livin' raw...

The Quintessence of Natural Living is that which provides physical health, mental and emotional poise and spiritual integrity to the human organism to suffuse it with joy and happiness.

Natural Hygiene is the art and science of living in such a way that it provides all these qualities abundantly.

"Natural Hygienists believe that, Knowledge is proud that he has learnt so much, Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.".

The primordial needs of the human individual to supply vigour and dynamic health and longevity are as follows:

1. Pure Air (unpolluted, without fumes, smog, etc.)
   
2. Pure water (unpolluted by man's chemicals)
   
3. Wholesome food grown on unpolluted soil to which mankind is biologically suited to as a frugivore, i.e.
   The natural diet of man is basically a total vegetarian diet. Man is not a flesh eating animal according to comparative anatomy and physiology, although he has over centuries adapted himself to eat flesh foods.
   Biologically being in the same class as the primates and the big apes like gorillas. Ideally man should eschew all flesh foods at least. If dairy products and eggs are taken they should not be more than 1-2% of the total diet.
   Those who are not able to partake of a total raw diet of fresh fruits, fresh raw vegetables, nuts and seeds should see that at least 70-85% of their total diet is composed of raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds or other protein food 10% and the remaining percentage as complex carbohydrates composed of cooked whole grains and their products, steamed green vegetables and finally some steamed starchy vegetables as potatoes, yams, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, turnips etc.
   
4. Sunshine
   
5. Physical activity and exercise
   
6. Rest and sleep
   
7. Relaxation and creative activity to express his creative instincts.
   
8. Mental and emotional poise with which to meet the stresses and grains of life.
   
9. The ability to express love and receive love essential for his spiritual growth and reproductive instincts.
   
10. Faith in mother-nature and the life-force which has shaped his environment to augment his own self-esteem.
    
11. The need to express humour and laughter, tears of joy and tears of sadness.
    

"Either mankind stops, looks and listens to his inner voice and conscious awareness or he will end up in a headlong rush - namely his own destruction.".

Over the years mankind has instinctively abided by these precepts to go on evolving as a Homo-Sapiens for over 40,000 years.
However in last few centuries mankind has gradually moved away from his instinctive natural living habits and succumbed to the vagories of the machine orientated technological age whereby he is over the verge of annihilating himself and becoming as much extinct as the plants and animals he has already made extinct by his unnatural behaviour of destroying the very hand that sustains his life - namely his environment.

Either mankind stops, looks and listens to his inner voice and conscious awareness or he will end up in a headlong rush - namely his own destruction. That this is the trend, is observed in the rapid rise in sickness and diseases, in crime and violence, in injustices and cruelty, in greed and possessiveness on one hand and despicable poverty and suffering on the other, and last but not the least, with no foresight and formulation as to the direction we must take, not only to avoid the inevitable end but to reverse the present trend so that our immediate future generations have something to look foreword to instead of disaster.

To that end, i.e. the reversing our foot-steps to that natural life-style that the art of Natural Hygiene is dedicated to. Healing, all healing is a biological process, but Natural Hygiene is the art by which we can enhance the life force in its attempt to cleanse and heal the gaping wounds we have inflicted, not only on our physical, mental and emotional bodies, but on our planet mother-earth.

"...in Natural Living, unless we look at the problem with the heart and not just with the head, we will end up in the same mess as the so called scientist and technologist have led us into".

Over the years I have written extensively on the various facets of Natural Hygiene, trying to formulate and make clear in my own mind the only way that is open to us. My field has always been the philosophical and psychological means whereby each individual tries to meet his primordial physical needs as well as emotional needs.
I am of the opinion that in Natural Living, unless we look at the problem with the heart and not just with the head, we will end up in the same mess as the so called scientist and technologist have led us into. That does not mean to say one is superior to the other, but to me the human organism is a Holy Trinity: mind, body and spirit, and that the heart and the head must walk hand in hand as bride and groom on the path of one's salvation.

Source: http://drsidhwa.com/

Basics of Sprouting

1. Obtain seed for sprouting. Store in bug-proof containers, away from extreme heat/cold. Seed should be viable, and, to extent possible, free of chemicals.
2. Basic steps in sprouting are:
* measure out appropriate amount of seed, visually inspect and remove stones, sticks, weed seed, broken seeds, etc.
* rinse seed (if seed is small and clean, can usually skip this rinse)
* soak seed in water for appropriate time
* rinse soaked seed, put in sprouting environment for appropriate time
* service seeds (rinse) in sprouting environment as needed
* when ready, rinse seeds. Store in refrigerator, in sprouting environment or in other suitable container until ready to use. If not used within 12 hours, seeds should be serviced (rinsed) every 24 hours in refrigerator. Best to eat as soon as possible, as freshness is what makes sprouts special!

Jars and Cloth: Two Suggested Sprouting Methods
Jars: use wide-mouth, glass canning jars, available at many hardware stores. You will need screen lids - cut pieces of different (plastic) mesh screens, or buy some of the special plastic screen lids designed for sprouting. Sprouting in jars is quite easy: simply put seed in jar, add soak water, put lid on. When soak is over, invert jar and drain water, then rinse again. Then prop jar up at 45 degree angle for water to drain. Keep out of direct sunlight. Rinse seed in jar 2-3 times per day until ready, always keeping it angled for drainage.

Cloth: soak seed in flat-bottom containers, in shallow water. When soak done, empty seed into strainer and rinse. Then take flat-bottom bowl or saucer, line bottom with wet 100% cotton washcloth, spread seed on wet cloth. Then take 2nd wet cloth and put on top of seed, or, if bottom washcloth is big enough, fold over wet seeds. Can add additional water to washcloths 12 hours later by a) sprinkling on top, or b) if very dry, remove seed from cloth, rinse, re-wet cloth, put seed back between wet cloths. Cloths used should be 100% cotton (terrycloth) or linen, used exclusively for sprouting, and of light colors. Cheap cotton washcloths (and cheap plastic bowls) work well and will last a long time.

Comparison: Jar vs. Cloth Methods
Jar method is more versatile; can grow greens in the jar (e.g., 6-8 day old alfalfa greens), and the jar is less likely to mold than cloth for sprouts that require more than 2 days. However, the jar method needs a convenient drainage system (otherwise mold can develop). The cloth method can withstand some direct sunlight (direct sunlight in early stages of sprouting can cook the seed in jars), and needs no drainage system. The methods require roughly the same time, though 2nd service of cloth is very fast. Almonds, buckwheat give better results in cloth.

Other Methods of Sprouting:

* Plastic tube - variation on jar method; opens at both ends - easier to remove long sprouts like greens from tube than from jar.
* Sprouting bags - cotton or linen; also plastic mesh. Soak seed in bag in water, then hang up inside plastic bag (forms a little greenhouse).
* Trays: very good for growing greens. Might need drainage system.
* Clay saucer: used for mucilaginous seeds like flax, psyllium, etc.
* Commercial sprouters: wide variety available. Often fairly expensive; most don't work as well as cloth/jar methods!

What is the best time/length to eat sprouts?
Ultimately you will answer this question by experimenting - growing sprouts and eating them at different ages/lengths. My preference is to eat sprouts (except almonds, pumpkin seeds) when the growing root is, on average, the length of the soaked seed. Almonds and pumpkin seeds are discussed below.

A note on times: the sprouting times given below are based on cloth and/or jar method, and reflect an average time. The soaking times can be increased or decreased somewhat (except for buckwheat), with little or limited impact on the results. If you are using a different method, especially one of the commercial sprouting units, the times here will not apply and you will have to monitor your sprouts to decide when they are ready.

