The ML Editor

The philosophy behind tincture is to capture the spiritual and physical essence of the plant. This is done by using the power of ethyl alcohol to dissolve and preserve the herb in question.

The substance used to extract the herbs is known as the menstrum. The herbs you are tincturing are known as the mark. Tincturing will extract and preserve both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble properties of an herb.

In the interest of taking a more involved stance in their health, many people are turning to homemade tinctures made from fresh or dried herbs. Tinctures have proven to be more powerful and longer lasting than dried herbs. Dried herbs can get moldy or be eaten by insects, tinctures do not. Tinctures will keep up to two years and keep their potency if stored properly. Making your own tinctures will save you quite a bit of money. If you purchase tinctures in a retail store you will get a few ounces whereas if you make it yourself it will yield about a quart.

When purchasing herbs, make sure you are buying from a reputable source. Better yet, grow your own herbs to be sure of the highest possible quality. When growing your own you can make any number of combinations to make up your tinctures. I have also found that when growing my own herbs I get the most enjoyment, knowing not only did I make the tincture but I grew the herbs. I become part of the process from beginning to end.

There are several items that you will need to make your own tinctures. First you need either powdered herbs or fresh cut herbs. Vodka, brandy or rum, 80-100 proof to cover the herbs. Mason jars with lids. Muslin or Cheesecloth that is unbleached. Lastly, labels for the jars.

You will need 7-10 ounces of chopped fresh herbs for every quart of vodka, brandy or rum. I prefer to use fresh herbs when making my tinctures. When using powdered herbs, I use 4 ounces of herbs to one pint of liquid. If you are making a tincture from bitter herbs it is best to use rum as it will mask the taste of the herbs. To make a non-alcoholic tincture use distilled water, glycerol or vinegar. Keep in mind that if you use vinegar the tincture will have to be refrigerated.

Put your herbs in the mason jars and then pour the liquid over them so that it comes up to about an inch above the herbs. Seal tightly and label the jars then put them in a very dark, warm area. Keeping them in a paper bag has worked well for me. You will have to shake the jar everyday, several times a day if you can mange it.

At first check the solution daily to make sure the vodka, brandy or rum still covers the herbs. Let the mixture steep for at least two weeks and up to three months. When you reach the allotted waiting period, line a sieve with the cheesecloth or muslin and pour the liquid thru the sieve into another bottle. Gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and squeeze to extract all of the liquid. You can now fill small bottles with droppers with the tincture for ease in use. Be sure to label the jar with the name and the date.

The dose is one teaspoon tincture in a cup of tea, juice or water taken three times daily.

There are no right formulas for making tinctures. Experiment with different combinations. Be sure you write down the formula so when you come up with a winning combination you will have it on file.

Here are a few ideas for treating colds. Make tinctures from the following herbs:
* echinacea (leaves, flowers)
* elder (leaves, flowers, berries)
* eyebright (leaves, flowers)
* ginger (root)
* peppermint (leaves)
* yarrow (leaves, flowers)
* catnip (leaves

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

About the Author
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Gardening, Cruising and Cooking. Visit her websites at www.GardeningHerb.com
www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com, and www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com or contact her at mary@gardeninglandscapingtips.com

Wealth is nothing without health, yet most of us would
rather jeopardize our health for wealth, worrying and working
so much that our body begins to either revolt or get stressed
out, crash like an overloaded computer hardware.

We take little or no care of our bodies. We carry on till
breakdown point when we get hospitalized and forced to service
our body system. This then is the only opportunity our bodies
get to be given any treatment at all.

All the while before breakdown point, we pile pressure on our
bodies’ system, under-nourished with none nutritional diets,
impure air and water.

IRONY OF LIFE

Ironically, people find it more expedient to service their
engines: Cars etc, making sure that machines do not break down,
while neglecting the bodies that are to make use of the machines.

Cars are regularly taken to the garage for service - flushing
out impurities, replacing and oiling engine parts. Generally
replenishing the engine system, etc. from the rigors that would
have eventually caused it to break down, but most people seldom
give the same care to their bodies on a regular basis.

