Raw Living Foods Lifestyle Training - chiDiet.net

Broccoli Better than Sunblock

Broccoli Better than Sunblock
from – Acres U. S. A.
January 2008 issue
Vol. 38, No.1

A team of Johns Hopkins scientists found a chemical compound in broccoli sprouts, sulfurophane, that can disrupt the cancer – causing effect of ultraviolet Light.

According to Professor Paul Talalay, sulfurophane does not absorb UV light to prevent skin entry, but instead works inside cells by boosting production of a network of protective enzymes that defend cells by boosting production against UV damage. 

External application of sprout extracts increased protective enzymes in the skin two to four times.  In addition, its effect lasts for several days. 

The report was published in the October 23 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Worldwide Obesity Epidemic

This past Wed., a famous researcher spoke to the listening audience of medical doctors in the teleconference put on by PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). He shared a map of the world where the most dark spots were people who were more than 30% overweight or obese. I was shocked to see Australia, Mexico, many parts of China, Japan, the fertile crescent area countries, in those most dark spots - thinking that they would mostly come from Russia, Northern Canada and Alaska, as well as the US.

He said in his talk and in his published reports that it was from the vegetable oils and soda pops, watching tv and the greater availability of processed foods and animal products that people are obese now. And, it was affecting the women more than men. Also, that people of African and oriental descent were having more problems with heart disease and diabetes, with less help, because the fat is stored in their livers and heart areas instead of being disbursed as it does in Nordic or cold country peoples. A photo of a woman in Egypt in front of tvs she was selling was shocking because she was so large. The worst foods he mentioned were soda and pizza.

This triggered my memory about how when people fry food in vegetable oils, or add vegetable oils (yes, even the best virgin virgin olive oils), that the oils react with the starches and the animal proteins and create a super-glue type of bond that prevents the body from sweating the oil out.

Another thing: I was given a whole lot of baby food this month to share with others: much of it was organic. The 3 brands all had vitamin C added, to even step 1 (around 6 months), and some had calcium added.

I offered it to my ESOL class mothers, and one mother tasted about 3 types before she took it and then put the bottles back. I didn't ask her why but decided to look at them myself. I tasted a little of each and immediately got a headache, which affected my brain stem, and then was affected by a cramp in my left hand which has lasted for almost a week, weakening my grip and then also a stomach ache. I then began to crave more almond cream than I normally would use, and more avocado. My body was trying to heal itself from the acid of the calcium and vitamin C destruction in my epithelial lining. WOW!

Do you suppose the colic that babies have has a lot to do with the vitamin C and the calcium they are putting in the baby food? My throat got sore (some wheatgrass juice helped that) and my ear canals felt swollen and sore (the wheat grass juice helped all of the symptoms, except the weakness in my left hand, which I think is coming from my 7th and 8th vertebra damage by the C and calcium). I know how to heal this, with some fresh pineapple juice and energy soup, but I thought you might be able to share this with some young mothers who might be at their wits end wondering why their babies are unhappy.

Breast milk is all a baby needs until the 2nd year, with some wonderful  coconut juice, papaya, avocado, etc. as supplement after the 6th month. We need to get together and complain to the companies to get those supplements out of the babies' food. I spoke at the 2nd Calcium Conference at NIH about how according to the French doctor Kirvran we didn't need any calcium to make our bones stronger, just foods with potassium, maganesium and silica, which turn into bone calcium, and even then the supplement people were lobbying the doctors to add calcium, which does nothing but plaque onto our arteries and the exterior of our bones and cause lumps and early heart attacks (women spill calcium in their blood just before having a heart attack) and arthritis. We need to save the babies inner peace.

Peace and love,
Dr. Flora

Antioxidants may Fight Fat

The benefits of antioxidants found in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, tea, and wine may include tinkering with fat cells in a way that curbs obesity and helps the heart.

A new study shows that, in test tubes, antioxidants called flavonoids and phenolic acids ... didn't kill fat cells or slash the number of fat cells in the test tubes. Instead, they made fat cells cut their production of triglycerides, which are a heart hazard. The antioxidants did that by curbing an enzyme needed to make triglycerides, according to the study...

