BEAUTIFYING FOODS
“Inner Beauty Creates Outer Beauty”
Recall from the Introduction:
The major theme is that physical beauty is a function of inner cleanliness; it is a function of having healthy skin, hair, nails, and internal connective tissue elastically grown from ideal raw foods containing high concentrations of the minerals sulfur, silicon, zinc, iron, and manganese. Maintaining the proper acid/alkaline pH balance in the body is a major element of this book. Another theme involves becoming parasite-free by eating foods and herbs that flush out parasites. Raw antioxidant compounds and foods (especially those containing vitamins A, C, and E) that help delay or slow free-radical damage to cells and tissues (thus creating lasting youth) are thematically referenced. Natural anti-inflammatory foods and food compounds that prevent or reverse facial puffiness are also thematically mentioned throughout these pages.
To clarify and summarize the importance of the themes in this book, the beautifying foods all possess one or more of the following qualities:
*. High concentrations of the minerals sulfur, silicon, zinc, iron and/or manganese
*. An alkaline reaction in the body
*. Anti-parasitical effects
*. High levels of antioxidants (especially vitamins A, C, and E)
*. Anti-inflammatory properties
The beautifying foods cultivate a renewed charm and charisma. They add to one’s inner and outer beauty. Mineral-rich, nutrient-dense beauty foods are nature’s best cosmetics.
This list of beautifying foods is by no means complete. The beautifying properties of foods are always being discovered. Other foods may be added later; this list represents my current understanding of beauty foods.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a perennial succulent that likely originated in the tropics of Africa and was transferred to the Western hemisphere in the sixteenth century. It grows in a wide range of climates and seems to do best in tropical and sub-tropical conditions. In temperate climates it grows best indoors as a houseplant.
Legend has it that Cleopatra attributed her great beauty to the practice of massaging fresh aloe vera gel onto her skin each day. Another legend relates that Alexander the Great invaded Egypt and Africa in order to capture aloe vera, which he believed to be a food of perpetual youth and rapid healing. Aloe was used by the Greeks and Romans to help quickly heal wounds.
Another legendary story indicates that the Essenes living in the area of the Dead Sea during and before the time of the Roman Empire grew exceptionally powerful aloe vera using Dead Sea salts and their extracts as part of their growth medium. I have personally done this and the results have been extraordinary.
Fresh aloe vera gel, when applied topically, assists in the healing of sunburns and other burns faster than any other substance. This is probably due to the high concentration of MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane) and polysaccharides that aloe vera contains.
Aloe gel is also helpful with dry skin conditions. Undoubtedly, it is the best emollient on Earth. When rubbed into the face, it provides a “face-lift” in thirty minutes as the skin seems to be pulled tighter with more firmness.
The anti-inflammatory power of aloe vera in acute inflammation is one of its best-known actions. It contains plant steroids, polysaccharides, and salicylic acid (a close relative of aspirin), which help exert the anti-inflammatory effect.
How to Use Aloe Vera
Each leaf should be sliced and filleted to expose the healing inner gel. The gel may then be eaten or used topically as a “lotion.” To create a wonderful beauty tonic, blend the gel with orange or papaya juice.
How to Select Aloe Vera
Select aloe vera that is juicy and plump with gel. The larger leaves tend to be easier to use. My experience has been that aloe with a more yellow gel has greater skin-tightening effects. Preferentially choose outdoor aloe vera, as it will retain a high concentration of MSM absorbed from rain.
Arugula
Arugula (also known as “rocket” in the United Kingdom) is a Mediterranean-type of cruciferous green-leafy vegetable that grows so pervasively in the wild that it was not cultivated until recent years. The leaves are somewhat dandelion-like in shape and have an appetizing yet spicy flavor that is peppery and reminiscent of other foods in the mustard family. Like watercress, arugula is richer than a typical green-leafy vegetable yet less rich than a strong herb. Widely used as a salad green in southern Europe, arugula has quickly grown popular in health-food stores all across North America.
Arugula has a strong, spicy flavor. It is seemingly eaten by more women than men, earning it the title of “queen of the cruciferous vegetables.”
Nutrition
Arugula is highly alkaline and neutralizes acidic waste products throughout the blood and lymphatic system. As a cruciferous vegetable, arugula ranks high in sulfur and beta-carotene (vitamin A).
The cruciferous vegetables are one of the best sources of beta-carotene. This is beneficial because beta-carotene protects the nucleus of each cell from radiation. Thus it protects the skin from sun damage. Beta-carotene also helps to inhibit acne. It helps fight topical infections and cancer. In combination with zinc and sulfur, beta-carotene creates healthy hair.
Arugula also contains: dithiolthiones, a group of anti-cancer and antioxidant substances; indoles, a group of substances that protect against colon and breast cancer; and, of course, sulfurous mustard oils that have beautifying as well as antibiotic and anti-viral effects.
Because of its high sulfur content, arugula is an excellent internal skin cleanser and liver purifier.
How to Select Arugula
When selecting arugula in the store, look for strong, vigorous, fresh-picked bunches. Avoid weak or wilted leaves.
Arugula is easy to grow and tastes best when picked before the plant flowers and goes to seed. To harvest arugula, simply pick the young leaves and the plant will keep regrowing new ones for months. Older leaves are a bit tougher and spicier. Drought-affected plants will typically be smaller and spicier.
I urge you to seek out wild arugula whenever possible. I particularly enjoy the wild arugula growing all over North America.
How to Eat Arugula
Arugula makes an excellent addition to any salad. Arugula combines well with other green vegetables. If you can get them, pick up some arugula flowers. They are small (the size of a fingernail), broccoli-like, and may be used in salads for a light, peppery flavor. Mixing arugula in a salad with avocados and olive oil tends to calm the leaves’ spicy elements.
Burdock Root
Burdock probably originated in Siberia. It now grows all over the world as a common weed. The root of this plant is somewhat like a carrot, yet more mucilaginous, thinner in shape, and a bit juicier (especially when picked fresh). The root is brown on the outside and white on the inside.
Burdock root has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine (the ancient healing system of India) to alleviate skin challenges such as rashes, acne, abscesses, local skin infections, eczema, and psoriasis. Ayurvedic philosophy considers burdock root to be one of nature’s great skin cleansers and blood purifiers.
Similarly, burdock root is part of the Native American-derived, cancer-fighting Essiac tea formula. Advocates of this formula (of which I am one) generally regard burdock root as one of nature’s best blood purifiers.
Burdock root is very concentrated in both vitamins (B1, B2, B3, C) and beauty minerals (iron, manganese, silicon, and zinc). It is balanced between quantities of calcium and phosphorus, making it neutral in pH (a good characteristic for a root, as most roots, such as the potato, are acid-forming).
Herbalists often talk of the Doctrine of Signatures (through which foods look, feel, and taste like what they heal). The taste of burdock is almost slightly metallic, like blood, indicating its efficacy in that area. Its phallic shape indicates aphrodisiac qualities. In China, burdock is considered an aphrodisiac.
I consider burdock root an excellent beautifier of the teeth. This characteristic probably corresponds to its brilliant white inner flesh. It also correlates with its high mineral content.
Burdock root is a nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory food. It is great for alleviating inflammatory conditions, especially those associated with psoriasis.
Burdock root improves digestion, stimulates digestive juices, and increases bile flow and kidney function. Burdock root contains the compound inulin, which is a great food source for probiotics (friendly intestinal bacteria).
The leaves of the burdock plant can be mashed and applied to stings produced by stinging nettles. This will alleviate the sting in minutes.
I usually recommend that people start acclimating to the taste of burdock root by including it in their fresh juices. It is different and actually tastes quite good. A good juice to start with is:
Apple, Celery, Burdock Root Juice
2 apples
4 ribs of celery
1 burdock root
Run all ingredients through a juicer.
How to Select Burdock Root
Select burdock roots that are crisp and somewhat stiff. If burdock is flimsy, it has lost its vitality.
For those who have a garden, burdock root is easy to grow, especially in temperate climates. If you grow your own burdock and have an excess, you can thinly slice and dry the roots. These dried roots can be powdered and eaten, or they may be utilized for teas.
Coconuts and Coconut Oil
Young Coconuts
Coconut palms are prehistoric plants that are distantly related to grasses. In Sanskrit (the language of ancient India), the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning “the tree that supplies all that is needed to live.”
Exactly where coconut palms originated is unknown, but a few scholars in this field suggest it was the Philippines. These islands have the densest population of coconut palm trees anywhere that I have personally visited and seen.
Coconuts can survive many months floating at sea. As described by Plato, coconuts existed in ancient Atlantis. They were carried by ancient mariners throughout the world. Elaborate computer simulations of ocean currents and drift show that humans had to carry coconuts to America. They were on the southwest coast of Mexico when the Spanish arrived there, and coconuts palms were cultivated in all Mayan lands.
Moreover, there was a great number of elephants in the island - and the fruits having a hard rind, affording drinks - All these things they received from the earth, and they employed themselves in constructing their temples, palaces, harbors, and docks.
Coconuts Can Save Your Life
Coconuts are one of the greatest gifts on this planet. No matter where you are, what you have done, how much you have mistreated your body, fresh young coconuts and coconut oil can save your life.
The coconut is a natural water filter that takes almost nine months to filter each liter (quart) of water in the shell. To get there, the water levitates upward through innumerable fibers that purify it before it ends up in the sterile nut. This clear coconut water is one of the highest sources of electrolytes found in nature.
