After about 2 weeks of plateau in the releasing of weight, I've now dropped another 4 pounds in 2 days. I continue to feel great, and am drinking mostly veggie juice. I notice when I drink fruit juice that I awaken with sleep in my eyes; I don't when I'm drinking veggie only juice. I've also started to filter the juice after I make it so that I get the pulp out - sometimes bits of pulp end up in the juice from the juicer.
I've started using some Stevia in my juices; the oranges I got are a bit tart so a drop of liquid Stevia does the trick to lighten it up!
I've been WANTING certain foods again - have had a huge chocolate craving for the past 2 days. Might have something to do with making a lot of chocolate covered bananas the other day for one of my Thrivin' Edibles clients. I've also been wanting MEAT - when I'm in a store that has a deli area (like Whole Foods) I can just smell the meat and I WANT IT. I get out of the store fast!
I did a talk last night at the Kaleid Gallery in downtown San Jose about "Foods That Are Super"; my notes are below.
FOODS THAT ARE SUPER:
You’ve all heard of Super Foods, right? Goji Berries, Acai berries, Maca Powder. There are lots of them on the market now. And they are good for you. The ‘down’ side to them though, is this: They have a pretty big carbon footprint since they need to be shipped in from over a long distance for our consumption.
There are many foods that are more local to us, that you could get any day of the week that are SUPER for you.
Here are some easily attainable, low carbon footprint Foods that are Super!
First up: Vegetables:
Are you eating celery? Well, if so, you are eating one of the most hydrating vegetables on the planet. Celery is 94% water. According to Hippocrates (the father of medicine), celery calms the nerves and lowers high blood pressure – perhaps because of the high calcium content. It’s also high in good sodium; adding celery to a dish can help you eliminate the need to add salt.
Celery is good for your kidneys, and will help eliminate your body’s waste through the urine. The seeds, leaves and edible root of the plant can all be used. Celery is used in aromatherapy and other traditional ways of healing like Ayurveda.
It’s also easy on your waistline; celery has almost no calories!
Broccoli: Botanically, broccoli belongs to the cabbage family, collectively known as cruciferous vegetables. It’s very high in nutrition and comes close to milk in its calcium content. If you’re avoiding dairy, eat broccoli for calcium.
It’s also a powerhouse of other nutrients-maybe more than any other vegetable. It has Vitamin A and Vitamin C, folic acid and is a great source of fiber. Its phytochemicals – those nutrients that don’t fall into any other category of vitamin, mineral, carbohydrate or protein – help protect us again many cancers, in particular, colon cancer and prostate cancer.
You can shred it in coleslaw, chop it up in your salad, steam it or bake it.
Butternut Squash: Much more nutrient-dense than its summer squash cousins (zucchini), Butternut Squash is low in fat, and delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.
The folate content adds yet another boost to its heart-healthy reputation and helps guard against brain and spinal-cord-related birth defects such as spina bifida.
Squash's tangerine hue, however, signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease, breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a supporter of healthy lung development in fetuses and newborns.
In a 1-cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.
As if this weren't enough, butternut squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content. You can eat it raw in salads, or as a base for a living pasta dish, make a raw butternut squash soup, steam it or bake it.
Now for some SUPER FRUIT:
Lemon: Alkalizing and awakening! Lemon water is truly beneficial in any health care regimen. Lemon and water both have clarifying actions in your body. Both lemon and water help flush out toxins in your system. Although lemons are acidic, they are alkalizing in your body.
Most of the foods we eat are very acidic and too much acid can bring about a barrage of health problems. That's because your body actually prefers to be alkaline. That's why lemons are so important to consume. They help alkalize your blood and your body thanks you!
They also have an awakening affect on your body; the next time you feel tired, simply smell a lemon peel for 5-10 seconds, and then see how you feel afterwards!
Start your day with a glass of water and the juice of one lemon squeezed into it!
Blueberries: Do you know who Dr. Oz is? Well, blueberries are his favorite food for us. And here’s why: Blueberries contain more antioxidants than any other fruit. Those antioxidants go around and eat up the free radicals in your body that cause you to age fast. It’s also food for your brain – it particularly works on your memory and your exploratory behavior part of the brain. And, like cranberries, it’s really good for your bladder health.
And last, but definitely not least: Seeds:
First up: The ancient seed: Quinoa: This is a nutritionally dense alternative to brown rice or pasta. A 3/4-cup serving provides 15 grams of protein, 25 percent of your daily iron and magnesium needs, and 40 percent of your daily fiber requirement. It's also a rich source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin E. Not only is it a nutritional powerhouse, it’s noted for its tasty, nutty flavor that gives it an edge over other grains. You can sprout it (in about 6 hours - faster than any other seed), or steam it lightly, and serve it as a side dish with stir-fried veggies instead of rice. It’s a very robust grain.
