Tuesday, November 25, 2008

More Food Garnishing Ideas

As I've already mentioned, the possibilities of decorating with food are endless.

Here are some easy and quick ideas for garnishing a vegetable platter, along with a recipe for dip to go with it. Tools required are a ridged knife and a flower-shaped (or other) cookie cutter.

Take a ridged knife and slice a peeled, organic carrot. Set aside.

Take an organic cucumber and cut into thin slices. Cut each slice into flower shapes with a cookie cutter.

Now, alternating the carrot and cucumber slices, lay down in a nice row, shaping the arrangement to suit the platter and available space.

If you want to get really, really fancy, the sky's the limit! The Chef's Depot website (picture courtesy of Chef's Depot) offers professional quality tools to go as far as you your imaginations will take you.

I got this lovely set of top quality garnishing tools on eBay last year at a really great price - and I still have yet to use even half of them. I've found there are certain favorite garnishes that I like to make over and over.

Not surprisingly, they are the simpler and faster ones. Still, I look forward to increasing my repertory in the future.

Here's the raw dip recipe that I always make to bring with a raw vegetable platter, because I have yet to find anyone who doesn't love it, regardless of how carnivorous they might be.

Shay's Ranch Dressing and Dip
Shay is the chief Chef at Hallelujah Acres in Shelby, North Carolina
Taken from "Hallelujah Acres Special Occasion" cookbook

1 cup Grapeseed Vegannaise (or homemade "mayonnaise")
1 TBL Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1-1/2 tsp dried Chives
2 tsp either Chinese 5 Spice or Oriental Seasoning
1/4 tsp Onion Powder

Just stir everything together til it's nicely mixed, and let it marinate at least a few hours or overnight. It will go very quickly!

This makes a small amount, so you may want to double it. The Vegannaise is expensive, so if you can, make your own nut-based "mayonnaise". I'll give a recipe out soon for one.

Til next time, enjoy!

Phyllis Towse

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Garnishing and Basic Food Presentation

In yesterday's article, The Art of Garnishing, we talked a little about why we might want to add some garnishing touches to a meal, remembering the well used adage "presentation is everything".

But, even more basic than garnishing is choosing foods that complement each other in color, texture, and, of course, taste. You wouldn't want to serve an all brown meal; it just doesn't look appetizing.

Add some small sprigs of parsley, or a single leaf of curly kale to the plate. Just slicing a regular, organic radish into thin slices, then arranging along the outside of a black plate adds a lovely touch to any lunch or dinner.

Bits of organic lemon or orange peel (called the zest) topping off a dessert or salad, or arranged artistically in a few places around the plate just before serving, dress up the whole meal!

Okay, so how to do the rose radishes mentioned in the last article?

Click here for a nice, detailed set of instructions online with pictures for radish fans, radish roses, green onion and celery curls, matchstick carrots and turnips. It just takes a small, sharp kitchen knife to make these.I put my fun creations into distilled water, room temp, the night before and leave in the refrigerator overnight. If you need them later in the day, then by all means put them into ice cold water and refrigerate for several hours. These particular garnishes will usually last 3-4 days if refrigerated, and the soak water changed at least once.

Another neat, simple and quick garnish is the tomato rose. Using a sharp paring knife, lightly peel around a firm, organic tomato skin, without breaking the cut, making one long peel.

Maybe you have done this with an apple as a kid, trying to see if you can peel the entire apple skin without lifting the vegetable peeler or knife blade? Or am I the only adult who still likes to do these things?

Anyway, once you have at least most of the peel off, gently take it and tightly roll it up to make the center, and then loosely roll the rest of the peel into the shape of a rose. This looks so elegant in a vegetable platter or tray, or on any plate and people will always ask what it is and how you made it.

Click here for a nice video on YouTube to see exactly how it is done, and how easy it is.

We'll look at some more garnishing tricks tomorrow. Hope these were helpful!

Phyllis Towse

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Art of Garnishing


Want to make this Thanksgiving dinner extra special?

Try adding a little extra fancy touch to your dishes this year.

They say, "Presentation is everything", and that's not far from the truth. It may not be everything (let's hope health value counts for more!), but it can certainly make the dish more appealing and eye-catching.

This begins a series of articles on "The Art of Garnishing" that I hope will help encourage you to experiment and add a few easy but impressive additions to your Thanksgiving meal this year - or any time!

Garnishing can range from really simple radish roses to elegant and complicated baskets and animal shapes. Some take minutes, some a couple of days to prepare. Some will last a few days, some only a few hours.

You can prepare fancy vegetables, fruits, potatoes, eggs, cheese, fish, chocolate, all kinds of desserts, etc., etc . The list and possibilities are nearly endless! And it is a lot of fun, too, to give your meals that extra special, loving touch.

So, after reviewing the possibilities, decide on the one(s) you think will work best for you in your particular circumstances.

There are several good books available to show you, step-by-step, how to do many different types of food garnishings, as well as videos for sale, but these tend to be more on the expensive side.

There are also free videos online that can show you "live" how to do them, so if this style of learning works for you, definitely check them out. I will be listing some of these resources through these articles.

First, you will need some tools. To begin simply, look for things you probably already have in your kitchen, such as cookie cutters, melon baller, vegetable peeler and, of course, a sharp knife.

You can do a lot with these simple and ordinary tools!

The next tool that I would recommend getting is a lemon zester. You can make fancy cucumber slices and carrot displays, and get really thin slices of lemon peel (organic, of course) with one of these.

If you're really eager to get going, click here for an excellent site to help get you started.

Til next time,

Phyllis Towse

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner


It's another wet and rainy November day today in upstate New York. It would be a perfect day to start baking cookies and pies to freeze for Thanksgiving dinner........

Oh wait, the Standard American Diet (SAD)'s version of sweet treats is loaded with harmful, artery clogging, cholesterol building and diabetes contributing ingredients, isn't it? I guess I'll use this time to do something constructive, instead.

So how can those of us who eat mostly healthy, whole, raw, organic, ripe fruits and vegetables do a little advance preparation for the holidays?

We can start now by deciding on menus for over the holidays, and then making our lists and doing the shopping for those items that don't need to be perfectly fresh such as lettuce or fruits, etc. If you do bulk orders online, you will want to leave plenty of time for delivery.

There are some dishes, of course, that can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, even with raw foods. I'm thinking primarily of raw pies like banana-coconut-cream pie, but there are others.

One of the best things about eating raw or mostly raw is that the preparation can be extremely simple and doesn't have to take a lot of time. Of course, you can also get as fancy and complicated as you'd like to, a holiday is a wonderful time to do something special and fancy, but it is not necessary.

Check out my list of recipes and maybe you'll see something different that you'd like to try. I love trying new things, and discovering a new favorite. That "eggnog" is soooooo good - even my carnivorous husband likes it, though he insists it is not eggnog.