Grains and Similar Seeds

* Amaranth: Soak 2-4 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth. Very tiny seeds, likely to flow through screen in jar method; line strainer with sprouting cloth to retain seeds. Sprout can be very bitter. Might be able to grow as greens, if you can get appropriate variety of amaranth.
* Barley: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.25-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Use only unhulled barley; "whole" hulled barley and pearled barley won't sprout. Chewy, somewhat bland sprout. Hulls are tough; people with stomach or intestinal ulcers might find hulls irritating. Can be used for grass also.
* Buckwheat: Soak 15-20 minutes only; sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth. Use hulled, *raw* buckwheat groats. Kasha is usually toasted, won't sprout. Raw buckwheat is white/green to light brown; toasted buckwheat is medium brown. Unhulled buckwheat (black hulls) are for greens, not general sprouting. Don't soak longer than 20 minutes as it spoils readily. Monitor moistness, rinse or change cloths every 12 hours to avoid spoilage. Good sprout, mild flavor. Sprouts much faster in warm/hot weather.
* Corn group:
o Field corn: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 2.0+ days. Method: jar or cloth.
o Popcorn: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.5+ days. Method: jar or cloth. Blue mold can be a problem, esp. with field corn. Sweet corn seeds (if you can find them) will sprout also. Field corn sprouts, if long enough, are tender but bland/starchy tasting. Popcorn sprouts are very sweet, but the hull doesn't soften much in sprouting - very hard to eat. Not worth the trouble; suggest eating raw sweet corn (including raw corn silk, which is delicious) instead.
* Millet: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Hulled millet - most seeds will sprout, but some ferment, producing very sharp taste. Unhulled millet best sprouter, but hull is very crunchy and sprout is rather bland. Best used in recipes.
* Oats: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.25-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Must use unhulled oats; so-called "whole oats" or oat groats won't sprout. Good sprout, mild flavor similar to milk. Thick hull makes it difficult to eat; best used in recipes (see sprout milk recipe). Can grow as grass also.
* Quinoa: Soak 2-4 hours, sprout 12 hours. Method: cloth or jar. Very fast sprouter. Must rinse seeds multiple times to get off soapy tasting saponin in seed coat. Very fast sprouter; can grow as greens. Strong flavor that many find unpleasant. Small seed, line strainer with cloth. White and black quinoa are available.
* Rice: Soak 12-18 hours, sprout 1.0+ days. Method: cloth or jar. Only brown, unprocessed rice will sprout. White rice, wild rice are dead and won't sprout. Standard long grain rice doesn't sprout. Short, medium grain brown rice, also brown basmati (but not Texmati) rice will sprout. Before root appears, rice can be eaten but difficult: bland, chewy, *very* filling. Once root appears, rice sprout is very bitter. The only rice I suggest sprouting is: Lundberg Farms "Wehani" rice, a specialty rice (sprout 1.5 days). It is least bitter - less bitter than fenugreek - of possible use in recipes.
* Wheat/rye group:
o Rye: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Nice sprout - good flavor. Rye harvested immature or handled improperly can have strong, unpleasant flavored. If it molds, discard (ergot mold possible).
o Triticale is a cross between rye and wheat; used to be available from Arrowhead Mills, but haven't seen it in market for some years.
o Wheat, including Kamut and Spelt: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Hard Winter wheat better than soft Spring wheat. Wheat can get excessively sweet at 2+ days of sprouting. Spelt has nice texture, but spelt and kamut are more expensive than ordinary wheat. Wheat, rye, kamut, spelt, triticale can be used for grass also.

Other Seeds

* Almonds: Soak 10-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth Use only unblanched almonds. Sprout+storage time should not exceed 2 days or sprouts may turn rancid. Best to peel sprouts before eating (peeled have incredible flavor). Peeling is tedious, reduced by blanching in warm water (15-30 seconds in hot water from faucet). One of the very best sprouts!
* Cabbage, Kale: Soak 6-14 hours, sprout 1+ days. Method: cloth or jar. Very strong flavor, best used as flavoring in mixtures. Can also be grown into greens. Seeds relatively expensive.
* Fenugreek: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs or more. Method: cloth or jar. Slightly bitter, best used as flavoring additive in mixtures. Hindi name: methi. According to "The Yoga of Herbs" by Lad/Frawley, fenugreek sprouts are good digestive aid and good for the liver. Hard seeds are common in fenugreek.
* Mucilaginous seeds: flax, psyllium, chia These can be sprouted as flavoring additive in mixtures (alfalfa, clover, or mustard); to sprout alone requires special clay saucer method. Sprouts are not so good tasting, not worth the trouble for most people.
* Mustard: Soak 6-14 hours, sprout 1.0+ days. Method: cloth, jar, or tray. Good flavoring additive for other sprouts. Available in 3 forms: black, brown, yellow. Brown seeds are smaller and harder to handle in mixtures; yellow or black recommended for mixtures. Can grow as greens also.
* Pumpkin: Soak 8-14 hours; sprout (if you must) 1.0 day. True sprouting by pumpkin seeds (developing root) is quite rare. Bacterial spoilage and rancidity are problems when you try to sprout them. Best to simply soak them, then eat. Pumpkin seeds as sold in the market are not hulled - the variety grown has no hulls on its seeds.
* Radish: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0+ days. Method: cloth, jar or tray. Very hot flavor! Use sparingly in mixtures as flavoring agent. Can be used for (hot!) greens also.
* Sesame: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Must use unhulled sesame seeds for sprouting; hulled seeds can be soaked to improve flavor and digestibility. A black sesame seed (considered superior to white seed in Ayurveda) is available; haven't found it in unhulled form. Sprout+storage time should not exceed 1.5 days; sprouts continue to grow in refrigerator and start to get bitter at 2.0 day mark, and can be very bitter by 2.5 days. A small bowl of sesame sprouts, with a bit of raw honey on them, is very nice.
* Sunflower: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hours. Method: cloth or jar. Use hulled sunflower; unhulled are for sunflower greens only. Need to skim off seed skins at end of soak period, when rinsing. If you leave them in, they will spoil and your sprouts will spoil quickly. Has a nice, earthy flavor; very popular.

Legumes

* Alfalfa, Clover:
For greens: soak 4-6 hours, sprout 6-8 days. Method: tray or jar.
For use when short: soak 4-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: jar or cloth.
Alfalfa and clover are most commonly grown as greens. A good non-traditional use for them is as flavoring additive in mixtures, for ex: lentil, alfalfa, radish is nice (alfalfa counteracts "heat" of radish). Alkaloid levels can be very high in alfalfa. Need alfalfa seed with very high germination rate (over 90%) to successfully grow greens in jar - else unsprouted seeds will decay and spoil greens.
* Garbanzo group:
o Garbanzos, standard: Soak 12-18 hours, sprout 1.5+ days. Method: cloth or jar.
o Kala channa: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar.
o Green channa: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth or jar. Garbanzos, also know as chick peas or ceci, are common in commercial mixtures. They sprout easily but they also spoil easily (bacteria or mold). Kala channa is a miniature garbanzo, sold in (East) Indian food stores, that sprouts reliably - try sprouting it instead of standard garbanzos. Green channa is similar, naturally green, and sprouts very quickly. Green channa has stronger flavor; best to eat with turmeric or ginger.
* Large beans: Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, Soy, etc. Except for soy, these are irrelevant to the sprouter - raw flavor is truly horrible. Also, serious toxicity/allergy/digestibility issues with these raw beans. Except for soy (edible raw if grown long enough), these beans must be cooked to be digestible, hence are not of interest to the raw-fooder.
* Lentils, brown/green and red. Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth or jar. The brown/green lentils come in a variety of sizes; the smallest sizes generally sprout faster than the larger. Red lentils are usually sold in split "dahl" form; for sprouting you must buy whole red lentils. Red lentils are red inside and brown outside; their Hindi name is masoor (brown masoor). Lentil sprouts have a spicy flavor and are very popular. Might find hard seeds in lentils from India.
* Mung bean group:
o Mung beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs - 1 day. Method: cloth or jar.
o Urid/urad: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs - 1 day. Method: cloth or jar.
o Adzuki beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth or jar.
o Moth beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 12 -18 hrs. Method: cloth or jar. Urid (also spelled urad) is a black shelled mung bean, available in Indian stores. Stronger flavor than regular mung. Hard seeds common in mung and urid. Moth is a brownish bean, similar to mung, available in Indian stores. Very fast, reliable sprouter, with mild flavor - similar to mung. Discard "floaters" when sprouting moth. P.S. there is a mung bean that is yellow inside, in Indian stores, but so far have only found split (dahl) form.
* Peanuts: Soak 12-14 hours, sprout 1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Must use unblanched peanuts; recommend removing skins to improve digestibility. Spanish variety peanuts have loose skin, can remove most before soaking. Other peanuts - soak 1-2 hours then peel off skins, return to soaking in new, clean water. With peanut peeled you will probably observe high incidence of (bright) yellow mold - possible aflatoxin.
* Peas, Blackeye: Soak 12-14 hours, sprout 1 day. Method: cloth or jar. Flavor is too strong to be eaten alone. Makes good flavoring additive for mixtures, if used sparingly.
* Peas, (Field): Soak 12-14 hours, sprout 1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Be sure to buy whole peas, not split peas (split won't sprout). Yellow peas are slower to sprout, and have stronger flavor than green peas. Flavor too strong when raw for many people. Insect problems common with peas in storage (beetle infestation); store in bug-proof containers. Can be grown as greens also.