Meanwhile, reams of research support eating a healthy diet rich in produce...
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20071102/antioxidants-may-fight-fat?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Large Study Links Processed Meat With Cancer

World cancer experts have finally declared what NewsTarget readers learned nearly four years ago: That processed meats cause cancer, and anyone seeking to avoid cancer should avoid eating all processed meats for life.

Hundreds of cancer researchers took part in a five-year project spanning more than 7,000 clinical studies and designed to document the links between diet and cancer. Their conclusion, published in the World Cancer Research Fund's report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective (2007), has rocked the health world with a declaration that all people should immediately stop buying and eating processed meat products and that all processed meat should be avoided for life!

Processed meats, the report explains, are simply too dangerous for human consumption. And why? Because they contain chemical additives that are known to greatly increase the risk of various cancers, including colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, brain tumors, pancreatic cancer and many more. The report, published at this DietAndCancerReport.org website also recommends that consumers:

• Avoid all sugary soft drinks for life.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
• Get lean and fit, without becoming underweight.
• Limit consumption of ALL meats (even fresh meat).
• Breastfeed all infants for their first six months, avoiding infant formula.

Sadly, the WCRF still does not recommend that consumers use nutritional supplements to help protect themselves from cancer, indicating that the group still has a lot to learn about the role of medicinal mushrooms, sea vegetables, microalgae, Chinese herbs, rainforest herbs and superfood extracts in preventing and reversing cancer. But at least the group's recommendation that consumers now avoid all processed meat products is a huge step in the right direction.

It is the first time that any internationally-recognized cancer organization has found the courage to make a partial proclaimation about the health hazards of the chemicals found in processed meat products. It's almost as big a deal as when the American Medical Association, after years of taking millions of dollars from tobacco companies, finally admitted that smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease. (A decade after the scientific evidence was irrefutable, of course, but then again, the AMA was making money off Big Tobacco by running tobacco ads in JAMA...)

Processed meat products include:

• Bacon
• Sausage
• Pepperoni
• Beef jerky
• Deli slices
• Hot dogs
• Sandwich meat (including those served at restaurants)
• Ham
• Meat "gift" products like Christmas sausages
• Meat used in canned soups
• Meat used in frozen pizza
• Meat used in kid's lunch products
• Meat used in ravioli, spaghetti or Italian pasta products

... and many more meat products.

What are the dangerous chemicals in processed meats?
Sodium nitrite is one of the most dangerous chemicals added to processed meats. Please be aware:

• You MUST read the ingredients list to find the sodium nitrite! Meat product companies do not list this ingredient on the front of the package.

• Even ORGANIC meat products and NATURAL meat products can still contain sodium nitrite. So read the labels to be sure, and avoid buying any meat product made with sodium nitrite.

• Be especially careful of food for kids! Virtually all packaged food products containing meat and marketed to children contain sodium nitrite! (Read the ingredients to protect your children.)

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a second dangerous chemical found in virtually all processed meat products. MSG is a dangerous excitotoxin linked to neurological disorders such as migraine headaches, Alzheimer's disease, loss of appetite control, obesity and many other serious health conditions. Manufacturers use MSG to add flavor to dead-tasting processed meat products.

Essentially, dead meat products look and taste dead (because they are), so meat companies use the following three ingredients to make them look fresh and taste interesting:

• Sodium nitrite makes the meat look red and fresh. (But it promotes cancer.)
• MSG makes the meat taste savory. (But it causes neurological disorders.)
• Processed salt makes the meat taste more interesting. (But it causes nutritional problems and high blood pressure.)

On top of these three chemical additives, processed meats also contain saturated animal fat that is often contaminated with PCBs, heavy metals, pesticide residues and other dangerous substances.

Read more at NewsTarget.com.

Humans Designed as Starch Eaters

DNA TESTING PROVES HUMANS ARE DESIGNED AS STARCH EATERS

Researchers reasoned that starchy foods, like tubers, were crucial to the successful evolution of early humans, because starches offer important advantages. Their abundant, readily-available calories provide for the energy required for the evolutionary enlargement of our brains...