NOW PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Just like the car, your body system requires:

1. Cleansing of wastes, pathogens and toxins.

2. Nourishing and replenishing of lost nutrients

3. Strengthening or boosting of the immune system and

4. Balancing or revitalizing of the endocrine systems to produce
balanced hormones.

For a sickness free life, the following require regular
detoxification and nourishment:

1. THE HEART SYSTEM: heart, small intestines, tongue and the respiratory glands

2. THE LIVER SYSTEM: liver, gallbladder, pancreas, eyes.

3. THE KIDNEY SYSTEM: kidney, bladder, reproductive system

4. THE SPLEEN SYSTEM: spleen, stomach, mouth, digestive glands, the lungs, large intestines and the immune system.

5. THE BRAIN SYSTEM: brain and the nervous system.

All the above are the visceral organs, your sound health is
dependent on their well-being.

Did you know that sound health is the status of complete physical,
mental and social well-being of an individual, not merely the absence
of diseases and sickness?

The World Health Organization states that health is impaired
by 10% social conditions, 5% climatic conditions, 15% genetic
factors and 70% life style choice.

Because of the foregoing statistics, only 5% of the estimated six
billion inhabitants of planet earth are of sound health, 15% are
at the breakdown point with illness while 80% are in the sub
health sector, neither sick nor of sound health. 90% of sudden
death occur in this group.

Now, think about your health, treat your body better than your car;
cleans your body, nourish it, boost and balance it for a sickness free life.

Remember this always:

You might live to be 100 years old; keep your
body well and fit for that eventuality, don’t let your body fail you
while you are alive - it is hell on earth.

Keep checking us out for more information

Neshah is a Tianshi health and wealth consultant - http://tianshi-success.tripod.com

For most of us, eating healthfully means cutting down on salt. Even if cutting down your salt intake won’t reduce your waist measurement, it’ll make you a healthier person, better able to follow your weight management programme.

But it’s not that simple. Have you ever been confused by the nutritional labels on food? Salt or sodium, what’s the different?

Salt is the general name given to sodium chloride. 6g of salt contains about 2.5g of sodium. It’s the sodium in salt that can lead to health problems. For example, sodium can lead to higher than recommended blood pressure.

It’s important that you educate yourself to avoid over indulging on salt. You may feel that by reducing your calorie intake and cutting out rich creamy sauces and refined sugars you have all the bases covered. Not necessarily. Sometimes to compensate for reduced fat, you or the manufacturer may add extra seasonings. Salt is one the ways flavour can be added into a low fat diet. Be careful and read food labels carefully.

When cooking:

Add fresh natural herbs such as basil, coriander, rosemary, mint and thyme to lean protein options such as chicken, tofu and fish.

Don’t add salt when cooking. Taste the cooked food, then decide how much you need - if any!

Chop fresh mint onto salads and add fresh basil to tomatoes.

When eating out:

Don’t add salt until you’ve tried your food. It’s so easy to add it automatically!

Go easy on salt, and add more pepper instead!

Is Sea Salt Better For You?

There are minute traces of minerals in sea salt, which you don’t find in ordinary salt. Although these might be beneficial, it’s just as important that you cut your intake of sea salt.

How does salt creep into our food?

Processed foods - watch the labels carefully, you might be amazed!

Salt we add when cooking or at the table

Salt found naturally in most foods

When shopping:

Replace unhealthy salt-laden snacks such as crisps with crunchy soy nuts for an oven-roasted flavour

Cut down on sauces. Soy sauce is particularly high in salt.

Choose lower salt stock cubes for cooking, or instead make your own stock with herbs and spices for flavour to casseroles and soups.

Choose tinned vegetables that are labelled ‘no added salt’.

Check nutritional labels before your by.

Note: Average salt intake should be 6g a day as an adult (Source: FDF)

Kim Beardsmore M.B.A., B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is the creator of the online weight loss, health & fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For free resources, tips and healthy recipes to help you lose weight and gain energy, visit weight-loss-health.com.au

Fish Oil vs Flax Seed Oil

The fish oil vs flax seed oil debate continues among health supplement providers. Some say that flax oil is better. Others say a fish oil dietary supplement is best. No one denies that they both contain omega-3 fatty acids which are essential to many systems, organs and tissues of the human body. The flax oil vs fish oil conflict concerns which omega-3 is best and why.

Most current scientific study involves the benefits of certain omega-3 fatty acids to heart and brain health. The omega-3s used in these studies are DHA and EPA. These are found in a high quality fish oil dietary supplement. Flax oil contains an omega-3 called ALA and other fatty acids. The benefits of flax oil and fish oil are somewhat different and each can be beneficial, but for different reasons.

