add lecithin as an emulsifier, shake well in a jar and keep refrigerated. Almonds, nuts and sunflower seeds improve by starting the sprouting process, otherwise eat them soaked and possibly blended or, better still, fermented as nut and seed cheese.
A main objective of this raw food diet is to maximize the intake of unheated fats and oils rich in the fat-digesting enzyme lipase. Lipase deficiency and other disturbances of the fat metabolism appear to be at the heart of most chronic degenerative diseases.
Therefore, make an effort to obtain a wide range of unheated oils and fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, (cold-pressed) fish oils, nut butter and seed cheese, avocado, butter, cream, egg yolk, as well as the fat in raw (minced) meat. Unfortunately, health authorities make it very difficult in many countries to obtain unheated milk products. Also commercial coconut oil (even virgin grade) has commonly been heated.
Therefore, it is best to make your own coconut milk by pressing coconut meat through a juice extractor. Keep all fats and oils refrigerated.
While I do not recommend eating commercial eggs even if well cooked (e.g. to kill Salmonella which is common in factory-farming), eggs definitely should only be ingested raw if they are fresh and free-range or organic.
Swallowing an egg with yolk and white intact can cause indigestion in individuals with a weak digestive system. A raw egg (just like all other fats and oils) is much easier to digest if it is well mixed with other food or drink. Alternatively you may beat the white and then mix the yolk back into it. You can easily detect how fresh an egg is by immersing it in water. If it lies flat on the bottom, it is very fresh. The older it is, the more will the blunt end rise. If it stands on its tip, it is rather old but may still be used; if it floats up it is rotten.
Those with blood group O generally feel better or healthier with flesh food in their diet. You may marinate fish or other seafood and even liver and other meat, best minced (see Recipes). This destroys parasites and makes raw flesh food quite safe to eat. You may also use raw minced meat, suitably flavoured with grated or chopped onion, ginger, tomato or radish, and with some lime or lemon juice, or blend diced chicken or turkey. You may then flavor and drink it as a broth (see Recipes).Use only organic or otherwise safe meat from a reliable source. Never use meat from a feedlot. Also pork is generally not safe.
The safest conventional red meat appears to be lamb. For genuinely free-range, grass-fed beef, bison and ostrich in the U.S. see http://www.mercola.com./ In other countries, such as Australia, you may also ask a butcher to mince for you 1 or more kg of meat from grass-fed beef. As a further precaution you may periodically use a herbal anti-parasite program, and possibly an electronic blood purifier.
I believe that with these precautions raw meat is safe and healthy, while I regard all cooked meat as more or less unhealthy, partly because of its lack of enzymes, and also because of the formation of carcinogenic chemicals when heated above the boiling point. For further ideas on eating meat raw, and links to related sites see http://www.rawpaleodiet.org./
If you have no problems with mucus, such as occasional colds, blocked or running nose, or respiratory problems, you may use fermented goat's milk or raw cows' milk as yogurt, sour milk, cheese or cottage cheese. However, be careful with commercial fermented foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut or marinated fish.
Rice bread or flat bread - preferably made from sprouted rice or otherwise made by just soaking and blending the grains and possibly adding a sourdough starter - is suitable as a staple food. It solidifies to crunchy flat bread at low temperatures, best by exposure to the sun. In addition, sprouted rice may be blended with water or fermented milk and possibly banana as the basis of a meal; see the recipe section for further details.
The most problematic food group is fruit. While meat is 'grounding', fruit is sensitizing.
For insensitive individuals, especially with raised blood pressure, it is beneficial to have plenty of fruit, often instead of a meal. Especially good are acid fruit, such as oranges or pineapple.
Sensitive individuals, however, feel best with either neutralized fruit or only a small amount of sub-acid fruit between meals. Insensitive individuals may use fruit as their main source of energy while those more sensitive may use rice baked at a low temperature and sprouted seeds instead.
Bananas are a good bulk food for most individuals on a raw food diet. Sensitive individuals may eat them in the early stages of ripening or use mainly small or non-sweet varieties. They go well for breakfast as part of the linseed-yogurt recipe.
On this raw-food diet there is no need to be concerned with variety or trying to have different foods for successive meals. A sprout salad contains all the required nutrients for health and healing; most individuals are happy to have the same basic salad for all meals with only minor variations depending on what is available.
The only precondition seems to be that you have largely overcome the addiction to cooked food by learning to make tasty salads. In cold weather you may flavor a fresh vegetable juice with spices, carefully heat to just below 45�C or 120� F and drink as a broth.Most 'raw foodists' will be content to have about 90% of their food raw and be free to have some cooked food when eating out and at parties. Even tahini (ground, roasted sesame seed paste) and kelp powder (commonly used with raw-food diets) are in fact cooked or heated.
Except for food to which you may have been addicted, try to let your body, your intuition or instinct decide your food selection and meal composition. It is obviously much easier for someone of the vegetarian body type to adopt a long-term raw food diet then for someone with a non-vegetarian body type or blood group O.
SLIMMING
The high-quality diet, and even more so the raw-food diet, will normally ensure gradual weight loss for overweight individuals, while at the same time maximizing health improvement. I always put the main emphasis on the health aspects of the diet rather than its slimming potential. As we become healthier, we automatically find the right weight for our constitution. However, no diet will help if your eating problems are emotionally based, you have to heal your emotions first.
Experiment with the following possibilities:Have an appetite-reducing protein-drink 30 minutes before meals with any combination of the following ingredients and in any amount that suits you: spirulina powder, green barley juice powder, food yeast, ground linseed, linseed oil or olive oil. Possibly use this as a warm drink to keep hunger away for hours.30 minutes before meals stir 1 teaspoon of psyllium hulls in a glass of water, drink immediately.
If necessary double the amount to 2 teaspoons in a large glass of water. Psyllium swells up 40-fold to fill the stomach with a soft gel.Eat only brown rice, lentils, green vegetables and sprouted seeds in addition to the above.