Proponents of meat-based diets preach that the introduction of meat into the human diet was responsible for the evolutionary development of the human brain. One of this study’s principle authors said this theory is improbable. Nathaniel Dominy pointed out, “Even when you look at modern human hunter-gatherers, meat is a relatively small fraction of their diet.

They cooperate with language, use nets; they have poisoned arrows, even, and still it's not that easy to hunt meat. To think that, two to four million years ago, a small-brained, awkwardly bipedal animal could efficiently acquire meat, even by scavenging, just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.”...

Through the modern science of DNA we have discovered an essential truth locked in our genes: humans are starch eaters. The failure to abide by this truth has resulted in unprecedented human disease due to malnutrition from over-nutrition, and an impending environmental collapse from the livestock industries supporting Western people’s perverse diet.

Applying correct information about human nutrition results in miraculous cures of dietary diseases (for example, obesity, type-2 diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, and the ravages of atherosclerosis). The eventual return of humans to their starch-based diet will be a huge step in solving our environmental crises, as well.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/oct/fav5.htm

Feedback - Veronica

From our friend Veronika:

Sometimes you get good feedback. And, that's what 2 of our raw-fooders got this week.

Winnie Comstock-Carlson, raw for 5 months, and Mark Blackburn, raw for 5 years were tested with about 15 others at the offices of Comstock's Business Magazines http://www.comstocksbusiness.com in Sacramento for their level of antioxidants, an approximation of the strength of one's immune system. Dan Brooks, an independent distributor for Pharmanex, explained that the following scores had the following meanings:

Below 20            Danger   
20s                      Caution   
30s                      Good   
40+                      Excellent

I was frankly apprehensive as I saw others get scores like 10, 14, 17, 20, 22, and 25.

After approximately 15 individuals were tested, the highest score achieved was a 35. Then, our raw fooders took their turn.

Winnie got an outstanding 53, and Mark an impressive 82! Do raw foods have a place in increasing your anti-oxidants, and, in turn, your immune system strength? The tests conducted on Wednesday seem to suggest it. We may try to have Dan Brooks come to one of our potlucks and offer these scans.

Read more about this test: http://www.youcan2.com/

Finland - Raw Vegan Diet Relieves Arthritis

Results of a study of the Raw Vegan Lifestyle in Finland:

We tested the effects of an uncooked vegan diet, rich in lactobacilli, in rheumatoid arthritis patients randomized into diet and control groups.

The intervention group experienced subjective relief of rheumatic symptoms during intervention. A return to an omnivorous diet aggravated symptoms.

Half of the patients experienced adverse effects (nausea, diarrhea) during the diet and stopped the experiment prematurely. Indicators of rheumatic disease activity did not differ statistically between groups.

The positive subjective effect experienced by the patients was not discernible in the more objective measures of disease activity (Health Assessment Questionnaire, duration of morning stiffness, pain at rest and pain on movement). However, a composite index showed a higher number of patients with 3-5 improved disease activity measures in the intervention group. Stepwise regression analysis associated a decrease in the disease activity (measured as change in the Disease Activity Score, DAS) with lactobacilli-rich and chlorophyll-rich drinks, increase in fibre intake, and no need for gold, methotrexate or steroid medication (R2=0.48, P=0.02).

The results showed that an uncooked vegan diet, rich in lactobacilli, decreased subjective symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Large amounts of living lactobacilli consumed daily may also have positive effects on objective measures of rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID: 9566667 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9566667&dopt=AbstractPlus

Flavonoid Power

Fruits and veggies will keep your brain sharp, according to French scientists who studied the eating patterns of 1,640 adults in a 10-year period. The study, reported in the October issue of Prevention magazine, showed that those who chowed down the most flavonoids (antioxidants in fruits, vegetables and teas) performed better on tests measuring memory, logic and language skills. Prevention notes that just one-sixth of a grapefruit or one-quarter cup of blueberries daily is enough to give your brain the added boost.

http://www.star-telegram.com/health/story/260103.html

Rejuvenation with Raw Foods and Enzymes

Enzymes are protein molecules found in all living cells. Enzymes are the spark of life that catalyze and regulate all bodily biochemical reactions.  Approximately 2,700 different enzymes in the human body can combine with co-enzymes to form approximately 100,000 biochemical substances that enable us to see, hear, feel, move, think, reproduce and digest our food.   Raw foods provide the most natural source of one of the most important elements of our well-being – enzymes.  All raw foods - vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meat and dairy - provide in the very food itself, specific enzymes for the body to fully digest it.

