Recipes~

Eat to Live

With so many things going on in our lives, we need to check our selves. Black women have higher rates of illnesses, such as hypertension, breast cancer, diabetes, stroke, and lupus, at young ages.

We have to get a better understanding of the causes of these illness and determinants of good health.

What you eat and the way you prepare your food is important. Enjoy the tutorials, recipes and information. Remember, if you need help with any information, please let us know.

Food Combining

Food combining is the practice of understanding how the digestive
acids in your stomach must avoid conflicting with different acids
relative to the food your consuming.  The acids that break down
"sweet" fruit are much different than the acids that break down
foods like avocados etc.  The United States leads the world in it's 
consumption of digestive aids such as antacids etc.  One needs 
not wonder why after seeing the chart below.

Also included is a "Transit Times" chart which is something that 
comes in handy. As a rule people on the S.A.D. diet (which is
the "Standard American Diet") tend to eat all their fruit AFTER
they have finished there main course when in actuality fruit needs
to be consumed FIRST for it has one of the fastest transit times.

In a nutshell, eat your "fast" foods first, then your "slow" foods.

The benefits of Ginger

 

Ginger is a herb that is used as a spice and also for its therapeutic qualities. The underground stem (rhizome) can be used fresh, powdered, dried, or as an oil or juice. Ginger is part of the Zingiberaceae family, as are cardamom, turmeric and galangal.
This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods.

Contents of this article:

1. History of ginger
2. Therapeutic benefits
3. Risks and precautions

According to the National Library of Medicine¹, part of the NIH (National Institutes of Health), ginger is widely used throughout the world for treating loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting after surgery, nausea resulting from cancer treatment, flatulence, stomach upset, colic, morning sickness and motion sickness.
Some people find ginger helps them with the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, cough, menstrual cramps, arthritis and muscle pain.
In some parts of the world, ginger juice is applied to the skin to treat burns.
Ginger is also used as a flavoring by the food and drinks industry, as a spice and flavoring in cooking, and for fragrance in soaps and cosmetics.
Ginger contains a chemical that is used as an ingredient in antacid, laxative and anti-gas medications.
According to Kew Gardens², England's horticultural royal center of excellence, ginger has a long history of usage in South Asia, both in fresh and dried form.

History of ginger

Fresh ginger

The University of Maryland Medical Center³ writes that ginger has been used in China for over 2,000 years to help digestion and treat diarrhea, nausea and stomach upsets.
The Mahabharata (circa 4th century BC), one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, describes a stewed meat meal which includes ginger. Ginger has also been a key plant in Ayurvedic medicine, a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent.
Approximately 2000 years ago, ginger was exported from India to the Roman empire, where it became valued for its therapeutic as well as culinary properties.
Ginger continued to be traded in Europe after the fall of the Roman empire, where its supply was controlled by Arab traders for hundreds of years. During medieval times it became a popular ingredient in sweets.
During the 13th and 14th centuries ginger and black pepper were commonly traded spices. By the sixteenth century one pound in weight of ginger in England would cost the equivalent of one sheep.

Therapeutic benefits

Below are examples of some scientific studies on ginger and its current or potential uses in medical treatment.

Inflammation of the colon

A study carried out at the University of Michigan Medical School found that Ginger Root Supplement administered to volunteer participants reduced inflammation markers in the colon within a month.
The study was published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
Experts say that inflammation of the colon is a precursor to colon cancer. Co-researcher Suzanna M. Zick, N.D., M.P.H., explained that by reducing inflammation in the colon a person reduces their risk of developing colon cancer.
Zick said "We need to apply the same rigor to the sorts of questions about the effect of ginger root that we apply to other clinical trial research. Interest in this is only going to increase as people look for ways to prevent cancer that are nontoxic, and improve their quality of life in a cost-effective way."

Muscle pain caused by exercise

A study involving 74 volunteers carried out at the University of Georgia found that daily ginger supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by 25%.
Patrick O'Connor, a professor in the College of Education's department of kinesiology, and colleagues carried out two studies on the effects of 11 days of raw and heat-treated ginger supplementation on exercise-induced muscle pain.
The volunteers consumed the ginger supplements for 11 consecutive days. On the 8th day they performed 18 extensions of the elbow flexors with a heavy weight. The aim was to induce moderate muscle injury to the arm. Each participant's arm function, inflammation, and pain levels were assessed before exercise and three days afterwards.
The researchers noted that the pain-reducing effect was not enhanced by heat-treating the ginger.
The study was published in The Journal of Pain.

Nausea caused by chemotherapy

Ginger supplements administered alongside anti-vomiting medications can reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea symptoms by 40%, a PhaseII/III study carried out at the University of Rochester Medical Center found.
Lead researcher, Dr Julie Ryan, presented the study findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando, Florida, in 2009.
Dr. Ryan explained that about 70% of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy experience nausea and vomiting. The vomiting is usually easy to control with effective medications. However, the nausea tends to linger.
Dr. Ryan said "By taking the ginger prior to chemotherapy treatment, the National Cancer Institute-funded study suggests its earlier absorption into the body may have anti-inflammatory properties."

Ovarian cancer

A study found that exposing ovarian cancer cells to a solution of ginger powder resulted in their death in every single test.
The cancer cells either died as a result of apoptosis (they committed suicide) or autophagy (they digested/attacked themselves).
The researchers, from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center added that the ginger solution also prevented the cancer cells from building up resistance to cancer treatment.
The study findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Washington D.C., 2006.