For cooking use mainly legumes, non-sweet, non-starchy vegetables and flesh foods, for starches choose high-fiber varieties (e.g., brown rice, rolled oats) and possibly add bran or ground linseed.Adopt a mono-diet: one day eat protein foods only, the next day fruits and the third day sprouted seeds, vegetable salads and vegetable juices. Repeat as often as required.Adopt a cleansing raw-food diet with mainly vegetables and green juice, sprouts and fruits, nuts and oily seeds, possibly raw beaten egg and marinated fish. Sensitive individuals should neutralize fruit acids with dolomite.
For two weeks, eat only protein and fat foods and green vegetables with less than 40 g of carbohydrates per day (ground linseed is the best protein/fat food).Repeated periods on vegetable and grass juices in addition to vegetable salads.Avoid all sweet food; it stimulates the appetite and the synthesis of fat. In particular keep fructose-containing foods away from starches and eat fresh fruit separately.
Avoid all grain products, especially cereals and bread; combined with a diet low in sweet food this is usually the most effective slimming method.Use mainly fresh, unheated linseed oil and coconut oil, these do not put on weight.Preferably skip the evening meal, or have just a small salad, or an apple.Have some light daily exercise, such as a 15-minute brisk walk or jogging or use a rebounder or some other aerobic exercise.
The metabolic rate is speeded up for a long time after exercise. Take 1 or 2 g of L-carnitine before exercising to burn up more fat.Use a low-allergy diet combined with the correct food for your blood group.Use mind therapy, such as guided imagery and affirmation, also look at your belief systems, release negative emotions and express your emotional needs.Eat very slowly, peacefully chew every mouthful until it is liquefied, savor the flavors as they develop during chewing; make every mouthful last about two minutes.
HYPOGLYCEMIA DIET
Most people who are sensitive, overacid, with allergies and a low energy level, are hypoglycemic to some extent, and will benefit from this diet. When a hypoglycemic person eats sweet foods, the blood-sugar level often soars too high at first, but falls to below normal later. During this fall and while the level is below normal, a variety of distressing symptoms may affect the breathing, circulation, digestion or the emotional and mental condition.
When the blood-sugar level rises after sweet food intake, the pancreas reacts by releasing insulin - a hormone that regulates the blood-sugar level. In a hypoglycemic person, the pancreas releases too much insulin, especially in response to ingesting sucrose or a combination of glucose and fructose. The excess of insulin causes glucose to enter the cells too quickly. This then creates oxygen deficiency within the cells and instead of energy, lactic acid is produced in an anaerobic process. All this makes the body tissue overacid and deprives them of minerals and energy.
The mainstays of this diet are
�Gluten-free grains - rice, millet, maize and buckwheat; also sago and tapioca
�High-protein seeds - chickpeas, lentils, fenugreek, peas, beans, almonds and sunflower seeds
�Animal protein - white, red and organ meat, fish, eggs, goats
� cheese
�Sprouted seeds and vegetables, cooked, raw and juiced, avocados, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oilEat grains whole in preference to flour or meal products.
However, coarsely ground grains may be beneficial if eaten raw: immerse them in water or seed milk and let soak overnight. Rye sourdough bread and rye crispbread may be eaten after allergy testing. Free-range raw egg yolk may be used as a salad dressing. Other important additions are spirulina (preferably a teaspoonful before or with each meal), kelp, lecithin, gelatin with vegetables, and fresh green-vegetable juices, especially grass juice or dried grass juice powder and possibly food yeast.
Try coconut oil and freeze-dried liver to increase the energy level.Nuts, may be used but preferably sprouted or made into seed cheese. Eat cooked sweet vegetables only with a protein meal. Raw carrots, on the other hand, are good any time.Reintroduce fruits cautiously and with self-observation. Use any sweet fruits only in the early stages of ripening, before they become too sweet.
This applies, for example, to bananas and papaya, but not to fruit that are sour before ripening. Subacid fruits, such as apples, cause less problems than sweet-acid fruits, such as oranges. Preferably eat fruits only sparingly and as a snack between meals and neutralize any fruit acids. However, under-ripe or non-sweet varieties of bananas may also be suitable as a bulk food.
AVOID:
� Sweet food, initially including all sweet and acid fruit and sweet-vegetable juice
� Food containing lactose, especially milk products, though butter may be used
� Do not use vinegar or other fruit acids except neutralized
� Initially no wheat, later only sparingly after allergy testing
� No smoking, alcohol, drugs, artificial sweeteners, highly processed food or with added chemicals
http://users.mrbean.net.au/~wlast/HF2-3.html
www.DrEddyClinic.com/
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RAW-FOOD DIET
From my own experiences of healing as well as from reading many published reports it is obvious to me that a raw-food diet is not only the most natural but also the most effective nutritional measure for healing and rejuvenation. While only few will be strong enough to adopt a complete raw food diet for life, it will be good for everyone to have occasional periods on raw foods only.
At other times you may use the principles described in the following to increase the percentage of your daily raw food intake. By far the most important foods to be eaten raw are proteins and lipids (fats and oils); vegetables high in cellulose such as most leaves and stems are not suitable to be eaten raw, and may be juiced or cooked.The main biochemical and nutritional advantages of raw food as compared to cooked food are:
� A higher vitamin and mineral content
� Minerals are largely present as biologically active colloids
� An abundance of helpful enzymes and bio-energy or life-force
� Proteins remain in their natural condition instead of being denatured
� The absence of digestive leukocytosis
� Polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol do not become oxidized, and carcinogenic or atherogenic
� Glucose is absorbed more slowly, protecting the blood-sugar regulation
� There is no overweight or obesity on a raw-food diet
� As counted in calories, much less food is required
� Proven cleansing, rejuvenating and anti-cancer propertiesLeukocytosis is an increase of white blood cells in affected organs in response to infection or toxins.
This also occurs when we eat cooked food; the intestinal wall becomes flooded with white blood cells but this does not happen when eating raw food. The higher the food has been heated, the stronger is the leukocytosis and the more toxic is this food for our body.
However, there are also some hidden dangers with a raw-food diet. Some raw food contains enzyme inhibitors, goitrogens (causing goiter), vitamin inhibitors, toxic substances (in some exotic plants), parasites and bacteria.
