Sunday, May 26, 2013
Where Did Susan Go? Paleo?
dear readers,
I wrote the following two weeks ago and didn't finish it, but
reading it now I realize that I am greatly improved from my
first two weeks attempting a completely new food exploration.
Here is what I was feeling two weeks ago. Then I will update you:
* * * * *
For the past two weeks I have been traversing the dark forest of a Paleo diet.
I only call it a dark forest because it seems so foreign to me and
difficult to adjust to.
But I am trusting the wisdom and diagnosis of Amy Jenner regarding my
state of depletion which is great according to my low pulses - and
according to my very low enthusiasm for my life.
This seems like a very unlike me thing to say,
and yet, I am so tired that I find once I have done the things
of each day that must be done, I have nothing left to give to my own life.
Fortunately, I really enjoy the people I get to work with, so work has become my
entire social life. I am not getting in contact with beloved friends and even
family that I have been out of touch with for a very long time
because I simply can't pick up the phone. And when I get home I can barely
keep this three room apartment together.
(Instead I am reading an unconscionable number of stupid novels.)
So I am believing the diagnosis of insulin resistance and poor digestion
and cold damp spleen and I am giving the Paleo diet - which has been
prescribed especially for insulin resistance - my honest best effort.
I am told I am too weak to do cleansing or eat raw foods for a while.
Most readers probably know that the Paleo diet is quite similar to the Atkins diet.
I never liked the idea of Atkins and therefore never studied it enough
to be able to give an accurate comparison, but a couple of things I do know.
The main aim of each of these protocols is to switch the body's metabolism
from carbohydrate burning to fat burning. And that means severe
restriction of carbohydrates.
I takes a while, and in the meantime (and I'm still in the meantime)
one feels unsettled and unsatisfied and tired because the old energy fuel -
carbs - isn't there anymore, but the new system hasn't kicked in.
* * * * * * *
Well, I guess all that exhaustion is why I couldn't finish the blog.
It is true, I had a very difficult time adjusting but I now realize that
compared to two weeks ago, I am feeling pretty perky.
And not discouraged with my life anymore, which is the most
important thing.
Because of my macrobiotic and raw foods experience,
with animal protein in moderation added in later years,
THIS diet - which consists of animal protein, fats and
low-carbohydrate vegetables with NO grains in any
form and for the first month, nor any beans,
and worst of all, no raw food and almost no fruit -
has been RADICAL, to say the least.
Sorry for that difficult sentence.
At first, as written above, I had no energy, and I knew that
until I began using fat for energy I was going to stay FAT.
Since being fat - and incidentally unhealthy - was my original
reason for the experiment of eating only
my favorite strong 33 foods for 33 days,
and since I have been promised weight reduction
as a sure side effect of this regime,
I am being very strict with this diet,
since I figured out how to do it - even though
part of me is shocked to be eating a Paleo?! diet.
*Also, of course, there is the fact that my beloved brother
has diabetes, and insulin imbalance is not to be ignored,
nor all the other belly fat related conditions.*
I haven't been able break my three year
long streak of gradual weight increase, so
I decided to go against all my predudices
and former understandings and try what was the only way
my parents ever lost weight. A very low carbohydrate diet.
Besides, I trust Amy. I think she is wise and I am willing
to obey for a serious trial run, even though I have been
grumpy and rebellious verbally.
And slowly my body has begun to change shape.
A little less bloated around the middle more
each week, and finally I was able to button a
previously unbuttonable pair of pants.
Allelulia!
But no weight loss. Hmmmmm.
I don't actually know if I lost weight those first two weeks
because I didn't have a scale, but now I do. For the last three weeks
not an ounce of difference. Discouraging, but still
I look a little thinner to myself. And much more importantly,
(to everything except my ego) I am feeling better. More stamina.
I am sleeping more soundly and regularly. This is also the
result of ceasless downing of my muddy chinese herbs, given to me
by Amy, and which I am actually developing a likeness for.
The most important result, however, is that I have recovered
some interest in life again. I am, for instance,
really happy to be doing this blog again.
But no weight loss. Since I was waffling around the
first two weeks trying to figure out how to do this and
giving myself too wide parameters, I decided to do the
Whole 30 program for a month which is a honed - down
version of paleo - stricter - which consists of mainly
animal protein, low-carbohydrate vegetables and FAT.
(Other versions of a Paleo diet are a little more broad,
including some beans and some fruit, etc.
but I needed the rigid parameters while settling into it.)
I think it is typical to over indulge in the fat part when you feel
so unsatisfied in the first two or three weeks of this regime.
And I have been typical. The first three weeks I allowed myself
as much fat as I wanted. Shockingly, I didn't lose weight.
One of my favorite snacks has been, for instance, a little
peanut butter for taste mixed with twice as much coconut oil,
some chipotle pepper and salt, spread on daikon slices -
my justification for eating so much unnecessary but delicious
fat is that daikon radishes help dissolve, digest and move fat.
Uh Huh.
And I didn't skimp on coconut oil in the frying pan either - or ghee
on my vegetables, for that matter.
Somewhere along the line my body did move into fat burning, but
it couldn't get around to burning it's own fat because it had so much
readily available daily dietary fat.
I realized that all the people who have assured me in the past that
one never gains weight on this diet (and it's true, I haven't gained)
are all skinny. And never had been fat. And were mostly men.
