Quinoa has a 6,000 year track record

     In Peru, Quinoa is called the mother of all grains because it is a source of complete proteins.  It provides all of the essential amino acids, for development and growth of the indigenous people of this country.  Quinoa has been a staple in the diet of the Inca's for over 6,000 years.
  
     Quinoa (Keen wah) is the seed of a dark leafy green plant that is closely related to Swiss chard (a variety of beet, Beta Vularis cicla) and spinach, although ninety-nine percent of the time it is found near the other grains in the store.  Quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein that is even healthier for you than wheat.  However Quinoa is wheat and gluten free.

     Quinoa can easily be substituted for cous-cous and many rice dishes.  Just know that Quinoa is a really versatile grain and is used by Vegans and Non-Vegans alike.  Always go for the organic real Quinoa.

     To prepare this awesome grain treat it similar to rice.

• First rinse the Quinoa in cold water thoroughly prior to cooking. This will remove all of the silky residue from the grain -now it is ready to cook.
• Next, it should be used in a ratio of 2:1, that's two cups of water and one cup of Quinoa.  
• Cook in a pan over heat and bring to a  boil,  then cover it and allow it to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.  
• You will know that it is done when it becomes translucent and the germ of the seed forms a little white ring on the outside.  All of the water will be absorbed too.

     Another healthy quality is that Quinoa has a low glycemic index.  Therefore it slowly releases into the blood and makes you feel fuller longer.  It will not spike your blood sugar levels like some foods.  It is naturally loaded with fiber, potassium, iron, and magnesium.

      This nutritional powerhouse has a light, fluffy texture, a translucent appearance, and a slightly nutty flavor.  It comes in a variety of colors however, you may only find either the Inca Red or the Traditional (Ivory) both are sold in a small box. It sometimes can be found in bulk bins but the price is not much better.  It should be stored in a cool dry place like a cabinet.  I have heard that it can be frozen once you bring it home, but hey it's only 12 oz. right?  The box will last about three or four months in the cabinet typically.

      It is always available at Whole Foods grocery and it is fairly expensive at $4.69 /12oz.  I found it once at Costco's wholesale for (check this) only $9.99 for four pounds) that's only $2.50 per pound.

     If you want an easy recipe to create a wonderful meal for two just keep reading.

Here you have an easy and awesome recipe just combine :      

• garlic (one clove minced )
• ginger (one teaspoon grated) 
• scallions (three minced )
• red pepper one (chopped)
• mango half of full fruit (diced)
• black beans (15 oz. can rinsed)
• lime juice ( half lime)
• chicken chopped and pre-cooked (4oz.)
• Quinoa ( already prepared ) one cup 
• just a couple of handfuls of baby spinach
• use two pita pockets or use a hot favorite bread 

     Just combine all of the ingredients into a bowl, next add the (4oz) chicken, and lastly add (1 cup) of Quinoa on top of the ingredients in the same bowl.  Now crack some fresh black pepper and sea salt into the bowl as a dashing touch.

     Next prepare the bread of choice,  then place the baby spinach in the pita or onto the bread - then stuff with ingredients from the bowl.

     Wow - take a photo what a great job!  Congratulations!

     Now you owe me for this one.  Please put in a nice word below would ya?   Don't forget the towel - you're droolin' already.  Easy does it.


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Chocolate The Dark Side

    Would you believe that chocolate is healthy?  Chocolate is originally native to Central America and it has been around since 1400 BC.

     The cacao ( kuh cow' ) bean or seed is the source of all chocolates around the world.  The Aztecs would take the cacao bean and brew it in water to produce a drink they called XOCOLaTL.  This name is actually made up of two words that mean bitter and water.  Kind of sounds like this ( zoh coh laht' ).

     Unprocessed dark cocoa powder has the highest anti-oxidant content of all fruits and vegetables. Even higher than strawberries, blueberries, and even grapes.  And it has ten times higher anti-oxidants
( flavanoids) than blueberries.  Anti-oxidants fall into many categories, one of which is Flavanoids.

     When the cacao bean is processed it has a fat content that is called cacao butter and sugar is used to make chocolate.  If milk is added it is called milk chocolate.  When you use only the cocoa butter minus the cocoa and then add milk and sugar, it makes white chocolate.

     Ninety-two percent of Americans prefer the chocolate known as milk chocolate this is not healthy chocolate.  It is only the dark chocolate that provides the health benefits to our body.  It does contain some magnesium, copper and iron.  However there is sugar and some calories involved.