Asthma symptoms

A team at Columbia University carried out a study to determine what effects adding specific components of ginger to asthma medications might have on asthma symptoms.
Team leader, Elizabeth Townsend, PhD, explained "In our study, we demonstrated that purified components of ginger can work synergistically with β-agonists to relax ASM (airway smooth muscle)."
The scientists took ASM tissue samples and exposed them to acetylcholine, a compound that causes bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the airways).
They then mixed the β-agonist isoproterenol (asthma medication) with three different components of ginger:

• 6-gingerol
• 8-gingerol
• 6-shogaol

Contracted ASM tissue samples were exposed to each of the three mixtures as well as isoproterenol on its own.
The team found that ASM tissues exposed to isoproterenol combined with the purified ginger components exhibited greater relaxation than those treated with just isoproterenol.
Ginger component 6-shogaol had the greatest impact in enhancing the effects of isoproterenol.
Dr. Townsend said "Taken together, these data show that ginger constituents 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol and 6-shogaol act synergistically with the β-agonist in relaxing ASM, indicating that these compounds may provide additional relief of asthma symptoms when used in combination with β-agonists. By understanding the mechanisms by which these ginger compounds affect the airway, we can explore the use of these therapeutics in alleviating asthma symptoms."
The study findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Liver damage caused by acetaminophen

Acetaminophen, known more commonly as "Tylenol" in the USA and "paracetamol" elsewhere, is a popular painkiller and antipyretic (reduces fever). However, acetaminophen is also associated with a higher risk of chemically-driven liver damage (hepatotoxicity), especially among patients with liver disorders.
Scientists at the National Research Centre in Egypt wanted to determine whether ginger pretreatment might reduce the incidence of acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats.

The researchers wrote in the Journal of Dietary Supplements⁴ "Our results demonstrated that ginger can prevent hepatic injuries, alleviating oxidative stress in a manner comparable to that of vitamin E. Combination therapy of ginger and acetaminophen is recommended especially in cases with hepatic (liver) disorders or when high doses of acetaminophen are required."

High blood pressure (hypertension)

A study reported in the journal Pharmaceutical Biology⁵ found that cassumunar ginger extract was more effective than prazosin hydrochloride in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive laboratory rats.The researchers, from Chiang Mai University in Thailand wrote "The cassumunar ginger extract exhibited the maximum decrease of mean arterial blood pressure at 39.83 ± 3.92%, which was 3.54-times that of prazosin hydrochloride."

Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation)

Ginger can help reduce the symptoms of pain in primary dysmenorrhea (period pains), researchers from the Islamic Azad University in Iran reported in the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association⁶.
Seventy female students were divided into two groups:

• The ginger group - they took capsules containing ginger
• The placebo group - participants took capsules containing placebo

The participants took their capsules for three days at the beginning of their menstruation cycles.
The researchers found that the 82.85% of the women taking the ginger capsules reported improvements in pain symptoms compared to 47.05% of those on placebo.

Migraines

There is some evidence to suggest that ginger powder may help relieve migraine symptoms.

A study performed at the VALI-e-ASR Hospital in Iran and published in the journal Phytotherapy Research⁷ found that ginger powder is as effective in treating common migraine symptoms as sumatriptan. Sumatriptan is a common medication for migraine treatment (Imitrex, Treximet, Imigran, Imigran).
The double-blind, randomized clinical trial involved 100 participants. They all suffered form acute migraine without aura. They were randomly selected to receive either sumatriptan or ginger powder.
The study authors concluded "Efficacy of ginger powder and sumatriptan were similar. Clinical adverse effects of ginger powder were less than sumatriptan. Patients' satisfaction and willingness to continue did not differ. The effectiveness of ginger powder in the treatment of common migraine attacks is statistically comparable to sumatriptan. Ginger also poses a better side effect profile than sumatriptan."

Risks and precautions

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center³, the use of herbs can interact with other herbs or medications.
Therefore it's important to talk to your doctor before taking ginger.
You should not take ginger if you suffer from a bleeding disorder or take blood-thinning medications (such as warfarin or aspirin).
Side effects of consuming ginger are rare, but may include:

• Diarrhea
• Heartburn
• Stomach upset
• Mouth irritation



1. Never eat carbohydrate foods and acid foods at the same meal.

Do not eat bread, potatoes, peas, beans, bananas, dates, or other carbohydrates with lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, pineapples, tomatoes or other sour fruit.

The enzyme, ptyalin, acts only in an alkaline medium; it is destroyed by a mild acid. Fruit acids not only prevent carbohydrate digestion, but they also favor their fermentation. Oxalic acid diluted to one part in 10,000, completely arrests the action of ptyalin. There is enough acetic acid in one or two teaspoonfuls of vinegar to entirely suspend salivary digestion.
 

Dr. Percy Howe, of Harvard, says: "Many people who cannot eat oranges at a meal derive great benefit by eating those fifteen to thirty minutes before the meal." It appears that Dr. Howe does not understand why people cannot take oranges with their meals. I have put hundreds of patients, who have told me that they could not eat oranges or grapefruit, upon a diet of these fruits, and they found that they could take them. Such people are in the habit of taking these foods with a breakfast of cereal, with cream and sugar, egg on toast, stewed prunes and coffee, or some similar meal.

Tomatoes should never be combined with any starch food. They may be eaten with leafy vegetables and fat foods. The combination citric, malic and oxalic acids found in tomatoes, (which are released and intensified by cooking), is very antagonistic to the alkaline digestion of starches in the mouth and stomach. They should not be used on salads at a starch meal.

