EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY

The human body always reacts to acute stress. Perspiration increases so breathing is heavier and faster, the heart rate increases so it pumps faster, the muscles work hard so get tired and possibly sore, and perspiration--- sweat--- increases. These responses happen both to the person who is well and to the person who is ill. The point is to get more oxygen to the muscles, so the muscles can work harder.

This acute stress may be purposeful, as in taking a walk or going to the gym, or it may be due to something in the environment, such as the need to escape from a house fire or to run away from a moving vehicle headed the person’s way. When someone is under stress, adrenaline (which is a hormone dedicated to “revving up” the body to deal with these situations, called the ‘fight or flight response”) and cortisol (another stress-induced hormone) starts pouring into the blood stream and the muscles get ready to act. Exercise itself is a kind of acute stress for the body.

We are meant to engage in physical activity; it is for our survival. In the distant & recent past, we have hunted, gathered, farmed, herded, and performed labor in factories. Nowadays, in our society, fewer and fewer of us engage in any of these activities. We have become increasingly sedentary, with many consequences to ourselves, our children, and future generations. Added to this lifestyle is the consumption of a far less than healthy diet (specifically referring to America and the West, but Western influence is global), and the consequences appear to be dire.

For the person who is well, the normal effects of exertion, in addition to those above, are an increase in endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as weight loss (when and if necessary) and healthy weight maintenance. All systems of the human body work better when a person engages in physical activity.

Caution must be taken, of course, in the case of over-exertion. In the normal person, over-exertion can result in pain and fatigue. In the ill person, even what may be considered normal exertion may be “too much”, so while the ill, elderly, or disabled may benefit from some exercise, care must be taken that it is appropriate to the age & condition of the person, and monitored by someone who is properly trained to do so. If not monitored carefully, the ill person’s increase in heart rate may cause damage to the heart and perhaps a “heart attack” or Myocardial Infarction, the increase in blood pressure may contribute to a “stroke” or Cerebrovascular Accident, or the pain and fatigue may be more than can be comfortably endured.

Chronic stress is another matter, and involves much more than physical exercise. Chronic stress is the situation for many of us these days. We have traffic, computers and other informational devices “on” twenty four hours a day, financial worries, family issues, concerns about war, pestilence, and famine which are unrelenting. Our bodies react to this as they do in acute stress, but rather than going through a cycle of “fight or flight” and having the situation--- and our bodies--- resolve back to normal, the cycle never ends, or barely ends when another begins.

Immediate effects of such chronic stress may be a “short fuse”, such as when we or others are tight for time and find ourselves in a checkout line that is long and slowly moving, and difficulty sleeping, when after a stressful day or week we cannot seem to make our thoughts stop racing and settle down for the night. The temper may cause problems not just with ourselves and our physiology, but socially and relationally with others--- increasing the risk of violence. The lack of sleep causes problems with concentration, focus-- and cause problems for ourselves, in our homes, and at our places of employment. Together, these and other effects, in the short term, contribute to unpleasantness for everyone.

Long-term effects of chronic stress include these, compounded by time and repeated issues. People have constantly increasing levels of anxiety and nervous tension, and the frequent if not constant release of adrenaline into the body, the replay of the “fight or flight response” when there may in fact be nothing to fight or flee from, but rather to cope with, takes a toll on the individual and on society as a whole.

Many of our diseases and disorders are consequences of physical inactivity, poor diet, and unrelenting chronic stress. Anxiety, depression, the cumulative effects of adrenaline & cortisol in the system such as increased heart rate and high blood pressure, blood being diverted from the stomach to deal with the stress causing indigestion and other stomach problems, the immune system becoming overworked or unresponsive leading to more colds, flu, and other infections, and even brain function could be at least temporarily impaired, affecting learning, memory, and concentration.

There are three basic types of exercises, each with a different focus. Goals for these are endurance, strength, and flexibility. All make the muscles work better and more efficiently, all contribute to health, and all require energy.
Examples of endurance exercises include running, biking, and swimming; these have to do with the capacity to continue an action repeatedly, so performing these activities increase that capacity. Therefore someone can run further, bike further, swim further, keeping the speed fairly constant.

Strength exercises, such as weight lifting and isometrics (using props to provide resistance for the muscles), increase the power and size of the muscles. This has to do with how fast the muscles can contract, and increase the amount of work they can do.

Finally, flexibility exercises, such as yoga and stretching, increase the ability of the muscles to respond to and cope with stress, or the exertion, of physical activity. In addition, these help people deal with all kinds of stress, emotional as well as physical.