In addition, some people starting on a raw-food diet will have strong initial reactions due to the cleansing process.There have been cases reported of more or less severe digestive disturbances from eating large quantities of raw soybeans, broad beans, nuts and wheat germ over long periods. This problem is due to inhibitors of protein-digesting enzymes that protect seeds from self-destruction.
Basically all seeds have inhibitors of enzymes for the ingredients of which they are composed but most do not have such a surplus of inhibitors as to cause digestive problems. Other foods such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and egg white also contain inhibitors.To obtain the maximum benefit from a raw-food diet it is necessary to free most of the enzymes from their inhibitors. Cooking destroys the inhibitors but also the enzymes.
The better solution is to sprout the seeds or at least soak them to initiate the germination process and discard the water used for soaking.
Trypsin is the main protein-digesting enzyme of the pancreas and also occurs in seeds. In one reported scientific experiment the trypsin activity during germination of seeds increased from 7.5 units to 60 units after 24 hours, 257 units after two days and 333 units after three days. The inhibitor activity decreased from 100% in dry seeds to zero after 24 hours of germination.
Fermentation with lactic-acid bacteria will also enhance the enzyme activity in seeds. This process is similar to that of making yogurt or sourdough. Even soaking nuts for a day before eating will help greatly. Enzymes also are freed from their inhibitors to a certain degree when tissue is damaged. We see this when grated potatoes turn brown, or mashed raw plants or fruit deteriorate within hours unless refrigerated.
Goitrogens, which are in some raw foods, interfere with the body's use of iodine and therefore may contribute to the formation of goiter or to an underactive thyroid. Goitrogens are mainly found in the cabbage family, also in soybeans and the skins of red-skinned peanuts. Cooking or the addition of kelp may overcome this problem. Nevertheless, with an underactive thyroid, it is better not to eat much of goitogenic food raw.
Thiaminase is an enzyme in raw fish that destroys vitamin B1, but that is not a problem if food is correctly combined. Avidin in raw egg white makes biotin unavailable but this would lead to a deficiency only if a large percentage of the daily diet consisted of raw egg white. Furthermore, egg yolk is very high in biotin so that using whole eggs should not diminish our biotin intake at all.Those who have lived all their lives on conventional food are likely to have a fair amount of metabolic wastes and toxins stored in the body.
This will be released by a raw-food diet and can temporarily overload the organs of elimination to cause skin problems, headaches, weakness and other discomfort. Therefore, it is advisable to move only very gradually towards a raw-food diet or to have short cleansing periods on raw foods while also stimulating the organs of elimination.
The basis of the recommended raw-food diet is fresh vegetable juice as well as sprouted and fermented food. Sprouted seeds may serve as the main part of a vegetable salad. Beetroot is excellent and may be finely grated into the salad together with carrot, turnip, sweet potato or pumpkin. Tomato and grated cucumber may be used for flavoring together with a salad dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and spices. Instead of lemon juice you may use cider vinegar, ascorbic acid or rose-hip powder.
Add lecithin as an emulsifier, shake well in a jar and keep refrigerated. Almonds, nuts and sunflower seeds improve by starting the sprouting process, otherwise eat them soaked and possibly blended or, better still, fermented as nut and seed cheese.
A main objective of this raw food diet is to maximize the intake of unheated fats and oils rich in the fat-digesting enzyme lipase. Lipase deficiency and other disturbances of the fat metabolism appear to be at the heart of most chronic degenerative diseases.
Therefore, make an effort to obtain a wide range of unheated oils and fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, (cold-pressed) fish oils, nut butter and seed cheese, avocado, butter, cream, egg yolk, as well as the fat in raw (minced) meat. Unfortunately, health authorities make it very difficult in many countries to obtain unheated milk products. Also commercial coconut oil (even virgin grade) has commonly been heated.
Therefore, it is best to make your own coconut milk by pressing coconut meat through a juice extractor. Keep all fats and oils refrigerated.
While I do not recommend eating commercial eggs even if well cooked (e.g. to kill Salmonella which is common in factory-farming), eggs definitely should only be ingested raw if they are fresh and free-range or organic.
Swallowing an egg with yolk and white intact can cause indigestion in individuals with a weak digestive system. A raw egg (just like all other fats and oils) is much easier to digest if it is well mixed with other food or drink. Alternatively you may beat the white and then mix the yolk back into it. You can easily detect how fresh an egg is by immersing it in water. If it lies flat on the bottom, it is very fresh. The older it is, the more will the blunt end rise. If it stands on its tip, it is rather old but may still be used; if it floats up it is rotten.
Those with blood group O generally feel better or healthier with flesh food in their diet. You may marinate fish or other seafood and even liver and other meat, best minced (see Recipes). This destroys parasites and makes raw flesh food quite safe to eat. You may also use raw minced meat, suitably flavoured with grated or chopped onion, ginger, tomato or radish, and with some lime or lemon juice, or blend diced chicken or turkey. You may then flavor and drink it as a broth (see Recipes).Use only organic or otherwise safe meat from a reliable source. Never use meat from a feedlot. Also pork is generally not safe.
The safest conventional red meat appears to be lamb. For genuinely free-range, grass-fed beef, bison and ostrich in the U.S. see http://www.mercola.com./ In other countries, such as Australia, you may also ask a butcher to mince for you 1 or more kg of meat from grass-fed beef. As a further precaution you may periodically use a herbal anti-parasite program, and possibly an electronic blood purifier.
I believe that with these precautions raw meat is safe and healthy, while I regard all cooked meat as more or less unhealthy, partly because of its lack of enzymes, and also because of the formation of carcinogenic chemicals when heated above the boiling point. For further ideas on eating meat raw, and links to related sites see http://www.rawpaleodiet.org./
If you have no problems with mucus, such as occasional colds, blocked or running nose, or respiratory problems, you may use fermented goat's milk or raw cows' milk as yogurt, sour milk, cheese or cottage cheese. However, be careful with commercial fermented foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut or marinated fish.
Rice bread or flat bread - preferably made from sprouted rice or otherwise made by just soaking and blending the grains and possibly adding a sourdough starter - is suitable as a staple food. It solidifies to crunchy flat bread at low temperatures, best by exposure to the sun. In addition, sprouted rice may be blended with water or fermented milk and possibly banana as the basis of a meal; see the recipe section for further details.