Young coconut water is identical to human blood plasma, making it the universal donor. Plasma makes up 55% of human blood. The remaining 45% of our blood consists of hemoglobin, which is essentially transformed plant blood (chlorophyll). When we consume a drink consisting of 55% fresh coconut water and 45% fresh green-leaf juice, we give ourselves an instant blood transfusion.
Coconuts in their young stage of growth are the most health-enhancing. In their youth, they contain a soft “spoon meat.” This meat consists mostly of a pure, raw saturated fat. This soft “spoon meat” has the most remarkable ability to rejuvenate oxidative tissue damage, improve the functioning of the nervous system, and restore male sexual fluids.
Whenever we are in tropical countries, we should drink and eat at least three or four young coconuts each day. In North America and Europe, young Thai coconuts are available in Asian markets. These are not as optimal as the wild tropical coconuts (e.g., growing in Hawaii and Mexico) but are still quite good and work especially well as a base for smoothies.
Thai coconuts, like most imported coconuts, have been shaved down from their original size and shape. In Asian markets, these plastic-wrapped young white coconuts are easy to recognize because they are flat on one side, cylindrical around the edges, and conical on top. When purchasing these, seek out the newest coconuts that have come into the market. Any mold or moisture underneath the plastic indicates that the nut is spoiled.
The brown, hairy coconuts most people are familiar with are mature coconuts. They can contain a good quality of coconut water (not always), yet the flesh is hard and fibrous, unlike the soft meat of the youthful stage. The fibrous and protein-rich meat is less tasty and not as digestible, even though it contains one of the most healing fat substances yet known. Select brown hairy coconuts by looking at the three holes on one side of the coconut. If there is mold on any of the three holes, select another one. Choose coconuts free of mold.
Coconut Oil
The challenge with mature coconuts is that they contain a high quantity of coarse protein and fiber (three times as much fiber as vegetables), which surrounds the nourishing, cleansing coconut oil. This is solved by cold-pressing the healing fat/oil out of the fiber, thus concentrating its essence into a butter.
Coconut oil (sometimes called coconut butter) is derived from mature coconuts containing hardened white flesh. The white flesh is shredded and collected. In a cold-pressing process, the shredded coconut is pressed at 90–100 degrees Fahrenheit (32–38 degrees Celsius). The oil is melted, pressed out, and collected to create a concentrated essence of coconut called coconut oil.
For clarity, there is no major difference between a fat and an oil; the terms are used interchangeably. However, in the way I use the words, a fat remains a solid at room temperature, while an oil remains a liquid at room temperature. Coconut oil and coconut butter are actually the same thing. Creamy white coconut butter becomes a clear oil when it is warmed above 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). When in a liquid form, it is called coconut oil.
Coconut oil has been used as a food and medicine since the dawn of history. Ayurveda (the medicine of India) and the medicinal systems of Polynesia have long advocated its therapeutic and cosmetic properties.
Unlike the high-calorie, cholesterol-soaked, long-chain, saturated animal fats found in meat and dairy products, coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly. By weight, coconut oil has less calories than any other fat source.
Medium Chain Fatty Acids — (MCFAs)
Fats are chains of carbon atoms (of varying lengths) surrounded by various quantities of hydrogen. The arrangement of hydrogen around a carbon chain determines its saturation. The more hydrogen, the more saturation and the more stable the molecule.
The length of the carbon chain in fat determines many of its properties. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but it consists primarily of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) eight to twelve carbon atoms in length. Some saturated fatty acids in meats, for example, range in length from fourteen to twenty-four carbon atoms, while some of those in urine, butter, and vinegar range in length from two to six carbon atoms in length.
The MCFAs in coconut oil possess incredible health-giving properties. The shorter MCFA chains require less energy and fewer enzymes to digest. In most people, coconut oil can be emulsified during digestion without burdening the liver or gall bladder. Thus, coconut oil provides more energy more quickly than other fat sources. Many individuals who suffer from poor digestion—and especially liver or gall bladder trouble—would benefit from eating coconut oil rather than other oils.
MCFA
Immune System-Enhancing Properties. Coconut oil contains the following MCFAs:
Caprylic acid (C-8)
Capric acid (C-10)
Lauric acid (C-12)
Myristic acid (C-14)
All these demonstrate anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties. Lauric acid has the greatest anti-viral activity. Caprylic acid is the most potent yeast-fighting substance.
MCFAs disrupt the lipid membranes of viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. Lipid-coated viruses and bacteria contain lipids in their membranes that are similar to those in MCFAs. MCFAs confuse microbes and viruses because they can no longer calibrate the location of their membranes in the presence of coconut oil. This causes them to spill their genetic contents and become easy prey for white blood cells to consume.
Those who suffer from candida or other fungal conditions can benefit from coconut oil. Some forms of psoriasis are actually skin infections caused by a fungus. These can be helped by using coconut oil topically.
Cholesterol
Most pieces of information relating to saturated fat and cholesterol circulating in the mass media are inaccurate. Saturated fats have been the target of a host of hostile propaganda. This propaganda claims that saturated fats lead to clogging of the arteries, when, in reality, arterial plaque consists of cooked unsaturated fat, bad calcium, and foreign cholesterol (derived from eating animal products).
Coconut oil contains no cholesterol and actually helps to lower cholesterol levels. It outperforms cold-pressed olive oil in this regard. People from coconut-eating cultures in the tropics have consistently lower cholesterol levels than people in the U.S.
The cholesterol-lowering properties of coconut oil are a direct result of its ability to stimulate thyroid function. In the presence of adequate thyroid hormone, cholesterol (specifically LDL cholesterol) is converted by enzymatic processes to necessary anti-aging steroids, progesterone, DHEA, and pregnenolone. These substances are required to help prevent heart disease, senility, obesity, cancer, and other diseases associated with aging and degeneration.
In his books, Dr. Raymond Peat (a leading researcher in the field of hormones) details how coconut oil, when added regularly to a balanced diet, lowers cholesterol to normal by promoting its conversion into pregnenolone, the precursor to many hormones including progesterone. Dr. Peat recommends increasing pregnenolone levels for women with hormone imbalances.
Pregnenolone is a major factor that gives coconut oil its beautifying qualities. Pregnenolone improves circulation in the skin, gives the face a lift, restores sagging skin, and reduces bags under the eyes by promoting the contractions of muscle-like cells. Pregnenolone counters fatigue, enhances the memory, protects the nerves from stress, and has anti-anxiety properties.
Antioxidants
As a derivative of coconut oil, pregnenolone is an antioxidant. Dr. Peat theorizes that coconut oil itself may also have antioxidant properties, since the oil is highly stable and reduces our need for vitamin E, whereas unsaturated oils deplete vitamin E.
Research findings indicate that coconut oil appears to double the body’s ability to use antioxidant, omega-3 fatty acids. Because of this, I recommend that individuals take omega-3-containing oils (flax seed oil, hempseed oil, krill oil, fish oil, etc.) with coconut oil.
Blood Sugar
For those of us who use coconut oil consistently, one of the most noticeable changes is the ability to go for several hours without eating, and to feel hungry without having symptoms of hypoglycemia and erratic blood sugar levels. Erratic blood sugar swings stress the system, calling in the use of the adrenal glands (low blood sugar is a signal for the release of adrenal hormones).
Shifting to coconut oil as a fat source normalizes blood sugar levels, increases energy, decreases the stress on our system, and thus reduces our need for the adrenal hormones. Removing the effects of adrenal stress alleviates dark circles from around the eyes.
The Thyroid Gland — and Weight Loss
Dr. Peat relates that in the 1940'S, farmers attempted to use coconut oil to fatten their animals, yet they found it made the animals lean and active. This was not the effect they were looking for. They wanted to fatten their animals for slaughter and thus, within ten years, chose to give their animals soy and corn feed. Soy and corn feed slow the thyroid, causing animals to get fat without eating much food.
Cooked unsaturated oils (derived from seeds such as corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soy margarine, etc.) suppress the metabolism, contributing to hypothyroidism (and weight gain). This occurs because cooked unsaturated oils not only suppress our tissues’ response to the thyroid hormone, they also suppress transport of the hormone on the thyroid-transport protein.
Consuming coconut oil regularly restores thyroid function, often helps relieve hypothyroidism, and actually increases the metabolic rate, leading to weight loss.
Those who are taking artificial thyroid medication must be cautious in coming off that drug. Thyroid medication strongly influences metabolism. Please consult with your holistic physician if you undergo a program to wean yourself from thyroid medication.
Skin
After a bottle of unsaturated oil (corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soy margarine, etc.) has been opened several times, a few drops typically dribble onto the outside of the bottle. These drops become very sticky and difficult to wash off. Once inside the body, this characteristic of rancid oil leads to wrinkles, “liver spots” in the skin, and lesions in the brain, heart, blood vessels, eyes, etc. As cooked unsaturated oil increases in the diet, the rate of oxidative damage increases, leading to aged, damaged skin.
Repairing and nourishing the skin with coconut oil should be approached by both eating coconut oil and massaging it into the skin. Coconut oil reverses the tissue-damaging process by displacing cooked oil from the tissues and providing fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and supernutrition factors (e.g., pregnenolone) directly to the damaged tissue. Coconut oil has been used as a skin moisturizer for thousands of years. It is ideal for dry, rough, and wrinkled skin. Because it consists mostly of MCFAs, it is easily absorbed by the skin. It prevents stretch marks and lightens existing ones. It is an excellent lip balm. Its antiseptic elements keep the skin young and healthy and relatively free from infections. All these factors make coconut oil ideal for massage and massage therapists.