Flax oil vs fish oil

However, for heart health, a fish oil dietary supplement is recommended by most medical experts and naturopathic practitioners. ALA needs to be converted to DHA and EPA in the body….and this conversion does not always take place, especially for people who are in less than optimal health. This would include many elderly folks. On the other hand, if you’re in good health flax seed ALA may be converted by the body to DHA and EPA.

Thus, when the heart is concerned in the flax oil vs fish oil debate, fish oil wins in our opinion since you can get the crucial DHA and EPA directly through a quality fish oil. For brain health and symptoms like depression, a fish oil dietary supplement is recommended for much the same reasons.

The brain needs large amounts of DHA, but if the body needs the ALA for some other reason, it may not ever be converted to DHA.

So, when the brain is discussed in the fish oil vs flax seed oil debate, fish oil wins again.

Having said all of this, some people prefer flax oil over fish oil for various reasons. For example, strict vegetarians must supplement their diet with some type of omega-3, but will not take a fish oil dietary supplement.

Flax seed oil may help to alleviate hot flashes in menopausal women. It would be nice if there were one supplement that did everything for everyone, but there is no such supplement.

Having read up on fish oil vs flax seed oil, visit us now to learn about the highest quality fish oil dietary supplement that we ourselves use after extensive product comparisons. Visit: http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com/Fish_Oil_Products.html now.

‘Total body load’ is the phrase used to describe a principle that relate to factors that bring stress onto the body that lead to an overload on the body which results in illnesses.

‘Total body load’ is one of the most important body healing principles, the principle is the key to beating and recovering from all illnesses. Any illness or disease is cure by nature not doctors, all a good doctor can do is to reduce the body load to allow nature to run its course and cure. Unfortunately, most doctors these days rely too much on modern drugs which only add to the biological burden placed upon the body which makes things worst not better, as intended.

The human being, as with all living creatures, has regulatory mechanisms which defend the body from illnesses, diseases and harm. The skin protects the body from dehydration and temperature variations, poison waste is eliminated from the body by the kidneys, the immune system defends the body from micro-organisms, the liver detoxifies the body from health damaging chemicals and acid-base balance within the body is kept regulated by other factors within the body.

Every second, every minute, every day, the body’s regulatory mechanisms are working to keep the body healthy and we generally feel good and fine. Health problems tend to occur when the body’s health defenses become overworked and symptoms appear, by this stage the body’s defenses have been breached and problems can become serious quiet quickly.

The overloading of the body’s systems is very serious and health problems will occur. The metaphor image that is commonly used to illustrate the overload phenomenon is that of an overflowing barrel. Envisage the barrel being the body’s ability to cope with all the stresses of modern day living, the more stresses added to the barrel the more it gets full, until one day it overflows and produces symptoms which are related to diseases and illnesses. There are a number of factors or combination of factors that can lead to the barrel overflowing and producing illnesses and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, ulcers and mental breakdown, a sample of these factors that contribute to the barrel overflowing are allergies, poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep, acute viral episodes, sudden shock and overwork.

There are many ways to overload the body, psychological factors being excessive work load, high amount of stress and personality disorders, physical factors being the heat and cold, electromagnetic radiation, oxidative stress and mercury toxicity, biological factors being fatigue, allergies, micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, nutritional deficiency and endocrine dysfunction and chemical factors being alcohol, medicines, pollution and recreational drugs.

A common misleading factor about overload is that the last overload factor that is introduced is the only culprit for producing symptoms. It is very uncommon for one overload factor to overcome the body’s defenses; it is far more likely to be a cumulative of actions by different stressors. For example, a persons lifestyle may consists of a stressful job, which to combat the stress they turn to comfort substances such as smoking, drinking, eating chocolate, to wake themselves up for work in the morning they drink a couple of cups of coffee, to cope with their workload they work long hours and only take half an hour lunch break where they eat at their desk because of these long hours they don’t have time to rest properly or exercise plus there is a rumor of job cuts at their work. All of these are stressors that the person can cope with until one day a close relative dies and the stress from bereavement overloads their ‘barrel’ and symptoms of illness occur. Many people would say that it is the stress of bereavement that caused the person to become ill but in fact it was a cumulative affect of a stressful job, consuming caffeine and alcohol, smoking and not resting and exercising properly that cause the illness.