Note: if purchasing kala channa, green channa, urid/urad, red lentils, etc. from Indian store, be sure to obtain the whole seeds, and not the split (dahl) or oiled form of the seeds.

Some Sprouting Seed Mixtures of Interest:

1. mung/adzuki, fenugreek
2. mung/adzuki, urid, dill seed
3. lentils, blackeye peas, alfalfa, radish
4. sunflower seed, moth, fenugreek
5. alfalfa/clover, radish/mustard (for greens)

Experiment and develop your own favorite mixtures!

Soak Instead of Sprouting:

* Herb seeds: fennel, celery, caraway, cardamom, poppy, etc.
* Filberts: soak 12 hours; makes crisper, improves flavor.
* Pecans: soak 8 hours; long soaks can make mushy.
* Walnuts: soak 12 hours; flavor changes - you might like or dislike.
* High fat nuts (brazil nuts, macadamias) may benefit some from soaking, but difference (soaked vs. unsoaked) is small.

Staple Foods for Sprouting:

1. (first tier) wheat, almonds, sunflower, sesame, mung/adzuki, rye
2. (2nd tier, obstacles) oats, barley, buckwheat, rice, lentils*, other legumes*
3. (flavoring) fenugreek, mustard, radish, kale, cabbage * see question on legumes below

Easy for Beginners:

wheat, sunflower, almonds, lentil, mung

Indoor Gardening (grown indoors, in soil):

* Grasses: wheat, barley, oats, rye, kamut, spelt, triticale, and others.
* Vegetables: amaranth, mustard/mizuna, fennel, kale, cabbage, etc.
* Legumes: peas, snow peas
* Other greens: buckwheat, sunflower

What are hard seeds?
Seeds that are hard, like rocks, and they stay that way during soaking and sprouting. Hard seeds are a sort of natural insurance in the sense that if planted in soil they will eventually sprout - late in the season or next season. Hard seeds may be a threat to certain types of dental work, esp. porcelain crowns (porcelain on gold crowns are stronger and hard seeds are less risk; metal crowns are stronger than natural enamel). To minimize hard seeds, suggest you soak seeds as in the cloth method: in shallow water, in a large container with a flat bottom. Then at the end of the soak stage, you can visually inspect the soaked seeds and remove those that are still hard. This technique is not 100% foolproof, but if done carefully, will substantially reduce the number of hard seeds. The method will work with any seed, but fenugreek seeds are so small that picking out the hard ones is quite difficult.

Anything wrong with sprouted legumes?
If you can digest them without the production of a lot of gas (flatulence), there's nothing wrong with them. Legumes are very high in protein, hard to digest, and cause gas for many people. Gabriel Cousens (Conscious Eating, pgs. 70, 372, 490) recommends that consumption of sprouted legumes (except alfalfa, next question) be minimized. Ann Wigmore (Rebuild Your Health, pg. 73) tells us that flatulence gas is toxic and harms your entire system. From an Ayurvedic viewpoint, legumes aggravate the vata dosha; individuals with vata body type or a vata disorder should minimize legumes. Ayurveda suggests eating turmeric or ginger with proteins (legume sprouts) as a digestive aid. A number of other herbs/spices can serve as digestive aids and/or counteract the vata effect of legumes. Among legumes, mung and adzuki beans are considered easiest to digest.

What about toxins in alfalfa sprouts?
Alfalfa sprouts contain saponins, a class of alkaloids (7.93% on dry weight basis, sprouts from commercial sources) and L-canavanine sulfate, an amino acid analog. Saponin levels are at their maximum when sprouts are 6-8 days old (most common time for eating); L-canavanine sulfate is present in the seed and decreases as the sprout grows. The issue of whether these factors are significant is subject to debate.
o Livingston et al. (Nutritional and Toxicological Aspects of Food Safety, pgs. 253-268), citing research by Malinow, report negative health effects in animals and humans from consumption of alfalfa sprouts. They believe that consuming large amounts of alfalfa sprouts is risky.
o Cousens (Conscious Eating, pg. 372) , citing relevant client cases, reports no harmful effects from consumption of moderate amounts of raw alfalfa sprouts.
o Readers are encouraged to check the above references and decide for themselves on this issue. An alternate, experimental approach is to hold your diet constant for a few days, then add alfalfa sprouts to your diet, and observe the effects (if any) of the alfalfa - that is, listen to your body.

Don't Sprout: Sorghum (potentially toxic levels of cyanide in seed coat)

Oat Sprout Milk - Special Version
The following makes around 3 cups of delicious oat/almond milk.

Start with: a little more than 1/4 cup dry sprouting oats, and, optionally, 1/8 cup Lundberg Farms Wehani rice. Soak 12 hours, then sprout for 1.5 days. Separately, soak 15-20 almonds for 12 hours, then sprout for 1.0 days (should be ready about same time as oat sprouts).

Rinse oat(/rice) sprouts, put in blender with 2 cups good quality water, blend. Best to add 1 cup water, blend on medium for 30 seconds or so, then add second cup of water and blend on high for another 30-45 seconds. Now strain the blended liquid through a steel mesh strainer and/or cheesecloth (or similar).Discard hull pulp, rinse blender clean, put base milk back in blender. **

Peel the sprouted almonds (might blanch first with warm water), rinse, put almonds in blender. Add 1 tablespoon of raw honey (or other sweetener, optional) to blender. Now add flavoring, one of: vanilla bean (about 1/2 inch or so), cardamom seed (decorticated or powder, 1/4 tsp), or cinnamon (1 rounded tsp). Run blender on medium speed for a few seconds to mix/grind, then turn down to low speed and let blender run for 5+ minutes to homogenize. (The almonds are not strained out but retained in the milk for full flavor and nutrition.)

Note that the recipe up to ** is the basic milk recipe; can use recipe, substituting other types of grains, seeds, or nuts for the rice, to yield other types of oat sprout milk. Sprouting/soaking details will vary with grain, seed, or nut used in place of the rice.

Today on G Living Live, we introduce a good friend, Founder of WeLikeItRaw.com, Dhrumil Purohit. Dhrumil and his friend Gabe Anderson talk about what inspired them to create the daily raw food lifestyle blog, welikeitraw.com. Plus how the site is designed for the hipper, and not hippy side of raw living and how inspiring Sarma Melngailis post are for their readers.


Also on the show today we are once again we have co-host Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman and our very own Marie Westbrook.

What is we like it raw all about? We Like It Raw is more than a commentary on the world of Raw Foods. It’s a community for those who love life, good company, and great food. Check out the site at welikeitraw.com

This dish is more like a tropical fruit salad with simple syrup infused with lemongrass and ginger poured over it. When we shot this segment for G Living, none of the fruit that I wanted to use was available in the store! It just goes to show that you have to be creative and use what is available. So, if you can't find any of the fruit listed in the recipe, substitute with whatever you like.

A Special Show with GreenChef Vaness Sherwood on G Living’s GreenChefs. Vanessa makes a special dessert dish she experienced in Vietnam. But Vanessa’s version is completely raw and organic.

The Mekong Delta was the highlight of my trip to Vietnam. Lush tropical fruit orchards, the floating markets, and all kinds of food- some recognizable, and some just downright scary.

Normally it is not a good idea to eat street food, but it was hard to resist this particular treat. A typical dessert from the region- bananas with sticky rice, grilled and topped with a thick pure coconut custard- it sent me swooning. As a crowd gathered round the elderly street vendor hardened by the blazing sun and heat, all I could think of was how I would recreate this masterpiece at home

G Living LIVE |Show 0022 | Deliciously Raw Leslie Makes a Chocolate Milk

David Wolfe discusses intention and goals as they apply to diet and life.