Muscle metabolism expresses overall output. First and foremost is the need for ENERGY. The source of energy for the body, all cells and systems of the body, is ATP, AKA adenosine triphosphate. ATP is created in different systems and used in phases, and as different forms of exercise use different systems, each type of exercise done gets ATP in a different way.

ATP is produced in the muscle in this order:

Phosphagen System--- muscles cells have some ATP all the time that can be used immediately when necessary, but not much. So they contain a chemical compound called creatine phosphate, and when the phosphate is removed by an enzyme called creatine kinase, turns into ADP (adenosine diphosphate), which then turns back into ATP. As muscles work, these levels are decreased. This system can supply energy needs at a high rate but for only a short time--- 8 to 10 seconds. Example would be sprinting.

Glycogen-Lactic Acid System--- in addition to the ATP floating around in muscle cells they also have reserves of a carbohydrate called glycogen, which is a chain of glucose molecules (so related to sugar). The cell splits these and used anaerobic (without oxygen) respiration to make the ATP and a by-product called Lactic Acid (this acid is what can make muscles sore). This process is slower than the Phosphagen System, , though the body can still access this quickly and for a slightly longer time--- about 1.3 to 1.6 seconds. Example would be swimming.

Aerobic Respiration--- after two minutes of exercise the muscles require oxygen, so that glucose can be completely broken down into carbon dioxide and water. Fatty acids from fat reserves can be used to produce ATP. Aerobic respiration uses first carbohydrates, then fats, then proteins, as necessary, from the body. This process is even slower than the others, and can supply ATP for the longest period of time, possibly even for several hours. Examples would be marathon running.

Regular physical activity promotes health & well being and (along with a healthy diet) can prevent and treat heart disease and other chronic conditions. It can reduce the incidence and risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and various types of cancer, most notably colon cancer. It helps with weight loss/maintenance of healthy weight, better quality of breathing which gets more oxygen to the heart and throughout the entire body, more strength in general and stronger bones in particular, and helps people deal with anxiety, depression, and stress. It increases flexibility and balance, and for older people these benefits may help to avoid falls, and the broken bones and other injuries that are increasingly difficult for the elderly.

For individuals with chronic disease, exercise can increase functioning, quality of life, and possibly longevity. By getting oxygen into the blood and into the muscles, by taking blood from the organs and diverting it to the muscles, by increasing blood flow from the heart (and the heart is itself a muscle!), by increasing the efficiency of hemoglobin, getting rid of waste, and heating up and cooling down, the system for an ill person is improved, just as it is for a healthy individual. There are some cautions: “too much” of a good thing can be a bad thing, so exercise for the chronic disease sufferer must be planned, supervised, and carefully monitored, so that the individual gets the benefits and not the deficits.

I personally have never seen the biochemical processes of aerobic respiration expressed succinctly and therefore understandably. I will only summarize:

Aerobic Respiration is divided into two basic processes, the Krebs Cycle and the Electron Transport Chain. Ultimately pyruvate must be converted, though these processes, into ATP. It is imperative that the element of oxygen is present for this process. Without oxygen, ATP cannot be produced or “powered up”, and any living being that requires this for energy--- and energy is required for life--- will not survive very long.

Written by Beverly Flanagan, April 2009

SOULFUL THOUGHTS

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

If a man (or woman) carries his own light within him he need not be afraid of any darkness.
- Martin Buber

Let every man’s (and woman’s) hope be in himself (herself).
- Virgil

We are greater than we realize. Let us connect today with the wholeness that we are becoming.
– Phillip Mountrose

PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY

“The health of the body cannot be separated from the health of the soul”. Rabbi Harold Kushner

Philosophy attempts to define what we believe, and why. Physics is the study of matter and energy, and their interactions. Both philosophy and physics attempt to penetrate the Mysteries of Life by addressing some of the big questions we humans have. How did we get here? Why are we here? Where are we going? They have different methods, but both fields deal with aspects of energy, matter, and belief.

Philosophers try to be objective when studying their subject matter, which includes such things as belief, while Physicists attempt to discard belief in order to be objective about their subject matter; nevertheless they both operate from specific perceptions, attitudes, values, and yes, beliefs. It appears to be human to hold these, and unlikely that any person could function without them. Issues arise between philosophy and physics when practitioners present their objectivity as though it was without these attributes.

