HEALTH FOODS & NUTRIENTS
Special Foods Vitamins Minerals Amino Acids Digestive Enzymes Recipes Supplements SPECIAL FOODS
Various foods have general healing qualities or help to overcome specific health problems. Foods high in enzymes and growth hormones improve our overall health. Sprouted seeds, grass juice and unheated lactic-acid fermented food fall in this categeory as do fresh edible flowers such as nasturtium and male pumpkin flowers. Flower petals are especially high in bioflavonoids, which help fight and prevent allergies and inflammations.
Bee pollen is one of the best foods or supplements there is, a raw food rich in enzymes and hormones in addition to vitamins and minerals. You may take one to three teaspoonfuls several times daily. You may use it to flavour your vegetable juice or combine it with a teaspoon of spirulina in a drink. For easier digestion dissolve the pollen in liquid some time before ingesting it. Also, the cell wall of pollen is somewhat difficult to break down. Someone with a weak digestion may in addition predigest the pollen by mixing it with food to be fermented or with a small amount of leaf or green skin of papaw and refrigerate it overnight or use it with other digestive enzymes. Due to its sweetness pollen may cause wind if taken after a meal high in fibre.
Foods high in sulphur may be increased to improve detoxification. Such foods include raw egg yolk, onion, horseradish, watercress, turnip or other raw foods of the cabbage family. Most of these are also helpful in treating digestive ulcers; horseradish can be used to help treat mucus complaints.
Bananas are good energy providers for those with weak digestion. However, ripe and especially overripe Cavendish bananas often cause digestive discomfort or allergies in sensitive individuals, while Ladyfinger bananas do not normally cause problems. Sensitive individuals generally should avoid overripe fruit. Acid citrus fruits are excellent for improving liver functions, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cholesterol and fat levels.
Jerusalem artichoke in frequent small quantities is very beneficial for kidney functions and for those with diabetes. Eat about one the size of an egg every other day. Store Jerusalem artichokes in soil, not in the refrigerator. Also eating liver often helps those with diabetes and so does eating avocados and green beans. Fruit and vegetables grown in your own area are generally more health-giving than those grown far away.
SPROUTED SEEDS
Sprouted seeds and young shoots such as wheat grass provide a higher degree of vitality and rejuvenation than other foods. I recommend therefore that sprouted seeds become a mainstay of your diet. Most commonly used for sprouting are legumes such as lentils, peas, mung beans, fenugreek, alfalfa and chickpeas but the sprouting process can even be started with almonds, peanuts and sunflower kernels.
It is important to use seeds with a high germination power. Buy a small quantity for testing and if they sprout well buy a larger quantity and keep them in an airtight container. Lentils and mung beans are easy to start with.
Soak the seeds overnight and then rinse several times a day, drain well, spread out lightly and keep covered. Wash well again just before eating to remove any bacteria and fungi. If seeds are of poor quality and start rotting easily, use them when the germs just start to appear, otherwise wait until they are between 1 and 3 cm long, which is usually within three days.
Mung beans may retain hard pieces after soaking that can damage the teeth. This can be avoided by pouring some boiling water over the seeds initially and letting them soak in the cooling water. Peas and lentils, on the other hand, like it cool and sprouts easily deteriorate in hot conditions. Alfalfa seeds easily rot in wet conditions. They are best sprouted in an upturned jar that is covered with muslin held in place with a strong rubber band.
Alfalfa sprouts should be exposed to light after leaves have emerged while other sprouts usually taste better before leaves develop. Alfalfa sprouts are best avoided by those with an auto-immune disease or otherwise overactive immune system as well as cancer. Actually, it is safer to avoid growth hormones from sprouts with actively growing tumours.
Sprouted seeds may be refrigerated in a closed container after they have reached the desired length. Individuals who are rather sensitive to fungi and microbes may wash sprouted seeds in diluted hydrogen peroxide shortly before the meal. If you have difficulty chewing sprouted seeds or if they cause wind, try putting them through the juicer as part of your vegetable juice.
FERMENTED FOOD
The use of fermented food was widespread in former centuries. Well-known fermented foods are yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese, beer, cider and cider vinegar, pickles, miso, sauerkraut and sourdough bread.
The advantages of fermenting are several: it makes minerals more easily available for the body to absorb; it increases the amount of vitamins in the food and creates an abundance of enzymes; it preserves the food and introduces delicious flavours; it makes food much more easily digestible, being essentially a predigested' food, suitable for those who have a debilitating condition and a weak digestive system.
Today most of these traditional fermented foods are commercially made by purely chemical means, for example, vinegar, pickles, cheese and cottage cheese, baking products, the new brands of beer and wine substitutes. Such misuse of the fermentation process in preparing our staple foods may well be a major contributing factor in the cause of chronic diseases.
It is most important in all fermentation that a desirable strain of bacteria develops. This depends on the bacteria already present or introduced as well as on the temperature during fermenting. Basically we want lactic-acid bacteria that convert glucose into lactic acid. In order to ensure the development of pure bacterial cultures, the food is often heat-treated and then inoculated with the desired strain.
Grains such as rye, oats, millet, wheat, brown rice, and vegetables such as cabbage are best fermented at a temperature between 200C and 260C, while cultures containing yoghurt or acidophilus bacteria are best incubated between 300C and 400C.
There is a distinction between the fermentation of yeast and that of lactic acid bacteria. Yeast fermentation is used in traditionally made beer, wine and bread. Due to the overuse of antibiotics in recent decades, many individuals are now allergic or sensitive to yeast. Therefore it is advisable for sensitive individuals to restrict yeast products and for others to abstain periodically or after antibiotic treatment and test for incompatibility.
When fermentation is uncontrolled, as it is for instance when making sauerkraut or rejuvelac (water in which grains have been soaked for several days), a mixture of lactic-acid bacteria and yeasts usually develops. These products are not a problem for many, but sensitive individuals need to watch out and may have to avoid them.
Lactic-acid fermentation is the preferred method that is widely used in making yoghurt, sour milk, sour cream and cheeses the natural way. However, due to the mucus-forming potential of lactose, these products should be used with caution, especially if made from cow's milk. The curd causes less problems than the whey and goat's milk less than cow's milk. The whey contains most of the lactose. Most commercial, fermented milk products are heat-treated, often very high in lactose and best avoided. On the other hand, as a health food seed yoghurt may be used. This is commonly made from oily seeds such as nuts, almonds or sunflower kernels by adding acidophilus culture to the soaked and blended seeds. The spread of yeasts can be minimised by washing the seeds in diluted hydrogen peroxide before blending, adding a large amount of starter and letting it ferment for only a short period. The same applies to sourdough baking, which is also recommended.
Do not use strongly fermenting products that have become very sour. You may discard the whey and wash the curd; this may make it acceptable. Nevertheless, do not use any fermented food that has a foul smell or taste. The water used for fermentation should be free of chlorine and fluoride as these will poison enzymes.
Fermenting or fermented products should not be kept in metal containers nor should a metal spoon be left immersed in the food as this may cause metal poisoning. Plastic containers are not recommended for fermenting either. Fermented foods may be refrigerated for up to a week. Part of the former batch may be used as a starter for a new lot but beware of contamination with yeasts. It is especially important to eat fermented foods during and after a course of antibiotics but also when one has cancer or another degenerative disease.
PURPLE FOOD
The colour pigment in purple foods belongs to the large group of bio-active natural chemicals called bioflavonoids. We find them as red, blue and purple pigments in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Another important nutrient group are the carotenoids which form the yellow, orange and red colours in flowers and fruit. The pigments of purple foods are especially highly unsaturated and therefore are strong antioxidants. One important goup of purple pigments are the anthocyanins and proanthocyanins or PAC's. When many individual anthocyanin molecules are linked together they are also called oligo-proanthocyanins or OPC's. One such compound that is commercially extracted from pine bark is sold as pygnogenol. A cheaper product with similar qualities is sold as grape seed extract.
The OPC's have lost their purple colour but this may be restored when they are broken down into their individual components in the body. In nature these anthocyanins are bound to different sugars and they are then called anthocyanidins. During digestion the sugars are split off to release the anthocyanins for absorption. The term 'purple foods' as used here includes all foods that yield a purple juice when cooked or pressed with skin but that does not include eggplant.
The colour of black/purple/red grapes, blackberries, blueberries, red wine and red cabbage consists of anthocyanins, the individual molecules and active form of PACs. The pigment of beetroot belongs to a subgroup of anthocyanins, the betacyanins. Both groups have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and improve the elasticity of blood vessels and skin. PACs, anthocyanins and betacyanins also help to restore normal oxidative metabolism or cell respiration. With this, they are important not only for normalising cancer cells but also with chronic fatigue and general lack of energy by taking the role of oxygen as electron acceptors. Furthermore, purple foods in sufficient amounts can improve the elasticity of skin and blood vessels. With this and in combination with other bioflavonoids they are beneficial with various diseases such as allergies, inflammation, infections, parasites, cancer, liver disease, vascular diseases, thrombosis (blood clotting), chemical toxicity and coronary artery disease.
Purple foods should generally be eaten with the skin as this is usually most strongly coloured. However, with purple onions the outer skins are not directly edible and you may utilise these as a tea. Grapes should be well rinsed before eating to remove fungi or moulds. Sensitive individuals and especially those with Candida may find it preferable in addition to soak the grapes for a while with some added hydrogen peroxide. When grapes are not in season, the juice of black grapes has reportedly been used with good success in the treatment of cancer. For this about 750 ml of juice should be sipped spaced out during the morning with no other food before lunch.
Beetroot
The vegetable that I most strongly recommend for general health improvement and especially for those with cancer is beetroot. The purple pigment has been shown to increase and normalise cell respiration - the oxygen-based energy production within cells. Thus beetroot is one of the key foods in preventing as well as curing cancer. It is equally important in the treatment of other degenerative diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome that are all characterised by reduced cell respiration. .
The active ingredient in beetroot is called betacyanin with two carbonyl groups (C=0-). What happens when cellular energy is produced through the oxidation of nutrients is that electrons and hydrogen ions are transferred onto the inhaled oxygen to produce water and energy. In cancer cells and with chronic fatigue the respiratory enzymes that accomplish this transfer have been diminished or destroyed. The colour pigment in beetroot (and other purple food) strongly binds electrons and hydrogen and with this can reactivate the production of cellular oxidative energy. Seeger and others (1990) have shown that the respiration of cancer cells can be completely normalised by a combination of beetroot, raw fermented food and vitamin C. The multiplication of cancer cells would thus stop, and tumours become non-virulent. Clinical tests using beetroot with cancer patients revealed that often tumours regressed and disappeared.