Don't forget the presentation, either, when you are serving your dishes. You spent time and energy making them, so you should show them off to their best advantage. I will do an article on food presentation in the very near future.

Friday, November 14, 2008

The Real Meaning of Thanksgiving


I did a Google search on what the real meaning of our American holiday of Thanksgiving is, and depending on the wording, came up with between 271,000 and 494,000 results.

It's interesting to me that there are so many different ideas about such an historical event. And, especially, that so many people are wanting us to believe that it has nothing whatsoever to do with God. Some even go on to say that the Pilgrims viciously attacked the Indians.

Talk about re-writing history.

I am going to do something a little differently today and quote Newt Gingrich extensively, because he says it so very well. He says that "the first Thanksgiving celebration in America was a completely religious observance that didn’t include a feast." So much for turkey and stuffing!

"It occurred in 1619 — more than a year before the Pilgrims arrived from Massachusetts. A group of 38 English settlers arrived in Virginia and set aside a day to give thanks to God for their safe passage. The three-day festival of food and friendship that was the origin of Thanksgiving as we know it today didn’t occur until 1621.

Ever since, Thanksgiving has been a time for Americans not just to celebrate privately in our homes but to give public thanks to God — and not just for our material blessings but for our freedom. Our earliest Thanksgivings were in times when that freedom was at its most vulnerable.

In 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation calling for a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” — a day for Americans to acknowledge “the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

But Washington didn’t just say that individual Americans should thank God. He proclaimed that nations — especially the one-year-old United States of America — have obligations to God as well. He wrote, “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

But it wasn’t until more than 70 years later — at a time when America faced its greatest crisis — that Thanksgiving became a yearly celebration.

The Civil War was raging. Three months earlier, the Battle of Gettysburg had left 50,000 Americans killed, wounded or missing. Riots were tearing apart American cities.

In the midst of this chaos, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in October 1863 that the last Thursday of November should henceforth be set aside as a day of thanksgiving."

End of long but very informative quote.

It is my favorite holiday because it is the only holiday in our country, to my knowledge, that isn't based on some pagan celebration that the Roman Catholic Church pasted over to try to keep people from participating in.

I like to set aside a special time each Thanksgiving and thank God for all of His many blessings over the past year. They are so many!

The stores may not make as much money over the Thanksgiving holiday, and some stores (like Lowe's) skip it entirely and are already in full Christmas regalia. I understand the economics here, but still, it seems a shame to me.

Hope this little glimpse into history was helpful.

Phyllis Towse

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Carob versus Raw Cacao


There are some raw foodists out there today proclaiming the wonders and benefits of eating raw chocolate - or cacao, as it is properly called. These self-styled "experts" claim that it is a "superfood" and a healthy "food" in which to indulge on a regular basis.

Sounds great, doesn't it? It did to me. But, let's look at just some of the properties of the cacao bean and then compare it to carob.

Cacao is known to have caffeine and theobromine, which can be addictive and can cause an allergic reaction.

Caffeine and theobromine are stimulants. I dealt with the effects of caffeine in an earlier article.

Theobromine is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant. According to Wikipedia, "Cacao beans contain about 1.2% theobromine by weight, while processed chocolate generally has smaller amounts."

So in the raw state, it is much more unhealthy for us. Remember, just because something is "raw", doesn't necessarily mean it is healthy for us.

Processed chocolate is safe for most humans to eat, but not so for animals. Did you ever wonder why we're told not to give chocolate to dogs or cats? (or horses, for that matter) Here's the reason:

They are unable to metabolize the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion and contacting a veterinarian.

The first signs of theobromine poisoning are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination. These can progress to cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death.

Carob, on the other hand, is free from both caffeine and theobromine. It is naturally sweet, so less sweetener is needed in recipes, unlike with chocolate.

It is up to 8% protein and contains vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D. It is also high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium." It also contains other minerals.

It is, therefore, a much safer and healthier alternative to chocolate or raw cacao.

Either raw or toasted carob powder can be substituted for cocoa powder in any recipe. Try it in your next banana smoothie for a real treat!

Phyllis Towse

Monday, November 10, 2008

Variety, the Spice of ....... Gluttony?

Yesterday I talked about appetite versus hunger, where hunger is the general desire for nourishment, and appetite is a specific craving for a particular food.

When we are truly hungry we will eat anything offered to us. Not so when we are craving something - we might think we are hungry, but our reaction to what is offered us will reveal which it is.

Also, that growling in your stomach has nothing to do with being hungry - it does have to do with having gas! True hunger is a sensation at the back of the throat, something most of us blessed to have been born in this country have never really felt.

Today I'd like to touch on the dangers of an overabundance of variety in our meals.

When I was eating the disease-producing Standard American Diet, my very favorite place to eat out at was at a Chinese buffet. Boy, all you can stuff into yourself for about $8, what a deal!

I had to sample most of the dishes, and of course load up on the ones I knew I really liked. And I did want to get my money's worth!

And of course everyone else there was doing exactly the same thing, so it was easy to excuse and ignore my greed and gluttony.

Our great country offers a plethora of buffets, from breakfasts to dinners, with Chinese to Indian to American cuisines, so I'm guessing I was not the only one who loved to partake of them.

There is also the concept of food combining, more of which I will speak at a later time. For now, I'll just say that eating all those different kinds of foods one right after another was doing horrible things inside my poor body.

Thanksgiving is particularly noted for the (over)abundance of food. When the early pilgrims originally gave thanks to God for His blessings and provision, part of their gratitude was for the food He provided them.

They were far more limited in the foods they celebrated with, by necessity, of course. We are so blessed in this country that the vast majority of us know no such limitations. Most of us go all out at Thanksgiving, doing our best to be sure there are plenty of foods to offer that everyone will like.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this! One way we tend to show love is with food, which can be a problem, of course, if that is the only way we can show it, but I'm not talking about that here.

Those of us who cook for our loved ones want to please them. That is a good thing!

But there is danger to our health in wanting to try everything at the table, because it's just too much for our bodies to handle, in variety, content, and quantity. So maybe use some self-control and try to limit what you want to sample this Thanksgiving. Your body will thank you for it!

More "food" for thought...

Phyllis Towse

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Appetite versus Hunger


There is a huge difference between appetite and hunger.

According to Dr. Douglas Graham, author of the 80/10/10 Diet, "The goal of hunger is to satisfy a nutritional requirement...... We are driven to eat to fill this need and rewarded by the pleasure of it. Because hunger is the general desire for food, when one is truly hungry, any food will be acceptable."

How many times have your kids whined, "I'm hungry!" and you tell them they can have a banana or an apple, and they turn it down because what they are really asking for is that cookie, Twinkie or Oreo? Did you for one minute think they were really hungry?

Dr. Graham goes on to say, "Appetite, on the other hand, is specific - we desire a specific food or foods. Appetite is also the socially acceptable word for craving, which in turn is the socially acceptable word for addiction."

