If we wish to maintain or REGAIN our health, we need to learn about and focus on how to feed ourselves properly. Essentially that means utilizing foods and beverages that are as close to natural as we can get them. The metabolism of our bodies still functions the way it did in the bodies of our prehistoric forebears did. Their primary food sources were plants and roots, fruits, seeds, and nuts. They did eat meat, and maybe even regularly, but definitely not as much or as constantly as those in modern society does. Our major teeth are flat, not pointed, and the eating motion of our mouths and teeth is more a side-ways grinding motion, like that of grass-eaters, rather than a tearing and gulping motion, as is that of carnivores.

The following suggestions are in descending order of importance to the body. They are not listed as a diet, since "diets" are not a "normal" way of eating. It is much better to make a lifestyle change, which includes changing eating and drinking habits on a permanent basis, rather than going on a diet, which is only a limited, temporary change.

FOODS OF PLANT ORIGIN:

First: Vegetables

These were the foods that were in most abundant supply in the days when our digestive system was formed, and they are still the most abundant now.

You can eat all kinds of vegetables, and in most cases, as much as you want.

• leafy greens: all lettuces (other than iceberg), parsley, spinach, chard, kale, beet greens, celery, collards, arugula,
• wild greens: lamb's quarters, dandelion leaves, nettles
• fibrous plants: bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
• tubers: yams, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, (potatoes are not the best choice as they have a very high glycemic index, rapidly raising sugar levels in the blood, making the demand for insulin fluctuate wildly)
• bulbs: garlic, onions, leeks
• roots: carrots, beets, rutabagas, turnips, swedes, radishes
• non-sweet fruits: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, zucchini, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers
• other: asparagus, sprouts of all kinds, spirulina, chlorella

Second: Grains

In prehistoric days, as today, these were also very abundant, as each different grass had small seeds that were used as food by people. Today's grains have been altered very much by hybridization, but there still is an incredible amount of nourishment there, if we use the WHOLE grain. This includes the bran or husk, and the germ, or the "seed" of the grain kernel.

• wheat berries, oat groats, rye, millet, barley, rice (these are the most common grains)
• quinoa ("keen-wah"), spelt, amaranth, buckwheat, Kamut, teff, triticale (less common, but full of nutrients)

Further on in this section, there is more detail on how to best prepare these grains for eating.

Third: Legumes

These are also a carryover from prehistoric times. The name is one of two (the other name is "pulses") that are given to the dried peas and beans that can form a staple part of a vegetarian diet. When these are combined with grains (rice/lentils or corn/lima beans etc), they form a protein that is as complete as any animal-based protein you would eat.

Group 1: Dry beans - other than their sprouts, these have the highest protein content.

Adzuki, beige-, black-, brown-, kidney-, fava-, pinto-, red-, romano-, soybeans, black-eye peas, and chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Group 2: Lentils - above average quality protein

Brown and red lentils, and mung beans (oriental bean sprouts)

Group 3: Dried peas - average quality protein

Lima-, navy-, northern-, white beans, peanuts, split peas (green & yellow) and whole green peas

Fourth: Fruits

Even with natural fruits, be cautious, simply because of the amount of sugar they contain.

Some fruits are best eaten by themselves, such as melons, others should not be consumed too much at one time, because of their high glycemic index (bananas, grapes)

It is best to eat fruit from the climate in your geographical region, and in the season when it ripens.

Some fruits store reasonably well, like apples or coconut, and can therefore be eaten later.

Brightly colored fruit, especially berries are highly recommended for their "proanthocyanidin" free-radical fighting qualities.

Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, red and black currants, other berries.

Stone fruits: Cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines.

Other tree fruits: Apples, pears.

Citrus fruits: Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tangerines.

Tropical fruits: Mango, kiwi, bananas, papayas.

Fatty fruits: Olives, Avocados, Coconut (both baby and mature).

Fifth: Seeds, nuts, and their oils

Oil-bearing seeds and nuts need to be stored in the fridge or freezer because even in the shell or husk, they will go rancid. Nuts are best eaten raw and unprocessed (add your own salt, or herbs). You can soak them for a few hours to make them more digestible. Roasted, salted nuts or seeds are often damaged by processing and therefore not good for this program.

