I get this question over and over from Christian people who think that there is nothing wrong with meat, because the Lord has given us meat after the flood in the days of Noah. God spoke to Noah after they had come out of the ark, and said specifically: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” Genesis 9:3,4

And later meat is used by the priests who were ordained by the Lord to eat the meat of the slaughtered animals which were brought for various offerings.

Yes, I agree that meat has been given to us, the Word of God tells us so, so in that sense there is no sin in taking meat as such.

On the other hand, we see in practice that people recover from a range of diseases when they stop animal products, meats, eggs and dairy. And also scientific studies tell us that meat and animal products are not good for our health. But I would say, clinical practice is the most convincing, at least for me.

So how can these two things be reconciled? On the one hand God allowing us animal products and on the other hand the reality that animal products are causing disease.

I will give you my thoughts.

Some, like Dr J.R. Christopher, who was a well known and successful herbalist in the USA, believed that meat was only for times of winter and famine, and even then to be taken in moderation. But when it comes to healing the body, there is no place for meat or other animal products. They are not healing foods like fruits and vegetables are!

What are the data against meat etc? There are a few points to remember and consider.

1 Meat can be considered as secondary food, secondary choice, because all the nutrients we need come from vegetation the primary source. Cows don’t eat meat (normally) and don’t drink milk in order to get strong, no, naturally they live on grass, and see how that provides for all their needs, for the hard hoofs, the hairs, the horns, the muscle, etc.

2 It has been proven that “vegetable protein” is much superior over animal protein. Have a look at the scientific studies and you will be in for surprises. We can get all our proteins from vegetable matter, vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, and if you want more concentrated protein there are legumes, there is no shortage there. And besides that, the vegetable protein is not burdening the body as does the animal protein. I have already shown an example of that in a previous entry on osteoporosis.

3 Meat has high concentrations of uric acid, contributing to diseases like gout, rheumatism and bursitis, to name a few.

4 Meat has high concentrations of arachidonic acid, a long chain omega-6 fatty acid. One big problem with our modern society is the omega-6/omega-3 ratio which is totally out of balance. We get high concentrations of omega-6 and most people hardly any omega-3 if any. There should be a balance there. You can ‘Google’ this and find numerous articles on this. Short chain omega-6 fatty acids compete with short chain omega-3 fatty acids when it comes to converting them to long chain fatty acids, which are needed for certain functions in the body. Because they are competing for the same enzym systems, the balance should be ideally 1:1. Some compromise and allow 4:1 because a 1:1 ratio is pretty difficult to achieve without giving up some of the foods of our modern society. Excess omega-6 contributes to the diseases which came with our modern civilisation, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, etc etc, there is quite a list here. Omega-3 keeps it all in check, and does the opposite, that is why there needs to be some balance.

Now why would God give us meat when it is apparently not healthy because of the high concentration of arachidonic acid for example?

We must realize that

1 There is no command which says that we should eat meat. We are allowed, but there is no obligation there.

2 It also does not say that we should have lots of meats on a daily basis, which will clearly compromise our health. I have read that in those old days meat was scarce and only consumed at special occasions. Nothing like the meat eating of today.

3 The cows in Biblical times are not the same as the cows today, far from that. There is a huge difference for example in the omega-6/omega-3 ratio of the meat. When cows are allowed to have their natural food, then the meat has a favorable omega-6/omega-3 ratio, but if they are fed grains and animal products (ever seen a cow catching another animal to get its meat? Yet it is mixed in with their additional feed!), and all sorts of rubbish besides that, then the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio gets very unfavorable, and we have an unhealthy product. I have read that the cows in the land of Israel in biblical times were able to graze the whole year round, there was no need for extra feeds, so naturally you got a much better product there. Because of the omega-3 it could be argued that fatty cold water fish would be very good for us, but what have we done with our fish? It has accumulated unhealthy concentrations of heavy metals, PCB’s, dioxin, etc etc, which discourage someone from recommending it. Really, mankind has spoiled a lot over the years.

4 Vegetables with meat in moderation may be a lot healthier than a vegetarian diet with lots of refined grains, or with lots of dairy and eggs which are very very mucus forming and constipating, and congesting the whole system. But if one sticks to a variety of natural wholesome foods, then animal products become a disadvantage.