I knew my fat indulging days were numbered.
After every meal I felt dissatisfied and every morning
I would wake up craving carbohydrates. So I didn't worry about
indulging in too much fat those first three weeks.
THEN my breakthrough. After a month of being
very strict about limited raw and no cleansing,
for the health of my cold damp spleen (?) and my
general state of depletion, I disobeyed.
I did just one day of the raw cleanse I usually run without the
wheatgrass or the carrot beet juice, both of which are
very high in carbohydrates. So just a quart of the sprouts
and greens smoothie and a quart of rejuvelac (and a handful
of brazil nuts just to keep my fat up) and a colonic.
I had been feeling kind of - I don't know how to describe it-
gluggy, thick, meaty, too dense from eating at the top of the
food chain, dare I say a shade toxic? Not wonderful.
The day after my simplified cleanse, I woke up two pounds
lighter, two pounds which have stayed off so far,
and feeling cleaner -and here is the most important thing -
NOT THAT HUNGRY!
I am able to feel satisfied without eating so much.
I will tell you the truth, I wasn't sure that was going to
happen. My fat intake has decreased dramatically,
and my Appetite is o.k. with that.
I am very glad to be writing again and I have been wanting
to share exactly what my creative mind has cooked up for me each
day, and I have to do that with pictures and stories - not recipes
exactly, but my early exhaustion combined with my resistance
to the simplest technology - in this case my lost camera battery
charger - has prevented me thus far.
I am dedicated to solving this problem this week
and then I will give you a blow by blow record of my meals
(most of which have been pretty tasty despite the low carb content).
Because I have more moons ahead of me with this diet.
The 33 days will be Paleo. With a little forbidden cleansing
thrown in for good measure and good health.
And when this phase is over, I will still be searching for
my true diet. There must be some texting code for laughter
I should employ here.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
cleanse protocol
I apologize for my long absence.
Several posts are partially done, but I have
lost the charger for my new camera and have been
stymied by this, not wanting to buy a new one, but
not being able to find the original.
And the blog needs pictures so I can truly record
my Paleo diet ordeal.
But this little blog is for the people who have expressed
an interest in doing a cleanse with me.
I frequently run four or five day raw and live food
cleanses combined with colon hydrotherapy and
am running one next this June 15th - 18th.
The cleanse takes a couple of weeks to prepare for because
everything is sprouted, grown or fermented ahead.
Here is the protocol, derived from the Hippocrates
Health Institute with colon-hydrotherapy added.
Food for Each Day:
1 quart of rejuvelac This is a drink made from soft wheat berries that have been
sprouted for a few days, then water added to the jar and
fermented for a few more days. It is very high in enzymes,
protein, and natural pro-biotics. It tastes tangy and fermented.
1 quart of “Energy Soup”
This is lovingly called “the green glop” by most of my clients.
It is the mainstay of the diet and consists of 1/2 an avocado,
an apple, lentil sprouts, mung sprouts, buckwheat and sunflower
sprouts, pea sprouts, a little dulse and greens like kale, spinach, etc.
This is all blended.
1 pint of either fresh carrot, apple, beet, celery juice and/or, depending on weather,
a pint of root broth.
one serving fresh wheatgrass
1/2 cup unsalted pink sauerkraut, laced with juniper berries. This is a liver cleaner.
* * * * *
These foods are prepared fresh each day and can be eaten in any order throughout the day, but I recommend leaving something for just before bed to give yourself a feeling of fullness (relatively speaking) - preferably a cup of the green soup.
* * * * *
Each day participants also receives a colon-hydrotherapy session which helps release toxins quickly and efficiently. The food part of the cleanse and the colon-hydro therapy enhance the effectiveness of each other.
If anyone has questions about it, please feel free to call me at 207 701 1817.
Several posts are partially done, but I have
lost the charger for my new camera and have been
stymied by this, not wanting to buy a new one, but
not being able to find the original.
And the blog needs pictures so I can truly record
my Paleo diet ordeal.
But this little blog is for the people who have expressed
an interest in doing a cleanse with me.
I frequently run four or five day raw and live food
cleanses combined with colon hydrotherapy and
am running one next this June 15th - 18th.
The cleanse takes a couple of weeks to prepare for because
everything is sprouted, grown or fermented ahead.
Here is the protocol, derived from the Hippocrates
Health Institute with colon-hydrotherapy added.
Food for Each Day:
1 quart of rejuvelac This is a drink made from soft wheat berries that have been
sprouted for a few days, then water added to the jar and
fermented for a few more days. It is very high in enzymes,
protein, and natural pro-biotics. It tastes tangy and fermented.
1 quart of “Energy Soup”
This is lovingly called “the green glop” by most of my clients.
It is the mainstay of the diet and consists of 1/2 an avocado,
an apple, lentil sprouts, mung sprouts, buckwheat and sunflower
sprouts, pea sprouts, a little dulse and greens like kale, spinach, etc.
This is all blended.
1 pint of either fresh carrot, apple, beet, celery juice and/or, depending on weather,
a pint of root broth.
one serving fresh wheatgrass
1/2 cup unsalted pink sauerkraut, laced with juniper berries. This is a liver cleaner.
* * * * *
These foods are prepared fresh each day and can be eaten in any order throughout the day, but I recommend leaving something for just before bed to give yourself a feeling of fullness (relatively speaking) - preferably a cup of the green soup.