Best seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, chia seeds.

Best nuts: Walnut, Almond, hazelnut, Brazil nut, pine nut, pecan, pistachio.

Sixth: Oils from seeds and nuts

Oils and fats are essential for our brain and nervous systems. However, most oils on the supermarket shelves are so refined and processed, they have NO nutrition in them, and some commercial oils can even be very detrimental to your health (Most oils in bottles on the grocer's shelves are highly processed and might come from non-organic, or Genetically Modified seeds).

The oils that are needed are: organically grown, cold-pressed without chemical solvents, unfiltered, and bottled in dark glass. These oils still have beneficial ingredients from the seed. They have no preservatives and need to be stored in the refrigerator. The best of these oils are processed in light and oxygen-free environments.

FOODS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

Best, of course, would be to wean yourself away from animal foods altogether: VEGAN VEGETARIAN

Next, best is to stay with eggs and dairy products: LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN

Third on the list would be to limit yourself to poultry and seafood as far as animal proteins go.

Meat from game animals is okay. It is lean and has not been fed hormones, antibiotics, or chemicals.

The least benefit to you is beef and pork, and most, if not all deli and sandwich meats.

Eggs: Best is soft boiled, or poached, next scrambled, then hard-boiled, and last of all fried

Dairy: Milk intolerance has many causes, but one of them is that cow's milk is made for calves, not humans. More easily digested is goat's milk, and other milk-like drinks can be made from soybeans, rice, nuts, and even alfalfa. The only exceptions to this avoidance list are the soured milk products: Yogurt, kefir, real buttermilk, and the soft cheeses such as quark and cottage and ricotta. These last are best made yourself, but if you must buy, they should contain only milk solids and bacterial cultures.

Seafood: Steamed, poached, or baked. Again - fried foods are not your best option. White-fleshed fish is best and from the less polluted waters. At least fish and other seafood have not been force-fed growth hormones and antibiotics.

AVOID fish raised in fish farms if at all possible. These are fed with substances they would not get in the wild, and these substances in many cases are genetically modified (GM canola seed cake)

Poultry: Here ONLY birds that are wild (partridge, quail, grouse, etc), or allowed to range freely, and are fed organic feeds are even possible. Any bird from an egg battery or feed lot is not very good to eat, because of the hormones and antibiotics they are fed to keep them alive and producing.

Wild game: This is your next best option if you must have meat, especially if you are looking at birds. Deer, elk, moose and other hoofed animals are very lean usually and have also not been fed all the chemicals feedlot animals receive.

FOODS TO AVOID IF AT ALL POSSIBLE

FIRST AND FOREMOST -- SUGAR:

This is one of man's inventions.

The chapter about sugar is a dark one, and it shows much about how we delude ourselves about our foods.

Sugar is considered one of the basic starchy foods. Sugar cane itself contains up to 14% trace elements like minerals and vitamins, all of which are vital to the body and good nutrition. One of the elements in sugar cane is chlorophyll.

In the early part of the nineteenth century, sugar was considered a condiment, rather than a major component of the diet. Back then, the average per capita intake of sugar was only about 10 to 12 pounds per year.

Today, according to some statistics, the average American ingests approximately 139 pounds of refined sugar each year.

That enormous quantity translates to about 41 teaspoons of sugar per day, or 19% of all of the calories we consume.

Refined sugar contains virtually no vitamins or minerals at all, so it dilutes our nutrient intake, resulting in an across-the-board 19% reduction in all vitamins and minerals in our diet.

Thus, because of our high intake of sugar we are getting less magnesium, folic acid, vitamin B6, zinc, copper, manganese, and other nutrients that play a role in maintaining healthy bones.

The sugar we buy for our daily consumption comes from the juice pressed from the cane. The following steps are part of the process of refining:

• It is heated with a lime liquor to remove calcium and glucose. This lime liquid is concentrated and extremely alkaline and destroys all vitamins.