Strong words, but if you stop and really, honestly think about it, you'll see that he is on to something. This is what Natural Hygienists teach. Victoria Boutenko has written a book on "12 Steps to Raw Food: How to End Your Addiction to Cooked Food", newly revised and now entitled, "12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependence on Cooked Food" that is helpful.

Consider this scenario: You've just eaten your fill of a big meal, you enjoyed it immensely, and are quite full. You are offered more mashed potatoes, but you grab your stomach and protest, "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly eat another bite! I am stuffed!!"

But then dessert, maybe a freshly baked apple pie with ice cream on top, along with your favorite flavored coffee, is served, and you say, "Oh, I guess I have a little room left" and proceed to have two slices and two cups of coffee, because it all tastes so good.

That is an example of appetite. And of course it will be played out and intensified over the Thanksgiving holiday.

It's tough to change things if we're not aware either of the problem, or we don't know how to change. Knowledge is key, and I hope these articles will be of help to you.

Phyllis Towse

Friday, November 7, 2008

Holiday Recipes

These are some of my favorite holiday recipes!

Most are compiled from other sources, to which I have given credit where known. A few are my own versions. I hope you will enjoy them!


Desserts


Quick and Simple Apple Pie


Crust:
1-1/4 cups sunflower seeds
3/4 cup raisins
1 Tbl carob powder

Filling:
5-6 medium apples (green)
3/4 cup raw honey
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 Tbl cinnamon
dash of cloves
shredded coconut
1 banana, kiwi for topping (optional)

Instructions for Crust:
Process ingredients in food processor until finely g round and mixture sticks together.
Line 9" pie plate with mixture.

Instructions for Filling:
In a food processor, pulse chop apples into small pieces (not into sauce!).
In a bowl, mix chopped apples, cinnamon, lemon juice, honey and dash of cloves.
Scoop mixture into pie crust.
Save the juice that remains.
Level out with a spatula. Sprinkle coconut flakes over top.

When ready to serve, drizzle remaining juice over pie.
Cut fruit into thin slices and place on top of flakes in circles.

Source: www.living-foods.com


"Pumpkin Pie" Pudding

Serves 4

5 figs
10 pitted dates
1 cup walnuts, soaked 6-8 hours, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Adding ingredients a little at a time, blend until creamy in food processor with the "S" blade.

Source: Susan Schenck, "The Live Food Factor"


Drinks

Gail's Spiced Pumpkin Latte

2 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight)
10 Medjool dates (soaked 3-4 hours)
2/3 cup organic canned pumpkin or fresh steamed pumpkin
1 -1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Roma, Cafix, or Oskri's Barley Coffee
4 1/2 cups distilled water

Place all ingredients in vita mix (or other powerful blender) and process on high until well blended - serve over ice and ENJOY.

(Use the sweet water the dates have been soaked in as part of the 4 1/2 cups of distilled water. This recipe will keep in the refrigerator 2-3 days. Stir well before serving. Half or quarter recipe ingredients for smaller batches.)

Hallelujah Acres Recipes


Eggnog

2 cups almond milk
1 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup raw honey
1 Tbl cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 vanilla bean
1 banana

Blend all in Vita-Mix blender.

Source: PaulNison.com

My own notes:
Substitutions: pitted dates for the honey; soy or rice milk for almond milk; 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract for the vanilla bean.


Cold Spiced Cider

1 quart apple cider or fresh apple juice
1/2 cup honey
6 lemon slices
12 whole cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
6 cinnamon sticks

Combine all ingredients but the cinnamon sticks; let stand one hour. Strain.
Pour into 6 mugs. Add cinnamon sticks to each mug for stirring.

Yield: 6 3/4 cup servingss.
Source: Feasting on Raw Foods


Entrees


Raw Mashed “Potatoes”

1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/4 cup cashews
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or to taste)
1/4 cup olive or other cold pressed, unrefined and unheated oil, or to taste
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

In a food processor, grind cashews fine.
Add cauliflower, and garlic, and process fine.
Add olive oil until mixture looks like fluffy mashed potatoes.
Remove from food processor and sprinkle on black pepper to taste.
Serve with gravy.



Mushroom Gravy

1/2 cup almonds, soaked 12 hours or overnight
1/2 cup distilled water
2-1/2 cup shiitake or portabello mushrooms
1 clove garlic (or 1/4 tsp powdered garlic)
2 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
water, as necessary

In a food processor, grind almonds fine.
Add remainder of ingredients, and process to paste, adding water as necessary.


Healthy Holiday Eating!


Briefly, here are the tips I gave in the first part of this series on How to Eat Healthfully this Thanksgiving - and Enjoy it!:

1. Make a couple of healthy dishes to bring and to share
2. Eat a healthy snack or a meal prior to the get together - fill up if necessary
3. Eat or drink something sweet but healthy prior to satisfy that craving for unhealthy sweets
4. Brush your teeth right before
5. Have the right frame of mind - you are not being deprived!
6. Decide before you go how you want to eat to lessen chances of succumbing to temptation

A note about #6. It is completely your decision how far you want to go to be healthy. Your motivation will depend on your perceived need and your desire.

I say "perceived" because if we're eating the Standard American Diet, eventually we will become sick, diseased, and die prematurely from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or other complication. But if you're young and your body is still nobly battling against the fuel you are giving it, or you feel like you're not in that bad shape, then you won't perceive your need to be that great.

And who wants to change something they enjoy, even if they know it's not good for them (everything in moderation, right?) unless they know they really have to. My response to that moderation thing is, Would you take arsenic in moderation, too?

Arsenic may do the job quicker, but unhealthy "food" is just as deadly.

Maybe you want to eat healthfully all year long, and then indulge with family and friends twice a year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's perfectly fine, if that helps you stay on track the rest of the year.

This isn't about doing "it" perfectly - and it's not about guilt or beating ourselves up when we "fall off the wagon". This is about continuing to move in the direction of eating and living a healthy lifestyle.

The neat thing about eating healthy, getting lots of exercise, fresh air and sunshine, is that we begin to feel better, healthier; we have more energy, and those extra pounds just drop off. People tell us that we glow with good health!

Even long-standing physical problems begin to go away, all because we've given our bodies the proper fuel so that they can heal themselves. How marvelous!

I will be posting recipes as quickly as I can, to give you more options and alternatives to eat healthy during this season. So please check back often for updates.

I will give credit to the authors whenever possible; if I miss giving credit it is because I don't recall where I got that particular recipe from and would appreciate if anyone who knows would tell me so that I may give proper credit.

Phyllis Towse

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Still More Dangers of Salt!


We continue in this article to talk about more of the dangers of Salt.

According to Paul Bragg N.D. Ph.D. in "Healthy Heart: Keep Your Cardiovascular System Healthy and Fit at any Age", ... it cannot be digested, assimilated or utilized by the body. He also says that it may bring on troubles in the kidneys, bladder, heart, arteries, veins and blood vessels.