* * * * *
Each day participants also receives a colon-hydrotherapy session which helps release toxins quickly and efficiently. The food part of the cleanse and the colon-hydro therapy enhance the effectiveness of each other.
If anyone has questions about it, please feel free to call me at 207 701 1817.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
No gluten in WHEATGRASS
I should have made it clear that wheatgrass contains
no gluten at all. It has all been transformed into grass.
This isn't true of Rejuvelac which is the fermented
drink made from sprouted wheatberries. There is some gluten
in that, and so I recommend that people with gluten
intolerance use quinoa for rejuvelac.
No danger at all with wheatgrass, however.
no gluten at all. It has all been transformed into grass.
This isn't true of Rejuvelac which is the fermented
drink made from sprouted wheatberries. There is some gluten
in that, and so I recommend that people with gluten
intolerance use quinoa for rejuvelac.
No danger at all with wheatgrass, however.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
THE MOST POWERFUL FOOD
WHEATGRASS JUICE
Imagine that this is a conversation between a mother and
her child - except they're both me.
"It's time to drink some wheatgrass juice"
"Yuk! I hate wheatgrass juice!"
"I know you hate wheatgrass juice but you're having it anyway"
"YUK!"
The truth is, I really love wheatgrass juice,
but I and lots of other people
have a difficult time with the taste of it.
It is cloyingly sweet and naturally tastes and smells
like grass. Really sweet grass. Which is exactly what it is.
It is also 70% chlorophyll and therefore is strong medicine.
The odor of it fills the entire head cavity and usually makes
me involuntarily shudder for a few seconds when I down it.
However, it is worth it.
It is a very powerful cleanser and has to be drunk with,
or followed immediately by, other liquids to dilute it -
otherwise it can make you feel a little nauseous because its
cleansing reaction can be so strong. I have never had that
reaction when it is diluted. It just makes me feel alive
and clean and energized immediately. According to Bernard
Jenson it digests almost immediately.
Every time I try to write about wheatgrass
I get overwhelmed because there is so much information
to impart. I hardly know where to begin.
It contains vitamins A, C, the whole B complex including B12,
- good news for vegetarians - E, and K.
Vitamin K helps maintain healthy bones but also
clotting the blood so when using blood thinners or blood clotters
one has to consider the effects of dietary vitamin K. Coumadin
and Warfarin are drugs to prevent blood clots, and they
work by decreasing the activity of vitamin K.
Wheatgrass is capable of absorbing 92 of the 102 minerals
existing in soil, so it is important to get grass grown in good,
rich organic soil. Because of its high mineral content it is a very
alkalizing food. It's also kind of a miracle because most of those
minerals aren't in the seed. Life is so grand!
Because the chlorophyll molecule (70% of the juice, remember)
is very similar to the haemoglobin molecule in the blood, the body
is very easily able to transform the chlorophyll into haemoglobin
thereby increasing the red blood count with regular intake
of chlorophyll - and quite quickly. I am not now remembering the
source, of course, but I read that there have been experiments
with feeding wheatgrass to people with low red cell counts
and the return to normal count happening in days.
Because it increases red blood count it also therefore helps
the oxygenation of every cell in the body.
Chlorophyll is anti-inflammatory and helps heal wounds,
internally and externally. It also protects the body against
carcinogenic substances more than any other food. It cleanses
the liver, helps prevent tooth decay, prevents graying of hair,
and stimulates the functions of the lymphatic system,
helping it to wash out toxins, mucus, and crystallized acids
from the tissues.
Experiments with farm animals have proven that
wheatgrass can provide the full spectrum of nutrients
necessary to keep them alive and well for two years.
Of course the animals can eat the entire grass, and we,
lacking a few stomachs, cannot. We must juice it.
But the very fact that it is so nutrient rich makes it
a good indirect aid in weight loss. Cravings come from
various imbalances and deficiencies. Because of its
dense nutrient content, cravings from deficiencies are
relieved. Also, several of the 19 amino acids in
wheatgrass are specifically needed by the body for
digestion. Many cravings arise from improper digestion,
and regular wheatgrass consumption goes a long way
toward healing many digestive ills.
Did I mention that Midwest many farmers feed wheatgrass
to their cows and bulls to increase their fertility?
It also helps with constipation due to its high
magnesium content and helps with the removal of heavy metals.
The list goes on and on.
Because it requires an auger type juicer to extract
the juice from the grass, most people will not find
it easy to get fresh juice unless you live down the street
from Whole Foods or are willing to invest in an
auger juicer. I used to grow all my own wheatgrass,
and it's a lovely sight, but now living in this small place,
I have recently been buying it online.
Although it is not optimum,
you can buy it freeze-dried in capsules.
A few caveats about that.
1. Make sure it is the powdered JUICE, not the whole leaf.
2. It should be freeze-dried, not heat dried
3. Make sure it's organic
4. Make sure it is JUST wheatgrass with no other ingredients, not even good ones.
I hope I have encouraged one or two people
to begin incorporating another good habit.
I am sure there are places in this vast universe
where one does not have to worry about good habits.
I am planning to live there someday.
Imagine that this is a conversation between a mother and
her child - except they're both me.
"It's time to drink some wheatgrass juice"
"Yuk! I hate wheatgrass juice!"
"I know you hate wheatgrass juice but you're having it anyway"
"YUK!"