A doctor, physician or therapist can use the knowledge of ‘total body load’ to help their patients. Any indirect or direct means to reduce ‘total body load’ will help to combat illnesses, for example quitting smoking will help with infertility, good healthy nutrition will help to fight against cancer, eliminating infections such as Candida will help with PMT, reducing the use of hairspray and perfumes will help to improve catarrh and eating fewer stress foods that cause food intolerances and allergy and refined carbohydrates and food additives will certainly help to improve health.

The body can tolerate a certain ‘threshold’ of each stressor but when a stressor reaches the ‘threshold’ illness occurs. Bad allergens are the ones which when taken even in small amounts can put the body into overload. Mild allergens can normally be tolerated but when many mild allergens are taken at once then the ‘threshold’ will be reach and illness occurs. This is why certain allergic food can be eaten without any problems but can also cause problems when taken with other allergic food. This explains why food can be eaten without causing illness at one time and at another time it can cause an allergic reaction. As illustrated earlier, life events, emotional stress and viral infections can all affect the ‘threshold’ of ‘overload’.

In conclusion, understanding the ‘total body load’ principle is vital for a Nutritional therapist. It illustrates why and what makes a person ill and by understanding this, advice can be given about nutrition and lifestyle to reduce the stressors in life. The ‘total body load’ principle can be used to example why a patient can go on a relaxing beach holiday in the Caribbean and eat food that they are intolerant to and not be ill but as soon as they are back in their stressful job in the city they become ill again when eating foods they are intolerant to.

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Bespoke consultations for a healthier natural life

website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com
Get a free initial nutritional therapy diagnosis now…

Arthritis, whether it is osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or gout, have the common symptoms of inflammation of one or more joints. This is accompanied by pain, swelling and sometimes joint deformity. Traditionally, with herbal medicine, anti-inflammatory herbs such as black cohosh, feverfew, yucca and wild yam were recommended. And a naturopath might prescribe vitamins like vitamin A, the B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Plus a host of minerals like chelated zinc, chelated calcium and magnesium, copper salicylate, selenium and bromelain. And supplements like evening primrose and fish oils, glucosmaine, and superoxide dismutase, which is found in good quality dehydrated (but not juiced) green barley powder.

But scientists have found some very effective anti-inflammatory agents in our own kitchen. Some of them, like ginger, can be bought as a supplement. And due to ginger’s strong taste, this might be a preferable way of taking it to get the quantities you need for a significant anti-inflammatory effect. But others, like olive oil, can easily be integrated into the daily diet. Cinnamon is not commonly used as a supplement here, but in India it has a rich traditional use and may be available as part of an Ayurvedic supplement.

Ginger

One of the active constituents in ginger is a phenolic compound known as gingerols. These have been found to have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. In a study reported in the Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal, the participants who took the ginger compound had significantly less pain during movement than those who took the placebo. This study followed 29 people over 12 months, and also found that swelling in the knees was also reduced.
However, if you are taking blood thinning medication like warfarin, you may need to be careful about the amount of ginger you take, as ginger can thin the blood also. (Australian Healthy Food)

Cinnamon

This rather delicious spice has a number of health benefits. Specific to inflammation and arthritis, cinnamon can help inhibit the release of inflammatory fatty acids. (Australian Healthy Food)

Yellow and Orange Fruits and Vegetables

Some of the carotenoids in yellow and orange fruit and vegetables help reduce inflammation. Carotenoids are what gives these vegetables and fruit their color. (Australian Healthy Food)

Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil acts similar to the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen, though it doesn’t have the immediate pain relieving effects that ibuprofen does. But a compund found in extra virgin olive oil, called oleocanthal has been found to inhibit the COX enzymes like ibuprofen, in what researchers describe as a ‘dose dependant’ manner. This research was originally reported in the September, 2005 issue of Nature magazine by Paul Breslin and his associates from Monell Chemical Senses Center. He describes oleocanthal as a natural anti-inflammatory compound that is potentially as strong as ibuprofen. He suggests that taken over the long term, it will have the same potential benefits that long term use of ibuprofen does. Their results found that taking 50 grams of extra virgin olive oil is equal to approximately 10% of the dosage of ibuprofen recommended for pain relief for adults. Olive oil also has a host of other benefits, including a heart protective effect.