5 Our intestines seem to be adapted to vegetable matter, not to meats. Digestion of meat easily leads to constipation and putrefaction of the protein, because of the length of our intestines, which are not adapted to eating meat like the shorter ones of carnivorous animals are.

6 Before the flood the people got very old, but there was no meat eating then, so that proves on its own that we do not need any meat, except in times of famine of course.

7 Meats start rotting as soon as it is dead. And with that comes contamination with lots of bacteria and virusses, causing many illnesses we don’t even hear about.

8 When a cow is killed, fear of the animal causes substances in the animal’s blood and tissue caused by the stress. When we eat the meat, we also consume those “fears” which are transmitted to us.

9 Meat is very acid forming. We need to have a healthy acid/alkaline balance of our foods. And most conditions are caused by over-acidity of our system, so meat would not be a healing food, it would be pretty difficult to counteract the acidity. When it comes to healing we need to concentrate on the alkalizing foods, fruits and vegetables. There are other factors of course. Stress can be a source of acidity, or a compromised digestive system, to mention a few. Fish and eggs are equally acid forming, so not the best choice when we talk about healing.

10 Without animal products it is highly recommendable to take a vitamin B12 supplement. For a long time I had the opinion that that was proof that human beings need animal products, but I have changed my mind on that. B12 is not an issue in a “clean” body, free from any constipation and congestion anywhere in the system. So in ideal circumstances I believe we would make our own and we absorb our own. But circumstances are not ideal at all. Our bowels are clogged up and our whole system congested, so the body is not able to absorb its own B12. Since very few people will reach that level of optimal health, I would recommend a B12 supplement to avoid all risks. We normally have enough stored for 2-3 years, so for cleansing purposes one does not need to worry about B12, only long term vegans would be wise to consider this issue.

No doubt I have forgotten some important points, but the above is enough proof for me that at least modern animal products are not the way to go, just because people have spoiled their resources. In our family we consume omega-3 egg yolks from our own free range 100% organic and chemical free chickens, they are totally free and have grass and greens and lots of insects, so the yolk we consider a welcome and healthful addition to our diet, where we can not get the needed variety of other foods.

Hope this will clear up some confusion about meats! There is a lot more to say about eggs and dairy, which are even worse offenders.

Yours,

Jannette Benschop

First of all my apologies for having been “out of the air” for a while.

Let me share a program with you which I gave to one of my patients today (this is not the USA). It is a good example of natural healing, going to the cause of the problems. It will work for those cases which are caused by hardening of the arteries. There can be other causes as well, sometimes there can be an hormonal issue for example, but these other causes are not covered today.

High blood pressure is usually a sign of hardening of the arteries and plaque formation against the walls of the arteries, clogging the blood vessels and thereby comprising blood flow, oxygenation and nourishment in tissue and organs ahead of the (partial) blockage.

The good message is that this process can be reversed. By paying attention to our diets, eliminating junk foods and other foods which clog up our system, we can certainly stop that process of hardening and plaque formation. Because the root cause of the problem is what we eat. There is a saying “we are what we eat”. Diet is not the only problem of course, but still, it is almost true, because our bodies are wonderfully designed in such a way, that providing it gets the correct nourishment, and it is eliminating properly (waste and toxins etc), it will always strive for the best health possible. No one would dream of putting the wrong type of fuel in his car. With our bodies it is the same thing. We need proper nourishment, which is not provided by the common foods which most people enjoy. These common foods are constipating and clog up our system, so the body can not do its proper job.

Once we have a problem, we need to do some cleansing. Those plaques in the arteries need to be dissolved, so eventually they can regain their normal elasticity with normal blood pressure.

For cleansing you first need to make sure there are good bowel movements, one for every meal (large, nice and soft without straining and without any discomfort whatsoever). Good bowel movements are top priority, you will never win the battle without. This applies to any condition by the way.

The second important thing is cleansing of the liver. If the liver is in good condition then it will get rid of the excess cholesterol in the blood, put it in the bile and out it goes via the bowels. With a good functioning liver the bad cholesterol level in the blood will come down, and the same applies to triglycerides. Warning: you better not have your cholesterol tested while you are cleansing. The reason is that your cholesterol can go up temporarily while it is coming loose of the plaques and going into the blood (after which it ends up in the liver for elimination). When the plaque is dissolved, then the cholesterol will come down to normal!