Rancid fats and oils found in everyday commercial lotions and creams are absorbed through the skin and negatively affect the connective tissues. They provide temporary relief from dry skin but eventually weaken the skin over time. Generally, the more standard commercial lotions and creams that one uses, the worse the skin becomes.
In his book The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, ND, details: “Studies show that dry skin contains a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids (60%) compared to normal skin (49%). The best oil to use is one that doesn’t create free radicals. Saturated fats fit that requirement.”
I use raw organic coconut oil as an essential lotion. I use this coconut oil after sunbathing to help create and hold on to a beautiful tan. I often bring a bottle with me when I do large seminars and lectures. Before going on stage, I rub some into my hands, face, neck, even my gums. It has a pleasant odor and provides a certain radiance in the skin.
Properly Packaged Coconut Oil
As with any oil, all coconut butter/oil that you use should be cold-pressed and packaged in dark glass bottles. All butters and oils are light-sensitive. Coconut oil should be sealed in dark amber glass containers to keep damaging spectrums of light from reaching the oil.
Raw organic coconut oil is very stable and can be kept in a cupboard at room temperature. It can be refrigerated after opening, but this is not required to ensure freshness. It can remain stable for at least two years and some people suggest five years with proper storage (no light, heat, or oxygen). In his book The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, ND, tells us: “According to Leigh Broadhurst, PhD, a scientist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltville, Maryland, saturated fatty acids are 300 or more times more resistant to oxidation than alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed oil). In other words, coconut oil will remain fresh 300 times longer than flaxseed oil. For instance, to equal the amount of oxidative damage that occurs in flaxseed oil in just 30 minutes of processing, coconut oil would have to be subjected to the same conditions for 150 continuous hours—that’s over six days.”
How to Eat Coconut Oil
Coconut oil can be used as a food. It can be eaten straight, blended into a salad dressing, or mixed into a smoothie (if a green powdered superfood formula is also added, this makes an excellent drink). The recommended daily intake is one to four tablespoons; a therapeutic dose consists of at least three tablespoons daily.
Coconut Oil as an Erotic Oil
Coconut oil is a great erotic oil. The smell and taste of this oil enhance sexual intercourse. Its anti-viral, anti-microbial properties also provide some (although not complete) protection from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). For long-term monogamous relationships, coconut oil is a great choice. For new relationships, condoms and other appropriate protection from STDs should be used. Coconut oil should be used with polyurethane condoms or a natural skin condom. Latex condoms should not be used, because coconut oil can dissolve latex.
Cooking
I promote raw-food nutrition. At the same time, there must be ample opportunity to transition and to offer friends and family, who are momentarily lacking interest in raw foods, healthy alternatives. One of the greatest pieces of information one could derive from this book is to exclusively use coconut oil for all cooking needs. Coconut butter/oil is the most stable (of any known butter/oil) at high temperatures (up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit). Therefore, if one is going to heat or cook any food, coconut butter/oil should be the only butter/oil ever used. This means using coconut oil for cooking in place of butter, margarine, olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. Unlike all these fats/oils, coconut oil does not form dangerous trans-fatty acids because it is a completely saturated fat.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are a prominent member of the melon family. They are unique as a melon due to their high water content and low sugar content. They are native to western Asia and were a popular vegetable-fruit amongst the ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Greeks, and Romans. Many cultures considered them a symbol of fertility. Alexander the Great introduced the cucumber into Europe. Christopher Columbus introduced them to the Americas.
Cucumbers have a reputation as the best kidney cleanser known. They are a diuretic; thus, they prevent bloating due to water retention, and they help to wash the kidneys and bladder of debris and stones.
Cucumbers mix well with celery in a juice. The natural saltiness of the celery helps to transport the water-rich cucumber juice into the tissues, creating more hydration. One of the most beautifying and cleansing of all juices combines celery, apple, and cucumber together in the following ratio:
4–6 ribs of celery
1 apple
1 cucumber
Cucumbers contain the enzyme erepsin, which helps to digest proteins, kill tapeworms, and support healthy kidneys.
The shininess of cucumber skins is indicative of the presence of silicon. Waxing and the use of pesticides cause most people to skin their cucumbers before eating them. The best idea is to buy fresh organic cucumbers. This way you can eat the skins and enjoy the benefits of the beautifying silicon compounds and chlorophyll present there.
Cucumbers have been the favorite food of dieters for thousands of years. The Roman Emperor Tiberius was said to enjoy cucumbers so much that he ate ten of them each day. Cucumbers are cooling, refreshing, water-rich, filling, low in calories, alkaline, and high in energy. Many of the world’s most attractive actresses and models eat cucumbers daily.
Ideally cucumbers should be chosen ripe, when they are plump, firm, and medium green to slightly yellow in color.
Durian
Durian is the most exotic and sensual of all Southeast Asian fruits. It grows throughout Vietnam, Indochina, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It has also been introduced to and is growing in Brazil, Honduras, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Durians grow only in tropical climates on a jungle tree that can exceed 30 meters (100 feet) in height!
Durian is the favorite food of orangutans, elephants, tigers, and all other jungle creatures who know of its existence. When durian trees produce flowers, fruit bats feed almost exclusively on their nectar.
The strong, pungent odor of durian is ecstatic to some, nearly nauseating to others. Until one tastes this fruit, all judgment should be withheld. Once someone is hooked on the flavor of durian, the interesting smell all but disappears.
Its consistence and flavour are indescribable. A rich butterlike custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but intermingled with it come wafts of flavours that call to mind cream cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry, and other incongruities. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid nor sweet or juicy, yet one feels the want of none of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact to eat durians is a new sensation, worth a voyage to the East to experience.
Organic Durian
Ancient Burmese kings had runners carry durians more than 150 kilometers (80 miles) to their courts.
The durian fruit is one of largest tree fruits in the world, growing to be the size of a large oblong honeydew melon; it can weigh more than 4 kilograms (10 pounds). The fruit is a capsule that contains five to six sections containing edible “pillows.” Around the inner edible “pillows” is a thick, bone-like, skin-shell structure with sharp spines surrounding the exterior of the fruit. The spines are so sharp that people are killed every year in Asia by falling durians.
Durians contain high levels of tryptophan. This is an amino acid and a tryptamine (similar to serotonin, melatonin, and DMT). Researchers have discovered that tryptophan helps anxious, depressed, repressed people, as well as insomniacs. Tryptophan works by raising serotonin levels in the brain and nervous system. When serotonin levels increase, a euphoric feeling is felt as a free passage is cleared for nerve impulses to travel.
Durians are such a strong blood cleanser that eating a few durians a day can change the odor of one’s urine (urine is filtered out of blood).
What gives durian its strongest beautifying characteristics is its high concentration of raw oleic fats (and vitamin E), sulfur compounds, and soft proteins. Durians actually contain one of the highest concentrations of protein of any fruit, making them an excellent muscle builder.
Those who eat durians are known to be more attractive. According to Singapore lore, “When the durians come down from the trees, the sarongs come off.” This is in reference to the durian’s legendary powers as an attractor and aphrodisiac.
Durians are available in many North American and European Asian markets in frozen, dried, or fresh form. Fresh durians are more rare yet tastier, have a more pleasant texture, and contain more of the nutrient value than frozen durian. Dried durians are quite extraordinary.
How to Select Durians
When choosing a frozen durian, look for three characteristics:
*. Choose browner and yellower durians instead of green.
*. Choose a durian that is just starting to split its skin longitudinally.
*. Choose durians that are heavier for their size.
When choosing fresh durians, purchase them just as they begin to split longitudinally. Look to see that the stem has been cleanly cut. If the fruit is ready to eat, when you shake it you should be able to hear the fruit pillows moving inside. Ask the seller if they are willing to open the durian for you (to see if it is a good one). They will continue to ripen and split if left at room temperature on the kitchen counter. When they begin to smell strong, they are ready to eat. To eat the fruit, split open the shell and eat the golden pillows.
Figs
Recognized by the Muslims as being the most intelligent of all trees, fig trees produce one of the most nutritious fruits in the world. Some tropical primates live on a diet of more than 80% figs. In the tropics we find more than six hundred fig varieties. More than a hundred and fifty other varieties grow in Mediterranean climates the world over.
The Roman historian Aeliant tells us that in the first age of humankind the “Athenians lived on figs …” (Aeliant Hist. Var., L. 8, ch. 89).
Figs are a densely mineralized sweet fruit. They contain one of the highest concentrations of calcium of any food.
Whether they are fresh or naturally dried, figs are a great laxative. The tiny seeds in figs are not only packed with nutrients, but they help draw out and dissolve waste, parasites, and mucus in the intestines. Figs are one of Professor Arnold Ehret’s top three mucus-dissolving foods (as referenced in The Mucusless Diet Healing System).
Dried figs are probably the healthiest choice of all dried fruits. They are the most alkaline of dried fruits and probably the most mineral-rich as well.
How to Eat Figs
Fresh figs should be soft and as tree-ripened as possible. If many figs are eaten unripe, they can burn the mouth and lips. Figs are a wonderful treat by themselves and also mix well with other foods due to their high alkaline-mineral content.
Dried figs may be eaten by themselves; however, I typically like to blend them in smoothies in order to add incredible zest and flavor. I also cut them up and mix them with salads.