Chia Seeds: These recently domesticated seeds are light in weight and pack a big punch in nutritional weight. It’s full of essential fatty acids, is the highest plant-based source of Omega 3s and is high in protein and fiber. This tiny little seed was used for centuries as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. Known as the running food, its use as a high energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It was said the Aztec warriors subsisted on the Chia seed during the conquests. The Indians of the south west would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24hr. forced march. Indians running from the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the Chia seed for their nourishment. You can add it to your breakfast, and I use it to make the CRUNCH in HuuRaw flaxseed chips that I make.
Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to humans, dating back to as early as 1600 BC. They are highly valued for their oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity. "Open sesame," the famous phrase from the Arabian Nights, reflects the distinguishing feature of the sesame seed pod, which bursts open when it reaches maturity. Sesame is a great source of copper, calcium and magnesium. Copper is great for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, calcium is great, as previously stated, for reducing high blood pressure and strengthening bones, it also helps prevent migraine headaches, PMS and protects against prostate cancer. Magnesium is one of those underrated minerals: it’s involved with every chemical process in your body! Tahini is sesame butter, and adds a wonderful nutty taste to recipes, and halvah is a Middle Eastern sweet that is made from sesame seeds.
Flaxseeds: Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries:.
Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC, These days flaxseed is found in all kinds of foods, from crackers to frozen waffles to oatmeal. In the first 11 months of 2006, 75 new products were launched that listed flax or flaxseed as an ingredient. Not only has consumer demand for flaxseed gone up, agricultural use has also increased -- to feed all those chickens laying eggs that are higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to its Omega 3 EFA. This is a good fat that promotes heart health, and directly feeds your brain.
AS AN ASIDE: My HuuRaw Bell Pepper/Lime Chips contain chia, sesame and flax seeds so you get a powerful SUPER FOR YOU punch of nutrition when you eat them!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Day 30:One month down, and 2 more to go
I've gotten a lot of good feedback about my juice feast/fast. I appreciate all your kind remarks and encouragement. It's not been hard, for the most part. I have wanted a variety of items to eat/drink over the course of the last month: 1 day it was a donut(!), another, an apple. A third day, I wanted coffee, and this past week, I've been craving something to chew. I am determined to complete this fast.
I saw my nutritionist, Joani, this past week, and through muscle testing, she determined I needed more protein, so am adding 1/4 cup of Hemp protein powder to one of my juices each day. That gives me 15 more grams of protein than what I was already getting. I'm also taking Vitamin B12 under my tongue each morning.
Today, I gave myself a CE and was a.m.a.z.e.d at the amount of solid waste STILL exiting my body. Really, I would've thought by now I'd be through with that. Joani also put me on a parasite release supplement - Paracid - and am taking that 3 times a day. She discovered I have giardiasos, and psittacosis. The giardiasos is in dirt, and water. The psittacosis is carried by birds, and I may have had that one a long time - my paternal grandparents had parakeets when I was a kid, and we were around them a lot. Am going to get food grade hydrogen peroxide this week, and that'll kill any bugs in the dirt that might be remaining on the veggies. Transmission of these two paracites is not possible human to human unless we get REALLY intimate...and I can tell you right now, we won't!
The weight I've released stays stable at about 21 pounds. I think the addition of the hemp has stabilized it, and I had 2 fruity juices this week. I've noticed when I add anything besides veggie juice to my bod (with the exception of lemon or lime juice), I don't release any weight. That's fine...cuz this week, I had one of my fruit juices with the juice of pears, grapefruit, orange and meyer lemon! OMG..it was SO good.
Still juicing celery as the base for my juices, adding carrots and other yummy stuff. This week, I added red potatoes to my juices as my nutritionist said that uncooked RED potatoes are a protein; cooking them turns them into carbohydrates! Isn't that amazing? I liked the taste but wasn't wild about the starch/glue-like feel in the juice. Bleck...I was adding 2 red potatoes; maybe I'll add one at a time, and see how that goes.
I have 4 clients at Thrivin' Edibles who are juicing with me; no one is doing the amount I am. However, it's fun to make the juice for all of us.
This is it for now. I'll be back again soon!
I saw my nutritionist, Joani, this past week, and through muscle testing, she determined I needed more protein, so am adding 1/4 cup of Hemp protein powder to one of my juices each day. That gives me 15 more grams of protein than what I was already getting. I'm also taking Vitamin B12 under my tongue each morning.
