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cover the three primary classes of digestive enzymes that digest our food. [NOTE: generally speaking, enzymes end with t
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CONTENTS Do You Microwave Your Food? You’re Zapping Away Nutrients and Risking Your Health Enzymes are Key to Health and Wellness Enzyme Basics Exercise Fights Fatty Liver Disease Fat Free May Mean Free Fat Fermented Soy is Only Soy Food Fit for Human Consumption Find Out Which Raw Food Diet is Right for You Finding the Powerful Forces of Nature in the Compost Pile FOODS FOR ENZYMES For Digestive Bliss Eat Foods That Don't Fight Go For Raw Grapefruit for Stomach Ulcers Growing Your Own Sprouts For Health And Self-Sufficiency How Broccoli May Keep The Pain Away How Cola Coffee And Chocs Can Help Beat Cancer How to Eat Raw Vegetables How To Fast Inflammatory Bowel Disease Introduction to Enzymes Learn About The Important Link Between Enzymes And Weight Loss Meating The Main Problem

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3 5 6 10 11 13 16 22 24 27 30 33 34 37 38 39 40 42 45 56 57

Do You Microwave Your Food? You’re Zapping Away Nutrients and Risking Your Health November 05 2003 By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege Sure, the microwave is convenient; what other device allows you to heat your food up in a matter of seconds? And they‘re so widely used that you‘d be hard-pressed to find a gas station or office building without one. But there‘s a reason why I haven‘t had a microwave in my kitchen for over 15 years andmuch to the distress of my employees-pulled it out of the office over three years ago. This is something that you likely already intrinsically suspect but don‘t want to acknowledge due to the convenience factormicrowaves are bad for your food, and they‘re even worse for you. There are many concerns with microwave ovens, among them: •

Carcinogenic toxins could be leached from plastic or paper plates or covers and mix with your food.



The food temperature may become extremely hot, at temperatures high enough to cause burns or steam buildup that could explode-this is especially problematic for baby bottles, and is one of the reasons why baby bottles should never be heated in the microwave (microwaving can also break down the disease-fighting ability of breast milk).



Vegetables and other food lose valuable, cancer-fighting nutrients when cooked in the microwave.



The chemical structure of foods changes when microwaved, with unknown consequences.

There have been very few studies done to determine what kinds of changes occur in foods that are microwaved, but rest assured the changes are significant. Consider the 1991 lawsuit involving a woman who had hip surgery and died because the blood used in her blood transfusion was warmed in a microwave. Blood is routinely warmed before transfusions, but not by microwave. The microwave altered the blood and it killed the woman. Microwave cooking vibrates the molecules in your food to levels they were never designed to experience. This tends to damage the highly perishable nutrients so they are unable to nourish you the way they were designed to. A study published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli "zapped" in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of the beneficial antioxidant chemicals it contains. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants. Besides the loss of nutrients, microwaving forms new compounds (radiolytic compounds) that are unknown to humans and nature. It‘s not yet known exactly what these compounds do in the human body. It will likely be a difficult thing to sort out, especially when there are previously unknown compounds being introduced to humans from a variety of sources such as new food products (i.e., olestra) and genetically modified foods. Perhaps the most concrete evidence of the dangers of microwaves comes from Dr. Hans Hertel, a Swiss food scientist, who carried out a small but high-quality study on the effects of microwaved food on humans. His conclusions were clear and alarming: microwave cooking significantly altered the food‘s nutrients enough so that changes occurred in the participants’‘ blood-changes that suggested deterioration. The changes included: •

Increased cholesterol levels



More leukocytes, or white blood cells, which can suggest poisoning



Decreased numbers of red blood cells



Production of radiolytic compounds (compounds unknown in nature) 3



Decreased hemoglobin levels, which could indicate anemic tendencies

Dr. Hertel and his team published the results in 1992, but a Swiss trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro-apparatuses for Households and Industry, had a gag order issued, which prohibited Dr. Hertel from declaring that microwaves were dangerous to health. The gag order was later removed in 1998, after the Swiss court ruled that the gag order violated the right to freedom of expression. Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation as well. So what can you do to avoid microwaves? Well, my first suggestion is to get rid of it in your home so you won‘t be tempted to use it. If it‘s not there, then you can‘t use it! Then, try consuming a lot of your food raw. Ideally, at least one-third of the food in your diet should be raw, since this is the form that will give you the maximum amount of nutrients. A quick and easy way to consume a large amount of raw vegetables, which is generally great for your health, is by vegetable juicing. If you do want to cook some food or heat up leftovers, and are panicking at the thought of not having a microwave, I highly recommend trying out the Turbo Oven. Though I don‘t cook most of my food, when I do I use the Turbo Oven. The Turbo Oven not only eliminates the need to cook with additional fats such as oil and butter, but it also prepares delicious and healthy meals that are full of nutrients in half the time of traditional ovens. With the Turbo Oven, you can cook a whole chicken as quick as 45 minutes whereas a traditional oven could take you up to two hours. It also uses up to 80 percent less energy than standard ovens used in the home. So, you will not only reduce cooking time by 50 percent, but you will save money on energy costs too. Of course, you can also opt to use your regular oven or stove. This may seem time-consuming at first, but you‘ll soon adjust and may actually start to enjoy the natural time it takes to heat up or prepare your food. During this time, you can relax with your family, read, write, listen to music or do anything that will help you to slow down and prepare for the meal you‘re about to enjoy. You may notice that taking more time to prepare your food will transcend to other aspects of your life as well, and you‘ll enjoy a slower, more relaxed lifestyle than the majority of those around you.

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Enzymes are Key to Health and Wellness Friday, February 06, 2009 by: Jo Hartley Not only are enzymes necessary for proper digestion, they are an integral component of every chemical reaction that occurs within the body. Without enzymes no bodily processes would be possible. For example, detoxification, digestion, elimination, and a properly-functioning nervous system are all processes that would not occur without enzymes. This is the reason that enzymes are considered the most important supplement today, and everyone reading this can experience improved health if enzyme supplementation is begun. Most people assume that they are getting adequate amounts of enzymes in their diet. This is not true because unless one is consuming a raw diet, the food consumed has no enzymes. Cooked foods do not contain active enzymes. Even people who consume healthy diets are not getting adequate enzymes to enable proper digestion. In addition, the necessary rebuilding, detoxing and general maintenance of the body will not be possible either because raw foods only contain the enzymes necessary for simple digestion. There are no surplus enzymes. An enzyme-depleted body will not be able to heal properly because the number of enzymes necessary for healing is huge. In addition to this, stress has been found to be a big source of enzyme depletion. When under undue stress, the body is unable to generate the necessary metabolic enzymes. Another source of enzyme depletion that many people suffer is because they consume processed foods that have been irradiated or that contain additives. Consuming these foods places stress on the body's ability to make the enzymes necessary to stay healthy. Caffeine is also another major enzyme zapper. The body is able to produce its own enzymes. Unfortunately this ability decreases with age, however. The human body was designed to live in clean, natural environments while consuming raw foods. Since most people do not live this way, people are experiencing accelerated aging and poor health. This enzyme depletion exhibits itself in general signs of aging like wrinkles and joint pain. Simple enzyme supplementation can make the difference between an uncomfortable decline and aging gracefully and painlessly. Once enzyme supplementation is begun, one should allow up to three weeks for the body to adjust to the supplementation and for benefits to become apparent. Enzyme supplementation is more of a lifestyle change and a detoxification process and it takes time for the body to adjust. Expect appetite fluctuations during this time but the appetite will normalize to a level to support normal body weight eventually. Also, allow time for the body to heal and become strong. There is not a maximum dosage of plant enzymes and there are no counteractions known. Once enzyme supplementation is begun, often foods that previously produced allergic reactions will not continue to create these adverse reactions. It is prudent to be cautious with these foods before reintroducing them into the diet in large amounts, however. If foods produced severe or life-threatening reactions previously, proceed with extreme caution. Food allergies are the body's response to an ingredient that it cannot sufficiently break down or digest for utilization. Once the necessary enzymes for this digestion are present within the body, the allergies will often decrease or go away completely. When the body is placed under undue stress because of illness, the environment, poor diet, or a combination of all of these things the body simply becomes exhausted over time. With this exhaustion comes an immune system that doesn't function properly and this further depletes the body's enzymes. Detoxification and renewal may take time, but with proper supplementation of digestive enzymes the body will heal and optimal health can be achieved. Source: http://www.healthynewage.com/yourwellness.htm

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Enzyme Basics What are enzymes? Enzymes are protein molecules that are manufactured by all plant and animal cells. All cells require enzymes to survive and function. Enzymes are catalysts, which means that they make chemical reactions go faster, but are not changed by the reaction. For example, digestive enzymes cause food that you eat to be broken down much faster than would occur without them, but they are not broken down in the reaction they are speeding up. Research has shown that people who have a chronic disease or have low energy levels also have lower enzyme content in their blood, urine, and tissues. While there is clearly a direct relationship between disease states and a person's enzyme levels, only recently has the NATURE of that relationship been better understood. Researchers began to question if a person's enzyme levels were low because they were sick or were they sick because their enzyme levels were low. The researchers found something surprising. A person may not have a low enzyme content because he is sick or old, but instead, the reason a person may be sick or old is because of low enzyme content. As a result, the "old concept" of "I am sick, therefore my enzyme levels are low" has recently been replaced by a "new concept" which is "my enzyme levels are low, therefore I am sick." Why are enzymes important? Enzymes are one of the most essential elements in our body. Enzymes are more important than the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the food you eat. Why is this? Enzymes are required for your body to function properly because without enzymes you wouldn't be able to breathe, swallow, drink, eat, or digest your food. To do all of these things, your body needs some help. You must have enzymes to help perform these tasks. Enzymes are an absolute necessity to live. Enzymes are your body's workers. They are responsible for constructing, synthesizing, carrying, dispensing, delivering, and eliminating the many ingredients and chemicals our body uses in its daily business of living. Your body makes enzymes. When you were young, you had an abundant supply of enzymes. You felt great. Your energy level seemed never ending. You had "enzymes to burn" which kept you running at tip top efficiency. As time goes by, you SLOWLY begin to lose this efficiency. For years you don't even notice the changes. But then you are less able to eat the spicy foods you love or less able to recover as quickly from the aches and pains of weekend sports. This reduced vitality and stamina can signal a weakened and compromised body. You’re running low on the enzymes you need to fuel your life. The process of depleting your enzymes is a slow one, and most likely you didn't notice your energy and vitality disappearing until one day something you once loved to do was suddenly too much work. You aren't getting too old to enjoy life, you are running out of enzymes that would ensure you the energy you need to enjoy life. You simply need to restore your enzyme potential. What is happening to our enzymes? The reason we are running out of enzymes is a LIFESTYLE PROBLEM. Our poor dietary habits, fast food obsessions, and excessive intake of fat and sugars, all require excessive amounts of enzymes to digest our foods. Stress kills and damages cells, resulting in our enzyme-making machinery having to work overtime to help rebuild and replace them. Environmental pollution causes cellular damage requiring ongoing assistance from enzymes just to maintain a healthy immune system. And time is a big factor. Time and the process of living uses up enzymes that must be replaced if we expect to retain the healthy active lifestyle we have grown accustomed to. Every one of these factors diminishes our body's capacity to act, to do, to feel the way we want to feel; and, as many reputable scientists will tell you, these factors may even shorten your life. 6

ENZYMES are ESSENTIAL, but your enzyme potential is dropping. Many researchers now view the aging process and death itself as nothing more than an enzyme potential which has decreased to a level where the living organism can no longer be repaired and maintained in its existing environment. You may slow down this trend by fortifying your body with supplemental digestive enzymes. You can help minimize this inevitable downward spiral in your body's efficiency, a spiral created by a growing shortage of available enzymes. How can I maintain my enzyme potential? There is much you can do to combat your waning enzyme potential. The sooner you start, the quicker you begin to restore and extend the vitality you once had. If you still think you have it, you might be surprised what you have ever so slowly lost without knowing it until you get it back. And, if you're young enough not yet to have lost it, then here's a way to keep it. Supplemental digestive enzymes are win-win for all ages. The research is clear that enzymes can help you maintain good health. Enzymes & Nutrition - What role do enzymes play in nutrition? To better understand digestive enzymes, we must first understand the role of NUTRITION in our health. Nutrition is the body's ability to use and metabolize food. There are 45 known essential nutrients that are required in specific amounts for the body to function properly. The term "essential," as used here, means the body cannot synthesize them internally. Therefore all "essential" nutrients must come from exogenous, or outside, sources. In addition to carbohydrates, fats (lipids), complete proteins, and water, there are at least 13 kinds of vitamins, and at least 20 kinds of minerals required for proper metabolic function. Once consumed, the food containing these nutrients must be digested, meaning they must be broken apart and reduced to a state that the nutrients can be absorbed into and transported by the blood stream to all parts of the body. Our body's cells are programmed to direct each nutrient to combine and interact with other nutrients and chemicals to create still other chemicals and compounds which, in turn, are used to build and repair the body's cells, bones, tissue, and organs. The process is called metabolism. Each metabolic reaction is started, controlled, and terminated by enzymes. Without enzymes, no metabolic activity will occur. A body that does not consistently and efficiently metabolize the essential food nutrients necessary for life will fare poorly, and many illnesses are the result of a dietary problem that causes toxaemia inside of the body. What are the types of enzymes? Enzymes are classified into three categories. • • •

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES FOOD ENZYMES METABOLIC ENZYMES

Metabolic enzymes run the body. They exist throughout the body in the organs, the bones, the blood, and inside the cells themselves. These enzymes are instrumental in the growth of new cells and the maintenance of all tissue. Every organ and tissue has its own group of specialized enzymes. They are trained to run and maintain their host. When these enzymes are healthy, robust, and present in adequate numbers, they do an excellent job carrying out their mission. The two kinds of enzymes we are concentrating on here are DIGESTIVE ENZYMES and FOOD ENZYMES. These two are active only within our digestive system. These enzymes have only one job — to digest our food. DIGESTIVE ENZYMES are made by our body's organs. Digestive enzymes are secreted by the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, and the small intestine. [Technically, digestive enzymes are also considered to be metabolic enzymes whose metabolic role is to digest food. We are specifically 7

distinguishing these particular enzymes here, because they deal with digestion and they can be supplemented from an outside source.] FOOD ENZYMES are already present WITHIN the food we eat. Food enzymes exist naturally in raw food. If the food is cooked, however, the high temperature involved in the cooking process will destroy the enzymes. Digestive enzymes and food enzymes basically serve the same function, which is to digest our food so it can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the blood stream. From this viewpoint the only real difference between food enzymes and digestive enzymes is whether they come from inside our body or from the food we eat. Why are enzymes so important for digestion? Most food, when it is uncooked, contains enough natural food enzymes to digest that food. When you cook the food the enzymes are inactivated (denatured) and can no longer assist in the digestive (breaking down) process. Eating raw food is totally acceptable in some cases and quite unacceptable in others. We eat raw fruit and many raw vegetables, but less often do we eat raw meat, raw fish (not withstanding sushi), or raw pork. Eating uncooked rice is nearly a guaranteed trip to your dentist! So, obviously we cook our food. Here's where the problem occurs. Cooked food contains no enzymes because they have been destroyed. If you eat a meal consisting of a salad, a steak and a baked potato, there are likely enough food enzymes contained in the salad to digest it (break it down so your body can use its nutrients). But, there are no extra enzymes available to help digest the steak or the baked potato. Because the steak and potato are cooked, there are no FOOD ENZYMES available to digest them, so our body must take over and internally create the needed amount of DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to handle the digestive task. The more we depend on our internally generated DIGESTIVE ENZYMES, the more stress we put on our body's systems and organs and the less time these systems and organs have for rebuilding and replacing worn out and damaged cells and tissue and keeping our immune system strong. Your body’s top priority is making sure it has enough nutrients to run its systems. This means digesting food and converting it into nutrients. There is no activity more important to the body than this. This takes a lot of energy and enzymes, particularly if the body must make most or all of these enzymes. Remember that no food can be digested without digestive enzymes. Dr. DicQie Fuller, in her book The Healing Power of Enzymes, emphasizes the importance of enzymes for digestion: "Eighty percent of our body's energy is expended by the digestive process. If you are run down, under stress, living in a very hot or very cold climate, pregnant, or are a frequent air traveler, then enormous quantities of extra enzymes are required by your body. Because our entire system functions through enzymatic action, we must supplement our enzymes. Aging deprives us of our ability to produce necessary enzymes. The medical profession tells us that all disease is due to a lack or imbalance of enzymes. Our very lives are dependent upon them!" Which digestive enzymes digest food? You know that proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are the three main food groups that make up the bulk of our daily diet. A "balanced" diet means we consume the proper proportions of these three basic food groups on a daily basis. This balance, when combined with the assurance that we also get the essential nutrients, can help provide a healthy life — IF we properly process and metabolize these nutrients. To do this we also need an adequate source of the major types of digestive enzymes: Proteases, Amylases, and Lipases. FOOD GROUP

% OF ENZYME CLASS DAILY DIET

ENZYME'S FUNCTION

Proteins

20-25 %

Protease

Digests Protein

Carbohydrates

50-60 %

Amylase

Digests Carbohydrates

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Fats

20-30 %

Lipase

Digests Fat (lipids)

There are numerous categories of digestive enzymes, but for the purpose of this discussion, we will cover the three primary classes of digestive enzymes that digest our food. [NOTE: generally speaking, enzymes end with the suffix "ase."] If the proper QUANTITY and required TYPE of enzymes are not present, your body becomes TOXIC from the left over waste of incomplete digestion. This is the reason why most illnesses and diseases are initially a dietary mistake. This can be prevented and it can be reversed. It’s all a matter of having the right amount and the right kind of enzymes available at the right time to prevent your body from becoming a receptacle for pollution and waste — a receptacle that then breeds and harbours disease. Your Enzyme Potential Do I have an infinite supply of enzymes? No. Until recently, many within the scientific community laboured under the misconception that the digestive enzymes in our body are constant and last forever; that they can be used and reused; that they never get old and never wear out. Researchers now know that we lose digestive enzymes through sweat and body waste. Through constant use, enzymes lose their strength and ability to do their work. As we age, the organs responsible for producing our digestive enzymes become less efficient. Today's environmental pollution, overly processed fast foods, genetically modified food, and microwave cooking can result in free radical damage, which lowers the body's effectiveness to produce enzymes. To offset this loss, we need to supplement our system with oral digestive enzymes. What happens when we start to run low on enzymes? Here's the bottom line. Many illnesses and health conditions are the result of a digestive malfunction causing toxaemia inside of the body. This malfunction is the result of not enough DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to properly digest and metabolize nutrients. Significant short- and long-term health problems could develop when these nutrients are not digested. Some lifestyle problems like high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver problems, indigestion and heartburn, adult onset diabetes, fibromyalgia, migraines, PMS, even hyperactivity in children, often have their starting point in nutritional problems. When our body is stressed by a shortage of digestive enzymes two things can happen and both are bad: 1. Our body continues to work overtime to create the needed enzymes required to digest our food. This extra stress adversely affects our immune system and lowers our ability to protect ourselves from and fight off disease. 2. Because our body finally becomes so overworked, it can't make enough enzymes to properly digest our food. As this undigested food begins to pollute our body, the chances of chronic disease increase. Supplemental digestive enzymes will deliver the necessary nutrients to fortify your body and can enhance your body's healing system often resulting in improved overall health and vitality.