The truth is, I really love wheatgrass juice,
but I and lots of other people
have a difficult time with the taste of it.
It is cloyingly sweet and naturally tastes and smells
like grass. Really sweet grass. Which is exactly what it is.
It is also 70% chlorophyll and therefore is strong medicine.
The odor of it fills the entire head cavity and usually makes
me involuntarily shudder for a few seconds when I down it.
However, it is worth it.
It is a very powerful cleanser and has to be drunk with,
or followed immediately by, other liquids to dilute it -
otherwise it can make you feel a little nauseous because its
cleansing reaction can be so strong. I have never had that
reaction when it is diluted. It just makes me feel alive
and clean and energized immediately. According to Bernard
Jenson it digests almost immediately.
Every time I try to write about wheatgrass
I get overwhelmed because there is so much information
to impart. I hardly know where to begin.
It contains vitamins A, C, the whole B complex including B12,
- good news for vegetarians - E, and K.
Vitamin K helps maintain healthy bones but also
clotting the blood so when using blood thinners or blood clotters
one has to consider the effects of dietary vitamin K. Coumadin
and Warfarin are drugs to prevent blood clots, and they
work by decreasing the activity of vitamin K.
Wheatgrass is capable of absorbing 92 of the 102 minerals
existing in soil, so it is important to get grass grown in good,
rich organic soil. Because of its high mineral content it is a very
alkalizing food. It's also kind of a miracle because most of those
minerals aren't in the seed. Life is so grand!
Because the chlorophyll molecule (70% of the juice, remember)
is very similar to the haemoglobin molecule in the blood, the body
is very easily able to transform the chlorophyll into haemoglobin
thereby increasing the red blood count with regular intake
of chlorophyll - and quite quickly. I am not now remembering the
source, of course, but I read that there have been experiments
with feeding wheatgrass to people with low red cell counts
and the return to normal count happening in days.
Because it increases red blood count it also therefore helps
the oxygenation of every cell in the body.
Chlorophyll is anti-inflammatory and helps heal wounds,
internally and externally. It also protects the body against
carcinogenic substances more than any other food. It cleanses
the liver, helps prevent tooth decay, prevents graying of hair,
and stimulates the functions of the lymphatic system,
helping it to wash out toxins, mucus, and crystallized acids
from the tissues.
Experiments with farm animals have proven that
wheatgrass can provide the full spectrum of nutrients
necessary to keep them alive and well for two years.
Of course the animals can eat the entire grass, and we,
lacking a few stomachs, cannot. We must juice it.
But the very fact that it is so nutrient rich makes it
a good indirect aid in weight loss. Cravings come from
various imbalances and deficiencies. Because of its
dense nutrient content, cravings from deficiencies are
relieved. Also, several of the 19 amino acids in
wheatgrass are specifically needed by the body for
digestion. Many cravings arise from improper digestion,
and regular wheatgrass consumption goes a long way
toward healing many digestive ills.
Did I mention that Midwest many farmers feed wheatgrass
to their cows and bulls to increase their fertility?
It also helps with constipation due to its high
magnesium content and helps with the removal of heavy metals.
The list goes on and on.
Because it requires an auger type juicer to extract
the juice from the grass, most people will not find
it easy to get fresh juice unless you live down the street
from Whole Foods or are willing to invest in an
auger juicer. I used to grow all my own wheatgrass,
and it's a lovely sight, but now living in this small place,
I have recently been buying it online.
Although it is not optimum,
you can buy it freeze-dried in capsules.
A few caveats about that.
1. Make sure it is the powdered JUICE, not the whole leaf.
2. It should be freeze-dried, not heat dried
3. Make sure it's organic
4. Make sure it is JUST wheatgrass with no other ingredients, not even good ones.
I hope I have encouraged one or two people
to begin incorporating another good habit.
I am sure there are places in this vast universe
where one does not have to worry about good habits.
I am planning to live there someday.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Beginning my 33 days
Hi all,
I still am unclear about the exact foods I AM eating,
but I know which ones I am NOT eating.
No grains, flours, sugars,
Almost no dried fruit nor raw fruits with a couple of exceptions
Almost no RAW!
So the day before yesterday I began to eat mostly
animal protein, nuts, seeds, and vegetables and for
the first couple of days my wild horse was feeling severely
deprived of her morning carbohydrates.
I have been finding it very difficult to break my nighttime
fast without some carbohydrate - anything from soft cereal
with kimchi and seeds, down to toast or my very
favorite breakfast - Pie. A rare but beloved treat.
The past two mornings I have eaten fish with vegetables.
Yikes!
But I am determined because two nights ago I actually
took my measurements for the first time in thirty years
and it was shocking! Shocking.
I am not telling what they are until they have changed.
Vanity. It's a good whip.
It was about six years ago that I first acquired a roll
of fat above my waist, which disappeared the next winter
when Rickey and I did our cleanse in Tucson.
But this past three years of huge stress, however, has
created another large creature around my waist which
perhaps I should name. It surely isn't me, is it?
But while it is not me, it certainly is my creation. I am its creator.
I have been trying to ignore it or at least be friendly rather than
be aggressively annoyed with its presence. However
three nights ago I had my first guests in this small apartment of
ours for dinner and at the end Jan took some pictures. I only caught
a very quick glimpse because I could see in that photograph
in that flash moment that I am now shaped like my five by five
foot grandmother. I couldn't look at it. One's personality
can blind other people. but photographs? - They don't allow any cover.