Today, I gave myself a CE and was a.m.a.z.e.d at the amount of solid waste STILL exiting my body. Really, I would've thought by now I'd be through with that. Joani also put me on a parasite release supplement - Paracid - and am taking that 3 times a day. She discovered I have giardiasos, and psittacosis. The giardiasos is in dirt, and water. The psittacosis is carried by birds, and I may have had that one a long time - my paternal grandparents had parakeets when I was a kid, and we were around them a lot. Am going to get food grade hydrogen peroxide this week, and that'll kill any bugs in the dirt that might be remaining on the veggies. Transmission of these two paracites is not possible human to human unless we get REALLY intimate...and I can tell you right now, we won't!
The weight I've released stays stable at about 21 pounds. I think the addition of the hemp has stabilized it, and I had 2 fruity juices this week. I've noticed when I add anything besides veggie juice to my bod (with the exception of lemon or lime juice), I don't release any weight. That's fine...cuz this week, I had one of my fruit juices with the juice of pears, grapefruit, orange and meyer lemon! OMG..it was SO good.
Still juicing celery as the base for my juices, adding carrots and other yummy stuff. This week, I added red potatoes to my juices as my nutritionist said that uncooked RED potatoes are a protein; cooking them turns them into carbohydrates! Isn't that amazing? I liked the taste but wasn't wild about the starch/glue-like feel in the juice. Bleck...I was adding 2 red potatoes; maybe I'll add one at a time, and see how that goes.
I have 4 clients at Thrivin' Edibles who are juicing with me; no one is doing the amount I am. However, it's fun to make the juice for all of us.
This is it for now. I'll be back again soon!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day 21: 3 weeks today and random reporting
Wow, the end of three weeks of juicing is today. Just 10 more weeks to go. It's easier and easier, to tell the truth, to juice, than eat. I've been reading others' blogs who've done this in the past, and that's been a common reaction. However, I will be eating again in April!
Yesterday, after a day of minimal juice (2 quarts, plus 2 quarts of water on Monday) I awoke WANTING something sweet, like a donut! I drank 5 quarts of veggie juice yesterday, in response, as I'm sure my craving came from not enough juice on Monday. As a note, I didn't drink much on Monday as I was not hungry nor interested in drinking much.
I'm trying - really - to listen to my body and give it what it wants.
I gave myself an enema yesterday - clear water, and 96 ounces of it, which is double the usual. I have coffee cold-steeping now, and will do a CE today to stimulate my liver, as I awoke with a headache. I have a new throw on my bed, so I may be responding to dye or other chemicals in the throw. The coffee with get my liver to detox faster.
Weight release: 21 lbs. It's interesting - I may go 4 or 5 days with no weightloss, and then drop 2-5 lbs.
A couple of days in the past week, I've experienced an intense 'metal' taste in my mouth. I did have cilantro last week a couple of time so that may be from it doing its job.
Yesterday, after a day of minimal juice (2 quarts, plus 2 quarts of water on Monday) I awoke WANTING something sweet, like a donut! I drank 5 quarts of veggie juice yesterday, in response, as I'm sure my craving came from not enough juice on Monday. As a note, I didn't drink much on Monday as I was not hungry nor interested in drinking much.
I'm trying - really - to listen to my body and give it what it wants.
I gave myself an enema yesterday - clear water, and 96 ounces of it, which is double the usual. I have coffee cold-steeping now, and will do a CE today to stimulate my liver, as I awoke with a headache. I have a new throw on my bed, so I may be responding to dye or other chemicals in the throw. The coffee with get my liver to detox faster.
Weight release: 21 lbs. It's interesting - I may go 4 or 5 days with no weightloss, and then drop 2-5 lbs.
A couple of days in the past week, I've experienced an intense 'metal' taste in my mouth. I did have cilantro last week a couple of time so that may be from it doing its job.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Day 17: 20 lbs. released
The cascara sagrada is doing its job...I'm still releasing solid waste. Yesterday's was pretty dark and malodorous, like it'd been fermenting for awhile. The skin on my entire body seems to have improved greatly, and my normally itchy scalp, isn't. I've released 20 lbs., and yesterday had on a pair of jeans that I hadn't worn in a long time..plus, they weren't tight!
After a day (Day 16) of not liking you all very much, yesterday was quite peaceful. I even went on a first date/slide by (as my friend, Rita, calls it - that first off Internet meet for coffee/tea/drink to see if we like each other in person kind of date) and it went well. I had some Ruby Chai tea..Rooibos tea with Chai spice. It was good. So was the date, Russ. Nice, tall, good looking, warm, smart man.
Yesterday, I drank 2 quarts of water with the juice of a Meyer lemon squeezed into each, 3 quarts of veggie juice (celery/carrot/Meyer lemon) and 2 cups of the aforementioned tea.