In cases of hyperacidity of the stomach, there is great difficulty in digesting starches. Much discomfort is caused by eating them. They ferment and poison the body. Acid-starch combinations are very rare in nature—the sour apple coming nearest to being such a combination.
 

Protein-Carbohydrate Combination

2. Never eat a concentrated protein and a concentrated carbohydrate at the same meal.

This means do not eat nuts, meat, eggs, cheese, or other protein foods at the same meal with bread, cereals, potatoes, sweet fruits, cakes, etc.
The Earl of Sandwich is credited with having invented the sandwich—a modern dietetic abomination. The hamburger, a similar abomination, is also a modern dietetic innovation. Egg sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, ham sandwiches and similar protein-starch combinations are of recent origin. Dr. Tilden used to say that, "Nature never produced a sandwich." How true are his words!
The digestion of carbohydrates (starches and sugars) and of protein is so different that when they are mixed in the stomach they interfere with the digestion of each other. An acid process (gastric digestion) and an alkaline process (salivary digestion) can not be carried on at the same time, in an ideal way in the stomach. In fact, they cannot proceed together at all for long, as the rising acidity of the stomach contents soon completely stops carbohydrate digestion, and this is followed by fermentation.
Dr. J. John Marshall showed that undigested starch in large amounts in the stomach absorbs pepsin and, thus, prevents the acid from entering into combination with the proteins, thereby increasing the free hydrochloric acid.

Beans contain about 25% protein and approximately 50½% carbohydrate or starch. This, doubtlessly, accounts for their difficult digestion and the readiness with which they ferment. Prof. McCollum says that, navy beans have a peculiar and indigestible carbohydrate. But McCollum knows nothing of combinations. Beans are a "bread and meat" combination, and each of their two principle constituents requires entirely different processes for digestion. The starch of the bean lies in the stomach, while its protein is being digested and, except under the most favorable of circumstances, ferments, producing gas and toxins.

One of the best r

Rules for eating, which I can offer you, is to eschew all beans. This does not include green beans, which contain little starch. Matured or "dried" beans, of all types, are known by everyone to quickly ferment when eaten, and produce much gas. The strong gastric juice of the stomach, which is engaged in digesting proteins, impedes starch digestion. Pythagorus advised that, "We eat no beans." We subscribe to that plan, making an exception only in the case of green beans.
 

Candy, sugar, etc., greatly inhibit the secretion of the gastric juice and markedly delay digestion. Consumed in a large amount at a time, candy is very depressing to stomach activity.
Whatever may be true with reference to the effects of the starch-protein combination upon the digestion of protein, it is certain that this combination is disastrous to starch digestion. There is no doubt that the gastric juice destroys the ptyalin of the saliva and stops salivary digestion.

Protein-Protein Combination

3. Never consume two concentrated proteins at the same meal.

Do not eat nuts and meat, or eggs and meat, or cheese and nuts, or cheese and eggs, etc., at one meal. Do not use meat and milk, or eggs and milk, or nuts and milk at the same meal. Indeed, if taken at all, milk is best taken alone. Dr. Gibson well expresses it thus: "The best way with milk is either to take it alone or leave it alone." An exception may be made to this in the case of acid fruits. The popular superstition that lemons, berries, cucumbers, etc., with milk is dangerous, has no foundation.
Two proteins of different characters and different compositions, which call for different types of digestive juices, each of different strength and character, and being poured into the stomach at different times, should not be consumed at the same meal. One protein at a meal should be the rule.

There is protein in everything one eats, but in most foods there is such a small amount that we ignore it when in combinations. All the rules for combining foods should be recognized and applied only to the concentrated starches, sugars, fats and proteins.

Protein-Fat Combination

4. Do not consume proteins with fats.

This means do not use cream, butter, oil, etc., with meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, etc. Fat depresses the action of the gastric glands and inhibits the pouring out of the proper gastric juices for meats, nuts, eggs, or other protein. Fats, mixed with foods, delay the development of appetite juice and diminish its quantity.

The presence of fats in the stomach diminishes the production of chemical juice. Fatty acids lessen the activity of the gastric glands, the gastric juice, and lower the amount of pepsin and hydrochloric acid. It may also lower the entire digestive tone more than fifty per cent. This inhibiting effect can come even from fats in the intestine. Oil introduced into the rectum decreases the amount of gastric juice, though it does not alter its quality. (Oil enemas are bad.)

Acid-Protein Combination

5. Do not eat acid fruits with proteins.

This is to say, oranges, tomatoes, lemons, pineapples, etc., should not be eaten with meat, eggs, except with protein fats such as avocado, cheese or nuts.

Prof. Pavlov positively demonstrated the demoralizing influence of both, fruits' acids, and the acid results of fermentation upon digestion. Acid fruits, by inhibiting the flow of gastric juice—an unhampered flow which is imperatively demanded by protein foods—seriously handicaps protein digestion and results in putrefaction. Nuts and fresh cheese are about the only protein foods that do not quickly decompose under such conditions, and these have their digestion delayed. Acids do not inhibit the flow of gastric juice, any more, or any longer, than does the oil of nuts or the cream of cottage cheese.
 

Instead of orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, etc. assisting in the digestion of proteins when taken along with these, as is taught in certain quarters, these acids actually retard protein digestion.
 

Sugar-Starch Combination

6. Do not consume starches and sugars together.

Jellies, jams, fruit butter, sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, etc., on bread, cake, or at the same meal with cereals, potatoes, etc., or sugar with cereal, will produce fermentation. Hot cakes with honey or syrup are an abomination.