Calcium deposits in the plaque in the arteries can be dissolved with apple cider vinegar (only use raw unpasteurized and without preservatives, not the local one). The calcium has settled down in the arteries because it came in such a way that the body could not utilize it. Calcium in refined foods is missing other minerals and trace elements which are needed for proper utilization in the body, like silicon for example. So if the calcium is dissolved by the apple cider vinegar, and the other needed trace elements are still not there, then the calcium can not go anywhere, it will just settle somewhere else in the system without doing much good, may it is now going to block a more important vessel and you will be in trouble. So what you also need is silicon especially (besides other minerals which are in natural foods), which you can find in inyawuthi (bulrush millet, pearl millet). Inyawuthi is the best food source of silicon. Horsetail herb also has a lot of usable silicon, so that can also help. Then the silicon will help the calcium along to the place where it belongs, most of it will go to the bones.

So summarizing what you need for high BP:

1 A diet of wholesome natural unprocessed foods. These foods do not harden arteries, do not cause plaque in the arteries (blood vessels) and do not cause high Blood Pressure. This means practically

Vegetables (either raw or lightly steamed) (‘Vegetables’ includes potatoes and sweet potatoes). Eat a lot of vegetables, any you like.

Fruits

Whole grains

Legumes (peas, lentils, and any type of beans, except soyabeans, do not eat soy products)

Raw nuts and seeds

This is the most wholesome and healthy diet, and proven to be so. The only thing which can be a problem on the long run is vitamin B12. Normally the body has enough stored for about 2-3 years, so no need to rush here. If you do this diet for a long time (recommended!!!), then it could be wise to add a vit B12 supplement (methyl-B12 is the type usable by the body).

Vegetarian diets do not always have a good name and rightly so, because many vegetarians do not take enough care about what they are eating as long as they don’t eat animal products. So if you are vegetarian and you eat a lot of refined grains for example, that can be worse than any other diet, and is not healthy at all. So you need to make sure you go for natural whole foods, and then you will reap the benefits. Make sure you get a lot of vegetables which are powerhouses of nutrients.

2 Elimination of all foods which cause the problem. See the diet sheet. No sugar, no refined foods, no margarin or cooking oils (except cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, take care to never buy olive oil which says ‘pomace oil’ somewhere on the label), absolutely no animal products (they encourage high cholesterol levels), no diary products (there is a substance in homogenized pasteurized milk, xanthine oxidase, which damages the blood vessels). After the healing phase one could try amasi (clabbered milk) from raw milk, but this is not encouraged for the time being.

3 Cleansing of the bowels
Rhubarb root is effective. The Bowel Formula provides rhubarb root mixed with licorice root. Licorice root can increase the BP in high doses, but I don’t think it will affect one in this small dose. Anyway, if it causes problems then better switch to pure rhubarb root . (N.B. Rhubarb root is not my first choice, but the best local alternative out here)

There is a Lower Bowel Formula on the market (USA), which is very effective and which can be taken long term, see Dr Christopher products, Fen-LB.

4 Cleansing of the liver
Dandelion and Milk thistle are both very good for the liver. Take 3 cups per day.

5 Apple cider vinegar

6 Inyawuthi (type of millet, whole grain, soaked, sprouted and cooked).
Horsetail herb tea 3 cups per day.
These are both for silicon. There is a formula of Dr Christopher which is called Calc-T, which has oat straw and comfrey for best utilization of the silicon.

7 Chili pepper (hot, raw, home ground) is very good to improve circulation and to reduce high BP. In my experience it does not work for chronic hypertension where there is plaque formation. That plaque simply needs to be dissolved.

8 Also garlic and ginger are very good to get rid of bad cholesterol

9 One may add a blood cleanser as well, but this should only be done after proper instruction, to ensure it is done the right way.

The above is an example of what can be done. It is simple but effective program. With understanding and motivation one can make healthy choices, stay fit, and save a lot of money on medications, doctors visits and hospitalizations for either hypertension or for related problems, like a heart attack or a stroke for example.

Take care,

Jannette Benschop

If you haven’t already seen it: here is a great video for you, Town of Allopath, which beautifully illustrates the difference between the principles of Allopathic Medicine and Natural Healing! No offence intended to anyone personally!