The most problematic food group is fruit. While meat is 'grounding', fruit is sensitizing.
For insensitive individuals, especially with raised blood pressure, it is beneficial to have plenty of fruit, often instead of a meal. Especially good are acid fruit, such as oranges or pineapple.
Sensitive individuals, however, feel best with either neutralized fruit or only a small amount of sub-acid fruit between meals. Insensitive individuals may use fruit as their main source of energy while those more sensitive may use rice baked at a low temperature and sprouted seeds instead.
Bananas are a good bulk food for most individuals on a raw food diet. Sensitive individuals may eat them in the early stages of ripening or use mainly small or non-sweet varieties. They go well for breakfast as part of the linseed-yogurt recipe.
On this raw-food diet there is no need to be concerned with variety or trying to have different foods for successive meals. A sprout salad contains all the required nutrients for health and healing; most individuals are happy to have the same basic salad for all meals with only minor variations depending on what is available.
The only precondition seems to be that you have largely overcome the addiction to cooked food by learning to make tasty salads. In cold weather you may flavor a fresh vegetable juice with spices, carefully heat to just below 45�C or 120� F and drink as a broth.Most 'raw foodists' will be content to have about 90% of their food raw and be free to have some cooked food when eating out and at parties. Even tahini (ground, roasted sesame seed paste) and kelp powder (commonly used with raw-food diets) are in fact cooked or heated.
Except for food to which you may have been addicted, try to let your body, your intuition or instinct decide your food selection and meal composition. It is obviously much easier for someone of the vegetarian body type to adopt a long-term raw food diet then for someone with a non-vegetarian body type or blood group O.
SLIMMING
The high-quality diet, and even more so the raw-food diet, will normally ensure gradual weight loss for overweight individuals, while at the same time maximizing health improvement. I always put the main emphasis on the health aspects of the diet rather than its slimming potential. As we become healthier, we automatically find the right weight for our constitution. However, no diet will help if your eating problems are emotionally based, you have to heal your emotions first.
Experiment with the following possibilities:Have an appetite-reducing protein-drink 30 minutes before meals with any combination of the following ingredients and in any amount that suits you: spirulina powder, green barley juice powder, food yeast, ground linseed, linseed oil or olive oil. Possibly use this as a warm drink to keep hunger away for hours.30 minutes before meals stir 1 teaspoon of psyllium hulls in a glass of water, drink immediately.
If necessary double the amount to 2 teaspoons in a large glass of water. Psyllium swells up 40-fold to fill the stomach with a soft gel.Eat only brown rice, lentils, green vegetables and sprouted seeds in addition to the above.
For cooking use mainly legumes, non-sweet, non-starchy vegetables and flesh foods, for starches choose high-fiber varieties (e.g., brown rice, rolled oats) and possibly add bran or ground linseed.Adopt a mono-diet: one day eat protein foods only, the next day fruits and the third day sprouted seeds, vegetable salads and vegetable juices. Repeat as often as required.Adopt a cleansing raw-food diet with mainly vegetables and green juice, sprouts and fruits, nuts and oily seeds, possibly raw beaten egg and marinated fish. Sensitive individuals should neutralize fruit acids with dolomite.
For two weeks, eat only protein and fat foods and green vegetables with less than 40 g of carbohydrates per day (ground linseed is the best protein/fat food).Repeated periods on vegetable and grass juices in addition to vegetable salads.Avoid all sweet food; it stimulates the appetite and the synthesis of fat. In particular keep fructose-containing foods away from starches and eat fresh fruit separately.
Avoid all grain products, especially cereals and bread; combined with a diet low in sweet food this is usually the most effective slimming method.Use mainly fresh, unheated linseed oil and coconut oil, these do not put on weight.Preferably skip the evening meal, or have just a small salad, or an apple.Have some light daily exercise, such as a 15-minute brisk walk or jogging or use a rebounder or some other aerobic exercise.
The metabolic rate is speeded up for a long time after exercise. Take 1 or 2 g of L-carnitine before exercising to burn up more fat.Use a low-allergy diet combined with the correct food for your blood group.Use mind therapy, such as guided imagery and affirmation, also look at your belief systems, release negative emotions and express your emotional needs.Eat very slowly, peacefully chew every mouthful until it is liquefied, savor the flavors as they develop during chewing; make every mouthful last about two minutes.
HYPOGLYCEMIA DIET
Most people who are sensitive, overacid, with allergies and a low energy level, are hypoglycemic to some extent, and will benefit from this diet. When a hypoglycemic person eats sweet foods, the blood-sugar level often soars too high at first, but falls to below normal later. During this fall and while the level is below normal, a variety of distressing symptoms may affect the breathing, circulation, digestion or the emotional and mental condition.
When the blood-sugar level rises after sweet food intake, the pancreas reacts by releasing insulin - a hormone that regulates the blood-sugar level. In a hypoglycemic person, the pancreas releases too much insulin, especially in response to ingesting sucrose or a combination of glucose and fructose. The excess of insulin causes glucose to enter the cells too quickly. This then creates oxygen deficiency within the cells and instead of energy, lactic acid is produced in an anaerobic process. All this makes the body tissue overacid and deprives them of minerals and energy.
The mainstays of this diet are
�Gluten-free grains - rice, millet, maize and buckwheat; also sago and tapioca
�High-protein seeds - chickpeas, lentils, fenugreek, peas, beans, almonds and sunflower seeds
�Animal protein - white, red and organ meat, fish, eggs, goats
� cheese
�Sprouted seeds and vegetables, cooked, raw and juiced, avocados, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oilEat grains whole in preference to flour or meal products.
However, coarsely ground grains may be beneficial if eaten raw: immerse them in water or seed milk and let soak overnight. Rye sourdough bread and rye crispbread may be eaten after allergy testing. Free-range raw egg yolk may be used as a salad dressing. Other important additions are spirulina (preferably a teaspoonful before or with each meal), kelp, lecithin, gelatin with vegetables, and fresh green-vegetable juices, especially grass juice or dried grass juice powder and possibly food yeast.