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Exercise Fights Fatty Liver Disease July 06 2009 Counselling patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on how to increase physical activity leads to health benefits that are independent of changes in weight. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common form of chronic liver disease in developed countries. It is associated with obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and is characterized by elevated liver enzymes. Currently, patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are encouraged to alter their lifestyles, but the focus has been on weight loss through dietary changes. But when patients were encouraged to be active for at least 150 minutes per week, they showed improvements in liver enzymes and other metabolic indices which were not connected to weight loss. Sources: Eurekalert July 1, 2009

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Fat Free May Mean Free Fat After a recent trip to my local grocery store, I was overwhelmed by the amount of attention paid to weight-related issues. It seemed like every news magazines was raising concerns over the 'obesity epidemic' that has been sweeping the United States over the past decade, while the fashion magazines were offering tips and information on weight loss. Meanwhile, the grocery aisles are filled with low fat, fat-free, and reduced-calories options for everything from milk and cheese to potato chips and cookies. The most ironic part of this scenario was that when I got home, I found that my June 11, 2002 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association had arrived, and inside was an advisory from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association (AHA) on fat substitutes and health. Specifically, Dr. Judith Wylie-Rosett looked at fat substitutes, dietary fat intake trends, and the general makeup and labelling of low-fat and fat-free foods. After reading Dr. Wylie-Rosett's statement, I knew that I had to pass this insightful and valuable information on to my readers. BACKGROUND In 1998, a Calorie Control Council National Survey looked at the 5,000+ reduced-fat and fat-free foods that had been introduced in the 1990s and set out to determine if people were actually purchasing and consuming these products. They found that the answer was an overwhelming "Yes!" In fact, more than 90 percent of the population they surveyed had consumed reduced-fat or fat-free products, with more than half selecting either low-fat or fat-free dairy products (milk, cheese, yoghurt, etc.), salad dressings, or mayonnaise. Nearly 35 percent reported consumption of low-fat or fat-free margarine, chips, lean meat, and ice cream. Feedback from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that this trend toward lowering our fat consumption has been effective; the percentage of calories from fat has dropped from 40-42 percent in the 1950s to 34 percent in 1991. However, statistics show that obesity rates in the United States have doubled over the past twenty years, and that the past decade has shown a 33 percent increase in the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes. It is my belief that one possible reason for this phenomenon may be the mistaken belief that you can eat an endless supply of low-fat or fat-free foods such as ice cream, cookies, and cakes guilt-free. What most people don't realize is that, in many cases, the fat is replaced with sugar and additional calories. WHAT FAT-FREE AND LOW-FAT REALLY MEAN Just because the label says fat-free doesn't mean that it doesn't contain fat. Hard as that may be to believe, it's true. According to the Nutrition Labelling and Education Act, any product that is labelled fatfree must contain less than half a gram of fat per serving. While I'm not concerned that your favourite pint of "fat-free" frozen yoghurt could have 0.4 grams of fat per serving, I am troubled by the likelihood that it contains hundreds of grams of sugar and calories! A product labelled as low fat has similar constraints; it cannot contain more than three grams of fat per serving. In both cases, manufacturers do not have to include calorie content when making fat-free or low-fat claims. In the case of low-calorie and reduced-calorie labelling, products that are labelled low-calorie cannot contain more than forty calories per serving, while those indicated as reduced-calorie can have up to 1/4 the calories as the full fat alternative. Similarly, foods that are labelled as "light" may contain no more than 2/3 the calories or 50 percent of the fat of the regular product. AND THEN THERE'S OLESTRA Perhaps the most well known fat substitute currently being used is olestra, a fat-based substitute found in snack foods such as chips. Researchers have expressed concerns with the use of olestra. One concern is that olestra cannot be properly broken down by pancreatic lipase in the digestion process, and therefore is not absorbed in the body. Another concern is that olestra may impede the absorption of such critical nutrients as vitamins A, D, E, and K. A third concern involves the digestive upset, such as cramps and/or diarrhoea, that some patients have experienced after consuming products containing olestra. Finally, researchers indicate that it is not clear how olestra may or may not affect the absorption of certain pharmaceuticals. 11

WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO? After reading through the document, I was very pleased to see that Dr. Wylie-Rosett concludes, "Within the context of a healthy dietary pattern, fat substitutes, when used judiciously, may provide some flexibility in dietary planning." She is also quick to note that, "Factors that affect energy balance specifically, i.e. portion control and physical activity, are likely to have a greater impact on weight than does the use of fat-modified products. Thus, substitution of low-fat for full-fat products may not be effective in lowering body weight if other strategies for weight control are not implemented." I couldn't agree with her more. In my practice, I have found that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to assess how you eat, what you eat, and why you eat; incorporate a frequent and consistent exercise program; and make sure that stress reduction is a part of the process. Specifically, I encourage all of my patients to incorporate quality, nourishing foods in their everyday diet. What I mean by this is women need to eat the way our ancestors ate - close to the earth, consuming lots of whole fresh foods. This includes vegetables; whole grains; legumes; raw seeds and nuts; coldwater fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and trout, as well as free-range meats and poultry; low acid fruits, particularly enzyme-rich papayas and melons; and plenty of water. Besides trimming your waistline, exercise has far reaching benefits - from helping to prevent osteoporosis and breast cancer to supporting weight management and stress relief, there isn't a system in our bodies that doesn't rejuvenate itself with regular exercise. Even 20 minutes a day, every day, can do wonders. And don't think you need to run five miles every day of the week. Walking, Pilates, yoga, swimming, and biking all give you the aerobic and calorie-burning benefits you are looking for. Even thirty minutes of gardening can burn 150 to 200 calories! Finally, a good stress management program is central to your success. You must have healthy, proactive ways to combat the stresses of life. Some of my favourite forms of stress reduction include deep breathing, affirmations, visualization, meditation, aromatherapy, and laughter. When you find the form that works best for you - whatever it may be - be sure to make it an integral part of your daily life. Here's to your good health! Susan M. Lark, MD

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Fermented Soy is Only Soy Food Fit for Human Consumption Tuesday, February 03, 2009 by: Barbara L. Minton Writings about the soybean date back to 3000 B.C., when the Emperor of China listed the virtues of soybean plants for regenerating the soil for future crops. His praises centred on the root of the plant, not the bean. These ancient writing suggested that the Chinese recognized the unfitness of soybeans for human consumption in their natural form. Now 5000 years later, we are once again catching on to the anti-nutritive qualities of the soybean, and realizing that the only soybean worth eating is one that has been fermented. The key to releasing the nutrients of the soybean has been known for thousands of years About 1000 B.C. some smart person in China discovered that a mould, when allowed to grow on soybeans, destroyed the toxins present and made the nutrients in the beans available to the body. This process became known as fermentation and led to the creation of the still popular foods tempeh, miso, and natto. A few centuries later, a simpler process was developed to prepare soybeans for consumption. After lengthy soaking and cooking, the beans were treated with nigari, a substance found in seawater. The end product was tofu. During the Ming dynasty, fermented soy appeared in the Chinese Materia Medica as a nutritionally important food and an effective remedy for diseases. Unfermented soybeans contain potent anti-nutrients In their natural form, soybeans contain phytochemicals with toxic effects on the human body. The three major anti-nutrients are phytates, enzyme inhibitors and goitrogens. These anti-nutrients are the way nature protects the soybean plant so that it can live long enough to effectively reproduce. They function as the immune system of the plant, offering protection from the radiation of the sun, and from invasion by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. They make the soybean plant unappetizing to foraging animals. All plants have some anti-nutrient properties, but the soybean plant is especially rich in these chemicals. If they are not removed by extensive preparation such as fermentation or soaking, soybeans are one of the worst foods a person can eat. Unfermented soy has been linked to digestive distress, immune system breakdown, PMS, endometriosis, reproductive problems for men and women, allergies, ADD and ADHD, higher risk of heart disease and cancer, malnutrition, and loss of libido. Groups most at risk of experiencing negative effects from the anti-nutrient properties of soy are infants taking soy baby formula, vegetarians eating a high soy diet, and mid-life women going heavy on the soy foods thinking they will help with symptoms of menopause. Soybeans contain high levels of phytates All legumes contain phytate (also known as phytic acid) to some extent, but the soybean is particularly rich in this anti-nutrient. Phytate works in the gastrointestinal tract to tightly bind minerals such as zinc, copper, iron, magnesium and calcium. It has a particularly strong affinity for zinc, a mineral that supports wound healing, protein synthesis, reproductive health, nerve function, and brain development. It is believed that people living in developing countries are shorter than those in developed countries because of zinc deficiency caused by eating too many legumes. There is also evidence that mental development can be negatively impacted by a diet high in phytate. In most legumes such as other varieties of beans, soaking is enough to break down most of the phytate content. However the soybean requires that the enzymes be released in the fermentation process to reduce its phytate content to the point where it becomes fit for consumption. This means that fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh have the lowest levels of phytate and are the best choices for anyone wishing to eat soybean products. Tofu is also a good choice, as long as care is taken to replenish loss nutrients.

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Whole soybeans, soy milk, soy chips, soy protein isolates, soy flour and all the other myriad of products made from processed soybeans and advertised as health foods have much higher levels of phytate and are not worth eating. Unfermented soy products are rich in enzyme inhibitors When food is eaten, digestive enzymes such as amylase lipase and protease are secreted into the digestive tract to help break it down and free nutrients for assimilation into the body. The high content of enzyme inhibitors in unfermented soybeans interferes with this process and makes carbohydrates and proteins from soybeans impossible to completely digest. When foods are not completely digested because of enzyme inhibitors, bacteria in the large intestine try to do the job, and this can cause discomfort, bloating, and embarrassment. Anyone with naturally low levels of digestive enzymes such as elderly people would suffer the most from the enzyme inhibiting action of soy. Soybeans can block production of thyroid hormone Soybeans have a high content of goitrogens, substances that can block the production of thyroid hormone as well as cause goitre formation. Low thyroid activity plagues women in America, particularly middle-aged women. Thyroid hormone stokes the cellular furnaces, known as mitochrondia. When thyroid production is low, energy levels as well as body heat are also low. Low thyroid level is what makes old people move so slowly and seem like every action is a huge chore. Low thyroid means the action of the heart is reduced, resulting in lack of oxygen to the cells, a prime condition for cancer. Genistein, an isoflavone found in soybeans, can also block thyroid production. Phytate can accentuate these effects because it binds up zinc and copper, leaving little of these important minerals available to make thyroid hormone. A transport protein called GLUT1 is shut down by genistein. This protein sends glucose into the cells where it is used to generate energy. Slowing the transport of glucose means less energy production not only of thyroid hormone, but of every other action in the body. Another way in which soy isoflavones reduce energy in the body is by inhibiting tyrosine kinases, enzymes involved in the transfer of energy from one molecule to another. These enzymes drive cell division, memory consolidation, tissue repair, and blood vessel maintenance and regeneration. It is this action of regulating cell division that made genistein a popular substance for fighting cancer. When research on this anti-cancer effect of genistein became know, the soy industry feverishly developed products that would appeal to Western women looking for genistein. In the middle of all this excitement, little attention was paid to how the energy reducing effects of genistein lowered cellular energy in normal cells. The benefits of genistein come at a high cost Women have been encouraged to use high genistein soy products to alleviate symptoms of menopause and as a guard against bone loss and breast cancer. But given the full range of effects of genistein in the body, high consumption could result in age-related memory loss. Commercial soybean products offer genistein levels as high as 20 to 60 mg per serving. Asians are presented as an example of the benefits of eating soybean products because their incidence of breast cancer and osteoporosis is low. However, the Asian diet of fermented soybean products such as miso and tempeh includes only around 5 mg of genistein a day. Genistein slows the growth of blood vessels to tumours, another action that makes it popular as a cancer fighter. However, it has the same effect on blood vessels serving normal cells. Eating a regular diet high in genistein could result in the starvation of healthy blood vessels, resulting in a reduced supply of oxygen to cells, setting up a cancer promoting situation. In a graphic example of how genistein slows cellular energy, a study found that eating high levels of it slowed hair growth by 60 to 80 percent A decade ago a study of 8,000 Asian men showed that those consuming the highest amounts of tofu had smaller brain size and nearly three times the rate of senile dementia as those who ate the lowest 14

amounts. These results suggest that eating foods high in isoflavones such as soy protein isolates may accelerate the aging of the brain. Fermentation releases nutrients and transforms soybeans into nutritious food People filling up their shopping carts with raw or cooked soybeans, soy milk, and other non-fermented soybean products do not realize that the isoflavones they contain will not be available to their bodies. Most of the isoflavones in soy products are bound to carbohydrate molecules called glucosides. In this form genistein is actually called genistin. It is fermentation that transforms genistin into genistein. Many products in the U.S. do not distinguish between genistin and genistein on their labels. Even with fermented soy foods, a little goes a long way. The nutrients found in miso, tempeh, and natto can be beneficial in the moderate amounts found in the typical Asian diet, but have the potential to do harm in higher amounts. In China and Japan, about an ounce of fermented soy food is eaten on a daily basis. When fermented soy foods are used in small amounts they help build the inner ecosystem, providing a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that can help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients, and boost immunity. Dr. John Lee, author of several books on the health of women, recommended that women wishing to consume soy production eat only miso, tempeh, natto. Tofu can also be eaten provided it is accompanied by fish or some other protein source and some seaweed or kelp to replenish bound minerals. Eating small amounts of these foods will provide the cancer protective effects of genistein without causing the other potential problems of genistein. Dr. Lee recommended avoiding genistein and isoflavone supplements, and soy protein isolates. Sources: Dr. John Lee, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, Warner Books. How Fermenting Takes the Allergy Out of Soy and Other Foods, bodyecology.com.

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Find Out Which Raw Food Diet is Right for You By Nancy Lee Bentley Co-Author, Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program The age-old debate still rages, peppered with a wide diversity of opinions and philosophies across the contemporary "rainbow" of healthy diets. What, in the final analysis, really is the best, healthiest diet for us to consume - a predominantly raw - or cooked - food diet? This is a dynamic subject, but the evidence may surprise you. To shed some light on this debate, we can take a look at some common food facts from history. While there is a growing consensus today that eating raw food is healthier, the fact is, throughout history all cultures have modified, "cooked" or altered the energy field of their foods in some way. This is one of the 11 fundamental Characteristics of Traditional Diets, based on extensive research on so-called primitive cultures throughout the world by Dr. Weston Price in the 1930s. Even the most primitive tribe discovered in our time, The Tasaday of the Philippines, who had no wheel or weapons, did have fire, which they started with wooden sticks and used to roast wild yams and other foods. This makes sense from a functional standpoint. Warmth, moisture, darkness, time - these are the elements of cooking. Whether through the application of heat (boiling, baking, frying, etc.), microorganisms (fermenting or pickling), mechanics (juicing, chopping), activation (sprouting) or preservation (canning, freezing, salting or drying, milling or other processing), "cooking" or altering foods is invariably a form of pre-digestion. This applies, as well, to the human body itself. For whether it’s accomplished outside the body by chopping or processing before eating, or through the body’s own warmth, moisture, darkness and digestive processes after eating, the fact is we have to break down and "cook" or process our food in some way in order to be able to absorb and assimilate it. Cooking contracts vegetable foods, concentrating more nutrients with less bulk. Bitter greens like turnip greens and collards, traditionally prepared by lengthy stewing, are generally more edible when cooked. Cooking also eliminates the oxalic acid, which binds and interferes with calcium absorption. Cooking’s Metabolic and Psycho-Spiritual Effects Beyond simple preservation, cooking has a variety of profound metabolic, as well as psycho-spiritual, effects on humans. Fire equals warmth for survival, protection, community, socializing, togetherness, as well as for making foods more ready for digestion. Its application depends on a host of factors, including season, locality, heritage, genetics and customs. In Food and Healing, Anne Marie Colbin points out that for most people cooking supports mental concentration better than expansive salads with many different ingredients by saying, "The advantage of fire may have resulted in the development of civilization by mental focus and concentration." Cooking food for eating obviously has a long history in the annals of human existence. There is no question that cooking deactivates some vital nutrients, including enzymes, but cooking also makes digestion less stressful. Many people with poor digestion don’t handle raw foods or beans very well, which is in part why macrobiotic diets may have worked for some people recovering from various maladies. The higher proportion of nutrients in raw food is useless if the food can’t be digested, absorbed and assimilated. Good Nutrition is a Matter of Balance So there are tradeoffs in each case. Ultimately it comes down to the individual situation ... and a matter of balance. That’s ostensibly why dieticians have been saying eat a "balanced" diet with a variety of foods. Yet, this is only a partial truth, too often typical of standard scientific fact. It’s not only the total quantity, but also the quality of the food that is critically important, along with how it’s grown, treated, processed and handled; how it’s stored and packaged, prepared, cooked, overcooked or denatured; and how our own bodies individually process and handle it. As Dr. Gabriel Cousins says, "There is so much we do not understand about the subtleties of nutrition that we are essentially shooting in the dark when we start to alter and process our foods." 16