David Wolfe discusses food, communication, and relationships as they apply to improving ourselves and the world.

David Wolfe explains how your personal mission and values will help guide you to success in diet, health, and life.

21 bons motivos para ser vegetariano - Dr. Vernon Coleman

1- Evitar carne é um dos melhores e mais simples caminhos para cortar a ingestão de gorduras.

A criação moderna de animais provoca artificialmente a engorda para obter mais lucros. Ingerir gordura animal aumenta suas chances de ter um ataque cardíaco ou desenvolver câncer.

2- A cada minuto todos os dias da semana, milhares de animais são assassinados em abatedouros. Muitos sangram vivos até morrer. Dor e sofrimento são comuns. Só nos EUA, 500.000 (meio milhão) de animais são mortos a cada hora!

3- Há milhões de casos de envenenamento por comida, relatados a cada ano. A vasta maioria é causada pela ingestão de carne.

4- A carne não contém absolutamente nada de proteínas, vitaminas ou minerais que o corpo humano não possa obter perfeitamente de uma dieta vegetariana.

5- Os países africanos - onde milhões morrem de fome - exportam grãos para o primeiro mundo para engordar animais que vão parar na mesa de jantar das nações ricas.

6- "Carne" pode incluir rabo, cabeça, pés, reto e a coluna vertebral de um animal.

7- Uma salsicha pode conter pedaços de intestino. Como alguém pode estar certo que os intestinos estavam vazios quando utilizados? Você realmente quer comer o conteúdo do intestino de um porco?

8- Se comêssemos as plantas que cultivamos ao invés de alimentar animais para corte, o déficit mundial de alimentos desapareceria da noite para o dia. Lembre-se que 40,47 hectares de terra produzem carne suficiente para 20 pessoas, grãos suficientes para alimentar 240 pessoas!

9- Todos os dias dezenas de milhões de pintinhos de apenas 1 dia de vida são mortos apenas por que não podem botar ovos. Não há regras para determinar como ocorre a matança. Alguns são moídos vivos ou sufocados até a morte. Muitos são utilizados como fertilizantes ou como ração para alimentar outros animais.

10- Os animais que morrem para a sua mesa de jantar morrem sozinhos, em pânico e terror, em profunda depressão e em meio a grande dor. A matança é impiedosa e desumana.

11- É muito mais fácil ser e manter-se elegante quando se é vegetariano.

12- Metade das florestas tropicais do mundo foi destruída para fazer pasto para criar gado para fazer hambúrguer. Cerca de 1000 espécies são extintas por ano devido à destruição das florestas tropicais.

13- A cada 6 segundos alguém morre de fome por que pessoas no Ocidente estão comendo carne. Cerca de 60 milhões de pessoas morrem de fome por ano. Todas essas vidas poderiam ser salvas, porque estas pessoas poderiam estar comendo os grãos usados para alimentar animais de corte se só os norte-americanos comessem 10% a menos de carne.

14- As reservas de água fresca do mundo estão sendo contaminadas pela criação de gado de corte.

E os produtores de carne são os maiores poluidores das águas. Se a indústria de carne no EUA não fosse subsidiada em seu enorme consumo de água pelo governo, algumas gramas de hambúrguer custariam US$ 35.

15- Se você come carne, está consumindo hormônios que foram administrados aos animais. Ninguém sabe os efeitos que estes hormônios causam à saúde. Em alguns testes, um em cada 4 hambúrgueres contém hormônios de crescimento originalmente administrados ao gado.

16- As seguintes doenças são comuns em comedores de carne: anemias, apendicite, artrite, câncer de mama, câncer de cólon, câncer de próstata, prisão de ventre, diabetes, pedras na vesícula, gota, pressão alta, indigestão, obesidade, varizes. Vegetarianos há longo tempo visitam hospitais 22% menos que carnívoros e por pouco tempo. Vegetarianos têm 20% menos colesterol que carnívoros e isso reduz consideravelmente ataques cardíacos e câncer.

17- Alguns produtores usam calmantes para manter os animais calmos. Usam antibióticos para evitar ou combater infecções. Quando você come carne, está ingerindo estas drogas. Na América do Norte 55% de todos os antibióticos são dados a animais de corte, e a porcentagem de infecções por bactérias resistentes a penicilina avançou de 13% em 1960 para 91% em 1998.

18- Num período de vida um comedor de carne médio terá consumido 36 porcos, 36 ovelhas e 750 galinhas e perus. Você deseja tanta carnificina em sua consciência?

19- Os animais sofrem dor e medo como nós. Passam as últimas horas de sua vida trancados em um caminhão, encerrados com centenas de outros animais, igualmente apavorados, e depois são empurrados para um corredor da morte ensopado de sangue. Quem come carne sustenta o modo como os animais são tratados.

20- Animais com um ano de vida são freqüentemente muito mais racionais e capazes de pensamento lógico do que bebês humanos de 6 semanas. Porcos e ovelhas são muito mais inteligentes do que criancinhas. Comer esses animais é um ato bárbaro.

21- Vegetarianos são mais aptos fisicamente do que comedores de carne. Muitos dos mais bem-sucedidos atletas do mundo são vegetarianos. O homem implora a misericórdia de Deus, mas não tem piedade dos animais, para os quais ele é um deus. Os animais que sacrificais já vos deram o doce tributo de seu leite, a maciez de sua lã e depositaram confiança nas mãos criminosas que os degolam. Ninguém purifica seu espírito com sangue. Na inocente cabeça do animal não é possível colocar o peso de um fio de cabelo das maldades e erros pelos quais cada um terá de responder. "Enquanto nós mesmos somos o túmulo vivo de animais sacrificados, como podemos esperar condições ideais nesta terra?."

Os animais sentem dor: "Libertação animal é libertação humana"

Assista ao vídeo :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd71OvcCX2s

Leia o Livro :

Fisiologia da Alma - Ramatis

AJUDE A SALVAR OS ANIMAIS, O HOMEM,

O PLANETA TERRA

1 C Soaked Almonds
1/3 C pine nuts (not soaked)
2 1/2 C filtered water
2 frozen bananas
4-7 dates - soak if firm and needing softening
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cayenne pepper
pinch of sea salt

Blend almonds, pine nuts, water and dates - strain through a nut milk bag into bowl. Place strained mixture back into blender and add rest of ingredients. Frozen bananas will make it creamy and thick....Yummmmmmmmmmmm :)

Considerations

1. Why an allergy to raw & roasted nuts, but not soaked and mixed & blended nuts?
2. Any experience of allergies & losing allergies to almonds? sweetening almond milk for children...
3. Recipes for almond butter & salad dressing made with almond butter?
4. How can I wean my daughter off cow's milk and give her more almond milk?

Allergy

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"I was wondering why I have an allergy to raw and even roasted nuts but not soaked nuts or nuts mixed in/blended with other foods like Storm's Raw Peach Pie www.TheGardenDiet.com. I could eat the crust and I had very little reaction. All I had was a little bit of an itchy throat."

Response: In a scientific way, the soaking method releases natural enzymes which activate digestion. Blended foods also ease the digestive process as these foods have been pre-digested. If by soaking almonds their life force and nutrient content increases, and blending almonds pre-digests them, then maybe soaked and blended almonds (and other nuts and seeds) are less taxing on the body's digestive system. Therefore, allergy symptoms are less noticeable. I say less noticeable, because if I eat too many raw, unsoaked almonds, I also experience an overall heaviness, bloating, itchy eyes, ears, and throat. I find mixing even raw, unsoaked almonds or almond butter in a salad, smoothie with greens, or with celery sticks has less overall affect on my body and general feelings of well-being.