Therefore use plenty of beetroot grated in salads, juiced and cooked; also the residue from juicing may be cooked. Occasionally a small root may leave an acrid aftertaste. Taste suspect roots before making salads or juice; cooking them is fine, and beet tops may be cooked also. Tinned beetroot has lost most of its pigments and is of little value.
Beetroot may be available only seasonally. You may store a larger quantity in moist sand. Keep the tops exposed in a cool, shaded place with just enough moisture to prevent drying out. After a good root system has developed you may also let them continue to grow in a sandy and well drained soil, neither too wet nor too dry to avoid rotting or mould development, check frequently.
RAW EGG
Fresh raw eggs, genuinely free-range from chooks fed on grains and greens, have health-giving and healing properties. However, egg allergy is widespread and eggs should be tested with habitual consumption. Raw egg yolk does not raise the cholesterol level; it is high in sulphur compounds that strengthen connective tissue and detoxify the liver.
Fresh raw egg yolk has long been known to enhance or rejuvenate the sexual energies that are required not only for having sex, but more importantly for creative activity in general and for physical fitness. Very fresh, raw, beaten egg white, on the other hand, has germicidal properties. A cure for leukaemia has been reported from eating only raw egg white regularly over a prolonged period.
The cell walls of lymphocytes (white blood cells) become more rigid with ageing, AIDS and viral infections, mainly due to increased cholesterol levels in cell walls. Lipids extracted from raw egg yolk have been reported to normalise rigid cell walls and fully restore immune functions. This has led to great improvements in AIDS patients treated with egg-yolk lipids.
LINSEED AND CYSTEINE
Lipoproteins are combinations of fatty acids and proteins. Of greatest importance for our metabolism are essential fatty acids combined with sulphur-rich proteins. These are concentrated in active tissue such as glands, liver, brain, muscles and skin and are needed for oxidative energy production or cellular respiration. Key enzymes formed from cysteine and essential fatty acids are deficient in those individuals with degenerative diseases and cancer; leukaemia; diabetes; heart, liver and kidney degeneration; and skin diseases. These and other diseases have reportedly been cured with high intakes of high-quality linseed oil and sulphur-rich proteins.
The linseed or flaxseed oil must be fresh and produced below 500C without light and oxygen, stored in a cool and dark place and refrigerated before and after opening. It should never be heated. High quality linseed oil is rather expensive and normally it will be sufficient and much cheaper to use freshly ground whole linseed instead or in addition. Linseed contains 35% linseed oil. Use several tablespoonfuls a day. Best grind it fresh in a coffee grinder. Alternatively use a blender, screen it through a strainer and add the coarse residue to the blender again with the next lot. Ground linseed may be refrigerated for a few days. For individuals with problems of malabsorption and for those wanting to improve their skin, linseed oil may also be rubbed into the skin. In addition to the linseed oil or ground linseed I recommend to use unheated extra virgin olive oil
The main sulphur amino acids are cysteine and methionine; eggs are a good source of these. Dr Budwig recommends quark or cottage cheese made from raw fermented skim milk as the main source of these sulphur amino acids in her famous cancer therapy. About 100 g of fermented milk protein or quark is mixed with 40 ml of fresh linseed/flaxseed oil. This basic oil-protein mixture may be added to meals or mixed with ground linseed, lemon juice, soya milk or goats' milk yoghurt or seed yoghurt, banana or other suitable food.
LAXATIVE FOODS
For the improvement or maintenance of good health it is desirable to have two or three bowel movements daily. A general lifestyle improvement will do much to achieve this goal, but initially it may be necessary to include some laxative foods as well.
BRAN A mild laxative; however, it accentuates mineral deficiencies and weight loss. Therefore, it is not generally recommended, or only if mineral supplements are taken with bran-free meals, especially zinc and manganese. Use rice bran if you are allergic to wheat.
FRESHLY FERMENTED FOODS - These have a strong laxative action.
ISOTONIC FLUSH - Add 9 g of salt (approximately 1 rounded teaspoonful) to 1 quart of water or use 1 cup of seawater diluted with 3 cups of fresh water. Drink this within a few minutes on an empty stomach and take no food or other drink for the following 30 minutes. This is excellent for cleaning the stomach and the small intestine as well as the bowel, but it should not be used if a severely restricted intake of sodium is indicated.
LINSEED - Mildly laxative and soothing for irritated bowels. Use 1 tablespoon of dry seeds with water some time before meals and at bedtime; swallow whole. Linseed meal may be used in cooking. If the intestines are irritated (white iris) use fenugreek or pure slippery-elm powder with linseed.
MAGNESIUM SALTS - Take 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts with water. Milk of magnesia is excellent if neutralized with ascorbic acid.
MOLASSES- Use on its own or with yeast in warm water.
MUSTARD SEEDS - Take ½ teaspoon of whole dry seeds with water twice daily, some time before a meal; do not chew, and add a garlic capsule. This helps to strengthen bowel functions and overcome gas formation. Continue for two months or as required. Do not use mustard seeds if the intestines are irritated.
PRUNES - May be taken raw, soaked or cooked, not suitable with a weak blood-sugar regulation.
PSYLLIUM HULLS - preferable to bran. Stir a teaspoonful in a large glass of water and drink immediately about 30 minutes before meals as required for either laxative action or weight reduction.
SENNA - Pods, powder or leaves may be added to herb teas.
URINE - Drinking a cupful of your diluted morning urine has a good laxative effect.
WATER - Drinking a large quantity of water within a short period will cause part of it to rinse the bowels. Take 2 pints or more before breakfast.
VITAMINS
Generally, it is best to obtain all necessary vitamins from natural foods and your intestinal bacteria. Under present conditions, however, it is rarely possible to achieve and maintain 'glowing' health without using special vitamin-rich foods as well as vitamin supplements.
In the case of poor health, absorption of vitamins and minerals is impaired, while your internal requirements are simultaneously raised. This phenomenon underlies the widespread vitamin and mineral deficiencies in our society, which result in a multitude of disease symptoms. Well-chosen supplements can correct deficiencies. In a good maintenance diet, the daily vitamin intake proposed by government agencies should be at least doubled, while during a period of deliberate health improvement, these figures should be increased tenfold. In specific conditions the required amounts may be up to 100 times as much. However, high doses should be taken only under professional supervision.
Many individuals in particular those who have a dry skin and difficulty in gaining weight have fat malabsorption. A common cause of this is a sensitivity of the inte stinal lining to gluten that resulted in the gradual erosion of the absorption villi. With this condition fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients such as beta-carotene are not well absorbed and deficiencies result. These cannot normally be corrected by just taking fat-soluble supplements such as halibut oil capsules for vitamins A and D. Instead, try to obtain and use water-soluble forms of these nutrients if possible, such as vitamin A emulsions and vitamin E in tablet form.
In addition, you may frequently rub vitamin A or E oil from opened capsules onto your skin and keep several halibut liver oil capsules under the tongue at bedtime for absorption overnight. Formerly it was common practice to give cod liver oil rubs to babies who did not thrive. Also expose your skin frequently to mild sunlight for increased vitamin D production. You may also rub some linseed oil onto protected areas of the skin at bedtime to minimize deficiencies in essential fatty acids.
Most B vitamins are in part supplied by the bacteria of ourintestinal flora. Antibiotic therapy destroys these essential bacteria and may cause vitamin deficiencies. For this reason use fermented foods and B-vitamin supplements whenever antibiotics are taken. Other widespread conditions causing persistent vitamin deficiencies and dependencies are deprivations during fetal development and in later life, acute and chronic infections, malabsorption and an inefficient metabolism.
Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C, so they must obtain it from their food. Most animals produce their own vitamin C at a daily rate, equivalent, in terms of body weight, to 2-5 g (2000-5000 mg) for an adult human; under stress, up to 15-20 g are produced. This compares with 60 mg recommended for adults by government health agencies. Vitamin and mineral supplements are not usually required for the maintenance of health or even the cure of most degenerative diseases, provided the diet is predominantly raw, based on sprouted seeds and grass juice.
Bowel-tolerance Vitamin C
This can be a successful treatment for infectious diseases, including viral infections, which do not respond to antibiotics. The dose of vitamin C is increased until the patient develops diarrhea. Then the rate is cut back slightly until the bowel just tolerates the high vitamin-C intake. During serious infections, the bowel tolerance is much greater than that of healthy people. In normal health, for example, the bowel tolerance is about 4-15 g per day. With a light cold it might be 20-30 g, and with a serious cold 60-100 g. Mononucleosis or viral hepatitis requires 40-60 g, gastroenteritis 60-150 g, and viral pneumonia more than 150 g. Less than the bowel-tolerance dose may not be effective. Also, many other infections, including herpes simplex and zoster, respond favorably to this treatment, but fungal infections do not.
When you are taking these massive amounts, it is important to select the correct form of vitamin-C supplement. If mainly unneutralized ascorbic acid is used; the body becomes too acid, while sodium ascorbate introduces too many sodium ions, which are undesirable during infections, and calcium overloads the kidneys and may lead to stone formation. For infections and most degenerative diseases, it is best to use mainly potassium ascorbate. Neutralize 3 parts ascorbic acid with 1 part potassium bicarbonate in water or herb tea, or until it has only a slightly acid taste (pH approximately 5.0). However, with low blood pressure and hypoglycemia, part or all of the vitamin C may be given as sodium ascorbate.
Depending on the severity of the condition, take vitamin C at one or two-hourly intervals, preferably in a suitable herb tea or a diluted fruit or vegetable juice. Self-treatment at bowel-tolerance level should not be continued for more than a few weeks and in serious cases should be under professional guidance or supervision. The high vitamin C intake should be reduced gradually to a preliminary maintenance dose of 3-10 g. A sudden withdrawal may cause the return of colds, allergies or fatigue.
In addition to the bowel-tolerance vitamin-C intake, other infection-fighting nutrients should be taken, such as high doses of propolis, garlic, vitamin A and therapeutic doses of other vitamins and minerals. Two or three quarts of water or diluted drinks have to be taken daily during bowel-tolerance treatment. The diet should be light, consisting mainly of fruits in overalkaline conditions or, in acid conditions, rice, sprouts and salads.