Dr. Max Wolf of Columbia University who researched enzymes and hormones from the 1930's through the 1960's, concluded enzyme production in humans diminishes after age 27.  The vital force provided by an abundance of enzymes in a young person ensures recovery quick from illness and injuries and provides flexibility, agility and energy to accomplish great feats.  As we age, depending on our lifestyle, diet and inherent enzyme potential, digestive difficulties may develop, the immune system must work harder, degenerative diseases may appear, and strength, flexibility, endurance and mental acuity decrease.

There are three types of enzymes: digestive enzymes, metabolic or systemic enzymes produced by the body, and food enzymes which must be obtained from the live foods that we eat.  Digestive enzymes are secreted by the digestive system to break down food into nutrients that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. They are also used to eliminate waste. The human digestive system secretes the proteolytic protein-digesting enzymes protease, trypsin and pepsin, fat-digesting enzymes lipase and cholesterol esterase, and enzymes that break down carbohydrates, including amylase, sucrase, maltase, lactase, and ptyalin. Humans don't produce cellulase, an enzyme necessary for digestion of fiber that is present in raw plant foods. But micro-flora in the intestines can manufacture cellulase if enough of these beneficial bacteria have been established by eating fermented foods. 

Fermentation is a natural way to preserve food and substantially enhances the enzyme content of the food. This is why most raw foodists eat plentiful quantities of fermented sauerkraut and other plant based fermented foods.

Nature did not design us to make all of the enzymes necessary for digestion, but intended us to ingest most of our enzymes from live, raw foods. For thousands of years our ancestors ate mostly raw and fermented meats, dairy and plant foods and had few if any of the health problems we have today.  Even today, the native Eskimos who still eat this "primitive origin" diet are recognized as some of the healthiest people on Earth.

Heating food above 105 degrees F destroys the vital enzymes in food, forcing us to rely on our own enzyme reserves to complete the job of digestion.  This dietary situation presents a real problem for modern man, since cooked food dominates our eating.  Plant enzymes are most abundant in vine-ripened fruits and vegetables that are just picked. In a matter of days after picking, natural enzyme levels typically drop by 50%.  Considering that most produce travels an average of 1,200 miles to get to our table and is often picked unripe to survive the trip, enzyme levels throughout even our organic food supply are deficient.

Systemic enzymes work throughout the body in every system and organ. Delivering nutrients to the cells and tissues for nourishment and regeneration, they initiate and speed up chemical reactions within the cells for energy production and detoxification. Systemic enzymes provide the necessary energy we use to rebuild muscles, cells, nerves, tissues, bones and glands. These enzymes also are instrumental in balancing our hormones, regulating our immune system and producing the neurotransmitters that modulate our emotions and enhance mental clarity. Systemic enzymes reduce inflammation, activate healing and relieve pain.  Enzymes clear our blood of undigested food particles and pathogens. And they also dissolve excess arterial plaque, strengthen blood vessels and prevent blood clots. These very same enzymes dissolve scar tissue, adhesions, tumors and cysts.  Finally they regulate metabolism to maintain optimum weight, and they rejuvenate aging muscles, joints and skin.  That's a lot of work to do everyday!!!!

Systemic enzymes are produced by every living cell. However, the liver, pancreas, gall bladder and other organs play a vital role in their production.  Some of the enzymes used for digestion also perform other important functions in the body. When we are deficient in any of these enzymes due to depleted reserves and insufficient dietary intake of raw foods, there are not enough enzymes available in the body for other functions.  Health problems ensue.  More than likely, there will not even be enough enzymes available to completely digest our everyday food.  By eating raw foods and/or taking digestive enzyme supplements with our meals and systemic enzymes between meals, many health conditions can be reversed and healed.

Enzymes and Raw Foods
All raw food enzymes are destroyed by heat.  Most raw food, like our body, is quite perishable. When raw foods are exposed to temperatures above 105 degrees F, they rapidly break down, just as our bodies would if we had a fever that high.  Enzymes, sensitive and yet powerful, help us digest our food, are proteins that break down as easily.  A three dimensional protein structure, enzymes, once they are heated much above 105 degrees F, structurally, molecularly change.