This is the basic conflict between science and spirit, and has been observed throughout the millennium as body versus soul, higher versus lower, light versus darkness, and good versus evil. As a practical matter, both Science and Religion are concerned with Truth, with Fact, and with whether the phenomenon observed, be it the movement of stars or the outcome of prayer, can be duplicated reliably and consistently.

An exciting development the past few years has been the creation of a “bridge” between these two areas, into such realms as Quantum Physics, Mind/Body Medicine and Energy Healing Systems. These share investigations about cosmology and consciousness, and the new insights, even the new questions, are quite amazing at times.

All major religions share similar philosophies, as exemplified by the “Golden Rule” of Christianity: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Most faith systems have variations on that theme. They also share similar values, naming certain human characteristics as virtues: wisdom & knowledge, courage, love & humanity, justice, temperance, spirituality & transcendence. (1) AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS: USING THE NEW POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY TO REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL FOR LASTING FULFILLMENT by Martin Seligman, 2002, Free Press Edition 2004, chapter 8, Renewing Strength & Virtue. In addition, many religions share common cosmologies, or stories of origins of earth & humanity, and other myths & legends as well. (2) THE POWER OF MYTH, 1988, Anchor Books and THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES, 3rd edition 2008, New World Library, both by Joseph Campbell.

If a universal model of human behavior could be planned and executed according to plan, with the tenets of the various world religions as a foundation for life, we might see more compassion, responsibility for self and others, justice, a stronger sense of family and community, and peace. On the other hand, we are living according to some of the other tenets of the various world religions, about what we are and our habitual short-comings, such as judgment, selfishness, grasping, non-awareness, and anger. All religions suggest that surrender to a Higher Power of some sort--- and not all have a God or deity, some have the universe, or some other definition of Higher Power--- will make the positives of life more possible for the one who surrenders. Also suggested is that many (and not just a select few) need to surrender to multiply the positives in self and society.

By interacting with others in a one-dimensional manner, we are diminishing them, and ourselves, to a “thing” and not relating to them as a “person”, and fellow human being. An argument can be made for an ethic that does not use other people (or books, or trees, or God), and does not consider them objects of one's own personal experience, but as beings with whom one enters into dialogue, an “I” and a “you”. As such, these beings are multi-dimensional, and so are we. (3) I AND THOU by Martin Buber, Touchstone Books, 1970)

Ultimately, both physics and philosophy are areas of human endeavor which attempt to deal with some of the hardest questions we have, such as “What is Truth?” Personal inner struggles and world wars have been fought over this question, and since we’re still asking it, apparently have not come to any real conclusions as yet. Science and Religion have made repeated attempts to deal with Fact, whether phenomena can be duplicated, and how phenomena can be observed.

We can also ask, within this context, “What are we struggling against?” Why do we perceive these areas of human endeavor to be exclusive of one another? They ask the same questions, use the same criteria for assessment. Methods may be different---- physicists may use instruments such as telescopes or microscopes while philosophers may (or may not) use prayer and human thought--- but when researchers of any system are “deep into it” they are in a form of meditation, and operating from some system of faith, knowingly or unknowingly.

Increasingly both scientists and spiritual practitioners are coming to understand that somehow and in some way “Everything is Everything” and that “Everything is Interconnected”.

We begin to see in that developing a philosophy of acceptance and tolerance in relationships, we are fulfilling a number of basic human needs. These needs are known recently and scientifically, but have been known for millennia in religions. Commonalities in world religions, beyond the “Golden Rule” address the human hunger for CONNECTION--- to Self, to Others, to a Higher Power. (4) TOWARD A PSYCHOLOGY ON BEING by Abraham Maslow, 1968, Wiley & Sons, “Hierarchy of Needs” discussed throughout book.

The “Square of Common Good”, having as it does the values of “Compassion”, “Integrity”, “Justice”, and “Respect” is a helpful paradigm in examining the practicalities of how to live out the implications of Maslow’s theories, with ourselves and with one another. This paradigm brings to the forefront that we have a Choice---- we can either live from fear or we can live from love. The Judeo-Christian Scripture says “Perfect love casts out fear…” (5)Bible I John 4:18, and that “Faith, hope, love abide, these three….. but the greatest is Love” (6) Bible I Corinthians 13:13. And what is Love? Basically Love is a choice, an act of the will, wanting for the Other their best and highest good, even should that cost the one who is choosing and willing their comfort or their very life.

What personal challenges does this study present for me? Especially as I pursue my studies in Health & Wellness, how does what I am learning or thinking about challenge me to grow and to change in how I live my life?