I have become pretty good at disguising with clothes,
although there is only so much one can do.
I have come to the end of my procrastination and am now
dedicating my culinary skills to my new anti- spleen deficient,
Insulin -deficient diet.
And I finally got a memory card for my camera, so once I relearn
how to post photos, I'll record visually as well as writing my diet
for each day. Not that anyone cares, but maybe there will be
some meal that will expand someone's horizons a little.
Today, thus far I have eaten 2 1/2 oz. of wheatgrass juice,
(which I am writing about for tomorrow's blog)
a large piece of reheated fish from supper,
a small zucchini sauteed in coconut oil with two
teaspoons of diluted peanut butter.
Pretty good.
That was breakfast.
I still am unclear about the exact foods I AM eating,
but I know which ones I am NOT eating.
No grains, flours, sugars,
Almost no dried fruit nor raw fruits with a couple of exceptions
Almost no RAW!
So the day before yesterday I began to eat mostly
animal protein, nuts, seeds, and vegetables and for
the first couple of days my wild horse was feeling severely
deprived of her morning carbohydrates.
I have been finding it very difficult to break my nighttime
fast without some carbohydrate - anything from soft cereal
with kimchi and seeds, down to toast or my very
favorite breakfast - Pie. A rare but beloved treat.
The past two mornings I have eaten fish with vegetables.
Yikes!
But I am determined because two nights ago I actually
took my measurements for the first time in thirty years
and it was shocking! Shocking.
I am not telling what they are until they have changed.
Vanity. It's a good whip.
It was about six years ago that I first acquired a roll
of fat above my waist, which disappeared the next winter
when Rickey and I did our cleanse in Tucson.
But this past three years of huge stress, however, has
created another large creature around my waist which
perhaps I should name. It surely isn't me, is it?
But while it is not me, it certainly is my creation. I am its creator.
I have been trying to ignore it or at least be friendly rather than
be aggressively annoyed with its presence. However
three nights ago I had my first guests in this small apartment of
ours for dinner and at the end Jan took some pictures. I only caught
a very quick glimpse because I could see in that photograph
in that flash moment that I am now shaped like my five by five
foot grandmother. I couldn't look at it. One's personality
can blind other people. but photographs? - They don't allow any cover.
I have become pretty good at disguising with clothes,
although there is only so much one can do.
I have come to the end of my procrastination and am now
dedicating my culinary skills to my new anti- spleen deficient,
Insulin -deficient diet.
And I finally got a memory card for my camera, so once I relearn
how to post photos, I'll record visually as well as writing my diet
for each day. Not that anyone cares, but maybe there will be
some meal that will expand someone's horizons a little.
Today, thus far I have eaten 2 1/2 oz. of wheatgrass juice,
(which I am writing about for tomorrow's blog)
a large piece of reheated fish from supper,
a small zucchini sauteed in coconut oil with two
teaspoons of diluted peanut butter.
Pretty good.
That was breakfast.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Curve Ball From Amy Jenner
Well, sorry to have been gone so long.
I was thrown a curve ball by Amy Jenner.
For those of you who do not know her, she is a
really talented Acupuncturist and Chinese medicine
practitioner in whose hands I placed myself just a couple of days
after my return from California.
Being that almost every pulse in my body was ticking so low,
and especially my spleen (poor, cold damp thing),
she gave me the injunction to stay away from raw foods.
And all grains.
Well now what? Many of the foods on my 33 Foods
list were raw! Well not too many of them, but enough
to feel confused about how to proceed. No grains?
For the last two weeks, instead of just digging in
and beginning practicing what she suggested, I have been
in a state of confusion exacerbated by major rebellion.
I realize my eating habits have become like a wild horse
which I have been watching for the last two weeks running and
bucking around the paddock, and until today I have not
been ready to try putting on the halter, let alone mounting.
I have had to reconstruct my 33 foods list and it keeps changing,
but as of today I am actually trying a (dare I say it?) Paleo diet, pretty
much. Not quite paleo, but close. For those of you who are not
familiar with a paleolithic diet, it involves a very low glycemic
approach to food, and quite a bit of animal protein. This is a stretch
for me. Every time I eat, especially with no carbs, I want to eat
sugar afterward. But Amy has given me some herb powder which
makes a dark earthy mud when you mix it with water
and which pretty much settles that craving after eating.
And for the first time in my life I am keeping a food journal.
This may be a wildly over-optimistic statement, since I just
started it today. I am recording what I'm eating, how it effects
my energy throughout the day, bowel condition, cravings, etc.
Right now I just feel like taking a nap. Was it those daikon rounds
with peanut butter on them? More likely it was playing with my
Chinese herbs by trying stevia and cream in them.
Didn't make them taste better, either.
So I just wanted to let my ten or so readers know that I am back.
Thank you, for although you are few, you are very valuable to me
and keep me writing. More tomorrow.
I have been practicing my most
undisciplined habits of eating. The worst, like going all day
without eating because I am too busy and then eating
anything in sight when I get home and then not sleeping.
Surprisingly, this has not helped my clarity.
The most difficult piece of my food misadventures
has definitely been the removal of raw from my diet.
Harrumph!
So I have been feeling lost momentarily about how to
proceed with this changing experiment.
