Sorry I have disappeared.
I am catering a wedding this week which would not ordinarily throw me,
but this is a non- gluten vegan wedding. Again, not ordinarily a situation
to throw me, since I have catered many vegan affairs.
It is the non-gluten wedding cake that is throwing me into despair.
Last night I cooked my seventh test cake. Every non-gluten cake
recipe I try looks great as it comes from the oven, and several times
I have thought "Yes! This one is it!" Then I cut into it and encounter
glue. And of course, I have had to try each one. The flavor of several
of them has been good, but the glue, the glue!
Today is my birthday, and I have asked dear God for a usable cake.
This is truly all I want.
The wedding is Sunday, and so I will be back on Monday.
And back to non-party food.
Hope to see you then.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
More on Hydrochloric Acid and Green Smoothies
Sorry, this is two posts in one day. I thought I had sent yesterday's yesterday.
Once again, reference to Victoria Boutenko's work.
She is the one who introduced me to the relationship of
Hydrochloric acid to our entire health.
RATS! I just erased an hour of work, so my replay
will be a little more perfunctory than the original.
Sufficient Hydrochloric acid is essential to our overall health.
Re-establishing the optimum amount of HCL production
is one of the most useful things we can do to recreate optimal health.
HCL performs many digestive and protective functions.
It begins the digestion of proteins by breaking the peptide
bonds of amino acids.
It is necessary for the absorptions of several nutrients including
iron, calcium, zinc, folic acid and B vitamins. Since our
bodies naturally produce less HCL after the age of forty,
it isn't surprising that we then begin to lose bone mass and
experience hair loss and graying. We are not absorbing
enough minerals.
HCL also destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and parasites.
In fact, HCL is the only defense there is against orally ingested
parasites. This makes me wonder if this lack could also
contribute to a flowering of H.pylori, it being a harmful
bacteria when it gets out of control???It makes sense to me.
Madison Avenue would have us believe that we are producing
far too much HCL and that it is the cause of acid reflux. Americans
consume between one and three billion dollars worth of antacids
a year, while the symptoms and diseases of insufficient HCL run
rampant. What are these symptoms and diseases?
The first are the Gastro-intestinal disorders: acid reflux, gastric polyps,
ulcerative colitis, gas - bloating, belching, flatulence, celiac disease,
even stomach cancer. (Again that possible H.pylori connection.)
All of these conditions have been related to insufficient HCL.
Also, several skin disorders - dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema
and urticaria (chronic hives). Then deeper diseases:
autoimmune disorders, Multiple schlerosis,
diabetes, Addison's disease, and hepatitis.
There are some telling symptoms of insufficient Hydrocholoric
acid, some of the more obvious ones are mentioned above -
bloating, indigestion, etc, but also diahhrea, yeast infections,
dilated blood vessel around the nose or on the cheeks, hair
loss in women, weak fingernails, soreness in the mouth,
adult acne, nausea after taking supplement, and food allergies.
The stomach is the only part of the body where we want
acidity. Then why do we get acid reflux? Heartburn does
not occur in the stomach, but in the esophagus due to
leaking at the gastroesophageal sphincter. It normally occurs
after eating too much, so that is one clue. Perhaps there is weakness
in the muscles of the valve. According to gastroenterologist,
Paul Fieber, it is also a matter of the timing of the release of the
Hydrochloric acid.
In any case, almost noone is producing too much stomach acid.
I am not suggesting to never use antacids. When I was recently
traveling with my son I had acid reflux, and he, being a frequent
sufferer had some TUMS with him. They were greatly appreciated
at the moment when the real solution of dietary discipline was not
possible, but they should be understood as a stopgap - not a solution.
In fact they exacerbate the problem.
Once more I refer to the experiment carried out by Dr Fieber and
Victoria Boutenko - last blog - where in only one month of eating
a quart a day of green smoothies with no other dietary changes
had and overall increase in HCL production of 62%. Pretty astounding.
I haven't spent time at Victoria's website which I gave you a link
to yesterday, but her book has several great testimonials of people
recovering some serrious conditions by just from adding daily green
smoothies to their lives. You could try it for a week and see what happens.
A hint for making the daily process easier is to pre-wash and
pre-chop your greens for a few days ahead and place them
in a tight plastic container in the refrigerator. I do this for a friend
I cook for once a week, and although she probably hasn't noticed
the difference in her demeanor since she has been faithfully
drinking her green smoothie, I have. And at last I have begun to do
the same for myself. Try some avocado in it.