Today I have a large Thrivin' Edibles order to make for someone, so will head over to the kitchen around 10. Tomorrow, I have my Wrap and Roll class, so later this afternoon, I'll get all that put together.
Another peaceful day in a soaked paradise. We do need the rain....
And if you can, please make a contribution for the people of Haiti, at www.hopeforhaitinow.org. Thank you.
After a day (Day 16) of not liking you all very much, yesterday was quite peaceful. I even went on a first date/slide by (as my friend, Rita, calls it - that first off Internet meet for coffee/tea/drink to see if we like each other in person kind of date) and it went well. I had some Ruby Chai tea..Rooibos tea with Chai spice. It was good. So was the date, Russ. Nice, tall, good looking, warm, smart man.
Yesterday, I drank 2 quarts of water with the juice of a Meyer lemon squeezed into each, 3 quarts of veggie juice (celery/carrot/Meyer lemon) and 2 cups of the aforementioned tea.
Today I have a large Thrivin' Edibles order to make for someone, so will head over to the kitchen around 10. Tomorrow, I have my Wrap and Roll class, so later this afternoon, I'll get all that put together.
Another peaceful day in a soaked paradise. We do need the rain....
And if you can, please make a contribution for the people of Haiti, at www.hopeforhaitinow.org. Thank you.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Day 15: I'm melting!
The start of my third week, of 13.
I've now released 18 pounds. That seems amazing, and it's the same thing that happened when I first went raw. The excess weight just melted off.
Yesterday, I had 2.5 quarts of juice, and 2 quarts of Meyer lemon/water. I went to a health fair last night that was interesting. It was a great way to connect with other people who also have businesses that support people's well being.
Today, at 6 am, I had a quart of Meyer Lemon/Tangerine Water (juice of 1 lemon and 1 tangerine). Then I had 2 cups of celery juice straight, as I was juicing at 8 am. I had another cup of celery juice about 2 hours later.
At noon, I had a quart of juice made from: celery, carrots, tomato, sweet potato, kale, Meyer Lemon and fresh coconut water. It was SUPER yummy!
I've noted that I'm pretty irritated with people this afternoon; I feel edgy. I'm keeping to myself for the rest of the day so I don't get it all over other people.
Physical changes: No more furry teeth! Feels good. And I had 'sleep' in only one eye today, when I woke up. I seem to be tossing and turning less, as I hardly had to brush my hair when I got up too. Am still sleeping 7 hours a night, as an average. I love that.
I'm drinking a quart of celery/carrot/Meyer lemon juice now, and will have another quart of juice before I go to bed tonight.
That is all for today.
I've now released 18 pounds. That seems amazing, and it's the same thing that happened when I first went raw. The excess weight just melted off.
Yesterday, I had 2.5 quarts of juice, and 2 quarts of Meyer lemon/water. I went to a health fair last night that was interesting. It was a great way to connect with other people who also have businesses that support people's well being.
Today, at 6 am, I had a quart of Meyer Lemon/Tangerine Water (juice of 1 lemon and 1 tangerine). Then I had 2 cups of celery juice straight, as I was juicing at 8 am. I had another cup of celery juice about 2 hours later.
At noon, I had a quart of juice made from: celery, carrots, tomato, sweet potato, kale, Meyer Lemon and fresh coconut water. It was SUPER yummy!
I've noted that I'm pretty irritated with people this afternoon; I feel edgy. I'm keeping to myself for the rest of the day so I don't get it all over other people.
Physical changes: No more furry teeth! Feels good. And I had 'sleep' in only one eye today, when I woke up. I seem to be tossing and turning less, as I hardly had to brush my hair when I got up too. Am still sleeping 7 hours a night, as an average. I love that.
I'm drinking a quart of celery/carrot/Meyer lemon juice now, and will have another quart of juice before I go to bed tonight.
That is all for today.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Day 13: What about protein?
Today, I drank:
A quart of water at 6 am
A Quart of veggie juice (celery/carrot/fennel) at 7 am
A quart of 1/2 orange juice, 1/2 water at 10 am
A quart of Veggie juice (see above) at 1 pm
A quart of Veggie Juice (as above) at 3 pm
A quart of Veggie Juice (celery/carrot/CILANTRO!!!) at 5 pm.
I'll drink another quart or 2 of water before bed.
I took 2 cascara sagrada today and a few hours later, my body expelled as much solid waste as a normal eating day! Amazing..and I'm not eating. I'll do a CE tomorrow to stimulate my liver and expel more.
Now, about protein. I've done a lot of research on the raw vegan way of eating since I was turned on to raw vegan food in February, 2006. The biggest misconception is the one that vegans don't get enough protein. That may be true for vegans who eat cooked food. Here's what Brigitte Mars, a long time vegetarian turned vegan, who's studied nutrition in general for many decades and raw veganism since 2001, has to say. I use her writings as they are the most elegant and easy to understand. This is long, with a prelude about cooking preceding the information about proteins. Note: Items in italics are added by me.
