Welcome to the VIBRANT LIVING NEWSLETTERI think you’ll enjoy this issue of Vibrant Living, it's packed with a series of small articles and research on health, healing, and diet, a tip for salt cravings, recipes and much more. Enjoy! For those of you who enjoy the newsletter, and would like to have more health/raw information at your finger tips more often then you may wish to follow my new raw-foods-diet-center page on Facebook.
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White Produce Consumption Yields Big Rewards Dutch researchers followed the diets of more than 20,000 people over ten years and discovered that those who ate at least 6 ounces of light colored produce per day were more than 50 percent less likely to have strokes than people who ate half the amount. Cauliflower comes to mind when I first think of white produce and with that my recipe for spicy raw rice. Apples, cucumbers, bananas, pears, and bok choy stalks are also very common sources of white colored produce. And like they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Researchers aren’t really sure why which just drives home the idea of consuming whole unprocessed foods. spicy-raw-rice
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“In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.” ~Ben Franklin
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The Shifting Tide in Cancer Therapies A groundbreaking 14 year study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in December 2004 called “The Contribution of Cytotoxic Chemotherapy to 5-year Survival in Adult Malignancies”. Researchers at the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre studied the 5-year survival rates of chemotherapy on 22 types of cancers in the US and Australia. They studied 154,971 Americans with cancer, age 20 and older, that were treated with chemotherapy. Only 3,306 of them lived to the five year mark. Study Results: “The overall contribution of curative and adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5- year survival in adults was estimated to be 2.3% in Australia and 2.1 % in The USA” And this does not say how many may have died after the 5 year mark. This study demonstrates why increasingly every year tens of thousands of people search out alternative methods of treatment for cancers. Even MDs and nurses are opting for a mix of alternative and complimentary medicines (CAM). According to a new study published in Health Services Research, 76% of healthcare workers say they use complementary and alternative medicine compared to 63% of the general public. The researchers say the reason is that healthcare workers are more educated than others about orthodox and alternative medicine, and the reason the healthcare workers personally gave for using CAM was general wellness, not cost. According to the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey of Hospitals, the percentage of hospitals that offered CAM was almost 21% in 2007. And good news here, a growing number of medical and nursing schools are incorporating CAM into their curriculum. For some of us it seems like it has taken so long to get to this point, but I feel we’re close to the tipping point where alternatives and preventative medicine will be the main stay and orthodox methods will be seen for what they are, destructive and out dated. Now don’t get me wrong, if I’m ever in need of emergency medical treatment for severe physical trauma from an auto wreck or such, well rush me to the ER. Doctors in the US excel at emergency medical treatment and I’m glad for it. It has however become crystal clear to many that the orthodox or allopathic method of medicine does not work, both in terms of healing and wellness, and financially. The financial burden of healthcare on our nation is every bit as bad, and perhaps worse than the housing collapse and subsequent bail out that helped plummet our nation into the mess it is today. If we are ever to gain any semblance of what our lives used to be we have to get a handle on this destructive beast called “healthcare”. When politicians talk of fixing healthcare they talk of who will pay for it and how, not why are we in the mess to begin with. Some would say the aging baby boomers are the cause with their prescription drugs and knee replacement surgeries etc. I say hogwash. I’m 58 years old, don’t use prescription or over the counter drugs, am still quite physically active, and feel quite healthy. Each individual needs to take care of themselves knowing that’s best for them and the collective society. No one should rely on others to pay for their poor lifelong decisions. That’s not to say that for some society will not step in and give a helping hand in their time of need, but this needs to be the exception and not the norm. If self responsibility is once again adopted then truly affordable health care can be a reality for all. Healthy diet and lifestyle choices supported by CAM can and will make this a reality if we as a collective have the fortitude to follow this sometimes difficult path. Nothing worth fighting for has ever been easy, but the rewards here are huge. Imagine a world with extremely low incidence of disease, sickness, and hunger; is that not worth fighting for? It’s possible and in the near future if we all do our part. Choose a healthy diet and lifestyle NOW for you and your family, lead by example, and share what you know with others when they inquire about your great health. Simple yet not always easy, but with great reward for us and generations to follow. Be Well and Wonderful, Hugh
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Celery is a great source of naturally occurring electrolytes like potassium and sodium. Electrolytes are very important for proper cellular health and proper cardiovascular function. And if you have salt cravings treat yourself to some celery juice as in the recipe below. I think you'll find if you add more naturally occurring sodium to your diet those salt cravings will disappear.
celery-kale, lemon juice
Leafy green vegetables are loaded with minerals, including the big 3, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, plus iron and dozens of trace minerals. Nothing functions in the body without minerals, they’re they key to a healthy raw food diet, but you have to not only eat them, but assimilate them. Squeezing citrus juice on salads can help with digestion, but some people may need the help of Hydrochloric Acid (HLC), particularly if one has abused their digestive system for years or is reaching midlife. Juicing and blending raw soups and smoothies are excellent ways to break down the fiber in greens and make those minerals more bio-available. Check out this super green smoothie recipe. super green smoothie recipe.