Today Amy told me I actually have to make a FOOD PLAN!
ME! Food Queen! A food queen rather like Mad King George.
He wasn't fit to reign, either.
She did give me a little leeway in the raw department today.
Thank heavens. I can eat some sprouts!
And so now I am about to reconstruct my list.
But first: REJUVELAC!
Rejuvelac has always been on my list and
always will be. I hear most of you -
"what is Rejuvelac, anyway?"
It is for me a true medicine food.
Rejuvelac is a fermented drink that Is made from
sprouted soft wheat berries. These are the berries (seeds)
that pastry flour is ground from. Pastry flour is not
just a different grind of flour, but a different variety
altogether. It has a much lower gluten content than
bread flour and therefore is less elastic and makes
a flakier baked good.
So, the wheat is sprouted in the exact same fashion as I have
described in my sprouting blogs, in this case until the sprout
is about the same length as the seed.
Then, if the jar can hold about four times the volume of
the sprouted seeds, add water to the jar to almost full.
This is your ferment.
For the next three or four days, (amount of time
is dependent up on the length of the sprouts,
amount of water and, most importantly, temperature)
stir the water and sprouts three or four times a day.
The water will begin to become cloudy and after
about three days it will begin to make a little foam and
become slightly bubbly. Keep tasting it every day.
When it tastes tangy and just a hint bubbly, decant it.
Reserve the sprouts and refill the jar, using the same
seeds to make a second batch. The second batch
will only take a day. Sometimes I pull out a third
batch from the same sprouts. Also a one day ferment.
After that, throw the seeds onto the compost pile.
The second (and third) batch will need to be skimmed
of it's foam a couple of times.
The Rejuvelac will last in the fridge for a week although
it should be stirred up before using it after a few days.
Now, I always describe Rejuvelac as tasting
somewhat like watered down beer and lemonade
mixed together, sometimes with a sock thrown in.
I just sold you, I'm sure.
In that case, why would you ever drink it?
Because, most bodies really love it, and after
you have given yourself a chance to learn its
taste, you will probably like it too. Your body
will be the one that asks for it, not your gourmand.
''''''
Here are some reasons why your body - if you
give it a chance - will override any of your family's
limitations that might be controlling your thoughts
about what you will or will not put into your mouth.
1. ENZYMES
2.Natural probiotics
3. Proteins
4. Vitamins -
I was thrown a curve ball by Amy Jenner.
For those of you who do not know her, she is a
really talented Acupuncturist and Chinese medicine
practitioner in whose hands I placed myself just a couple of days
after my return from California.
Being that almost every pulse in my body was ticking so low,
and especially my spleen (poor, cold damp thing),
she gave me the injunction to stay away from raw foods.
And all grains.
Well now what? Many of the foods on my 33 Foods
list were raw! Well not too many of them, but enough
to feel confused about how to proceed. No grains?
For the last two weeks, instead of just digging in
and beginning practicing what she suggested, I have been
in a state of confusion exacerbated by major rebellion.
I realize my eating habits have become like a wild horse
which I have been watching for the last two weeks running and
bucking around the paddock, and until today I have not
been ready to try putting on the halter, let alone mounting.
I have had to reconstruct my 33 foods list and it keeps changing,
but as of today I am actually trying a (dare I say it?) Paleo diet, pretty
much. Not quite paleo, but close. For those of you who are not
familiar with a paleolithic diet, it involves a very low glycemic
approach to food, and quite a bit of animal protein. This is a stretch
for me. Every time I eat, especially with no carbs, I want to eat
sugar afterward. But Amy has given me some herb powder which
makes a dark earthy mud when you mix it with water
and which pretty much settles that craving after eating.
And for the first time in my life I am keeping a food journal.
This may be a wildly over-optimistic statement, since I just
started it today. I am recording what I'm eating, how it effects
my energy throughout the day, bowel condition, cravings, etc.
Right now I just feel like taking a nap. Was it those daikon rounds
with peanut butter on them? More likely it was playing with my
Chinese herbs by trying stevia and cream in them.
Didn't make them taste better, either.
So I just wanted to let my ten or so readers know that I am back.
Thank you, for although you are few, you are very valuable to me
and keep me writing. More tomorrow.
I have been practicing my most
undisciplined habits of eating. The worst, like going all day
without eating because I am too busy and then eating
anything in sight when I get home and then not sleeping.
Surprisingly, this has not helped my clarity.
The most difficult piece of my food misadventures
has definitely been the removal of raw from my diet.
Harrumph!
So I have been feeling lost momentarily about how to
proceed with this changing experiment.
Today Amy told me I actually have to make a FOOD PLAN!
ME! Food Queen! A food queen rather like Mad King George.
He wasn't fit to reign, either.
She did give me a little leeway in the raw department today.
Thank heavens. I can eat some sprouts!
And so now I am about to reconstruct my list.
But first: REJUVELAC!
Rejuvelac has always been on my list and
always will be. I hear most of you -
"what is Rejuvelac, anyway?"
It is for me a true medicine food.
Rejuvelac is a fermented drink that Is made from
sprouted soft wheat berries. These are the berries (seeds)
that pastry flour is ground from. Pastry flour is not
just a different grind of flour, but a different variety
altogether. It has a much lower gluten content than
bread flour and therefore is less elastic and makes
a flakier baked good.