Interestingly, scientists have also found that a diet high in refined grains, sugary soft drinks, processed meat and even diet soft drinks can encourage both inflammation and type 2 diabetes.

Resources:
1. http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=62217
2. Australian Healthy Food Magazine, November 2005 Issue
3. Australian Healthy Food Magazine, January 2006 Issue
4, P Bedson, The Complete Family Guide To Natural Healing (Hinkler Books)

To find out more about vitamin and herbs and glucosamine supplements, visit my site for up to date articles and information. There are lots of natural home remedies, and DIY natural health information.

Those who start eating lemons at first symptoms of the common cold should slow down. According to a recent study, Vitamin C does nothing to prevent the common cold.

Australian and Finnish researchers after analysis of 55 studies say that the only effect that Vitamin C can have is to shorten the duration of a cold. Some 30 studies noted that 8% of adults and 13% of children who continued to take Vitamin C while they had a cold cut short its duration.

Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling in his 1970s book, “Vitamin C and the Common Cold,” sparked interest in the supplement that has grown to a more than $600 million annual business in Britain, the Times of London reported.

However, the study has shown that people who took up to 2 grams of Vitamin C daily caught colds at the same rate as people who took a placebo. The study was conducted by researchers Robert Douglas of Australian National University, Canberra, and Harri Hemila of the University of Helsinki. In order to assess whether supplemental vitamin C can reduce the risk of picking up a cold, the authors focused on 23 studies done in the general population, using doses of up to 2g daily. The result of the study “throws doubt on the utility of this wide practice,” the researchers said in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

Nevertheless, one study found that very large doses of Vitamin C - 8 grams - taken on the first day of a cold appeared could shorten the disease itself. The authors say that the clinical significance of this minor reduction “is questionable, although the consistency of these findings points to a genuine biological effect.”

But the authors did find evidence that the vitamin could help prevent colds in people exposed to extreme physical exertion or cold weather. They found six studies in which the vitamin or a placebo was given to marathon runners, skiers and soldiers exposed to significant cold and/or physical stress.

Those taking the vitamin experienced, on average, a 50 per cent reduction in common cold incidence. The authors urge “great caution”, though, in making generalisations from this finding in 6 studies that is mainly based on marathon runners.

Several years ago researchers discovered that big doses of vitamin C can be dangerous for smokers.

Cigarettes and vitamin C are incompatible: big doses of this vitamin could be dangerous for smokers. According to Australian scientists, while smoking heavy metal cadmium penetrates into human organism. Big amounts of this metal could be found in wheat, in Crustacea and in rice imported from Asia. Usually vitamin C protects human organism from tumours due to its anti-oxidant effect. Though, as Australian scientists found out, in combination with cadmium the vitamin could provoke appearing cancer cells. Doses over 4 gram a day are dangerous for smokers. Cadmium could be contained in human organism for tens of years and it is very complicated to be removed. That is why not only today’s smoking or consuming bad food is dangerous, but even bad habits and infected food one used 10 years ago. The scientists state cadmium can penetrate to nature from batteries, smelting furnaces, dye stuffs and plastics.

Mike Freije

http://www.health-shop.com

http://www.health-shop.info

As I mentioned in Part 4 of my Real Health diet series, I believe that taking green foods, particularly spirulina and chlorella, is very important to your health. This article will focus on why you should take spirulina.

You may have heard these words, spirulina and chlorella before. What are they though? Basically they are green microalgae. They are microscopic plants which grow in fresh water. They are green due to chlorophyll.

It is sold in the form of powder. I take mine in veggie capsules. I believe the best comes from the Nutrex company in Hawaii. They sell under their own label. They also provide the spirulina that I buy from Jenny Lee Naturals, which sells a 580 capsule bottle.

First, spirulina. Spirulina is an amazing food. And it is a food, not a medicine. First, it contains protein. A lot of protein. Three times more protein by weight than beef. And this protein is more digestible than beef, so you take in more of it into your system. And spirulina contains complete protein, all eight essential amino acids.

It contains vitamin B12, and since it is a plant, of course it is a vegetarian source. B12 deficiency has been linked to low bone mineral density, forgetfulness and cognitive problems. You can ask your doctor for a test that will tell you if you are low in B12.