It’s actually ironic that we should even have to engage in an intellectual debate about this subject, since ostensibly we should KNOW, without having to think about it, what the optimum fuel for our personal vehicle - our body - is. This just shows us how far OFF we are, how out of tune and out of touch we are with our own bodies. Animals, for example, don’t read articles or have to study about what to eat. They are instinctually attuned to their own needs without having the "gift" of being able to intellectualize about it. They eat only when hungry. When they’re sick, they don’t eat, or eat grasses, even if they are omnivores like dogs, while we "smart" humans who know so much usually end up being forced to listen to our bodies only when they’re shouting with pain or discomfort. Even then, we just want to stop the pain as fast as possible. And without training in biochemistry or medicine, we tend to fall back on following the advice of outside "experts" instead of listening to the messages our bodies are continually trying to give us. Are ‘Modern’ Foods Shortening Our Lives? While nutritional science is complex and admittedly complicated, it’s not rocket science. The bottom line is that we really don’t need to be a food company biochemist or a medical specialist to know what works best for our own systems, especially when it comes to what we eat. The fact is, all too often, the messages from the so-called "experts" are confusing, conflicting, and often counterproductive, and end up pointing us the wrong way - usually in the direction of their bottom line, to say nothing of the current political reality involved in the "revolving door" between industry and government. As Cousens says, "There is no necessity to sell out our health and shorten our lives so that someone else can profit from marketing so-called longer shelf life, modern, convenient foods." Ironically, it appears that the more tinkering and altering done to extend the shelf life of our food, the shorter our own lives. So one has to ask, are we giving our modern foods a longer shelf life and shortening our own? Janet Starr Hull puts it rather curtly, but succinctly, when she says, "People need to stop searching for excuses to eat all the junk food they want without penalty. In the long run, no one benefits from this product but the corporations." That’s what’s exciting about the new, Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program, which we just co-authored. Much more than just a cookbook, this food and lifestyle guide recommends all the real, whole, healthiest foods - both lightly cooked and raw - from the right sources, in the right proportions, in a comprehensive program that is all about balance - from the physical to the mental to the spiritual. This is a straightshooting, cut-to-the-chase compendium of key information, tools and recipes that allow people to be able to access and identify their own personal metabolic type. It helps people learn how to listen to their body to fine-tune their diet to the foods and macronutrient ratios - the ratios of fat, protein and carbohydrates – that are precisely what they need, once and for all, permanently and by themselves. Then the book offers simple lifestyle choices that can help anyone deal with their emotional issues, attitudes and even spiritual aspects to move toward a healthy, balanced life On the other side of the debate, live foods contain essential nutrition. Whole, live foods not only contain whole nutrition, but are also a source of the metabolic, digestive, food enzymes and other factors needed to digest and use our foods. Enzymes are delicate proteins, catalysts responsible not only for breaking down food, but for a host of other day-to-day processes, including transforming minerals into alkaline detoxifiers that neutralize the acid of our highly acidic diet. Enzymes are critically necessary for achieving our balanced pH, as well as our balanced diet. Enzymes are deactivated or destroyed by heat, mechanical and chemical reactions - not only the high heat of cooking, but the high temperatures involved in food processing and manufacture, handling and storage of food. Unfortunately, in our predominantly processed, synthesized, cooked, microwaved, convenience food selection today, too many enzymes, as well as other vital nutrients have either been destroyed or rendered unavailable. All too unfortunately, we are also not consuming enough of the traditionally lactofermented foods such as the healthy kefir that can easily help our body replenish its supply of valuable enzymes. 17

Enzymes in raw foods are destabilized at temperatures as low as 72 degrees, not the 115 degrees reported in some case studies, according to Dr. Gustavo Bounous and Dr. Allan Somersall in Breakthrough in Cell-Defence. Dr. Brice E. Vickery tested over 2,300 clients, discovering that over 90 percent of them eating a Standard American Diet (S.A.D) were not digesting proteins properly. Nutritional researcher R. Neil Voss and associates also confirmed this. Up until recently, science had identified 22 known amino acids. Recently two more were discovered. In addition to the 10 essential amino acids that must be acquired from food, the human body is known to be able to produce six amino acids itself. However, these new findings, according to Voss, indicate that these amino acids are produced to make sure that proteins are utilized as proteins instead of being changed into fat or carbs only when the body is functioning normally. That is, not when the body is under stress. But who isn’t under stress in this modern world? This is a definite reason for consuming more raw, enzyme-active food every day, a live insurance policy to compensate and support proper digestion. Today, however, with over 90 percent of our foods cooked and/or processed, about the closest many people get to eating raw food is a small iceberg lettuce salad with a slice of hothouse tomato. Cooked food increases white blood cell count. Swiss researchers in the 1930s found that eating unaltered raw food or food heated at low temperatures did not cause a reaction in the blood, whereas food heated beyond a certain temperature, or refined, chemicalized or processed food always caused a rise in the white blood cell counts. This phenomenon was named pathological leukocytosis. The worst offenders, not surprisingly, were the high heat processed foods, including beer, refined carbohydrates such as white flour and rice, and homogenized, pasteurized or preserved foods. Benefits of Raw Plant Foods Raw plant foods are rich in oxidizing, alkalinizing chlorophyll. They also just naturally have more vitality, more of the "life force" energy that researchers are discovering responsible for "recharging" our cellular batteries, as well as enabling an acceleration of individual frequencies to allow more access to higher spiritual energies and information. This also provides insight, moving us closer toward a scientific understanding of the meaning of the term "the spiritualization of matter." Taking supplements of isolated nutrients combined in a pill or capsule is not the same as getting nutrition from whole, natural, live foods. Even if the essential nutrients are included, nutritional supplements are almost always acidic, whereas live foods, especially greens, are alkalinizing. Live foods contain a specific balance of natural forces that are programmed to affect the body in a particular way. That is, plant foods like vegetables have a wholeness and integrity that is more than just a collection of proteins, minerals, and vitamins found within them. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. There are many health-promoting compounds and factors in whole, unbroken raw foods that we do not exactly or fully understand, even given all our scientific and technical advances. Dr. Price demonstrated this when he showed that butter from cows grazing on fast-growing grasses during a specific time period in the spring of the year contained a compound, not present at other times, that improved health, bone density and healing, much more effectively than cod liver oil alone. The compound, labeled Activator X, has still not been isolated. Of course, with few exceptions, most raw food enthusiasts exclusively promote the virtues of a 100 percent totally raw, vegetarian or vegan diet. However, many fast oxidizers or "Protein" nutritional types, as discussed in Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program, really do not do well on exclusively vegan diets. They require the extra energy, purines and saturated fats in high-quality animal products, including meats, eggs, and dairy products. Furthermore, consumption of some animal products is another one of the 11 Characteristics of Traditional Diets discussed by Dr. Weston Price in his study of dietary practices throughout the world. You might be surprised to learn, however, that it is the animal products, more than the vegetable foods, that are traditionally consumed in a raw or fermented state - another reason to consider that our contemporary food habits may be literally upside down from what supports balanced health. 18

Benefits of Raw Animal Foods Getting enough raw foods can be a bit challenging. While the government has made landmark victories out of its successes in abolishing the sale of raw milk products in many states on the grounds of "safety," it ignores the fact that pasteurization literally destroys the enzymes in dairy products needed for their use. At the same time, it has permitted the routine feeding of animal wastes and dead animal parts to feedlot cattle, now shown to contribute to wide-scale problems with contaminated meats. Salmonella in eggs, another issue, may have become an exaggerated concern, according to John R. Roth, a professor of biology at the University of Utah, who has been studying Salmonella for 40 years. According to him, "Probably it exists in very many organisms at a low level where it’s not a pathogen but living as part of the gut flora. The idea of banishing it is absurd." While it is more challenging to acquire raw dairy foods, it is still possible. One option is to participate in cow-share programs and support campaigns like www.RealMilk.com, sponsored by the Weston A. Price Foundation, that are working for a solution to make raw milk and other raw foods available to people who want them. Ironically, the staunchly prohibitive U.S. stance against raw dairy products is a modern development nearly every other country in the world has traditionally allowed those citizens interested in using raw milk a way to obtain it. There’s no question about it, the body does better on whole, live, natural foods, from animal and vegetable sources, especially if they are organically grown. One study at Rutgers found that organic produce had an average of 83 percent more nutrients. Besides having higher nutrient density, being more sustainable and more harmonious to the earth and our bodies, this food tastes better - and helps us keep in balance more easily. Live Foods for Healing Live foods have also been used as a powerful healing treatment. Even as far back as 500 B.C., the wise teacher Pythagoras used raw foods to heal people with poor digestion. Throughout Europe and also here in the United States, completely live food and juice diets have been used to heal a variety of ailments, from arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers, heart and circulatory diseases to cancer and other degenerative diseases. Dr. Edmond Szekely, for example, saw over 123,600 patients, 17 percent of who were diagnosed medical "incurables" over a 33-year period from 1937 to 1970 at his clinic at Rancho La Puerta, Mexico. Over 90 percent regained full health on a live-food diet. The Climate Connection This type of regimen is unquestionably effective as a cleansing, detoxification program for a short period of time, especially in the tropics or in warm weather. But it is impractical and unnatural - possibly even unwise - as a prolonged dietary program in the dead of winter in frigid northern climates. For most people it certainly is not warming or satisfying enough. Even raw food proponent Gabriel Cousens reported feeling chronically "cold" during the first several winters after he adopted a 100 percent raw food intake. It just doesn’t feel right. If you think about it, your body just naturally leans toward more cooling, fresh, raw, live food like salads in the summer. Do you honestly feel like cranking up the heat to cook dinner when the temperature outside is a sweltering 90 degrees F? In the winter, however, when your body is trying to marshal its forces to stay warm and keep you alive, would a plate of fresh sprouts and lettuces satisfy you, or would you just naturally gravitate toward a nice, hot steaming bowl of soup or stew to warm you up after weathering a cold, snowy trip home? Listening to your body is a key. This is one of the cornerstone principles in our new book, Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program. Everyone is unique and what you eat should be a reflection of your own personal needs, lifestyle, health, location, season and spiritual evolution. Raw Food Negatives 19

Of course, raw foods are not without their negatives. Raw foods have a higher percentage of bacteria and parasites. Canavanine, an amino acid in raw alfalfa sprouts not present in the mature plants, is an anti-nutrient factor that has been shown to inhibit the immune system and contribute to inflammatory arthritis and lupus, according to Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions, a reason why traditional cultures have avoided eating alfalfa in the sprout stage. Many vegetables, unless juiced, are harder to digest when raw. The phytates or anti-factors in grains also bind up minerals, making them unavailable to the human body, a probable reason why most grain has traditionally been fermented or sprouted rather than eaten raw or simply ground into flour. Many beans and legumes, especially raw soybeans, lentils, black-eyed peas, peanuts and mung beans, also contain trypsin inhibitors, which block key digestive enzymes. Therefore, even raw foodist Dr. Gabriel Cousens does not recommend more than occasional use of raw sprouted beans or peas. Many raw food vegetarians are not as healthy as they might appear to be. Two Midwest naturopathic practitioners interviewed testified to the number of vegan patients whose health they have had to "rescue" after prolonged adherence to raw vegetarian programs. One anonymous practitioner, a veteran vegan, raw food athlete who apprenticed in several well-known live food clinics, detailed her continual lack of energy and inability to put on muscle, despite hard discipline. Eventually this culminated in collapse with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Also described was the presence of a peculiar "rotting flesh" smell noted among staff members and other professional raw foodists who restricted their intake to an exclusively vegan, raw vegetable regimen for an extended period of time. This is characteristic of people suffering from kwashiokor and other forms of starvation where the body is getting inadequate protein. When Eating Raw Food Becomes an Obsession Unfortunately, it’s not always just about the nutrition. All too often raw food converts (just as some advocates of other radical dietary protocols) possess a near frenzied religious fervor, attaching spiritual, puritanical, even moralistic significance to the virtues of their "superior" 100 percent raw, vegan or vegetable-food diet. Coined "Orthorexia Nervosa" in Health Food Junkies by Dr. Steven Bratman and David Knight, this phenomena has been personally observed within numerous healthy food communities. Unfortunately, it ends up being dysfunctional and unsustainable, reflecting obsessive need to control and to be right, with a bottom line that essentially makes the enjoyment of eating into a guilty vice. It’s highly counterproductive, dissociative and unhealthy (especially for the greater conscious community of people who are waking up about the truth in food and agriculture) for various food and dietary philosophies to be in a constant game of superiority and one-upmanship. Even worse is exclusionism - continuing to maintain a "WE HAVE THE ONLY WAY" type of attitude. This is just as bad as religious wars. No Single Diet is Right for Everyone Those of us who are working toward healthier food and lifestyles need to recognize that no single diet is right for everyone all the time and start looking for areas of common agreement. Instead of competing within ourselves, we need to communicate and cooperate to create more unifying action, to put our energy and focus into asserting and proactively fighting for our rights for good, clean healthy food and environment. The fact is: No ONE food plan is right for everyone all the time - except that it is becoming painfully obvious that contemporary "One-Size-Fits-All" Diets are out. They just do not work for everyone. Each of us is unique. Each person has a distinct biochemical individuality, a unique nutritional type and profile that is ours alone. If we listen, our body and our self will communicate what we need to stay in balance. Given the Proper Nutrients, The Body Will Heal Itself Everything in nature strives toward balance. The body is constructed so that if it is given the right nutrients, its systems will put them where they are needed and the body will heal itself, affirms Dr. William B. Ferril, M.D. The body possesses an innate healing mechanism that is always trying to nudge 20

us back to a state of equilibrium, a state of health. We are not machines that need repairmen. We can heal ourselves, if we pay attention and become aware; if we give ourselves the chance’ if we listen to our bodies and that deeper part of ourselves. Hippocrates’ ‘HEAL THYSELF’ doesn’t apply just to physicians. Each of us has a healer within. Thy food shall be thy medicine and thy medicine shall be thy food. Or a more contemporary version from Gabriel Cousens: "With the proper diet, no doctor is necessary. With the improper diet, no doctor can help." Instead of thinking "raw foods versus cooked foods," this diet or that philosophy is better, it’s probably closer to the truth to focus on getting a BALANCE of raw and cooked foods, depending upon the season, climate, your health, level of spiritual evolution, etc. So, in the final analysis, the truth in the "raw versus cooked" debate probably lies somewhere in the balance. Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program represents this kind of a balanced approach to eating, finely tailored to each individual’s biochemical needs. On this program you will eat a balanced intake of food in the proportions geared to your taste and your body’s unique needs. You will enjoy satisfying portions of meats, fish, dairy products and, course plenty of fresh, healthy low-glycaemic vegetables, with a minimum of 30 percent to 50 percent fresh, raw whole foods. But the key is that you will use your own body as the barometer for what you should eat. Listening to your body is one of the key principles in this wise compendium of information, recipes and simple lifestyle changes that can quickly and simply help you get on the road to balanced health and well-being ... yourself. A Balanced Life Starts With a Balanced Diet We’re not talking here, about some arbitrary random selection of foods or a cafeteria tray of food that will stay stable without tipping over when held underneath with one hand. Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. And enjoy it. If you are eating according to your metabolic type, cutting out the sugars and starches, especially highglycaemic foods, vegetables and grains, eating some cooked foods and consuming a minimum of from 30 percent to 50 percent of your diet as raw foods, your body will automatically start to detoxify itself and get healthier without a radical change in your diet. You cannot only maintain this for a short period of time - you can live with this type of eating plan for the long haul. This is undoubtedly much closer to the balanced way we were intended to eat. References 1. Conscious Eating, by Gabriel Cousens, M.D. 2000, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA. 2. Educational Nutritional Research Seminar by R. Neil Voss, 2004, American Fork, UT 3. Food and Healing, by Annemarie Colbin, 1986, Ballantine Books, div. of Random House, New York, N.Y. 4. HEALTH FOOD JUNKIES, Orthorexia Nervosa: Overcoming the Obsession with Healthful Eating, By Dr. Steven Bratman and David Knight, 2000, Broadway Books, a division of Random House. 5. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with Mary Enig, 1999, 2000, NewTrends Publishing, Inc., Washington, D.C. 6. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Weston A. Price, DDS, Keats Publishing, Los Angeles, CA, available from The Weston A. Price Foundation, www.westonaprice.org 7. Raw Food--One of Your Keys to Outstanding Health by Wes Peterson, Mercola.com. 8. The Untold Story of Milk, Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Foods, by Ron Schmid, ND, 2003, NewTrends Publishing, Inc., Washington, D.C. 9. Traditional Foods are Your Best Medicine, by Ronald F. Schmid, ND, 1997, Healing Arts Press, div. of Inner Traditions International, Rochester, VT. 21