"Proteins start breaking down under the application of heat. According to studies in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Nutritional Research, well-cooked proteins have only 50% bioavailability. Proteins start becoming denatured. [from Wikipedia: Denaturation is a process in which proteins or nucleic acids lose their tertiary structure and secondary structure by application of some external stress or compound, such as a strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solvent (e.g., alcohol or chloroform), or heat. If proteins in a living cell are denatured, this results in disruption of cell activity and possibly cell death. Denatured proteins can exhibit a wide range of characteristics, from loss of solubility to communal aggregation.] Denatured proteins are not usable by the body and have been linked to disorders including heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Cooking coagulates the proteins [e.g., raw egg white to cooked egg white] and causes them to become deaminated. [Deamination is the process by which amino acids are broken down when too much protein has been taken in. The amino group is removed from the amino acid and converted to ammonia. The rest of the amino acid is made up of mostly carbon and hydrogen, and is recycled or oxidized for energy. Ammonia is toxic to the human system, and enzymes convert it to urea or uric acid by addition of carbon dioxide molecules (which is not considered a deamination process) in the urea cycle, which also takes place in the liver. Urea and uric acid can safely diffuse into the blood and then be excreted in urine.] The amino acids lysine and glutamine are both destroyed by cooking; and when the amino acid methionine is heated, it begins to inhibit the production of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying molecule in red blood cells).
When greens that are high in oxalic acid (beet greens, collard greens, rhubarb stalks, Swiss chard, lamb’s quarter, purslane, sorrel, and spinach) are cooked, the oxalic acid combines with calcium, iron, and magnesium; over the long term, ingesting cooked oxalic acid impedes the absorption of calcium and iron by the body. When oxalic acid is consumed in raw rather than cooked foods, however, this effect is minimalized.
Cooking damages fats, changing them into trans-fatty acids that impede cellular respiration and that can be a factor in heart disease and cancer. When heated, the fats in oils adversely affect the skin, leading to clogged pores, acne, and eczema. Excessive use of cooked oils also causes craving for stimulants like alcohol and caffeine and can lead one to feel unclean, depressed and heavy.
Cooking softens food fibers, which can hamper intentional motility. Cooked fibers become demagnetized and leave a slimy coating on the intestines. In fact, you are more likely to have gas, heartburn, and bloating after a cooked meal than after a raw one. Cooked carbohydrates become carmelized and dextrinized [sugared], and are known to increase body weight.
A diet of cooked foods requires the body to devote more energy toward digestion and elimination. When you eat cooked foods, you are more likely to feel fatigued, groggy, and hungry the next morning. The eliminative system (the pores, lungs, kidneys, and bowels) becomes congested and overworked, leading to states of disease. Because cooking depletes the nutrients in foods, it is more difficult to feel satisfied by eating them; therefore, overeating and obesity become the norm.
Eating cooked food causes an immediate increase in white blood cell production and causes a pathogenic leukocytosis. In addition, after a typical cooked-foods meal, red blood cells tend to clump together. When the clumps reach the capillaries (where blood from the arteries delivers oxygen to the body’s cells and enters the veins), circulation in these tiny vessels becomes clogged.
On June 28, 2002, The Washington Post reported on a Swedish study finding that acrylamide, a chemical known to cause cancer in animals and listed by the world Health Organization as a probable carcinogen in humans, is produced in foods when certain combinations of fats and carbohydrates (such as a mixture of French fries and potato chips) are heated to temperatures greater than 248 degrees Fahrenheit. ‘We found the substance at levels [in these foods] that, if it was just one product, we would ask that it be immediately taken off the market,’ stated Leif Bush, head of the Research and Development Department of the Swedish National Food Administration. Raw and boiled foods, on the other hand, were found not to contain acrylamide.
The free radicals, toxins, and loss of nutrients that result from cooking contribute to aging, bloating, depression, weight gain, cellulite, hair loss, wrinkles, anxiety, and puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.
Getting enough PROTEIN:
“We’ve been trained to recognize meats, eggs, and dairy products as good sources of protein. However, protein can also be found in many plant-source foods – and some of these foods contain more protein than any food of animal origin.
Proteins are made of amino acids, and 22 amino acids are known to be necessary for our physiological health. Eight of these amino acids are termed ‘essential,’ because they cannot be produced in the human body and must instead be consumed through the diet. Protein is necessary for tissue growth and repair as well as the formation of blood cells, antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Protein provides the body with energy and plays a role in the body’s balancing of water and electrolytes.