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"I would love to be able to serve fresh almond milk for myself but I have allergies to almonds; I usually will itch in the ears, so the extent of the allergies isn't too bad. If I consume almonds from a snack bar, i'll itch while I'm chewing them and after a few minutes the itching will usually dissipate. I know that I could try other nut milks too. My youngest one, a 4 y.o., likes to drink almond milk that I purchase from the store, but when I make it fresh, she doesn't want it. I suppose I could try to sweeten up the homemade one or try to match the flavor of the one I buy. I was wondering if you have any experience of allergies with almonds, if there's a way to make them go away. I try to eat raw vegan, but not successfully 100% since my 4 kids and husband still enjoy animal protein. The cow's meat we do have is grass-fed and without any kind of shots. Do you know if there are people who have lost allergies to almonds?"

Response: In my opinion, nuts, in general, are quite dense! I think eating a little to a-little-too-much of almonds even plain can bring on any mild allergic reaction. Personally, I am unaware of any people allergic to nuts. I hear, however, many stories of people being allergic, even severely, to nuts. I see notes of caution to people who consider themselves allergic to nuts on many products containing nuts. I can't help but wonder if we would have less reactions to nuts if our immune systems are optimized and our bodies are receiving fresh, organic, whole, living foods on a more consistent basis and in higher quantities. In regards to children, it was a great challenge for me initially to give our children anything other than cow's milk [aside from mother's milk when they breast-fed] even when I decided to try other types of milk. Would they grow up happy and healthy without cow's milk? I think children are highly tuned into our thoughts and feelings. And as their mother, if I am uncertain about anything, they pick up on such sentiments and might respond in a similar matter as me, be it joy, love, fear, sadness. It took me awhile to come up with the best almond milk blend for our family. In earlier days, I added much more sweetener, and they liked it. Today, I use much less sweetener, and they like it!

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Almond Butter Salad Dressing

"In the play you mention almond butter and salad dressing made with almond butter. I wonder if you have recipes for almond butter and the salad dressing made with almond butter."

Response: Cool & Creamy Cauliflower with Fresh & Crunchy Almond Butter Dressing by Kristin

Organic Ingredients-- florets of 1 Cauliflower, 1/2C Raw Almonds, 4T Olive Oil, 4T Apple Cider Vinegar, 4T Water, 2 small handfuls of Parsley greens, 1-2 tsp Himalayan Crystal (or Celtic Sea) Salt, 1 pinch Cumin, 1 pinch Chili Powder

Blend or process Cauliflower until smooth & creamy, and place in a serving bowl.

Blend or process all other ingredients until a mixed dressing with a bit of almond pieces.

Add dressing to bowl with cauliflower, stir, and serve! Eat as is, or accompany with red pepper slices, lettuce leaves, and celery sticks. Try topped with a sprinkling of dulse flakes.

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Cow's Milk

"My daughter will drink cow milk and rice milk and use to drink almond milk but won't now. She's sick right now with a fever of 102 and she's drinking juice I made and water but I'm thinking because she drinks/eats so much dairy that her immune system, I believe, has been compromised. How can I wean her off cow milk and give her more almond milk? I've sorta tried giving her 100% dairy then putting 95% dairy 5% almond milk and then just reducing cow milk and increasing the almond milk but she notices when it's not 100% milk and won't drink it if it has the almond milk...or maybe It's because I put Vanilla bean in with the almond milk. Any suggestions?"

Response: It's interesting you are making a connection between cow's milk, your daughter's immune system and her fondness for dairy. You seem to take care in listening to your daughter's needs and you are approaching her nutritional needs gently. Depending on your beliefs about animal foods and plant foods [i.e. do you feel your daughter needs the cow's milk to be well?], I might try a period of bringing only rice or almond milk home and making some fresh almond milk for her, being consistent in giving this to her. Talk with her (whatever her age) lovingly about your reasons for giving her this "new" drink. In our home, we have always given the truth (and it is the truth we know as parents) about our choices. They've experienced tremendous changes in our nutritional beliefs. While there was a day when cow's milk was prominent in our home, now it's almond milk. This is what they know.

I believe with some patience, practice, and persistence on my part in making almond milk (or any way of life) part of our daily rhythm, and along with being honest with our children and allowing them to decide for themselves in any matter, they receive almond milk with joy. Our children enjoy the sweetness of agave nectar or honey in their almond milk. They like a small amount of vanilla and sweet spices, like in the The Almond Milk Book's recipe for almond milk. Do you still have comforts in giving her dairy? You might try offering her almond milk as her "milk" and then provide small amounts of other types of dairy (yogurt, cheese) while you are sorting out your position on dairy. I think we have strong attachments to our first milk, the basis of our earliest nutrition. It may take a little time to change your routine that finds the balance for all in your family. You might offer her other nut and seed milks too, and try an easy blend using almond butter (or another nut or seed butter). Some of our favorites include walnut, pumpkin seed, tahini, and cashew butter milks.

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Source http://www.thealmondmilkbook.com/

Avo-buttered Corn on the Cob
by Dave Klein

Ingredients
1. Corn on the cob, freshly shucked
2. Avocado, halved and pitted

Instructions
With the corn in one hand and the avocado in the other, smear the avocado over the corn kernels and enjoy! Best eaten barefooted!

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Sunflower Rolls
by Katherine Dichter

Ingredients
1. 1 tomato, chopped
2. 2.5 cups of germinated sunflower seeds (soaked 8 to 12 hours, then sprouted 1 day)
3. juice of 1 lemon
4. 1 tsp. dulse flakes
5. 1 sm. zucchini, or yellow summer squash, diced
6. 1/4 cup of scallion, diced
7. Romaine lettuce leaves, or other broad leaf from the garden

Instructions
1. Liquefy the tomato in a blender.
2. Add to the blender the sunflower sprouts, lemon juice and dulse flakes, and blend on med. speed until smooth.
3. Pour the blended mixture into a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture onto the lettuce leaves, roll them up, and serve.
Optional: pierce the rolls with a toothpicks to hold together.

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Sweet Dried Teff Sprouts
by David Klein

Do you think that sprouts taste like straw? Try making your own dried teff sprouts - they are sweet and go with almost everything!

Teff is a tiny brown grain. They are usually available at health food stores - if not, ask the store to order them. Specify whole grain.

Instructions

Add 4 tbs. of whole grain teff to a clean sprouting jar with fine mesh cover. Pour purified water to a depth of about 2 inches. After about 4 hours, slowly drain off the water, and rinse twice more with purified water.

Shake the jar to distribute the teff around the inner walls, then lay the jar on its side in a place that does not receive direct sunlight. Shake the jar several times per day, and twice each day spray a bit of purified water into the jar using a spray bottle.

On the third, fourth or fifth day, after the sprouts have grown about 1 or 2 inches, place the jar outside in the sun - the porch or dashboard of your car are good places. Allow the sprouts to dry in the sun for 1 to 2 days, then enjoy this unique nutritious, sweet and inexpensive treat!

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The Rainbow Dagwood by Living Nutrition Ingredients 1 lg. bell pepper, cored, de-stemmed and sliced horizontally near the top 1/2 cup celery, diced 1 sm. avocado, mashed handful of whole dulse leaf, rinsed and hand squeeze-dried slice of Bermuda onion 1 yellow beet, processed into “spaghetti” using the Veggie Spiralizer 1 cucumber, sliced 1 lg. tomato, sliced handful of sunflower greens (sprouts) Instructions 1. Process the celery and avocado together to make a creamy slaw mixture. 2. Fill the bottom of the bell pepper sandwich with the slaw. 3. Add the remaining ingredients in layers. 4. Top with the upper part of the bell pepper and enjoy! Options: substitute your choice of sprouts, grated vegetables or nut or seed cheese, or nut or seed butter in lieu of the avocado.

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Source: http://www.livingnutrition.com/recipes/recipes2.html#corn

This John Lennon song is just a run thru. May have been recorded at Abbey Road or at home. Either way it's from the "White Album" sessions and while the song title and lyrics you more than likely haven't heard...if you're a Lennon fan you know the tune. John later used it as the basis for "Jealous Guy" for his Imagine album.

by Brian Clement

In today's society it is prevalent to blame others for everything that has happened to us from the cradle to the grave. It is almost universally accepted for no one to live one's life accepting the fact that he or she is the primary person who has the ability to change and enliven one's own life by one's own actions.

One of the first things we must do when we try to change our life style is to take responsibility for ourselves. Whatever has happened to us and our bodies in the past can ultimately only be changed by taking responsibility for our minds and our bodies, and not looking to the past to blame, but to the future to the new person we can become if we change our preconceptions.