I wonder what I forget to re-write?? Oh well, see you next post.
Once again, reference to Victoria Boutenko's work.
She is the one who introduced me to the relationship of
Hydrochloric acid to our entire health.
RATS! I just erased an hour of work, so my replay
will be a little more perfunctory than the original.
Sufficient Hydrochloric acid is essential to our overall health.
Re-establishing the optimum amount of HCL production
is one of the most useful things we can do to recreate optimal health.
HCL performs many digestive and protective functions.
It begins the digestion of proteins by breaking the peptide
bonds of amino acids.
It is necessary for the absorptions of several nutrients including
iron, calcium, zinc, folic acid and B vitamins. Since our
bodies naturally produce less HCL after the age of forty,
it isn't surprising that we then begin to lose bone mass and
experience hair loss and graying. We are not absorbing
enough minerals.
HCL also destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and parasites.
In fact, HCL is the only defense there is against orally ingested
parasites. This makes me wonder if this lack could also
contribute to a flowering of H.pylori, it being a harmful
bacteria when it gets out of control???It makes sense to me.
Madison Avenue would have us believe that we are producing
far too much HCL and that it is the cause of acid reflux. Americans
consume between one and three billion dollars worth of antacids
a year, while the symptoms and diseases of insufficient HCL run
rampant. What are these symptoms and diseases?
The first are the Gastro-intestinal disorders: acid reflux, gastric polyps,
ulcerative colitis, gas - bloating, belching, flatulence, celiac disease,
even stomach cancer. (Again that possible H.pylori connection.)
All of these conditions have been related to insufficient HCL.
Also, several skin disorders - dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema
and urticaria (chronic hives). Then deeper diseases:
autoimmune disorders, Multiple schlerosis,
diabetes, Addison's disease, and hepatitis.
There are some telling symptoms of insufficient Hydrocholoric
acid, some of the more obvious ones are mentioned above -
bloating, indigestion, etc, but also diahhrea, yeast infections,
dilated blood vessel around the nose or on the cheeks, hair
loss in women, weak fingernails, soreness in the mouth,
adult acne, nausea after taking supplement, and food allergies.
The stomach is the only part of the body where we want
acidity. Then why do we get acid reflux? Heartburn does
not occur in the stomach, but in the esophagus due to
leaking at the gastroesophageal sphincter. It normally occurs
after eating too much, so that is one clue. Perhaps there is weakness
in the muscles of the valve. According to gastroenterologist,
Paul Fieber, it is also a matter of the timing of the release of the
Hydrochloric acid.
In any case, almost noone is producing too much stomach acid.
I am not suggesting to never use antacids. When I was recently
traveling with my son I had acid reflux, and he, being a frequent
sufferer had some TUMS with him. They were greatly appreciated
at the moment when the real solution of dietary discipline was not
possible, but they should be understood as a stopgap - not a solution.
In fact they exacerbate the problem.
Once more I refer to the experiment carried out by Dr Fieber and
Victoria Boutenko - last blog - where in only one month of eating
a quart a day of green smoothies with no other dietary changes
had and overall increase in HCL production of 62%. Pretty astounding.
I haven't spent time at Victoria's website which I gave you a link
to yesterday, but her book has several great testimonials of people
recovering some serrious conditions by just from adding daily green
smoothies to their lives. You could try it for a week and see what happens.
A hint for making the daily process easier is to pre-wash and
pre-chop your greens for a few days ahead and place them
in a tight plastic container in the refrigerator. I do this for a friend
I cook for once a week, and although she probably hasn't noticed
the difference in her demeanor since she has been faithfully
drinking her green smoothie, I have. And at last I have begun to do
the same for myself. Try some avocado in it.
I wonder what I forget to re-write?? Oh well, see you next post.
Green Drinks and Hydrochloric Acid
Dear readers,
Pretty soon I am going to learn how to use my new point and shoot
camera which came with 62 large pages of directions. Then this blog
will be more interesting to look at.
I intended to begin describing some of my 33 foods individually today, but instead
I am giving you another recipe - one of those power foods that can quickly change your condition - BLENDED GREEN DRINKS.
I say drinks plural because there are pretty much infinite permutations
of this idea. You can go online and find tons of recipes.
I give some suggestions below.
If I were to suggest one daily habit that would
absolutely change your health it is the intake of lots of greens.
Not occasionally. EVERY DAY.