The practice of eating starches that have been disguised by sweets is also a bad way to eat carbohydrates. If sugar is taken in, the mouth quickly fills with saliva, but no ptyalin is present. Ptyalin is essential to starch digestion. If the starch is disguised with sugar, jellies, jams, syrups, etc., the taste buds are deceived, and carbohydrate digestion is impaired. Monosaccharides and disaccharides ferment quicker than do polysaccharides, and are prone to ferment in the stomach while awaiting the completion of starch digestion.

Sugar combined with starch results in fermentation. It means a sour stomach. It means discomfort. Those who are addicted to the honey-eating practice and who are laboring under the popular fallacy that, honey, which is a "natural sweet" that may be eaten indiscriminately, should know that this rule (not to take sweets with starches) applies to honey as well.

Honey or syrup, it makes no difference which, with your hot cakes or cereals, or honey or sugar to sweeten your cakes — these combinations spell fermentation. White sugar, brown sugar, “raw” sugar, imitation brown sugar (that is, white sugar that has been colored), black strap molasses, or other syrup with starches means fermentation. Soda will neutralize the resulting acids; it will not stop the fermentation.
 

Starch-Starch Combination

7. Eat but one concentrated starch food at a meal.

The rule to consume only one starch food at a meal is probably more important as a means to avoid the over-consumption of various starches, than as a means of avoiding bad combinations. While the overeating of starches may lead to fermentation, there is no certainty that the combination of two starches will do so.
 

Sugar-Sugar Combination

8. Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals.

The rule for combining various sugars, resulting from various food classifications such as starch or fruits, may result in indigestion, due to bad food combining practices that would lead to fermenting some of the sugars from these food classifications. The major reason for this fermentation process would simply be due to the various digestive times required to break these foods into sugars that the body would accept.

An example of this rule would be the combination of acid-fruit sugars, which must be digested within an hour, with sweet fruit sugars such as cherries, dates, figs, raisins, and grapes, that require up to three hours to be properly digested.  The sugars from the acid-fruits would be held up, waiting up to three hours or more to be digested, and would ferment, because they were not properly digested within their allotted time frame of one hour. Starchy foods require two hours or more, before the various digestive stages convert the starch to a sugar that would be accepted by the body cells as nutrients. Again, the sugars from the acid-fruits would be held up while waiting to be digested for up to two hours or more, and would ferment. In addition, the acids from these fruits would destroy the starch enzymes, and whereby starch digestion would be suspended.
 

Take Melons Alone

9. Do not consume melons with any other foods.

Watermelon, muskmelon, honeydew melon, pie melon, casaba melon, cantaloupe, and other melons, should always be eaten alone. I know of no physiological reason for this rule. We do know that these foods decompose very quickly in the stomach and are almost sure to cause trouble if eaten with other foods. If eaten alone—a meal made of them—so that they are quickly passed out of the stomach, they form excellent and delightful foods.

People, who complain that melons "do not agree" with them, will find that, if eaten alone, but not between meals, they can enjoy them without an aftermath of discomfort. Because of the ease with which melons decompose, they do not combine well with any food, except, perhaps, with certain fruits.
 

Take Milk Alone

10. Milk is best taken alone, or let alone.

Milk is the natural food of the mammalian young, each species producing milk peculiarly and precisely adapted to the various needs of its own young. It is the rule that, the young take the milk alone and not in combinations with other foods. Milo Hastings once objected that calves will take milk and, a few minutes later, eat grass. But, we are not to forget that the calf has a few more stomachs than we and can do this without difficulty.

Milk acts as a gastric insulator. Its cream inhibits the outpouring of gastric juice for some time after the meal is eaten. Milk does not digest in the stomach, but in the duodenum, hence, in the presence of milk the stomach does not respond with its secretion. This prevents the digestion of other foods introduced along with the milk. Perhaps milk could be taken with starch, if it was pure starch, but no starch food is pure starch. The use of acid fruits with milk does not cause any trouble, and apparently does not conflict with its digestion.

Food Combinations In The Intestine

Bearing in mind the facts known about intestinal digestion, it seems probable that, proper combinations are important even in intestinal digestion. In other words, a properly combined meal is properly combined throughout the whole course of the digestive tube; while, an improperly combined meal is probably wrongly combined throughout the whole course of digestion. A few facts may help to make this clear. Prof. Pavlov says, "the existence of fat in large quantities in the chyme restrains in its own interest the further secretion of gastric juice, and thus impedes the digestion of protein substances; consequently a combination of fat and protein-holding food is particularly difficult to digest."

While the processes of digestion in the intestine all take place in an alkaline medium and it is ostensibly logical to assume that combinations make little or no differences in the intestine, Dr. Cason states that the digestion of starches in the small intestine when accompanied by proteins produces a distinct stasis. This would indicate delayed digestion. It seems certain that the putrefaction and fermentation that begins in the stomach as a consequence of wrong combinations will continue in the intestine. Good salivary and gastric digestion would seem to be essential to good intestinal digestion.

The continuous struggle with indigestible food mixtures and with the poisonous products of their bacterial decomposition, sooner or later wears out the body, for it is a break on the process of nutrition that involves a prodigious waste of the vital forces, and draws upon physiological reserves, which have been set aside for future use.

What are those acid eructations (belchings), which so commonly follow meals of meat and bread, starch and milk, fruit and starch, sugar and starch, and other combinations we condemn? Are they symptoms of good digestion? There is gastric distress (heartburn), gas and eructations that cause throat irritation, mucus flow and coughing. The eructations are often so acrid, they cause burning of the throat and nose.