This treatment is not suitable in cases of extreme weakness of the kidneys. Injections during emergencies are best given intravenously as sodium ascorbate in 3 per cent solution. Many degenerative diseases associated with a weak immune system, for example, autoimmune diseases, cancer and multiple sclerosis, benefit from intermittent periods of bowel-tolerance vitamin-C treatment. This method should also be used for accidental poisoning and bites of poisonous snakes and insects.
Summary of Vitamins
In the following compilation 'RDA' means recommended daily allowance as determined by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council. A second RDA value is for women.
'IU' means International Units. Commonly not all of the listed deficiency symptoms are manifested, symptoms appear first in the weakest organs. 1 g = 1000 mg, 1 mg = 1000 mcg.
Oil-soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A
Retinol, carotene. 1 mcg retinol = 6 mcg beta-carotene = 3 IU; RDA 5000/4000 IU; therapeutic 25000-100000 IU, especially in cancer treatment and for eye diseases. One halibut-oil capsule provides 4000-5000 IU. Toxic in very high doses over long periods; destroyed by light and oxygen. Symptoms of vitamin-A toxicity are similar to those of vitamin-A and D deficiency. Do not take high doses without professional supervision. Tablets or emulsion are easier to absorb.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Eyes dry and infected and sensitive to bright light, night blindness, poor dark adjustment, colorblindness, glaucoma. Skin dry, rough, horny, scaly; pimples, acne, psoriasis. Hair dry, falling, dull. Nails longitudinal ridges, peeling, brittle. Smell and taste poor, distorted. Respiratory infections, lung problems. Ear problems, deafness, hearing noises. Cancer, thyroid overactive, underweight.
BEST SOURCES Fish-liver oils, liver, yellow-orange vegetables and fruits, butter, egg yolk, green juice.
Vitamin D
Cholecalciferol (D3, preferable) or ergocalciferol (D2, less effective, synthetic, can be toxic in high doses over long periods). 1 IU = 0.025 mg cholecalciferol. RDA 200 IU; therapeutic up to 4000 IU.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Rickets; weak, deformed and porous bones; teeth and gum problems; muscular weakness; convulsions, cramps, tetany, nervous instability, underactive thyroid, depression, overweight, eye problems. Symptoms of calcium deficiency.
BEST SOURCES Sun exposure, fish-liver oils, egg yolk.
Vitamin E
Tocopherol (mainly d-alpha tocopherol). RDA 15/12 IU; therapeutic up to 2000 mg (or IU). Patients with heart problems or high blood pressure should increase the dose slowly. Destroyed by oxygen, chlorinated water, inorganic iron supplements, estrogen drugs.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Disorders of the reproductive and circulatory systems, stroke, heart disease, leg pains, cramps, poor wound healing, pronounced scar tissue, muscle weakness, tender breasts, arthritis, cancer, eye and ear problems, gangrene, infections, hot flushes, malabsorption, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, phlebitis, skin problems, varicose veins.
BEST SOURCES Cold-pressed oils (wheatgerm oil), rice polishings, wheatgerm, sprouted seeds, nuts, egg yolk, green leaves, grass juice.
Vitamin K
RDA 80/60 mcg. Destroyed by light, acid and alkaline conditions.
Essential for normal blood clotting to prevent hemorrhaging. Deficiency causes frequent, prolonged or severe bleeding. Obtained from intestinal bacteria, green leaves, liver, egg yolk.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
These are easily lost in cooking and are not stored in the body (except B12).
Vitamin B1
Thiamin; also known as aneurin. RDA 1.5/1.1 mg; therapeutic 50-3000 mg. Destroyed by heat, sugar, alcohol, smoking. Deficiency may arise from lack of gastric acid.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Poor circulation with cold hands and feet; edema (fluid retention); tongue furrowed; underactive thyroid; fatigue, depression, insomnia, anxiety, over-sensitivity to pain and noise, nausea, poor memory, apathy, debility, weight loss; muscles weak and painful, especially the legs, starting with numb, burning feet, later affecting calves and thighs, may result in paralysis. Severe gastrointestinal disturbances. Tachycardia (fast pulse) and dyspnoea (breathlessness) on exertion, brachycardia (slow pulse) at rest; enlarged and weak heart. Mental illness, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, hypoglycemia, allergies, addictions - drugs, alcohol. Severe deficiency known as beriberi.
BEST SOURCES Food yeast, rice bran, wheatgerm, sunflower and sesame seeds, peanuts, millet, grains.
Vitamin B2
Riboflavin. RDA 1.7/1.3 mg; therapeutic 50-1500 mg. Destroyed by light, makes urine bright yellow.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Eyes sensitive, burning, bloodshot (blood vessels become visible in the white of the eye), blurred vision, cataracts. Skin oily' and itching; eczema, especially around nose, forehead, ears, scrotum and vagina; redness of part of face (rosacea), acne, bedsores, purplish skin parts. Hair dull, oily, dandruff. Split nails. Tongue sore, burning, magenta purplish; cracks on lips and corners of mouth (cheilosis). Allergies, anemia, arthritis, cancer, diabetes.
BEST SOURCES Food yeast, liver, kidney, almonds, wheatgerm, sprouted seeds, grass juice.
Niacin and Nicotinamide
Formerly known as vitamin B3 (USA) or B5 (UK). RDA 19/15 mg, therapeutic up to 30 g in schizophrenia. The acid form - niacin or nicotinic acid - causes flushing of the face. It is prescribed to dilate blood vessels, to decrease blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, to increase circulation to the head in cases of acne or migraine. The non-acid nicotinamide does not have these effects, though - in contrast to niacin - high amounts may cause depression. Niacin or nicotinamide may be used to treat the following symptoms.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Schizophrenia; hyperthyroidism, protruding eyes, depression, irritability, overactivity, crying spells, suspicion, loss of humor, delusions, anxiety, insomnia, confusion. Tongue strawberry-tipped or bright red, shiny, 'raw beef' appearance. Mouth displays sores, canker, ulcerated corners. Skin rough, red; brown, often symmetrical discoloration on cheeks, neck and back of hands. Dermatitis with ulcerations, aggravated by exposure to sun. Headache, backache, fatigue, loss of weight and appetite. Lack of gastric acid, anemia. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Painful, stiff joints, arthritis. Changed sense perceptions; pellagra (cracking of skin).
BEST SOURCES Food yeast, peanuts, rice bran, liver.
Pantothenic Acid
Calcium pantothenate, vitamin B5; RDA 4/7 mg; therapeutic 50-1500 mg.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Tongue beefy, enlarged, furrowed; fatigue, depression, insomnia, graying hair, burning feet, arthritis, alcoholism, asthma, cancer, cataracts, epilepsy, psoriasis, stress, diseases of the digestive and nervous systems, adrenal weakness.
BEST SOURCES Food yeast, rice bran and polishings, liver.
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine; RDA 2.0/1.6 mg; therapeutic 50-3000 mg. It works closely together with zinc, easily oxidized.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Inability to recall dreams, insomnia, depression, irritability, tremors, convulsions (epilepsy), migraine, schizophrenia. Skin oily, with eczema and urticaria (nettle rash or hives); edema (fluid retention), vomiting, halitosis, lack of gastric acid, muscle weakness, anemia, kidney stones. Pain, stiffness and swellings of fingers and joints; fingers and toes become white (Raynaud's disease). Autism, caries (tooth or bone decay), diabetes, Parkinsonism. Diseases of the digestive and nervous systems.
BEST SOURCES Food yeast, molasses, bran, sunflower seeds, rice, liver, egg yolk, nuts, beans, bananas.
Biotin
RDA 0.3 mg. Necessary for protein and fat metabolism, as well as for healthy hair.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Digestive, nervous, skin and hair problems, anemia, fatigue, depression, hallucinations.
BEST SOURCES Food yeast, rice bran. Usually from intestinal bacteria, except after antibiotics.
Folic Acid
RDA 0.2/0.18 mg; recommended at least 0.4 mg, 0.8 mg in pregnancy; therapeutic 5-20 mg. Easily destroyed by light, heat, storage, oxygen, contraceptive pill.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Widespread. Most pregnant women are deficient. Anemia; corners of mouth crack, red tongue, graying hair, grayish-brown skin pigmentation. Irritability, depression, fatigue, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, insomnia, dizziness, depressed reflexes, headaches. Muscle weakness, pain, numbness in legs, difficulty in walking, cramps. Digestive problems - constipation, diarrhea. Sexual and circulation problems, hypoglycemia, birth defects, gout.
BEST SOURCES Grass juice, yeast, sprouts, dark-green leaves, liver.
Vitamin B12
Cobalamin. RDA 2 mcg =0.002 mg; therapeutic 1000 mcg by injection, especially in debility and after stomach operations. Most patients with lack of energy respond extremely well to vitamin B12 injections, even if laboratory tests show a normal vitamin- B12 blood level! In poor health B12 is not well absorbed from food or supplements; calcium and hydrochloric acid improve absorption.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Pernicious anemia, chronic fatigue, debility, poor circulation, numbness and stiffness; very red, sore tongue; emotional disturbances, mental illness, cancer, liver and nervous-system diseases, nerve inflammations, paralysis.
BEST SOURCES Liver, kidney, fish, egg yolk, spirulina.
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid; commonly used as a supplement in the form of sodium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate. RDA 60 mg; recommended 500 - 3000 mg, therapeutic up to 100 g (neutralized). Easily destroyed by air, storage, smoking, cooking, stress. Useful to counteract bites or stings of poisonous snakes, insects, spiders and others.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS First signs - lassitude, weakness, irritability, vague muscle and joint pains. Later - scurvy, starting in the limbs most used; muscle pain (especially during infections), bleeding of gums and skin, capillary weakness, fatigue, poor wound healing, acute and chronic infections. Liver and kidney problems; old age, senility, aging skin; thrombosis (strokes, heart infarcts); cot death, eye problems, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, schizophrenia, anemia, bedsores, stone formation, cancer, backache, anxiety. Allergies (asthma, hayfever, bee stings, epilepsy, headaches, skin problems - for example, rashes).
BEST SOURCES Fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds, rosehips, grass juice.
Vitamin-like Substances
These are necessary biochemical substances which have not yet been awarded full vitamin status by government agencies, partly because some can be synthesized within the body, and partly because their usefulness is still disputed.