Finding the Powerful Forces of Nature in the Compost Pile Thursday, January 01, 2009 by: Dr. Phil Domenico Philosophers throughout history have sought out grand theories to define Nature, as if there were a unifying feature. The ancient Greeks were particularly curious in this regard, though they had very little evidence to work with. In the early 6th century BC, Thales postulated that the primary substance of Nature is water. Anaximenes defined it as air. Heraclitus concluded that it was fire. By the mid-5th century BC in Sicily, Empedocles identified four basic elements - earth, water, air, and fire - that comprised all of Nature. Such musings say a lot more about human limitation than they do about Nature. To be sure, Nature is too vast and varied to fit conveniently into a box. It will retain its mystery, despite our lame efforts to name it, or tame it. Nevertheless, scientists have unravelled many of the mysteries of Nature since ancient times. So, rather than rely on old stories or religious texts to explain what it's all about, many now look to the collective information from thousands of lifetimes of scientific inquiry. In one sense, no one can know the nature of things as intimately as a scientist. However, a single scientist does not typically look at the whole picture, but rather focuses on one single aspect of it. The sharper the focus, the more knowledge gained. Each scientist is just a dot on the mosaic of understanding. It takes the efforts of thousands of scientists to make sense out of the whole. Today's evidence-based view of Nature may not be as enchanting, holistic or succinct as those in religion or myth, but it is as close as we can get to reliable truth. With the wealth of new information, we have much more to go on in explaining how the world turns. Certainly, there is nothing simple about the workings of Nature. To explain Nature fully, one must account for the many unique elements and their myriad associations that contribute to its majesty. From simple atoms vibrating in solution to multi-cellular life, an endless array of structures defines the Earth and its movement. Living and non-living matter are constantly in flux, and overlapping in ordered patterns. Earth's secrets lie in the interplay of its multifaceted, opportunistic elements. It is the grandest of experiments. Life springs forth powerfully, dynamically, abundantly, with ever more clay. Over billions of years, creatures still unimaginable have inhabited this planet, filling every conceivable niche. Cataclysmic disaster created new habitats and destroyed others, and life adapted. Countless, nameless species learned to thrive at extremes, in freezing or boiling, oxidative or anaerobic, high or low-pressure conditions. Relentlessly, life's manifestations arise from clay like mushrooms, defy death momentarily, and are recycled anew. There are about 72 elements detectable in seawater, from whence life originated. Each element is endowed with a special utility that defines its role in the big picture. Life has exploited a few dozen of these elements, and the special features inherent in them. A prime example is the attraction of sulphur for minerals. Iron and zinc combine with sulphur in hundreds of different enzymes in our cells. Enzymes containing iron-sulphur clusters are key players in energy production. Other enzymes contain protruding "zinc fingers" that walk along our DNA and fix damaged genes. Delicate zinc-sulphur sensors can detect slight chemical changes in blood and trigger major inflammatory responses. Metal-sulphur interactions drive chemical reactions, regulate enzyme activity, participate in energy transfer and cell signalling, and form durable structures like skin, cartilage and bone. Life has exploited mineral-sulphur interactions to the max. Yet, that's only one of the many interactions occurring between organic and inorganic substances. This interplay between organic and inorganic gets to the heart of Nature's essence. Life owes its plasticity to these interactions. Minerals (i.e., dirt, rock) represent the inorganic phase and carbon-based molecules (protein, carbohydrates, fats) define the organic phase. Each essential mineral - calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt, chromium, selenium, molybdenum, etc. plays a unique role in the process. Magnesium drives activity in over 300 enzymes involved in an assortment of functions. Zinc may affect even more processes. The hormone insulin functions poorly in the absence of chromium. The body's antioxidant system cannot protect us from toxic metals, viruses and cancer when selenium is low. In their organic forms, minerals are linked to proteins (e.g., metalloenzymes), carbohydrates (e.g., fibre), nucleic acids (e.g., DNA, RNA), or fats (e.g., membrane lipids) in 22

coordinated fashion. Organic-mineral complexes dominate nature. Energy from the sun drives the assembly of these many and varied interactions. However, in death (or in the compost pile), these interactions are again broken down to their component parts. The cycle goes from complex to simple and back again. Soil quality depends greatly on its mineral content. It starts with slime on rocks, wherein bacteria eat away at its surface. Every bout of rain promotes this microbial process to help release the rock's minerals into the soil. Thus, rain provides more than water; it also helps generate new minerals for plant growth. Rain also sparks activity in the compost pile, where minerals are recycled from crop refuse (green) and manure (brown). Rich and full-spectrum mineral content in the refuse makes for high-quality compost. Alternatively, a handful or two of pristine sea salt (not the white, refined stuff) or rock dust can activate the pile. Decomposition over several months converts minerals to their elemental form. Plants and microbes prefer these inorganic minerals, and convert them back to complex structures like enzymes, chemical signals, antioxidants, pigments and structural integument. The minerals are now in organic form, which animals prefer. What comes out the other end is thrown back into the compost pile, and converts to dirt all over again. Quality mineral nutrition comes primarily from plants grown in good organic soil. But, since most soils are depleted, we are wise to take mineral supplements. Unfortunately, most of the minerals in drugstore supplements are in the elemental form found in dirt, and do not contribute much to health. That's probably why they're dirt-cheap, so to speak. Organic (or chelated) mineral supplements cost more, but are much more likely to confer health benefits than are inorganic forms. This has been demonstrated repeatedly in clinical trials. Almost every mineral that ends in chloride, oxide, or sulphate does not get absorbed well by the human gut. Quality is rather on the organic side, as with chelated minerals. Exceptions are gluconate (like taking sugar with your minerals), and polynicotinate (does not hold on well to the minerals). Also, generic amino acid chelates generally say nothing about the quality of a mineral supplement. Look instead for specific chelates like picolinate, citrate, ascorbate, fumarate, taurate and malate. For example, potassium citrate is alkalizing, but potassium chloride is not. Perhaps the biggest problem with most multivitamin/multimineral supplements is that they contain non-chelated, poorly-absorbed minerals like magnesium oxide and chromium chloride. As always, you get what you pay for. The compost pile is a paragon of death and renewal. Mixing organic waste and manure (part green, part brown) in a mound large enough to retain heat promotes decomposition and disinfection. The pile is turned early and often for uniformity and to avoid malodorous fermentation. In aerated piles, good organisms dominate and smelly ones die. The heated pile also becomes inhospitable for Salmonella, E. coli and other manure pathogens. The recent infestations of spinach, onions, peanut butter or hamburger do not arise from organic farms where good compost is used, but rather from factory farms with filthy runoff problems that use sewer sludge or synthetic chemicals as fertilizer. Good compost promotes food quality. In a well-made compost pile, good bacteria defeat the bad ones, just like it should be. An abundance of friendly microbes defines the quality of finished compost, and the power of those microbes depends on their mineral content. Compost is not just the key to sustainable agriculture, but also God's will. It is the renewal of things, and the only tangible form of reincarnation. It is life's resolve and death's acceptance. What transpires in a compost pile is as awesome as in any religion, and its miracles are accessible. The God in the compost pile is worth dirtying one's fingernails for. The fruit of its faith is in the fertility of the land, the salubrity and appeal of its produce, and ultimately in the balance of things. Eating fresh, hardy, local organic produce is spiritually gratifying, like returning to Eden. Understanding the wisdom of nature and respecting its mystery, through compost, brings us closer to the Oneness: Nature's unifying principle. Organic and mineral elements are driven to assemble and dissolve, each particle carrying a quantum of soul with it. Like the atom that carries it, this soul cannot be destroyed; disassembled, yes, but not destroyed. Soul is compounded in ever more complex life forms. Humans, the greatest assembly of soul, are Nature's crowned jewels and God in its highest order. Ironically, understanding biochemistry and the cycle of nutrients brings us closer to our spiritual natures.

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FOODS FOR ENZYMES From BLR’s “FOOD LISTS” Raw food is alkalizing while cooked food is acid-forming. Cooked food tends to have a stimulant effect by causing the body to speed up its metabolism to rid itself of these destroyed nutrients, altered proteins and fats. The effect of raw food versus cooked food on the immune system After a person eats cooked food, his/her blood responds immediately by increasing the number of white blood cells. This phenomenon is called 'digestive leukocytosis', in which there is a rise in the number of leukocytes white blood cells - after eating. This is similar to any other stress response, such as infection, exposure to toxic chemicals or trauma, by the body. However, eating raw, unaltered food does not cause a reaction in the blood. The worst offenders of all, whether heated or not, are processed foods which have been refined (such as white flour and white rice), or pasteurized (a process in which a liquid is flash-heated to high temperatures to kill bacteria), or homogenized (also seen in milk where the fat in milk is subjected to artificial suspension), or preserved (chemicals are added to food to delay spoilage or to enhance texture or taste). If you do cook your food, the best way to cook food is to lightly steam, stew, or use a slow crock cooker. Eat as few over-processed and over-cooked foods as possible. The body has a difficult time digesting fried, pasteurized, barbecued, dried, and other over-processed and over-cooked foods which you find in boxed and processed foods. What happens to animals and people when they eat primarily cooked food?

1. Studies have shown that the size of the pancreas increases (because of over work converting metabolic enzymes to digestive enzymes). The size of the brain decreases. 2. The organs and tissues become depleted of enzymes and therefore cannot repair themselves. Enzymes can be used up, depleted and excreted through the urine and sweat. Life ends when the enzymes are significantly depleted. Enzymes are stronger in youth than in old age. 3. We all get fat. Raw food calories are relatively non-stimulating to glands and tend to stabilize weight. Because cooked food calories excite the glands they tend to be fattening. Also raw food is more filling, and takes longer to chew and digest so we don't eat as much of it. The hypothalamus senses that the body has actually received necessary nutrients from the raw food and suppresses the appestat (the appetite control centre) so we don't keep searching for more to eat. 4. Depletion of enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract leads to food allergies and toxicity in the gut. Then these toxins leak into the rest of the body. 5. Eating cooked food stresses the immune system because it has to send white blood cells into the digestive tract to protect the body from the cooked food. Also the raw food enzymes destroy bacteria and other unfriendly organisms and so the immune system does not have to send its manpower to deal with these unfriendly organisms. 6. No wonder our animals have the same illnesses we do because we're feeding them cooked processed food too. The Great Enzyme Bank Robbery: 1. Children are born with a certain enzyme bank account. Some have more enzymes in their banks than others. Children born of parents who have historically and regularly eaten fresh organic raw foods have a large enzyme bank account. Children born of parents eating depleted, cooked foods have a smaller enzyme bank account. By the second and third generation of parents on deficient foods, the children are born with a very small enzyme bank account and they are often born with allergies or develop degenerative diseases quickly. 2. Nursing or bottle feeding a baby - which is best? A baby's salivary glands do not secrete amylase at an early age and milk is high in starch. Fortunately mother’s milk is high in amylase and therefore the baby receives the enzymes necessary to digest the starch in milk. Also pancreatic enzymes are not well established in an infant so they may have difficulty digesting fats and protein, unless they are drinking 24

mother's milk, which is also high in the enzymes to digest fats and protein. Most infant formulas contain no food enzymes and since baby digestive tracts are too immature to produce adequate enzymes, how are they going to digest their food? Obviously nursing an infant is far superior to bottle feeding but if bottle feeding is the only option then at least add plant enzymes to each formula. 3. No wonder our children look so pale and puffy, have behaviour disorders, frequent infections and many learning problems. They begin with depleted enzyme bank accounts and rapidly withdraw what enzymes are left when they are fed formula. Even nursing babies are weaned to cooked foods, which quickly begins the robbery of their enzyme bank accounts. 4. And the story just goes on throughout life. Once we've learned to eat cooked food, that's our habit and we continue to deplete our enzyme bank accounts until we develop degenerative diseases. Dr. Howell, considered the father of enzyme research said, "Disease and cookery originated simultaneously". As an example he compared Eskimos to the American Indian. The Eskimos (which means "He eats it raw") ate raw foods including fermented fish and they were so healthy that they had no medicine men. On the other hand, the American Indians ate cooked food and they had to have extremely knowledgeable medicine men. Some raw foods are also depleted of enzymes by: 1. Irradiation: irradiating food causes complete destruction of all enzymes and other nutrients. A raw irradiated steak can sit on the shelf for months without deteriorating. Not even the bugs will eat it. So why would we want to eat it? 2. Vegetables and fruit are purposely genetically bred to have fewer enzymes so they have a longer shelf life. That beautiful huge strawberry may look red and delicious but when you bite into it, it is actually very bland tasting because of deficient enzymes and minerals. 3. Organic compost contains high levels of enzymes and thus food grown organically will have more concentrated enzymes than foods grown with artificial fertilizers and other current farming methods. 4. Enzymes diminish with storage of foods also. Enzyme activity is the greatest immediately after the food is picked. The only food storage method that increases the enzyme activity is fermentation or culturing. What can we do to preserve and augment our enzyme bank account? 1. Gradually add more raw foods to the diet, including raw fruits and vegetables, and raw nuts and seeds. 2. Choose organically grown foods. 3. Reject irradiated foods and genetically engineered foods. 4. Eat foods as soon after harvesting as possible. 5. Soak nuts over night to activate the enzymes and to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors. 6. Have some fun with sprouting seeds and beans and adding them to salads. 7. Then eventually consider culturing some of our food.

Fermented Foods Fermentation allows the bacteria, yeasts and moulds to "predigest" and therefore break down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to create "Probiotics" which offer friendly bacteria into our digestive tract. This helps keep our immune system strong and supports our overall digestive health. Fermented foods are enzyme rich foods that are alive with micro-organisms. These foods allow beneficial micro-flora to "colonize" in our intestines (and for moms-to-be, also in the birth canal) to keep us healthy. Fermented foods aid in digestion, promote healthy flora in our digestive tract, produce beneficial enzymes, offer us better nutrition and allow our bodies to absorb vitamins (in particular C, and B12), minerals, nutritional value and omega 3s more effectively from foods. They regulate the level of acidity in the digestive tract and act as anti-oxidants. Fermented foods contain the same isothiocyanates found in cruciferous vegetables and therefore fight and prevent cancer. 25

Many fermented foods on the market today are not true fermented foods because they are created to maximize profits and shelf life instead of our health. It's important that we eat foods that are fermented with "Active" or "Live" Cultures. Pasteurization kills off the living bacteria so look for unpasteurized and fresh fermented foods. Since fermentation is a way to keep the living enzymes alive, it goes against the theory to use pasteurized (or dead) milk. Fermented Foods include: Amasake Beer Blue Cheese Bread Cheese, Aged Chocolate Cider Coffee

Cultured Vegetables Kefir Kimchi Kombucha Kumiss (Kefir from goat's milk) Marinated Artichokes Mahewu Marinated Mushrooms

Miso Nuoc Mam Olives Pickles Quorn Sauerkraut Sourdough Bread Soy Sauce Tea

Tempeh Umeboshi Plums Vinegar Wine Yogurt

Through the ancient art of fermentation, these foods are partially digested by friendly enzymes, fungi, and good bacteria – making their nutrients readily available with little work for your body. In addition to enhanced flavour and nutrition, cultured foods also offer a multitude of medicinal rewards by: •

alleviating digestive disorders - the flora in living cultured foods form a "living shield" that covers the small intestine's inner lining and resists pathogenic organisms like E.coli, salmonella and an unhealthy overgrowth of yeast



helping nursing mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their infants



effectively impacting the behaviour of children with autism and ADD



regulating weight and appetite by reducing cravings for sugar, soft drinks, bread and pasta – all foods we strongly advise against!!

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For Digestive Bliss Eat Foods That Don't Fight Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by: Barbara L. Minton How we eat may be just as important as what we eat. The diets eaten by most Americans are based on the belief that any number of different foods can be digested at the same time. This belief may be why more than half the population suffers from some sort of digestive distress for which there seems to be no remedy. As sales of antacids soar off the charts, maybe it's time to rediscover the art of food combining. Indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome are modern phenomena Our ancestors did not eat the way we do. Their diets were composted of one or two foods at a time as they came across them, with many meals consisting of nothing but animal protein. With the advent of agriculture, a more varied diet became available, but it was still based mainly on the consumption of meat, and dairy products. Vegetables and fruits were available only in their season, with the exception of a few root vegetables that could be stored. The food processing so taken for granted today had not yet been invented, and processed carbohydrates were not a part of the diet. Rolaids hadn't been invented either, and it appears that our ancestors did not suffer from the digestive problems so prevalent in modern times. Dr. Hay used theory of food combining to regain his own health The art of food combining is the brain child of Dr. William Hay who after several years of medical practice found his own health in shambles. Suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease and weight gain, he decided to take a close look not only at what he was eating but how he was eating it. His discoveries and dietary changes brought him remission of symptoms and reduction of weight by 50 pounds in just a few months. And like most theorists who have come up with an idea that really benefits people, Dr. Hay was ridiculed by his peers. Today, the scientific community is finding evidence that Dr. Hay was onto something. Research is showing a connection between carbohydrates and allergies, diabetes, skin problems, migraines, depression, chronic fatigue, and psychiatric disorders. Food combining reflects the principles governing digestion The theory of food combining is based on the idea that good health results from a body that is slightly alkaline and attuned to the basic principles of digestion. It is a scientifically based system of selecting foods that are compatible from all that are available. By grouping the right foods together people can be assured of effortless digestion and more complete assimilation and use of nutrients by the body. When foods are correctly combined, nutrients from them can be used to their fullest extent to promote good health. Digestion is facilitated by juices and enzymes produced in response to a cue from the food that has been eaten. The juices can be alkaline or acid depending on the requirement of the enzymes they contain. These enzymes are active only in a suitable media with well defined acid-alkaline ranges. They are destroyed by variation in those ranges. Carbohydrate foods stimulate the secretion of enzymes made specifically to break down carbohydrates, while protein foods require the secretion of enzymes made specifically to break down protein. Fats too have specific enzymes needs to facilitate their breakdown. For example, the salivary enzyme, amylase, is produced in response to eating carbohydrates, and its job is to break down carbohydrates for digestion. Amylase is only active in an alkaline medium and is destroyed by a mildly acidic environment. The gastric enzyme, pepsin, is produced in response to eating protein, and its job is to break down protein for digestion. Pepsin is only active in an acid medium and is destroyed in an alkaline environment. While the body will produce juices and enzymes specific to any type of food that has been eaten, it is unable to do so when a variety of foods are eaten together. According to Dr. Hay, it is the combining at the same time of foods requiring both acid and alkaline medium for digestion that is responsible for 90 percent of digestive problems. Good digestive outcome requires meals comprised of similar food types When foods are improperly combined, fermentation in the digestive tract and digestive distress is the likely outcome. When foods eaten at a meal are of the same type, there is no fermentation and proper digestion is allowed to take place. The best way to avoid fermentation is to avoid mixing high protein foods with high carbohydrate foods. While almost every food contains some amount of protein, those with high 27

concentration of protein remain in the stomach for several hours while the gastric juices and enzymes do their work. Depending on the complexity of the protein eaten, this time can be up to six hours. Here are the basic rules of food combining: Number one: Protein and carbohydrate concentrated foods Breakdown of protein requires an acid medium, and digestion of protein dense animal products requires high levels of hydrochloric acid. Since digestion of carbohydrate dense foods requires an alkaline medium in order to be broken down, high carbohydrate foods that have been mixed with high protein foods will not digest but will sit there fermenting, producing indigestion, bloating and gas. And since this fermentation of carbohydrates will inhibit the digestion of the protein, more gas, bloating and discomfort will be produced. This makes the typical American meal, composed of a large hunk of meat along with potatoes and bread, a recipe for digestive disaster. Dr. Hay's research found that most protein foods are best digested when accompanied by a fresh green salad. Other concentrated protein foods like nuts and seeds combine well with acid fruits such as oranges, pineapples blackberries, or strawberries. They also work fairly well with sub-acid fruits such as apples, cherries, mangos, or peaches. The vitamin C in these fruits aids digestion of the mixture. Number two: Eating two concentrated proteins together Each type of protein requires a specific character, strength and timing of digestive juice secretions. This means that no two types of concentrated protein should be consumed together at a meal. Nuts, meat, eggs, cheese, or other protein foods should not be eaten together. And no two types of animal protein should be eaten together, a rule that may be hard to swallow by the surf and turf crowd. Number three: Protein and fats Fats inhibit the secretion of gastric juices needed to digest meat, fish, dairy products, nuts, and eggs by as much as fifty percent. When fat concentrated foods are eaten with protein concentrated foods, the digestive breakdown of the fats is delayed until gastric juices complete their work on the complex proteins. This means fats will remain undigested in the stomach for a long period of time. Although some high protein foods also contain high amounts of fat, these fats will be held in suspension awaiting breakdown without impeding gastric action. However, free fats such as oil, butter and milk fat will coat the gastric mucosa, inhibiting gastric juice. This is why fried chicken is so hard to digest. Number four: Acid fruits with carbohydrates The enzyme in saliva that begins the breakdown of starch concentrated foods in the mouth does the important job of converting complex starch molecules into more simple sugars. In order to work, the enzyme requires a neutral or slightly alkaline medium, the natural condition found in the mouth. When acid foods are eaten, the action of the enzyme needed to break down starch is halted because the medium needed has been altered. Thus acid fruits should not be eaten at the same meal as sweet fruits or other starches. This combination is what makes spaghetti and other dishes combining tomatoes with starch so bloating. Number five: Acid fruits with protein Oranges, tomatoes, lemons, pineapples and other acid fruits can be easily digested and produce no distress when eaten away from starchy and protein foods. However, when included in a meal that contains a protein concentrated food, the acid fruits seriously hamper protein digestion. This is in part what makes the typical American breakfast of orange juice, bacon, eggs and toast such a digestive nightmare Number six: Starch and sugar Eating starches that have been disguised as sweets is not a good way to eat starch. Although the "treat" produces an abundance of saliva, the saliva contains none of the enzyme needed to digest the starch because the sugar has turned the environment acidic. This is why such items as fruit filled Danish settle on the digestive tract like a sack of bricks. The carbohydrates are fermenting in the body, producing noxious gases. Number seven: Consuming melons 28