Try coconut oil and freeze-dried liver to increase the energy level.Nuts, may be used but preferably sprouted or made into seed cheese. Eat cooked sweet vegetables only with a protein meal. Raw carrots, on the other hand, are good any time.Reintroduce fruits cautiously and with self-observation. Use any sweet fruits only in the early stages of ripening, before they become too sweet.
This applies, for example, to bananas and papaya, but not to fruit that are sour before ripening. Subacid fruits, such as apples, cause less problems than sweet-acid fruits, such as oranges. Preferably eat fruits only sparingly and as a snack between meals and neutralize any fruit acids. However, under-ripe or non-sweet varieties of bananas may also be suitable as a bulk food.
AVOID:
� Sweet food, initially including all sweet and acid fruit and sweet-vegetable juice
� Food containing lactose, especially milk products, though butter may be used
� Do not use vinegar or other fruit acids except neutralized
� Initially no wheat, later only sparingly after allergy testing
� No smoking, alcohol, drugs, artificial sweeteners, highly processed food or with added chemicals
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Raw Fooders
"No matter from which angle we view health and disease we cannot escape from being entangled in the conclusion that intractable disease is as old as cookery. Disease and cookery originated simultaneously.”
Raw Foodersby June Butlin, Ph.D.‘Raw fooders’ are people who have chosen to return to a natural way of eating and not only avoid processed foods, additives and preservatives, but also cooking. Their belief is that humans are not designed to eat cooked food as they are primarily plant eaters. Their arguments and reasonings come from the beginning of time when fire was unknown, and from religious references advocating natural uncooked foods such as those found in the Bible, the Essene Gospel of Peace and the Bhagavad Gita. More recently, David Wolfe, an authority on raw food nutrition, justifies that raw plant food is truly the most perfect food for human consumption by writing:“The structure and function of humanity’s teeth, jaw, digestive canal, sense organs, instincts of the young, psychological aversion towards killing, emotional feelings towards animals, as well as the cause and cure of disease and unhappiness all demonstrate that humans are biologically raw plant eaters.”1And another authority on raw food, Dr Edward Howell, writes:“No matter from which angle we view health and disease we cannot escape from being entangled in the conclusion that intractable disease is as old as cookery. Disease and cookery originated simultaneously.”2And, if that hasn’t convinced you, we have to remember that our nearest surviving relatives are orang-utans and gorillas who live on fruit and nuts, and have amazing strength, power and stamina!The benefits of eating raw foods are numerous. They provide high levels of natural, essential nutrients such as fibre, essential oils, antimicrobials, plant hormones, bioflavonoids, vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll, which all benefit the human body. Raw food also provides digestive enzymes, saving the body’s own enzyme production for metabolic processes, supplies high levels of antioxidants to fight reactive oxygen species and boost the immune system, and has a high potassium to sodium ratio for optimum cell function and pH balance. These benefits can be physically interpreted as feeling revitalized, looking great, improved concentration, more balanced emotions, natural body weight, increased energy and incredible enthusiasm for life.3 This all sounds brilliant, so let’s explore the practicalities.What Do ‘Raw Fooders’ Eat?They choose from an abundant array of natural foods including fresh fruits, vegetables, salad fruits, leafy greens, herbs and wild greens, sea vegetables, spices, flowers, fungi, small vegetable seeds, dried fruits, cold-pressed oils, algae and sprouted beans, peas, lentils, grains, nuts and seeds. Drinks include fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water. Most ‘raw fooders’ will have store cupboard items including agar flakes, arrowroot powder, psyllium husks, carob powder, vanilla pods, almond butter, miso, nori sheets, olive paste, sea vegetable flakes, sprouted wheat bread, tahini and tamari. For those less than 100% raw food conscious, maple syrup may also be lurking there, but sadly this is not truly ‘raw’; however, the good news is that there will be a bottle of quality, organic wine, which is definitely raw!What Kinds of Food Do They Prepare?They make incredibly wonderful, tasty foods using kitchen tools from as little as a knife, chopping board, fork, bowl and sprouting jar. More sophisticated equipment will include hand blenders, food processors, juicers, dehydrators, fridges and freezers. The dehydrator takes the place of a cooker and operates below 104ºF to create dried apple rings, banana chips, peach slices, tomato rings, cucumber and courgette chips, herb sprinkles and seasonings, bread replacements such as wheat crisps, grain crackers and seed wafers, and a delicious range of sweet treats such as fudge, fruit cookies and biscuits. The freezer is used for making fat-free ice cream from blending bananas with water and ice pops from freezing peeled bananas coated with coconut or carob flour. In general ‘raw fooders’ make soups, juices, smoothies, desserts, dressings, sauces, whips, pâtés, seed cheeses, hummus, nut milks, sweet treats, grated and chopped fruits and vegetables.What is a Typical Daily Raw Food Diet?David Wolfe, an amazingly healthy 100% raw food eater, describes a day’s nutrition as 2 avocados, 30-40 ripe olives and/or 25-30 macadamia nuts, 1 papaya or 1 melon or 20-30 figs, 2 pounds of kale and or wild green food, 4-5 pieces of citrus fruit, apples or another juicy fruit in season, 2-4 ripe hot peppers, and 2-4 strips of dulse seaweed.Will a Raw Food Diet Provide Enough Protein, Iron, Calcium and B12?If the correct quality, quantity and combination of foods are adhered to, and the person’s physiology is functioning well, then the answer is yes. Protein can be adequately supplied by raw plant food and a menu plan of 5 apples, 20 pecans, 25 macadamia nuts, 3 cucumbers, 1 courgette, 2 oranges, plus spinach, romaine lettuce endive, kale and green cabbage, provides 49.2 grams of protein, which falls into the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Iron and calcium are found in many fruits and all green leafy vegetables, and B12 can be made by beneficial bacterial synthesis in the digestive tract.How Do I Change to a Raw Food Diet?The best way is to modify your existing diet slowly by adding more fresh produce and experimenting with different combinations of raw foods so that eventually each meal is based around raw ingredients. Most people can quite happily achieve a 75-80% raw food diet, but more guidance may be needed to achieve a 100% raw food diet that is healthy for you. Advice can be sought from a well-established, qualified, nutritional practitioner and the Fresh Network who provides free information, support and help.4If Raw Food Is So Wonderful Why Doesn’t Everyone Eat It?I think the answer has to be work, social and family pressures, lack of knowledge of how to plan a diet and simply that raw food may not suit your particular, unique, present metabolism. There is another reason too. Cooked food is pleasurable and a quote from my 11-year-old son, David, will probably echo the thoughts of many of you:“Well I like raw food better than cooked food – but I still like my baked potatoes.”References1. Wolfe David. The Sunfood Diet Success System. Maul Brothers Publishing.ISBN 0-9653533-6-2. 2000.2. Howell Edward. Food Enzymes for Health and Longevity. Omangod Press, PO Box 64, Woodstock Valley, Connecticut 06282, USA. 1980.3. Butlin June M. Raw Foods. Positive Health. Issue 46. November 1999.4. Fresh Network. Tel: 0870 800 7070; website: www.fresh-network.com