It is not mine, so you will find all the copyright and contact info at the end of the video.

Jannette

‘You can not stop disease through any kind of adjustments, treatments or diets, without stopping the eating of the foods which produce disease’ (Arnold Ehret).

Modern foods create mucus, uneliminated waste and toxins in the system, which cause discomfort or disease one way or another.

There are two types of mucus. There is a thin natural layer covering and lubricating mucosal linings. This layer is healthy and necessary. Then there is pathogenic (=causing disease) mucus, which is the result of eating the wrong types of foods. The last type is an ideal medium for propagating germs, microbes and bacteria. Cow’s milk is the worst when it comes to production of pathogenic mucus. And that is why babies raised on cow’s milk have constantly running noses, infected tonsils etc. I have heard a doctor say that tonsillitis is strongly connected to drinking of milk, he never saw tonsillitis in people who never drank milk.

It all starts in the colon. It makes a thick layer of mucus trying to protect the body against unwanted disease causing substances. When the system is overwhelmed toxins and what all will get absorbed into the circulation, and cause trouble here or there.

Mucus forming ‘foods’ are dairy products, all sorts of meats, margarine and cooking oils, refined flours, anything with sugar, excess salt, etc

Mucusless diet on the other hand prevents the formation of mucus and helps the body to eliminate waste and toxins, and prevent and reverse disease.

A mucusless diet mainly consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. If needed, depending on your circumstances and on availability, you can add raw, sprouted, or low heated grains and legumes.

In this modern age it is totally impossible to avoid toxins of all kinds, be it from our plastic containers in which we store our food, gases emitted from our furniture, air pollution by traffic and industry, our cell phones, pesticides, insecticides, all sorts of chemicals used nowadays, and what all.

Yes, you could try to clean up your diet, clean up your indoor environment, and live in the forest, settle as a recluse, but for most of us that is very impractical, to say the least…..and you will still not avoid everything….

The alternative is to reduce the toxic load in such a way that the body will be able to handle it. We can not avoid toxins all together, but the good and surprising news is that cleaning up the diet alone will go a long way and deal with most diseases when it comes to prevention and healing.

Our bodies need proper nourishment as well in order to be able to function well. Junk foods in the broadest sense of the word (everything which is not natural and generally everything which comes in a package) do not supply the needed nutrients, they will only serve to clog up the system and make it impossible to eliminate what needs to be eliminated.

We need a clean system. The good news is that the body is geared towards cleansing as long as we do not overwhelm the detox and elimination systems. Our liver is an amazing detox factory, but we can ask too much of it.

True, diet alone is not the only thing, but it certainly is the main culprit in causing the diseases which are caused by our modern way of life in our present day world. The wrong foods serve to clog up the system, so detox and elimination are hindered and disease sets in.

Colds and flus for example are not something unavoidable, they are the result of our way of life with loads of mucus forming foods. If you clear up your diet, you will not catch colds and flu’s and you will not be troubled by running noses for example. Yes the bugs may be around, you will be inhaling them but in a clean system they will have nothing to feed on so they can not survive in your body. Your immune system will be really functioning so well, they won’t touch you. There are immune cells in that tiny healthy layer of mucus, which can effectively deal with invaders, but once that layer is allowed to thicken those immune cells will no longer be able to perform as well.

Clinical practice has shown that it IS possible to reverse disease, acute or chronic, as long as these principles are followed. Dr J.R. Christopher used to say that there are no incurable diseases. The body has an amazing self healing capacity if we do not overwhelm its detox and elimination systems. It WILL go to work if we allow it to….

Enough food for thought for today!

Jannette Benschop

This time I came along this newsletter of Frederic Patenaude, and thought I really wanted to share this with you. If you want to overcome dental decay, and eliminate dentists bills, then read on! There are 14 hours left of the 24-hour special!

Here it is:

The other day I received an e-mail from one of my readers.
He asked me “What’s the difference between the Toothsoap
you sell and your new Toothpowder?”

These are some products I’ve used myself for overcoming
dental decay and even re-enamelizing my teeth, and almost
eliminate my dentist bills completely. Both are available on
my site.

So what’s the difference between the two?