• Then these substances are mixed into the resultant liquid: Lime, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and sodium carbonate.

• This dead mass is then treated with strontium hydroxide

• Next, it is brought to the refinery for cleansing with calcium carbon acid.

• Dark particles are removed by adding sulfuric acid and filtering the liquid through bone charcoal

• Finally, the stuff is dyed with indanthrene blue or the even more toxic ultramarine blue.

The result is available on our supermarket shelves as powdered, granular, or cubed white sugar, even as any form of brown sugar. This last just means the granular sugar has been sprayed with molasses after the processing.

Sugar is the food most quickly broken down for energy because it is a simple carbohydrate. Unhealthy cells are energy hogs and will grab any substance that will feed them before the food goes to the regular cells.

Refined white, brown sugar, and ALL artificial sweeteners - Nutra-sweet, Equal etc, can all feed unhealthy cells

Included in this list are the sugar syrups such as corn syrup, golden syrup and pancake syrups.

It is simply common sense to stay completely away from all foods that have refined sugar in them. This includes most pre-prepared foods and pre-packaged foods. Any list that has words that end in -ose (sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, even maltodextrin) has a form of refined sugar in it, no matter what the source is.

Any list of ingredients on a packaged food which includes words that are too difficult to pronounce easily contains chemicals. These should be avoided if it is at all possible.

If you MUST use concentrated sweeteners, the following are all right, but keep in mind, they are concentrated, so a little goes a long way. These are usually available at your health food stores.

Unpasteurized honey: Especially if you can get it directly from the apiarist. This still has the minerals, vitamins and other important bee products in it.

Real maple syrup: Even 2nd or 3rd grade, since they may have more minerals in them

Dehydrated sugarcane juice: A brown powder that is very hygroscopic, tastes like molasses.

Colour and taste are the resultss of the minerals left in the powder, once the water has been removed from the juice.

Stevia: A plant that has 300 times the sweetening power of sugar, AND it is safe for diabetics. You should be able to find this sweetener in a few different ways:

1) As a whitish powdered extract

2) As dried leaves. In these forms, it too is available at the health food stores:

3) You can purchase stevia here

OTHER PROCESSED AND REFINED FOODS TO AVOID:

Most processed and refined foods have had all nutritional value removed, or they have been so adulterated by the processing methods and the addition of various chemicals and other agents that make such food palatable, that they are just a "chemical soup".

If it appears to you that the food has gone through a high heating process to preserve it or make it, then it most likely only has the fibre and some minerals left in it. The enzymes needed to digest it, and most of the vitamins which were originally present, will have been destroyed by the heat.

• This includes any fruit or vegetable in a can, and dry packaged substances, any prepacked sandwich meats and cheeses, and even pre-prepared frozen meals, as well as most types of baked goods.

• Foods that have been made with refined white flour - pastas, breads, and other baked goods.

• Foods that have been pre-fried, and fried foods generally. The frying process changes the components of the oils into potentially carcinogenic substances.

• Fats that have gone through a hydrogenation or partial hydrogenation process:

• ALL margarine. Some margarine (such as those that are "soft") claim that there is no hydrogenated fat in their product. That may be the case, but the oil has still gone through some kind of processing which changes the liquid oil into a solid or semi-solid marketable product with an extended shelf life. What that does to your body, no one really knows, but anything that has been changed in composition will not be very good for you.

Any other foods stuffs that have hydrogenated fats as part of their ingredients list.