Raw Foodersby June Butlin, Ph.D.‘Raw fooders’ are people who have chosen to return to a natural way of eating and not only avoid processed foods, additives and preservatives, but also cooking. Their belief is that humans are not designed to eat cooked food as they are primarily plant eaters. Their arguments and reasonings come from the beginning of time when fire was unknown, and from religious references advocating natural uncooked foods such as those found in the Bible, the Essene Gospel of Peace and the Bhagavad Gita. More recently, David Wolfe, an authority on raw food nutrition, justifies that raw plant food is truly the most perfect food for human consumption by writing:“The structure and function of humanity’s teeth, jaw, digestive canal, sense organs, instincts of the young, psychological aversion towards killing, emotional feelings towards animals, as well as the cause and cure of disease and unhappiness all demonstrate that humans are biologically raw plant eaters.”1And another authority on raw food, Dr Edward Howell, writes:“No matter from which angle we view health and disease we cannot escape from being entangled in the conclusion that intractable disease is as old as cookery. Disease and cookery originated simultaneously.”2And, if that hasn’t convinced you, we have to remember that our nearest surviving relatives are orang-utans and gorillas who live on fruit and nuts, and have amazing strength, power and stamina!The benefits of eating raw foods are numerous. They provide high levels of natural, essential nutrients such as fibre, essential oils, antimicrobials, plant hormones, bioflavonoids, vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll, which all benefit the human body. Raw food also provides digestive enzymes, saving the body’s own enzyme production for metabolic processes, supplies high levels of antioxidants to fight reactive oxygen species and boost the immune system, and has a high potassium to sodium ratio for optimum cell function and pH balance. These benefits can be physically interpreted as feeling revitalized, looking great, improved concentration, more balanced emotions, natural body weight, increased energy and incredible enthusiasm for life.3 This all sounds brilliant, so let’s explore the practicalities.What Do ‘Raw Fooders’ Eat?They choose from an abundant array of natural foods including fresh fruits, vegetables, salad fruits, leafy greens, herbs and wild greens, sea vegetables, spices, flowers, fungi, small vegetable seeds, dried fruits, cold-pressed oils, algae and sprouted beans, peas, lentils, grains, nuts and seeds. Drinks include fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water. Most ‘raw fooders’ will have store cupboard items including agar flakes, arrowroot powder, psyllium husks, carob powder, vanilla pods, almond butter, miso, nori sheets, olive paste, sea vegetable flakes, sprouted wheat bread, tahini and tamari. For those less than 100% raw food conscious, maple syrup may also be lurking there, but sadly this is not truly ‘raw’; however, the good news is that there will be a bottle of quality, organic wine, which is definitely raw!What Kinds of Food Do They Prepare?They make incredibly wonderful, tasty foods using kitchen tools from as little as a knife, chopping board, fork, bowl and sprouting jar. More sophisticated equipment will include hand blenders, food processors, juicers, dehydrators, fridges and freezers. The dehydrator takes the place of a cooker and operates below 104ºF to create dried apple rings, banana chips, peach slices, tomato rings, cucumber and courgette chips, herb sprinkles and seasonings, bread replacements such as wheat crisps, grain crackers and seed wafers, and a delicious range of sweet treats such as fudge, fruit cookies and biscuits. The freezer is used for making fat-free ice cream from blending bananas with water and ice pops from freezing peeled bananas coated with coconut or carob flour. In general ‘raw fooders’ make soups, juices, smoothies, desserts, dressings, sauces, whips, pâtés, seed cheeses, hummus, nut milks, sweet treats, grated and chopped fruits and vegetables.What is a Typical Daily Raw Food Diet?David Wolfe, an amazingly healthy 100% raw food eater, describes a day’s nutrition as 2 avocados, 30-40 ripe olives and/or 25-30 macadamia nuts, 1 papaya or 1 melon or 20-30 figs, 2 pounds of kale and or wild green food, 4-5 pieces of citrus fruit, apples or another juicy fruit in season, 2-4 ripe hot peppers, and 2-4 strips of dulse seaweed.Will a Raw Food Diet Provide Enough Protein, Iron, Calcium and B12?If the correct quality, quantity and combination of foods are adhered to, and the person’s physiology is functioning well, then the answer is yes. Protein can be adequately supplied by raw plant food and a menu plan of 5 apples, 20 pecans, 25 macadamia nuts, 3 cucumbers, 1 courgette, 2 oranges, plus spinach, romaine lettuce endive, kale and green cabbage, provides 49.2 grams of protein, which falls into the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Iron and calcium are found in many fruits and all green leafy vegetables, and B12 can be made by beneficial bacterial synthesis in the digestive tract.How Do I Change to a Raw Food Diet?The best way is to modify your existing diet slowly by adding more fresh produce and experimenting with different combinations of raw foods so that eventually each meal is based around raw ingredients. Most people can quite happily achieve a 75-80% raw food diet, but more guidance may be needed to achieve a 100% raw food diet that is healthy for you. Advice can be sought from a well-established, qualified, nutritional practitioner and the Fresh Network who provides free information, support and help.4If Raw Food Is So Wonderful Why Doesn’t Everyone Eat It?I think the answer has to be work, social and family pressures, lack of knowledge of how to plan a diet and simply that raw food may not suit your particular, unique, present metabolism. There is another reason too. Cooked food is pleasurable and a quote from my 11-year-old son, David, will probably echo the thoughts of many of you:“Well I like raw food better than cooked food – but I still like my baked potatoes.”References1. Wolfe David. The Sunfood Diet Success System. Maul Brothers Publishing.ISBN 0-9653533-6-2. 2000.2. Howell Edward. Food Enzymes for Health and Longevity. Omangod Press, PO Box 64, Woodstock Valley, Connecticut 06282, USA. 1980.3. Butlin June M. Raw Foods. Positive Health. Issue 46. November 1999.4. Fresh Network. Tel: 0870 800 7070; website: www.fresh-network.com
Raw or Not?