So, the wheat is sprouted in the exact same fashion as I have
described in my sprouting blogs, in this case until the sprout
is about the same length as the seed.
Then, if the jar can hold about four times the volume of
the sprouted seeds, add water to the jar to almost full.
This is your ferment.
For the next three or four days, (amount of time
is dependent up on the length of the sprouts,
amount of water and, most importantly, temperature)
stir the water and sprouts three or four times a day.
The water will begin to become cloudy and after
about three days it will begin to make a little foam and
become slightly bubbly. Keep tasting it every day.
When it tastes tangy and just a hint bubbly, decant it.
Reserve the sprouts and refill the jar, using the same
seeds to make a second batch. The second batch
will only take a day. Sometimes I pull out a third
batch from the same sprouts. Also a one day ferment.
After that, throw the seeds onto the compost pile.
The second (and third) batch will need to be skimmed
of it's foam a couple of times.
The Rejuvelac will last in the fridge for a week although
it should be stirred up before using it after a few days.
Now, I always describe Rejuvelac as tasting
somewhat like watered down beer and lemonade
mixed together, sometimes with a sock thrown in.
I just sold you, I'm sure.
In that case, why would you ever drink it?
Because, most bodies really love it, and after
you have given yourself a chance to learn its
taste, you will probably like it too. Your body
will be the one that asks for it, not your gourmand.
''''''
Here are some reasons why your body - if you
give it a chance - will override any of your family's
limitations that might be controlling your thoughts
about what you will or will not put into your mouth.
1. ENZYMES
2.Natural probiotics
3. Proteins
4. Vitamins -
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sprouts and Kirlian Photography
I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU A LONG STORY ABOUT SPROUTS. HANG ON.
Kirlian Photography
When I was in high school (early sixties) LIFE Magazine did an amazing story
about Kirlian photography, named after Semyon and Valentina Kirlians,
a Russian couple who developed a technology for photographing
the electromagnetic field of living objects.
The cover of that big LIFE magazine was an image
that has remained vivid for me all my life.
It was a full cover picture of a maple leaf which had had one of the
fingers of the leaf dissected and then photographed with the Kirlian technology.
The leaf itself photographed almost like a ghost background, because the real
photograph was of the electromagnetic field of the leaf which extended beyond
the actual earthy physical matter of the leaf. It was a brilliant light aureole
the shape of the leaf but larger, radiating out beyond the leaf.
The electromagnetic pattern where the finger of the leaf had
been dissected was totally intact.
The electronic blueprint of the leaf remained. I think this was the
first time I began to realize that there are other dimensions to
these bodies we wear besides the densest level.
Many years later I became taken with the idea that since we are Beings of Light
- I do not state this as an airy fairy idea, but as a physically proven reality -
and that light itself, as demonstrated in these photographs,
must be a nutrient for us - not only sunlight but also
the light in the electromagnetic field of live foods.
In order to explore that idea, I obtained a Kirlian photography machine
to do some research about the difference in the electromagnetic
fields of foods grown differently, harvested differently, prepared differently, etc.
It is one of the real regrets of my life that I didn't carry that experiment out
very far.* A few things were evident, however, one of them being that the
electromagnetic field is far greater in sprouted seed than in unsprouted seed,
and raw food has a much larger electromagnetic field than cooked food.
Sprouts, however, far outshine mere raw foods in their electromagnetic magnificence.
(Incidentally, not relevant to the subject at hand but so excitingly evident
in the few photographs I took that I have to share this, WILD foods have a
MUCH greater electromagnetic field than any cultivated food,
no matter how fantastic and healthy the cultivated soil is.)
Now it may appear as if I am about to go even more off track,
but all this will come together
if you will resolutely follow me to the end.
Enzymes and the Electromagnetic Field
By this time almost everyone who is interested in true
health understands something of the importance of Enzymes.
I read several years ago in a book about enzymes
(that is still unpacked from moving, otherwise I could tell you its name)
the idea that we are born with a certain lifetime capacity
for the production of enzymes, just as ancient Yogis believed that
we are born with a pre-determined number of breaths.
Enzymes are used in thousands of chemical reactions in the
body and not just for digestive uses. HOWEVER, since the
advent of factory food and the dominance of agribiz farming methods,
the majority of our food no longer has the necessary enzymes in it
for proper digestion due to over processing, over sterilization, overcooking, etc..
This means that our bodies' entire enzyme production is severely
over-taxed just for the digestion of food.
At least some of our foods should partially digest themselves.
That means having enough inherent enzymes to do the job.
Fermented and raw foods have always been part of
traditional and indigenous diets for that very reason.
Most westerners no longer eat enzyme rich foods.
So what are we to do? Keep stuffing ourselves with expensive
and really unnatural digestive enzyme tablets from a bottle?
I do recommend this to many of my clients to
re-establish better digestive strength, but I see it as a temporary
measure and would rather see people eating their enzymes
Sprouts are bursting with newly released enzymes that are not present in the
ungerminated seed and are therefore one of the most efficacious ways to re -establish
good digestive enzyme activity. There is an enormous amount of information
about the actual chemistry that happens in the sprouting process on the internet,
which I was thinking of burdening you with, but you can look it up yourself
if you want to understand it more.
Now full circle. A few years ago, a good friend gave me a book about food
written by a Chinese PhD. and acupuncturist, (as well as other attainments)
named Dr Kim Le who stated in her book, The Simple Path, that
IT IS THE ENZYME ACTIVITY IN FOOD THAT
PRODUCES THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD!!!