How to Select Figs
As mentioned, select fresh figs that are soft and as tree-ripened as you can find. Dried Calimyrna figs are, nutritionally and by taste, the best dried fruit available.
Hemp Seed
“Make the most of the Indian hemp seed and sow it everywhere.”
(George Washington)
Hemp grows all over the world. It is believed to have first appeared on Earth somewhere between Afghanistan and the Fertile Crescent (present-day Iraq). Hemp leaves and seeds were used as a food source long before the beginning of recorded history. Hemp fiber has been used for textiles and rope since the beginning of recorded history. Hemp leaves and seeds were grown and used as food by America’s founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson said that the future of America depends on the growth of this crop—hemp!
Hemp seeds are like tiny nuts that develop out of the female hemp flowers. They are small; a thousand hemp seeds may weigh as little as 15 grams (0.5 ounces).
The taste of hemp seeds is so wonderful, and the history of their cultural use as a food so vast, that most people reconnect with this food immediately upon tasting them.
Hemp seeds are one of the most nutritionally complete foods on the planet Earth. They contain all nine essential amino acids in a favorable ratio. They also contain the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, and they are richly mineralized.
Hemp Protein (Edestin)
Shelled hemp seeds consist of 36.6% protein, making them, by weight, the highest protein food on Earth, with the exception of algae. More than 65% of hemp-seed protein is in the form of globular edestin. The globular form of this protein gives hemp seeds a high protein content without the abrasiveness found in most high-protein foods. This makes hemp seeds uniquely beautifying in that they are softly, yet quickly, nourishing and strength-building.
Hemp seeds contain an important quantity of raw protein that includes the sulfur-bearing amino acids: methionine, cysteine, and cystine. These can be immediately utilized to build strong hair, nails, skin, muscle, and connective tissue. (See Lesson 7: Alchemical Beauty Secrets.)
Many people are allergic to abrasive protein foods such as dairy, soy, whey, and beans. No allergies to hemp protein have yet been reported to me. Hemp seeds are free from trypsin inhibitors found in certain seeds such as soybeans that interfere with protein digestion.
Hemp seeds, along with vegetables, nuts, other seeds, and (if needed) certain algae and/or bee pollen can adequately supply high quantities of proteins and amino acids to allow success with a raw-food lifestyle.
A body fed with a diet rich in quality amino acids is able to maintain the best quality of health. Collagen protein is the most abundant protein in the body and is largely dependant on a constant supply of amino acids. Collagen is often cited as the protein that provides for skin health, strength, elasticity, and beauty. Collagen actually plays a part in the health of all body tissues, from the bones and teeth to the hair and nails. It also is present in the corneas and lenses of the eyes. Those who follow a diet that is lacking in quality amino acids and essential fatty acids exhibit this in a less vibrant physical appearance, including in the skin, hair, nails, and eyes. Hemp seed provides the essential fatty acid and amino acid nutrients in the best form and at the best ratio for the body to maintain vibrant, strong, elastic, and healthy tissues.
Hemp seeds are the only food known that contain the exact ratio of essential fatty acids (one part omega-3 to three parts omega-6). Flax seeds and flax oil provide therapeutic quantities of omega-3, yet hemp seeds provide a long-term stable source of omega-3, omega-6 (including GLA), and omega-9 (a beautifying monounsaturated fat).
Omega-3 fatty acids (found in hemp seeds, hemp oil, flax seeds, and flax oil) are essential fatty acids. They are called “essential” because they must be present in our diet to experience good health. These fatty acids are strong antioxidants. They protect us from the sun and build beautiful skin. They also strengthen the immune system and help us to burn excess fat.
Hemp seed is the highest natural source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a type of super omega-6 fatty acid that has strong anti-inflammatory properties. GLA also helps maintain hormonal balance.
Within unsprouted hemp seeds we find small undeveloped green leaves waiting to be sprouted, making hemp seeds one of the few unsprouted seeds that contain chlorophyll.
Hemp seeds contain a significant quantity of lecithin. This nutrient is excellent for building the internal organs (liver, brain, etc.).
Because hemp is such a strong plant (still close to its natural state), even non-organic hemp crops are typically not sprayed with pesticides.
Minerals
Hemp seeds are one of the most mineral-rich foods found on Earth. They contain the following impressive array of minerals and trace minerals (listed in order of dominance):
Phosphorus (an energy storage mineral- an active energy mineral)
Magnesium (builds bone and opens more than three hundred different detoxification pathways in the body)
Sulfur (a beauty mineral)
Calcium (relaxes the digestive tract and muscles)
Iron (a blood-builder and an oxygenator)
Manganese (a blood-builder and an oxygenator)
Zinc (an immune system, adrenal, and beauty mineral)
Sodium (balances potassium, feeds the adrenals)
Silicon (a bone-building, beauty mineral)
Copper (reverses gray hair)
Platinum (an enzymatic master mineral)
Boron (assists with calcium assimilation, normalizes hormones during menopause)
Thorium
Strontium
Barium
Nickel (plays a key role in enzyme metabolism)
Germanium (sits on the end of the DNA strand)
Tin (helps reverse male pattern baldness)
Tungsten
Titanium
Zirconium
Iodine (a thyroid mineral that reverses hypothyroidism and assists the immune system)
Chromium (a pancreatic mineral)
Silver (an enzymatic mineral)
Lithium (an alkaline mineral)
THC and Hemp
Only 2–3% of hemp varieties are considered “marijuana.” This is because only those varieties have a particularly high level of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive ingredient found in their leaves and flowers that creates a “high.”
Nevertheless, hemp seeds and oil do contain trace amounts of THC. In its raw unheated state, THC is one of the most powerful antioxidants known. Studies suggest that a dose as high as 5 milligrams of THC causes no psychoactive effects in an individual weighing 68 kilograms (150 pounds). To obtain 5 milligrams of THC from hemp seeds, one must consume 2.5 kilograms (5 pounds) of shelled hemp seeds (containing 2 parts per million of THC) in a day. Even though they taste amazing, consuming 5 pounds of them in a day would be quite a feat!
How to Eat Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are great eaten alone as a snack. They go well sprinkled on salads. They blend well and add richness and flavor to smoothies and salad dressings.
Hemp seeds may be soaked in water, if desired, to lower enzyme inhibitors typically found in seeds. I personally like to eat them plain, without soaking them in water.
How to Select Hemp Seeds
To be imported into the United States, hemp seeds must be cracked out of their shells. (Hemp agriculture is illegal in most of the U.S., but the laws are shifting because of the realized value of this incredible plant.)
Imported hemp seeds and hemp protein products from Canada are currently available via Internet mail order. They are also found in most health food stores.
Macadamia Nuts
The macadamia tree was introduced into Hawaii around 1881, where it was used as an ornamental tree and for reforestation. The Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station named and introduced several promising selections in 1948, which led to the modern macadamia industry in Hawaii. In California two seedling macadamias were planted in the early 1880s and are still standing on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. The importation of unique varieties into California from Hawaii began around 1950.
Macadamia trees are also grown in South Africa and Central America, where they produce increasingly abundant harvests.
Macadamias are ideally adapted to a mild, frost-free climate with abundant rainfall distributed throughout the year — roughly the same climate suitable for growing coffee. Macadamia nuts do grow surprisingly well in the coastal areas of California, although varieties often respond differently to a given location.
Macadamia nuts are contained within a hard brown shell enclosed in a green husk that splits open as the nut matures. The brown shell varies from smooth to bumpy depending on variety. The nut itself is creamy white and contains up to 80% oil and 5% carbohydrates.
Macadamia nuts were part of the Australian aborigine’s indigenous diet. They were considered a prized delicacy and regarded as one of nature’s finest foods. The kernels were typically consumed raw. Some tribes extracted the oils. They used the oil as a liniment base, as cosmetic oil, and for face and body decorations.
Macadamias are very high in selenium, second only to Brazil nuts in that respect. Selenium builds selenium superoxide dismutase — the body’s most powerful antioxidant enzyme. Macadamia nuts are also unusually high in the beautifying mineral zinc.
Fatty Acids
It is now well established that macadamias are an unusually rich source of healthy, beautifying oils. Macadamia nuts contain close to 80% monounsaturated fats, the highest of any fat source, including olive oil. These nuts predominantly contain the beautifying monounsaturated fat called oleic acid (omega-9). They are the richest food source of this beautifying fatty acid.
Oleic acid is beneficial in reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol. It has been shown that the regular consumption of macadamia nuts protects against coronary heart disease. Macadamia nuts, like all other plant-foods, contain no significant cholesterol levels.
A diet enriched with oleic acid is associated with decreased susceptibility to oxidation of LDL cholesterol and increased fluidity of both LDL and HDL (“good”) cholesterol, which decreases arterial clogging.
Although macadamia nuts are high in calories, they contain raw fatty acids that actually activate the body to more efficiently burn fats. As a result, less fat accumulates in the tissues, especially around the heart. Blood lipid-analysis indicates that cholesterol levels on a diet rich in macadamia nuts are similar to a low-fat diet, and lower than the typical American diet. A macadamia nut diet produces lower triglyceride levels than other diets.
Macadamia nuts are also the richest natural source of palmitoleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that acts as an antioxidant, preventing deterioration of cell membranes. Palmitoleic acid is hydrating and gentle. It helps to maintain and even restore damaged or burned skin.
The macadamia nut’s overall combination of oleic fatty acids, palmitoleic fatty acids, and their significant quantities of zinc makes it a wonderful skin beautifier.