"I can think of many things that would be considered "raw, but I would NEVER eat it. Such as raw meat and dairy."
Is it Raw or not?
By John Kohler
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, "Is (fill in the product name) raw?" and "Is there a list of raw foods that I can eat? Well I do not know of any such lists, but this article will explain my answer to the above questions.First, I think we need to take a step back, and ask yourself, "Why I am I eating raw?" For most, it is to improve or maximize health.
So the question should first be "Is it healthy or not healthy?" and then secondly, "Is it raw?" I can think of many things that would be considered "raw, but I would NEVER eat it. Such as raw meat and dairy. In my opinion Meat and Dairy are both not healthy to eat. While it is true they do have some benefits, I believe the harm that comes to the body is much greater.
With that aside, I will break it down into many three categories: foods to maximize, foods to include some, and foods to minimize or exclude. The information is based on my research and based on being raw for over half a decade.
I always recommend eating organic whenever possible.On a raw foods diet, you want to maximize your intake of the following raw food:* FRESH FRUITS and FRESH VEGETABLES. - Any fresh fruits or vegetables. The fresher the better. If you can pick the produce yourself, that's the best. The next best would be direct from a farmer or farmers market, next best from a health food store, and last from a "chain store". here is why- once the food is picked, the vitality starts to lessen.
If the produce is refrigerated, the vitality is lessened even further.* FRESH SPROUTS - you can sprout your own seeds yourself, and eat these life-force rich foods while they are still living and growing!Next as a raw foodist you may want to consume some of the following: (concentration should be on FRESH fruits and vegetables)* Nuts and Seeds - Many nuts are raw and go through no heat processing. Always purchase nuts in the shell whenever possible, since once nuts are out of the shell, they start to oxidize, and can go rancid. Some nuts are heat processed in the process of getting the nut out of the shell.
There is an excellent article, "What every raw fooder should know about nuts" in the article section that I suggest you read.* Young Coconuts - Young coconuts are a excellent source of electrolytes, the best purified water and a good source of fat and calcium.* Dried Fruits- did you know that most dried fruits in the natural food store are COOKED?
Yes!! They are. I have spoken with many manufacturers and distributors of dried fruits and even "dried tomatoes" and asked them the temperature at which their product is dried. Usually it is well over 200 degrees. They say this proudly, because its not too feasible to dry products at an acceptable temperature to a raw foodist (around 118 degrees or less) because there would be an inconsistent and "ugly" looking product. So cut down on the dried foods! Usually only "sun dried" foods would be considered "raw" since they are dried by the sun.* Dates - Dates are generally sun dried, if good organic dates are purchased. Many "conventional" dates can be dried and then steamed to make them look "plump" and moist.
The Date People and Flying Disc Ranch are my two favorite sources of dates.* Sea Weeds - Sea weeds such as nori, dulse, Laver, sea lettuce, kombu purchased from a "family" business are usually sundried. Seaweeds from "asia or china" may or may not be sun dried. Sometimes they are roasted, and it may not be mentioned on the package. This should be eaten minimally* Dried vegetables, herbs and spices for flavoring - I have not checked to see if these are in fact considered "raw" or if they have been heat treated in the drying process.
Whenever possible dry your own herbs and spices, and use as sparingly as possible.* Olives - You may want to consume some raw olives. Raw olives are hard to find. The best raw olives are sun dried raw olives, that have not been preserved with salt. Most olives are preserved with salt. Most canned olives are cooked in the canning process.
Most olives are packed in a vinegar or lactic acid brine, which I do not recommend.* Green Powders - I believe a good green food powder can be helpful as long as it is not heat processed, considered "raw" and dried at a low temperature, and do not include toxic additives.
Some examples would be dried wheatgrass, blue green algae, barleygreen, etc.Things to minimize or cut out completely. The items listed below are many times included in a raw food diet. I believe they can be helpful while transitioning to a raw food diet, but have no place in a long term health building raw food diet.* Table salt and celtic sea salt- While table salt is much worse than celtic sea salt, many raw foodists believe that celtic salt is good for them. I believe it is not. This is primarily due to my research on the potassium/sodium balance.
Each cell in our body needs to maintain a ratio of sodium to potassium and in the "standard American diet" has the sodium ratio way too high. I also have ill effects when I eat any salt. I believe we get enough sodium from fruits, vegetables and seaweed. (Use seaweed instead)* Nama Shoyu and Braggs Liquid Aminos - Once again these items show up often in raw food recipes, and many people think them "healthy".
Try drinking a bottle of the stuff, and tell me how you feel. I bet you will feel sick to your stomach! These are highly processed foods that do not occur naturally in nature. (try using seaweed instead)* Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is another ingredient considered as "raw" by many. Based on my research all maple syrup is cooked, so it is not raw.
I have not sucked on a maple tree to determine if FRESH maple syrup is a viable food source at this point. Use fresh dates (which to me taste like maple syrup - there are many different varieties of dates to try!)* Wine - Wine can be raw, but while it may have some health benefits - I say drink FRESH made grape juice instead.
Exclude wine from the raw food diet. Alcohol does kill brain cells.* Apple Cider Vinegar - Vinegar contains acetic acid. Acetic acid is a toxic chemical. If you drink a whole bottle of vinegar, I bet you wont feel too good. Did you know acetic acid is used as a pesticide?* Bottled oils - Many raw foodists include oils in their diet.