Feed these people correctly combined meals (healthy food combinations), and their fermentation with gas and eructations would end. Physicians, and others, who scoff at healthy food-combining would show more intelligence if they were to study the effects of the indigestible mixtures they prescribe, and cease wasting time ridiculing those who are attempting to teach the people sane eating practices. While they sit and scoff the world moves on and leaves them.

Physicians, druggists, and patent medicine manufacturers are kept busy supplying the demand for drugs to relieve the discomforts that grow out of bad food combinations and weird food combinations. Millions of dollars are spent yearly for alkalizers, laxatives and anti-gas remedies. Tons of Alka Seltzer, Tums, Bell-Ans, bicarbonate of soda, charcoal, milk of magnesia, syrup pepsin, etc., are swallowed annually by the American public. Physicians prescribe tons of drugs for the relief of abdominal discomfort. Fermentation and putrefaction is so universal in the digestive tracts of our people that many physiologists and physicians have come to look upon the sub-diaphramatic cesspool as normal.

One of the two chief reasons for careful eating is to prevent fermentation and putrefaction of food. One of the greatest causes of gastro-intestinal decomposition is bad food combinations. It is difficult to exaggerate the clinical picture resulting from the reeking decomposition which begins in the stomach and continues in the intestine, as a result of food-mixtures that are all indigestible.

The products of bacterial decomposition of food-stuffs are the same when the decomposition occurs in the stomach, as when the food rots outside the body. The putrescence arising in the digestive tract is no less hostile to life and health, than when it arises in a swill barrel.

Let us examine the average meal, consumed in the average American home.

It consists of bread, meat, potatoes, perhaps a soup or pie, or a dessert of gelatin, or ice cream, or canned or stewed fruit, and one or more green vegetables. There are the usual condiments and sauces, sugar and cream, catsup, mustard, salt, pepper, and milk, tea or coffee. Indeed, the purpose of eating seems to be how great a variety of heterogeneous substances can be put into the stomach at one time. Of course, no digestive system was ever designed to digest such an unholy combination of foods, slops and "relishes." The stomachs of those who eat such meals have been converted into swill barrels and garbage cans. Fermentation and putrefaction are inevitable.
Have you ever noticed a garbage barrel?

The great variety of substances in it consists of meats, eggs, several kinds of vegetables, fruits and scraps from the table, coffee and other substances. Think of the lot of putrescence that results when it begins to decompose! Now, think of all the putrescence that will develop in your alvine canal, when a similar mixture of food substances undergoes bacterial decomposition therein. Can you imagine good health resulting from such eating? Do you marvel that people are sick?

All the secretions of the digestive tract—saliva, hydrochloric acid, bile, pancreatic juice, intestinal juice—are antiseptic, or bactericidal. Gastric juice possesses an anti-fermentative power to prevent bacterial decomposition in food. The same is true of bile. The hydrochloric acid of the stomach, together with pepsin, the trypsin of the pancreatic juice, and perhaps the intestinal juice, are normally very destructive to germ life, digesting germs as readily as meat or bread. They resist and prevent bacterial decomposition in this garbage, and attempt to digest it.
 

But, complete success in either of these efforts is impossible. Digestion cannot be perfect and bacterial decomposition is, more or less, inevitable. Such eating is better designed to poison, rather than nourish the body. The American breakfast of grapefruit and sugar, followed by baked apples, or stewed fruit or jam, and topped off with coffee and sugar, perhaps eaten hurriedly, while nervously fingering the morning paper, accompanied with a cigarette, is sending millions to the doctors of all schools, and ushering many thousands into premature graves.

The Discovery of Vitamins

With the discovery of vitamins, the same foolish mistake is being repeated. The most deficient and one-sided diets are fed, and then, small quantities of "supposed" vitamin-rich substances—orange juice, tomato juice, cod-liver oil, yeast, etc.—are fed, in a vain endeavor to render such diets adequate.

The calorie was a fetish, and the vitamin has become the same. The elder food specialist completely overlooked the important fact that the patient did not secure his calories from the specialist's food, unless he digested and assimilated it. He fed his patients the most incongruous and indigestible mixtures, which set up fermentation and decomposition, completely changing the character of the food, and as completely, altering its relations to the body and its welfare.

The present-day food specialist, feeding vitamins instead of calories, makes the same mistake. He feeds his patients abominable mixtures of soup, potatoes, pies or puddings, preserves, ice cream, coffee, or tea, and then, "balances" it up with a teaspoonful of orange juice, or a dose of grease from the cod-liver.
 

Mixtures such as these, and the one previously described, will take on decomposition and turn out such products as carbonic acid gas, alcohol, ammonia, bacterial acids, etc. In order to neutralize, isolate, and eliminate these poisons, the body will be forced to draw upon its precious vital reserves. Not only do such food mixtures not yield up their calories and vitamins to the body in full measure, but they rob it of its reserves. For, when poisons accumulate in the body beyond its ordinary powers to neutralize and eliminate, its reserves are called upon and expended in freeing the body of the toxins.

The sole reason that the great mass of poisons, which arises out of the decomposition of the foods in our digestive tracts, does not result in speedy death, is that, nature has provided us with constitutional reserves with which to resist the recurrent accidents and emergencies of our daily lives. These reserves are especially intended to meet the needs of old age, when the forces of life are feeble, and the self-regenerative powers of the body are impaired.