———————————–
Let me explain, but first, please note that anyone who
orders Toothsoap or Toothpowder in the next 24 hours will
also get a copy of our program “How to End Dental Decay
Forever — A Daily Checklist”. This is complete program
that I created, with over 2 hours of audio and two eBooks.
———————————–

*Toothsoap*

Check this out and click on the picture:

Every since I introduced Toothsoap in our product line,
I’ve received literally hundreds of rave reviews! This
product works, but in a very surprising way.

Yes, it’s actually soap. But soap made through a very
special process.

What’s great about it are the results!

Users report major improvements in tooth sensitivity, gum
recession, decay, and more!

The key element is that it’s non-abrasive and
anti-bacterial at the same time. Also, it doesn’t contain
any glycerin (which is an element used in most toothpastes
to give consistency) which normally coats the teeth with a
thin film that is hard to remove.

The results? Your teeth can actually reenamelize
themselves.

I actually proved it to myself a few years ago after making
some changes in my diet (namely I stopped eating so much
acid stuff) and using toothsoap.

Some of my teeth actually reenemalized (confirmed by my
dentist) in areas where it had begun to erode.

So that’s for the toothsoap. Read the testimonials we got
on that page and decide for yourself.

*ToothPowder*

Check this out as well: ToothPowder

I recently introduced another dental health product in our
catalog, simply because I felt there was something missing.

You see… Toothsoap is great, but because it’s completely
non-abrasive, it’s possible that some people may experience
some staining.

Most of my readers consume heavily items such as greens and
fruits, which are colored and can stain the teeth to give
them a nasty looking aspect.

This is of course purely cosmetic! And it may happen faster
when you use Toothsoap on a regular basis, because of the
very fact that it leaves your teeth so clean, therefore more
prone to staining.

The advantage of Toothpowder is that it contains a mild
abrasive agent that will help remove any stains on your
teeth and keep them white.

But it’s also one of the most effective anti-microbial,
natural tooth product you’ll ever find.

It naturally restores the alkalinity of the mouth as well,
with the special type of sea salt used in the formula.

So that’s why I also recommend the Toothpowder. I use it
myself, and it’s especially useful because you can also add
some to your oral irrigator (which you should get anyway for
perfect teeth!).

To get the details and order, go to: ORDER TOOTH POWDER

*How to Use It*

I personally prefer to use a combination of Toothsoap and
Toothpowder. For example, in the morning I use the
Toothsoap. But at least once a day I’ll use the Powder. And
then, with my oral irrigator, I always add a little bit of
ToothPowder for an extra anti-microbial effect.

Try it out yourself.

Frederic

PS: Remember, for the next 24 hours, anyone who orders
Toothpowder or Toothsoap will get a copy of our program
“How to End Dental Decay Forever, a Daily Checklist.”

This includes actually two hours of audio and two eBooks…
and it is the method that I used to reverse years of dental
problems, to now get perfect checkups every time.

So check out these two sites:

toothsoap.html

and

toothpowder.html

PPS: We’ve had some problems with the links on our site
lately because we did some cleanup on our website server.
Everything is now back online, so if you couldn’t open a
link, you can now do it.”

Frederic Patenaude
6595 St-Hubert, CP 59053
Montreal, QC, H2S 3P5
Canada

Yours in Health,

Jannette Benschop

Cayenne is also known as Cayenne Pepper, Red Pepper, Capsicum, Spanish Pepper, Bird Pepper, Chili Pepper, African Red Pepper, American Red Pepper, Garden Pepper, Cockspur Pepper. The best comes from Africa and South America!

I have realized that quite a few people are against the use of cayenne, because it is said to be an irritating substance, but let us look at it and you can decide for yourself if you want to use it or not.

Looking at the medicinal values I personally don’t believe it can do any harm. Dr J.R. Christopher, a renowned herbalist in the USA, and other great herbalists like Jethro Kloss, and others, have used it extensively without ever having seen any negative side effects.

One thing though…..it HAS to be raw. It becomes an irritating substance when heated or cooked. Make sure the powder is not ground at high temperature and that it is not irradiated. Buying certified organic cayenne is the only way to be sure, unless you grow your own of course. I have also learned to remove the stems in order to reduce the fiber, which is important when you use a lot of it.