Taking responsibility is hard and not for the faint of heart. One must be willing to look inside oneself and devote time and study into what one's own heart, mind, and body need to become whole and healthy, enabling one to live a happy, enjoyable life. This encompasses one's health, heart, mind, and body. If you are in poor health you must do the research to find the path to health. Look to what your are consuming, look to your exercise habits, find out what you can do to make your body heal, and then DO WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT BETTER.

Where is your spiritual being? A big part of your health in is your heart and your mind so you must look to whatever spiritual guidance that you, yourself, can reach out to, take hold of and make it your guide. Everyone must look to a higher power and that higher power can be different for each person, but it is there if you meditate, concentrate, and seek it. This is another way to take responsibility for yourself, make yourself well, and achieve happiness.

To be able to wake up in the morning and look forward to another day, to seize that day and make every moment count, to go through the day doing our best to make it joyful not only for ourselves but to have in some way, made it joyful for another, and to end the day with the satisfaction that this was a good and productive day, should be our goal. If we have taken the responsibility for our own lives, this is an achievable goal.

To point the finger of blame to another person, place, or thing, to sue the "company," to try to put the responsibility for one's own life onto someone or something else, will not at any time make our own lives enjoyable. The responsibility for our happiness lies in our own hands. Let us take the challenge to make ourselves well by accepting this responsibility and go forward into a more productive and fruitful future.

THE PROBLEM WITH GENETIC ENGINEERING

Ten reasons why all of us should be troubled about the rapid proliferation of genetically engineered foods:

1. SUPERBUGS
Of the 50 or so genetically engineered plants currently cleared by the government for use, most fall into two basic categories: plants engineered to include their own pesticide, a toxin produced by the BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) bacterium, and plants engineered to survive weed killers, including the so-called "Roundup-Ready" soybeans and cotton.

BT is a natural and highly effective pesticide that has long been used by organic growers to control caterpillars and other pests. What organic farmers and gardeners use sparingly, biotechnology has introduced into each cell of every genetically engineered plant, from the roots to the pollen to the chaff plowed under after harvest. Because of BT's ubiquitous presence in millions of acres of crops, even the industry's own scientists concede that it is just a matter of time — as little as three to five years — before BT resistant insect strains evolve. Directives that farmers interplant these BT carrying crops with non-modified varieties are expected to merely delay the inevitable. When the inevitable happens, organic growers will lose a powerful pest control, and conventional growers will return to chemical pesticides — unless, of course, biotechnology can come up with yet a new generation of pest-immune crops.

Although there is no evidence that BT carrying crops hurt humans, there is something unsettling about eating food that is itself a pesticide registered with the EPA. Unlike conventional pesticides, the built-in BT bug killer cannot be washed off; it is in every bite.

2. SUPERWEEDS
Scientists also warn that some herbicide-tolerant crops are cross-pollinating with wild cousins and could create herbicide-resistant weeds. Another threat, according to Jane F. Rissler, PhD, Deputy Director/Senior Staff Scientist for the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org), is that some genetically engineered crops themselves, bred to resist insects and other natural controls, could become invasive, spreading beyond their fields and choking out natural habitats.

3. POLLEN DRIFT
Organic farmers could lose their certification and face huge financial losses if their fields are contaminated by wind-born pollen from neighboring genetically modified crops. Even nonorganic farmers are at risk for problems. In Canada, Monsanto accused canola grower Percy Schmeiser of patent infringement after the company found genetically engineered Roundup Ready canola plants in Schmeiser's fields. Schmeiser claims he never planted any Monsanto seeds. After mediation efforts failed, Schmeiser filed a ten million dollar lawsuit against Monsanto, claiming libel, trespass, and contamination of his fields. The litigation continued until the case was decided in Canada's Supreme Court in May, 2004. Monsanto's patents were upheld but Schmeiser was not required to pay Monsanto. However, the issue of contamination continues for Schmeiser, according to his web site www.percyschmeiser.com.

4. HARM TO WILDLIFE
Cornell University researchers made headlines when they announced laboratory research showing that monarch butterfly larvae died after eating milkweed dusted with genetically engineered corn pollen containing the BT pesticide. Milkweed, the monarch's primary food source, commonly grows alongside corn. Researchers in Europe have made similar discoveries involving ladybugs and green lacewings, both beneficial insects. Yet another study, reported in 1997 in the British publication New Scientist, indicates that honeybees may be harmed by feeding on proteins found in genetically engineered canola flowers.

5. HARM TO SOIL
Microbiologists at New York University have found that the BT toxin in residues of genetically altered corn and rice crops persists in soils for up to eight months and depresses microbial activity. In another study, scientists in Oregon tested an experimental genetically engineered soil microbe in the laboratory and found it killed wheat plants when it was added to the soil in which they were grown.

6. HUMAN HEALTH
Even as the biotech industry and government regulators have assured us that there is no reason to worry, a growing body of evidence indicates that genetic engineering can cause unintended changes to our food, making it less nutritious or even harmful. For example, a study in a 1998-99 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food indicates that compared with non-modified soy varieties, genetically altered, herbicide-tolerant varieties may contain lower levels of potentially beneficial plant estrogens. Another study, reported in a 1996 article in the International Journal of Health Services, warns that milk produced from cows injected with Monsanto's controversial genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (BGH) contains higher levels of a growth factor that may be linked to increased risk of both breast and gastrointestinal cancers in humans. Americans have been drinking unlabeled BGH produce milk for years, but it has always been banned in Canada and Europe.

7. HIDDEN ALLERGENS
The foundation of genetic engineering is DNA, which directs the production of proteins. Proteins are also common sources of human allergies. When DNA from one organism is spliced into another, can it turn a non-allergenic food into one that will cause an allergic reaction in some people? Yes, reported researchers in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1996. The case involved an attempt by the Iowa based biotech seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred International to change the protein content of soybeans by adding a gene from the Brazil nut. When researchers tested the modified soybean on people with sensitivity to Brazil nuts (but no sensitivity to soybeans), they found it triggered an allergic reaction. Based on those findings, the company shelved development of the soybean. The author of an editorial in the same issue wrote that the next case could be less ideal, and the public less fortunate.

8. RELIGIOUS AND MORAL CONSIDERATIONS
People who choose not to eat animals for religious or moral reasons face an almost impossible task with many genetically engineered foods. When cold-hardiness genes from flounder are spliced into tomatoes, or genes from chickens are added to potatoes for increased disease resistance, are those vegetables still, purely speaking, vegetables? Without mandatory labeling, how can people who object to eating any trace of meat know what they are getting?

9. ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
Genetic engineers use antibiotic marker genes to help them transfer genetic coding from one life form to another. Some scientists worry that this process could compound the already serious problem of antibiotic resistance in humans. Government scientists in Britain warn that the antibiotic resistance introduced into humans from genetically modified foods could render established medical treatments for such infections as meningitis and gonorrhea ineffective.

10. INDENTURED FARMERS
Because genetic engineering research is so expensive, for-profit corporations whose primary goal is return on investment, not public good, largely control it. These corporations are rapidly buying up seed companies and gaining control of entire food production systems and educational research facilities. Farmers who use this patented technology are prohibited from the time-honored tradition of saving seed to use the following season. They are forced into a costly cycle of corporate dependency.

The results of 50 years of chemical-based "high-tech" agriculture have made clear that we must rethink the way we grow food. The answer lies in a return to sustainable, organic growing practices. Our children and grandchildren have just one future. Are we willing to risk it?

THE MIND AND WEIGHT BALANCE

by Bob DelMonteque, ND

Many years ago I was shocked to find one of my formerly obese friends looking fit, sexy, and 20 years younger. As a matter of fact, when I first laid eyes on her, I didn't recognize her. Being a positive and upbeat person who walked off the trail sometime before, getting lost in food as a friend, she causally told me that she cut a picture of a healthy body of a well-known woman and replaced the head with a picture of her own head. She placed this composite all around her house. From this genius idea forward she utilized all of her mental will and physical power to become the hard-bodied youth she had never been. Eight months later and 93 pounds lighter, this living-food bodybuilder and aerobic enthusiast was a living example of what each of us can create when our vision is grand for the right cause. Our bodies can be one of our best friends but it does not like to carry additional pounds, be clogged with poison and fats, or have sluggish nerves and crumbling bones. Our discombobulated thoughts create discombobulated bodies. We must always recognize that it is not only our brain cells that make things happen but also our body cells are ready and able at any given moment. Back in the twentieth century we taught people to sit, contemplate and reflect -- in the twenty-first it demands we create, achieve, and accomplish.