If the body's reserves are carefully hoarded, they will carry us well beyond the hundred-year mark with youthful enthusiasm and zest. Their depletion is one of the most common calamities of modern life. The alkaloids and alcohols, with which gastro-intestinal decomposition charges our bodies, rob us of our reserves, greatly weaken our vital resistance and, sooner or later, produce a state of physiological collapse. We permit the silent, continuous leakage of our vital reserves until, by its sapping influence, we are brought below the line of safety. Our powers of repair and restitution are bankrupted, and we are unable to "come back."

If the average American would apply healthy food combining principles in their diet, not only would they practice proper food combinations for weightloss and proper food combinations that burn fat, they would also enjoy renewed energy, indigestion relief and improved health.

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Cancer Cures, Body pH and Your Diet

In 1964, only 1 person in 214 contracted Cancer. Today it is 1 in 3 females and 1 in 2 males.

The determining factor between health and disease is pH.

CANCER CELLS HAVE AN EXTREME ACID pH AND ARE OXYGEN DEPLETED. HEALTHY CELLS HAVE A SLIGHTLY ALKALINE pH WITH A HIGH OXYGEN CONTENT.
 

Research shows that unless the body's pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself.

So, no matter what type of modality you use to improve your health problem, the modality won't be effective until the pH level comes up.

Drugs, medications and toxic chemicals have the effect of lowering the pH of the body, that is the reason why there are side effects to drugs and none of them effect a cure. When body pH drops below 6.4, enzymes are deactivated and digestion does not work properly.

Acid decreases energy production in the cells, the ability for the body to repair damaged cells, the ability for the body to detoxify heavy metals and makes the body more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

Your body pH affects everything.

Research has proven that disease cannot survive in an alkaline state, and that, viruses, bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, Candida and Cancer cells thrive in an acidic, low oxygen / low pH environment.

An acid pH can result from an acid-forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients.

The body will try to compensate for acid by using alkaline minerals, like sodium from the stomach and calcium from the bones. This is the cause of Osteoporosis and a number of other diseases.

If there are not enough minerals in the diet to compensate, a build-up of acids in the cells will occur, resulting in symptoms like pain, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, MS, Lupus, etc.

Cancer is not compatible in a healthy pH environment full of oxygen.

CANCER OF THE HEART DOESN'T EXIST. This is because, blood flowing from the lungs into the heart, are at the highest pH and oxygen levels within the entire body. As the blood travels threw the lungs, acidic toxins are thrown out of the system leaving it rich with oxygen and a high blood pH.

In the absence of oxygen, glucose undergoes fermentation to lactic acid. This causes the pH of the cell to drop even lower. Urine and saliva pH of terminal cancer patients almost always runs between 4.0 and 5.5. When the cancer goes into metastases the pH drops even lower. Our bodies simply cannot effectively fight disease if our body pH is not properly balanced. In other words, it's either alkalize or die. It's that important!

CURES! CURES! CURES! Cancer cures in advertisements such a "Hemp Oil Cures Cancer" are not truly Natural Cancer Cures. Cures for cancer including Alternative Cancer Cures or Natural Cures for Cancer can only be attained by your body. You must learn how to remove the cause of the cancer and your body will do what it is cable of doing best and that is to heal or cure itself.

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Alkaline Diet Recipes


NOTE: Level 10 is the highest point of "diet achievement"
for maximum health, power, strength and endurance for
maximum athletic performance.

• LEVEL 10: 100% Raw Food Vegan Hygienic Diet 
  
• LEVEL 9: 80% Raw Food Vegan Hygienic Diet/20% Cooked Diet 
   
• LEVEL 8: 60% Raw Food Vegan/Vegetarian Diet/40%Cooked 
   
• LEVEL 7: 60% Raw Food Lacto-Vegetarian Diet/40% Cooked
• LEVEL 6: 30% Raw Food/70% Lacto/Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian/Flesh Cooked Diet

Recipes That Aim To Please~

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Healthy Burrito Bowl (twerked recipe)

  Braised Chicken

Use chicken quarters, put skin side down in pot with or without 2 TBLS of olive oil.  Allow to simmer on medium heat.

Add Mrs. Dash southwest Chipotle ,Adobo seasoning, Ground Ginger, Seasoned Salt, and Old Bay seasoning

Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice

2 C. jasmine brown rice or any long grain brown rice
3 C. water
1 bay leaf
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
1 T. finely chopped cilantro
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, water and bay leaf. Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes (or longer if you are using a different variety of brown rice, check package directions). Remove from the heat and allow to sit covered for about 10 minutes.
Add the lime zest and juice and the cilantro. Remove the bay leaf and fluff with a fork. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

2 large tomatoes, finely diced
2 T. red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
3 T. cilantro, chopped
1/8 t. salt
pinch of sugar
juice of one large lime
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Black Beans

1 T. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 C. water
1/2 t. chipotle powder (or use smoked paprika if you do not have chipotle)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
In a small saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil until softened. Add the garlic and stir for a second then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf and keep covered until ready to use.

Jalapeño Corn Salsa

16 oz. package frozen corn, thawed for a few minutes in a mesh sieve
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1/4 C. red onion, finely diced
1/4 t. smoked paprika
juice of one lime
1 T. cilantro, chopped
1/4 t. salt
black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Allow to sit in the fridge until ready to use.



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3 Cheese Chicken Penne

2 chicken breasts

1/3 cup Italian salad dressing

3 cups penne pasta

15 ounces alfredo sauce

8 ounces Italian cheese, shredded (Mozzarella, Parmesan, Provolone)

4 Tomatoes

1 teaspoon basil

2 -3 garlic cloves

6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Chop Chicken and marinade in Italian dressing for 30 minute.