While it is imperative to have protein in the diet, it is also important not to overdo it. Excess protein can overload the lymphatic system’s ability to cleanse itself. A diet that is excessively rich in protein can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, gout, kidney, osteoporosis, and liver and prostate disorders. Studies at the Max Planck Institute for National research [in Germany] have found that too much protein in the diet -- even if only a small excess – can decrease the body’s ability to transport oxygen, and lack of oxygen is thought to be a contributing factor in the development of cancer.
The amino acids in protein start becoming destroyed at 118 degrees Fahrenheit and are almost completely destroyed by 160 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of food, this means that cooking causes food proteins to coagulate and become denatured, making them less digestible and more likely to produce inflammation. In fact, cooking food to a temperature just under 200 degrees Fahrenheit causes leukocytosis, a condition wherein leukocytes (white blood cells that attack foreign substances) are called in to help with digestion. After the consumption of a meal including cooked protein, white blood cell levels increase by as much as 600%. This immune system response indicates that the body, in striving to maintain homeostasis, is recognizing components of cooked food as invaders that must be neutralized.
Because cooked proteins are at least partially denatured, food that is cooked provides the body with much less protein than the same food in its raw state. As cooked food is predominant in our culture, protein-intake recommendations (currently hovering around 70 grams a day) tend to be based on cooked rather than raw food. But researchers at the Max Planck Institute have found that when protein is consumed in its raw state, a person needs only half as much as when protein is consumed after being cooked. In other words, instead of eating 70 grams of cooked protein a day, you can eat 35 grams of raw protein and still meet your nutritional needs.
Proteins that contain all eight essential amino acids are called complete proteins.
These are found in foods including:
• Alfalfa leaf
• Buckwheat
• Clover blossoms
• Fruits (most of them
• Garbanzo beans
• Leafy green vegetables
• Lentils
• Millet
• Mung beans
• Nuts (except hazelnuts/filberts)
• Pumpkin seeds
• Quinoa
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Soy foods [from Patti: which I recommend against eating]
Other good protein sources include:
• Avocados
• Blue green algae
• Beans
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbages
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Coconut
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Hemp seeds
• Melons
• Okra
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Parsley
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peas
• Peppers
• Spirulina
• Sprouts
• Sting beans
• Summer squash
• Sun-dried olives
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnip greens
• Watercress
• Zucchini
Generally speaking, vegetables have a higher percentage of protein per caloric content than nuts, and nuts have a higher percentage of protein per caloric content than fruits, but there are exceptions to these generalizations, of course.
Here are some examples of the amount of protein in foods according to their total caloric content:
Almonds 12%
Broccoli 46%
Buckwheat 15%
Cabbage 22%
Honeydew melon 16%
Kale 45%
Pumpkin 15%
Spinach 49%
Walnuts 13%
Watercress 84%
Zucchini 28%"
FROM PATTI: An ounce of tri-tip, which is super-lean, cooked, has 25% protein.
I hope this answers your questions about protein and vegans. Let me know if you have any others, or if you have comments. Thank you.
A quart of water at 6 am
A Quart of veggie juice (celery/carrot/fennel) at 7 am
A quart of 1/2 orange juice, 1/2 water at 10 am
A quart of Veggie juice (see above) at 1 pm
A quart of Veggie Juice (as above) at 3 pm
A quart of Veggie Juice (celery/carrot/CILANTRO!!!) at 5 pm.
I'll drink another quart or 2 of water before bed.
I took 2 cascara sagrada today and a few hours later, my body expelled as much solid waste as a normal eating day! Amazing..and I'm not eating. I'll do a CE tomorrow to stimulate my liver and expel more.
Now, about protein. I've done a lot of research on the raw vegan way of eating since I was turned on to raw vegan food in February, 2006. The biggest misconception is the one that vegans don't get enough protein. That may be true for vegans who eat cooked food. Here's what Brigitte Mars, a long time vegetarian turned vegan, who's studied nutrition in general for many decades and raw veganism since 2001, has to say. I use her writings as they are the most elegant and easy to understand. This is long, with a prelude about cooking preceding the information about proteins. Note: Items in italics are added by me.