He further states that it "interferes with the normal digestion of food. Pepsin, an enzyme found in the hydrochloric acid of the stomach, is essential for the digestion of proteins. When salt is used, only 50% as much pepsin is secreted as would otherwise be the case...... The result is excessive putrefaction of protein, and in some cases, gas and digestive distress."

Dr. Bernard Jensen says this in "Health Magic Through Chlorophyll": Liquid chlorophyll contains the most potent, vital cell salts a person can take into the body. When we crave salt, I feel it is because the body doesn't have all the elements it should have from these greens."

Dr. Russell L. Blaylock includes salt in his list of deadly excitotoxins in his book, "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills".

Most cultures do not use salt as a food. We know that it was used for centuries to preserve meat when no other method was available. We have refrigerators for that purpose today!

The Egyptians used salt for embalming, which seems like a much better use for it to me.

It does add flavor to otherwise bland food, such as foods that have lost all their flavor and nutrients through the cooking process.

What about the iodine that is in salt that our bodies need?

The small amount of iodine necessary to the health of our thyroid that is present in table salt can be obtained through adding to your diet small amounts of sea vegetables, such as dulse flakes, nori, kelp, etc.

Surprisingly, strawberries are also a good source of iodine.

You can dehydrate your own celery, chopped up, to add to any dish for a salty flavor. Rinsed sea vegetables such as dulse flakes, nori, kelp, etc., are also good substitutes.

Better yet, just learn to enjoy uncooked fruits and vegetables for their own delicious flavors!

Phyllis Towse

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Tips for Eating Healthy this Thanksgiving!


It seems hard to believe, but Thanksgiving will be here again before we know it.

Thanksgiving - a time of giving thanks to God for His abundant blessings, and a time to be with family that maybe we haven't seen all year. Lots of food, laughter, football games on tv, food, the sound of of children playing, more food, lots of talking and catching up, and still more food.

Let's face it, food is a HUGE part of this holiday. So how can we get through this holiday without those extra pounds and that feeling of regret the day after?

I've seen lots of tips on the internet and in magazines for eating "healthy" - but they include the usual turkey, mashed potatoes with cow's milk, and gravy made with a little less oil than usual. Is this really healthy?

If you really want mashed potatoes, at least make your own and use a nut milk, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil into it, and add some herbs. But please skip the turkey!

But, if you really want to eat healthfully this year, I've got some ideas that will help.
  • Make a couple of healthy dishes to bring and to share – one entree and one dessert. Extra food is always appreciated and often will be a good conversation starter. It may also help someone there who wants to eat healthy but isn't sure how and doesn't know that there are delicious options.
Of course if you are hosting the get-together, what you make is completely up to you! And it will be one Thanksgiving everyone is sure to remember.
  • If you are going out, eat something really healthy first, before you go out or before company comes! Especially if you think you will be tempted, fill up on it so you're not even hungry when you get there.
  • Another trick is to eat or drink something sweet but healthy. Maybe a quart of green smoothie, or a banana/carob/date drink. Those are both really filling and satisfies a sweet tooth and helps greatly with those unhealthy cravings, and with feeling like we are missing out on something.
  • Brush your teeth right before you leave or before company comes. I found years ago that there is something about having a clean mouth that discourages the desire to eat. This would help with the pre-dinner snacks.
You may even want to bring a toothbrush and toothpaste (a healthy one without fluoride or abrasive chemicals that strip the enamel) with you, if you think that will help, to keep from snacking later on.

And, most importantly,
  • Decide well before you go, what you want to do. That way you won't feel pressured to sample everything that you really don't want to.
Remember that it is an attitude, or mindset – you are not being deprived of anything, not at all! Quite the opposite. You are making intelligent choices to live longer, be free from pain and sickness, and eat a delicious diet. How great is that?

This is the first in a series of articles entitled, "How to Eat Healthfully this Thanksgiving - and Enjoy It!". I do hope these articles will be helpful to you.

Phyllis Towse

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

More Dangers of Salt

If you missed my last article on salt, you can click here.

Salt is not a food. There is no reason to include salt in a healthy diet!

Salt in the body holds about 96 times its weight in water. The average person is walking around with excess fluid in their bodies due to salt accumulation. This disrupts the fluid balance, increases blood pressure and causes dehydration of blood capillaries.

John T. Richter in "Nature The Healer", has quite a lot to say about salt:

"Table salt, and all other salts except those found in their organic stages in fruits and vegetables, are inorganic substances which cannot be assimilated by the body and must be discarded by the bloodstream at the earliest opportunity.

Usually the salt is deposited in the joints, particularly the knees, elbows, ankles, wrists, and the like, resulting later in arthritis and rheumatism."

Furthermore, he asks, "What is the first symptom of salt deposits in the joints? Do they crack when you do a knee bend? If so, your joints are commencing to become dry due to the salt deposits having absorbed all the synovial fluid which acts as a lubricant in those regions. Salt has a tremendous attraction for water and all other liquids.

No wonder doctors prescribe innumerable glasses of water daily so that their patients may to some extent satisfy the incessant craving for liquid caused by the salt they are eating. Remember that salt may dissolve in water and in the saliva of the mouth, but it will recrystallize within a very short time and under no circumstances will it be absorbed into the bodily structure.

It will collect wherever there is room for it to be deposited, but it will no more be absorbed than sand is absorbed by the gears into which you may have thrown it. Salt, in its effect, is like that of sand in gears; it irritates and slowly but surely destroys."

That was a very long quote, but I thought it worth quoting in full.

I will do one more article on salt, and then I am looking forward to talking about some of the wonderful benefits and blessings of eating healthfully!

Until then, try to eliminate or at least severely reduce the amount of salt that you ingest. After a short while you really won't miss it, and neither will you miss its deadly effects.

Phyllis Towse

Monday, November 3, 2008

Do We Need Salt - or Sodium?


Refined table salt is composed of from 97.5% to 99% of sodium chloride, and 1% to 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents and iodine.

According to Wikipedia: "Salt is a dietary mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride that is essential for animal life, but toxic to most land plants."

Apparently it just takes longer to kill us than it does plants.

To assume that because it has become a staple of our daily life, it must be healthy, is faulty logic, and absurd.

There was a time people didn't know how deadly putting lead into paint is, or that eating out of pewter dishes is deadly.

To us it's obvious only because we now know, after many people became ill and even died from these things. But they didn't know then, just as we're only beginning to learn now of the harm of so many things that we do today that are slowly killing us.

Table salt it is dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt, causing a myriad of health problems in the body. Here are some of them:

. Hypertension (high blood pressure)
. Stroke
. Obesity
. Coronary heart disease
. Myocardial infarction
. Angina Pectoris
. Congestive heart failure
. Kidney failure
. PMS
. Heartburn
. Ulcers
. Manic-depression


Do you really want this substance in your body?