How to Select Macadamia Nuts
While they are in the shell, choose macadamia nuts that are large in size and nearly wrinkled on the outer shell. There will usually be only a few in every batch like this, and they are always the best tasting.
If purchasing de-shelled nuts, select those that are raw, organic, and whole. If they are split down the middle or are in pieces, they are usually rancid. Avoid nuts that are overly yellow.
Nettles
Stinging nettles probably originated in Eurasia, although there is some evidence that they were growing in the Americas when the Europeans arrived. Some of the strongest varieties grow in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Mythologically, the Nordics associated nettles with the thunder god Thor. Nettles were perceived to protect one from lightning. The incredible strengthening properties of the nettle plant really do make one more resistant to the elements.
Nettles are persistent perennials that can grow taller than 2 meters (6 feet). Nettles grow in multiple thin stalks arising from the ground. Nettle leaves are typically collected, eaten and/or dried in May and June, just before coming into flower. The stems and leaf-tops of the stinging nettle plant are covered with thin, hair-like protrusions. These protrusions, if touched, release a stinging fluid containing histamine and formic acid. The sting produces a temporary inflammation.
When nettles are eaten, the saliva neutralizes the sting, so that one cannot be stung in the mouth or throat.
The sting of the nettle is annoying to the skin but not poisonous. Ancient shaman healers used to purposely strike their paralyzed patients with nettles in order to bring blood flow back into the muscles and skin.
Nature, in her unique balance, provides the remedy for the nettle sting by allowing burdock to grow in the same locales as nettles. Mashed-up burdock leaves applied to the skin relieve nettle stings. Also, the juice from stinging nettle leaves acts as an antidote to the sting when topically applied.
Nettle leaves contain a high proportion of chlorophyll, flavonoids, plant sterols (immune-system builders), and plant enzymes, a wide range of minerals, and the vitamins A and C. Nettles contain one of the highest levels of the beautifying mineral silicon found in any food.
Weight Loss
The late wild-food forager Euell Gibbons said that “stinging nettle is very efficacious in removing unwanted pounds!” Nettle leaves increase the function of the thyroid gland, increasing metabolism and helping to burn away fat while increasing energy. Nettles also relieve mucus in the colon, allowing release of excess waste.
Nettle leaves are so mineral-rich that they satisfy hunger. This is why it is beneficial to those with overeating challenges. Overeating is often an outward manifestation of a search for minerals. Once the body has the minerals it is looking for, the desire to eat stops. Eating food that is fully mineralized eventually makes us fully mineralized and provides us with the food-mineral cosmetics necessary to express true inner and outer beauty.
Blood Purification Properties
The nettle, like the burdock root, is best known as a blood purifier of the highest caliber. Because of the nettle’s high alkaline-mineral content (silicon and iron) and blood-building properties, it has earned a reputation as a beautifier of the highest order.
Nettle leaves are highly alkaline. They neutralize and dissolve acidic wastes in the blood. Their diuretic properties simultaneously help flush the blood and cleanse it through the action of the kidneys. Since both neutralizing and flushing characteristics are important for blood purification, stinging nettle is an excellent choice for all complaints where toxicity and/or over-acidity of the tissues is the root of the problem, including poor skin quality, weak nails, damaged teeth, and loss of overall luster. Its power to purify the blood will do wonders for chronic skin ailments. It is effective against eczema on the upper body, especially on the face, neck, and ears. This benefit is likely due to its high silicon, chlorophyll, and vitamin C content.
Nettle Juice
Gathering nettles and running them through a juice machine is a unique way to access the high-quality minerals and oils present in fresh nettles without having to risk being stung. This nettle juice is a common beverage amongst raw-foodists in the United Kingdom. Every other year I do a tour throughout the United Kingdom, and I always look forward to eating nettles in the English countryside and drinking nettle juice!
Due to its rich iron content and ease of absorption, nettle juice is more effective than spinach juice in building blood. Given its propensity to neutralize and flush out acidic waste, nettle juice is perfect for weight reduction.
Nettle juice can be used as a hair rinse to restore natural color. Nettle extracts are used in many shampoos.
Pharmacology
Choline acetyltransferase is present in stinging nettle plants, as well as choline, acetylcholine, and serotonin. These are all elements of the nervous system. Serotonin is the most well-studied neurotransmitter. Although all elements of the plant have not been studied in depth, the presence of these compounds categorizes the nettle as food for the nervous system.
How to Eat Stinging Nettles
A friend from England taught me the ancient Druid technique of eating fresh nettles: one comes at the leaf from the bottom, folding it along its central crease, yanking it gently from the mother plant, and then rolling it up so as to enclose the top of the leaf (where the stingers are most commonly found).
For those of us in the real world who want to benefit from nettle nutrition without having to forage in the woods and risk getting stung, a clever way has been devised to make nettles more accessible. This process involves drying the nettles and grinding them into a powder (thus destroying the stingers). This type of powder is used in superfood products. In fact, one should more strongly consider those superfood products containing nettles as a prominent ingredient.
Many of us are familiar with nettle tea. It is worth mentioning that the tea is another way to bring the wonderful value of the nettle leaf into your diet. Nettle tea retains many of the beautifying properties of the fresh nettle itself.
Olives and Stone-Crushed Olive Oil
“Olives—their lubricating, cleansing, beautifying, and rejuvenative power is the greatest among all fruits.”
(Vera Richter, The Cook-Less Book)
The Olive Tree
The olive tree originated in Asia Minor. They may have been under domestication in different regions of the Mediterranean for as long as ten thousand years. The Spanish brought olives to North America and planted them in the Caribbean, and at the missions in California. Today olive trees are widely cultivated throughout the entire Mediterranean region, and in other locations throughout the world with a similar climate.
Olives come in hundreds of shapes and varieties. They vary widely in taste, even among fruits from the same tree, let alone all the varieties that are currently available.
In classical literature and in the holy writings, olives and olive oil are symbolic of purity, happiness, and abundance.
In Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon contested over who would become the patron deity of the new city that would eventually become Athens. The pantheon of gods decided that whoever gave the best gift would become patron of the city. Poseidon’s gift was a horse. Athena’s gift was the olive tree, which she planted amongst the rocks of the Acropolis in Athens. Due to the superior quality of the olive tree in furthering agriculture, healing, and abundance, Athena won the contest and became the patron goddess of Athens.
Olives played a vital role in Greek culture. The Greek philosopher Thales proved that philosophy was the greatest science when he predicted that he could, and then successfully did, corner the olive oil market using principles of philosophy.
Nutrition
Olives are perhaps the greatest beautifying food of all. Olives and their oil are one of the highest natural sources of vitamin E. This nutrient has been known to erase fine lines on the face, repair connective tissue, heal the circulatory system, and impart its soothing properties upon the digestive tract.
Olives are one of the most perfect bodybuilding foods. They are an alkaline fat source that is also high in protein (they have a similar protein-to-fat ratio as red meat). Unlike red meat, olives are alkaline, plant-based, and free of chemical injections.
In Arnold Ehret’s classic book, The Mucusless Diet Healing System, he reprints Ragnar Berg’s Table, which organizes different foods by their acid-binding or acid-forming potential. The higher the food’s acid-binding potential, the greater its ability to dissolve mucus and cooked-food residues in the body. The olive, it turns out, is the highest mucus dissolver of any fruit. It rates with a value of 30.56, with figs following behind at 27.81. No other fruit in the chart ranks above 20.00. To give you an idea of how high these values are, the orange, an excellent mucus-dissolver, ranks at 9.61.
Olives are high in polyphenols. These are a broad class of water-soluble antioxidants. They display anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, which are found mostly in the complete olive. However, olive oil does retain a small amount of polyphenols.
An extraordinary beauty-enhancing substance found in olives and olive oil is squalene, which keeps the skin smooth and stimulates the immune system. Chemically, squalene is an unsaturated oil and an oxygen carrier. A related compound called squalane is used in skin care products. Squalane is derived from squalene but is more stable against oxidation.
Consider the power and benefits of the olive (as quoted from The Sunfood Diet Success System):
*. The highest fruit in minerals
*. The highest fruit in calcium: olives contain twice as much calcium as oranges by weight
*. High in magnesium
*. High in amino acids, including leucine, aspartic acid, and glutaminic acid
*. An alkaline fruit
*. A fatty fruit (mostly monounsaturated fat)
*. An alkaline fat source
*. Loaded with beneficial omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
*. High in vitamins A and E
*. In possession of many antioxidant properties: Antioxidants deactivate free radicals, allowing us to live longer, overcome illness, and maintain more acute mental and muscular faculties.
*. Available in different varieties, which fruit throughout the year
*. Pressable into a powerful oil, usable in a limitless number of ways all year around
*. Able to soothe the mucous membranes with its oil
Green Olives
Green olives are actually unripe olives, picked early from the tree. At that stage of growth the fruit has not set its full oil and mineral content; therefore, they do not contain as many of the superior nutrients. Freshly picked green olives are also high in tannic acids; because of this, most are treated with lye (a harsh alkaline chemical). Only a few varieties of green olives exist that are not treated with lye. These are available several months of the year.
How to Select Olives
Olives, as they naturally ripen under a tree, are perishable. They ripen irregularly. In their natural state, one really has to know how to select properly ripened olives. They are difficult to harvest and distribute in their natural state. However, this can be done. Special olive varieties are packaged this way. These olives are naturally ripened and remain free of any kind of treatment.