"Proteins start breaking down under the application of heat. According to studies in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Nutritional Research, well-cooked proteins have only 50% bioavailability. Proteins start becoming denatured. [from Wikipedia: Denaturation is a process in which proteins or nucleic acids lose their tertiary structure and secondary structure by application of some external stress or compound, such as a strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solvent (e.g., alcohol or chloroform), or heat. If proteins in a living cell are denatured, this results in disruption of cell activity and possibly cell death. Denatured proteins can exhibit a wide range of characteristics, from loss of solubility to communal aggregation.] Denatured proteins are not usable by the body and have been linked to disorders including heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Cooking coagulates the proteins [e.g., raw egg white to cooked egg white] and causes them to become deaminated. [Deamination is the process by which amino acids are broken down when too much protein has been taken in. The amino group is removed from the amino acid and converted to ammonia. The rest of the amino acid is made up of mostly carbon and hydrogen, and is recycled or oxidized for energy. Ammonia is toxic to the human system, and enzymes convert it to urea or uric acid by addition of carbon dioxide molecules (which is not considered a deamination process) in the urea cycle, which also takes place in the liver. Urea and uric acid can safely diffuse into the blood and then be excreted in urine.] The amino acids lysine and glutamine are both destroyed by cooking; and when the amino acid methionine is heated, it begins to inhibit the production of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying molecule in red blood cells).
When greens that are high in oxalic acid (beet greens, collard greens, rhubarb stalks, Swiss chard, lamb’s quarter, purslane, sorrel, and spinach) are cooked, the oxalic acid combines with calcium, iron, and magnesium; over the long term, ingesting cooked oxalic acid impedes the absorption of calcium and iron by the body. When oxalic acid is consumed in raw rather than cooked foods, however, this effect is minimalized.
Cooking damages fats, changing them into trans-fatty acids that impede cellular respiration and that can be a factor in heart disease and cancer. When heated, the fats in oils adversely affect the skin, leading to clogged pores, acne, and eczema. Excessive use of cooked oils also causes craving for stimulants like alcohol and caffeine and can lead one to feel unclean, depressed and heavy.
Cooking softens food fibers, which can hamper intentional motility. Cooked fibers become demagnetized and leave a slimy coating on the intestines. In fact, you are more likely to have gas, heartburn, and bloating after a cooked meal than after a raw one. Cooked carbohydrates become carmelized and dextrinized [sugared], and are known to increase body weight.
A diet of cooked foods requires the body to devote more energy toward digestion and elimination. When you eat cooked foods, you are more likely to feel fatigued, groggy, and hungry the next morning. The eliminative system (the pores, lungs, kidneys, and bowels) becomes congested and overworked, leading to states of disease. Because cooking depletes the nutrients in foods, it is more difficult to feel satisfied by eating them; therefore, overeating and obesity become the norm.
Eating cooked food causes an immediate increase in white blood cell production and causes a pathogenic leukocytosis. In addition, after a typical cooked-foods meal, red blood cells tend to clump together. When the clumps reach the capillaries (where blood from the arteries delivers oxygen to the body’s cells and enters the veins), circulation in these tiny vessels becomes clogged.
On June 28, 2002, The Washington Post reported on a Swedish study finding that acrylamide, a chemical known to cause cancer in animals and listed by the world Health Organization as a probable carcinogen in humans, is produced in foods when certain combinations of fats and carbohydrates (such as a mixture of French fries and potato chips) are heated to temperatures greater than 248 degrees Fahrenheit. ‘We found the substance at levels [in these foods] that, if it was just one product, we would ask that it be immediately taken off the market,’ stated Leif Bush, head of the Research and Development Department of the Swedish National Food Administration. Raw and boiled foods, on the other hand, were found not to contain acrylamide.
The free radicals, toxins, and loss of nutrients that result from cooking contribute to aging, bloating, depression, weight gain, cellulite, hair loss, wrinkles, anxiety, and puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.
Getting enough PROTEIN:
“We’ve been trained to recognize meats, eggs, and dairy products as good sources of protein. However, protein can also be found in many plant-source foods – and some of these foods contain more protein than any food of animal origin.
Proteins are made of amino acids, and 22 amino acids are known to be necessary for our physiological health. Eight of these amino acids are termed ‘essential,’ because they cannot be produced in the human body and must instead be consumed through the diet. Protein is necessary for tissue growth and repair as well as the formation of blood cells, antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Protein provides the body with energy and plays a role in the body’s balancing of water and electrolytes.
While it is imperative to have protein in the diet, it is also important not to overdo it. Excess protein can overload the lymphatic system’s ability to cleanse itself. A diet that is excessively rich in protein can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, gout, kidney, osteoporosis, and liver and prostate disorders. Studies at the Max Planck Institute for National research [in Germany] have found that too much protein in the diet -- even if only a small excess – can decrease the body’s ability to transport oxygen, and lack of oxygen is thought to be a contributing factor in the development of cancer.
The amino acids in protein start becoming destroyed at 118 degrees Fahrenheit and are almost completely destroyed by 160 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of food, this means that cooking causes food proteins to coagulate and become denatured, making them less digestible and more likely to produce inflammation. In fact, cooking food to a temperature just under 200 degrees Fahrenheit causes leukocytosis, a condition wherein leukocytes (white blood cells that attack foreign substances) are called in to help with digestion. After the consumption of a meal including cooked protein, white blood cell levels increase by as much as 600%. This immune system response indicates that the body, in striving to maintain homeostasis, is recognizing components of cooked food as invaders that must be neutralized.