Melons should not be consumed with any other foods. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and the more exotic melons should always be eaten away from mealtime and alone. Melons are meant to decompose quickly in the digestive system, which is what they will do if there is no interfering with the process. Number eight: Consuming milk Milk is best left to babies who traditionally consume it alone, away from other foods. Milk does not digest in the stomach, but in the duodenum, so the presence of milk in the stomach does not promote secretion of gastric juice. The use of acid fruits with milk does not cause any digestive difficulty, although the benefits of the antioxidant potential of the fruits may be lost due to the affinity they have for the protein in milk. The goal of food combining is digestive bliss If all this seems overwhelming, especially at first, here is the bottom line. Starches, fats, and green vegetables may be eaten together as they require either an alkaline or neutral medium for their digestion. Similarly, protein foods, green vegetables, sugars and acid fruits may be eaten together as they require an acid or neutral medium for their digestion. Starches and proteins, fats and proteins, proteins and acid fruits, starch and acid fruits, and starch and sugars should not be eaten together for those people looking to attain optimal digestion and gastric comfort. Meals that contain the smallest number of courses will produce better digestive results. A one course meal is ideal. As a general rule, simple meals are more conducive to good health than are more elaborate meals, no matter how much attention the person planning the meal has devoted to food combining. As the typical American meal consisting of protein, carbohydrates and fats may remain in the stomach for up to six hours, the potential is there for several hours of digestive misery. And remember, carbohydrates are always the last to be digested. If another meal is eaten before the first one has completely digested, the protein is again digested first, leaving the carbohydrates to be stored as fat. This is why weight loss is a secondary benefit to food combining. When foods are properly combined, they are not stored in a line waiting to be digested. On the other hand, carbohydrates eaten without proteins remain in the stomach for about one hour or even less. A fruit meal remains in the stomach for an even shorter period of time. The ideal regimen of food combining would be a fruit meal for breakfast, a starch meal with a vegetable salad or non-starchy vegetables for lunch, and a protein meal with a salad and non-starch vegetables for dinner. References: Grant, Doris, Joice, Jean, Food Combining for Health. Food Combining, The Internet Health Library 2000. Food Combining Diet for Weight Loss, healthylifestyle.com.

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Go For Raw Tuesday, January 06, 2009 by: Teya Skae In the world of nutrition, health and longevity we are subjected to an overload of often conflicting dietary advice. So what should we eat and what should we avoid? The more we understand about the biochemical changes any food undergoes, depending on how it has been treated, heated, processed, modified or even where it comes from (especially in view of the alarming melamine reports from China), the better able we are to make empowering decisions about the food we chose to eat. Let's have a look at what baking, roasting, frying, microwaving and heating does to our everyday foods like coffee beans, bread, cereals/grains, any baking goods (cakes and biscuits) and proteins. It's increasingly easy to understand why the Raw Food movement is gaining popularity, as there is a lot of wisdom in consuming foods as close to their natural state as possible. And one cautionary tale concerns a substance called acrylamide. What is Acrylamide? Acrylamide is a compound most often associated with plastic manufacturing. It is found in coffee and starchy foods like grains and potatoes that have been baked, fried, roasted or toasted. It is formed when frying or baking heats sugars and amino acids to temperatures above 120°C. This process creates the Maillard reaction; also called the browning reaction Acrylamide has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer since 1994, due to its documented carcinogenic effects in laboratory animals. But when a Swedish study released in 2002 revealed that high levels of acrylamide may be created by doing something as simple as baking a loaf of bread, it sent shockwaves through the nutrition field. Now a new study conducted by researchers from the Netherlands, has found that consuming high levels of acrylamide increases people's risk of kidney cancer, the tenth most common cancer in by 59 percent. Researchers looked directly at the effects of dietary acrylamide on cancer risk by studying data from the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer, which includes more than 120,000 adult female and male participants between the ages of 55 and 69. Researchers from Maastricht University, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, and TNO Quality of Life calculated the dietary acrylamide intake of 5,000 random participants, based on food frequency questionnaires filled out when the cohort study began.* The researchers found that after 13.3 years, those who had the highest dietary acrylamide intake experienced a 59 percent higher risk of renal cell carcinoma than those with the lowest intake. Renal cell carcinoma is responsible for more than 80 percent of kidney cancer cases. "We found some indications for a positive association between dietary acrylamide and renal cell cancer risk," the report stated. A total of 339 cases of kidney cancer, 1,210 cases of bladder cancer and 2,246 cases of prostate cancer were observed among study participants. The researchers did not observe any connection between acrylamide intake and cancer of the bladder or prostate. The highest average acrylamide intake was 40.8 micrograms per day, while the lowest was 9.5 micrograms per day. Average intake was 21.8 micrograms per day, or slightly less than the amount found in a 75 gram serving of French fries. Every 10 microgram increase in daily intake appeared to increase a person's risk of kidney cancer by 10 percent. Among smokers, the effect of dietary intake was even stronger. What is interesting to note is that coffee was the biggest source of dietary acrylamide for the study participants. Studies show that potato chips, crackers, pastries, and powdered coffee all contain high levels of acrylamide, while fried fish and fried chicken contain somewhat lower amounts. 30

Prior to 2002, acrylamide was known only as an industrial chemical that consumers might be exposed to through cigarette smoke, cosmetics or the breakdown of certain environmental contaminants. Then researchers from the Swedish Food Administration discovered that the chemical also formed at high levels in many popular foods, such as potato chips and bread. Since then, research has suggested that it may also form in dried fruit. The good news is that no acrylamide was found in fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, or natural foods that have not been baked or fried or roasted. But fairly high amounts of the compound showed up in black olives, bottled prune juice, sweet potatoes and arrowroot teething biscuits. Other processed foods containing varying amounts of acrylamide included prepared meals containing turkey and vegetables, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. Although acrylamide is generally accepted to pose health risks in humans, some researchers have questioned whether typical dietary intakes are actually high enough to have an effect. The recent study is only one of the latest to suggest that dietary intake is indeed a significant source of exposure to the chemical. In earlier research conducted by the same team of scientists and again using data from the Netherlands Cohort Study, dietary acrylamide was found to increase a woman's risk of ovarian cancer by 78 percent and her risk of endometrial cancer by 29 percent. Among women who had never smoked, the increase in risk was much higher: 122 percent for ovarian cancer and 99 percent for endometrial cancer. Researcher J.G. Hogervorst recommended that people limit their acrylamide intake, including from their diet. "In preparing food at home, fry potatoes at temperatures below 175°C and fry them to gold-yellow, not dark brown," Hogervorst said. "The same goes for making toast and cookies." The darker a food is fried or baked, the more acrylamide it contains. Foods that are steamed or boiled do not contain acrylamide. Enzymes in Foods From a scientific viewpoint all cooked food is devoid of enzymes that are vital for the digestion and absorption of food. Enzymes are the sparks of life, the living energy contained in food essential for all the chemical processes within the body. Any food heated above 45°C starts to become devoid of its natural enzymes and once food is heated beyond 50°C, the much needed enzymes are totally destroyed. Eating enzyme-dead foods places a burden on your vital organs, especially the pancreas (where enzymes are produced stored and released for all digestion of protein, fats and carbohydrates). Many people gradually impair their pancreas and progressively lose the ability to digest their food after years of ingesting processed foods. This is most marked if they start their day with a typical Western breakfast of dry cereal, toast, coffee and pasteurized milk. The only solution is to have a natural, enzymerich, high protein breakfast as it sets the biochemical pattern for the rest of the day. In 1930, under the direction of Dr. Paul Kouchakoff, the effect of food (cooked and processed versus raw and natural) on our immune system was tested and documented at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Lausanne, Switzerland. Kouchakoff's discovery concerned the leukocytes, the white blood cells. It was found that after a person eats cooked food, his/her blood responds immediately by increasing the number of white blood cells. This is a well-known phenomenon called 'digestive leukocytosis', in which there is a rise in the number of leukocytes - white blood cells - after eating. At the same time, back in 1930, the Institute's Swiss researchers made a significant discovery called 'pathological leukocytosis' that increased importance of eating more raw foods. They discovered that eating raw, unaltered enzyme-rich foods did not cause an immune reaction in the blood that usually occurred in respond to eating heated food. In addition, they found that if a food had been heated beyond a certain temperature (unique to each food), or if the food was processed, it caused a rise in the number of white cells in the blood – in other words a toxic reaction. 31

Let's get back to enzymes. Enzymes are needed for the digestive system to work as specific enzymes break down food particles to be used for energy. The human body makes its own different digestive enzymes capable of digesting carbohydrates, protein and fats. Yet as we get older and face more stress in our lives, our bodies cease to make enough of these crucial enzymes and that creates digestive problems, fatigue and even allergic reactions. Mother Nature has come to our rescue by endowing raw vegetables and raw fruit with lots of enzymes to assist our digestion. But this is where we can unwittingly get caught up with extreme approaches, the 'all or nothing' attitude. The ideal is to include at least 50 percent of your total food as raw foods wherever possible and, most importantly, enjoy enough good quality sources of protein, such as lean grass-fed beef (high in Omega 3, even higher than commercial salmon), free range eggs, and include a vegetable protein source such as rice or pea for vegetarians/vegans. This is because we all need protein to varying degrees. Due to increasing stress factor in our lives, many people need even more bio available protein. Eggs and raw dairy, (unpasteurized milk, cheese, yogurt) are enzyme-rich health foods, and are most beneficial for energy building. Raw eggs are 100 percent bio available, which means they contain the perfect ratio of amino acids, the building blocks of life. In summary, avoid as much as possible baked and processed foods such as breads, grains and biscuits. In particular, avoid overcooking proteins as overheating kills enzymes, the much needed sparks of life that break down food into energy. Eating raw seasonal and locally grown fruits and vegetables is ideal in preserving some of the richest enzymes available in foods. When it comes to potatoes, steaming is better than frying or baking. We all need digestive enzymes and as we get older it becomes even more important to eat more enzymerich raw foods. Not everything can and should be eaten raw, but minimizing heating may still preserve some enzymes. So opt for more raw foods and enjoy a colourfully nutrient-rich diet for building more energy. In Wellness! Teya Skae References: * The results are presented in the article "Dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of renal cell, bladder, and prostate cancer" by J.G. Hogervorst, L.J. Schouten, E.J. Konings, R.A. Goldbohm, P.A. van den Brandt, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May 2008, Volume 87, Number 5, pp. 1428-1438). www.foodnavigator-usa.com "FDA Finds Cancer-Risk Acrylamides in More Food" Maggie Fox, Reuters Health, 3/25/04, www.reutershealth.com

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Grapefruit for Stomach Ulcers? July 18 2005 An acidic grapefruit may be the last thing a person with a stomach ulcer would think of eating, but it appears it may well be beneficial. A study on rats found that grapefruit extract can help to reduce the size of and heal stomach ulcers. The extract has strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which calm the gastric tract and aid the healing process. Rats treated with the extract experienced a 50 percent reduction in gastric acid secretion, and a progressive decrease in the area of their ulcer. The treatment also prompted a significant rise in blood flow at the ulcer sites - another phenomenon that can aid healing. The beneficial effects, however, were diminished in the presence of drugs that inhibit two enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2, which play a key role in maintaining the health of the stomach lining. The researchers believe that the grapefruit extract somehow joins forces with these enzymes to promote healing. Grapefruit has also been found to be beneficial for obesity and diabetes. BBC News July 16, 2005

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Growing Your Own Sprouts For Health And Self-Sufficiency February 16, 2009 Let us proceed from "hair growing" to "sprouts growing". Does this website have something for everyone or what? Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods that exist. Sprouts are rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes. Their nutritional value was discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago. Over the past several years, in the U.S., numerous scientific studies have shown the importance of sprouts in a healthy diet. Have you ever heard of a vegetable which continues to gain vitamins after you harvest it? Sprouts do this. Sprouts are LIVING foods. Even after you harvest your sprouts and refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will actually increase. Compare this with store-bought vegetables and fruits, which start losing their vitamin content as soon as they’re picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter. Note: Ayurveda does not like sprouts. "They are difficult to digest, they aggravate Vata", etc. One thing you will find as you research health and nutrition is that everyone has an opinion. My advice is to: - Do all the research you can. - Find out what works FOR YOU. Broccoli sprouts fight cancer Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that 3-day old broccoli sprouts have exceptionally high amounts of a natural cancer-fighting compound. For many years, scientists have known that vegetables in the cabbage family benefit health. Recently, they've been successful in drilling down further to uncover those benefits, and the reasons why eating such foods can reduce the risk of disease. Dr. Paul Talalay and his colleagues, researching this question for over 20 years, showed that some varieties of vegetables such as broccoli contain high amounts of a substance called 'sulforaphane' which helped support antioxidants, such as vitamins C and vitamin E.(1) This is another example of the synergy which we often find in nature. Next, the researchers found when testing tender shoots of broccoli at the 3-day-old stage that they contained high amounts of a concentrated form of the cancer fighter, 20 to 50 times more than in mature broccoli. (2) This is my current setup in my "sprouting room". Playing Gandharva music to keep the sprouts happy may be a little crazy, but it is a NONPUNISHABLE OFFENSE! RIGHT ON! Why eat sprouts? There are many reasons. In addition to providing the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any food per unit of calorie, sprouts deliver them in a form which is easily assimilated and digested. In fact, sprouts improve the efficiency of digestion. Sprouts are also deliciously fresh and colourful. With the current economic crisis, not to mention the fact that so much of our food supply is 34

contaminated with pesticides and pollutants, it's nice to know you can grow your own sprouts in your home and become more self-sufficient. Sprouting at home takes only a few moments a day and can produce a good portion of your daily requirements of the nutrients you need from fresh produce. The hassles are minor, the costs are low, and the freshness is wonderful. It is a very effective way to add raw foods to your diet. If you can supply a jar, some screen or netting, and rinse the sprouts twice a day, you can grow delicious organic sprouts in 4 to 6 days, even less time depending on your setup. Growing your own sprouts means having fresh organic vegetables every day from a square foot of counter space. Common seeds for sprouting include alfalfa, fenugreek, peas, lentils, radish and red clover. Mung beans have been sprouted in Asia for thousands of years, but they require more equipment and time than other seeds. Other seeds include broccoli, cabbage, mustard seed, garbanzos, and quinoa. Benefits of sprouting Growing sprouts is economic. Seeds can multiply 8-15 times their weight. Depending on what you grow, you can get away with spending 25 cents for a pound of fresh sprouted indoor-grown organic greens. Sprouts are nutritious. They are baby plants in their prime. They have a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, antioxidants, nitrosamines, trace minerals, bioflavonoids and chemo-protectants such as sulphoraphane and isoflavone which work against toxins, resist cell mutation and invigorate the body's immune system than at any other point in the plant's life even when compared with the mature vegetable. Sprouts you grow yourself in your own home are organic. No pesticides, fumigants or synthetic fertilizers. No chemicals. Sprouts can be grown anytime anywhere . From Alaska to Florida, in January or June, enjoy LIVING food anytime, anywhere. I highly recommend the book "The Sprouting Book" by Ann Wigmore who was considered an authority on sprouting until she tragically died in a fire in 1993. Growing your own sprouts in your home is easy and takes only a few minutes of care per day. Just add water. No special lights are required. 1 pound can grow in only 12 inches of space depending on how you are setup. Sprouts are fresh, LIVING foods. No loss of nutrients sitting in warehouses or on grocery store's shelves. Sprouts are easily digestible. Because they are baby plants, their delicate cell walls easily release elemental nutrients. Abundant enzymes make them easy to digest even for those with a weak digestion. Growing sprouts offers you versatility. You can have more varieties of salad greens than on the grocery store shelves. Including buckwheat lettuce, baby sunflower, golden alfalfa, Chinese cabbage, purple turnip, curly kale, daikon radish, crimson clover, and more. Your salads will come alive. Growing your own sprouts in your home is ecologically sound. No airplanes, fuel or oil was consumed to deliver this food to you. No synthetic fertilizers or petroleum-based pesticides. In my opinion, one of the best sources of inexpensive kits to grow you own sprouts (as well as wheat grass and barley grass) is wheatgrasskits.com. Sprouting and safety There have been a few recent news stories regarding salmonella contamination in sprouts. These have been combined with warnings from the Food and Drug Administration that sprouts could be contaminated with food poisoning bacteria and advising the very old, the very young, and those with compromised immune systems to avoid raw sprouts. Most people knowledgeable in sprouting feel that these stories were far overblown because it made interesting news - it's the original "health food might be bad for you" story. What can you do to be extra safe in your sprouting? 35