Once raw food enzymes are exposed to heat, they are no longer able to provide the function for which they were designed. Non raw foods contribute to chronic illness, because their enzyme content is damaged.  This damage requires the body to create enzymes to process the food. The digestion of cooked food uses valuable metabolic enzymes in order to help digest your food. Digestion of cooked food demands much more energy than the digestion of raw food. In general, raw food is so much more easily digested that it passes through the digestive tract in 1/2 to 1/3 of the time it takes for cooked food.

Eating dead foods places a burden on the pancreas and other organs, overworking them.  Eventually these organs become exhausted and disease progresses. Many people gradually impair their pancreas and progressively lose the ability to digest their food after a lifetime of ingesting processed foods.

In 1930, under the direction of Dr. Paul Kouchakoff, research was conducted at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Lausanne, Switzerland. The effect of food (cooked and processed versus raw and natural) on the immune system was tested and documented.

Dr. Kouchakoff's discovery concerned the leukocytes, or 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 phenomena called 'digestive leukocytosis', in which there is a rise in the number of leukocytes - white blood cells - after eating.   

Since digestive leukocytosis was always observed after a meal, it was considered to be a normal physiological response to eating. No one knew why the number of white cells rises after eating, since this appeared to be a stress response, as if the body was somehow reacting to something harmful such as infection, exposure to toxic chemicals or trauma. However, the Swiss researchers at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry made another remarkable discovery. They found that eating raw, unaltered food did not cause a reaction in the blood. 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 (refined, chemicals added, etc.); this always caused a rise in the number of white cells in the blood.

Kouchakoff's researchers renamed this reaction 'pathological leukocytosis', since the body was reacting to highly altered food. They tested many different types of food. Time and again Kouchakoff and his researchers found that if the foods were not refined or overheated, they caused no reaction. The body saw them as 'friendly foods'. However, these same foods, if heated at too high a temperature, caused a negative reaction in the blood, a reaction found only when the body is invaded by a dangerous pathogen or trauma.

Kouchakoff's researchers found the worst offenders of all, whether heated or not, were processed foods which had been refined (such as white flour and white rice), or pasteurized (a process in which milk 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).

To ensure continued good health, raw foods gift the human body nutrients and enzymes it requires. For illnesses raw foods provide the human body the necessary nutrients and enzymes it requires for healing. All raw foodists agree: when it comes to radiant health, de-aging and overall well-being, raw is the law! If you must 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. Consume at least 50% of your food raw, living and enzyme rich. A good vegetable juicing program will easily help you reach the volume necessary to achieve the 50% raw foods percentage.

For more information on how to begin your enzyme-rich, living foods life, please contact BodyByBliss ™ for your free consultation @ www.bodybybliss.com or Anne @ bodybybliss@gmail.com.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Anne Kaspar, C.A.P.H
Wellness Consultant

BodyByBliss (TM)
5 Bisbee Court
109-58
Santa Fe, NM 87508
1.888.4A.BBBliss
C: 505.690.0169
O & F: 505.588.9010
www.bodybybliss.com
www.bodybyblissmedia.com
bodybybliss@gmail.com
info@bodybybliss.com

Most published "research findings" are false

“There is increasing concern that most current published research findings are false. The probability that a research claim is true may depend on study power and bias, the number of other studies on the same question, and, importantly, the ratio of true to no relationships among the relationships probed in each scientific field.

"In this framework, a research finding is less likely to be true when the studies conducted in a field are smaller; when effect sizes are smaller; when there is a greater number and lesser preselection of tested relationships; where there is greater flexibility in designs, definitions, outcomes, and analytical modes; when there is greater financial and other interest and prejudice; and when more teams are involved in a scientific field in chase of statistical significance. Simulations show that for most study designs and settings, it is more likely for a research claim to be false than true.

"Moreover, for many current scientific fields, claimed research findings may often be simply accurate measures of the prevailing bias. In this essay, I discuss the implications of these problems for the conduct and interpretation of research.”