PREPARING - LEGUMES, PULSES OR DRIED BEANS AND PEAS

General tips

• Soak 1 cup legumes in 3-4 cups water, add more water, if needed, while soaking, so they stay covered

• NEVER cover the pot or bowl of soaking legumes

• ALWAYS discard soaking water

• Rinse thoroughly, and rub the legumes with hands while rinsing

• Water must cover beans 1/2" while cooking

• Add any seasonings only during last 20-30 minutes

• Legumes must be soft to be digested properly

Preparing legumes

SOAK COOK SUGGESTIONS

Soy and Fava 12 H 2-6 H best in pressure cooker

All others 8 H 1-1.5 H

Chick peas 12-24 H 1.5-2 H

Lentils, red none 15-20 M cook on low heat

Lentils, brown none 55-65 M 2-2.5 c water per 1c lentils

Mung beans none 45-55 M 2-2.5 c water per 1c lentils

Substitutions: In equal proportions

FOR Soy beans USE Chick peas

Pinto, romano beans Kidney beans

Yellow split peas Green split peas

Navy, white beans Lima beans

Red lentils Brown (in some cases)

USES

Meat substitute:

Chili & Stews Pinto, kidney, romano

Soups & Casseroles All

Salads Chickpeas, kidney

Sprouts All - except favas and split peas

Makes own gravy: Kidney, pinto, lentils, split peas, adzuki, black beans

Sandwich spreads: Soybeans, chickpeas, black beans

With tomato sauce: soy, pinto, kidney, white, navy, lima, brown lentils

GOOD HERBS WITH BEANS

Savory Thyme Sea kelp

Fennel Bay leaf Cayenne

Basil Oregano Paprika

Parsley Tamari Dill

Chili pepper Marjoram Sea salt

INFORMATION ON GRAINS AND HOW TO COOK THEM

Special tips:

• Cook grains so they are no longer crunchy, but not soggy. Undercooked grains are hard to digest

• Soak before cooking: Whole oats, rye, triticale, spelt, kamut, wheat berries, sometimes wild rice

• Gluten free grains: Buckwheat, corn, Job's tears (hato mugi), millet, quinoa, rice

• Low gluten grains: Kamut, spelled

• Grain free flours: Amaranth, arrowroot, carob, cassava, potato, tapioca, teff

General cooking tips:

• 1 c dry whole-grain usually makes about 4 servings

• Grains and water together should never fill a pot more than half full

• Put grain and appropriate amount of water in pot

• Put pot on burner on high, with a lid on

• When pot boils, turn to just above the lowest setting, so it still simmers, and start timing

• Never stir grains while cooking, they could cake together

• Do NOT add salt to grains until last 10-15 min cooking. Grains are more digestible this way.

• Watch all grains very carefully, some cook very fast and the times given below may be too long

Specific cooking tips:

S&C = is the amount of water to be used for soaking and also for cooking the specific grains

MEASURE CUPS

GRAIN GRAIN /WATER SOAK/TIME COOK TIME COMMENTS

Amaranth 1 2 no 18-20 m side dish, best with another grain

Amaranth 1 2.5-3 no 18-20 m hot breakfast cereal (not dry)

Buckwheat 1 2 no 20-30 m add onions, herbs + water last 10m

Cornmeal 1 2-3 no 10-15 m hot breakfast cereal (not dry)

Kamut 1 2.5 S&C yes / 12 H 45-60 m drain & rinse after soaking

Millet 1 3-4 no 30-40 m hot breakfast cereal

Millet 1 2.5-3 no 15-30 m Side dish, watch carefully, cooks fast

Oats 1 2.5 S&C yes / 12 H 45-60 m drain & rinse after soaking

Pot barley 1 2 no 20-30 m add onions, herbs + water last 10m

Quinoa, white 1 2.5-3.5 no 10-20 m rinse well before cooking

Quinoa, brown 1 2.5-3.5 no 20-30 m rinse VERY well before cooking

Rice, long brn 1 2 no 30-40 m rinse well before cooking

Rice, shrt born 1 2 no 30-40 m rinse well before cooking

Rice, swt brn 1 2 no 25-35 m rinse well before cooking

Rice, wild 1 2 yes / 2-3 H 60-70 m blend with brown long after cooking

Rye 1 2.5 S&C yes / 12 H 45-60 m very strong, use w wheat/oats – 1:6 or 1:10

Spelt 1 2.5 S&C yes / 12 H 45-60 m drain & rinse after soaking

Teff 1 4 no 15-20 m best with another grain

Triticale 1 2.5 S&C yes / 12 H 45-60 m drain & rinse after soaking

Wheat berry 1 2.5 S&C yes / 12 H 45-60 m drain & rinse after soaking

Wheat, crack 1 2 yes / 2 H 20 m may need extra water, and water from soaking can be used for cooking