Because cooked proteins are at least partially denatured, food that is cooked provides the body with much less protein than the same food in its raw state. As cooked food is predominant in our culture, protein-intake recommendations (currently hovering around 70 grams a day) tend to be based on cooked rather than raw food. But researchers at the Max Planck Institute have found that when protein is consumed in its raw state, a person needs only half as much as when protein is consumed after being cooked. In other words, instead of eating 70 grams of cooked protein a day, you can eat 35 grams of raw protein and still meet your nutritional needs.
Proteins that contain all eight essential amino acids are called complete proteins.
These are found in foods including:
• Alfalfa leaf
• Buckwheat
• Clover blossoms
• Fruits (most of them
• Garbanzo beans
• Leafy green vegetables
• Lentils
• Millet
• Mung beans
• Nuts (except hazelnuts/filberts)
• Pumpkin seeds
• Quinoa
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Soy foods [from Patti: which I recommend against eating]
Other good protein sources include:
• Avocados
• Blue green algae
• Beans
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbages
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Coconut
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Hemp seeds
• Melons
• Okra
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Parsley
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peas
• Peppers
• Spirulina
• Sprouts
• Sting beans
• Summer squash
• Sun-dried olives
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnip greens
• Watercress
• Zucchini
Generally speaking, vegetables have a higher percentage of protein per caloric content than nuts, and nuts have a higher percentage of protein per caloric content than fruits, but there are exceptions to these generalizations, of course.
Here are some examples of the amount of protein in foods according to their total caloric content:
Almonds 12%
Broccoli 46%
Buckwheat 15%
Cabbage 22%
Honeydew melon 16%
Kale 45%
Pumpkin 15%
Spinach 49%
Walnuts 13%
Watercress 84%
Zucchini 28%"
FROM PATTI: An ounce of tri-tip, which is super-lean, cooked, has 25% protein.
I hope this answers your questions about protein and vegans. Let me know if you have any others, or if you have comments. Thank you.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Day 12: More physical changes
My citrus juice drinking seems to be working. I have a little bit of a runny nose, and a slight sore throat, but noting else. I continued to drink freshly squeezed citrus juice, that was just picked this week. Today I started to dilute it as the sugar rush is a bit much.
For today, I drank:
6 am: 1 quart of water
6:30 am: 1 quart of celery/carrot/tomato juice.
8 am: 2 cups coconut water
10:30 am: 1 quart celery/carrot/red pepper/tomato/scallion/key lime jice.
2 pm: 1 quart juice
5 pm: 1 quart water
8 pm: 1 quart 1/2 water, 1/2 orange juice.
I started taking cascara sagrada today. It's a stimulant for the peristalsis action of the digestive track. My body is releasing more solid waste. According to the plan I am loosely following, I'll do enemas every 3-4 days, and take the cascara sagrada until day 40.
More physical changes:
An ingrown eyebrow, that has been a lump in my eyebrow for months has completely disappeared, and the dark discoloration of the area (from me trying to dig out the eyebrow) is lightening.
Pimple-like bumps on my legs, which are not pimples, are starting to pop out of their casings, and heal.
I didn't use a hair dressing on my hair today as I forgot, and my hair didn't frizz. Despite the intense humidity we're experiencing here in California.
Tomorrow I'll write about protein intake; I've had a lot of questions about that issue.
stay tuned!
For today, I drank:
6 am: 1 quart of water
6:30 am: 1 quart of celery/carrot/tomato juice.
8 am: 2 cups coconut water
10:30 am: 1 quart celery/carrot/red pepper/tomato/scallion/key lime jice.
2 pm: 1 quart juice
5 pm: 1 quart water
8 pm: 1 quart 1/2 water, 1/2 orange juice.
I started taking cascara sagrada today. It's a stimulant for the peristalsis action of the digestive track. My body is releasing more solid waste. According to the plan I am loosely following, I'll do enemas every 3-4 days, and take the cascara sagrada until day 40.
More physical changes:
An ingrown eyebrow, that has been a lump in my eyebrow for months has completely disappeared, and the dark discoloration of the area (from me trying to dig out the eyebrow) is lightening.
Pimple-like bumps on my legs, which are not pimples, are starting to pop out of their casings, and heal.
I didn't use a hair dressing on my hair today as I forgot, and my hair didn't frizz. Despite the intense humidity we're experiencing here in California.
Tomorrow I'll write about protein intake; I've had a lot of questions about that issue.
stay tuned!
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