Part of the naturally occurring vitamin-C complex. The best known member of the group is rutin, which is found in concentrated form in dried buckwheat (leaves and flowers). Deficiency causes capillary fragility with purplish or blue skin marks, gum bleeding and inner ear pain. Bioflavonoids are necessary for the proper functioning of vitamin C. Best sources are sprouted seeds and fresh vegetables, fresh fruits and the residue of juiced citrus fruits.
Choline and Inositol
Important for the absorption and metabolism of fats and cholesterol, for the synthesis of lecithin, for liver and gallbladder function and for the formation and function of brain and nerves (transmission of nerve impulses, myelin sheaths). They are helpful in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis, asthma, diabetes (inositol), glaucoma, hair problems and baldness, high blood pressure, insomnia (inositol), liver diseases, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, neuritis, tardive dyskinesia (choline).
Choline is best supplied by lecithin, while other good sources are egg yolk, liver, brain and food yeast. Inositol is best supplied by sprouted seeds (in unsprouted seeds it remains unavailable in the form of phytic acid). Other good sources are heart, brain, liver, food yeast, cabbage and citrus fruits.
PABA (Para-amine-benzoic Acid)
A growth-promoting factor. Deficiency contributes to white skin patches, eczema, graying hair, fatigue. As a lotion it is excellent for protecting the skin against ultraviolet radiation. It is obtained from food yeast, liver, egg yolk, and is also synthesized by intestinal bacteria. As a supplement, the soluble potassium salt of PABA is preferable to the almost insoluble acid itself.
Vitamin B15 (Pangamic Acid)
Occurs in seeds, grains and nuts; it protects against oxygen deficiencies (similar to vitamin E). It has been successfully used in the treatment of alcoholism, allergies, arthritis; autism, breathing problems such as asthma and emphysema, diabetes and hypoglycemia, heart problems (cardiovascular diseases), and premature aging. The usual therapeutic dose is 50-100 mg two or three times daily.
Vitamin B17 (Amygdalin or Nitrilosides)
Contains a cyanide ingredient that is harmful to cancer cells. It is most effective for preventing cancer if taken regularly by eating a few bitter seeds of stone fruits or pip fruits (for example, apricot, bitter almond, apple). Other good sources are sprouted seeds, alfalfa, mung beans, millet, lentils. Professionally, a purified product, known as laetrile, is wed orally or as injections for cancer treatment. To be effective, laetrile must be used in conjunction with cleansing, supplements and correct diet.
MINERALS
The extensive use of chemical fertilizers and the refinement of food, together with unhealthy eating habits, have caused widespread mineral deficiencies and imbalances. Especially lacking are chromium, manganese, magnesium and zinc. Further problems are created by heavy-metal contamination of lead from paints and exhaust fumes; of mercury from pesticides, fumigated seeds or large fish and from amalgam fillings in teeth. Acid-fruit juices in metal cans are another danger. Symptoms include fatigue, low resistance to infections, arthritis, hyperactivity and mental retardation. High intakes of calcium, magnesium and zinc help to expel heavy metals from the body.
An additional imbalance is caused by the common overuse of table salt, especially in the form of free-flowing salt. Avoid free-flowing salt. Even 'genuine unrefined' seasalt usually has only a fraction of the minerals contained in seawater - it is 'fractionated' instead of refined. However, Macrobiotic sea-salt still appears to have all the minerals originally present in seawater.
If you are overweight, if you have high blood pressure or kidney problems, or if you eat a large amount of animal food or commercially salted products, avoid additional salt; use potassium chloride and kelp. If, on the other hand, you are a vegetarian, with low blood pressure, hypoglycemia, allergies, or weak eyes, or if you are underweight, you may use salt or commercially salted food; preferably add kelp as well.
Boron is not officially recognized as an essential mineral, however, it is important for the calcium metabolism and, therefore, for healthy bones. Boron as well as magnesium are required to keep calcium in the bones and prevent osteoporosis. Boron also appears to normalise the production of sex hormones. In a study of postmenopausal women, boron supplementation reduced calcium loss by 44% and increased estrogen to the same levels as in women receiving estrogen replacement therapy. It can also help with arthritis. The therapeutic dose commonly is 9 mg and the maintenance dose 3 to 6 mg. It is not normally available as a supplement, instead borax or boric acid have been used. 50 mg of borax contain about 6 mg and boric acid about 8 mg of boron. To measure this amount, dissolve one level teaspoon of borax or boric acid in one litre or quart of warm water and take a teaspoonful twice daily with meals.
Borax and boric acid have very low toxicity, only after taking several grams for several months did toxicity symptoms develop. The French diet is reported to contain about 36 mg of boron daily. I believe that a similar high intake would also be beneficial for those of other nationalities, although the exact amount is not critical. A chemistry teacher w ith severe arthritis described that he just put his finger into a box of borax twice daily and sucked the finger. He recovered after 3 weeks. I just dip the tip of a knife or spoon into borax and mix that with some food or juice.
Sulphur is said to be the beauty mineral. It is especially high in skin and nails. It is most useful for detoxifying the body, as in the form of the amino acids cysteine and methionine. The most convenient and recommended form of organic sulphur is as MSM.
Mineral Balancing
Mineral supplements can be used to balance body and mind. Use the following guidelines.
Calcium tenses muscles and hardens the body structure. Therefore it is indicated in muscle weakness, low blood pressure with poor circulation and, generally, for people with a 'soft body structure', as in children and frequently in young women. Magnesium relaxes muscles and nerves. It is indicated in cases of high blood pressure, muscle tension, stiffness and rigidity, a high-strung, irritable and oversensitive nervous system, jumpiness and insomnia. It is best for people with a 'rigid body structure' - most common in elderly males. Potassium makes the body more sensitive and responsive. Sodium may be required in the case of adrenal weakness, low blood pressure and dehydration.
A good supplement form of these 'bulk minerals' is as ascorbates - the salts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), for example calcium or magnesium ascorbate or ascorbic acid neutralized with eggshell powder, magnesia, dolomite or potassium bicarbonate.
Minerals are not well absorbed from grains, seeds and nuts, except if these are sprouted or fermented. This is especially important for vegetarians. The addition of gelatin or chicken or fish broth to cooked grains improves the absorption of minerals, while cereal fiber (bran) decreases their availability. Where grains and seeds are indicated as good sources of specific minerals in the following compilation, this applies only to sprouted or fermented products.
In case of deficiencies, preferably take mineral supplements with a meal containing gelatin (for example, fish, poultry), alternatively with fresh vegetable juice or vegetables salads. Minerals are more easily absorbed as chelates or orotates. Orotates deliver minerals directly into the cells. Take calcium orotate and magnesium orotate separately, because they may react against each other. See also Magnesium Chloride. Calcium is best used as bone broth or by neutralising vinegar or fruit acids as explained in The Calcium Phosphorus Ratio.
Organic or Natural Versus Inorganic or Synthetic
There is some confusion about the importance and meaning of natural or organic versus synthetic or inorganic minerals. In food production 'organic' means that food has been produced, stored and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals. However, in chemistry 'organic' means that a chemical is based on carbon and has covalent bonds, while 'inorganic' means that a chemical is not based on carbon and has ionic bonds.
Some inorganic chemicals, such as sodium chloride, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are ingredients of natural and organic food and are also essential components of our body. Calcium in our blood plasma, for instance, is about half in ionized form and the other half bound to proteins. In this way, taking some minerals in inorganic form can rectify ionic deficiencies in these minerals.
Furthermore, a healthy intestinal flora can transform inorganic into organic minerals, while inorganic minerals taken with gelatin or fresh green vegetable juice can easily be incorporated into organic structures. This is of special importance with some of the heavy metals that we need as trace minerals. Even so, it is safer to use these directly in organic form best from food or plant concentrates or alternatively safely bound to amino acids or as stable complexes such as copper and zinc salicylates. However, the latter should not be regarded as supplements but rather as remedies because they will mostly be excreted intact.
However, there is also a downside to routinely adding inorganic minerals, such as table salt, to our food. We may use too high concentrations and irritate the intestinal wall and we may also cause mineral imbalances. Therefore, we need to use not only the right concentrations but also the right combinations of ingredients in our supplements. It is much easier to get this right by using natural foods. Of course, the main reason that we use supplements in the first place is because commercial food has a grossly inadequate mineral content. Even in much of the organic food the mineral content is not as high as it might be.
Another way of making minerals safer and more effective is by using them in colloidal form. In this way even clusters of metal atoms can be safely and beneficially ingested such as colloidal forms of copper, silver or gold.
Some Minerals of Special Importance:
Calcium (Ca)
RDA 800 mg, recommended intake 0.6-1.2 g daily. Deficiency frequently due to overacidity, lack of vitamin D, underactive thyroid and parathyroids, oversupply of phosphorus. The normal calcium-phosphorus ratio in blood is 10:4. If the calcium level is too high, calcifications result - stone formation, tartar, arthritic deposits, cataracts, stiff muscles.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Fragile, deformed bones; muscle cramps, twitching and weakness; irritability, headaches, depression. Menstrual problems: excessive and painful menstruation, poor circulation, unduly tender breasts. Undue sensitivity to pain; insomnia, allergies, inflammations; low blood pressure, varicose veins, piles, distended veins and abdomen, swellings, slow wound healing, pyorrhea, gingivitis; eye problems (near-sightedness).
SOURCES Bones, eggshells, dolomite; sardines, leaf vegetables, goats' milk products, sesame seeds, kelp.
Chromium (Cr)
Active as trivalent chromium; its biological value differs greatly in various foods. Aim for 100 mcg of high bio-value, supplements as glucose-tolerance factor or chelated chromium.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Poor blood-sugar regulation (diabetes, hypoglycemia); disturbed fat/protein metabolism, alcohol intolerance, impaired growth, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, weight loss, fatigue, eye problems (opaque cornea, near-sightedness, glaucoma).
SOURCES Brewers' yeast, molasses, mushrooms, seafood, grains.
Copper (Cu)
RDA 1.5 to 3 mg, recommended intake 2 to 5 mg daily. Inorganic copper may be oversupplied as from copper water pipes while organically bound copper may be deficient and internal deficiency may result from insufficient binding capacity within cells.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Anemia, especially in infants; bone disorders; defective spinal cord - multiple sclerosis; hair graying, fine and straight, loss of curliness; infertility, weak connective tissue: heart problems - enlarged heart, weak aorta (holes, ruptures), varicose veins, hernias; cancer, leukemia, arthritis, parasites, inflammations, underactive thyroid.