Cayenne is a great stimulant, but let that not deter you, because it does no harm to the system, not even to the most delicate tissues. It can hurt, yes, but it will do no harm, PROVIDED it is raw and you are using the whole food, that is: not an extract of the capsaicine, but the whole pepper. That makes all the difference. Isolated capsaicine is extremely powerful and behaves like a drug, while the natural whole pepper is totally safe.

You can safely put in open wounds and it will cause healing. It is also disinfectant and it will stop any bleeding really fast. Black pepper on the other hand will irritate, and will not promote healing.

Cayenne is known for its ability to prevent and cure stomach ulcers, I don’t know of a faster and more effective cure. Many people are afraid of the initial pain, but there are many reports of those who have been brave enough to take the cayenne who have been cured overnight. Probably the healing took a bit longer, but at least the pain was relieved that fast. There is an interesting report about a man who was going to commit suicide because he could no longer cope with the pain. He decided to take an overdose of drugs, but found out that his wife had cleared the medicine cabinet and filled it with herbs. He took 3 tablespoons of cayenne, thinking that would do the job. In stead of succumbing he had his first night’s sleep in many years and in the morning his wife had to wake him up for work. His pain had gone. He kept on using it and his ulcers were cured for ever.

Cayenne is equally effective for indigestion. Try it and you will be amazed. It also stimulates digestion, and will promote good bowel movements. It kills any fungi in the intestines.

Because of its pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory effects it is effectively used for rheumatism, cluster headaches, pain of osteoarthritis, sprains, muscle pains, arthritis, lumbago, sciatica and even for pleurisy.

Like Hawthorn Berry, Cayenne is a super food for the heart. Dr Christopher said that he never ever lost one patient with a heart infarction, because of the use of cayenne. It also reduces blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and platelet aggregation, while it helps the body to dissolve the fibrin which is involved in formation of blood clots. ‘Cultures where hot peppers like cayenne are used liberally have a much lower rate of heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism’

Cayenne regulates the circulation, it is a powerful and fast agent to stop external and internal bleeding, and is effectively used in coma and profound shock.

It is reported to be a specific and very effective, almost certain remedy for yellow fever.

With my knowledge and experience I would say, if I had to choose ‘one’ herb to work with I would choose cayenne. That would be my best herb for emergencies! It is totally safe because it can be given without measure and without fear of overdose!

Jannette Benschop

We have all heard remarkable success stories of people on raw food diets, but we don’t hear so much about those who don’t really thrive on it, despite of their best efforts to do everything just right. One may be struggling with cravings, deficiencies, dental problems etc, not knowing why, while others are so successful. If you are one of those people struggling, then be sure to check out the Green for Life Program

There can be different reasons for failure. We can easily miss some important factors, and there are also different ways to eat raw. Here are some common limiting factors (they may sound so simple, but read on):

1 Do you get enough sleep? Really, this is often overlooked. It is so easy to go late to bed because we want to finish this or that, at least that is my personal experience. The bad news is: nothing makes up for lack of sleep! It may take some discipline to get to bed in time.

On the other hand, there are powerful techniques which can help us to optimize our sleep in such a way that we can cut our sleeping time considerably and feel even more energized than ever before. You will find incredible and simple to apply powerful techniques in the book
“Powerful Sleep, Secrets of the Inner Sleep Clock”

2 Do you get enough sunlight? Most people tend to think that they get sufficient sunlight, but 2 quotes from The American Journal of CLINICAL NUTRITION may convince you that may not always be the case:

[The elderly are at risk for vitamin D deficiency because of poor dietary vitamin D intake and decreased exposure to sunlight. We observed that 30%, 42%, and 84% of free-living white, Hispanic, and black elderly were vitamin D deficient [25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L] at the end of August in Boston]

[ We observed that 32% of healthy adults 18-29 y of age were vitamin D deficient [25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L] at the end of the winter in Boston]

Did you know that your body only absorbs 10-15% of Calcium from your food in the absence of sunlight, while it absorbs about 30% of the Calcium from milk with adequate sun exposure? Adequate Calcium is needed for long term success on the raw food diet. (I am not encouraging you to go for milk, this is just an example).

Did you realize that you effectively block production of vitamin D with a good sunscreen? If you do it properly you can block up to 95-99% !