- John P. A. Ioannidis is in the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology,
University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece, and
Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Department of Medicine, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Read the entire essay: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0020124&ct=1

Caloric intake and it's effect on aging

Scientists have known for decades that drastically reducing calories -- but not nutrients -- can prolong the lives of everything from yeast to mice and monkeys, but they didn't know why, until now.

In a study released Thursday, US researchers suggest that the link between food restriction and longevity may be a molecular response to the stress from cutting back calories.

That reaction preserves critical cellular functions, helping the body to fight off age-related diseases.

In laboratory experiments on human cells, investigators found that cutting calories, while preserving the nutrients they need, starts a chain reaction in the mitochondria -- or power houses of the cell -- that results in the build-up of a coenzyme called NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).

This in turn amps up the activity of enzymes created by two genes called SIRT3 and SIRT4. The effect of all this is to strengthen the mitochondria, increase energy output and slow down the cell's aging process.

The rest of the story: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5htiPR95h_1HJvdNg8p_OIV2Ckefg

Making healthy food even healthier

Researchers at Ohio State University paid about a dozen people to eat salads (this is America, you've got to PAY people to eat salad) with or without avocado, one of the healthiest sources of fat, and then measured the amount of carotenoids that made it into everyone's bloodstream. Those eating a salad including half an avocado absorbed about 10 times more carotenoids than those eating the fat-free salad!

The other salad enhancement study recently took place at the Universitia di Urbino in Italy. With the understanding that it's the antioxidants that give fruits and vegetables their anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammation properties, scientists experimented with adding different fresh herbs to salads and measuring their resultant total antioxidant content. They found that adding just a single sprig of fresh herbs (the weight of 3 paper clips worth of thyme, sage or marjoram--a kissing cousin of oregano) literally doubles the antioxidant power of a bowl of salad. It's almost like eating two salads for the price of one!

The researchers conclude: "We stress the need to introduce aromatic herbs as a seasoning supplement in the diet of every age group." Read more: http://www.drgreger.org/june2005.html.

Large study finds salads and raw veggies a healthy diet

(Science Daily) A new UCLA/Louisiana State University study of dietary data on more than 17,500 men and women finds consumption of salad and raw vegetables correlates with higher concentrations of folic acid, vitamins C and E, lycopene and alpha and beta carotene in the bloodstream.

Published in the September edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the study also suggests that each serving of salad consumed correlates with a 165 percent higher likelihood of meeting recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for vitamin C in women and 119 percent greater likelihood in men.

The study is the first to examine the relationship between normal salad consumption and nutrient levels in the bloodstream, and also the first to examine the dietary adequacy of salad consumption using the latest nutritional guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

The findings blunt concerns about the human body's ability to absorb nutrients from raw vegetables, as well as concern that the structure and characteristics of some plants undercut nutritional value.

"The consistently higher levels of certain nutrients in the bloodstream of salad-eaters suggest these important components of a healthy diet are being well-absorbed from salad," said Lenore Arab, visiting professor of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health and co-author of the study with L. Joseph Su, assistant professor at the LSU School of Public Health.

"The findings endorse consumption of salad and raw vegetables as an effective strategy for increasing intake of important nutrients. Unfortunately, we also found daily salad consumption is not the norm in any group, and is even less prevalent among African Americans," Arab said: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060901161202.htm.

Eat fruit and veggies to avoid wrinkles

People who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are likely to have fewer wrinkles, says a new study.

People with a normal diet can make their skin look younger by including lots of tomatoes and red paprika in their meals, German magazine The Dermatologist said in its latest issue.

Free radicals - unstable oxygen molecules - are a major factor in premature skin aging and skin cancer. Antioxidants contained in the body stop free-radical damage.

However, the body cannot produce enough antioxidants on its own and has to make up for them with ingredients such as Vitamins A, C, D and E as well as beta-carotene.

Vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, paprika and kale contain plenty of antioxidants, as does green tea.

A study conducted at the Berlin Charite hospital found that people with a high concentration of antioxidants in the skin look younger because they have fewer wrinkles, The Dermatologist said.

The study showed that vegetarians had more antioxidants in their bodies than non-vegetarians.