2. Chop tomatoes, add oil chopped Garlic and basil to make bruschetta. Set aside.

3. Cook Penne in boiling water.

4. Grill or broil Chicken.

5. Divide pasta between two microwavable bowls.

6. Pour Alfredo sauce.over the pasta in each bowl.

7. Layer on Bruschetta.

8. Add a layer of Chicken.

9. Add a layer of shredded cheese.

10. Microwave for 3 min, or longer if previously chilled till cheese is melted.

11. Serve with Garlic bread.

 

Can be prepared well ahead of time in individual bowls, then Microwaved thoroughly.

Garlic Roast Chicken (Barefoot Contessa Recipe)




1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
1 lemon, halved
1/2 large Spanish onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks
5 large red gold potatoes, cut into 6 pieces
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 "bunch" of asparagus
1 bouquet garni [I used fresh parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary tied together with kitchen string, although you can use your favorite herbs]

As soon as you get the chicken home, salt it inside and out, wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, first preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with the all the garlic, bouquet garni and lemon.

Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place it in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it and the vegetables. Scatter the onion slices, carrots, asparagus and potatoes around the chicken. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil.

Place the vegetables back in the oven and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes.

When the vegetables are cooked, carve the chicken and place the slices on the platter surrounded by the vegetables. Drizzle some pan juices over the chicken and vegetables.
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Blackened Salmon Lasagna


2 pounds salmon fillet, cut into 1/4-inch thick medallions, cutting from top to bottom

2 tablespoons Cajun spice (Didn’t use this)

4 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided (I used olive oil)

1/4 cup white wine (suggested: chardonnay)

1/2 cup small diced yellow onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic

Nonstick cooking spray

16 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked (use whatever)

2 cups fresh spinach

2 cups nonfat cottage cheese

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons low-fat mozzarella

12 fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup goat cheese

2 cups sliced Roma tomatoes


1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay the salmon medallions on a flat surface and dust both sides evenly with Cajun spice.

In a saucepan over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil to the verge of smoking, then add the salmon medallions.

Reduce the heat to medium, cook for 2 minutes, flip the fish with a spatula, then repeat the process on the second side. Once the salmon is cooked on both sides, remove the pan from the heat, remove the salmon from the pan, and allow the fish to rest on a plate.

Return the pan to the heat for 1 minute over medium-high heat, then add the white wine, scraping down the sides of the pan (thus deglazing the pan).

Allow the wine to cook off, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil. Once the oil has heated, add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are semi-translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and place the onions in a small bowl.

Spray the bottom of a 10 x 10-inch casserole dish evenly with nonstick spray. Add 4 strips of noodles to cover the bottom of the dish, trimming any excess from the edges. Add half the onions, then 1/3 of the cooked salmon to cover the noodles.

Scatter the spinach and half the cottage cheese and mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles, salmon, basil, and goat cheese. Add a third layer of noodles, and add the remaining onions, salmon, spinach, cottage cheese, and mozzarella.
Top with a final layer of noodles, sliced tomatoes and evenly sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, and chives and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
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     Homemade Vegetable Stew
Stew (meat can be removed) or chicken can be added



Ingredients:


Cup of Olive oil
2 Tbs chopped garlic or Garlic powder, granulates, or salt
3 Tbs chopped shallots
Pound of boneless chicken sliced, or steak, lamb, beef, italian sausage (any meat you desire or no meat)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 to 4 potatoes cubed
3 Tbs curry powder (optional)
Your veggie selection (be healthy)
3 carrots chopped
2 zucchini sliced (optional)
1 yellow pepper diced
1 onion chopped
5 garlic cloves or garlic salt, powder, or granulates
Cup of white wine
Cup of beef stock
6 cups of water
Cup of grape tomatoes cut in halves
8 ounces green peas (fresh or frozen) optional

Cooking Instructions:

~Coat pot with olive oil and place over medium heat.
~Add shallots, garlic, chopped meat, salt & pepper. Stir until chicken starts to brown.
~Add potatoes, and curry powder. Mix well.
~Add prepared veggies & stir.
~Add garlic & chopped sauage.
~Pour in white wine, beef stock, water and stir.
~Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
~Cover lid. Let simmer on low heat for 20 30 minutes until tender.
~Mix with a large spoon and let sit for 5 minutes.
~Serve with your favorite toasted cornbread, rice, by itself or other choices.
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Turkey & Beans & Enchiladas

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 large onion, julienned

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1lb of ground turkey

1 large can of red enchilada sauce [I use Las Palmas]

1 cup of grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of grated mexican "enchilada cheese"

1 can of goya black bean soup [drain the juice]

2 tbsp of olive oil [for onions]

5 tbsp of olive oil [for tortillas]

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp of chili powder

1 tbsp of ground cumin

1 tsp of dried bay leaves

Mix the cilantro and tomatoes together. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Caramelize the onions first, as this will most likely take the longest. To cut down on time, I caramelized the onions while I was prepping the other ingredients [you must move fast though].

Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil to a medium saute pan, allow the oil to get HOT. Add your onions, then stir to coat them with oil. Stir occasionally, lowering the temp if necessary. You will have to stir these occasionally for about 30-35 minutes, as these will burn easily if they are left unattended for too long.