We have been warned to avoid sun exposure to reduce the risk of skin cancer, but did you know that sunlight also has a powerful anti-cancer effect? In vitamin D deficiency there is an increased risk of cancer, as well as of diabetes type 1, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

Raw vegans are especially at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency, because they have fewer resources from the foods they eat. Oily fish for example is a good source of vitamin D, and so is cod liver oil, but vegans will not take these. They also tend to take fresh produce rather than vitamin D fortified products. It is clear that vegans need to be more diligent in seeking sun exposure than others. Don’t let lack of time restrain you. Most likely you can find more opportunities for being in the sun than you realize right now.

3 Do you get enough exercise? It is my observation that those who are successful on a raw food diet are the ones who do vigorous work-outs. I don’t need to tell you why exercise is necessary. One of the many reasons can be that exercise provides acid in the body which can counteract the alkalinity of vegetables and fruits. For well-being we need about 80% alkaline and 20% acid foods. In my observation it may be that the body can handle alkaline fruits and vegetables when combined with vigorous (acid-forming!) exercise! So exercise could replace the need for heavy or cooked foods to balance the diet.

4 Are you consuming a lot of nuts/seeds/oils? One possibility is that a high fat diet is draining your energy. You may think you are not getting much fat, but watch out! Fatty foods are very concentrated, it is very easy to overdo on fats on a raw diet. Keep a food log for some days, and you may be unpleasantly surprised!

5 Do you get enough greens? They are loaded with phyto-nutrients and absolutely essential for survival and success on a long term raw diet.

I want to draw your attention to the Green for Life Program. The next group cleanse begins March 31st, 2008. They can only take 50 people at this time, so be sure to join before they’re full. If you join now, then ‘you’ll be automatically signed up for their upcoming and never-done-live-before “Mono-Meal Cleanse”, which you can follow right after the Green Cleanse, for the ultimate detox ever! ‘

Yours in health,

Jannette

When a person gets old and stiff, gets arthritis, spurs on the spine, a wrinkled skin, etc, we normally blame old age.

Would you ever think this person may suffer from a sodium deficiency? Do you think it is possible in this modern age with its excessive intakes of salt to not get enough sodium in our diets?

Yes, it is possible! You know, there is a difference between sodium which is in natural foods and between sodium chloride from our table salt. We can have an excess of sodium chloride and at the same time a deficiency of organic sodium.

Sodium contained in natural foods comes in such a package (with a whole lot of other minerals and trace-elements etc) that the body can make full use of it. Sodium chloride on the other hand comes with a lot of additives which make it insoluble, and the only thing the body can do is excrete it as it is (in urine or sweat) or deposit it somewhere.

Table-salt has been heated at extraordinary temperatures of 800-1000 C in order to let additives like bleaching agents and anti-caking agents bind with it and coat it in such a way that it can be poured readily under all conditions. The same in the body, the salt crystals are coated and do not readily dissolve, so it becomes toxic and will behave like a drug, unlike sodium from natural foods which nourish the body and keep it young and supple.

Sodium has been called the “youth element”. Did you ever realise that (organic) sodium is needed to stay young ? Sodium is essential to keep calcium in solution for example, whereby it will prevent the calcium from depositing around or in the joints, or in the walls of your arteries for example. Without organic sodium life would not be possible.

Sodium chloride in table salt does not do any good in the body. Did you ever realize that when you feel irritable and short tempered, that this can be from excess of sodium? Or that constipation can be due to excess of sodium? Toxic effects may include:

Waterretention
Hypertension
Stomach ulcers
Stomach cancer
Heart disease
Strokes
Osteoporosis (excess salt leads to calcium deficiency)

It will be interesting to learn some of the signs of sodium deficiency. Did you know that dark circles under your eyes can be because of sodium deficiency for example (or potassium overdose, it is the balance which matters)? Dr Jenssen gives some as well, like weakness, gas and bloating, heart arrythmias, attention deficit, difficulty in concentration, to mention some.

Sapoty Brook gives an excellent overview of the symptoms of overdose or deficiency of sodium and other macro-minerals in his book Eco-Eating: A Guide to Balanced Eating for Health & Vitality. Because of copyright issues I think it is not fair to him to give you his list.