Use certified organic seeds. Organic certification assures that seeds have been grown and handled in a manner which helps minimize possible sources of contamination. Manure used on organic fields, for example, must be composted for a long period of time. Composting has been shown to reduce or eliminate pathogens in manure. Organic farmers are also required to use rodent/bird proof storage for seeds destined for consumption. Organic sprouting seeds have NOT been implicated in any outbreak of food poisoning. Also refrigerate finished sprouts. Ideally you want to eat them right after you pick them. Those sprouts are still growing in your plate! Now that's "Fresh"! Happy sprouting! References (1) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 2002:28;99(11):7610-7615 (2) Washington Post May 28, 2002; Page A04

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How Broccoli May Keep The Pain Away October 05 2005 An interesting study conducted at Johns Hopkins provides new evidence phytochemicals contained in fruits and vegetables - particularly those found in cruciferous plants like broccoli - block joint inflammation which could lead to better, safer treatments. Researchers made the discovery while studying the various ways human blood cells and joints respond to pressure gradients generated from liquid moving along their surface, a force called shear stress. That force is good for blood vessels because it may block toxic cancer-causing chemicals. Unfortunately, it can also be harmful to joints because it can boost a patient's Cox-2 enzyme levels which trigger pain and inflammation and suppress the activity of phase 2 enzymes, eventually killing healthy chondrocyte cells responsible for the smooth functioning of joints. Rather than using a toxic Cox-2 inhibitor like Vioxx to suppress those enzymes, researchers added phase 2 enzymes that inhibited inflammation and cellular death beforehand. Where broccoli comes into the picture: Previous research identified phytochemicals in cruciferous plants that naturally boost the production of phase 2 enzymes which were used in this study to suppress Cox-2 enzymes and inflammation. In fact, one of the lead researchers who uncovered the value of phase 2 inducers mused that patients could obtain those same benefits by eating phytochemical-rich foods, a very safe, healthier and familiar concept to those of you who visit my Web site regularly. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 102, No. 39, September 27, 2005: 14010-14015 EurekAlert October 3, 2005

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How Cola Coffee And Chocs Can Help Beat Cancer By Michael Leventhal Coffee, cola and chocolate could be good for us after all, say scientists. Common compounds in all three may form the basis of new drugs to tackle cancer and heart disease. New research suggests that caffeine and theophylline may help block cell growth and blood clotting. They appear to target an enzyme which helps trigger signals that control the growth, movement and survival of cells. Scientists recently found that the enzyme, p110 delta, is also responsible for orchestrating the body's response to infection. It is thought to be linked to inflammation and irritable bowel disease. Researchers at University College London genetically engineered insect cells to produce the p110 delta. In laboratory tests they found that caffeine and theophylline both blocked a key biochemical process crucial to the functioning of the enzyme. Professor Peter Shepherd, at the university's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said: "We've shown that caffeine-like compounds play a novel role in blocking enzymes known to play a critical role in a range of cellular functions in the body." "Alongside possible advances in cancer treatment, this research suggests that caffeine-type drugs could be used to treat heart disease and inflammatory illnesses." Theophylline was already known to have antiinflammatory properties and has been used for many years as an asthma treatment. However, Professor Shepherd warned people not to overdose on coffee, tea, cola or chocolate. "The study relied on using high concentrations of caffeine that would be unhealthy for human use," he said. The research is published in the August edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Daily Express 21 August 2001

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How to Eat Raw Vegetables Raw food diets are part of a growing health trend. Consuming vegetables in their natural raw state has proven to be helpful with weight loss and in balancing nutrition needs with a lot of taste. Raw vegetables can be excellent for every meal and even snacks. Here are some suggestions on how to enjoy raw vegetables all through the day. Instructions 1. Step 1 Choose only the freshest raw vegetables. Leafy greens should be crisp, while root vegetables should be firm and free of any bruises or soft spots. In some cases, vegetables that are past their prime mean less nutritional value as well as less taste. 2. Step 2 Wash the vegetables thoroughly. This is true even for organic vegetables. The point of eating raw is to get the best nature has to offer, but that does not include consuming any fertilizers and pesticides, even if they are composed of natural ingredients. 3. Step 3 Use colours to create a visually appealing meal or snack. Strips of red, yellow, and green bell peppers mixed with sliced carrots, radish rosettes and tasty chick peas makes a great presentation, tastes great and is loaded with nutrition. 4. Step 4 Try chilling vegetables. Many people find that even vegetables they normally prefer cooked have an excellent flavour when served cold. 5. Step 5 Use fresh herbs to add another layer of flavour. Fresh herbs such as rosemary, dill weed, and sage can add a lot to raw vegetables, and also helps to cut down on salt intake.

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How To Fast First of all, for reasons given on the Why Fasting? page, I do not recommend water-fasting, and while juice-fasting I do not recommend fasting for more than 3 days without supervision. In preparation for our first day of fasting, we may want to take a few days to eliminate some foods or habits from our diet. Eliminating alcohol, nicotine, sugar and caffeine if possible is very helpful. Intake of most nutritional supplements can also be stopped the day before fasting. Supplements are usually not recommended during a fast. Many people do well by preparing for their fasts with 3 or 4 days of consuming only fruits and vegetables. These foods nourish and slowly detoxify the body so that the actual fasting will be less intense. Start with a 1-day fast The first 1-day fast (actually 36 hours, including the nights - from 8 p.m. one night until 8 a.m. the following day) gives us a chance to see what a short fast can be like, to see that this is not so difficult and doesn't cause any major distress. Most people will feel a little hungry at times and may experience a few mild symptoms - such as a headache or irritability - by the end of the day, but this depends on the person and their state of toxicity. Usually, the first 2 days of fasting are the hardest for most people. Feeling great usually begins around day 3, therefore longer juice fasts are really needed for the grand experience. One of the problems with fasting is that it can be the most difficult for those who need it the most, such as the regular 3-square-meals-plus-snacks/day consumers who eat whenever and whatever they want. Often these people must start with more subtle diet changes and prepare even more slowly for fasting. A transition plan which can be used before even going on the 1-day fast is the 1meal-a-day plan. The one daily meal is usually eaten around mid-afternoon. Water, fresh fruit or vegetable juices, and teas can be eaten at other times. The one wholesome meal is not rich or excessive. It can be a protein-vegetable meal, such as fish and salad/steamed vegetables, or a starch-vegetable meal, such as brown rice with mixed steamed greens, celery, carrots, and zucchini. People on this plan start to detoxify slowly, lose a bit of weight, and after a few days feel pretty sound. The chance of any strong detoxification symptoms developing, as might occur with fasting, is minimal with this type of transition, and the actual fast, once begun, will be handled more easily, too. The goal then, is to move into a 1-day fast and then a few 2- and 3-day fasts with 1 or 2 days between them when light foods and more raw vegetables and fruits are consumed, and also provide fluids, soups, juices, and a generally alkaline cleansing diet. This way, we can build up to a 5 to 10-day fast. Juice fasting provides nutrients to your body Again I do not recommend a water fast. A juice fast is much easier for most people. The fresh juices of raw vegetables and fruits are what most fasting clinics and practitioners recommend. The juices provide calories and nutrients on which to function and build new cells, and also provide important enzymes contained in these vital foods. (Food enzyme theories are discussed at length in Dr. Edward Howell's book "Enzyme Nutrition") Raw foods are considered the healing force in our diet because they contain active enzymes, which are broken down once foods are cooked. Many consider a raw-food diet the most healing and most nutritious diet. For the beginning faster, it is best to go slowly through the various steps and to avoid being impatient or excessive so that we learn about ourselves in the process. To do this, we need to make a plan and put it into effect, observing or listening to our body and even keeping notes in a journal. Get to really know yourself. Then, once we have fasted successfully, we could continue to do 1-day fasts every week or a 3day fast monthly if we need them.

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In general, diluted fresh juices of raw organic fruits and vegetables are best. Here you can use your imagination and create juices which are both healthy and delicious. You can get some ideas on my juicing recipes page, but the possibilities are endless. You can also get some solid knowledge on juicing in the juicing for health section, as well as the juicing books page. Cleansing the colon during fasting Fasting clinics often suggest that enemas be used daily to help cleanse the colon, while fasting. With these, usually filtered water alone is used to flush the colon of toxins. Although when fasting, replace the coffee with filtered water only. Herbal laxatives are commonly taken orally during fasting. These include cascara sagrada, psyllium (in my opinion the best price on the internet for a high quality psyllium supplement is here), senna leaves and Liquorice Root. The "saltwater flush" is useful for those who can tolerate it. A solution of 2 teaspoons of unrefined sea salt is dissolved in a quart of warm filtered water (not distilled) and is drunk first thing in the morning on every other day throughout the fast to flush the entire intestinal tract. Whatever colon cleansing method is used, keep in mind that regular cleansing of the colon and intestines is a key component of healthy and stress-free fasting. The amount of vegetable and fruit juice you drink will determine the intensity of the cleansing. Drinking small amounts of juice supplies fewer calories, which increases the intensity of detoxification. The more intense the cleansing, the greater the discomfort. Juice fasting allows you to have control over the process of elimination. However, when the body enters a cleansing crisis due to toxins in the blood, no amount of juice will eliminate the discomfort. You must wait it out. Breaking the fast It is important to make a gradual transition back into our regular diet, rather than just going out to dinner after a week-long fast. Breaking a fast must be planned and done carefully and slowly to prevent creating symptoms and sickness. It is suggested that we take a few days to move back into our diet, which is hopefully a new, more healthful diet. Our digestive system has been at rest, so we need to go slowly and chew our foods very well. With juice fasting, it is easier to make the transition back into foods. A raw or cooked low-starch vegetable, such as spinach or other greens, can be used. A laxative-type meal, such as grapes, or soaked or stewed prunes, or cherries, can also be used to initiate eating, as it is important to keep the bowels moving. Some experts say that the bowels should move within 2 to 3 hours after the first meal. If not, take an enema. Some people may want to do a saltwater flush (drinking a quart of water with 2 teaspoons of unrefined sea salt dissolved in it) before their first day of food. However you make the transition from fasting to foods, go slowly, chew well, and do not overeat or mix too many foods at a single meal. Simple vegetable meals, soups or salads can be used to start. During fasting, it is essential to plan times to meditate, doing some mild exercise, get fresh air and sunshine, clear our intestines, get massages, take aromatherapy mineral baths, clean our house, brush our teeth, and more. Good luck with your fasts and let me know about your experiences!

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Inflammatory Bowel Disease Crohn's disease (regional ileitis, regional enteritis), ulcerative colitis, leaky gut syndrome, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, dysbiosis, oesophageal reflux, spastic colon, mal-absorption syndrome (celiac disease), etc. Excerpted from The ABC's of Disease by Phillip Day Profile More and more, people over the past fifty years have been suffering from a number of complaints affecting the entire length of the digestive system, from mouth and throat ailments, down to the stomach, and all the way through that serpentine piping to haemorrhoids around your afterburner. Some of these disorders are mild; others are extremely serious and will need addressing without delay. I am lumping a group of conditions together here as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, since the remedies for them are essentially the same. Once the reader appreciates what these conditions are and how they are caused, the answer to most of the problems becomes straightforward enough to implement. Crohn's Disease (Regional enteritis): Pain in the lower right abdomen, mal-absorption of nutrients, lowgrade fever, weight-loss, flatulence. Crohn's is a condition where segments of the colon (large intestine) become inflamed, thickened and ulcerated. Traditional treatments will include corticosteroids, antibiotics, immunosuppressive drugs and dietary changes. Crohn's can cause partial blockage of the large intestine, causing pain and bouts of diarrhoea. The same condition occurring in the small intestine is known as regional enteritis, the chronic form of which may also create fistulae (unnatural joinings) between adjacent loops of the intestines or between bowel tissue and the bladder, vagina or skin. Ulcerative colitis: Inflammation of the colon lining. Symptoms are pain, with blood and/or mucus in the faeces. Leaky gut syndrome: Where damage to the small intestine wall can increase gut permeability to undigested food particles which enter the bloodstream and begin causing 'allergic' reactions. Dr Leo Galland, Director of Medicine at the Foundation for Integrated Medicine, states: "Leaky gut syndrome is a group of clinical disorders associated with increased intestinal permeability. They include inflammatory and infectious bowel diseases, chronic inflammatory arthritides, cryptogenic skin conditions like acne, psoriasis and dermatitis herpetiformis, many diseases triggered by food allergy or specific food intolerance, including eczema, urticaria, and irritable bowel syndrome, AIDS, chronic fatigue syndromes, chronic hepatitis, chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and pancreatic carcinoma. Hyper-permeability may play a primary, etiologic role in the evolution of each disease, or may be a secondary consequence of it which causes immune activation, hepatic dysfunction, and pancreatic insufficiency, creating a vicious cycle. Unless specifically investigated, the role of altered intestinal permeability in patients with leaky gut syndrome often goes unrecognised." Diverticulosis, diverticulitis: Sacs may appear in weak sections of the intestinal tract, caused by pressure from the inner lining (pulsion diverticula) or from pressure exerted without (traction diverticula). Diverticulosis describes the passive existence of diverticula. Diverticulitis describes the condition when these sacs become perforated, inflamed or impacted. Dysbiosis: The human digestive system contains over four hundred species of microflora (bacteria, yeast, fungi, protozoa, etc.) weighing over three pounds. Usually, in a properly pH-adjusted, harmonious alimentary tract, they live together in peace and balance (homeostasis). When, through our choices of food and lifestyle, we upset this balance, dysbiosis occurs, a term, coined by Russian scientist Elie Metchnikoff, who maintained that toxic compounds produced by the aberrant breakdown of food by these bacteria caused many of the degenerative conditions, especially since this toxicity was carried to other parts of the body via the bloodstream and lymph (see Arthritis, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc.) Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): A general condition, thought to affect over 15% of the western populations, describing generalised abdominal pain, usually accompanied by diarrhoea and constipation, that leads to dysfunctional contractions in the intestine. Officially, according to orthodox medicine, unwilling to accept the existence of this as a separate disorder, the cause of IBS is unknown. Unofficially, it is yet 42

another physical manifestation of humans trying to put diesel into a gasoline-driven automobile, if you get my drift. We'll give the food industry a proper panning as we proceed. Celiac disease (mal-absorption syndrome): A condition in which the small intestine fails to digest and absorb food. Usually due to gluten/gliaden damage, which atrophies the lining of the intestine. Symptoms include stunted growth, distended abdomen and pale, frothy, foul-smelling stools. Commentary Causes: Gluten/gliaden damage from wheat, barley, rye and oat products; bacterial and/or mycoplasmic infections; small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), brought on by low digestive enzyme output; processed diet; too much refined sugar and grains; too little fibre; generally acidic, anaerobic internal environment, resulting in an inadequate immune system response; antibiotic abuse; general drug abuse; poor water intake. Phew! Bacteria, yeasts and fungi are generally quite sparse in the upper intestinal tract, but when overgrowths allow them to proliferate in the duodenum and jejunum (the majority portion of the small intestine), they can compete for nutrition with the host. This is where the problems begin. Symptoms describing overgrowths of these critters are well known: abdominal pain and cramps, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, fever, flatulence, foul-smelling faeces, skin rashes and hives, leaky gut, indigestion, reflux, low back pain, mal-absorption and weight loss. They can cause a corruption and putrefaction of the food chyme (food leaving the stomach for the intestine). Enzymes ejected from these organisms (known as decarboxylases) work on the chyme, converting the amino acids histadine to histamine (hence 'allergic' reactions sometimes treated with 'anti-histamines'), ornithine to putrescine and lysine to cadaverine. Actions of these products, known as vasoactive amines, will stir up a host of the problems we are examining in this chapter. These fungi and yeasts are responsible for many apparent food allergies. Proteins, such gluten from wheat and barley and casein from cow's milk, may also damage intestinal structure, bringing on some conditions. Take action This regime should be followed very strictly. Ensure regular food intakes, but small amounts, often. · DIET: COMMENCE THE ANTI-CANDIDA DIETARY REGIMEN · DIET: Follow also the Foods to avoid section of THE FOOD FOR THOUGHT LIFESTYLE REGIMEN · DIET: AVOID ALL SUGAR AND YEAST · DIET: Avoid all products that readily break down into glucose or have a yeast component: e.g. bread, pasta, pastries, sweets, pies, alcoholic beverages (esp. beers!) and some fruits and vegetables (see diet above) · DIET: Drink at least four pints of clean, still mineral water a day (not out of plastic bottles and please avoid distilled water) · PREVENTION: Don't smoke and avoid second-hand smoke · PREVENTION: Avoid behavioural and dietary problems that have caused the condition · DETOXIFICATION: Conduct a two-week bowel cleanse with magnesium oxide · DETOXIFICATION: Cancer patients should also consider colon hydrotherapy for extra internal cleanliness · RESTORING NUTRIENT BALANCE: COMMENCE THE BASIC SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM, including THE ANTI-CANDIDA/FUNGAL SUPPLEMENT-ATION, ensuring: · A probiotic supplement to install beneficial flora · Vitamin C complex (ascorbates plus bioflavonoids), 5 g per day. This amounts to one heaped teaspoon of C-complex powder per day. Take half of it in a bland juice, such as pear, every morning and the rest at night · Take 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (linseed) meal or oil daily · Pancreatic (digestive) enzyme capsules, two, three times daily away from food · BOOSTING IMMUNITY: Astragalus and echinacea, (herbs), two capsules each, three times a day · BOOSTING IMMUNITY: Indulge in regular and vigorous exercise (unless health problems prevent this) to exercise and pump the lymphatic system, rid the body of waste products and draw in oxygen · BOOSTING IMMUNITY: Get plenty of rest 43

· TIP: Be consistent! · TIP: Do not fall prey to sugar cravings. Who really wants to splurge and feed inside you? Herxheimer's reaction During the critter-killing process, the body may become clogged with catabolic debris, dead beasties and their resultant toxaemia, including ammonia. You may feel ill as your symptoms apparently worsen. This is known as Herxheimer's reaction, after the venerable German dermatologist of the same name. It is temporary and will be experienced in proportion to the vehemence with which you apply your attack strategies. Symptoms may be alleviated by commencing the ANTI-CANDIDA DIETARY REGIMEN a full two weeks prior to starting on the anti-fungal/yeast supplements.

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Introduction to Enzymes The following has been excerpted from a very popular Worthington publication which was originally published in 1972 as the Manual of Clinical Enzyme Measurements. While some of the presentation may seem somewhat dated, the basic concepts are still helpful for researchers who must use enzymes but who have little background in enzymology. Effects of pH Enzymes are affected by changes in pH. The most favourable pH value - the point where the enzyme is most active - is known as the optimum pH. This is graphically illustrated in Figure 14.