There is no more economical way of getting a lot
of them into your body than by blending.*
Here is the easy version.
Put into the blender the basics:
at least one dark leafy green,
some sprouts (buckwheat, sunflower, mung bean, pea, etc.)
some romaine lettuce
and some fruit to ease the green
just enough water to make the blender go.
(Now what about food combining? Aren't fruits and vegetable supposed to be
eaten at different times? Yes, except when the vegetable are leafy greens.
They combine with everything.)
Other possible additions: avocado, ground seeds,
cucumbers, anything fresh that will blend. I usually like to put
in blueberries (one of my 33 foods) as my fruit,
but it turns the drink a kind of loden green color,
more appropriate for a Scottish jacket than breakfast.
You could try something like mango until you toughen up.
Ground seeds or avocado will make it thicker and heartier.
I recently spent some time in CA with my beloved friend Rhea
who eats a green drink every day, and she was set up to do it easily.
Beside her VitaMix were little jars of different kinds of seeds to add to her drink every day -
ground flax, hemp seed, black sesame seeds, and chia seeds.
Because everything was right there it was easy to put together an amazing power
breakfast every morning. Her version is not for sissies,
but it was really a meal for a whole morning.
* * * *
The Hippocrates Health Institute version is the version
I have used for years as part of the cleanses I run.
It consists of 1/2 and avocado, an apple,
fresh mung sprouts, buckwheat sprouts (often called buckwheat lettuce),
sunflower sprouts, sometimes pea sprouts, although they are not in the original recipe,
a couple of kinds of greens like spinach, kale, watercress, collards, etc.
and a small piece of soaked seaweed with enough water to be able to blend.
Not too much. You want it fairly thick. At certain times of the year -
at least around here - all the ingredients can be found in the health food store.
You can also grow them or order on line.
These things are all blended like mad until they are smooth.
I realize I have not given you amounts, but by the time you have managed
to get some of each of these things into the blender and enough water
to make the blender run, you will have about a quart. If you can get this down in
one day, you will have given your body enough nutrients to keep it from
having many cravings, and you can give yourself a merit badge for the day.
Now here is the thing. For some people this version
can be bland. But it is possible to spark it.
If I have been drinking it for over a period of several days, I want
to put some cumin and chipotle pepper powder in it - or maybe a blob
of salsa. You can experiment, but go easy on the salt.
You will have fewer sugar cravings, the less salt you eat.
* * * *
One powerhouse woman who has promoted the use of Green Drinks
is Victoria Boutenko. Her story is wonderful but I don't have time
to relate it here. She has, however, had enormous success helping thousands
heal with the use of her greens drinks. One of her most amazing stories in
is about an experiment run with a group of patients of gastroenterologist,
Dr. Paul Fieber, to test the effect of drinking a daily quart of
green smoothie on the production of Hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
He was working with people who had serious Hydrochloric acid
(HCL) deficiencies. In one month of consuming one quart a day
of the greens drink with no other dietary changes the increase of HCL
was 62% overall in the experiment group.
Tomorrow I'll talk about the effects of low Hydrochloric Acid.
There is a chapter about this subject in Victoria Boutenko's book
called Green For Life which I highly recommend.
The publisher is Raw Family Publishing. I am guessing self published.
Also on her website there are green smoothie recipes. click here for Victoria Boutenko's website.
* Not everyone can or should eat raw foods, because they are cooling which is not supportive for some conditions and constitutions, and some people have difficulty digesting them. The concept of eating tons of greens still applies, but you will have to lightly cook or ferment them.
Pretty soon I am going to learn how to use my new point and shoot
camera which came with 62 large pages of directions. Then this blog
will be more interesting to look at.
I intended to begin describing some of my 33 foods individually today, but instead
I am giving you another recipe - one of those power foods that can quickly change your condition - BLENDED GREEN DRINKS.
I say drinks plural because there are pretty much infinite permutations
of this idea. You can go online and find tons of recipes.
I give some suggestions below.
If I were to suggest one daily habit that would
absolutely change your health it is the intake of lots of greens.
Not occasionally. EVERY DAY.
There is no more economical way of getting a lot
of them into your body than by blending.*
Here is the easy version.
Put into the blender the basics:
at least one dark leafy green,
some sprouts (buckwheat, sunflower, mung bean, pea, etc.)
some romaine lettuce
and some fruit to ease the green
just enough water to make the blender go.