The magazine warned that an "overdose" of antioxidants through a large intake of food supplements could accelerate free radical damage. However, this was unlikely if supplements were omitted and fruit and vegetables were eaten instead: http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/Health/20060418/308742.html.

Six arguments for a greener diet

For 35 years the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest has published hard-hitting studies exposing the dreadful nutritional content of movie theatre popcorn, fast foods, and restaurant meals.

Its latest book is SIX ARGUMENTS FOR A GREENER DIET — a meticulously researched examination of scientific studies that finds that eating more plant foods and fewer fatty animal products can lead to extra years of healthy living.

Happily, explains lead author and CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, that same diet also leads to much less food poisoning, water pollution, air pollution, global warming, and animal suffering.

Read more: http://cspinet.org/new/200608011.html

One More Benefit of Practicing Gratitude: It Can Help You Stay Raw!

One More Benefit of Practicing Gratitude:
It Can Help You Stay Raw!
By Victoria Boutenko

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”  - Cicero

When we adopt a raw food lifestyle, we may feel deprived of our habitual pleasures, especially when we watch others enjoying cooked delicacies that used to be our own favorites. Being hungry, angry, lonely, or depressed at that moment could add even more frustration to our feelings of misery. I would like to share with you a method that can help eliminate feelings of deprivation from your life forever.

We all have different perspectives on life. Some of us feel that life is becoming increasingly more frustrating, especially considering all the natural cataclysms and political challenges. At the same time, others view life as a totally beautiful and enjoyable experience. Initially, I thought that our opinions on the fairness of life depended on the level of our material wealth. Later, I met some poor people who were content with their lives and wealthy persons who were deeply upset about their lives. While watching many people caught in a material pursuit (including myself) I developed a strong interest in the true origins of people’s contentment in life. I came to the conclusion that there are two opposite perspectives on life: the materialistic perspective and the grateful perspective.

The materialistic approach to life guarantees discontentment and frustration, as there is no objective limit to the acquisition of personal possessions. There is no constant measure that could be marked as “enough.” At the same time, only the very basic possessions that satisfy our essential needs such as food, clothes, and shelter, can bring us a sensible feeling of contentment. The majority of the items beyond the basic needs convey very little enjoyment to their possessor.

Contrary to this, gratefulness inevitably leads us to becoming aware of the unlimited wealth that life holds for every one of us. Grateful people tend to be happier, more optimistic, more satisfied with their lives, than their less grateful counterparts. Michael E. McCullough, a professor from Florida, provides experimental evidence that gratitude leads to improvements in psychological and even physical well-being.[1]

McCullough’s groundbreaking research demonstrates that “people who place too much emphasis on materialistic pursuits – people for whom obtaining wealth and material possessions takes priority over meaningful relationships, community involvement, and spirituality – tend to be unhappy people. In general, they are dissatisfied with their lives, and tend to experience high levels of negative emotion. They are at risk for a variety of mental disorders. In contrast, grateful people – people who readily recognize the many ways in which their lives are enriched by the benevolent actions of others – tend to be extraordinarily happy. They experience high levels of positive emotion and are generally satisfied with their lives.” [2]

Being constantly exposed to a vast variety of advertisement and financial challenges, we may increase our materialistic perception of life. According to McCullough’s research, gratefulness is such a powerful approach to life that it may reduce people’s materialistic strivings. [3]

I invite you to apply this valuable information about the power of gratitude to any situation in your life. Below, I am presenting two different approaches to watching another person consuming a cooked delicacy.

The materialistic approach:

What is that heavenly smell? Oh no! It’s pizza! Look at how they are enjoying it. How come I am not allowed to enjoy it? Am I a monk? They don’t look as if they are going to die. Can it be true that I will never again in my entire life be able to partake of such a pleasant meal? Oh, how lucky these fellows are! I wish I could enjoy pizza now as they do! What torture, poor me. Oh that aroma… it brings tears to my eyes. So many of the sweetest memories come to mind, the best times. Now, they are over. E-eh.