This means that food with a strong electromagnetic field has tons of enzymes.
It also means that food with lots of enzymes has a strong electromagnetic field
which shows up on film as a light field.
So I don't have to worry about some unproven, unprovable theory
about needing to feed ourselves light-filled food. I just need to eat live
foods that are filled with enzymes. SPROUTS!
WHEW!
Maybe you were wiling to learn sprouting before all of that.
*At the time that I acquired my machine, one had to be interviewed to get permission to buy one by a brilliant (and I mean this in the spiritual sense. He's radiant) man named Mitchell May whose medical story was nothing short of miraculous and who has produced some of the most gorgeous and amazing Kirlian photos I've ever seen. Look him up on the internet.
Kirlian Photography
When I was in high school (early sixties) LIFE Magazine did an amazing story
about Kirlian photography, named after Semyon and Valentina Kirlians,
a Russian couple who developed a technology for photographing
the electromagnetic field of living objects.
The cover of that big LIFE magazine was an image
that has remained vivid for me all my life.
It was a full cover picture of a maple leaf which had had one of the
fingers of the leaf dissected and then photographed with the Kirlian technology.
The leaf itself photographed almost like a ghost background, because the real
photograph was of the electromagnetic field of the leaf which extended beyond
the actual earthy physical matter of the leaf. It was a brilliant light aureole
the shape of the leaf but larger, radiating out beyond the leaf.
The electromagnetic pattern where the finger of the leaf had
been dissected was totally intact.
The electronic blueprint of the leaf remained. I think this was the
first time I began to realize that there are other dimensions to
these bodies we wear besides the densest level.
Many years later I became taken with the idea that since we are Beings of Light
- I do not state this as an airy fairy idea, but as a physically proven reality -
and that light itself, as demonstrated in these photographs,
must be a nutrient for us - not only sunlight but also
the light in the electromagnetic field of live foods.
In order to explore that idea, I obtained a Kirlian photography machine
to do some research about the difference in the electromagnetic
fields of foods grown differently, harvested differently, prepared differently, etc.
It is one of the real regrets of my life that I didn't carry that experiment out
very far.* A few things were evident, however, one of them being that the
electromagnetic field is far greater in sprouted seed than in unsprouted seed,
and raw food has a much larger electromagnetic field than cooked food.
Sprouts, however, far outshine mere raw foods in their electromagnetic magnificence.
(Incidentally, not relevant to the subject at hand but so excitingly evident
in the few photographs I took that I have to share this, WILD foods have a
MUCH greater electromagnetic field than any cultivated food,
no matter how fantastic and healthy the cultivated soil is.)
Now it may appear as if I am about to go even more off track,
but all this will come together
if you will resolutely follow me to the end.
Enzymes and the Electromagnetic Field
By this time almost everyone who is interested in true
health understands something of the importance of Enzymes.
I read several years ago in a book about enzymes
(that is still unpacked from moving, otherwise I could tell you its name)
the idea that we are born with a certain lifetime capacity
for the production of enzymes, just as ancient Yogis believed that
we are born with a pre-determined number of breaths.
Enzymes are used in thousands of chemical reactions in the
body and not just for digestive uses. HOWEVER, since the
advent of factory food and the dominance of agribiz farming methods,
the majority of our food no longer has the necessary enzymes in it
for proper digestion due to over processing, over sterilization, overcooking, etc..
This means that our bodies' entire enzyme production is severely
over-taxed just for the digestion of food.
At least some of our foods should partially digest themselves.
That means having enough inherent enzymes to do the job.
Fermented and raw foods have always been part of
traditional and indigenous diets for that very reason.
Most westerners no longer eat enzyme rich foods.
So what are we to do? Keep stuffing ourselves with expensive
and really unnatural digestive enzyme tablets from a bottle?
I do recommend this to many of my clients to
re-establish better digestive strength, but I see it as a temporary
measure and would rather see people eating their enzymes
Sprouts are bursting with newly released enzymes that are not present in the
ungerminated seed and are therefore one of the most efficacious ways to re -establish
good digestive enzyme activity. There is an enormous amount of information
about the actual chemistry that happens in the sprouting process on the internet,
which I was thinking of burdening you with, but you can look it up yourself
if you want to understand it more.
Now full circle. A few years ago, a good friend gave me a book about food
written by a Chinese PhD. and acupuncturist, (as well as other attainments)
named Dr Kim Le who stated in her book, The Simple Path, that
IT IS THE ENZYME ACTIVITY IN FOOD THAT
PRODUCES THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD!!!
This means that food with a strong electromagnetic field has tons of enzymes.
It also means that food with lots of enzymes has a strong electromagnetic field
which shows up on film as a light field.
So I don't have to worry about some unproven, unprovable theory
about needing to feed ourselves light-filled food. I just need to eat live
foods that are filled with enzymes. SPROUTS!
WHEW!
Maybe you were wiling to learn sprouting before all of that.
*At the time that I acquired my machine, one had to be interviewed to get permission to buy one by a brilliant (and I mean this in the spiritual sense. He's radiant) man named Mitchell May whose medical story was nothing short of miraculous and who has produced some of the most gorgeous and amazing Kirlian photos I've ever seen. Look him up on the internet.
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