(Now what about food combining? Aren't fruits and vegetable supposed to be
eaten at different times? Yes, except when the vegetable are leafy greens.
They combine with everything.)
Other possible additions: avocado, ground seeds,
cucumbers, anything fresh that will blend. I usually like to put
in blueberries (one of my 33 foods) as my fruit,
but it turns the drink a kind of loden green color,
more appropriate for a Scottish jacket than breakfast.
You could try something like mango until you toughen up.
Ground seeds or avocado will make it thicker and heartier.
I recently spent some time in CA with my beloved friend Rhea
who eats a green drink every day, and she was set up to do it easily.
Beside her VitaMix were little jars of different kinds of seeds to add to her drink every day -
ground flax, hemp seed, black sesame seeds, and chia seeds.
Because everything was right there it was easy to put together an amazing power
breakfast every morning. Her version is not for sissies,
but it was really a meal for a whole morning.
* * * *
The Hippocrates Health Institute version is the version
I have used for years as part of the cleanses I run.
It consists of 1/2 and avocado, an apple,
fresh mung sprouts, buckwheat sprouts (often called buckwheat lettuce),
sunflower sprouts, sometimes pea sprouts, although they are not in the original recipe,
a couple of kinds of greens like spinach, kale, watercress, collards, etc.
and a small piece of soaked seaweed with enough water to be able to blend.
Not too much. You want it fairly thick. At certain times of the year -
at least around here - all the ingredients can be found in the health food store.
You can also grow them or order on line.
These things are all blended like mad until they are smooth.
I realize I have not given you amounts, but by the time you have managed
to get some of each of these things into the blender and enough water
to make the blender run, you will have about a quart. If you can get this down in
one day, you will have given your body enough nutrients to keep it from
having many cravings, and you can give yourself a merit badge for the day.
Now here is the thing. For some people this version
can be bland. But it is possible to spark it.
If I have been drinking it for over a period of several days, I want
to put some cumin and chipotle pepper powder in it - or maybe a blob
of salsa. You can experiment, but go easy on the salt.
You will have fewer sugar cravings, the less salt you eat.
* * * *
One powerhouse woman who has promoted the use of Green Drinks
is Victoria Boutenko. Her story is wonderful but I don't have time
to relate it here. She has, however, had enormous success helping thousands
heal with the use of her greens drinks. One of her most amazing stories in
is about an experiment run with a group of patients of gastroenterologist,
Dr. Paul Fieber, to test the effect of drinking a daily quart of
green smoothie on the production of Hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
He was working with people who had serious Hydrochloric acid
(HCL) deficiencies. In one month of consuming one quart a day
of the greens drink with no other dietary changes the increase of HCL
was 62% overall in the experiment group.
Tomorrow I'll talk about the effects of low Hydrochloric Acid.
There is a chapter about this subject in Victoria Boutenko's book
called Green For Life which I highly recommend.
The publisher is Raw Family Publishing. I am guessing self published.
Also on her website there are green smoothie recipes. click here for Victoria Boutenko's website.
* Not everyone can or should eat raw foods, because they are cooling which is not supportive for some conditions and constitutions, and some people have difficulty digesting them. The concept of eating tons of greens still applies, but you will have to lightly cook or ferment them.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
H. pylori - Tibetan Monastery Garlic Extract
Tomorrow I will get back to food, but today I am addressing an issue which is becoming more frequently diagnosed amongst my friends and acquaintances including myself - H.pylori.
H.pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is a bacteria estimated to exist in the stomachs of 2/3 of the world's population. It has been long associated with stomach ulcers* and according to the National Cancer Institute it has been identified as the primary cause of gastric cancers. So nothing to be ignored.
A couple of years ago I did a G.I. tract stools test and it showed that I had H. pylori. I had been having small stomach pains after almost every meal. H.pylori is treated with antibiotics and so Deb Moscowitz proscribed them for me. Wait! That was me who proscribed them. She prescribed them. I bought the antibiotics but, having had too many bouts of Lyme disease in the previous (and subsequent) years, and therefore too much antibiotic usage, I went on line to look for some other solution and found it - Siberian Pine Nut Oil. I sent for some along with Sea Buckthorn Oil for good measure and began to treat myself. The H.pylori subsided completely. I can't say if it disappeared because I wasn't tested again, but I had no more symptoms until this very stressful life passage right now. I am starting to feel uncomfortable after eating again. So I am about so send for come more Oils but in the meantime I am making:
TIBETAN MONASTERY GARLIC EXTRACT.