I believe this should be minimized for a few reasons. Oil does not occur naturally in nature. Once oil is extracted, it generally goes bad (rancid) very quickly. It is super concentrated and hard for your body to break down. Try drinking a bottle of oil, and tell me how you feel. Probably like you want to sleep - its your body having to work overtime to digest the oil. Yes, even if its cold pressed an organic. Eat the food instead- i.e.: eat olives instead of olive oil. Eat coconuts instead of coconut oil. Eat ground flax seeds instead of flax oil.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawornot.html
Is it Raw or not?
By John Kohler
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, "Is (fill in the product name) raw?" and "Is there a list of raw foods that I can eat? Well I do not know of any such lists, but this article will explain my answer to the above questions.First, I think we need to take a step back, and ask yourself, "Why I am I eating raw?" For most, it is to improve or maximize health.
So the question should first be "Is it healthy or not healthy?" and then secondly, "Is it raw?" I can think of many things that would be considered "raw, but I would NEVER eat it. Such as raw meat and dairy. In my opinion Meat and Dairy are both not healthy to eat. While it is true they do have some benefits, I believe the harm that comes to the body is much greater.
With that aside, I will break it down into many three categories: foods to maximize, foods to include some, and foods to minimize or exclude. The information is based on my research and based on being raw for over half a decade.
I always recommend eating organic whenever possible.On a raw foods diet, you want to maximize your intake of the following raw food:* FRESH FRUITS and FRESH VEGETABLES. - Any fresh fruits or vegetables. The fresher the better. If you can pick the produce yourself, that's the best. The next best would be direct from a farmer or farmers market, next best from a health food store, and last from a "chain store". here is why- once the food is picked, the vitality starts to lessen.
If the produce is refrigerated, the vitality is lessened even further.* FRESH SPROUTS - you can sprout your own seeds yourself, and eat these life-force rich foods while they are still living and growing!Next as a raw foodist you may want to consume some of the following: (concentration should be on FRESH fruits and vegetables)* Nuts and Seeds - Many nuts are raw and go through no heat processing. Always purchase nuts in the shell whenever possible, since once nuts are out of the shell, they start to oxidize, and can go rancid. Some nuts are heat processed in the process of getting the nut out of the shell.
There is an excellent article, "What every raw fooder should know about nuts" in the article section that I suggest you read.* Young Coconuts - Young coconuts are a excellent source of electrolytes, the best purified water and a good source of fat and calcium.* Dried Fruits- did you know that most dried fruits in the natural food store are COOKED?
Yes!! They are. I have spoken with many manufacturers and distributors of dried fruits and even "dried tomatoes" and asked them the temperature at which their product is dried. Usually it is well over 200 degrees. They say this proudly, because its not too feasible to dry products at an acceptable temperature to a raw foodist (around 118 degrees or less) because there would be an inconsistent and "ugly" looking product. So cut down on the dried foods! Usually only "sun dried" foods would be considered "raw" since they are dried by the sun.* Dates - Dates are generally sun dried, if good organic dates are purchased. Many "conventional" dates can be dried and then steamed to make them look "plump" and moist.
The Date People and Flying Disc Ranch are my two favorite sources of dates.* Sea Weeds - Sea weeds such as nori, dulse, Laver, sea lettuce, kombu purchased from a "family" business are usually sundried. Seaweeds from "asia or china" may or may not be sun dried. Sometimes they are roasted, and it may not be mentioned on the package. This should be eaten minimally* Dried vegetables, herbs and spices for flavoring - I have not checked to see if these are in fact considered "raw" or if they have been heat treated in the drying process.
Whenever possible dry your own herbs and spices, and use as sparingly as possible.* Olives - You may want to consume some raw olives. Raw olives are hard to find. The best raw olives are sun dried raw olives, that have not been preserved with salt. Most olives are preserved with salt. Most canned olives are cooked in the canning process.
Most olives are packed in a vinegar or lactic acid brine, which I do not recommend.* Green Powders - I believe a good green food powder can be helpful as long as it is not heat processed, considered "raw" and dried at a low temperature, and do not include toxic additives.
Some examples would be dried wheatgrass, blue green algae, barleygreen, etc.Things to minimize or cut out completely. The items listed below are many times included in a raw food diet. I believe they can be helpful while transitioning to a raw food diet, but have no place in a long term health building raw food diet.* Table salt and celtic sea salt- While table salt is much worse than celtic sea salt, many raw foodists believe that celtic salt is good for them. I believe it is not. This is primarily due to my research on the potassium/sodium balance.
Each cell in our body needs to maintain a ratio of sodium to potassium and in the "standard American diet" has the sodium ratio way too high. I also have ill effects when I eat any salt. I believe we get enough sodium from fruits, vegetables and seaweed. (Use seaweed instead)* Nama Shoyu and Braggs Liquid Aminos - Once again these items show up often in raw food recipes, and many people think them "healthy".
Try drinking a bottle of the stuff, and tell me how you feel. I bet you will feel sick to your stomach! These are highly processed foods that do not occur naturally in nature. (try using seaweed instead)* Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is another ingredient considered as "raw" by many. Based on my research all maple syrup is cooked, so it is not raw.
I have not sucked on a maple tree to determine if FRESH maple syrup is a viable food source at this point. Use fresh dates (which to me taste like maple syrup - there are many different varieties of dates to try!)* Wine - Wine can be raw, but while it may have some health benefits - I say drink FRESH made grape juice instead.
Exclude wine from the raw food diet. Alcohol does kill brain cells.* Apple Cider Vinegar - Vinegar contains acetic acid. Acetic acid is a toxic chemical. If you drink a whole bottle of vinegar, I bet you wont feel too good. Did you know acetic acid is used as a pesticide?* Bottled oils - Many raw foodists include oils in their diet.
I believe this should be minimized for a few reasons. Oil does not occur naturally in nature. Once oil is extracted, it generally goes bad (rancid) very quickly. It is super concentrated and hard for your body to break down. Try drinking a bottle of oil, and tell me how you feel. Probably like you want to sleep - its your body having to work overtime to digest the oil. Yes, even if its cold pressed an organic. Eat the food instead- i.e.: eat olives instead of olive oil. Eat coconuts instead of coconut oil. Eat ground flax seeds instead of flax oil.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawornot.html
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