Brown ground turkey in the same saute' pan you used to caramelize the onions in. Add garlic, spices, and bay leaves. Then add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, slightly warm the enchilada sauce. Pour into a bowl once warm, and set aside.

In a small saute' pan, pour about 5tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Allow oil to get hot, then add your tortillas [one at a time of course] until each tortilla is soft [not too soft to the point that it is falling apart, just enough to make it pliable.

Spoon about 1/4 of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Dip each tortilla in the BOWL w/the tortilla sauce, place it in the casserole dish. Fill your shells with meat, tomato mixture, black beans, onions, and cheese.

Once you have filled all of your shells, sprinkle remaining cheese mixture on top of the enchiladas. As well as the leftovers from the tomato mixture.

Lightly spoon 1/3 of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with foil, then bake for about 20-25 minutes on 350.

After about 20-25 minutes, uncover. Let cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. 

Allow to cool for about 10minutes to "set" everything so that it isn't falling apart as you serve it.
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Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Blueberries -- Antioxidant Superfood

Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory.
"Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits," says Ann Kulze, MD, of Charleston, S.C., author of Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet, A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality. When selecting berries, note that the darker they are, the more anti-oxidants they have. "I tell everyone to have a serving (about 1/2 cup) every day," Dr. Kulze says. "Frozen are just as good as fresh." Be sure to include lots of other fruits and vegetables in your diet as well. Remember too that, in general, the more color they have, the more antioxidants.

Omega 3-Rich Fish -- Superfoods for the Heart, Joints, and Memory

"We know that the omega 3s you get in fish lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, and may possibly help with memory loss and Alzheimer's," Somer says. "There is some evidence to show that it reduces depression as well."
Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Aim for two-to-three servings a week. Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.

Soy -- Superfood to Lower Cholesterol

A study reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association (2003) showed that a diet of soy fiber, protein from oats and barley, almonds, and margarine from plant sterols lowered cholesterol as much as statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol medicine. "Look for tofu, soy milk, or edamame -- not soy powder," says Somer. In other words, soy sauce won't do the trick. One caveat: If you have a family history of breast cancer it is not recommended that you eat extra soy.

Fiber -- Superfood Aids Weight Loss and Checks Cholesterol

A diet high in fiber will help you maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a bonus, because fiber helps you feel full longer, it's a great tool in weight management. Whole grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables are all good sources. Try throwing some beans in your salad, recommends Kulze. "Fresh, frozen, or dried are the best. You can use canned, but they tend to be higher in sodium," Kulze warns.

Tea -- Superfood for Lowering Cholesterol and Inhibiting Cancer

"The overall antioxidant power of black tea is the same as green tea," says Kulze, "but green tea does have ECGC, a powerful antioxidant that we really do think is quite special." A recent Japanese study on green tea found that men who drank green tea regularly had lower cholesterol than those who didn't. Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom have also shown that ECGC can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. For a double health whammy, replace sugary sodas with tea.

Calcium

OK, OK, you know the drill: Calcium helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis. Look for it in dairy products or supplements. Added bonus: Some studies show that calcium helps with weight loss. Here are the calcium levels recommended for adults by the USDA:

• Age 9 to 18 -- 1,300 mg
• Age 19 to 50 -- 1,000 mg
• Age 51 and over -- 1,200 mg

And Finally, the Yummiest Superfood Yet ... Dark Chocolate

New research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. Kulze recommends that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better. In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content. Now that's our kind of health food!  Balance is the key.

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Healthy Foods To Incorporate Into Your Diet~

What you put in your body can actually be more significant than what you apply topically. It is for this reason that I am trying to be more careful of what I eat. My snack-time selections runs the gamut from chips, to candy, sometimes shakes, and other things I'm not proud of; but as of late I have made some healthy substitutions.

Try substituting some of these healthy snacks throughout the day and see the difference it makes in your skin!

Berries [Strawberries, Blackberries, Cranberries]: Berries are chock full of antioxidants! Antioxidants helps to protect your skin from harmful free radicals, gives your complexion a radiant glow, and fights the molecules that damage skin cells which leads to premature signs of aging . Berries also help the body produce collagen which keeps skin, soft, youthful and supple.

Nuts [Walnuts, Brazil Nuts]: Walnuts & Brazil nuts are high in Fatty Acids, so they help lend a supple, smooth appearance to your skin. Brazil Nuts are high in Selenium which helps fight free radicals and also improves the elasticity of the skin.

Oily Fish [Prawns, Tuna, Salmon, Sardines]: The Fatty Acids present helps to prevent dryness, clogged pores, and improves skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis due to healthier cell membranes. Fatty acids regulate the health of the cell by keeping toxins out, and allowing nutrients in. Healthier cell membranes means that your cells are able to retain more moisture, and more moisture means younger looking skin.

Citrus Fruits [Oranges, Lemons, Grapefruits]: Citrus fruits contains high levels of Vitamin C [otherwise known as Ascorbic Acid] that is instrumental in keeping your skin health and youthful. Vitamin C [often found in most anti aging serums and treatments] is a water soluble vitamin which means it cannot be stored by the body. This is why it's important to consume at least a few servings of Vitamin C daily. The Vitamin C found in Citrus fruits acts a powerful antioxidant that aggressively fights free radicals while keeping your skin smooth and firm.



Dark Green Vegetables [Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Watercress]: Like many of the foods mentioned before this food group, dark green veggies are high in antioxidants. The Vitamin A present in green veggies also helps regulate the production of sebum, which is good news to those with oily, acne prone skin. Vitamin A strengthens the cell membrane and also regulates the release of toxins from the cells.

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