****************** According to Donna Gates, by the end of 2011, cancer will have affected 1.5 million people in the United States alone, and 500,000 people will die in that same time period. These statistics show how important it is that we take the best care of ourselves and loved ones as we possibly can, and that begins with choosing carefully what goes into our mouths. Sometimes it’s a struggle for people to eat a healthy diet, but over time it becomes so much easier and even automatic as we feel better and change our self destructive habits. One day the majority of people will be following a healthy diet, and making unhealthy food choices will seem as outrageous as lighting up a cigarette is today.
For those of you thinking about purchasing a juicer I thought I would share what I use. I have a green star juicer which does an excellent job, but does take about 5 minutes to clean thoroughly. It has magnetic and ceramic energies which are supposed prevent oxidation of the juice and to extend the life of the juice if not to be consumed right away. My girlfriend, Gretchen, has a Hurom juicer which is a vertical auger unit which does not perhaps extract as much juice, but is a little easier to clean and she is quite happy with it. And if you're happy with your juicer and the cleanup time you are more likely to use it. If you have a good blender then you can make juices with that. You blend up your produce then strain it through a nut milk bag or fine sieve. The cleanup is quicker although sometimes the straining process can take a little more time. Although much of the time I get my juice out as there are several juice bars in my area that have excellent and affordable green juices.
A new publication by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) equates the impact of meat consumption to impact on the environment and one’s health. Most interesting is the feature comparing reduction of animal products and it’s positive impact on the environment. They state: •If you eat one less burger a week, it’s like taking your car off the road for 320 miles. •If your family of four skips meat and cheese one day, it’s like taking your car off the road for nearly 3 months. •If everyone in the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week, it would be like not driving 91 billion miles- or taking 7.6 million cars off the road. So what will you eat on those days? Well here are some very environmentally friendly ideas.
Raw Food Recipes
•Among U.S. residents ages 65 years and older, 10.9 million, or 26.9 percent, had diabetes in 2010. •About 215,000 people younger than 20 years had diabetes type 1 or type 2 in the United States in 2010. •About 1.9 million people ages 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010 in the United States. •An estimated 79 million American adults ages 20 years or older are pre-diabetes. •Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. •Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. •Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Amazing stats, just goes to show how much work we have to do in educating people about healthy diet and lifestyle. A diet that excludes processed sugars and starches, keeps fat consumption below 20%, and is comprised of mainly whole minimally processed foods is an anti-Diabetes diet. And, the raw food diet is just such a diet.
Although I believe strongly in a diet comprised mostly of fresh raw foods, I do supplement with super green powders, nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, and the occasional dried fruit such as goji berries. If you’re like me you’re always looking for a good deal on quality food whether it’s fresh from the farmers market or purchased online, so I thought I would share with you where I make most of my online purchases. You may already be aware of the Raw Food World and their “at cost” specials, but if not here you go. When you go to purchase supportive foods like those listed above you can save money and get “at cost” special pricing by going to the link below and clicking on the “at cost” specials tab. This also allows you to save up to 14% on every order of their already good deals. The important thing to remember is that fresh is best and these products are supportive and should not be your mainstay. Enjoy!
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There are a number of new testimonies at the website which I hope you will read and pass on to others when you feel they would benefit. And please feel free to leave your own story if you feel moved to do so. You need not be 100% raw to share a testimony; the fact is most people on the raw diet are not 100% anyway. Your story may inspire someone else, perhaps from the other side of the globe, to give the raw food diet a try.
Success stories.
Please send me your health questions, they can be submitted anonymously if you prefer, and you may help someone else improve their health and quality life.
Your questions.
Be Well and Wonderful, Hugh
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hugh@raw-foods-diet-center.com MEDICAL DISCLAIMER The contents of my website and my newsletter are gleaned from my experiences and observations, meant only for educational purposes and not intended to replace medical advice, consultations, or treatment of any kind. I recommend you see your professional health care provider if you suspect you have an illness or disease of any kind. I'm not medically trained, and I would never suggest or imply that I know what is best for someone else's body or overall health, ultimately each of us is the only one who knows what's best for us. New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