OTHER FOOD SUPPLEMENTS THAT ARE HELPFUL

WATER Rinsing of the tissues of the body:

This is one of the MOST IMPORTANT things you can do it. We mean good quality spring or well water. LOTS of water: At least 2 quarts (2 liters) for the average adult. Children need to get in the habit of drinking water when they are thirsty, not soft drinks. Educating them is the responsibility of the parents. Educating oneself is the responsibility of every adult.

FLOR*ESSENCE Cleansing at the cellular level

Assisting in ridding the body of excess wastes:

This is a process that more of us need to do on a more regular basis. We live in a polluted world and our bodies do what they can to maintain health, but they sure can use some help.

Cleansing of the intestinal tract by fasting or other means is good, but it is not the complete systemic cleansing that our bodies need. Flor*Essence can accomplish this in a very gentle, but thorough manner.

UDO'S OIL/FLAX OIL Protecting and maintaining every cell in the body

Assisting with proper brain and nerve functioning

Helps with lubrication of the joints, and maintaining the cholesterol balance

Both can be found here: Udo's Choice Flax Oil

Essential Fatty Acids are a very necessary part of the membrane or skin of every cell in the body. Without these fatty acids, the membrane is weakened and the cell easily invaded. Fatty acids are also essential for proper brain and nerve functioning, as well as giving the joints and the digestive tract some of the lubrication needed to keep them functioning properly. It can help lower the LDL and raise the HDL, thereby helping to maintain a better balance of these in the body.

Udo's Choice "Ultimate Oil Blend":

• Has the optimum balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids: 2:1

• It is cold processed in an oxygen and light-free environment

• It is bottled in dark brown glass and kept refrigerated

• It is very versatile in its use, and the taste is quite good

Some people have difficulties with the minor ingredients in the blend. You can substitute 3 units of flaxseed oil with 1 unit of sunflower seed oil to get the same ratio of O-3 to O-6.

BEYOND GRAPESEED Fighting free radicals – Grapeseed extract, Bilberry extract

Healing and strengthening the blood vessels – Bilberry extract

Stimulating the urinary tract – Cranberry juice powder

Grapeseed can be found Here

Free radicals can create in the body the same thing that happens when the iron is contacted by air: OXIDATION or in a simpler word: RUST. Anti-oxidants are very necessary to fight this situation and restore the cells to their proper way of functioning. "Beyond Grapeseed" is one of the most powerful for this, as it contains Dr. Masquelier's Grapeseed extract. The Bilberry extract is also a a powerful antioxidant, but its main function is to heal and strengthen the blood vessels, helping with vision, circulation, and sclerotic conditions in the blood vessels.

The Cranberry juice powder is very helpful in urinary tract problems and stimulated the urinary tract to discharge wastes.

VEGESIL" (USA) This is an excellent rebuilder/strengthener of all connective tissues and mucous membranes

The collagen layer of the skin which affects hair, nails, skin, and bones; the connective tissue of cartilage, tendons,

ligaments and synovial membranes, which affects all joints and the discs in the spinal column; The connective tissue

in muscles and the circulatory system, which affects muscle pain and weakened blood vessels; the structure of the bones,

which affects softening and weakening of the bones

GREEN FOODS: Fighting free radicals

Improved elimination of toxins

One of the best of these is Udo's Choice "Beyond Greens".

Because of the ingredients, it has the ability to give your body an increase in oxygen at the cellular level, and healthy normal cells need oxygen in order to function properly.

Beyond Greens is full of antioxidants, which help the body deal with cells called "free radicals". These cells can change into mutating cells if the environment and circumstances in the body are favorable to these very damaging cells.

Since this supplement is full of ingredients that will soften the stool, and create more bulk, it will help your body get rid of toxic waste products, preventing a build-up in the colon, and in turn helping cleanse your whole body.