As the years go by, some of the values I held as a young person, which were very idealistic, and which over the years were battered by the reality of life, have stood the test of time, and become stronger and more important to me. Whereas in my younger days, busy with trying to make a living and raise a family, dealing with bitter disappointments and various painful experiences, I sometimes compromised on those values, I am less inclined to now, and with less judgment towards myself and others for lapses than formerly.

Of course I intend to “live greener”--- reduce, reuse, recycle--- and to learn how to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit and teach others to do the same. As I see my life unfolding I see that I will teach what I most need to learn, one person at a time, one soul at a time. I do not intend to rest in “warm fuzzies” however, but to be awake and in the light of Truth, both scientific and spiritual.

I hope that, as in the poem by Robert Frost, “Two Tramps in Mudtime” I will be able to fulfill what the poet stated as his own conclusion to a life dilemma:

But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For heaven and the future´s sakes.

written by Beverly Flanagan March 2009

REAL FOOD DIET

Brief & to the point:

1. Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants.
Michael Pollan wrote it. Live it.

2. Eat Superfoods.
Superfoods pack the most nutrients into each serving.

3. Eat Real Foods.
Whether you concerned about salmonella in peanut butter and bisphenol A residue from foods packed in plastic, or just plain confused by misleading food labels, less-processed foods are the answer.

4. Eat Local.
Get your foods locally, so you can ask your farmer how she grows her food, and how she cares for the soil.

5. Eat In Season.
Get your nutrition from foods that are in season whenever possible to ensure freshness and reduce food miles.

THE NIGHTMARE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

"You have to know where your food is coming from." These words of warning were spoken by biologist and plant expert, Arpad Puszati at a gathering of concerned citizens in St. Catherine’s, Ontario earlier this year. (1) I recently read this very important article and eagerly pass it along.

As far back as 1998, Dr. Puszati’s research at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland showed that genetically modified potatoes caused health problems in rats, including a weakened immune system and abnormal growth. For blowing the whistle on Big Agra, he was dismissed from his job.

Eleven years later, as companies like Monsanto successfully silenced their critics, genetically modified organisms have gained a stronghold in taking over the world’s food supply — in spite of the fact that a growing body of evidence shows the alarming health effects that are being seen in people and animals who are consuming GM foods. But unlike years ago, concerned physicians and scientists are now banding together and advising their patients and the general public to avoid GM foods altogether.
The latest professional group to voice their warnings is the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) who is advising physicians to educate their patients and the medical community about the health risks of GM foods — including “infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.” (2)

Why are these medical professionals so sure that GM foods are to blame for the growing list of health problems? Because of the reason and method they were manufactured. GM corn and cotton for example, are produced with a built-in pesticide called Bt. When the insect bites the plant, the poison kills it. The problem is that the Bt toxin in GM plants is thousands of times more concentrated and toxic than the spray version — and it cannot be washed off — it’s part of the plant.

And as health professionals for the AAEM have pointed out, there are precious few human studies to document the safety of GM foods. The animal studies however, tell a frightening story.2 Here are just a few examples:

• When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles turned from a natural pink to dark blue.

• In India when grazing animals fed on the remainder of harvested GM cotton plants, all of them died including thousands of sheep. Those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.

• In the US, farmers have reported that thousands of pigs became sterile after eating GM corn.

• In Germany, GM corn is thought to have caused the death of both cows & horses.

There is only one human study so far that demonstrates what GM foods might be doing to us — and it is chilling indeed. The modified gene that is inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of our intestinal bacteria and is still functional. This means our own gut flora could continue to produce the pesticide long after we have eaten the food — perhaps forever. (2)

Could GM foods be the cause of skyrocketing numbers of obesity, diabetes, autism, and even cancer? According to researchers, it may be, but we may never know for sure. The link to GM foods can’t be traced and the onset of the disease may take several years.

But that doesn’t mean we should take any chances, or wait for the results to come in. If Big Agra has its way, any damning evidence that links GM foods to chronic diseases will be stifled and the epidemic of immune and degenerative diseases will continue to rise.

What you can do is stay away from all processed food unless it clearly states on the package that it is organic or made from non-GMO ingredients. According to the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, you should also steer clear of soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oils, and GM sugar beets. These two organizations provide a downloadable Non-GMO Shopping Guide for consumers to refer to help with their food choices.

Let’s not be lab rats for the benefit of Big Agra. Together we can take a stand and just say no to the foods that are not fit for human or animal consumption.