About six years ago I became acquainted (not personally - I wish) with Mikhail Tombak, a Russian biochemist who is a wonderful madman healer. He has traveled and studied cultures around the world and compiled quite an array of cleansing modalities for every system of the body - even bones.The garlic extract formula is to be taken once a year for a full body cleanse.
This particular formula is estimated to be 400 or 500 years old. According to Tombak "The extract cleans accumulated fat out of the body, rinses out insoluble calcium, radically improves metabolism, cleanses blood vessls, prevents heart attacks, ateriosclerosis and prarlysis, removes the sensation of buzzing from the head, improves sight and regenerates the entire body."
What have you got to lose? It came to me yesterday that this formula would probably a good medicine for H.pylori, since very few bacteria enjoy the company of garlic.
Here is how to make it. It's easy.
Take about 3/4 # of fresh peeled garlic - the fresher the better. Freshly harvested fall garlic is the best although winter garlic is fine if it has been kept well. Crush it into a pulp. I just chop it fine and put it right in the blender with about a cup of 80 proof vodka. I find that it takes a little more vodka than that to completely cover the garlic. Place it in a tightly closed jar and put it in a dark place for ten days. Then strain the juice from the pulp. Using cheesecloth in a strainer works well. You have to let it sit for a while in order to strain well. Then you place the liquid in another - preferable dark - jar and let it sit in the dark for another four days.
Now comes the fun part - using it.
Day One: breakfast, 1 drop - lunch, 2 drops - dinner, 3 drops,
Day Two: breakfast, 4 drops - lunch 5 drops - dinner, 6 drops
Day Three: breakfast, 7 drops - lunch 8 drops - dinner, 9 drops
etc., etc., etc. increasing one drop with every meal until you are taking 25 drops with each meal. And you stay with that schedule until the bottle is done. 25 drops each meal.
Surprisingly, unlike garlic capsules, this formula doesn't make you stink - well, except when you are making it. Fresh garlic is sticky as well as stinky, but this is worth it and only done once a year.
* When I was exploring H.pylori a couple of years ago there were some sources that questioned the cause and effect sequence of H.pylori and ulcers. Some researchers thought that the stomach chemistry caused by stress created an ideal environment for the H.pylori and questioned whether the chemistry of stress caused both the ulcers and the proliferation of H.pylori.
H.pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is a bacteria estimated to exist in the stomachs of 2/3 of the world's population. It has been long associated with stomach ulcers* and according to the National Cancer Institute it has been identified as the primary cause of gastric cancers. So nothing to be ignored.
A couple of years ago I did a G.I. tract stools test and it showed that I had H. pylori. I had been having small stomach pains after almost every meal. H.pylori is treated with antibiotics and so Deb Moscowitz proscribed them for me. Wait! That was me who proscribed them. She prescribed them. I bought the antibiotics but, having had too many bouts of Lyme disease in the previous (and subsequent) years, and therefore too much antibiotic usage, I went on line to look for some other solution and found it - Siberian Pine Nut Oil. I sent for some along with Sea Buckthorn Oil for good measure and began to treat myself. The H.pylori subsided completely. I can't say if it disappeared because I wasn't tested again, but I had no more symptoms until this very stressful life passage right now. I am starting to feel uncomfortable after eating again. So I am about so send for come more Oils but in the meantime I am making:
TIBETAN MONASTERY GARLIC EXTRACT.
About six years ago I became acquainted (not personally - I wish) with Mikhail Tombak, a Russian biochemist who is a wonderful madman healer. He has traveled and studied cultures around the world and compiled quite an array of cleansing modalities for every system of the body - even bones.The garlic extract formula is to be taken once a year for a full body cleanse.
This particular formula is estimated to be 400 or 500 years old. According to Tombak "The extract cleans accumulated fat out of the body, rinses out insoluble calcium, radically improves metabolism, cleanses blood vessls, prevents heart attacks, ateriosclerosis and prarlysis, removes the sensation of buzzing from the head, improves sight and regenerates the entire body."
What have you got to lose? It came to me yesterday that this formula would probably a good medicine for H.pylori, since very few bacteria enjoy the company of garlic.
Here is how to make it. It's easy.