Extremely high or low pH values generally result in complete loss of activity for most enzymes. pH is also a factor in the stability of enzymes. As with activity, for each enzyme there is also a region of pH optimal stability. The optimum pH value will vary greatly from one enzyme to another, as Table II shows: Table II: pH for Optimum Activity Enzyme pH Optimum Lipase (pancreas) 8.0 Lipase (stomach) 4.0 - 5.0 Lipase (castor oil) 4.7 Pepsin 1.5 - 1.6 Trypsin 7.8 - 8.7 Urease 7.0 Invertase 4.5 Maltase 6.1 - 6.8 Amylase (pancreas) 6.7 - 7.0 Amylase (malt) 4.6 - 5.2 Catalase 7.0 In addition to temperature and pH there are other factors, such as ionic strength, which can affect the enzymatic reaction. Each of these physical and chemical parameters must be considered and optimized in order for an enzymatic reaction to be accurate and reproducible. Enzymes and Life Processes The living cell is the site of tremendous biochemical activity called metabolism. This is the process of chemical and physical change which goes on continually in the living organism. Build-up of new tissue, 45

replacement of old tissue, conversion of food to energy, disposal of waste materials, reproduction - all the activities that we characterize as "life." This building up and tearing down takes place in the face of an apparent paradox. The greatest majority of these biochemical reactions do not take place spontaneously. The phenomenon of catalysis makes possible biochemical reactions necessary for all life processes. Catalysis is defined as the acceleration of a chemical reaction by some substance which itself undergoes no permanent chemical change. The catalysts of biochemical reactions are enzymes and are responsible for bringing about almost all of the chemical reactions in living organisms. Without enzymes, these reactions take place at a rate far too slow for the pace of metabolism. The oxidation of a fatty acid to carbon dioxide and water is not a gentle process in a test tube - extremes of pH, high temperatures and corrosive chemicals are required. Yet in the body, such a reaction takes place smoothly and rapidly within a narrow range of pH and temperature. In the laboratory, the average protein must be boiled for about 24 hours in a 20% HCl solution to achieve a complete breakdown. In the body, the breakdown takes place in four hours or less under conditions of mild physiological temperature and pH. It is through attempts at understanding more about enzyme catalysts - what they are, what they do, and how they do it - that many advances in medicine and the life sciences have been brought about. Early Enzyme Discoveries The existence of enzymes has been known for well over a century. Some of the earliest studies were performed in 1835 by the Swedish chemist Jon Jakob Berzelius who termed their chemical action catalytic. It was not until 1926, however, that the first enzyme was obtained in pure form, a feat accomplished by James B. Sumner of Cornell University. Sumner was able to isolate and crystallize the enzyme urease from the jack bean. His work was to earn him the 1947 Nobel Prize. John H. Northrop and Wendell M. Stanley of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research shared the 1947 Nobel Prize with Sumner. They discovered a complex procedure for isolating pepsin. This precipitation technique devised by Northrop and Stanley has been used to crystallize several enzymes. Chemical Nature of Enzymes All known enzymes are proteins. They are high molecular weight compounds made up principally of chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. See Figure 1.

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Enzymes can be denatured and precipitated with salts, solvents and other reagents. They have molecular weights ranging from 10,000 to 2,000,000. Many enzymes require the presence of other compounds - cofactors - before their catalytic activity can be exerted. This entire active complex is referred to as the holoenzyme; i.e., apoenzyme (protein portion) plus the cofactor (coenzyme, prosthetic group or metal-ion-activator) is called the holoenzyme.

Apoenzyme + Cofactor = Holoenzyme According to Holum, the cofactor may be: 1. A coenzyme - a non-protein organic substance which is dialyzable, thermostable and loosely attached to the protein part. 2. A prosthetic group - an organic substance which is dialyzable and thermostable which is firmly attached to the protein or apoenzyme portion. 3. A metal-ion-activator - these include K+, Fe++, Fe+++, Cu++, Co++, Zn++, Mn++, Mg++, Ca++, and Mo+++. Specificity of Enzymes One of the properties of enzymes that makes them so important as diagnostic and research tools is the specificity they exhibit relative to the reactions they catalyse. A few enzymes exhibit absolute specificity; that is, they will catalyse only one particular reaction. Other enzymes will be specific for a particular type of chemical bond or functional group. In general, there are four distinct types of specificity: • Absolute

specificity - the enzyme will catalyse only one reaction.

• Group

specificity - the enzyme will act only on molecules that have specific functional groups, such as amino, phosphate and methyl groups.

• Linkage

specificity - the enzyme will act on a particular type of chemical bond regardless of the rest of the molecular structure.

• Stereochemical

specificity - the enzyme will act on a particular steric or optical isomer.

Though enzymes exhibit great degrees of specificity, cofactors may serve many apoenzymes. For example, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme for a great number of dehydrogenase reactions in which it acts as a hydrogen acceptor. Among them are the alcohol dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase reactions. Naming and Classification Except for some of the originally studied enzymes such as pepsin, rennin, and trypsin, most enzyme names end in "ase". The International Union of Biochemistry (I.U.B.) initiated standards of enzyme nomenclature which recommend that enzyme names indicate both the substrate acted upon and the type 47

of reaction catalysed. Under this system, the enzyme uricase is called urate: O2 oxidoreductase, while the enzyme glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) is called L-aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase. Enzymes can be classified by the kind of chemical reaction catalysed. 1. Addition or removal of water A. Hydrolases - these include esterases, carbohydrases, nucleases, deaminases, amidases, and proteases B. Hydrases such as fumarase, enolase, aconitase and carbonic anhydrase 2. Transfer of electrons A. Oxidases B. Dehydrogenases 3. Transfer of a radical A. Transglycosidases - of monosaccharides B. Transphosphorylases and phosphomutases - of a phosphate group C. Transaminases - of amino group D. Transmethylases - of a methyl group E. Transacetylases - of an acetyl group 4. Splitting or forming a C-C bond A. Desmolases 5. Changing geometry or structure of a molecule A. Isomerases 6. Joining two molecules through hydrolysis of pyrophosphate bond in ATP or other tri-phosphate A. Ligases Enzyme Kinetics: Basic Enzyme Reactions Enzymes are catalysts and increase the speed of a chemical reaction without themselves undergoing any permanent chemical change. They are neither used up in the reaction nor do they appear as reaction products. The basic enzymatic reaction can be represented as follows

where E represents the enzyme catalysing the reaction, S the substrate, the substance being changed, and P the product of the reaction Enzyme Kinetics: Energy Levels Chemists have known for almost a century that for most chemical reactions to proceed, some form of energy is needed. They have termed this quantity of energy, "the energy of activation." It is the magnitude of the activation energy which determines just how fast the reaction will proceed. It is believed that enzymes lower the activation energy for the reaction they are catalyzing. Figure 3 illustrates this concept.

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The enzyme is thought to reduce the "path" of the reaction. This shortened path would require less energy for each molecule of substrate converted to product. Given a total amount of available energy, more molecules of substrate would be converted when the enzyme is present (the shortened "path") than when it is absent. Hence, the reaction is said to go faster in a given period of time. Enzyme Kinetics: The Enzyme Substrate Complex A theory to explain the catalytic action of enzymes was proposed by the Swedish chemist Savante Arrhenius in 1888. He proposed that the substrate and enzyme formed some intermediate substance which is known as the enzyme substrate complex. The reaction can be represented as:

If this reaction is combined with the original reaction equation [1], the following results:

The existence of an intermediate enzyme-substrate complex has been demonstrated in the laboratory, for example, using catalase and a hydrogen peroxide derivative. At Yale University, Kurt G. Stern observed spectral shifts in catalase as the reaction it catalysed proceeded. This experimental evidence indicates that the enzyme first unites in some way with the substrate and then returns to its original form after the reaction is concluded. Chemical Equilibrium The study of a large number of chemical reactions reveals that most do not go to true completion. This is likewise true of enzymatically-catalysed reactions. This is due to the reversibility of most reactions. In general:

where K+1 is the forward reaction rate constant and K-1 is the rate constant for the reverse reaction. Combining the two reactions gives:

Applying this general relationship to enzymatic reactions allows the equation:

Equilibrium, a steady state condition, is reached when the forward reaction rates equal the backward rates. This is the basic equation upon which most enzyme activity studies are based. 49

Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity Knowledge of basic enzyme kinetic theory is important in enzyme analysis in order both to understand the basic enzymatic mechanism and to select a method for enzyme analysis. The conditions selected to measure the activity of an enzyme would not be the same as those selected to measure the concentration of its substrate. Several factors affect the rate at which enzymatic reactions proceed - temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, and the presence of any inhibitors or activators. Enzyme Concentration In order to study the effect of increasing the enzyme concentration upon the reaction rate, the substrate must be present in an excess amount; i.e., the reaction must be independent of the substrate concentration. Any change in the amount of product formed over a specified period of time will be dependent upon the level of enzyme present. Graphically this can be represented as:

These reactions are said to be "zero order" because the rates are independent of substrate concentration, and are equal to some constant k. The formation of product proceeds at a rate which is linear with time. The addition of more substrate does not serve to increase the rate. In zero order kinetics, allowing the assay to run for double time results in double the amount of product. Table I: Reaction Orders with Respect to Substrate Concentration Order Rate Equation

Comments

zero

rate = k

rate is independent of substrate concentration

first

rate = k[S]

rate is proportional to the first power of substrate concentration

second rate = k[S][S]=k[S]2 rate is proportional to the square of the substrate concentration second rate = k[S1][S2]

rate is proportional to the first power of each of two reactants

The amount of enzyme present in a reaction is measured by the activity it catalyses. The relationship between activity and concentration is affected by many factors such as temperature, pH, etc. An enzyme assay must be designed so that the observed activity is proportional to the amount of enzyme present in order that the enzyme concentration is the only limiting factor. It is satisfied only when the reaction is zero order. In Figure 5, activity is directly proportional to concentration in the area AB, but not in BC. Enzyme activity is generally greatest when substrate concentration is un-limiting. 50

When the concentration of the product of an enzymatic reaction is plotted against time, a similar curve results, Figure 6. Between A and B, the curve represents a zero order reaction; that is, one in which the rate is constant with time. As substrate is used up, the enzyme's active sites are no longer saturated, substrate concentration becomes rate limiting, and the reaction becomes first order between B and C. To measure enzyme activity ideally, the measurements must be made in that portion of the curve where the reaction is zero order. A reaction is most likely to be zero order initially since substrate concentration is then highest. To be certain that a reaction is zero order, multiple measurements of product (or substrate) concentration must be made. Figure 7 illustrates three types of reactions which might be encountered in enzyme assays and shows the problems which might be encountered if only single measurements are made.

B is a straight line representing a zero order reaction which permits accurate determination of enzyme activity for part or all of the reaction time. A represents the type of reaction that was shown in Figure 6. This reaction is zero order initially and then slows, presumably due to substrate exhaustion or product inhibition. This type of reaction is sometimes referred to as a "leading" reaction. True "potential" activity is represented by the dotted line. Curve C represents a reaction with an initial "lag" phase. Again the dotted line represents the potentially measurable activity. Multiple determinations of product concentration enable 51

each curve to be plotted and true activity determined. A single end point determination at E would lead to the false conclusion that all three samples had identical enzyme concentration. Substrate Concentration It has been shown experimentally that if the amount of the enzyme is kept constant and the substrate concentration is then gradually increased, the reaction velocity will increase until it reaches a maximum. After this point, increases in substrate concentration will not increase the velocity (∆A / ∆T). This is represented graphically in Figure 8.

It is theorized that when this maximum velocity had been reached, all of the available enzyme has been converted to ES, the enzyme substrate complex. This point on the graph is designated Vmax. Using this maximum velocity and equation (7), Michaelis developed a set of mathematical expressions to calculate enzyme activity in terms of reaction speed from measurable laboratory data.

The Michaelis constant Km is defined as the substrate concentration at 1/2 the maximum velocity. This is shown in Figure 8. Using this constant and the fact that Km can also be defined as: Km=K-1 + K2 / K+1 K+1, K-1 and K+2 being the rate constants from equation (7). Michaelis developed the following

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Michaelis constants have been determined for many of the commonly used enzymes. The size of Km tells us several things about a particular enzyme. •A

small Km indicates that the enzyme requires only a small amount of substrate to become saturated. Hence, the maximum velocity is reached at relatively low substrate concentrations.

•A

large Km indicates the need for high substrate concentrations to achieve maximum reaction velocity.

• The

substrate with the lowest Km upon which the enzyme acts as a catalyst is frequently assumed to be enzyme's natural substrate, though this is not true for all enzymes.

Effects of Inhibitors on Enzyme Activity Enzyme inhibitors are substances which alter the catalytic action of the enzyme and consequently slow down, or in some cases, stop catalysis. There are three common types of enzyme inhibition competitive, non-competitive and substrate inhibition. Most theories concerning inhibition mechanisms are based on the existence of the enzyme-substrate complex ES. As mentioned earlier, the existence of temporary ES structures has been verified in the laboratory. Competitive inhibition occurs when the substrate and a substance resembling the substrate are both added to the enzyme. A theory called the "lock-key theory" of enzyme catalysts can be used to explain why inhibition occurs.

The lock and key theory utilizes the concept of an "active site." The concept holds that one particular portion of the enzyme surface has a strong affinity for the substrate. The substrate is held in such a way that its conversion to the reaction products is more favourable. If we consider the enzyme as the lock and the substrate the key (Figure 9) - the key is inserted in the lock, is turned, and the door is opened and the reaction proceeds. However, when an inhibitor which resembles the substrate is present, it will compete with the substrate for the position in the enzyme lock. When the inhibitor wins, it gains the lock position but is unable to open the lock. Hence, the observed reaction is slowed down because some of the available enzyme sites are occupied by the inhibitor. If a dissimilar substance which does not fit the site is present, the enzyme rejects it, accepts the substrate, and the reaction proceeds normally. Non-competitive inhibitors are considered to be substances which when added to the enzyme alter the enzyme in a way that it cannot accept the substrate. Figure 10.

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Substrate inhibition will sometimes occur when excessive amounts of substrate are present. Figure 11 shows the reaction velocity decreasing after the maximum velocity has been reached.

Additional amounts of substrate added to the reaction mixture after this point actually decrease the reaction rate. This is thought to be due to the fact that there are so many substrate molecules competing for the active sites on the enzyme surfaces that they block the sites (Figure 12) and prevent any other substrate molecules from occupying them.

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This causes the reaction rate to drop since all of the enzyme present is not being used. Temperature Effects



Like most chemical reactions, the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction increases as the temperature is raised. A ten degree Centigrade rise in temperature will increase the activity of most enzymes by 50 to 100%. Variations in reaction temperature as small as 1 or 2 degrees may introduce changes of 10 to 20% in the results. In the case of enzymatic reactions, this is complicated by the fact that many enzymes are adversely affected by high temperatures. As shown in Figure 13, the reaction rate increases with temperature to a maximum level, then abruptly declines with further increase of temperature. Because most animal enzymes rapidly become denatured at temperatures above 40°C, most enzyme determinations are carried out somewhat below that temperature. Over a period of time, enzymes will be deactivated at even moderate temperatures. Storage of enzymes at 5°C or below is generally the most suitable. Some enzymes lose their activity when frozen. References 1. Bennett, T. P., and Frieden, E.: Modern Topics in Biochemistry, pg. 43-45, Macmillan, London (1969). 2. Holum, J.: Elements of General and Biological Chemistry, 2nd ed., 377, Wiley, NY (1968). 3. Martinek, R.: Practical Clinical Enzymology: J. Am. Med. Tech., 31, 162 (1969). 4. Harrow, B., and Mazur, A.: Textbook of Biochemistry, 109, Saunders, Philadelphia (1958). 5. Pfeiffer, J.: Enzymes, the Physics and Chemistry of Life, pg 171-173, Simon and Schuster, NY (1954)

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Learn About The Important Link Between Enzymes And Weight Loss Thursday, September 03, 2009 by: Elizabeth Walling True weight loss can only come through an approach aimed at healing the whole body. The body stores fat when it lacks nourishment and is under stress, so it is vital to address these issues when seeking permanent, healthy weight loss. An important element of this approach is natural enzymes. When there is a lack of enzymes, the body cannot utilize the nutrients it needs. This triggers fat storage and stimulates the appetite, causing weight gain and food cravings. Although enzymes are often associated with digestion, this is not their only function. Enzymes are complex proteins that facilitate hundreds of activities throughout the body. They are responsible for the use of vitamins and minerals, the regulation of hormones, and the health of the immune system. Enzymes also play an important role in detoxification, a vital component of weight loss. Even basic activities like breathing and talking rely on the presence of metabolic enzymes. It's important to understand that most of society no longer functions in a way that's conducive to proper enzyme and digestive function. We eat mostly cooked food, many times processed under high heat. Heat destroys enzymes - dry heat at 150 degrees Fahrenheit and wet heat at 118 degrees Fahrenheit. We are also subject to extreme amounts of environmental and emotional stress, which further depletes our bodies of the nutrients we need. Frequent digestive problems such as indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux and irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) are all signs that your digestive system is under too much stress. Enzymes can help relieve all of these issues, as well as problems with fatigue, insomnia, joint pain and much more. The longer you have spent consuming food void of enzymes, the more it will take for your body to recover from this depletion, but with time and dedication it is possible. It helps to eat some kind of raw food with each meal to provide the body with natural enzymes needed for digestion. Foods that are particularly rich in live enzymes are pineapple, avocado, grapes, papaya, and soaked or sprouted nuts and seeds. The quality of your food directly influences the quality and quantity of enzymes you consume. Commercially-grown produce is a poor sources of enzymes. Maximize your enzyme intake with organic, locally-grown fresh foods. While digestive enzyme supplements are far from magic weight loss pills, they are a very useful tool that will help you achieve total body health over a period of time. A high-quality general digestive supplement is beneficial to almost everyone. Additional supplementation with enzymes like lipase and protease (typically found in pancreatin combinations) may further encourage fat loss through the break down of fat stores. Lipase specifically helps break down and utilize fats, while protease is used to break down proteins and eliminate toxins. As you incorporate raw foods rich in enzymes and quality enzyme supplements into your diet, it may take several weeks for your body to adjust. During this time it's not unusual to experience varying appetite and energy levels. This happens because your body is adjusting to finally being nourished with food and cleansed from the build up of toxins. It's important to be patient and let your body heal. This will pave the way for permanent, healthy weight loss. For More Information: http://www.healthynewage.com/339089.html http://www.sageera.com/articles/comments/natural_weight_loss_with_enzymes/ http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/digestive_enzymes http://www.realmilk.com/enzyme.html