References:

1. Scientist Issues Genetic Food Warning, January 19, 2009, The St. Catherines Standard (Canada).

2. Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food,http://www.responsibletechnology.org/utility/showArticle/?objectID=2989.

By Melanie Segala, Managing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs, July 2009

SPROUTS

I came across this information recently. Back in the day, when I was young, I sprouted, as well as made bread, yogurt, had a huge organic garden. Those days are long gone, but I an "re-connecting" to what was good from my past, and "remembering" how to do certain things and why. This is one of them. As a condo owner with no yard and no porch, sprouting IS one kind of GARDEN I have can have indoors!

Sprouts compete with meats for amount of protein per unit of calorie. So if you ate the equivalent amount of calories of meat as you would of the sprouts, you would be getting far more protein. It’s more than that though because animal proteins are acidic, high in saturated fats, hard to digest, usually laden with hormones and other unnatural compounds and eating animal products in general have been linked to diseases including cancer.

Sprouts are one of the worlds most powerful and nutritious super foods that nature has to offer. Sprouts are the beginning life of a plant; these baby plants are loaded with nutrients, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, fats, phytochemicals, enzymes, water and chlorophyll. Sprouts have the highest concentration of these nutrients, vitamins, etc. than any other stage of a plants life. Sprouts are ALIVE and continue to grow for some time after they pulled. This period of growing continues to add more nutrients. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the fruits and vegetables found in your local supermarkets. The nutritional benefits gained from eating fruits and vegetables decreases very quickly after being picked and more often than they sit in the stores for days, sometimes even weeks. Also, you can never really be sure that what you are eating is 100% organic, especially when the standards of organic are slowly diminishing.

Sprouts are full of life and 100% organic. While these sprouts are growing they are sucking up as much as they can from their source and if the source is laden with pesticides, then you are eating mostly pesticides. Although you can add some things to make them grow more nutrient rich, they do not require any fertilizer, only some water, preferably distilled. Just as food prepared at home is usually much cleaner than food at restaurant, food grown at home is cleaner than food grown on a farm possibly thousands of miles away. Sprouts are the most nutrient-dense food per unit of calorie. You can eat what you grow, just seconds after pulling them. There is nothing more pure or life sustaining.

Organic is very important for a couple reasons. The first and most important is what you are NOT eating when eating organic foods. Conventionally grown foods are loaded with pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and other chemicals. Putting this into your body is just crazy. If all this is used to kill organisms that cause problems for plants, just imagine what it does inside your body! Also, organic foods taste better, are more vibrant and contain more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Eating sprouts brings about a sense of energy and general wellbeing that no supplement or other food can accomplish. They are light, very low in calories but very nutritious. A handful of sprouts can be more filling than a large nutrient void cooked meal because with sprouts you actually feed the body what is craving. If you eat a large cooked meal, your body is left hungry. Not only that, but overeating is one of the worst things you can put your body through and it causes a lot of other health complications.

It’s variety of sprouts is pretty unbelievable. Everything you see in nature or even your local grocery store can be sprouted. They range in size, shape, taste, texture and color. You can have small sprouts, long sprouts, and thin sprouts. You will see sprouts with small and big caps and various stems. Sprouts can be sweet, bitter, hot and even cooling. You’ll find different shades of greens, yellows and the edible flower sprouts can be purple, red, blue, etc.

It’s no wonder that sprouts have been used for medical and nutrient purposes for thousands of years but it’s only recently with our advances in science that we are able to understand the curing properties of these sprouts. Let’s discuss the long list of health benefits.

Sprouts are packed with high levels of antioxidants (vitamins, minerals and enzymes. These antioxidants prevent or slow down oxidation which leads to damage to cells. Once this oxidation occurs, these newly formed, abnormal cells begin to reproduce. This oxidation can be attributed to aging and most of the diseases associated with living organisms. These antioxidants also stop the damaged caused by free radicals. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables lower the risk of cancers, immune disorders and other health ailments. Slowing down aging, preventing and treating diseases is a billion dollar industry and they are all trying to recreate what is already found in nature.

These sprouts are the basis of life; they rejuvenate, reenergize and heal.
It is a common belief that the cells of a living organism require an oxygenated and alkaline environment to survive and reproduce properly. This idea was first introduced to us by the Nobel Price winning Dr. Otto Warburg. He found that cancer cells, bacteria and viruses could not survive in a body with high amounts of oxygen and also one which was slightly alkaline (above 7 on the pH scale). Sprouts happen to be a great source of oxygen and are also an alkaline food. Based on this belief, eating sprouts has a beneficial impact on fighting cancers and cleaning up the body.