TOXICITY Liver cirrhosis, jaundice, psychosis, fatigue, arthritis, rigidity, tremor, symptoms of zinc deficiency.
SOURCES Liver, food yeast, nuts and oily seeds.
Iodine (I)
RDA and recommended intake 150 mcg daily. Needed for thyroid hormones which regulate the metabolism.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Goiter, cretinism, fatigue, overweight, mental retardation, debility, cancer.
SOURCES Kelp, seafood, iodized salt.
Iron (Fe)
RDA 10/15 mg, recommended intake as for RDA. Deficiency causes anemia, fatigue. Oversupply in inorganic form (tablets, bread additive) is a contributing factor in degenerative diseases, especially arthritis
SOURCES Kelp, liver, yeast, molasses, sesame seeds, egg.
Magnesium (Mg)
RDA 350/280 mg, recommended intake 500 -1000 mg daily; activates many enzymes.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Apathy, confusion, depression, disorientation, hallucinations, irritability, paranoia, poor memory. Angina, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, sweating and tachycardia (fast pulse), strokes, thrombosis, or infarcts. Convulsions, cramps, eclampsia, epilepsy, muscle twitching, numbness, nystagmus (rapid eye movements), tingling, tremors. Physical and mental rigidity, stiffness, stone formation in kidney and gallbladder (but not renal failure), tartar. Alcoholism, cancer, depository stage of arthritis, diabetes, acute infections, intestinal malabsorption, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), prostate problems, strong body odor, overactive thyroid, colic, premenstrual tension
SOURCES Kelp, dolomite, seafood, seawater, green leaves, nuts, oily seeds, molasses, sprouted grains
Manganese (Mn
Recommended intake 5 to 10 mg daily; therapeutic dose 20-100 mg.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Muscle weakness, myasthenia gravis, drooping eyelids, poor memory, dark-red skin spots, diabetes, hypoglycemia, atherosclerosis, schizophrenia, epileptic convulsions, bone deformities, mucus problems, impotence and/or sterility, ataxia (muscle incoordination), poor equilibrium, abnormal inner ear, retraction of head.
SOURCES Spinach, parsley, spices (cloves, cardamom, ginger), nuts, peanuts, sprouted/fermented seeds.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Molybdenum is an integral part of several enzymes involved in cell oxidation and carbohydrate metabolism. Daily requirements are not known. It is an antagonist to copper and may be used when copper levels are high (for example, in liver cirrhosis, schizophrenia and possibly hyperactivity).
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Cancer of the esophagus, dental decay, impotence in elderly males, asthma.
SOURCES Buckwheat, beans, soy beans, liver, barley.
Potassium (K)
RDA 2000 mg, recommended intake 3 g daily. Deficiency may originate from oversupply of sodium (salt), use of diuretics, or adrenal weakness.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Anxiety, nervousness, fatigue; diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart strain, high blood pressure, liver problems, lower back pain, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, overweight
SOURCES Kelp, fruits and vegetables.
Selenium (Se)
RDA 70/55 mg, recommended intake 100-200 mcg daily; therapeutic dose up to 500 mcg in organic form. Acts as an antioxidant together with vitamin E. Lost in cooking, very toxic in overdose (2000 mcg or more).
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Fatigue, cancer, liver damage, pancreatic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, weak immune system, reproductive disorders, cataracts, hemorrhaging, hemolytic anemia.
SOURCES Kidney, liver, seafood, brewers' yeast, kelp.
Zinc (Zn)
RDA 15 mg, recommended intake 20 mg daily; therapeutic dose up to 300 mg; best taken together with vitamin B6. Diets low in protein and high in fiber, phytate, calcium, fat and copper may decease the absorption of zinc. Increased zinc is needed with calcium or magnesium supplements, and during chronic infections, convalescence and stress.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS Skin: acne, boils, burns, leg ulcers, parakeratosis (horny red skin), poor wound healing, psoriasis. Hair: brittle, coarse, dandruff, falling, lacks pigment. Nails: white spots and bands. Eyes: keratitis (inflammations or lesions of the cornea), night blindness, retinal detachment. Taste and smell lost or distorted, mouth canker. Sexual problems: male sex organs underdeveloped, prostate enlarged, delayed sexual maturity, menstruation retarded, irregular, sterility. Poor growth, dwarfism. Body and breath odor, nausea (pregnancy). Poor circulation, cold extremities, fainting, heart infarct, sickle-cell anemia. Cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, gastric and duodenal ulcers, inflammation of the intestines (Crohn's disease), joint pains (especially knee and hip), liver cirrhosis/alcoholism, toxemia. Mental problems, increased emotionalism, hyperactivity, learning disorders, autism, schizophrenia. Loss of appetite, anorexia nervosa, multiple allergies.
SOURCES Oysters, herrings and sardines, kelp, seafood, oatmeal, liver, pumpkin seeds, sprouted seeds.
AMINO ACIDS
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are 8 essential amino acids for adults that must be supplied with the diet: Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine. Two others, Arginine and Histidine are in addition essential in the first year of life. Phenylalanine may be active in the D or L form, all other amino acids are used by the body as L-amino acids. The following is a summary of amino acids that may be used for specific purposes as supplements. Arginine
· Aids in liver detoxification.
· May retard growth of tumors and cancer cells.
· Assists in the release of growth hormones.
· Helps maintain healthy immune system.
· Important for scar tissue formation and collagen production.
· Promotes muscle growth and fat utilization.
· May help with male impotence.
Avoid supplementation during pregnancy lactation and in and presence of herpes infections.
Carnitine
Is produced in the body from lysine, vitamins B1, B6 and Iron. Vegetarian diets can be deficient in carnitine which is found mainly in meat. D-carnitine is harmful.
Aids transport of long chain fatty acids to mitochondria Helps in weight loss. Improves athletic ability through increased energy production. Enhances effectiveness of antioxidant vitamins E and C. Cysteine
A high sulfur-content amino acid, formed in the liver from methionine, needs vitamin B6.
Aids in detoxifying the body. Precursor to glutathione, a strong antioxidant. Removes excess heavy metals, helps to burn fat. Increases muscle growth. Breaks down mucous in the respiratory tract. Useful for burns and wound healing. Assists in the supply of insulin.
Glutamic Acid
· Important for neurotransmission.
· Metabolism of sugars and fats.
· Detoxifies ammonia (when used with Glutamine).
· Together with glucose, is the brain's principal fuel.
Glutamine
· Provides about 80% of the body's pool of free nitrogen.
· Reduces craving for sugar, alcohol and other drugs.
· Improves absorption of other nutrients, important with inability to gain weight (cachexia).
· Useful with impotence, allergies, senility, fatigue, peptic ulcers.
· Converted in the brain to glutamic acid (and to GABA, a neureo-transmitter).
Glycine
· Prevents or slows muscle degeneration by supplying extra creatine.
· Needed for healthy prostate.
· Aids central nervous system functions.
· Useful in epilepsy and depression.
· Important for immune system, building block for of non-essential amino acids.
Histidine
· Tissue growth and repair
· Important for digestion and ulcer healing
· Controls gastric acidity.
· Production of red and white blood cells. Possible benefits in rheumatoid arthritis
Isoleucine
An essential amino acid and one of three branch chain amino acids (BCAA's) which form an essential part of muscle tissue protein.
· Hemoglobin production.
· Stabilizes blood sugar and energy levels.
Use in combination with leucine and valine. Deficiency can produce hypoglycemia-like symptoms.
Leucine
An essential branch-chain amino acid (BCAA's) important in muscle protein.
· Lowers elevated blood sugar levels
· Promotes healing of bone, skin and muscle tissue.
Use with correct balance of Leucine & Valine. Excessive amounts can produce hypoglycemia.
Lysine
An essential amino acid which must be derived from the diet.
· Essential building block for all protein
· Needed for proper growth and bone development in children
· Helps calcium absorption
· Maintains nitrogen balance
· Effective against cold sores and herpes viruses.
· Increases antibody production
· Needed for collagen production
· Helps to build muscle
· Lowers serum triglycerides.
Deficiency results in loss of energy, ability to concentrate, irritability, retarded growth and hair loss.
Methionine
Essential sulfur amino acid which must be obtained from the diet.
Needed for the metabolism of fat.
Involved in the synthesis of the amino acids Cysteine and Taurine.
Help to reduce effects of chemical sensitivities.
Aids digestive processes.
Involved in production of choline.
Ornithine
· Helps release growth hormone.
· Needed for Immune system function.
· Promotes healing.
· Detoxifies ammonia.
Phenylalanine
An essential amino acid which must be derived from the diet.
· Used in the treatment of depression.
· Essential for the production of neurotransmitters.
· D or D, L phenylalanine is used for long-acting pain relief.
· Involved in the formation of the skin pigment melanin.
Do not use during pregnancy, with anxiety attacks, high blood pressure, Phenylketonuria (PKU).
Threonine
One of the essential amino acids.
· Maintains protein balance.
· Needed for the formation of collagen and elastine.
· Aids the liver and the fat metabolism.
Helps with control of epilepsy.
Tryptophan
An essential amino acid.
· Important for the production of nicotinic acid (Niacin).
· Helps prevent insomnia and elevates mood.
· Controls hyperactivity in children.
· Needed for production of serotonin and melatonin.
Tyrosine
· Involved in the production of melanin pigment of skin & hair.
· Important for adrenal, thyroid & pituitary gland function.
· Helps control appetite and body fat levels, antidepressant.
· May assist during withdrawal from addictive drugs.
· Involved in synthesis of adrenaline (epinephrine) and dopamine.
Valine
An essential branch chain amino acid (BCAA's) in muscle protein.
Important for muscle tissue maintenance and muscle coordination.
Stimulates and promotes mental vigor.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
Digestive enzymes are released from our digestive organs in order to break down food into molecules small enough for it to be absorbed. Deficiencies of digestive enzymes are widespread and are caused mainly by overeating, eating too much cooked food, habitually eating problem foods, and by incorrect food combining. Virtually all elderly people and those with chronic degenerative diseases and allergies have digestive enzyme deficiencies.
Fresh raw and fermented foods have enzymes that help in the digestive process, but most of these are destroyed by temperatures over 500C. Furthermore, the heating of proteins and baking of gluten bread makes these foods more difficult to digest, so that more digestive enzymes are required than in the case of sprouted grains and uncooked proteins. However, some raw seeds (especially beans such as soybeans and broad beans), wheatgerm and nuts contain enzyme inhibitors. Sprouting inactivates these.