Take about 3/4 # of fresh peeled garlic - the fresher the better. Freshly harvested fall garlic is the best although winter garlic is fine if it has been kept well. Crush it into a pulp. I just chop it fine and put it right in the blender with about a cup of 80 proof vodka. I find that it takes a little more vodka than that to completely cover the garlic. Place it in a tightly closed jar and put it in a dark place for ten days. Then strain the juice from the pulp. Using cheesecloth in a strainer works well. You have to let it sit for a while in order to strain well. Then you place the liquid in another - preferable dark - jar and let it sit in the dark for another four days.
Now comes the fun part - using it.
Day One: breakfast, 1 drop - lunch, 2 drops - dinner, 3 drops,
Day Two: breakfast, 4 drops - lunch 5 drops - dinner, 6 drops
Day Three: breakfast, 7 drops - lunch 8 drops - dinner, 9 drops
etc., etc., etc. increasing one drop with every meal until you are taking 25 drops with each meal. And you stay with that schedule until the bottle is done. 25 drops each meal.
Surprisingly, unlike garlic capsules, this formula doesn't make you stink - well, except when you are making it. Fresh garlic is sticky as well as stinky, but this is worth it and only done once a year.
* When I was exploring H.pylori a couple of years ago there were some sources that questioned the cause and effect sequence of H.pylori and ulcers. Some researchers thought that the stomach chemistry caused by stress created an ideal environment for the H.pylori and questioned whether the chemistry of stress caused both the ulcers and the proliferation of H.pylori.
Monday, February 4, 2013
toxicity - Root Vegetable Broth
Last night I learned a great deal about how to maneuver on this site by accidently erasing my blog twice. Two hours of writing.
*************************************************************************************
O.K. It's morning and I will try again.
I have been musing about why, in spite of walking more this past two months than I have in years, and in spite of not eating much differently than usual, I have had such a rapid increase in weight. I believe there are two contributing factors in addition to too much food - Stress and Toxicity. Probably cortisol levels are higher than normal due to no kitchen counter space or breathing space. The relationship between higher cortisol levels and weight gain has been established.
The second non-food contributor may be toxicity. We live in a toxic building, and I have not yet saved enough money for a good air purifier for this little apartment. This building is Doug's antiques store and houses a large workshop which is loaded with paints, thinners, etc. and also thousands of beautiful old moldy books. Doug has the liver of Hercules and doesn't seem to be bothered by these conditions - or at least he doesn't notice. But I am the canary in the mine shaft and fall over dizzy if I breathe in too much poison.
I often refer people to The False Fat Diet by Nelson Haas, M.D. who has written several books about health. This particular one teaches an elimination diet to determine what foods we are sensitive to and which are creating inflammation. One of the tenets of the book is that when we are inflamed or toxic, the body holds extra weight in the form of water, and weight gain due to toxicity can be rapid and erratic. All this reminds me of poor beset Tucker.
TUCKER
My daughter Chloe used to have the largest cat I have ever known. He was truly enormous and evoked humor in whoever saw him, although he was a very dignified cat - not an easy thing to pull off at his weight. A few of you who attended cooking classes at my house back then still remember his waddling presence and how he used to fill the kitchen armchair from arm to arm when he sat in it. people still ask me about him. He was quite a presence.
The thing is, (except for the few surreptitious attempts by my young teenage son to feed him bacon in order to attain the world record for fat cat) his eating was seriously monitored. But he just kept getting bigger and bigger until he died at an early age weighing around 23 pounds. He was approaching the world record.
He was toxic. Very toxic. When he was just a rambunctious teenage cat, he was kidnapped by a drunken neighbor of Chloe's who painted Tucker's whole body with blue paint. Since she was at work and didn't know his fate, he remained coated for several hours until she found him. I believe it poisoned his liver. He was never really able to release much from his body after that and just continued to balloon for the rest of his life.
I have seen this happening in many peoples' lives, the wildly fluctuating weight related to water retention. Water retention is always the sign that thing are awry. Although the toxins in this building aren't to olfactory levels most of the time, it is definitely not clean air in here yet. Detoxification is in order.
* * * * * * *
So back to 33 foods, 33 days. Since I am going to California for over two weeks in March and the mini kitchen is presently under some construction, I will not be able to fully undertake the experiment until I get back, but I can begin by adding things daily. This way maybe I won't overwhelm you with too much information at once and lose you before I start.
Yesterday I started with root vegetable broth. This recipe is an instant alkalizer and remineralizer, and made well, it is deeply satisfying. It is one of those foods that can instantly ease an unsettled feeling of craving. People who eat it for the first time are usually surprised at how much they like it.
The body likes it deeply, but so does the tongue.