Sprouts are loaded with enzymes. Enzymes are life’s force. Enzymes are catalysts for life and essential for all humans’ internal functions. Enzymes are destroyed with heat and processing, which is why a diet focused primarily around cooked food is linked to many health ailments. Raw foods are a great source of enzymes but just as the nutrients begin to diminish soon after picking, enzymes begin die if they are not connected to a life giving source (earth, trees, etc.). A very important aspect of enzymes is the aiding in digestion. The body produces enzymes used for digestion but when you eat foods high in enzymes the body has to use less energy because it doesn’t have to manufacture these enzymes. This principle makes sprouts very easily digested and assimilated by the body.

Sprouts are a great vegetable source of EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) These fatty acids are extremely important for many of the body’s functions. Most people eat a diet very low in these EFAs which has a very negative effect on the immune system.
Sprouts are also very high in fiber. Fiber is important in a diet for a couple reasons. First, it helps with weight control because they are low in calories but very high in elements which feed the body. This gives you the sensation of being full after eating only a handful. It helps with constipation and preventing certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes, gallstones and kidney stones. This occurs because the fiber in sprouts soaks up water which softens stools and allows for easier elimination.

Sprouts have high levels of flavonoids, or bioflavonoids. Although most often associated with their antioxidant activity they also have the means to stimulate the mechanisms that destroy cancerous cells and stop tumor growth.

Sprouts are low on the Glycemic Index. This is extra important for people battling diabetes and/or hearth disease. The Glycemic Index ranks foods based on their effect on the blood glucose (sugar) level. The low ranked foods have subtle effects while highly ranked foods have dramatic effects on blood sugar levels.

Sprouts are comprised of high levels of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll refers to the green pigment that is found in plants. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other health benefits. This chlorophyll is essential for the photosynthesis which is the process of obtaining energy from the light. Oxygen and carbohydrates are produced from water and carbon dioxide during the process. This is why sprouts have high levels of oxygen.

Sprouts are a natural detoxifier. They are exceptional at cleansing the blood, liver and other organs. Also, it’s a powerful chelator (removing heavy metals and other molecular toxins). Sprouts contain phytochemicals. It has been suggested that phytochemicals can fight off cancer-causing substances and may even cure cancer.

It is recommended that you soak nuts and seeds prior to eating them. Even soaking them for several hours activates enzymes activity and increases nutritional content. As you can guess, sprouts which are soaked for several days are exponentially more powerful and rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, proteins, chlorophyll and so much more.

Sprouts compete with meats for amount of protein per unit of calorie. So if you ate the equivalent amount of calories of meat as you would of the sprouts, you would be getting far more protein. It’s more than that though because animal proteins are acidic, high in saturated fats, hard to digest, usually laden with hormones and other unnatural compounds and eating animal products in general have been linked to diseases including cancer.

What are you waiting for? Sprout Living!

METABOLISM BOOSTERS

FYI:
Spicy Peppers
Berries--- Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries
Citrus Fruits
Fish--- Salmon, Sardines, Tuna
Soup--- Chicken & Rice, Broth & Vegetable, Miso, Bean

SIX REASONS TO EAT MORE RAW FOODS

This study was more subjective than objective, but that doesn`t mean that it can be dismissed. Clearly, the respondents got significant improvements in many areas, which show that an increased consumption of raw foods is beneficial!

Written by Henri Junttila, Natural News
Source: Natural News

In 2006 a raw food diet study was made by Lenka J. Zajic, who went on to obtain a Masters in Vegan and Live Food Nutrition, where she conducted an in-depth 500-participant survey of raw food eaters. The study showed that people who ate 80-90 percent raw foods showed significant improvements in immunity, digestion, allergies, weight, disease, energy, and mental and emotional well-being. "There seems to be no question that, at least initially, eating a raw food diet can reduce or cure many health complaints," Said Zajic.

#1 – Energy

Eating raw foods increases your energy. There are a few reasons for this; one is that your body doesn`t have to spend as much energy digesting your food. Raw foods contain enzymes, and these enzymes help your body break down food. Cardiovascular endurance improved for 67 percent of respondents. A dramatic increase in energy levels were reported since transitioning to raw foods, specifically 31 percent to 88 percent of the respondents who said they had "good" or "excellent" energy levels.