What our bodies need is sodium, which can easily be obtained from raw vegetables and fruits such as:

. Celery
. Beets
. Figs
. Kale
. Sesame Seeds
. Sunflower seeds
. Red peppers
. Radishes


Nearly all processed foods are loaded with salt, giving us far more than our bodies can handle.

Amazingly, even after we remove salt from our diet, it continues to show up in the urine for up to a year or more from where the body has stockpiled it to try to keep us alive.

Natural Sea Salt has been promoted as a healthy alternative in recent years, but is it really?

Why would sea salt, which is derived from sea water which is, as everyone knows, poisonous to drink, suddenly be healthy when the water is removed, thereby concentrating it?

To me that logic also seems faulty, but then maybe it's just me....

Giving up salt isn't as difficult as you might think, and as long as your diet consists of a nice variety of raw veggies and fruits, you will soon find that if you not only don't miss it, but if you accidentally get a taste of it, it will actually taste like poison. Hmm.

Phyllis Towse

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Benefits and Blessing of Good Health

Here are just some of the benefits and blessings you will gain from practicing a healthy diet and lifestyle:

. No more aches and pains!

. No down time due to illness

. More money in your pocket (fewer doctor visits, medical insurance, prescriptions)

. More energy to do things, which means...

. Able to accomplish more of the things you've been wanting to do

. Better quality sleep

. Look better, younger

. Live longer

. A more positive mental attitude

Honestly, who doesn't want all these things? But most people don't seem to really believe they are attainable.

Part of the difficulty lies in looking at things from a perspective other than that with which most of us were brought up. We have come to expect that just by growing old we will lose our memories and our minds, have brittle bones and break our hips, die from cancer, heart disease or diabetes, and generally grow more unhealthy.

Just because that is, tragically, the case for most of the population of this country, doesn't mean that it is unavoidable.

The truth is that we can control, to a very large degree, how healthy we are.

Of course there are some things we cannot control: accidents, or the few truly genetic diseases. But for the most part, good health is within the reach of every single person, if we are willing to learn and to put forth a little effort.

When you don't have good health, nothing else seems to matter much. When you are healthy, it seems you have the whole world before you.

When you don't have good health, you are busy looking after yourself. When you are healthy, you can help others.

Remember that there are several facets to being healthy:

. Eating a diet of primarily uncooked fruits and vegetables

. Eliminating disease-causing foods

. Exercising at least 5 times per week, preferably daily

. Getting enough fresh air

. Getting enough sunshine

. Getting enough sleep and rest

. Dealing effectively with stress

Go one step at a time. Make one change at a time, beginning with where you are right now, and you will very soon begin to reap all the incredible benefits of good health. It is so worth it!

You can do it!!

Phyllis Towse

Friday, October 31, 2008

The "Healthy" Oils Controversy

There is quite a controversy among experts in the field of health about whether or not cold-pressed, unheated oils are healthy.

Most of us now know that canola oil, or rapeseed oil (from the rapeseed plant), is unhealthy for us.

But what about those "good" oils?

Extra virgin olive oil is the first one that typically comes to mind.

Proponents say that because it is cold-pressed, and from the first pressing, it contains valuable nutrients and is healthy for us. Lots and lots of gourmet raw recipes are loaded with it.

There are also the pure sunflower, sesame seed, and safflower oils that are recommended and touted as the best and healthiest to use.

It's true that when a person is trying to become more healthy and get away from the SAD (Standard American Diet) of canned, processed, deep-fried, loaded with fats and sugars - anything is better! That's why so many new raw fooders make those elaborate raw dishes that are substitutes for the cooked version.

And nearly all of them require a good amount of oil.

However, there are other experts who maintain that fat is fat, and no oil is healthy for us in that form. First of all, it is a highly refined product, which is something we are trying to get away from in the SAD.

Also it is 100% fat! Dr. Doug Graham, author of several books, including "The 80/10/10 Diet", recommends taking the oil in the whole food, not separated out. When the oil is extracted, it's missing all the fiber, the nutrients, all the good things that we are intended to get from the whole food.

The Rave Diet also recommends taking no oil. Mike Anderson, author of "The Rave Diet" book, says, "There are other problems with vegetables oils, however.

These oils contain high levels of saturated fat, which is essentially "cholesterol in disguise" because it stimulates your liver to make more cholesterol than your body needs and ends up clogging arteries.

In fact, adding any oil to your food will raise your cholesterol level, even more than eating cholesterol itself."

It only makes sense it is healthiest to eat the whole food - have the whole avocado, or olive, or sunflower, or sesame seed. And much tastier than drinking a cup of oil!

Phyllis Towse

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Comfort for the Grieving

If you haven't yet gone through a tragedy in your life - just wait, it's coming. Tragedy and grief are a part of life, unfortunately. It can come in many ways:

Unfaithfulness by a spouse
Divorce
Death of a loved one

They are all death, in a way. Isn't unfaithfulness, and divorce, the death of a dream? The death of a way of life, the death of trust. Terribly painful to go through, and difficult to get beyond.

When we're in the midst of tragedy, it feels as if the grieving will never end. But it does. Psalm 31:5 says, "... weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

It may not be the very next sunrise, but take heart: joy will come back into your heart and your life.

The Psalms are a favorite book to read for comfort. And no wonder - they remind us that we are not all alone in our desperate situation. David certainly knew about pain, rejection, sadness, loss.

"Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate." Psalm 143:4

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee." Psalm 143:8

"The Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart..." Psalm 34:18a

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear..." Psalm 46:1

When we're in the midst of a painful situation, it helps tremendously to have a Godly and wise friend (or friends) to be with as much as you can. God doesn't intend for us to go through these things all by ourselves.

He comforts us best of all, but sometimes we need a friend's hug, or gentle touch, to remind us that we matter, that we are loved, that we are special and very valuable.

Also know that God is in control, even when your life seems completely out of control. If He wasn't, He wouldn't be God, would He?

"Fear you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

He wants us to tell Him what is hurting, not because He doesn't already know, but because He wants that intimate relationship with us.

"Casting all your care on him; for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

"And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

With God, there is always hope to get us through whatever trial we are in, because if we are His in Christ Jesus, He promises to go through them with us.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you....." Isaiah 43:2a

Phyllis Towse

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Harmful and Healthy Sugars - Part 1

God gave every one of us a sweet tooth - we all crave sweets, and there is absolutely nothing harmful about that. How we choose to satisfy that sweet tooth determines whether it becomes detrimental to our health, or actually beneficial.

Let's talk about some of the the harmful sugars first.

Most people know by now that white sugar is bad for you. Refined sugar comes in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup. Even honey is a refined sugar, as well as molasses, brown sugar, and raw (turbenado) sugar.