I always make a lot of the base broth and keep it in the refrigerator to pull out and quickly heat up when I need it. If you are ill or feeling run down or just don't know what to eat - which mostly happens when you are needing more minerals - this recipe is a blessing. It is one of the most common foods in my diet. Please try not to be immediately intimidated by the unfamiliarity of these ingredients*. They are great foods to have in your arsenal of healthy foods.
The base broth consists of:
There are only approximate measurements for this recipe. Not only do several of these ingredients resist containment, (ever try to put dried seaweed into a measuring cup?) but it is very important to begin to cook by instinct - especially when it comes to healing foods, or medicine foods, as I like to call them. Let me explain.
Today your body might need a little extra iodine, and so if you let your hands and eyes do the cooking rather than mentally belabor the process too much, you will add a little more seaweed today than you did last week. Maybe today three shiitakes instead of two. But here is a rough draft:
I reccommend making this at least once a week . It keeps for three or four days refrigerated.
I ate this twice today.
* A word about buying unfamiliar foods. Just do it. Get in the habit of trying new things. People pride themselves on being picky eaters sometimes, but probably that probably doesn't apply to anyone who has lasted this far into this blog.
** The way to make matchsticks out of clunky roots is to slice the roots as thinly as possible on the diagonal, then lay the slices flat and cut them into little thin strips. Viola!
* * * * * * * *
Breakfast today: an sliced apple with the very best kefir in America (Swallowtail), lots of pumpkin seeds, a couple of pecans and a few raisins.
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O.K. It's morning and I will try again.
I have been musing about why, in spite of walking more this past two months than I have in years, and in spite of not eating much differently than usual, I have had such a rapid increase in weight. I believe there are two contributing factors in addition to too much food - Stress and Toxicity. Probably cortisol levels are higher than normal due to no kitchen counter space or breathing space. The relationship between higher cortisol levels and weight gain has been established.
The second non-food contributor may be toxicity. We live in a toxic building, and I have not yet saved enough money for a good air purifier for this little apartment. This building is Doug's antiques store and houses a large workshop which is loaded with paints, thinners, etc. and also thousands of beautiful old moldy books. Doug has the liver of Hercules and doesn't seem to be bothered by these conditions - or at least he doesn't notice. But I am the canary in the mine shaft and fall over dizzy if I breathe in too much poison.
I often refer people to The False Fat Diet by Nelson Haas, M.D. who has written several books about health. This particular one teaches an elimination diet to determine what foods we are sensitive to and which are creating inflammation. One of the tenets of the book is that when we are inflamed or toxic, the body holds extra weight in the form of water, and weight gain due to toxicity can be rapid and erratic. All this reminds me of poor beset Tucker.
TUCKER
My daughter Chloe used to have the largest cat I have ever known. He was truly enormous and evoked humor in whoever saw him, although he was a very dignified cat - not an easy thing to pull off at his weight. A few of you who attended cooking classes at my house back then still remember his waddling presence and how he used to fill the kitchen armchair from arm to arm when he sat in it. people still ask me about him. He was quite a presence.
The thing is, (except for the few surreptitious attempts by my young teenage son to feed him bacon in order to attain the world record for fat cat) his eating was seriously monitored. But he just kept getting bigger and bigger until he died at an early age weighing around 23 pounds. He was approaching the world record.
He was toxic. Very toxic. When he was just a rambunctious teenage cat, he was kidnapped by a drunken neighbor of Chloe's who painted Tucker's whole body with blue paint. Since she was at work and didn't know his fate, he remained coated for several hours until she found him. I believe it poisoned his liver. He was never really able to release much from his body after that and just continued to balloon for the rest of his life.
I have seen this happening in many peoples' lives, the wildly fluctuating weight related to water retention. Water retention is always the sign that thing are awry. Although the toxins in this building aren't to olfactory levels most of the time, it is definitely not clean air in here yet. Detoxification is in order.
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So back to 33 foods, 33 days. Since I am going to California for over two weeks in March and the mini kitchen is presently under some construction, I will not be able to fully undertake the experiment until I get back, but I can begin by adding things daily. This way maybe I won't overwhelm you with too much information at once and lose you before I start.
Yesterday I started with root vegetable broth. This recipe is an instant alkalizer and remineralizer, and made well, it is deeply satisfying. It is one of those foods that can instantly ease an unsettled feeling of craving. People who eat it for the first time are usually surprised at how much they like it.