#2 – Cleansing

Elimination improved dramatically on a raw food diet. People who reported having two or more bowel movements per day increased from 25 percent to 78 percent. The number of respondents experiencing constipation decreased from 73 percent to 30 percent. Having a properly functioning digestive tract is vital to maintaining optimal health.

#3 - More Time

Preparing raw foods takes a lot less time, compared to cooked foods. Raw food eaters also reported needing less sleep. Those who reported needing over 8 hours of sleep per night dropped from 59 percent to 19 percent. Sleep quality also improved; those who reported no insomnia rose from 40 to 59 percent since transitioning to a raw food diet.

#4 – Weight

According to a raw food diet study that contained 864 self-reported two-year plus raw food eaters, 82.5 percent lost weight after switching to a raw food diet. 75 percent of those not already at their ideal weight said they were successful in reaching it after transitioning to a raw food diet.

#5 – Environment

Producing meat costs an incredible amount of energy and food. This food could be used to feed starving nations and let nature recuperate. Did you know that livestock produce more climate change gasses than all the vehicles in the world? It`s true; a report by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization proves it. A meat-based diet also requires 7 times more land than a plant-based diet.

#6 - Mental Health

One of the most dramatic and encouraging areas of improvement occurred in mental, emotional and spiritual health. Overall, the majority of respondents (87.5 percent) reported an improved mental, emotional and/or spiritual state after the transition. The percentage of respondents that reported a "good" or "excellent" mental state after transitioning to raw foods rose in all categories surveyed including:

1. Optimism (43% to 91%)
2. Patience (29% to 84%)
3. Self-Sufficiency (54% to 88%)
4. Memory, Focus & Clarity (36% to 82%)
5. Creativity (48% to 82%)
6. Efficiency (53% to 82%)
7. Passion (53% to 88%)
8. Intuition (52% to 91%)
9. Dept of Meditation (28% to 68%)
10. Quietness of Mind (25% to 74%)
11. Contentment (30% to 80%)
12. Joy (31% to 79%)

Caution About Teeth

When you start eating raw foods, you have to pay special attention to your teeth. Make sure you rinse your mouth after every fruit meal, especially smoothies. There are many natural mouthwashes on the market today that are excellent.

WHAT IS THE BEST DIET FOR HUMAN BEINGS?

I am indebted to Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.,a board-certified nutritionist and the author of seven books on health and nutrition, including The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth for this article.

WHAT IS THE BEST DIET FOR HUMAN BEINGS?

Vegetarian? Vegan? High-protein? Low-fat? Dairy-Free?

Hold on to your shopping carts: There is no perfect diet for human beings. At least not one that's based on how much protein, fat or carbohydrates you eat.

People have lived and thrived on high-protein, high-fat diets (the Inuit of Greenland); on low-protein, high-carb diets (the indigenous peoples of southern Africa); on diets high in raw milk and cream (the people of the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland); diets high in saturated fat (the Trobriand Islanders) and even on diets in which animal blood is considered a staple (the Massai of Kenya and Tanzania). And folks have thrived on these diets without the ravages of degenerative diseases that are so epidemic in modern American life—heart disease, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and cancer.

IN DEPTH: THE HEALTHIEST FOODS ON EARTH

The only thing these diets have in common is that they're all based on WHOLE FOODS with minimal processing. Nuts, berries, beans, raw milk, grass-fed meat. Whole, real, unprocessed food is almost always healthy, regardless of how many grams of carbs, protein or fat it contains.

All these healthy diets have in common the fact that they are absent foods with bar codes. They are also extremely low in sugar. In fact, the number of modern or ancient societies known for health and longevity that have consumed a diet high in sugar would be ... let's see ... zero.

Truth be told, what you eat probably matters less than how much processing it's undergone. Real food—whole food with minimal processing—contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and healthful fats, and can easily keep you alive and thriving into your 10th decade.

Berries, for example, are phenomenally low in calories, high in fiber and loaded with plant compounds that improve memory and help fight cancer. Studies have consistently shown that nut-eaters have lower rates of heart disease. Beans are notorious for their high fiber content and are a part of the diet of people—from almost every corner of the globe—who live long and well.

Protein--the word comes from a Greek word meaning "of prime importance"—is a feature of every healthy diet ever studied. Meat, contrary to its terrible reputation, can be a health food if—and this is a big if—the meat comes from animals that have been raised on pasture land, have never seen the inside of a feedlot farm and have never been shot full of antibiotics and hormones.