There is not time to philosophize about having the body of our dreams. All energy should be placed in a rational step-by-step process that brings about internal, physical, and spiritual strength that will bring us magnificent vehicles to carry us forward into the future.

Recently I read an interview with an eighty-year-old Charles-Atlas-type man who looked decades younger. When asked his secret, he said it was simple; raw foods, exercise, and an endlessly inquisitive desire to reach the excitement of tomorrow. Find your way back to yourself and give yourself the gift of a body that can lift and excite you.

by Brian Clement

When we hear the word "love" it brings to mind the soft spring days and golden enchantment of romantic relationships, or the all-accepting warmth found in a family's caring that surrounds and fills us. It is really the finest of feelings that humans can have and the one thing that we hope for throughout our lives. A life without love seems hardly worth living. It's so important for each of us to grasp the understanding of the depth of feeling that can be generated on all levels of life, through love.

Love gives us reason, which is an essential part of the full experience of life. If there is no motivation or reason to do something, we flounder and cannot progress. We move slowly and wander, rather than step vigorously and move forward. Love gives us the impetus, the drive, and the feeling that we can achieve and succeed. Love is a power that no other belief can touch or come close to. It is the ultimate, the largest power of all.

The belief of love can bring a sense of goodness into your life and goodness can then grow into success. All people have reason for wanting love, and of course, the greatest love of all is self-love. Self-love is the ultimate of beliefs. All things surround our view of life and how we achieve in and fit in life. Love is the foundation of all worthwhile activity.

Each of us has to look at ourselves every day and ask, "Do we love ourselves enough to achieve what's right and what's best?" Let us hope that the answer is "yes." Self-love is the only belief that constantly gives us harmony and energy. When love is embraced fully and our life becomes replete with it, all things that we involve ourselves with become smooth and happy experiences. There is nothing that is a disaster when one has love as his or her true belief. Love can eradicate the largest of monsters and the smallest of problems. It can sweep like a windstorm across a desert that is void of affection and void of success.

There is no doubt that the greatest potential that human beings have is to surrender to love. The only way that we will move ahead in a true belief capable of bringing us all the things we need, all the things we truly desire, and all the things that are necessary for us to fulfill our existence, is love. Love is the foundation, the base, and the essence of all belief. No matter how small a belief is, no matter how trivial that one considers a belief to be, a true belief always has an initial spark of love to ignite it into the movement of belief, which transforms itself into achievement. It is very important for each and every one of us, within our daily life, to stop whenever we are uncomfortable with our involvements and recognize that somewhere at the base of every action must be this drive to find and nurture love within ourselves. Here at Hippocrates, the foremost thing we teach is that love of self creates love of others.

HERE IS WHERE YOU GAIN KNOWLEDGE,
THERE IS WHERE YOU MUST GO

by Brian Clement

Give yourself everything you need to understand everything there is. Go seek the knowledge, and while accomplishing this feat do not wallow in the mere fact that you have reached a bit of understanding. Remember that this is only one step in the pursuit. It takes many small steps to get to the place where you can find the start to the right path.

We are taught mathematical formulae in school such as 8 + 8 = 16. When we accomplish the understanding that 16 is the answer, we are then drawn on to master the next set of questions and answers for more understanding. In other areas of our lives we do not seem to comprehend as readily the absolute demand placed on us to continue. We often move our whole life from one place to another expecting that action alone to accomplish all the answers. But if we neglect to continue actively seeking ever more understanding, we will be denying our capacity for growth.

It is for us to recognize opportunity when it appears and determine what the message is. Too often we neglect to acknowledge that first step in achieving success. We somehow believe that we can reach our goals without a step-by-step plan toward our desired success. Opportunity presents itself as a stairway to creation.

Throughout history there have been oppressed and downtrodden people. All of the visible signs would show little hope for them. Then we see one unique individual rise above the illusion of hopelessness and seize the opportunities that exist.

This incredible linking of personal opportunities that bring success is working in every area of your life. Spend time searching for your direction through your need. Do not allow your needs to be your enemies. They are only there to bring you happiness.

As we aspire to reach great places, we create jewels, the rich gifts that are brought to us through our own efforts. Dreamers who have the grace to proceed with actions will fill their lives completely. Vision and commitment lead them to the treasure-house of opportunities. Everything in life is available as needed. Attract those things that are tools of knowledge and reject those that are motivators of fear. There are no problem or limits once you start on the way. You can do everything necessary.

by Brian Clement

"As ye sow, so shall ye reap" is as true today as when it was written. If we send only negative out into the world, nothing positive will be able to come back to us. If we have no respect for others, how can they possibly respect us in return? However, love expressed will be returned over and over again. We will receive from others what we give to them and we can be sure the love and affection we are able to give will not go unnoticed.

Most of us become over time defensive and retaliatory. We become obsessed with what he did or what she said and then getting back at whomever it was that hurt us in some way, either physically or mentally. We can control this behavior by concentrating on sending only loving messages. This will be hard at first, as we have become conditioned to responding "in kind" and not with a loving heart. It is difficult to try to overcome painful comments and behavior directed towards oneself, but with time and perseverance, it can be accomplished.

Many times we feel like criticizing someone who has said something to hurt us just to retaliate. We tell ourselves it is just "clearing the air." We need to stop and consider whether or not this will help or harm our relationship with this person, or whether it would be better to reflect upon the actual impact our words would have and turn within ourselves to express a loving thought in their direction. How many times have we regretted what we have said and wished we could take it back? How much easier our lives would be if we just held our tongues, took a moment of quiet, forced ourselves to think kind thoughts and finally sent those kind thoughts in the direction of the person who has offended us.

It is very difficult to change our reactions, but there comes a time in everyone's life when we must become wholly responsible for our response to others' actions. Blaming someone else for "starting it" is childish and offers no hope for an improvement in relations, and keeps us mired in the past. To grow in our personal life we must be willing to accept the fact that a change in our behavior is necessary, and indeed, fundamental, if our future is to be a bright and happy one.

To start, imagine yourself absorbing nothing but love coming towards you, then imagine the people you contact and see how sending nothing but love their way will affect their lives. If we thoughtfully make choices about our behavior, we can then set an example of loving and giving for others that will make a change not only in their lives but in our own life as well. As we progress in learning how to send only loving thoughts, it sends a message to our brain to block out the hurtful, destructive images and replace them with harmony and healing ideas which enrich our own lives. What we send out to the world should be the best that we have and in so doing we will enrich our own souls tenfold.

by Brian Clement

I read this in the comic strip Rose is Rose and thought to myself, what a wonderful expression. This is how we should all live our lives — with buoyant zeal. The dictionary says buoyant means "to lift the spirits of" and zeal is "enthusiastic and intensive interest." What a wonderful combination! It makes you feel happy just to say and to think of it. What a way to live life using the ability to lift our own and other people's spirits with an enthusiastic and intensive interest in all things.

If we can take a real interest in others' thoughts, plans, and ideas, we enrich our own lives. Just by really listening when others need an ear to help and a shoulder to cry on. To extend a helping hand to lift another from negative thoughts and depression, we fill our own lives because by lifting their spirits we cannot help but lift ours along with theirs. With this effort to help we gain new knowledge and experiences that will help guide us in our future relations with all people.

To be happy is to be welcomed everywhere, not with a false grin and platitudes on our lips, but with a genuine happy heart and a gladness to be wherever we may be, with an openness to new people, new ideas, new thoughts and to welcome this newness with open arms. This is to lead a life with a generosity of spirit which in turn leads ourselves to a better and more fruitful existence.

To attack life in all ways with zeal — real zeal — not an all-consuming negative passion but an open love for life and all things in it should be the goal of all humanity. It takes zeal to make a difference not necessarily in the whole world, but just in your neighborhood, to clean up an area, to help in a senior citizen's home, to aid at a childcare center, to mentor at a school, these all help you live your life so that it not only benefits others but gives you a zest to live life to the fullest.