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Meating The Main Problem Supersizing your perspective on bad breath and bowel cancer by Phillip Day Excessive meat-eating, according to researcher Ethel R Nelson MD, is at the root of many of the health woes that have damaged our families for years: "For about the past twenty-five years, researchers in human nutrition have pointed to the unrefined plant dietary as a more ideal food than animal products. They have designated the Western world's high-fat animal product, fibre-poor, refined diet as the chief cause of so-called "Western diseases", e.g. coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, gallstones, appendicitis, diverticulitis of the bowel, hiatus hernia, haemorrhoids, osteoporosis, kidney disorders, varicose veins, cancer, and accelerated sexual development in children. Some of today's most prevalent and devastating diseases in the United States have now been credited to excessive consumption of meat and animal products (milk, cheese, eggs) and insufficient ingestion of plant foods." The first thing to note are the words 'excessive consumption'. Humans, as Harvey Diamond explains, are not natural carnivores: "A carnivore's teeth are long sharp and pointed - all of them! We have molars for crushing and grinding. A carnivore's jaws move up and down only, for tearing and biting. Ours can move from side to side for grinding. A carnivore's saliva is acid and geared to the digestion of animal protein; it lacks ptyalin, a chemical that digests starches. Our saliva is alkaline and contains ptyalin for the digestion of starch. A carnivore's stomach is a simple, round sack that secretes ten times more hydrochloric acid than that of a non-carnivore. Our stomachs are oblong in shape, complicated in structure, and convoluted with a duodenum. A carnivore's intestines are three times the length of its trunk, designed for rapid expulsion of animal proteins, which quickly rot. Our intestines are twelve times the length of our trunks and designed to keep food in them until all nutrients are extracted. The liver of a carnivore is capable of eliminating ten to fifteen times more uric acid than the liver of a non-carnivore. Our livers have the capacity to eliminate only a small amount of uric acid. Uric acid is an extremely dangerous toxic substance that can wreak havoc in your body. All meat consumption releases large quantities of uric acid into the system. Unlike most carnivores and omnivores, humans do not have the enzyme uricase to break down uric acid. A carnivore does not sweat through the skin and has no pores. We do sweat through the skin and have pores. A carnivore's urine is acid. Ours is alkaline. A carnivore's tongue is rough, ours is smooth. Our hands are perfectly designed for plucking fruit from a tree, not for tearing the guts out of the carcass of a dead animal as are a carnivore's claws." If the above doesn't convince you that humans are not natural carnivores, then trust to instinct. What do you think you are psychologically programmed to eat? Next time you pass over some road kill, screech the car to a halt, leap out with your juices flowing and go back and get stuck into the blood and guts. Tear that rabbit apart and delight and marvel as the blood flows down your throat. Feel the satisfying crunch of its bones and the slippery visceral sensation of its organs in your mouth. Well, why not? You're a meat-eater by instinct, aren't you? Any of your brothers and sisters-in-kin, like a fox or a crow or even a dog, would likely beat you to it. Don't be the runt of the pack! Get your muzzle in there, barge aside the competition, and chow on down. And, while you're about it, leap over the fence when you're done and go and suckle a few of those Jerseys over there in the field to slake that rabid thirst. Don't worry about the cars that have pulled over on the side of the road, their occupants staring at you with ghastly fascination with their jaws on the floor. They're just a jealous bunch of failed meat- and milk-swillers wishing they had come along the road and got tuckered down a minute before you did. The point being made is that, even though they disapprove of your meatgarnering activities in the natural, your critics will be down at Safeways, Asda or Piggly Wiggly's at 4pm later buying up their own supplies of meat and pints of milk. 57

Do you watch wildlife programs because you wish you were out there on the Serengeti, charging down the zebras yourself? Is your toddler crying in the kitchen? Maybe your little one is hungry. Try an experiment and give her a live hamster in one hand and a strawberry in the other. What will this child do by instinct? Eat the hamster alive and then toy with the strawberry? Then imagine walking through a vineyard in summer time. You're hot, you're sweating from the heat that is only now burning off the dew and mist that cloaked the pasture in its morning glory. Above you, glistening in the sun, are bunches of ripe and tasty grapes, still with the dew on their skins. Now what are you instinctively going to do? Meat is well known as 'a source of protein', but what kind of protein? Animal protein! Humans cannot use and create human protein directly from the consumption of animal protein. The human has to break down the animal protein into its constituent amino acids and then reconstruct human protein from these building blocks. Proteins are formed from chains that can range anywhere from 50 to 200,000 amino acid links. These chains have to be deconstructed and recombined into human links, a procedure that is extremely tiring to the human, and also an extremely inefficient form of manufacturing protein. Flesh foods actually have very little going for them, in terms of their positive nutritive value, apart from Vitamins B9 and B12, which are essential for human health. Even if you are eating meat for protein, you aren't, because the meat is almost always cooked, charbroiled, fried, boiled or roasted, which destroys much of its enzyme and amino acid benefit, converting these protein components into an acidic toxic gunk which the body will later have to neutralise and eliminate. Of course, if you were a true meat-eater, you'd be chomping your beef, chicken and duck raw to maximise the protection of the meat's amino acids, in the same way animals instinctively do in the wild. But you don't, do you? Of course, the other deficit in logic centres around the question that is seldom asked: Where do the animals we eat, such as cows, sheep and chicken, get their protein from? From grass, vegetation and cereals! That's right, from the amino acids they derive, not from flesh foods, but from those occurring naturally in the plant kingdom. Carnivores will only attack and eat other carnivores in an emergency. In almost all other cases, true carnivores are happy to go for herbivores, attacking the stomach cavity in their victims first, to slop up the amino acid pool that has collected there, comprised as it is of pre-digested nitrilosidic grass and vegetation. "But I eat my steaks to make me big and strong!" This also is a lie. All your tumultuous steaks are doing is giving you corpse-like breath, an overdose of protein your body has to neutralise and then eliminate, an inside track on bowel cancer and heart disease, and chronic indigestion problems eventually ending in appalling bowel actions. I worked with many bodybuilders when I was living in California, and the ones who were clued up weren't using meat to win their contests. Many of the top 230lb hulks at Gold's Gym, World's Gym and the Marina Athletic Club were mostly fish, fruit and salad boys, consuming a minimum of flesh foods, but ingesting free amino acids. The vegetarian silverback gorilla, as Harvey Diamond points out, has no problems building its proteins. This animal is three times as large as a man, but over thirty times as strong. Have an arm-wrestling match with one of those and I'll guarantee you two things off the bat. One, the gorilla won't have had a T-bone steak all day, and two, it'll rip your arm off at the shoulder. In regard to energy, meat contains almost no carbohydrates. Yet carbs are where your fuel comes from. Meat also contains next to no fibre, is high in saturated fat, and can take days to pass through your gut. And it is here that the downside to flesh-food eating is massive and repellent. Meat, quite literally, rots in the stomach, especially when it is ill-combined with carbohydrates, such as rice, potatoes, chips and pasta. Meat proteins require the stomach to secrete acid to digest them, whereas carbohydrates require an alkali. Put the two together in the form of steak and fries, chicken tagliatelli, or eggs on toast, and the digestive juices cancel one another out. Later, as this gridlock continues to jam up our insides, the rotting and putrefaction commence, resulting in horrible bear's breath, foul gas, rancid body odour, deposits of mucoid plaque along the insides of the colon, a frantic race against time to procure a ready supply of Tums, and ultimately 15 minutes reading the Wall Street Journal on the pan with the veins popping out of your forehead as you pull those ghastly faces at yourself in the mirror in the daunting lead-up to Beethoven's Last Movement. 58

Dr Herbert Shelton wonders at the insanity of modern man's sick predicament: "Why must we accept as normal what we find in a race of sick and weakened human beings? Must we always take it for granted that the present eating practices of civilized men are normal? ...Foul stools, loose stools, impacted stools, pebbly stools, much foul gas, colitis, haemorrhoids, bleeding with stools, the need for toilet paper are swept into the orbit of the normal." Nutritionist Dr Dean Burkitt accuses the West's fibre-deficient, refined diet with too few plant foods, too little fresh water, as well as increased ingestion of animal foods, in accounting for the rash of modern Western diseases, such as coronary heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and liver disease. Burkitt and colleague Alec Walker determined, by studying multiple bowel transit times, that meatheavy, ill-combined meals were creating an aftermath of appendicitis, constipation, diverticulosis, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and colon cancer (the second leading cancer death). They found that the average time for passage for this putrefying detritus through the human alimentary tract was three to five days, and even as much as two weeks in the elderly. Rural Third World peoples, on the other hand, consuming diets fibre-rich in unrefined plant dietary, such as yams, cassava, cereals, vegetables and fruits, with little animal products, passed easily propelled stools in 24 to 36 hours. William J Mayo, founder of the famous Mayo cancer clinic in the United States, addressed the American College of Surgeons with these words: "Meat-eating has increased 400% in the last 100 years. Cancer of the stomach forms nearly one third of all cancers of the human body. If flesh foods are not fully broken up, decomposition results, and active poisons are thrown into an organ not intended for their reception." Correct food-combining is one of the most important points dealt with in my book, Health Wars, and is covered in the chapter on Natural Hygiene. But it's important to see how all the pieces of the nutrition picture go together. For instance, as we have learned with cancer, according to research , a diet rich in proteins robs our body of its vital supplies of pancreatic enzymes, which are used by the body to terminate healing processes, which can otherwise go on to form tumours if they are not arrested upon completion. These enzymes, such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, are employed during the complicated process the body undergoes as these foreign proteins are broken down into their constituent amino acids and reconstructed as human proteins - a process extremely taxing on the body's resources. We also chomp meat because our society has bought into the fear of dying through lack of protein, most believing that unless we scarf down animal flesh by the rack-load, we are in serious danger of becoming protein-deficient. This myth originated from early trials conducted on rats. Later it would transpire that rats require up to eleven times more protein than humans, as evidenced by the commensurate increase in rat mothers' proteins in milk, as compared with the protein content of human milk. Today, it is recognised that human protein requirements are not nearly as great as formerly assumed (between 20 - 40 g/day). Yet many are ingesting 100 - 200 g/day. It is this excess that is causing all the bother, especially in the realm of causing acidosis in the population that can eventually prove fatal. Nevertheless, the protein-scoffing trend has been hard to extirpate from the minds of the laity, which in turn has led to an overabundance of illnesses and scourges in the protein-gorging West. These diseases, relatively rare in the 1930s, are now found in ever increasing abundance among our present-day, 'well-fed' populations, due to the massive increase protein advertising. Notice that the major food lobbies with limitless ad budgets are all pushing acid-forming foods, such as meat, grains, milk and sugar. But research shows that ancient peoples were also cursed with these diseases that came from heavy protein consumption, ironically a trait of all prosperous societies. In Exodus 15:26 of the Bible, God is addressing the Israelites: "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians." What were these diseases of the Egyptians? For that answer, we go to Dr Marc Armand Ruffer, a paleopathologist who, along with his associates, has performed over 36,000 autopsies on Egyptian mummified remains of Pharaonic royals. Ruffer's research demonstrates that most of the diseases striking the Egyptian royalty bear an uncanny resemblance to those killing us today: atherosclerosis, various forms of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, obesity, tooth decay, arthritis, diverticulosis of the colon, and early sexual development in children. 59

Even back in 1992, heart disease alone was claiming 3,000 Americans a day. Colon and rectal cancers, now the second cause of cancer-death in America, for years have been associated with high-protein, lowfibre diets. Excessive bile acids are required to process proteins in the bowel and bile acids are carcinogenic to humans. The transit time for foods through the alimentary tract is prolonged with low-fibre bowel content, allowing a longer period of time for bile acids to act on bowel mucosa. High pork, beef and chicken consumption correlates closely with the incidence of colon cancer. Interestingly, Americans have two and a half times the incidence of colon cancer deaths as the Chinese, and yet Chinese-American women who adopt the high-fat, high-meat dietary habits of the United States suffer four times the rate of colon cancer as their counterparts in China. In Chinese-American males, the colorectal cancer rate is seven times that of their Chinese counterparts. Colon and rectal cancers increase more than 400% among sedentary people, which also correlates with the increased incidence of constipation in this group. High protein diets have also been linked to breast cancer since high oestrogen levels are a predominant factor in breast cancers. Meat-eating women have higher levels of oestrogen in the urine than vegetarian women, according to research. The simple fact is, if you consume a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, you couldn't get a protein deficiency if you were hit over the back of the head with one, because your body will have access to all the amino acids required to construct human protein. There are twenty-three amino acids, fifteen of which can be produced by the body. The final eight however have to be procured through our diet, thus they have been labelled the 'essential amino acids'. Meat does not need to enter into the picture, so far as amino acids are concerned. The body makes use of a constant circulating bank of amino acids in the blood and lymph systems, known as the amino acid pool, which the liver and cells use to withdraw whatever material is required. The liver and cells are also capable of storing amino acids, which, in a balanced diet, are available in more than plentiful supply. From this amino acid pool, the body is able to draw and chain aminos into protein blocks for use within the human body. Once we understand how the body trades in amino acids, not proteins, either foreign or domestic, all the claptrap about protein deficiency can be tossed out and a new, healthier and leaner 'you' can break free of all turbulent, misleading myth. In fact, most of the ills of today's Western societies centre around the consumption of too much protein, protein poisoning and diseases arising as a result of the body's resultant acidosis and inability to rid itself of the toxic metabolites created as a result of chronic protein consumption. This links meat and dairy squarely with obesity. The final problems with eating meat are in essence very similar to those with milk. As discussed briefly earlier, meats today can be, and are contaminated with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), pesticides, insecticides, arsenic, antibiotics, hormone accelerators, steroids, ticks, parasites, viruses and pus cells. Feed additives, such as estradiol and DEA, synthetic estrogen mimics, are still added to the food chain. In spite of a clear record of carcinogenicity since its introduction in 1947, DEA, for example, has failed to be curtailed by the Food & Drug Administration, in spite of repeated attempts by researchers to have it scrapped. Meat is rarely unadulterated. Some meat receives chemical and dye treatments to turn it a 'healthy' red and not the usual grey of dead flesh. Some meat is treated with sodium sulphite to decrease the stench of decay. Farmers have been known to feed their cattle cement and concrete dust to increase weight for when their livestock comes up for sale. CONCLUSION The plain fact is, meat and dairy are largely not required by the human body either for calcium, vitamins (apart from B9 & 12), minerals or proteins to maintain health and strength. In fact, in the case of calcium, meat can actually be a problem. Meat is generally high in phosphorous, an acid, which bonds with valuable alkalising calcium ions in our bodies to form apatite (calcium phosphate), which is then precipitated out of the body, causing a net calcium loss. The human body is not designed to consume human milk past infancy, and it is not designed for carnivorous meat intakes - humans are omnivores, which means that small amounts of organic meat are acceptable to the body. Interestingly, all nutrients the human body requires may be obtained from the plant kingdom with no downside, save that of a recent 60

mineral deficiency problem, which has appeared through over-farming methods. This important point will be discussed in more detail as we proceed. This is not to say that a human can't eat some meat and dairy products. A small amount of organic meat is desirable for nutrients such as the B9 & B12 we examined earlier, which are sometimes hard to obtain for vegans, who run the risk of these deficiencies if they are not diligent. In fact, a 5-10% component for organic meat/fish and dairy balanced with the remainder of the diet consisting of properly constituted whole foods (salads, vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc.) seems to be ideal. But we just need to be aware of the problems with heavy meat and dairy consumption and simply side-step them. References Nelson, Ethel R The Eden Diet and Modern Nutritional Research, the Twin Cities Creation Conference, Northwestern College, 1992 Diamond, Harvey, op. cit. pp.97-98 Okitani, A et al The Journal of Food Science, "Heat Induced Changes in Free Amino Acids on Manufactured Heated Pulps and Pastes from Tomatoes" 48 (1983): 1366-1367 Diamond, Harvey, op. cit. p.89 Heartburn can be easily treated by simply increasing your daily intake of water to 4 pints a day. This extra water adequately hydrates the stomach and colon and the pain of heartburn will soon pass. Drink a glass of fresh water half an hour prior to eating, and then two and a half hours after eating a meal. Drink before you sleep. Drink when you wake up, and especially drink water during exercise. If you feel the heartburn sensation coming on, simply drink water. If you have any kidney complaints, please consult a health practitioner prior to increasing your intake of water. Your diet should also be amended to avoid acidic ash foods in favour of the alkali alternatives. Shelton H M Food Combining Made Easy, Shelton Health School, TX, 1951. p.32 Burkitt, D P Don't Forget Fibre in Your Diet, London: Martin Dunitz Ltd., 1979 Walker, A R P, Burkitt & Painter Lancet 2, "Effect of Dietary Fibre on Stools and Transit-Times, and Its Role in the Causation of Disease", (1972): pp.1408-1412 Leonardo, Blanche Cancer and Other Diseases from Meat Consumption, Santa Monica, CA: Leaves of Healing, 1979 Cancer Control Journal, Vol. 6. No.1-6 Binzel, P E, Alive & Well, op. cit. Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and other heavy meat-consumers sometimes married young girls in their cultures who were under 10 years of age. Such actions demonstrate that these cultures recognised that these children were apparently ready for child-bearing. Mysteries of the Mummies, Loma Linda: Slide-tape program produced by Loma Linda University School of Health, 1984 Galloway, D "Experimental colorectal cancer: The relationship of diet and faecal bile acid concentration to tumour induction", Br. J. Surg. 73:233-237, 1986 Berg, J Quoted in Robbins, J Diet for a New America, Stillpoint Publ. 1987. p.254 Whittemore, A "Diet, physical activity and colorectal cancer among Chinese in North America and China", J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 82:915-926, 1990. Also Nelson, Ethel, op. cit. Schultz, T "Nutrient intake and hormonal status of premenopausal vegetarian Seventh Day Adventist and premenopausal non-vegetarians", Nutr. Cancer, 4:247-259, 1983 Epstein, Samuel S, Politics…op. cit. p.151 Nutrition Health, Summer 1981

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