Make a deliberate effort to improve the enzyme content and digestibility of your food. In addition, if you are in a state of chronically lowered health, it will be very helpful to use enzyme supplements. This is essential in the case of cancer and other advanced degenerative diseases and also allergies.
Most important are the pancreas enzymes - pancreatin, available under various trade names. For serious diseases take 4000-5000 mg of pancreatin in divided doses during the course of each meal. One tablet may contain 1200 or 1600 mg of pancreatin, sometimes also described as 300 or 400 mg of pancreatin 4NF. As a maintenance dose, in addition take one or two tablets, possibly of an enzyme combination containing papain, bromelain, pepsin and bile. Pepsin is indicated with proteins if the stomach is weak, while bile is helpful if there is a problem with fat absorption (often present in people with yellow- or brown-changed eyes). Papain and bromelain help protein digestion.
Swallow tablets of pancreas enzymes whole. In the case of degenerative diseases and advancing age, gastric acid is often deficient. Take hydrochloric-acid-pepsin tablets, especially with protein meals. Alternatively, dilute 1 part commercial diluted hydrochloric acid (usually 20%) with 9 parts water. Mix 1 (plastic) teaspoon of this with meals or drink with fluids after a meal. Additional enzymes are not needed with uncooked meals.
However, digestive enzyme supplements are not required if protein-digesting enzymes can be obtained from food, such as bromelain from pineapples or papain from unheated leaves or flowers or unripe fruit of papaw/papaya. Also ripe Kiwi-fruit are good. Use any of these with protein meals. You may also pre-digest meat, fish or other protein food by refrigerating it wrapped or mixed with papaw leaf overnight.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECIPES
I am not fond of using recipes. Most recipes seem to be designed tickle our palate by harming the nutrients in the food. The healthiest recipe for carrots, for instance, is to pull one out of the ground, clean it and chew it well. Any additional step is less nutritious. Also I favour experimenting: mixing this and that within the framework of the food combining rules and seeing how it turns out. In this spirit I offer the following recipes as starting points for finding ways to make healthy food tasty.
If you are willing, you can gradually change your taste preferences and come to like the new diet with healthier meals. If your life is in no immediate danger from an advanced disease, it will be best to change slowly, making a gradual transition from the present diet to the high quality diet and possibly the raw-food diet over a period of years.
Acid Food
Food acids, such as in cider vinegar, citrus fruits and other acid fruits and tomatoes are usually beneficial for individuals with an insensitive body and raised blood pressure. However, fruit acids cause problems for those with a sensitive body and low blood pressure. The main reason for this is an inefficient metabolism that causes the body to become overacid and mineral deficient. The main problem is not the ingesting of fruit acids but rather the mineral deficiency caused by the overacidity. In the right way, that is in neutralised form, fruit acids can be used to remineralise and alkalise the body and in this way are highly recommended.
Sentitive individuals commonly need more calcium and magnesium. This may be provided by neutralising dolomite with vinegar. Keep several tablespoonfuls of finely powdered dolomite together with a glassful of vinegar in a jar Preferably stir or shake the mixture occasionally to speed up the reaction. Drink about 50 ml of the decanted liquid once or twice daily before a meal, best diluted with water or other liquid. However, if a calcium supplement is taken with a meal then the calcium tends to combine with fatty acids in the food and form soaps which are not absorbed. Also the casein in milk tends to bind the calcium.
When using 50 ml of 5% vinegar this supplies approximately 500 mg of calcium and 300 mg of magnesium. Add more dolomite when no more bubbles appear after adding more vinegar or when the neutralized liquid remains too acid or does not reach a pH of about 5. Dolomite contains inert residue, therefore you cannot simply wait until it is all used up. In regard to vinegar, it would be best to use organic cider vinegar but this is also ten times more expensive than bulk white vinegar, while normal cider vinegar may contain pesticides. Therefore, if you have limited financial resources then white vinegar is adequate to use for this purpose. Lemon juice is not suitable for dissolving dolomite as the citric acid tends to chelate calcium and interferes with its intestinal absorption.
Dolomite may also be used by sensitive individuals to neutralise acid yoghurt or Kambucha tea or tomatoes. However, a pinch of sodium bicarbonate may need to be used in addition for full neutralization. Citric acid in citrus fruit is best neutralized with sodium bicarbonate only. Individuals with an insensitive body and raised blood pressure, on the other hand, do not need additional calcium and do not need to neutralize fruit acids but may neutralize part of them with magnesium oxide or magnesium carbonate. Instead of acids in food you may also use ascorbic acid to neutralise with magnesium powder or dolomite.
Dolomite supplies calcium and magnesium in the generally desirable ratio of 2 : 1. However, if you are already routinely using magnesium chloride or only additional calcium is required to reduce an overacid condition, then you may use powdered egg shell or powdered shell grit or commercial calcium carbonate for neutralizing. This applies especially to individuals who experience cramping or weakness when taking any additional magnesium. 50 ml of neutralised vinegar will carry about 800 mg of calcium into the body.
If we would simply take calcium carbonate or dolomite instead of neutralizing vinegar we would have to use up our precious supply of gastric acid to neutralize and dissolve the carbonates. Many individuals have mineral deficiencies precisely because of a lack of gastric acid. If, on the other hand, we use an inorganic mineral supplement, such as calcium or magnesium chloride, then we can absorb the calcium or magnesium but it will not reduce any overacid condition of the body. For more information see also The Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio.
BAKING
The best method for baking is one in which enzymes in the food remain alive. This means heating to less than 500C. Furthermore, it is preferable to start from whole, soaked or sprouted seeds that are rich in enzymes rather than from commercial flours that may have had their enzymes destroyed during the milling process and may be contaminated with mycotoxins. The only practical solution I have found so far is baking with rice. After blending soaked or better still sprouted rice, the dough continues to absorb water and so becomes firm almost without any heat. I have not found this property in any other grain. You may have to experiment with different varieties of brown rice to find a good sprouting one. I personally prefer sprouting non-organic rice to non-sprouting organic rice.
Soak brown rice overnight. If it is viable, rinse for two or three days until small sprouts appear; otherwise use after soaking. Wash well blend with a minimum of water. If the blended rice does not have the consistency of a paste add rice flour or strain off excess water. I actually prefer to blend with a surplus of water and drink the excess water that is now high in enzymes. Cover a tray with some rice flour or baking paper and spread the paste out flat. Leave in the sun or a warm place, such as a warm oven with the heat turned off, until the dough has solidified usually after a few hours. As an alternative, you may blend the sprouted rice with a larger amount of water and drink the strained liquid as 'rice milk' while sun-baking only the residue.
You may experiment with various additions, such as kelp powder, occasionally carob powder and dried fruit for children and acidophilus culture or a sourdough starter if you want to try baking a more conventionally shaped loaf. The addition of any other kind of soaked seed will make it more difficult for the dough to harden. You may, of course, try to bake a flat bread at low temperatures from a mixture of various flours or meals, such as from peas, lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, oats, rice and rye.
If you use sprouted seeds, it is not necessary to add acidophilus or sourdough starter to improve the nutritional quality, only to lighten the bake. However, if you only soak the seeds and, more important still, if your main ingredient is flour, then lactic-acid fermentation will greatly improve the nutritional value as well as lighten the texture.
Any other soaked, sprouted and blended seeds may be used for making flat bread by baking at 700-800C with or without using a starter. Again, it is advisable to spread the dough over a layer of rolled oats or flour. You may also add other flavouring ingredients, such as banana or carrot pulp. It may take five hours or more of baking for the bread to solidify. At this temperature the enzymes are destroyed and, unlike sun-baked rice, it is not a raw food any more; however, the protein structures generally are not damaged and there is no digestive leukocytosis when eating this bread. You may refrigerate part of the sourdough as starter for the next bake, but if you are yeast-sensitive it is preferable to use fresh acidophilus culture each time. For more conventional bread I recommend rye sourdough baking. The more acidophilus you add and the slower the dough solidifies, the more sour it becomes and vice versa.
BONE BROTH
Use the soft bones of fowl, or bones and heads of fish. Add 1 or several tablespoons of cider vinegar, depending on the amount of bones you have. Simmer with sufficient water in a covered, enamelled container for at least 3 hours, or until the bones become brittle and the liquid is nearly neutral. Replenish the water and vinegar as required. Alternatively, use a pressure cooker for 30 minutes, but without adding acid. Strain the broth and refrigerate or freeze in an ice cube tay.
Use some of the broth frequently with meals; especially add it to vegetable salads - it is an excellent source of gelatine and calcium. If you find the bone broth too acid, add milk of magnesia, magnesium carbonate or another alkaliser until it becomes neutral.
BUTTER SPREAD
In order to cut down on butter consumption, lightly warm some butter and mix it with an equal amount of extra virgin olive oil. Add lecithin, onion, kelp, herbs and spices to taste. Alternatively or in addition to using oil, butter may be mixed with an equal amount of hot gelatine; flavour to taste. Keep the butter spread refrigerated.
FRUIT BALLS
These are for festive occasions. Mince any of following: nuts, sesame or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, fresh coconut, dried fruits such as apricots, dates, mixed peel, papaya, pineapple. Mix well, add lemon juice to taste and also lecithin; bind with oil. Make into small balls and roll in desiccated coconut. For different flavours add carob powder or spices to the mixture.
HOMMOS
This may be used as a bread spread or as an addition to meals. Soak chickpeas (garbanzo beans) overnight. If viable sprout them, otherwise use soaked raw or soaked and cooked for a few minutes only. Puree the prepared chickpeas in a blender and mix with any combination of the following: olive oil, tahini, lecithin, cayenne, kelp herbs, spices. Keep refrigerated.
HOT VEGETABLE JUICE
Normally fresh vegetable juice is drunk cold. However, in winter and for a change, you may enjoy drinking it hot, flavoured like a broth. Use a handful of fresh green leaves, add cabbage, celery, tomato, cucumber - whatever is available - and finally some sliced carrot, pumpkin or beetroot. Mix this in an electric blender, together with a suitable hot liquid, for instance herb tea, bone broth, or just water. Strain, and press the residue with a large spoon.
A juice extractor may be used instead of the blender if it can process fresh green leaves. Mix the hot liquid with the freshly pressed juice. Flavour the drink to taste; you may use herbs, spices, miso, kelp, yeast extract, oil, lecithin, egg yolk, food yeast or molasses in any combination you like. Drink the juice immediately, taking sips. Another possibility is to simmer the residue left over from juicing in water for ten minutes, strain, add some flavouring and drink hot.