It is full of incredible good nutritious ingredients, each of which help support your body and give it the substances it needs to regenerate and maintain health.

Other helpful herbal products and supplements:

"Sylmar" Milk thistle extract: Superb for cleansing and toning the liver

"Gallexier" Extract of several different bitter herbs: Very good liver and bile stimulant

"BioPectin" Modified citrus pectin: Studies show this prevents mutating cells from forming new tumours

As well as a selection of good vitamins and minerals such as:

Beta Carotene 25,000 IU day; B Complex (hi-potency) 50 - 150 mg day; Vitamin C 2,000 - 6,000 mgs day; Vitamin D 400 - 800 IU day (with Beta Carotene); Zinc10 - 50 mgs day (with Beta Carotene and Vit D); Vitamin E

400 -1,200 IU day - with Selenium 400 IU of E to 50 mcg Selenium

All of these supplements can be found Here

Good books to read

There are many good books on the marketplace and in libraries that you can use to further your education in nutrition and natural healing, herbs, and herbal medicines. Some of the titles I have found the most enlightening follow:

"Diet for a New America" and "Reclaiming Our Health" by John Robbins

"Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill" by Udo Erasmus

"For the Love of Food" by Jeanne Marie Martin

"Fruit Sweet and Sugar-Free" by J Feyer

"Healing with Herbal Juices" by Siegfried Gutsche

"New Nutrition" by Dr. Michael Colgan, MD

"Prescription for Nutritional Healing" (3rd Edition) by Dr. James Balch, MD and Phyllis Balch

"Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by Dr. F Batmanghelidj, MD

SOME VERY NUTRITIOUS, EASILY DIGESTED FOODS AND RECIPES

SLIPPERY ELM BARK BROTH / TEA

This is one of the most nutritive substances that come from plants.

Elderly people and infants who have digestive problems, or disorders, and cannot, therefore, retain food - even food as bland as oatmeal - have been able to retain a broth made from the slippery elm bark powder.

Slippery Elm Bark is a powder that is yellow-tan to pale brownish in color, and as fine as flour in texture.

BROTH PREPARATION:

- Take approx 1 tsp of the powdered bark, put it in a small stainless pot.

- Add a total of 1 cup of water - BUT - do it very gradually.

A drop or two to start, stirring all the time. Add a few more drops, continue until you have a thick paste, then this more and more by adding more water, until you have added the full cup of water. If you do not add the water slowly like this, the powder will form a lump and you will not be able to get it to dissolve in the water properly.

- Put the pot on the burner on medium with a lid, and bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Let cool.

- Sip a cupful of this viscid liquid as many times as you want to or can through the day.

TIGER'S ENERGY MILK -- EXCELLENT SUBSTITUTE FOR "ENSURE" AND "BOOST"

BASIC RECIPE: blend together ALL ingredients you use, drink immediately

1 c yogurt (ensure it only has milk solids, & bacterial culture as ingredients)

1-2 T each - Udo's oil, and (OPTIONAL) non-instant powdered milk

1-3 t each - brewer's yeast (do NOT use debittered) and granular lecithin

1 free-range egg or 1/4 c soft tofu All liquid vitamins and/or minerals can be added for additional nutrition if desired

SWEET VERSION - ADD ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING

1/2 ripe banana (or a whole one) AND 1/2 c any other fruit in season (papaya, mango, all berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears etc) if desired

1 T concentrated pure fruit juice (orange, apple, grape) and 1-2 T of any other true fruit juice concentrate (RIBENA)

1-3 t blackstrap molasses (adds minerals) and 1 t unpasteurized honey or real maple syrup if sweetener is needed

2 T freshly ground nuts or seeds (almond, filbert, pecan, sunflower, flax) - especially to thicken

Spices to taste - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg

SAVOURY VERSION - ADD ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING

Omit yogurt and powdered milk from the basic formula

1/2 - 1 c fresh tomato, carrot, celery, or cabbage juice

1 T minced garlic and/or onion

Spices to taste - oregano, mint, basil, lemon juice