In most cases, however, to be able to uniformly distribute them and ensure quality, olives are typically either water-cured, salted and/or altered in some other way. The best way to adjust the ripening process is to water-cure the olives in salty water and/or sun-dry.
Vinegar-pickled olives are fine; they are acid-forming in the digestive process, even though technically not cooked. This may actually be beneficial to some people, as the vinegar acids assist the stomach acids in the digestion of food.
Canned black olives have been pasteurized (cooked) and soaked in ferrous gluconate (an iron compound that darkens them) and should be avoided. The only cured olives I recommend eating are either done with vinegar, or they are “water-cured” or “sea-salted.”
How to Use Olives
Olives greatly enhance salads and raw-food cuisine of all types. They also make great snack foods and party appetizers with vegetables.
Olive Oil
Olive oil lubricated the machines of the Roman Empire all the way into the Industrial Revolution. Olive oil illuminated Mediterranean homes well into the nineteenth century.
Hippocrates, the most famous Greek physician of ancient times, recommended olive oil for healing ulcers, cholera, and muscular pains. In more recent times, the health and beautifying benefits of olive oil have received considerable attention.
Fatty-Acid Content
The primary fatty acids in olive oil are oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid. Oleic acid is a beautifying monounsaturated fat and makes up 55–85% of the oil. Linoleic is polyunsaturated and makes up approximately 9%. Linolenic, which is polyunsaturated, makes up 0.0–1.5% of the oil.
Olive Oil Lowers Heart Disease Risks
Many widely published studies reveal that the consumption of olive oil by Mediterranean peoples is a major reason why they have a far lower incidence of heart disease than Americans.
Investigators at Harvard conducted a survey of Greek women to determine if their abundant consumption of olive oil could also increase cancer risk. Their findings indicated that olive oil had an opposite effect. They concluded that the breast cancer risk for women who consume olive oil more than once per day is reduced by 25% when compared to women who consume olive oil less frequently. “Our work shows an association between consumption of a type of fat and reduced risk of breast cancer,” said Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, director of the study. “These findings suggest that the type of fat source one consumes may influence breast cancer risk in opposite directions.”
Cooking
For cooking purposes, olive oil is better than polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, etc.) and margarine. It is, however, still susceptible to heat-caused oxidation that changes the chemical structure of the oil into harmful trans-fatty acids. The best choice for a cooking oil is coconut oil.
How to Use Olive Oil
Olive oil greatly enhances salads of all types. It is also a great addition to fruit smoothies because it slows down the absorption of fruit sugars so that the energy one derives from the smoothie is longer lasting. In the Mediterranean, people still have two tablespoons of olive oil as their first food for breakfast each morning.
Skin and Olive Oil
Olive oil is a soothing fat for damaged and dry skin, hair, and nails. It can be used to soothe the skin after shaving. It also may be used on baby skin. To moisturize dry skin and heal skin damage, one may apply olive oil daily and directly to dry spots and stretch marks.
The ancient Greeks used to bathe with olive oil, using a special scraper to take off the excess.
After a hot evening bath or shower, massaging olive oil into the skin makes a great before-bed treatment. Allow the oil to soak in for twenty minutes and towel off any excess.
How to Select Olive Oil
Stone-crushed olive oil is made from olives crushed and ground with stone presses using the original techniques developed thousands of years ago by the Greeks and Romans. Olive oil should be organic, extra-virgin, stone-crushed, cold-pressed, and stored in dark glass bottles (oils are light-sensitive).
The difference between virgin and extra-virgin olive oils is their acidity level, which affects their taste and quality. Extra-virgin varieties have fewer acids.
Dark Glass Bottles
Olive oil should be packaged in dark glass bottles. Researchers have shown that olive oil stored in polyethylene bottles exposed to light can develop unacceptable amounts of damaging peroxides in as little as twenty days. If stored in dark bottles the oil can last at least 120–190 days, and evidence suggests that stone-crushed olive oil packaged in dark bottles can last as long as two years.
Oil deteriorates through the action of oxygen and the enzyme lipase found in the oil. Oxidation or rancidity speeds up with light and heat exposure. It is best to keep olive oil in a cool, dark cabinet. It can also be put into the refrigerator or freezer without much harm; this will extend its shelf life. However, constantly warming and then rechilling olive oil (causing it to go from a solid to liquid and back again) will corrode the olive oil more quickly — and this will negatively affect its taste.
Stone-Crushed Olive Oil
Most olive oils are pressed in giant machines that reach destructive temperatures above 160 degrees Fahrenheit, even though they are claimed to be “cold-pressed.” They are also typically highly refined and filtered, containing very little, if any, minerals.
The Romans were the first to perfect the stone press with which they extracted the olive’s oil. Stone-crushed olive oil retains richer tastes, more minerals, and purer nutrients. One simple taste is enough to convince anyone of the superiority of stone-crushed olive oil. It must be stone-crushed and cold-pressed to maintain the quality of minerals and nutrients necessary to experience health- and skin-enhancing qualities.
Onions
Some archaeologists, botanists, and food historians believe that onions originated in central Asia, Iran and/or West Pakistan, but nobody is quite sure because onions were found growing in the Americas when the Pilgrims arrived.
It is likely that our ancestors ate wild onions long before the beginning of agriculture. This simple vegetable was probably a major staple in the prehistoric diet. Research indicates that they have been cultivated for at least five thousand years, and probably much longer. They may have been simultaneously domesticated in different regions. Onions were probably one of the first domesticated crops because they are easy to grow, easy to transport, and have a long life after picking.
There are many ancient documents that describe the use of onions in art, medicine, and mummification. More than five thousand years ago, onions grew in the earliest Chinese gardens. They are mentioned in the Vedic writings from India. In Egypt, onions were in use at least five thousand years ago. There are tablets confirming that the Sumerians were growing them more than forty-five hundred years ago. Onions are also mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 11:5).
Among the Egyptians, the onion bulb was worshipped as a symbol of the universe. It was considered a sacred symbol of the mother-goddess, Isis. The layer-upon-layer structure of the onion symbolized eternity to the Egyptians, who buried onions along with their Pharaohs. In the tombs and in some of the pyramids of Egypt, onions are pictured in the hands of priests. They are shown covering altars and depicted on feasting banquet tables. Often Egyptian workers were paid in onions.
Dioscorides, a Greek physician who lived two thousand years ago, noted several medicinal uses for onions. The Greeks employed onions to strengthen athletes for the Olympic Games. Before their sporting matches, Olympic athletes would eat onions, drink onion juice, and rub onions on their bodies.
The Romans ate onions and carried them on journeys to provinces throughout the empire. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder described how onions can disinfect dog bites, heal mouth sores and poor vision, induce sleep, and alleviate toothaches and dysentery.
By the Middle Ages in Europe, onions had become one of the major staple vegetables. They were prescribed to alleviate burns, flesh wounds, hair loss, headaches, parasites, snakebites, and upset stomachs. Onions were applied to the skin to quickly heal bruises—a remedy that is still used today. They were also used as rent payments and wedding gifts.
Sulfur Content of Onions
Sulfur, as we have seen, is a beautifier of the highest order because it cleanses the liver and skin, has antiseptic properties, and helps to build all connective tissue.
The onion contains a considerable amount of sulfuric oils, which stimulate the mucous lining of the sinuses and digestive organs. Cutting up onions, as we know, can bring one to tears. Internally, these stimulating oils increase the flow of digestive juices, creating a greater absorption of nutrients
The sulfuric oils in onions have antiseptic qualities. They prevent putrefaction in the intestines and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract. These oils help alleviate coughs, sore throats, and congested lungs and sinuses.
Mixed with honey (which tones down the sulfuric compounds), onion juice is good for hoarseness and coughs. Externally, this honey/onion juice mix can be applied to infected wounds to aid healing.
Onions combine wonderfully with avocados, nuts, seeds of all different types, and almost any other type of fat or oil because fats and oils tone down the sulfuric compounds. When onions are eaten with a fat or oil, each makes the other more digestible.
Quercetin
Onions contain the anti-cancer, anti-microbial phytochemicals known as disulfides, trisulfides, cepaene, and vinyl dithiins — yet the most unique compound in onions is quercetin.
Studies have indicated that onions are the highest source of usable quercetin (an antioxidant flavonoid), surpassing other good sources such as apples and tea. Quercetin helps to eliminate free radicals in the body, to protect and regenerate the beauty vitamin (vitamin E), to inactivate the harmful effects of heavy metals, and to decrease capillary fragility (a useful factor in healing varicose veins).
Foods from the allium family, which includes onions, chives, leeks, and of course garlic, are all good for alleviating varicose veins. They help to keep the veins and capillaries elastic and flexible.
Several studies have shown quercetin to have unique beneficial effects against many disorders, including cataracts and cardiovascular disease, as well as breast, colon, ovarian, gastric, lung, and bladder cancers.
Blood Clumping — (Platelet Aggregation)
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found that onions exhibit strong anti-blood-clumping activity. Onions cause thick, clumped blood to thin out. Blood clumping is a term for the stickiness of red blood cells in the blood stream; this is sometimes called platelet aggregation. Blood clumping is associated with atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, impotency, and strokes.
Because onions thin the blood by dispersing fat and protein, they allow for the uptake of more oxygen while decreasing the possibility of heart disease. More oxygen in the blood stream brings more richness to the complexion.