It depresses the immune system, making us more susceptible to disease. The immune system is our body's first line of defense against disease.
  • It harms our endocrine system
  • It upsets the body's mineral balance
  • It leads to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, arthritis, osteoperosis, allergies, and cardiovascular
  • It contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, mood swings, depression
  • It can cause kidney damage
  • It can cause headaches
  • It contributes to weight gain and obesity
  • It leads to decreased glucose tolerance
  • It can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and gray hair
At the turn of the 20th century, the intake of refined sugar per person per year was about 5 pounds. A hundred years later the figure has skyrocketed to 170 pounds! Think about it - that comes to over 50 teaspoons per day!!

That figure might seem impossible until you realize that sugar is in practically every processed food that you purchase. A 12 ounce can of soda contains about 11 teaspoons of sugar.

Ice cream is 37% sugar, and many breakfast cereals contain over 50% sugar.

There are absolutely zero nutrients in sugar, and zero fiber. Of course sugar substitutes are just as deadly, but that's for another article.

Tomorrow we'll talk about how to satisfy a sweet tooth in a healthy, and guilt-free way!

Phyllis Towse

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

It's Time for Your Flu Shot - Or Is It? Part 2

In Part 1 I talked about just some of the dangers of the flu vaccination, and what are some of the deadly ingredients that are put into it.

Yesterday I listed formaldehyde as one of the ingredients in the flu shot.

According to the National Cancer Institute, "Formaldehyde is a chemical used in manufacturing and chemical industries, and as a preservative by anatomists, embalmers, and pathologists. Being exposed to formaldehyde may increase the risk of developing leukemia and brain cancer."

We were always told that the mercury in thermometers was dangerous if they were to break open and we were exposed to it. And yet we're supposed to believe it's safer when it's injected into our bodies? What kind of logic does that follow?

Dr. James R. Shannon, former director of the National Institute of Health said, "The only safe vaccine is one that is never used."

Dr. Mercola says that "Vaccines, like mega-billion drugs, actually do little to protect you from the flu. Most people have been led to believe--by the pharmaceutical powers that dominate conventional medicine and really like your money--that viruses like the flu bug are the problem, but they aren't.

The real problem: Most people have weakened and impaired immune systems that are unable to function as they're designed to because of horrendous dietary habits ......"

Dr. Ben Kim says that he never recommends flu shots. He also says, "Based on everything that I know about flu shots, I think it's pretty clear that their main effect is to tax and possibly weaken one's immune system." (Check out the link on Dr. Kim's name to see a short humorous (and scary) video on what's in vaccines.)

There are many good sources of information available if you would like to become further informed on the very real dangers of flu and other vaccines. Here are some:

Why You Should Avoid Taking Vaccines an article by Dr. Jim Howenstine, MD
Why I Never Get Flu Shots or Snorts, an article by Chet Day
Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal a DVD starring DO Sherri J. Tenpenny
Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? a book by Neil Z. Miller

In conclusion: The flu shot, at best, is useless, and at worst you are likely to "catch" something far worse than the flu you were trying to avoid in the first place.

Is it worth the risk?

Your best chance of not getting the flu this season is to make sure your immune system is strong enough to resist it. How? By eating right, getting enough rest and sleep, fresh air, exercise and sunlight.

It really is that simple.

Phyllis Towse

Monday, October 27, 2008

It's Time for Your Flu Shot - Or Is It? Part 1

Now is the time of year that many people start talking about getting their yearly flu shot, and we hear of concerned pharmacies and stores offering flu clinics. Doctors recommend it, so it must be safe and beneficial, right?

We tend to think of and treat our doctors as if they were gods, as if they knew everything about how to make us well when we are sick. The sad truth is that most of them were schooled in disease management, not health creation.

The flu shot is another example of how listening to your doctor can harm you!

Here's what's most likely in the flu shot you or someone dear to you will be getting when they dutifully go for their shot:

Thimerosal (which is mercury, for heaven's sake!). There is an established a link between thimerosal presence in vaccines and autism.

Because of this link, New York recently passed a law banning the use of thimerosal in vaccines or flu shots to be given to young children and pregnant women.

But that doesn't mean it's safe for everyone else.

It can also contain anything from aluminum, formaldehyde, dangerous microorganisms, ethyle glycol, and other toxic substances! In addition, the flu vaccine is prepared from the fluids of chicken embryos inoculated with the specific type(s) of influenza virus that supposedly protects against the strains federal health officials believe (maybe they have a crystal ball) will be the most prevalent during the flu season.

In truth, the flu shot actually weakens the immune system in the long run. Nobody knows for sure exactly what negative effects all those poisons will have on the immune system. Some of them are known to interfere with your DNA.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is another danger from flu shots.

Author Tim O'Shea said in "The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination is Not Immunization":
"A vaccine supposedly contains some version of the causative agent, in a weakened form. With influenza, by the time the virus is isolated, cultured for manufacture, and distributed to the population, the virus that is causing the current incidence of influenza has usually changed to a form completely unaffected by the vaccine.

Michael Decker, MD of Aventis, the flu vaccine manufacturer, admits, 'By the time you know what's the right strain, you can't do anything about it.'"

Guillain-Barre syndrome may be one of the dangers of flu shots. This is a disease in which the body damages it's own nerve cells resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis and sometimes permanent nerve damage. The syndrome was first associated with the swine flu shots of 1976, but a subsequent study concluded that Guillain-Barre syndrome was one of the possible flu shot risks.

And the list goes on.

Look for more information in Part 2 - more dangers and ways to stay healthy without getting a flu shot.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Is Decaffeinated Coffee Better than Regular?

Many people are switching over to decaffeinated coffee from their super-charged "regular" coffee, feeling much better and safer now about drinking coffee.

Unfortunately, there are still problems with drinking even decaf, including the fact that by law up to 2.5% of the caffeine is allowed to remain in order for a product to be labeled "decaffeinated".

Let's start with the 4 methods of decaffeination that are used.
  1. Chemical removal using methylene chloride
  2. Chemical removal using ethyl acetate
  3. The Swiss Method (Water extraction)
  4. The use of carbon dioxide
Most decaffeinated coffee is created by using one of the first two methods.

Chemical removal of the caffeine from unroasted beans begins warming the beans in steam or even hot water which opens the pores of the beans. They are rinsed in methylene chloride (said to be a carcinogen) to bind the caffeine only to then be flushed away.

­Ethyl acetate processed products are referred to as "naturally decaffeinated" because ethyl acetate is a chemical found naturally in many fruits. Caffeine is extracted in the same way as with methylene chloride processing, except that ethyl acetate is the solvent.

The Swiss method is a completely different process, and more expensive. It soaks the beans in hot water for several hours, and then filters the water through activated charcoal to remove the caffeine.

To decaffeinate using carbon dioxide (CO2), water-softened materials are "pressure cooked" with the gas. This method retains the flavor of the coffee better.

So far so good; except, of course, for the potential health consequence of using these solvents.