JELLIES
Dissolve 4 teaspoons of white, unflavoured gelatine in ½ litre of hot water. Pour it over diced fruits, or over sprouted seeds and diced or grated vegetables (for example, cucumber, tomato, carrot, chopped onion). If non-sweet fruits are used, the gelatine may be sweetened with honey; you may add herbs, spices, kelp and salt. Alternatively, the gelatine may be dissolved in a smaller amount of hot water and mixed with an appropriate amount of fruit juice or fresh vegetable juice. Refrigerate for setting. Instead of commercial gelatine, a gelatinous bone or fish broth may be used.
LINSEED - YOGHURT
The following combination may be used as a snack before or between meals or instead of a meal, it is especially good as a breakfast. Mix any of the following: up to a cupful of freshly ground linseed, 1 or 2 tablespoons each of bee pollen, barley grass juice powder or wheat grass powder, spirulina or chlorella, lecithin granules, linseedoil or extra virgin olive oil, any type of yoghurt or goats' milk or rice milk or fresh vegetable juice or apple juice or grape juice for a smooth consistency, optionally flavour with chopped banana or other fruit or berries.
LIVER BROTH - BEEF JUICE - LIVER JUICE
To make liver broth simmer pieces of liver for 2 hours; strain and mix with sweet vegetables, cooked or raw. To make beef juice: dice 1/2-1 kg of lean beef. Put in a jar without water, cover well and stand the jar on a pie of cloth in a pot filled with water. Boil for 3 hours. Press juice accumulated in the jar through a strainer and refrigerate or freeze it. Sip 1 teaspoon 5-10 times daily, and keep it in the mouth for some time. Make fresh weekly. Occasionally the juice may be made of liver instead of beef. Beef juice is indicated in cases of serious muscle weakness. This an Edgar Cayce recipe.
MARINATED FISH
Dice the fish and cover with lemon juice or diluted cider vinegar or a mixture of both. Refrigerate overnight; add onion, cooked or raw or herbs and spices. Eat with vegetables or sprout salad. You may also marinate liver or other soft cuts of meat.
PAWPAW SMOOTHIE
This may be used as a special health food to aid the digestion as well as in dissolving tumours or other unwanted growths. Mix in a blender mature green pawpaw with skin, seeds and flesh, also banana and any other fruit in season and sufficient of a suitable liquid, such as a juice or yoghurt. Eat on its own or as part of a meal.
POTATOES - grated
In addition to baking or steaming potatoes with skin, they may sometimes be prepared in the following way. Bring a cupful of water to boil, keep the element on high, add coarsely grated potato and stir for 2-3 minutes. This leaves the potato semi-raw with a quite distinct flavour; add kelp, oil and so on and eat with vegetables or sprouts.
REJUVELAC (FERMENTED SEED DRINK)
Wash a cupful of whole grain (preferably organically grown) and cover with 2 cups of warm water. Suitable are rice, millet, rye, wheat and other grains, I prefer rice. Keep in a glass or porcelain container in a warm place. Pour off the liquid after the next day or when it tastes slightly sour. Use, possibly cooled, as a refreshing drink. The grains may then be cooked or sprouted. Use the ferment only if it has a pleasant taste and smell, if unpleasant or foul, discard it. Rejuvelac may not be suitable for sensitive and yeast-allergic individuals.
RICE DISHES
Cook the brown rice until almost soft and most of the water has evaporated. Add a small quantity of apples, cover, cook until the apples are soft and the mash them. Add cinnamon, olive oil, lecithin and kelp. Possibly eat cold as dessert. As an alternative, add apple puree to the cooked rice. Try also rice with a sauce based on blended, raw carrots and other sweet vegetables or bananas, pitteddates or carob powder.
Even healthier than cooked rice is sprouted and blended rice. Wash and soak a sprouting variety of brown rice for 12 to 24 hours. Remove the water and leave to sprout for another day or two until small shoots appear. Then blend with sufficient water and strain. Drink the resulting liquid or rice milk as it is or flavoured to taste. The residue is usually too gritty to eat directly and may either be cooked or baked by exposure to the sun.
SAUERKRAUT
Use a wooden barrel or earthenware pot of suitable size. Place a layer of shredded cabbage 10-15 cm deep in the container. A small amount of salt and some herb seeds, such as caraway, fennel or cumin, may be sprinkled over it; other shredded vegetables may be added for flavouring. Press the first layer down, then add another layer and so on. The cabbage must be completely saturated with its juice and no air pockets left. Cover the contents with cheesecloth, place a wooden cover over it and weigh down with a heavy stone. Leave at room temperature.
From time to time, after several days, remove foam and mildew from the top, wash the cheesecloth, board and stone with warm water and then put them back. After about 2 weeks it should be ready for eating. Store the container in a cool place, or fill the sauerkraut in jars and refrigerate. Eat it raw and drink the juice as well. Sauerkraut raw may not be suitable for sensitive individuals but should be fine if cooked. This recipe may occasionally fail because the barrel is contaminated. To avoid this, thoroughly clean the barrel with steam or boiling water before using.
SEED MILK
Soak almonds, brown rice or sunflower kernels overnight or for about 12 hours. The simplest way is to blend the soaked seeds with sufficient water in an electric blender and press them through a strainer. You may either drink the liquid immediately or refrigerate. You may cook the residue of the rice and add the res idue of the oily seeds to any breakfast mix (possibly remove most almond skins before blending). However, a much better way is to wait until the seeds start sprouting. This removes any enzyme inhibitors and provides natural sweetness and enzymes to the milk. In this way you may even use much cheaper unhulled sunflower or pumpkin seeds for making milk.
SEED YOGHURT or SEED CHEESE
Soak oily seeds such as almonds, nuts, sesame, pumpkin or sunflower seeds for 8-12 hours. Puree in an electric blender with the addition of acidophilus culture. If not yeast sensitive, you may also experiment with adding rejuvelac instead. Keep in a warm place for 2-4 hours until the desired degree of sourness develops. Refrigerate, taking into account that it may become more sour before eating, preferably use within 3 days. If it is too sour or if curd and whey have separated, just strain and discard the whey, possibly even rinse the curd. You may use seed yoghurt as part of a salad dressing, for flavouring meals or as a bread spread. The more sensitive you are, the less sour it should be when you use it. If it smells or tastes bad, discard it.
SOURDOUGH BREAD
Mix a cupful of acidophilus starter with rye flour, water, flavourings (for example, caraway seeds)and a tablespoonful of honey or molasses as food for the bacteria. Leave covered overnight in a warm place. Before adding salt, reserve and refrigerate 1 cup of this as a starter for the next baking. Add more flour, knead, shape and cover the loaves and let them rise in a lightly warmed oven for several more hours. Then bake at a moderate heat for 90 minutes. Place a pan with hot water on the bottom rack to develop steam.
SOYA MILK
Self-made soy milk is less harmful than commercial soya milk and mainly recommended for making yoghurt. Soak whole soy beans for 2 days in the refrigerator, changing the water several times. Then blend and strain through a cheese-cloth. Bring the strained liquid to boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes, cool quickly and refrigerate until needed. One cup of dry beans yields about 3 cups of soaked beans and 2-3 litres of soy milk. When making yoghurt add a tablespoon of raw honey as food for the starter bacteria.
SPROUT SALAD,
A sprout salad is recommended as the central part of every meal. Mix a variety of freshly rinsed sprouted seeds with a combination of fresh, raw vegetables, basically using whatever is available. Most suitable are sprouts of mung beans, lentils and fenugreek together with finely grated beetroot, carrot and turnip or radish. Tomato and cucumber (try grated) are good for flavouring. If you have difficulty chewing, you may put all of it through a mincer or if very weak and debilitated, even liquify and drink it.
The key to enjoying a salad is to find a delicious dressing. Experiment until you succeed. I recommend a general dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice or blended lemon or cider vinegar or rose-hip powder, any fresh or dried herbs or spices, possibly a dash of cayenne. These may be added individually or mixed beforehand and refrigerated in a jar. You may flavour olive oil by mixing in a jar 1 part tahini with 3-10 parts of oil, lemon juice and lecithin. For health improvement you may add ground linseed and kelp to the salad.. Start by adding very small amounts of kelp until you come to like it. Raw egg yolk is a good addition to the dressing and possibly seed yoghurt or sour milk. Tofu, quark or yoghurt are all good for flavouring this salad.
SWEET VEGETABLES
Use any or a combination of the following: sliced pumpkin, sweet potato, onion, turnip, carrot, tomato. Adjust the cooking water so that finally most of it has evaporated. Vegetables with short cooking times (tomato, pumpkin) may be added later to preserve their flavour. You might also like to add salt, kelp, oil, possibly curry, cayenne pepper or other herbs and spices.
YOGHURT
It is essential to repopulate the intestines with beneficial lactobacilli, especially L. acidophilus in the small intestines and bifido bacteria in the large intestines. Instead of or in addition to using high-potency acidophilus/bifido capsules or powders, you may use a self-made fermented product or yoghurt. This may be made from fresh unpasteurized cows' milk, goats' milk, rice milk, self-made soya milk or a mixture of ingredients based on pollen and honey. Commercial cows' milk acidophilus yoghurt (preferably organic or biodynamic) may be temporarily used if nothing else is available. I do not recommend habitually using commercial soy milk.
The commonly used yoghurt based on cows' milk has some problems in that many individuals are allergic or sensitive to some ingredients of cows' milk. It often is mucus-forming and is also high in estrogens which is not good for various female cancers. According to the blood group diet, cows' milk is only acceptable for those with blood group B and possibly AB. However, if not sensitive to it, then yoghurt made from fresh raw cows' milk can be beneficial in moderation.
You may just use rice as a base for making yoghurt. Cook soaked (organic) brown rice in plenty of water. After cooling blend and strain. Add starter culture and 2 teaspoons of raw honey to the strained rice water. Rice yoghurt does not set - drink it when it turns slightly sour or smells slightly fermented. However, proper rice milk is made by blending rice that has been sprouted or enzymatically broken down. You may do this yourself by blending and straining spouted brown rice. This is sweet enough by itself so that no added sweetener is required.