The grateful approach:

That smell is oddly familiar. Wow, pizza. I had a lot of it in my life! More than one could dream of. Now it is time to take care of my health. Yeah, health is my priority now. All these people eating pizzas will be delighted to discover a healthy diet in their time. I am grateful that I am on a healthy diet already. I do feel a lot better. I am so glad that I will not have to be sick again. In only fifteen minutes I will be home. What do I have in my fridge? Those hass avocados I bought yesterday should be perfectly ripe today. It will only take a couple of minutes to prepare guacamole with lemon, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Uh, my mouth is watering! I have fresh romaine lettuce, tomatoes and a giant organic mango that will be so yummy and nourishing. Oh, I am looking forward to my raw dinner that will leave me feeling light and wonderful. I greatly appreciate what the raw food diet is doing for my body and mind. How fortunate I am! What a blessing life is.

To develop a grateful attitude, we need to practice one simple activity— notice the positive sides of events in our lives. The very best way to do this is to keep a gratitude journal. Buy yourself a notebook and start writing three to five grateful notes daily. I think that we should be grateful not only for the positive but also the negative experiences. Often, it is the most painful events in our lives that shape the qualities in ourselves we value most.

Practicing gratitude can make your life on a raw food diet more enjoyable and will have a positive impact on your health, your mood, and your life in general.

[1] Emmons, A., McCullough, M. The Psychology of Gratitude. Oxford University Press, USA, 2004

[2] Polak, E., McCullough, M. Is Gratitude an Alternative to Materialism? Journal of Happiness Studies, 2006, DOI 10.1007/s10902-005-3649-5

[3] McCullough, M., Kilpatrick, S., Emmons, R., Larson, D. Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychological Bulletin, 2001, #127

- thanks to Victoria Boutenko, www.RawFamily.com.

Debts and Health linked in study

Holiday sales are calling, but your health may be better served by creating a gift budget.

Staying out of debt -- you know, the high-interest kind that seems to go along with using plastic -- could be a boon to your body as well as your wallet. Researchers have found that the more credit-card stress people have, the more health problems they report. So make a list, check it twice, and resist those impulse buys: http://www.realage.com/news_features/tip.aspx?v=1&cid=17466.

Happiness linked to good health

Happiness, along with other positive emotions, could be even more important to health than had been previously thought.

A recent study finds that those who are happy, lively, calm or otherwise generally exhibit positive emotions are less likely to become ill when they are exposed to a cold virus.

What's more, when happy people do catch a cold, they report fewer symptoms than might be expected.

Previous studies had reported similar results, but left open the possibility that the greater resistance to infections may not have been related to happiness per se, but to other characteristics often associated with happy people. But this latest study controls for those variables, and still found that those who report positive emotions are less likely to catch colds, regardless of such factors as age, race, gender or body mass index. - Dr. Mercola's links and comments

Onion and garlic use and human cancer

A new study has analyzed the odds of a person developing cancer based on the frequency of their ingestion of garlic and onions. The study was made in order to further clarify Chinese studies showing that these vegetables are powerful means of fighting disease: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/5/1027.

Study shows Diet and Exercise equally important

Which works best in fighting the risk factors for diabetes - exercise or diet?

It's a toss up, according to a new study by a Saint Louis University researcher who is a member of a Washington University team of scientists examining whether a calorie-restrictive diet can extend people's lifespan.

"Both diet and exercise provide profound benefits to reduce the risk of diabetes. Both those who restrict calories and those who exercise benefit from weight loss," says Edward Weiss, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences.

"We thought exercise probably would produce greater benefits. But both of these are providing beneficial health improvements." - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/slu-lwa110706.php and American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The relative environment damage caused by vegan and other diets

The Vegan Society has produced a sixteen-page environment booklet called ‘Eating the Earth.’ The booklet provides well-referenced facts and figures and is all you need to defeat the arguments of sceptics, who don’t believe that vegan diets are less environmentally damaging than omnivorous diets.

The booklet is available to download at: http://www.vegansociety.com/phpws/files/phatfile/environment.pdf and at: Environment.pdf (67.1K).

More evidence of the benefits of full-spectrum lighting

Scientists have discovered a new receptor in the eye that regulates your body's circadian rhythms and affects your energy level: http://www.mercola.com/2006/oct/12/more-evidence-of-the-benefits-of-full-spectrum-lighting.htm and http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article1759427.ece.