Here's an interesting fact, according to an ezinearticle: "...the taste difference is less likely to come from the presence or absence of caffeine as from any remaining processing chemicals and whether they removed flavor-producing elements."

Let's just hope they do a really good job of rinsing those chemicals off!

According to a 3 month study presented at the American Heart Association, Scientific Sessions, "Decaffeinated coffee increased fatty acids in the blood that fuel production of LDL (bad cholesterol)." This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the first non-industry funded study of its kind.

Why is this important? Because there is a much better chance for honest objectivity when the funding doesn't come from a company that makes money from the product being evaluated!

Decaffeinated coffee beans contain the same acidic level as regular coffee beans. This overstimulates the digestive tract and causes laxative-like responses. It also prevents the body from absorbing various minerals, such as iron, calcium and magnesium.

Decaf coffee can still induce heartburn and acid reflux, and still poses the threat of developing diseases like osteoporosis and glaucoma.

It is so much healthier for your body to drink pure water or a healthy smoothie!

Phyllis Towse

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Caffeine, a Legal Drug


When someone says "caffeine", we immediately think of coffee, don't we?

Certainly it is in coffee, but it is also in caffeinated soft drinks, energy drinks, tea, weight loss pills, and over the counter pills to help people stay awake. There's even a little in decaffeinated coffee.

Ever wonder exactly what that "buzz" is that you get from drinking a really good cuppa joe?

It's actually the body's defense mechanism, desperately trying to rid the body of poison! And poison is not too strong a word for caffeine.

Some people have so compromised their health that the body has put down layers of protection so that the caffeine isn't absorbed as quickly into their system. This is why there are people who can drink strong coffee, or a caffeinated soda like Mountain Dew, in the evening and still go to sleep.

Caffeine affects the central nervous system. It can cause insomnia, migraines, skin disorders, irritability and anxiety. And the results of getting less sleep than our bodies require means more disease and faster aging.
It also overworks the adrenals and reduces sports performance.

According to the International Food Administration Council, a daily intake of caffeine can increase your risk of, or worsen the following ailments:
  • Allergies
  • Heart arrhyhmia
  • Insomnia or disrupted sleep
  • Infertility problems
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Miscarriage
  • Panic, anxiety, and overall stress
  • Headaches
  • Thyroid disease
  • Osteoporosis
  • Birth defects
  • Miscarriages
  • Infertility
  • Cancers
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Ulcers and heartburn
  • Fibrocystic breast disease

Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of "Eat to Live", says on page 241 in his book that "Caffeine addicts are at higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias that could precipitate sudden death. Coffee raises blood pressure and raises both cholesterol and homocysteine, two risk factors for heart disease."

He attributes these problems to anything over one cup per day.

We frequently hear studies that conclude that a cup of regular coffee a day is good for us. Just what we wanted to hear! Of course, the people who fund those particular studies are none other than the Coffee Industry.

Yep, it's all about money, sad to say.

It is also addicting, as any regular drinker who has tried giving it up can attest to. Then there are those terrible headaches that accompany withdrawal.

Yes, caffeine is a legal drug, one that smells wonderful, is socially acceptable and is offered everywhere these days. But we drink it at our own peril.

Phyllis Towse

Friday, October 24, 2008

Green Smoothies vs Juicing

In my article yesterday on Green Smoothies, I talked about what a green smoothie is, and listed some of its benefits. I also gave some suggestions for ingredients.

Today I'd like to talk about some of the differences between green smoothies and juicing.

So what is the difference between juicing and a green smoothie, and how do you know which is better?

First of all, let me point out that they are very different. Both juicing and smoothies seem to have their own advantages. Each certainly has its own following and supporters!

When you juice vegetables or fruits, you are extracting the liquid and leaving behind all the fiber and some vitamins and minerals. It is certainly no longer a whole food.

There are many, many people who were extremely sick from many kinds of diseases, including terminal stages of cancer, who have juiced aggressively and found healing for their bodies. Dr. Norman Walker (inventor of the Norwalk Juicer), Dr. Lorraine Day, and Rev. George Malkmus are three examples that come immediately to mind.

Proponents of juicing claim that when the body is in a compromised state due to disease, the juice will get into the bloodstream much quicker than a whole food, and thereby nourish the cells and begin the healing process faster.

Certainly this has worked for many people, although in fairness I would also point out that along with the juicing they eliminated unhealthy foods from their diet.

Dr. Doug Graham, however, author of the 80/10/10 Diet, claims that our bodies need the whole food, that juicing refines the food and therefore is not as nourishing.

Victoria Boutenka claims in her book, Green For Life, that even when people simply added a quart of smoothie to their daily diets, without changing anything else in their diets, they experienced dramatic results.

I did not personally find that, but that is probably because my diet was already cleaned up.

Green smoothies are much easier and quicker to prepare, with less clean-up after.

They are best made with a high speed blender, but can be done with a regular blender.

The taste of a green smoothie is more appealing to many people.

Unfortunately, most people who recommend green smoothies claim they are good for us because they are what our nearest relatives, gorillas/apes/monkeys eat.

I believe their conclusion is sound, and agree that we are genetically similar to primates. That is not in dispute. And certainly green smoothies are extremely healthy for us, but the basis for their conclusion is fatally flawed.

We did not descend from the ape - evolution is technically not even a theory, it's so poorly contrived. However, we do share the same Creator. We ate nothing but plant food back in the Garden of Eden and thrived.

We are simply re-discovering an old truth, and it is God who deserves the glory.

Phyllis Towse

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Green Smoothies!


Green Smoothies!

A super easy and delicious way to get the bulk of your vitamins and nutrients for the day is to start adding a green smoothie into your daily diet.

Green smoothies have been around for a long time, but they have recently been popularized by and generally given credit to raw foodist Victoria Boutenka.

So what exactly is a green smoothie?

Basically it's 1/3 bananas, 1/3 leafy green vegetables, and 1/3 juicy, sweet fruit and water.

One of the best things about this is that you can design them to suit your own particular tastes!

Suggestions for the leafy green vegetable portion are:
kale
Romaine lettuce
parsley
spinach
swiss chard


Suggestions for fruits include:
peaches
nectarines
mango
kiwi
strawberries
blueberries
apples
raspberries
pineapple

The benefits to adding a quart of green smoothie to your daily diet are many.

To start with, you can get all the nutrients from all the individual fruits and vegetables without having to sit and chew for an hour.

Your body can process all the vitamins and minerals much faster than if you were to sit and chew everything individually.

You can easily bring a quart of green smothie with you to work or while traveling, and know that you are getting your nourishment.

It will fill you up and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.

As far as quantity to put in, go by the size of whatever your blender will safely hold, and divide that into thirds. Then add maybe a quart of distilled water, depending on the size of your blender, again, and also how thick or thin you want it to be.