When we are buoyant we bring others up to our level, not let them drag us down to their depths. To be buoyant is to float to the top and this is where our lives should be led, filled with elation and enthusiasm. To be happy to wake up in the morning knowing we have something important to do that will not just fill our day but make our day profitable and significant — a day like no other.

To live with buoyant zeal is to make every day count. We are all living with a limited lifespan and no one is exempt from this fact. We do not want to look back and see how many days we have wasted on selfish ends, but to look back with a small amount of satisfaction and see how the little things we did each day grew to be a life full of small victories that has led to a great garden of joys that have blossomed more each day. One short day living with buoyant zeal can lead to a lifetime of happy days filled with positive emotions. Be well.

AND THEN IT GOT BETTER

by Brian Clement

Why do we say this so many times when what we mean is that it all got worse! It is the tag line to so many tales of woe at work and at home that we know the ending to it. Our litany of woes goes on and on, and then we say — and then it got better! Meaning what a day I have had, everybody but me did not know what he or she were doing, the only reason the place didn't burn down was because of my diligence! What a wonderful and unbelievably capable person I am and look at how much I have to put up with!

That 's all well and good and we all know we have days when we feel like that, but let's take a moment and think about what in our lives "got better." As we live from day to day, things seem to slide along and we do not contemplate what has improved in our lives, what we have that is so much more than what our parents and grandparents have, and where our lives took a turn into the shape they are in now.

The difference in our lives between what our parents and grandparents had is phenomenal. The information highway alone brings us news instantly, wherein not so long ago some of the places we get news from no one had ever heard of, much less cared about. We know the weather on the moon even though most of us do not plan to drive in that direction. We can plan for delays at the airport by looking at the weather channel and checking on the climate at our destination and listening for airport delays. Even though we might still be stuck at the airport, now we know why!

Speaking of the airport, we get to places faster, smoother, and go more places without the planning and care of vacation time that our predecessors did. People now take mini-vacations over a three-day weekend to the Bahamas or skiing or skydiving or whatever. Remember the excitement of planning the family "vacation" each year? What used to take months of planning now takes a phone call, throw some clothes in a carry-on, and off we go. Yes, things are better for us in so many ways, yet with our lives moving at warp speed we do not stop and take a moment to be grateful for the improvements.

If we take care of ourselves, watch our diet, exercise, and tend to our spiritual side, we will live longer and happier lives than our forebears ever thought of. The information about diet and exercise is plentiful, we simply must research it, throw out the jetsam, adjust our habits accordingly, and we can enjoy the abundant life.

In our spiritual lives we have even more to choose from. With the knowledge that we have gained we can use our minds and souls to discover a higher power that will lead us to pray for the rest of mankind to enable them to attain the better existence that we have become so used to.

Yes there are downsides to all of this, but it is definitely not the downside that used to be. We do have new worries about our children and about the world we live in, but, on the whole, we have so much to be thankful for and so much is well that we should be, if not content, then happy to be able to say — and then it got better, and mean it!

AN OLD TRUTH

by Brian Clement

In our work at the Hippocrates Institute, the use of raw and living foods has evolved into a new way of living and eating, seeing a new relationship between food and life. This relationship is not a new or novel concept; rather it is a re-emergence of an ancient truth. Germinating and sprouting of foods, use of grasses and leafy green vegetables, the importance of juices, and the careful usage of some dehydrated and fermented foods are the keys to this re-emergence.

Many ancient cultures knew the value of germinating and sprouting grains, seeds, legumes, and nuts. The use of sprouted seeds for food and medicine is more than twice as old as the Great Wall of China and was even noted in Chinese historical records. Today, more and more data is being compiled on the amazing nutritional value of sprouting. The living foods that are germinated and sprouted afford us the most concentrated natural sources of vitamins, chelated minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. These also contain abundant enzymes and bioelectrical energy, a most important reason for their desirability. Pound for pound, lentils and other bean sprouts contain as much protein as red meat, yet in a digestible form without the fat, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics that are found in meat.

Germination is the important process which results when seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts are soaked in water for a period of time. Water removes certain metabolic inhibitors which are present to protect the seed from bacterial invasion and preserve it during its dormant state. Soaked seeds are more easily digested. During the germination process the seed springs into life and becomes more available nutritionally for human needs. Germination is the process employed to make many of the seed and nut sauces at the Institute and is also the first step in the sprouting process. Sprouting carries this life-beginning process farther, resulting in a variety of living foods, such as sunflower seeds and buckwheat seeds.

In our research at the Institute we have concluded that while there are virtually endless varieties of foods that can be sprouted, the most beneficial sprouts have evolved which provide for different types of utilization by the body. Wheatgrass and tray-grown greens provide chlorophyll, and clean and rebuild the body most efficiently. The next group of efficient greens is alfalfa, clover, radish, cabbage, daikon, chia, and broccoli. The energy givers are the grains wheat, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, and the legumes pinto, navy, red, and white beans. Mung and adzuki also provide important minerals, and fenugreek should be added for improved digestion and elimination.

It is a fact that today we are re-examining the foods we eat and going back to the ancient truths of proper diet through living foods. The health benefits we get from these inexpensive, abundant, and nutritious foods are the ideal way to combat the modern day problems of dietary deficiency, and the only way to combat world hunger.

Ronald T. Ackermann, MD; Cynthia D. Mulrow, MD, MSc; Gilbert Ramirez, DrPH; Christopher D. Gardner, PhD; Laura Morbidoni, MD; Valerie A. Lawrence, MD, MSc

Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:813-824.

Objectives To summarize the effects of garlic on several cardiovascular-related factors and to note its adverse effects.

Methods English and non-English citations were identified from 11 electronic databases, references, manufacturers, and experts from January 1966 through February 2000 (depending on the database searched). Reports of cardiovascular-related effects were limited to randomized controlled trials lasting at least 4 weeks. Reports of adverse effects were not limited by study design. From 1798 pertinent records, 45 randomized trials and 73 additional studies reporting adverse events were identified. Two physicians abstracted outcomes and assessed adequacy of randomization, blinding, and handling of dropouts. Standardized mean differences of lipid outcomes from placebo-controlled trials were adjusted for baseline differences and pooled using random effects methods.

Results Compared with placebo, garlic preparations may lead to small reductions in the total cholesterol level at 1 month (range of average pooled reductions, 0.03-0.45 mmol/L [1.2-17.3 mg/dL]) and at 3 months (range of average pooled reductions 0.32-0.66 mmol/L [12.4-25.4 mg/dL]), but not at 6 months. Changes in low-density lipoprotein levels and triglyceride levels paralleled total cholesterol level results; no statistically significant changes in high-density lipoprotein levels were observed. Trials also reported significant reductions in platelet aggregation and mixed effects on blood pressure outcomes. No effects on glycemic-related outcomes were found. Proven adverse effects included malodorous breath and body odor. Other unproven effects included flatulence, esophageal and abdominal pain, allergic reactions, and bleeding.

Conclusions Trials suggest possible small short-term benefits of garlic on some lipid and antiplatelet factors, insignificant effects on blood pressure, and no effect on glucose levels. Conclusions regarding clinical significance are limited by the marginal quality and short duration of many trials and by the unpredictable release and inadequate definition of active constituents in study preparations.


From the San Antonio Evidence-based Practice Center, University of Texas Health Science Center (Drs Ackermann, Mulrow, Ramirez, and Lawrence), Veterans Evidence-based Research Dissemination Implementation Center, Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, San Antonio (Drs Mulrow, Ramirez, and Lawrence); Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif (Dr Gardner); and the Istituto di Clinica Medica Universita degli Studi di Ancona, Ancona, Italy (Dr Morbidoni). Dr Gardner is now with the Center for Advanced Studies in Nutrition and Social Marketing, University of California, Davis.

Yes, I know the language is a bit strange but taking milk from a almond is not the same when you milk a cow...
One hand on the camera - making the milk with the other hand...
Just mix a hand full of almonds previously soaked (24 h)with a bit of salt. Result "Almond Milk" - better than cow...