However, the most recommended yoghurt is based on pollen and honey. For this you may add to one litre of (energised) water and starter 10 teaspoons of pollen, 2 or 3 tsp of raw honey, 1 or 2 tsp of kelp powder and possibly several teaspons of spirulina or chlorella or cereal grass powder. You may also try if you can add one or more teaspoons of shark cartilage powder to make is more easily digestible without unduly offending your taste buds. You may experiment and use more or less of the indicated amounts and also different ingredients. As with rice yoghut, this does not set and is used when it starts frothing and tastes somewhat acid.
As initial starter use either 1 teaspoon each of powdered acidophilus and bifido cultures, or a mixed culture of these or high-potency capsules or a commercial yoghurt containing these bacteria (preferably organic or biodynamic). Do not use commercial yoghurt or starter with only bulgaricus and thermophilus bacteria. Subsequently use up to a cupful of the previous batch as starter. Preferably use any liquid or whey as starter because it contains the most bacteria. The more starter you use and the warmer it is, the sooner it will be ready.
If you do not have a yoghurt maker which keeps the temperature about 40 degrees C, mix half a litre or 2 - 3 cupfuls of any type of milk or pollen-honey liquid with a cupful of starter and keep in a jar standing in a container with initially hot tap water. It usually takes only a few hours to set. With powdered cultures it may take 6-10 hours. In cold weather renew the hot water every hour or keep the jar in a warm place. Alternatively, the milk may be kept warm by putting it in a box, or some other small enclosed space, together with an electric bulb or other source of heat. Refrigerate the yoghurt when it just starts setting, as it continues to become firmer and more acid during storage. If it becomes too sour, use less of the whey as starter and you may eat only the strained curd or neutralise the acid.
To make sour milk (clabber milk), leave raw, unheated milk in a flat bowl in a warm place for 1-2 days until the milk sours and coagulates. You may add a yoghurt or acidophilus starter. For making cottage cheese or quark, wait until curd and whey have separated and strain or press the curdled milk through a cheesecloth.
VEGIE BURGERS
Soak overnight 1 cup of chickpeas or lentils or other legumes, next morning replace the water and blend. Soak 2 cups of rice overnight and cook. Combine the blended chickpeas or other legumes with the cooked rice and add some buckwheat flour or 1 egg to bind. Flavour with any combination of the following: miso, soya sauce, fresh parsley, coriander, cumin, fresh ginger onion and any other herbs or spices. Form flat burgers and bake crisp in a grill or a non-stick pan.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPPLEMENTS
Most individuals on conventional diets with much refined and processed food have either outright deficiencies or a shortage of various vitamins, minerals, enzymes or hormones. Generally, the in take of essential nutrients is less than optimal, making us susceptible to disease. Deficiencies are even more widespread in those who suffer already an acute or chronic disease. Sometimes individuals have had to suffer for years and have had large expens es for conventional treatments while a few simple supplements could correct the problems.
Supplements are most important for individuals with malabsorption and those who still retain processed and refined food as part of their diet or who cannot regularly obtain vegetables and fruit grown organically in good soil. The more serious the disease or the health deterioration, the more are supplements likely to be beneficial and the greater should be the dosages and range of supplements.
Calcium supplements are commonly used with conventional diets and many are apprehensive of obtaining sufficient calcium when abstaining from milk products. This concern is unfounded. Calcium is not well absorbed from milk as can be seen in the high incidence of osteoporosis developing on conventional Western diets while this is not a problem in milk-free Asian countries. Vegetables, sprouted and fermented seeds, on the other hand, are high in useable calcium. The calcium content in juice from cereal grasses is higher than in milk. Cows obtain their calcium from grass.
Similar considerations apply to iron, which is plentiful and well absorbed from grass juice and raw vegetables, whereas it can easily become harmful as an inorganic supplement. Anyway, much more widespread and detriment al than calcium and iron deficiencies are deficiencies in chromium, magnesium, manganese, selenium and zinc.
Many supplements are concentrated health foods; taking these is not the same as the 'pill-popping' of medical drugs. While I believe that supplements are unnecessary if one is healthy and lives on a high quality diet in an unpolluted environment, I also feel that it is very difficult to remain healthy in present times and even more difficult to heal an 'incurable' disease. Carefully selected supplements can make a great difference in these endeavors, especially for those who are just starting to improve their diets.
As a multivitamin-mineral supplement I recommend an approximate composition of 250 mg vitamin C, 100 mg vitamin E and two to five times t he recommended daily amounts (RDA) of the common B vitamins. This is about 4-10 mg of vitamins B1, B2, B6, 30-100 mg nicotinamide and 10-30 mg pantothenic acid. In addition 5000 to 9000 IU vitamin A (from 1 or 2 halibut liver oil capsules), 400 mcg folic a cid, 300 mcg biotin, 15 mg zinc, 5 mg manganese 100 to 200 mcg selenium and 200 mcg chromium, also 500 mg of magnesium and up to twice this amount of calcium if the blood pressure is low. Much higher doses, especially of selected vitamins, may be used whe re indicated for therapeutic effects.
In addition, you may use general supplements to increase overall wellbeing and vitality. Of special benefit for those lacking energy are ginseng, coenzyme Q10, royal jelly, bee-pollen and freeze-dried liver. Pollen is my favorite and for those not taking fresh grass juice, also chlorella or spirulina.
Digestive enzymes and hydrochloric-acid supplement can help those with weak digestion. For those in conditions of debility, amino acid and nucleic acid supple ments can also help. The most important amino acids are generally lysine, tyrosine or phenylalanine and glutamine. Various herbs can be used to tone up the whole body or to strengthen specific organs or functions.
Many supplements such as royal jelly, vitamin B12 and the freeze-dried glands are much more effective if partly absorbed under the tongue, chewed lightly and kept in the mouth for as long as possible.
Lecithin is beneficial for most individuals; you may mix a teaspoonful with meals. Lecithin can be mixed with ground linseed in the same jar. If lack of omega-3 fatty acids is indicated, linseed oil or cod-liver oil may be taken, with malabsorption, the oil may be rubbed into the skin. These oils help to reduce inflammations, pain and allergic swellings. On a diet low in iodized salt and seafood we may become iodine deficient. Kelp tablets or granules are excellent for supplying iodine as well as many other minerals. With infections use high levels of vitamins C, A and E, zinc, propolis and echinacea.
Sulfur compounds detoxify and remove from the body heavy metals, harmful chemicals and drugs. MSM is especially good for this (see the separate article). Sulfur is also a main component of connective tissue and supplementation is beneficial with all connective tissue diseases (for example, arthritis). Even simply taking powdered sulfur has been shown to increase the formation of useful sulfur compounds. You may just take a gelatin capsule filled with sulfur once a day or mix a pinch of it with each meal. The main sulfur amino acids are L-cysteine and L-methionine. Foods high in sulfur are eggs and onions.
Generally, increase and decrease high levels of supplements, especially vitamins, gradually and interrupt or greatly reduce supplement intake during fasting or cleansing per iods. Most vitamin-mineral supplements are best absorbed and cause less gastro-intestinal irritation if mixed with the meal as powders, crushed tablets or opened capsules. The next best way is to swallow tablets near the middle of the meal and avoid slow- release tablets. However, take amino acids before the meal. This applies also to calcium which is not well absorbed as it tends to form insoluble soaps with fatty acids during digestion.
Selection of Vitamin Supplements
Commercial growing and processing and traditional Western cooking methods reduce the vitamin and mineral content of food to only a fraction of that in fresh, raw, organically grown foods. As an example, methyl bromide, a widely used fumigant for grains, destroys all the pantothenic acid (a B vitamin).
Unfortunately, these days many vitamins (especially vitamin C and the B vitamins) are simply not available in sufficient amounts in foods or natural supplements, and synthetic supplements are often necessary in order to improve or maintain health. However, the vitamins that are available as natural concentrates (A, D and E) should be avoided in synthetic form. Natural vitamin E is d-alpha tocopherol; dl-alpha tocopherol is synthetic.
Store vitamin supplements in a dry, cool and dark place. Oil-filled capsules should be taken during a meal containing oily or fatty food and lecithin. However, many individuals most in need of these vitamins have absorption problems and for them oil-filled capsules are not suitable. Therefore, I generally recommend to use tablets of natural vitamin E rather than oil-filled capsules. If in doubt about your digestive abilities take a few halibut oil or other fish oil capsules at bedtime and keep them in the mouth to be slowly absorbed over night. Otherwise take all supplements during meals or mixed with food. Small amounts with several meals are better absorbed than a large amount in a single dose. Increase and decrease high-dosage supplements gradually.
Multivitamin tablets often have beta-carotene substituted for vitamin A. However, many individuals have difficulty not only absorbing beta-carotene but also converting it into vitamin A. Therefore, use tablets that contain real vitamin A and not vitamin A equivalents of beta-carotene.
Chewing vitamin and mineral supplements together with food produces much better results than just swallowing them. Appreciable amounts of vitamin B12 can be absorbed by keeping a tablet under the tongue, even if it cannot be absorbed in the stomach because of a lack of 'intrinsic factor' (a substance usually present in the stomach that is involved in the absorption of vitamin B12).
If there are signs of increased requirements for individual nutrients, you may either use separate supplements for the B group and the vitamins A, C and E or you may use additional indicated nutrients together with a suitable multi-vitamin-mineral supplement. In most conditions involving lack of energy, debility, anemia, low blood pressure and chronic degenerative diseases, injections of vitamin B12 (1000 mcg) are very helpful.
The acid form of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may be used with protein meals, especially if you are too alkaline or lacking in gastric acid. If more than 3-5 g per day is taken regularly, those with high blood pressure may partly neutralize the ascorbic acid with an equal amount of milk of magnesia, or with one-third the amount of potassium bicarbonate. With low blood pressure and possible overacidity you may take calcium ascorbate instead.
Instead of taking vitamin and mineral supplements it is even more effective and much cheaper to use special food high in vitamin, minerals and enzymes, especially fresh vegetable juice. The only disadvantage is that it requires greatly increased time and energy. Very high levels of vitamins and minerals are often needed because the body has become inefficient in absorbing and using them and also because of allergies, chronic inflammations, low gastric acid levels, parasites, stress and chemical contamination
These problems can usually be improved or rectified on a predominantly raw-food cleansing diet based on fermented food, purple food, grass juice and sprouted seeds. Despite the fact that someone on such a diet has a much lower vitamin and mineral intake than the person on high potency tablets, overall healing is much more effective.