Ditto for raw milk, generally believed to be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet by countless devotees who often go to great expense and inconvenience to obtain it from small, sustainable farms. Wild salmon, whose omega-3 content is consistently higher than its less-fortunate, farm-raised brethren, gets its red color from a powerful antioxidant called astaxathin. The combination of protein, omega-3s and antioxidants makes wild salmon a contender for anyone's list of great foods.

Another great food: eggs—one of nature's most perfect creations, especially if you don't throw out the all-important yolk. (Remember "whole" foods means exactly that—foods in their original form. Our robust ancestors did not eat "low-fat" caribou; we don't need to eat "egg-white" omelets.)

There are really no "bad" vegetables, but some of them are superstars. Any vegetable from the Brassica genus—broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale—is loaded with plant chemicals called indoles, which help reduce the risk of cancer.

In the fruit kingdom, apples totally deserve their reputation as doctor-repellants: they're loaded with fiber, minerals (like bone-building boron) and phytochemicals (like quercetin, which is known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and to have anti-cancer properties). Some exciting new research suggests that pomegranate juice slows the progression of certain cancers. Other research shows it lowers blood pressure and may even act as a "natural Viagra."

Tea deserves special mention on any list of the world's healthiest foods. The second most widely consumed beverage in the world (after water), all forms of tea (black, oolong, white, green and the newer Yerba Matte) are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Some types (green tea, for example) contain plant chemicals called catechins which have decidedly anti-cancer activity.

Finally, let's not forget members of the Alliaceae family of plants—onions, garlic and shallots. Garlic has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties; hundreds of published studies support its antimicrobial effects as well as its ability to lower the risk of heart disease. A number of studies have shown an inverse relationship between onion consumption and certain types of cancer.

A healthy diet doesn't have to contain every one of the "healthiest foods on earth," but you can't go wrong putting as many of the above mentioned foods in heavy rotation on your personal eating plan.

LOCAL FOOD

Why eat local?

I am becoming a "LOCAVORE", which is someone who eats food produced within a one hundred mile radius of home. Why? Local food tastes better! Local food can be shipped to you the same day it is picked, so it is fresh.

Local food is better for the environment! By eating local, you save your food from being transported to distribution centers, processors, and retailers far away.
Local food supports your community's economy! Buying local food supports local farms and keeps farms in your community.

Every day millions of Americans venture to their local grocery stores in hopes of obtaining ingredients for breakfasts, dinners, and snacks. They turn over shiny green apples and squeeze ripe, red tomatoes. Rarely do they stop to ask how their food was produced. Whose hands touched their apples? Where was their carrot pulled from the ground? A local food system changes this because it gives people the opportunity to take an active role in the production of their food such programs as U-Pick or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Local food systems keep farms in our neighborhoods and sustain the local economy by keeping funds generated from agriculture within the community. They also cut down on pollution by reducing gas emissions from transportation. Most importantly, local food just tastes better!

Eating local will put a face to our food. By supporting local endeavors like farms, CSA’s, and farm stands, we will know who produced our apple, our pepper, and our carrot. Eating local ensures a connection between us as the consumer and the product.

This may prove challenging! I live in New England, land of long winters and short growing seasons. What food will there be for us to use, though the year, that is produced within that one hundred mile radius? I hope to connect with like-minded others, in books, on websites, and in local communities, to learn and to support this worthwhile effort.

Whole Food Signatures: WHOLE FOOD SIGNATURES: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!Y

You are what you eat, so eat well. A stupendous insight of civilizations past has now been confirmed by today's investigative, nutritional sciences. They have shown that what was once called "The Doctrine of Signatures" was astoundingly correct. It now contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater. Here is just a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.

A sliced CARROT looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A TOMATO has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

GRAPES hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A WALNUT looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

KIDNEY BEANS actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

CELERY, BOK CHOY, AND RHUBARB and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

EGGPLANT, AVOCADOS, AND PEARS target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

FIGS are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

SWEET POTATOES look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

OLIVES assist the health and function of the ovaries.

GRAPEFRUITS, ORANGES, AND OTHER CITRUS FRUITS look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

ONIONS look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

HEALING FROM THE GROUND UP

Did you know that the health of our waters, soils, and forests affect the food we eat? That some of our favorite foods may be implicated in global warming? That much of our food has been treated with pesticides, fungicides, and other toxins, which we ingest? That nearly two-thirds of the foods sold in American supermarkets now include genetically modified substances? Today the only way to avoid environmental toxins and genetically engineered food is to eat organically grown food.