The body likes it deeply, but so does the tongue.
I always make a lot of the base broth and keep it in the refrigerator to pull out and quickly heat up when I need it. If you are ill or feeling run down or just don't know what to eat - which mostly happens when you are needing more minerals - this recipe is a blessing. It is one of the most common foods in my diet. Please try not to be immediately intimidated by the unfamiliarity of these ingredients*. They are great foods to have in your arsenal of healthy foods.
The base broth consists of:
- Kombu Seaweed (Kelp)
- Dried Shiitake
- Burdock Root
- Fresh Ginger
- Carrots
- Rutabaga
- Daikon Radish
There are only approximate measurements for this recipe. Not only do several of these ingredients resist containment, (ever try to put dried seaweed into a measuring cup?) but it is very important to begin to cook by instinct - especially when it comes to healing foods, or medicine foods, as I like to call them. Let me explain.
Today your body might need a little extra iodine, and so if you let your hands and eyes do the cooking rather than mentally belabor the process too much, you will add a little more seaweed today than you did last week. Maybe today three shiitakes instead of two. But here is a rough draft:
- 1/2 Gallon of Water
- 3" piece of dried Kombu
- 2 dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- 2" or 3" piece of Fresh Ginger, cut into very small matchsticks**
- 6" piece of Burdock, also small matchsticks
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 cup of Rutabaga matchsticks
- 5" piece of Daikon Radish, also matchsticks
- Tamari to taste
I reccommend making this at least once a week . It keeps for three or four days refrigerated.
I ate this twice today.
* A word about buying unfamiliar foods. Just do it. Get in the habit of trying new things. People pride themselves on being picky eaters sometimes, but probably that probably doesn't apply to anyone who has lasted this far into this blog.
** The way to make matchsticks out of clunky roots is to slice the roots as thinly as possible on the diagonal, then lay the slices flat and cut them into little thin strips. Viola!
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Breakfast today: an sliced apple with the very best kefir in America (Swallowtail), lots of pumpkin seeds, a couple of pecans and a few raisins.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
33 days, 33 Foods
Today I think I learned enough computer stuff to begin the very scary expose called blogging, and while Sheila (my blogging coach) told me to play around for a few days to get the feel of things, I have reached a critical mass, quite literally, and I have to begin right away. I HAVE REACHED A CRITICAL MASS!
A couple of months ago, I attended a lecture by nutritional expert, John Bagnulo, who was talking about his favorite twenty foods. Being older than he is and having taught and cooked for so many years, my list is longer. Having gained a great deal of weight these last three years due to untoward personal stresses, I decided that if I only ate my own 33 favorite (by that I mean most powerful) foods for 33 days, it would probably be a very good way to take off some substantial weight safely. I decided also that I would blog this experience.
But I hesitated to get going with it, mostly because we have recently moved from our (too) large but comfortable home into a two room apartment - and unfinished rooms, at that. My husband sleeps in a nook in the very tiny kitchen. I cannot go into all the details of this Lilliputian existence, but suffice it to say that I AM SUFFOCATING! This situation is a pressure cooker. I have felt unable to focus on myself.
I have only been in this apartment for two months, but in that time I have put on ten more pounds upon the already extra twenty. This is not just any old extra ten pounds. This is the ten pounds which has brought me for the first time in my life to official obesity - me - health food queen! Perhaps my body is pushing out against the environment.
I am in shock. I kept thinking that my cheap new scale was certainly wrong, but tonight I looked coldly and clearly upon my new glorious bulk. For the first time in my life I am truly, truly fat. This is not a statement of self-denigration, but one of amazed wonder. It is a new experience. Sort of funny if it weren't so dangerous.
So even if I have no place to grow wheatgrass or buckwheat lettuce or many sprouts, so even if I have to stop cooking to please Doug or even for Doug, so even if this kitchen situation is seemingly impossible to me, I now - this very day - must cook and live, until I am healthy again, just for me. Did I happen to mention that this fatness has not made me robust? My critical mass is close to thirty pounds of extra fat on a 5'1" frame.
You are my witnesses. In return, I will give you my wisdom as I re-enter it. This is my diary. I quake to be seen. Thank you for helping me keep straight. I already feel that you are a blessing to me.
It is late at night. Tomorrow I will begin. And I have no idea what I will do.
p.s. thank you to Holly Noonan as well as Sheila Kennedy for your patience and support in launching me. And to many, many others for spiritual support in authenticity, most recently Tara Demere.
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