Longevity
My friend and world-renowned food-researcher, Dr. John Heinerman, in his book Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices details the research of the late Belle Boone Beard, a sociologist who once worked for the National Institute of Aging. During her career, Beard interviewed more than eighty-five hundred centenarians (people who live to one hundred years and beyond). One thing she noticed was the commonality of onions in the diet of those she interviewed. Nearly everyone who reached a hundred-plus years enjoyed eating onions. Some declared that they ate onions with every meal, every day! Beard came to believe that onions play a major role in longevity.
Other Properties
Onions resist hybridization and are capable of reverting back to the wild state more readily than almost any other food. This means that onions have a strong vital life force that they impart upon the consumer. They are able to uptake and create minerals as well as or better than nearly any other food, making them a fantastic mineralizer.
A typical onion contains more vitamin C than an orange of the same size. Onions also contain vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, sulfur (as we have noted), calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, silicon, fiber, and a high protein quality (this means they have a high ratio of milligrams of amino acids to grams of protein).
Author and lecturer Dr. David Jubb believes that onions increase the strength of orgasms due to their ability to cleanse and prepare for a parasympathetic flush of the lymphatic system.
Select onions that are hard, juicy, and free from mold. I like to eat all kinds of onions, depending on my mood. For fancy dinners I choose red onions. If I am enjoying lots of rich nuts in my salad, I like strong white onions. Yellow onions are not as strong as white. Due to their mild nature, green onions go well with a lunch-time meal.
Papaya
The papaya originated on the lowlands above the limestone shelves of eastern Central America, where it still grows wild today. In the 1500s, Spanish and Portuguese sailors took to the fruit and spread it to their other settlements in the West and East Indies. The papaya was then taken to the tropical Pacific Islands. Eventually the papaya reached all tropical regions. Hardier varieties even grow in some subtropical locales.
Papaya trees may grow to be 10 meters (30 feet) tall. They look somewhat like palms with their characteristic branchless tree trunk shaft. Atop this shaft rests a radiating crest of giant uniquely cut leaves, beneath which a cluster of fruits is typically found. The large ovoid fruit grows like a melon and can range in size from 0.5 to 9 kilograms (1 to 20 pounds).
The papaya tree is an amazingly generous producer of fruit. In mineral-rich tropical regions, papayas can grow from a seed to a fruiting, seed-bearing plant in nine months!
Varying widely in size, shape, and color, the most common varieties of papaya are yellow, orange, or red-skinned. Hawaiian papayas are a bit smaller than other varieties. The Hawaiian fruits are fist-sized and pack a strawberry-like flavor. Mexican papayas grow much larger. One Mexican variety I often purchase in Tijuana is the rosa “red” papaya, which has a high enzyme content.
The sweet flesh of the papaya is melon-like, yet softer. In the center of the fruit rest edible, yet very spicy, black peppercorn-like seeds. In their flesh, papayas contain a large quantity of alkaline minerals (especially calcium), vitamin A (unusual for a fruit), and a high concentration of collagen-healing vitamin C.
Papayas cleanse and soothe the digestive tract. They help calm indigestion and alleviate flatulence. After eating two medium-sized papayas each day for a week, one will feel remarkably cleansed from the inside out. Papayas greatly enhance skin beauty, nail strength, and hair luster. Raw-foodists who eat papaya regularly develop radiant, glowing eyes.
In many countries, especially Mexico, papaya juice is a favorite delicacy. The juice can be applied topically to lighten freckles and nourish the skin. As a food, it makes for a tasty, cleansing, nourishing beverage that retains all the properties of the fruit flesh.
Papain
Unripe to three-quarters-ripe papayas contain a high concentration of a unique protease enzyme called papain. Protease is a proteinsplitting enzyme similar to the stomach enzyme pepsin. Papain is renowned for its anti-cancer and skin-cleansing properties. The enzyme is present in the fresh milky juice of the unripe fruit, and in the brownish powder that remains after the milky juice dries. Very little of this enzyme is found in the fully ripe fruit.
Due to their remarkable skin-enhancing qualities, papaya enzymes have come into vogue in the cosmetic skin-care industry. Remember, the skin is nourished by a diet rich in enzymes (from raw foods) and minerals. When half-ripe papayas are both eaten and applied to the skin, their enzymes soften and dissolve dead skin layers, while simultaneously the alkaline minerals nourish and support the creation of healthy skin. The enzymes immediately set to work tightening the skin’s collagen tissue. Enzymes are capable of protecting and repairing elastic collagen fibers, which both protect us against wrinkles and alleviate existing skin damage.
Papaya Facial Treatment
To cleanse and clarify the skin, obtain three-quarters-ripe papayas, cut the fruit, and rub your face with the fruit. The more unripe the fruit, the stronger the enzymes will be. Beware: if the enzymes are too strong, they can burn the skin, particularly the delicate membranes around the eyes and lips. Let the fruit soak in for five to ten minutes before washing. After a treatment with papaya, the complexion appears youthful, radiant, and fresh.
Papaya Healing Properties
Papain has anti-cancer properties, as the enzymes eat the protein-laden material surrounding certain cancerous tumors. Half-ripe papayas are typically prescribed by raw-food nutritionists for women with breast cancer. This is because the enzyme content is higher, and the sugar content of the fruit is lower (low-sugar diets are generally recommended for cancer).
Recent research demonstrates that eating papayas reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, strokes, and heart attacks. This is partially due to carpaine, an alkaloid compound in papayas with anti-tumor properties and organ-healing qualities. Carpaine lowers the concentration of fats and cholesterol in the blood stream. It also helps to regenerate a hardened, dysfunctional liver.
Anti-Parasite Properties
The black “peppercorn” seeds inside the papaya may be eaten. They have a sulfur-rich peppery taste, much like wild mustard, arugula, and watercress. One tablespoon of seeds chewed up each day can both guard against and flush out parasites. This is especially important to know if one is (or has been) traveling or living in the tropics.
Papaya seeds can be used either fresh or dried. For maximum effectiveness, one tablespoon of fresh seeds should be chewed well and eaten once a day on an empty stomach. If the taste of plain seeds is too strong, mix with dates or honey. Dried or fresh seeds may also be blended into drinking water. As an anti-parasite program, consume papaya seeds once a day for a week, and then repeat the treatment two weeks later. If traveling in parasite-friendly tropical regions, papaya seeds should be eaten every day.
How to Eat Papayas
To eat a papaya, slice the fruit in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and juicy flesh. Discard the skin. Papaya combines wonderfully with sliced avocados for breakfast. Papaya juice is also a welcome alternative to orange juice in the morning.
The spicy black seeds are crunchy. They can be used as a garnish, as a substitute for capers, or blended into a salad dressing to add spice.
How to Select Papayas
I usually get my papayas from a friendly fruit seller in Tijuana, just over the border from my former hometown of San Diego, California. Tijuana has an incredible fruit market (fruiteria). I often go with friends and family to drink fresh coconuts and buy exotic fruits not available in the United States.
When I look for ready-to-eat papayas, I look for those with deep red, orange, or dark yellow skins (depending on the variety). The more green on the papaya, the more unripe. I select papayas that possess a gentle softness in the skin. I avoid overly soft or bruised fruit, or any with soft or hard spots. I also choose fruits that feel heavy for their size.
Pumpkin Seeds
References to pumpkins date back far into the recesses of time. The name “pumpkin” originated from the Greek word pepon, which means a “large, sun-ripened melon.” Pepon was passed into the French language as the word pompon. The English changed “pompon” to “pumpion.” American colonists changed “pumpion” into “pumpkin.” The vegetable became popularized through such folk tales as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter the Pumpkin Eater, and Cinderella. Pumpkins have long been present in North America, where they have been a staple winter food of the natives.
Pumpkins are part of the cucumber/melon family, which includes gourds, melons, and squashes. All pumpkin and squash seeds are edible. Most varieties produce seeds that are enclosed in ovoid-shaped shells thin enough to crack open with your teeth. Some pumpkin varieties have shell-less seeds and are grown specifically because they are easy to eat. In the early 1970's, the U.S. Department of Agriculture bred a new, high-yield pumpkin cultivar called Lady Godiva, containing rounded, dark green, shell-less seeds. This variety is seen in many health food stores today.
Pumpkin seeds are a wonderful source of B vitamins, many minerals (including zinc), phytonutrients (cucurbitin phytosterol), and essential fatty oils. They contain hormone-building elements. The oils in these seeds not only support normal sexual function, they also help protect against heart disease. They have traditionally been used for prostate disorders. They supply a safe and natural source of tryptophan (the least abundant amino acid in most people’s diets). These seeds help remove intestinal worms. They contain myosin, the chief protein constituent of nearly all muscles in the body, which strengthens muscle contraction. The seeds also contain vitamin B17, otherwise known as laetrile or amygdalin (which has reputed anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects).
Fatty Acids
Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic fatty acids as well as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Oleic acid has strong beautifying properties (similar to macadamia nuts). The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant omega-3 fatty acids produce clear, radiant skin and protect from ultra-violet radiation.
Pumpkin seed oil has been used throughout history in India, Europe, and the Americas. This dark green, flavor-rich oil should be cold-pressed and kept in dark containers. It can be used in raw-food recipes and on salads. It contains a nice proportion of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. The seed oil is helpful for healing burns and wounds.
Zinc
As we have seen, zinc improves the ability to smell and taste. It activates hundreds of enzyme systems (especially those involved with connective tissue and digestion). Warts, acne, and skin conditions are improved significantly when one consumes more zinc-rich foods.