We bought his book some years ago, and this has been one of the few books which did not end up on our bookshelf, because we are using it all the time. Sapoty Brook explains how to use minerals to manipulate body and mind, and in practice we found that he has ALWAYS been right. Sometimes we forgot about the principles and wandered away, but we always came back, saying “of course…….” They work . I think the book is written to help raw foodists maintain their raw food life style on the long run, but it is equally interesting and useful for people who are not raw at all. Absolutely recommended.

High sodium foods are carrots, beets, celery, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress, dandelion greens, kale, etc. Remember what matters is the sodium/potassium ratio, not so much the absolute amounts.

How much sodium do we actually need? Generally on a plant food diet one would get 500-1000 mg of sodium, which is all the body needs. There is no need for any added salt on the table. And do not forget that we get a lot of inactive sodium in additives to our food (aromatics, preservatives, baking agents, rising agents etc etc) which do not even taste salty, that way we may get as much as 50 times the normal amounts from natural foods.

Americans on average use about 9-9.5 g daily. This contains at least 3600 mg sodium (insoluble and coated), while the body generally does not need more than 500 mg of natural food sodium.

Some people may argue that unrefined salts like Celtic salt and Himalayan salt are better. They are, at least the salt is not heated and not coated, but it is still extremely easy to overdose on sodium. Take Celtic salt for example, 0.3 metric teaspoon already gives you 500 mg of sodium, and that is on top of your other foods, so you can easily get too much.

I recommend not adding any salt, but if you have to, at least choose one of the unrefined salts or vegetable salts.
Salt numbs the taste buds. After you discontinue salt, it will take a few weeks to adjust, then you can enjoy the wonderful subtle tastes of natural foods again. And raw will taste better. Cooked foods need sweeteners or oils and salt to make it tasty, raw foods don’t need any extras, so increase your percentage of raw and break that addiction to salt!

Yours,

Jannette Benschop

Do you know the number one food for prevention of osteoporosis? I am going to tell you!

The Dairy industry make us believe it is milk, but is it?

And the general belief is “The more Calcium the better” for bone health, but is it?

It is actually not that straight forward. Contrary to what many believe, excessive Calcium makes bones age….. faster.

And that is what osteoporosis is all about, about aging of the bones.

You must read a very interesting article about this subject on http://www.youngerthanyourage.com/4/ExcessiveCalcium.htm
This is from a Dutch researcher.

It says that excessive Calcium causes a high turnover of bone cells, exhausting the replicating mechanisms and leading to premature aging of the bones.

Did you know that countries with the highest intake of Calcium also have the highest rates of hip fractures for example?

On the other hand, we do need Calcium, and in such a way that the body is going to make full use of it.

1 Given our reduced need for calcium on a plant food diet we want to be sure the body is not going to eliminate it in the urine! See the previous entry for the explanation!

2 We also want to be sure that the body is getting all the other factors needed for Calcium metabolism and good bone health, like for example Magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin D, Silicon, and what is important: the proper ratio of Calcium/Phosphor 1.5:1 and of Calcium/Magnesium 2:1

3 In practice we don’t need to worry about that so much as long as we get a variety of foods. The body is perfectly able to assimilate what it needs, if we allow it to by eliminating acid forming junk foods from our diets, which cause calcium loss in the urine, and which may provide an excess of phosphor (think of soft drinks!).

4 Good sources of Calcium are green leafy vegetables, beans, tofu, and even oranges.

With a variety of vegetables and fruits we actually get all the nutrients needed for good bone health.

Do you know the number one food for prevention of osteoporosis?

5 No…….not milk…….. but green leafy vegetables! The best sources of assimilable Calcium are green leafy vegetables. And the greens also provide a good amount of magnesium and vit K. Compared with milk they are far superior!

6 Of course we should not forget vitamin D. Sunlight is the best source, where there is limited exposure, one would do well to supplement with cod liver oil for example, or with some herbs rich in vitamin D. Those who are not vegan may consider raw fish and raw organic free range egg yolks.

7 Silicon is needed to get the calcium where it belongs. An excellent source of silicon is oatstraw tea or horsetail tea. High calcium/low silicon does not protect the bones, but low calcium with silicon does.

8 Don’t take calcium supplements!!!! They will make matters worse.

9 Grains are not the best option because of their high phytic acid content. Millet may be an exception because of its high silicon content!

10 Oxalic acid is a well k