It contains the second highest amount of GLA available. GLA is gamma linolenic acid. This is what is called an essential fatty acid. The most GLA available is found in human breast milk. GLA is essential to babies in that it helps the brain grow and build new connections. It also enhances the immune system. If like me, you were mostly bottle-fed, you probably never got enough GLA. Spirulina is a great source of it, so you can start making up for that lack right now.

Spirulina also contains chlorophyll and beta-carotene, both powerful antioxidants. They help support your immune system and may have anti-cancer effects. Spirulina is also an excellent source of calcium. And of course, they are full of phytochemicals.

Think of spirulina as food, not pills or medicine. I take 30 400mg capsules a day. If you are ill, you can take up to twice that till your conditions improve. For bodybuilders, the protein in it makes it perfect to take some after a workout.

Give spirulina a try. I believe you will find that it will improve your health and support your efforts at healthy living.

Barbara Pfieffer writes about gaining real health on her blog, Real Health.

I’m going to be a bit radical here, but know that I’m only encouraging you to question and think and ideally do your own research, both theory and practice. I’m pretty confident that you’ll thank me for it.

WHAT IF THE SO-CALLED ‘AGING PROCESS’ WAS A CHOICE?

Clearly, we can’t stop time from moving on. When we have a birthday, we are another year older. That’s a fact that, for the moment at least, we cannot change. But what if the weakening organs, bones and tissues and all the ‘usual’ signs of old age were not actually a part of the aging process we’ve come to accept as ‘normal’? Have you ever considered that these conditions are simply symptoms of us mistreating our bodies over the course of our lives to date? Wouldn’t our senior years be a whole lot more fun if we were pain and disease free and could jump around with the energy and vitality of a teenager?

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

That this is a crazy, impossible idea borne out of fantasy? Or are you willing to open your mind and accept that actually, if you treat your body right and nourish it properly, it may in fact be possible? And this is where Enzymes come in…

In his book Intuitive Eating, Dr Humbart Santillo MD writes:

“A human being is not maintained by food intake alone, but rather by what is digested. Every food must be broken down by enzymes to simpler building blocks. Enzymes may be divided into 2 groups, exogenous (found in raw food) and endogenous (produced within our bodies). The more one gets of the exogenous enzymes, the less will have to be borrowed from other metabolic processes and supplied by the pancreas. The enzymes contained in raw food actually aid in the digestion of that same food when it is chewed. One can live many years on a cooked food diet, but eventually this will cause cellular enzyme exhaustion which lays the foundation for a weak immune system and ultimately disease.”

Put simply, we are born with a finite supply of endogenous enzymes. It should be enough to last us a lifetime based on current life expectancy, but if we don’t supply some exogenous enzymes through our diet, we will use up our original supplies and that’s when we become susceptible to the accepted ’signs of old age’ including premature death! And the fact is that when we cook our food, we kill all enzymes instead of allowing them to boost our immune system, our brain function and our energy levels.

Another doctor, Edward Howell, has written a book called Enzyme Nutrition. In it, he says:

“Humans eating an enzyme-less diet use up a tremendous amount of their enzyme potential in lavish secretions of the pancreas and other digestive organs. The result is a shortened lifespan (65 years or less as compared with 100 or more), illness, and lower resistance to stress of all types, psychological and environmental. By eating foods with their enzymes in tact and by supplementing cooked foods with enzyme capsules we can stop abnormal and pathological aging processes.”

THESE SCIENTISTS ARE NOT CRACK-POTS WORKING ALONE

The raw food movement is gathering pace and the practice is becoming more mainstream now. In her book You Are What You Eat, Gillian McKeith places raw or living foods at the top of her list of Good Foods and has a section entitled The Case Against Cooking. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that you switch overnight to a 100% raw food diet. Though plenty do and never look back, it’s not always wise. Instead I would give the same advice as Gillian in urging you to eat something raw with every meal.

Just before I sat down to write this, I ate a yummy Quinoa Avocado Salad which other than the cooked quinoa was loaded with raw, enzyme-, EFA- and nutrient- rich foods. I ate it on its own, but you could serve it alongside a piece of grilled chicken or fish instead of dead, heavy, sugar-rush potatoes which do little more than bloat you up. Find the recipe on my Blog at http://claireraikes.blogs.com/claires_blog/.

Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who ‘cured’ herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit http://www.LiveInEssence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at Claire@LiveInEssence.com.