To get you started, use any kind of a blender from Wal-mart or wherever. You will most likely find that it will not stand up to daily use, though, for very long. Hopefully that will not be the case!

I recommend the Vita-Mix very highly, as it is the very best and most powerful blender around. I have had mine for over 10 years, and I use it nearly every day. It can handle frozen bananas, frozen fruits, even ice cubes with ease.

The Vita-Mix breaks down the foods better than any other blender, into a form even smaller than how our own teeth can chew it, so your body will assimilate more of the nutrients. Click here for more information on that.

I recently purchased a K-Tec blender just to compare, and to me there was just no comparison. I didn't even want the K-tec as a back-up! That said, however, there are many people that are satisfied with a K-Tec, but I cannot personally recommend them.

My favorite combination is bananas, peaches, kale and parsley. Yum!

Anyway, experiment with your own favorite combinations of green, leafy vegetables and sweet, juicy fruits and find your own favorite!

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Our Body's Need for Water - Part 2

In Part 1 of Our Body's Need for Water, we talked about some of the reasons why we need to drink pure water, and lots of it.

Today I'd like to get a little more specific about what happens when we don't get enough water, and why fruits and vegetables are truly the very best source.

Dehydration

By the time you feel really thirsty, it is too late - you are already dehydrated.


Many people are dehydrated and don't know it because it can show up in many ways, including many diseases such as asthma, allergies, cancer, and kidney stones.

Here are some of the milder symptoms:

. Infrequent urination
. Dark yellow urine
. Dry skin
. Loss of appetite
. Feeling tired and/or weak
. Irritability
. Cravings
. Headache
. Cramps
. Constipation

Water is needed to lubricate every cell and joint in the body, so it should come as no surprise that joint and back problems occur when there is insufficient intake.

Severe dehydration causes many diseases, and eventually death. If our bodies lose just 10% fluid, emergency medical intervention is necessary.

More about well water.

Many people think that they are getting lots of good minerals if they are drinking water from their own well. As I mentioned last time, the minerals in this form are insoluble.

They are inorganic, and as such our bodies cannot utilize them. In fact, they are harmful to us! When the body encounters these inorganic minerals, it tries to protect by tucking them away somewhere.

But what happens when they are stored in the joints is arthritis, in the intestinal walls we get constipation, and along the arteries, causing them to harden.

The kidneys and liver roll up the mineral deposits into little stones until they get too large for the ducts, becoming stones.

However, plants are designed to utilize inorganic minerals and in turn convert the inorganic to organic minerals, which our bodies can now use.

So we, in all our wisdom and intelligence, have it exactly backwards. God had it right.... in the beginning.

If you'd like to read further on this subject, here are some good places to get started:

. Your Body's Many Cries for Water: You are Not Sick, You are Thirsty, by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj

. Water Can Undermine Your Health, by Dr. Norman Walker

. The Choice is Clear, by Dr. Allen E. Banik

. Water, the Ultimate Cure, by Steve Meyerowitz

. Water: the Shocking Truth That Can Save Your Life, by Paul C. Bragg and Patricia Bragg

By the way, salt and alcohol are very dehydrating substances. I'll be writing more on salt very soon.

Phyllis Towse

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Our Body's Need for Water - Part 1


Water helps stabilize and cool the body; it transports nutrients; it dilutes and carries away wastes; it bathes every cell and hydrates our skin; it works intimately with air and sunshine to promote life and growth.

Just as it cleans and refreshes us on the outside, so it does on the inside.

Back in school we learned that our bodies contain approximately 70% water. But most of us never made the connection that therefore we need to make sure we injest sufficient water to maintain that balance.

And so we grew up drinking milk, soda, tea and coffee. Water seldom figured in our diets. But those liquids are simply not appropriate substitutes for water.

Our water supply needs to be replenished on a daily basis because we lose water every day through physical activity, eating, while sleeping - simply breathing removes moisture from our bodies. It's been said that we lose up to 10 glasses of water per day with normal activity.

We now know that many diseases are actually a deficiency of water, the result of ignoring our body's desperate need for water over a lifetime.

So how much water do we need?

A general rule of thumb for a healthy individual is 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. So, for example, if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink approximately 50 ounces daily.

If you are ill or suffering from any disease, your body requires a lot more.

What is the best kind of drinking water? It is generally agreed by experts that distilled water is the best.

Certainly not the fluoridated and chlorinated water that comes into our houses from municipal supplies, nor well water that may be contaminated or contains insoluble minerals.

If you purchase distilled water from the store, be sure when you open it that it doesn't smell like plastic. If it does, that means that the plastic has leached into the water and you don't want to drink it.

You can purchase a water distiller for the home at reasonable prices (from $100 to $200) that should last you several years, and actually save you money over purchasing bottles at the store.

But: The very best and purest water that we can drink comes from whole, fresh, ripe, raw, organic fruits and vegetables.

These foods contain the best water on the planet!

Water that contains the nutrients, minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, etc., all in a form that our bodies can assimilate and utilize.

Click here for Part 2 of "Our Body's Need for Water".

pH in the Body - What's That?

We need to begin any serious discussion of diet with an explanation of the body's pH balance. The "p" stands for "potenz" (this means the potential to be) and the "H" stands for Hydrogen.

But what it means for us isn't really complicated.

Your body, all on its own, is constantly adjusting its pH balance to stabilize it (homeostasis). Normal blood pH should be slightly alkaline, or 7.365, according to Robert O. Young, PhD, DSc, author of The pH Miracle.

Anything above the pH scale of 7 is alkaline, below it is acidic. Below 6.8 or above 7.8 and cells stop functioning, and the body dies.

So as you can see, our bodies take its job of neutralizing the pH balance very seriously.

As long ago as 1931, Otto Warburg received the Nobel Prize for discovering that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. He stated clearly then that nobody could say we do not know the primary cause of cancer! Hmm. Oh well, I'll go after that one another time.

Processed foods (anything in a jar or a can, basically), high protein foods (all animal products, even otherwise healthy seeds and nuts), drugs (prescription and illegal), coffee, soft drinks, even air pollution, all contribute to the acidity level in our bodies.

How does the body achieve the balance it continually strives for, in the absence of proper diet, rest, a calm emotional state, etc.?

It pulls (or leaches) important alkaline minerals from the body itself, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Calcium is taken from the bones and teeth, to neutralize the excess acid. So as a result of having safely removed the danger that we ourselves caused, osteoporosis occurs.

Dr. Theodore Baroody, author of Alkalize or Die, says that an acidic environment in the body is also conducive to the growth of health-destroying microorganisms. He says that as acidic wastes attack the joints, arthritis results (p. 20). As they attack the muscles, they cause muscle aches. As they attack glands and organs, they cause disease in those organs.

It's clear that we need to stop putting harmful, disease-causing foods into our bodies and start putting more healthful foods in, such as raw, whole, organic fruits and vegetables.

Phyllis Towse