Pumpkin seeds are nature’s most perfect food for the prostate gland due to their high magnesium and zinc content. Chronic prostate inflammation is linked to a lack of dietary zinc. Researchers have found that sunflower and pumpkin seeds have a positive effect on symptoms for both BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy) and prostatitis. In Germany, nettle root (Urtica dioica) and pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo) are also approved for treatment of BPH (Fortschritte der Medizin, 1996, vol. 10). A clinical, placebo-controlled study found that pumpkin seeds in combination with saw palmetto significantly improved BPH without side effects (British Journal of Urology, 1990, vol. 66).
Pumpkin seeds are a true aphrodisiac because in men they pump the prostate full of zinc, build seminal fluid, and increase sperm count. In women they build hormones, activate the sexual organs, and increase sexual fluid secretions.
Tryptophan
Raw pumpkin seeds are one of the best sources of the amino acid tryptophan. This amino acid is one of the least common in most people’s diets because tryptophan is intolerant to high heat and is destroyed by cooking.
Tryptophan works with tyrosine and zinc to improve one’s mood and increase levels of serotonin in the brain, alleviating depression and brain chemistry imbalances caused by using drugs such as MDMA (Ecstasy). Anecdotal reports relate that pumpkin seeds and durian (another good source of tryptophan) create a mild euphoria and relieve stress. Tryptophan’s relaxing qualities help to alleviate insomnia.
Anti-Parasite Effect
Pumpkin seeds may be taken as a safe de-worming agent. They are particularly useful against tapeworms in children and pregnant women, when stronger, harsher herbs are inappropriate.
To use pumpkin seeds to rid the body of intestinal parasites (tapeworms or roundworms), eat a handful of raw seeds twice a day on an empty stomach for one week. Take a week off, and then repeat this process again for another week. If eaten with garlic, pumpkin seeds are even effective in flushing out pinworms.
Researchers have isolated an amino acid called cucurbitin, found primarily in pumpkin seeds and certain related species, that is likely responsible for the worm-expelling effects. Cucurbitin is believed to paralyze worms, causing them to loosen their grip, thus allowing them to be expelled from the body.
There are no known side effects or reports of toxicity regarding pumpkin seeds.
How to Prepare Pumpkin Seeds
Many times I simply eat pumpkin seeds in their natural state. Sometimes I soak them in water for half a day and then dehydrate them in the sun or in a dehydrator. Soaking nuts or seeds in water removes the enzyme inhibitors, allowing for easier digestion. Enzyme inhibitors are present in unsprouted nuts and seeds in order to keep them in a dormant state until the ideal conditions are present for their sprouting.
How to Select Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds vary in size and shape. Some are tan in color; others are dark green. I select organic seeds that are crisp rather than flimsy and pliable. In Mexico pumpkin seeds are sometimes called pepitas and may also be labeled as such in North America.
Raw pumpkin seed butter (made of ground-down pumpkin seeds) is available in some health food stores and through mail order.
Radishes
Radishes are a dominant member of the mustard family. They were originally cultivated in central Asia or China. They grow wild all over Europe and the Mediterranean. The Europeans likely introduced them to the Americas, where they now grow wild.
Herodotus wrote in History (II, cxxv) that the builders of the Great Pyramid were fed radishes, onions, and garlic.
Radishes are perhaps the most beautifying of all foods. The radishes’ rejuvenative properties are found in their high sulfur, silicon, and vitamin C content. Radishes are the only common food with both sulfur and silica in high concentrations. Radishes are one of the highest vegetable sources of vitamin C, which plays a major role in connective tissue formation. Both of the minerals (silicon and sulfur) work together with vitamin C to create glowing skin.
Red radishes seem to be the most beautifying because of their high silicon content. Daikon radishes are also excellent, but not as strong. Black radishes are very powerful mucus-dissolvers and are high in sulfur. Black radishes are Professor Arnold Ehret’s number-one mucus-dissolving food (as mentioned in his book, The Mucusless Diet Healing System).
Radishes are effective at cutting and dissolving mucus in the digestive tract—especially the mucus formed from eating starchy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, and rice. They stimulate the liver, relax bile ducts, increase bile flow, help cleanse the system, expel and prevent gallstones, and, as an overall result, increase the digestive fires. The sulfurous mustard oil in radishes stimulates the circulatory system, contributing to skin radiance.
Radishes are used in Russia for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Raphanin, a substance in radishes, helps keep levels of thyroid hormones in balance, allowing one to remain at his or her perfect weight.
Radishes also contain quite a bit of folic acid (vitamin B9), making them great nerve strengtheners.
Radishes are great kidney cleansers and thus decrease water retention and improve elimination. Radish juice is effective in helping to alleviate the pain caused by kidney stones; this juice even helps dissolve kidney stones.
How to Eat Radishes
Little red radishes make an excellent snack food. They can also be tossed into salads and added to fresh vegetable juices.
Radishes can also be sliced thin, soaked in a small amount of olive oil, sea salt, and spices, and then dehydrated to make savory snacks.
How to Select Radishes
Select radishes that are fresh and crisp to the bite. If they become flimsy, they are old. Black radishes are generally in season from the winter through the spring. Other radishes may be found in stores during all seasons.
Turmeric
Turmeric probably originated in tropical parts of India and most likely was first domesticated there. A root and member of the ginger family, turmeric has a similar shape and consistency to ginger. It is best known in its yellow powdered form, which is commonly used as a spicy and warming food/herb in India. Turmeric is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for its beautifying properties and is renowned as nature’s internal cosmetic.
Generally considered a restorative food, turmeric displays strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial characteristics.
Antioxidant Properties
Curcumin, a flavonoid within turmeric, is the antioxidant substance responsible for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. In tests, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects were found to be on par with the drugs cortisone and phenylbutazone.
Blood Purification
Turmeric is a first-class blood purifier. It stimulates the liver, increases red blood cell formation, inhibits red blood cell clumping, and increases circulation. This allows wounds to heal faster and exhausted tissues to rejuvenate. Clean blood corrects both excesses and deficiencies in metabolism and increases one’s energy.
Skin
Turmeric makes the skin soft, supple, and smooth. Beautiful skin results from pure blood. Because turmeric helps to purify the blood, it helps to counteract pimples, acne, boils, and similar skin imbalances.
Turmeric brings color into pale skin. It adds juiciness to dry skin. It affects the complexion as profoundly as any food. In the art of radiant beauty, these kinds of results are a sure sign that food really does affect us.
How to Select Turmeric
Fresh turmeric root should resemble ginger, only smaller, orange, and more profusely branching. Turmeric powder is bright yellow and has a slightly spicy taste when unadulterated.
How to Use Turmeric
Turmeric can be used in place of ginger. It may be added to salad dressings, smoothies, and various raw-food recipes. A small 2.5-centimeter (1-inch) piece of turmeric put through a juice machine will spice up a quart of fresh juice. Another turmeric drink can be made by mixing one to two teaspoons of turmeric powder into a smoothie. This can be drunk once or twice a day.
Turmeric oil may be applied externally as a beautifier. To create an external application of turmeric oil, mix 30 grams (1 ounce) of powdered turmeric in a half liter (pint) of sesame oil. Allow this mixture to steep in a warm place for two weeks, then strain out the residue through a cloth.
An old folk remedy for canker sores is turmeric and honey. At the earliest sign of a canker sore, make a paste with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/4 tablespoon of powdered turmeric. Apply this directly to the sore. The honey acts as a sealant to keep in the antiseptic elements of the turmeric.
Watercress
Watercress is a common green-leafy vegetable that grows in riparian areas (near natural springs, small creeks, and streams). Its origins are unclear, as it grows abundantly throughout the northern hemisphere. An old legend says that when watercress is eaten at the day’s end it increases dreams that evening. This is probably due to its high concentration of minerals.
Watercress contains a complex array of minerals and trace minerals that help heal anemia, endocrine imbalances (including thyroid and pituitary deficiencies), osteoporosis, and a host of mineral-deficient conditions. It has an affinity for the skin and is effective in helping to heal chronic cases of eczema, pimples, acne, etc.
Watercress and arugula share many similar qualities. They taste similar and are both cruciferous vegetables in the mustard family. Yet watercress contains significantly higher amounts of beautifying micronutrients such as sulfur, manganese, iodine, iron, copper, calcium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E. It contains three times as much vitamin E as lettuce, and three times as much calcium as spinach. Iodine, a thyroid mineral, is rarely found in land-based plants.
Watercress, like arugula, is highly alkaline. It neutralizes acidic waste products throughout the blood and lymphatic system. It increases circulation while simultaneously delivering minerals to the cells. This brings color and luster into the skin, face, lips, eyes, and hair.
Watercress contains mustard glycosides and mustard oil, which are internal antiseptics and internal tissue and skin cleansers.
How to Select Watercress
When selecting watercress in the store, look for strong, vigorous, fresh-picked bunches. Avoid weak or wilted leaves.
Watercress tastes best when picked before the plant flowers and goes to seed. To harvest watercress, simply pick the young leaves, and the plant will keep regrowing new ones for months.
How to Eat Watercress
Watercress makes an excellent addition to any salad. Mixing it in a salad with avocados and olive oil tends to calm the leaves’ spicy elements and makes this food more digestible.
We have now reviewed the Beauty Foods from Aloe Vera to Watercress. Of course, this listing of Beauty Foods is only a beginning.
By David Wolfe in "Eating for Beauty", North Atlantic Books, USA, 2009, excerpts pp. 92-128. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.
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