     Dark Chocolate provides all of the following:

• essential fatty-acids, minerals, vitamins, and also fiber that's important for our overall diet.  
• It also helps us with depression - makes us feel better
• It is also an antihistamine that can help us stop allergies
• It contains Theobromide/Theophylline which helps us open up and breathe easier 
• It helps with memory
• It helps with Arthritis /Joint inflammation
• It Decreases Gum Disease/ Cavities
• It increases energy and helps create healthy skin
• It is higher in anti-oxidants than green tea and red wine in some cases

     Dark chocolate has more cacao and less sugar.  A chocolate bar has a cacao percentage or a number that indicates the amount of cacao in it.  And inversely the amount of sugar is the difference up to the number 100.  For example, if you have cacao bar and the content is 65% then the sugar content is 35%.  Or if the cacao bar percentage is 55% then the sugar content is 45%.  So therefore the higher the cacao content the higher the anti-oxidant level.
  
     Another sweet feature is that studies show that the anti-oxidants will stay elevated in the blood for about six hours after consuming a 40gm dark chocolate bar.  A big caveat is to only eat dark chocolate that is NOT processed with alkali.  If it is processed with alkali then the anti-oxidants are wasted during the process.  

     When the cacao bean is processed it has fat content and that is called cacao butter. When milk is added it is called milk chocolate.  When you use only the cocoa butter minus the cocoa powder and then add milk and sugar this will make white chocolate.
  
     On the other dark side chocolate has addictive properties. Their code names are sugar, caffeine, and theobromine ( which is a stimulant in the same category as caffeine ).  Chocolate is also a high calorie product.  And Americans consumes approximately 22 lbs of chocolate and candy each year  per person.

     Theobromine has been associated with acid-reflux because it relaxs the muscle from the stomach to the esophagus.  Which allows food to backup into the esophagus that causes that acid-reflux feeling.

     Plants have created their own natural pesticides, nicotine and caffeine, to keep bugs from eating them.  The cacao tree has an additional bit of armor and that is theobromine.  There is no living animal on Earth that will eat the raw cacao bean.

  

     Theobromine is deadly to horses, parrots, rodents, cats and dogs.  In horse racing theobromine is the "illegal" stimulant drug  because it would give that horse an unfair advantage for performance.

     As a warning to parents watch out for caffeine being added to the very popular candy bars and other candy products.  These new jacked up candy bars have a warning that states  (not recommended for children).  The manufacturers are adding approx. 60mg of caffeine to their products.  This is 75% of the amount in the popular energy drinks.    

     The USDA uses a test to determine the anti-oxidant content of fruits and vegetables known as ORAC. This is the  Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of a food product.


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Chemical Sweeteners vs Natural Sweeteners For Energy

     Stevia is an herb and a sweetener worthy of consideration for your health.  It is found in the jungles of South America. It  has been used for centuries in Brazil and Paraguay, and even used since the 1970's in Japan.  The Stevia plant grows to a height of three feet.
    
     At about 300 times sweeter than sugar one packet replaces two teaspoons of sugar. It can be purchased in packets and in liquid form.  A can of the pure Stevia extract may contain 900 servings in drinks for home use.  One can may last two years if used in drinks only.  Though Stevia may prove expensive if used for baking.

    A great bit of news is that It's appropriate for children and for diabetics.  Also it makes an awesome lemonade.

     Cargill produces their brand of Stevia named Truvia.™   They pluck from a particular Stevia plant and use the Rebiana for it's leaves from which come the sweet compounds. The leaves are dried and taken to a packing station where they are baled. Then the leaves are steeped to extract the sweet compounds and later purified to isolate the truest taste of the Rebiana.  It has zero calories.

     Merisant markets their version called PureVia,™ their process is very similar to Cargill's and they use ethanol to purify their extract  from the Stevia plant called "Reb A" and it has the authentic texture of sugar but zero calories.  PureVia™ is used by PepsiCo™

Stevia products no longer have a licorice aftertaste as was the case when Stevia was initially offered for consumers.

     Chemical sweeteners are hooking their victims like an illegal drug.  It would be wise to stay away from Aspartame.™ primarily because it becomes a formaldehyde at 86ºF, therefore if your body maintains a temperature of 98ºF to survive then it would also produce this formaldehyde in your body. The results sounds bad and they are bad.

     Saccharine causes the same fate for rats.

    Sucralose goes by the name Splenda™, it is 600 times sweeter than sugar, and is younger than both Saccharine, and Aspartame.  However, it is found in many foods and is permitted for use in over 60 countries worldwide.

     Xylitol™ is rather tasty and is very similar to the taste of sugar. However, overuse can result in diarrhea.  It was first popularised in Europe as a safe sweetener for people with diabetes.  It's home is in Finland.  The product is really expensive so it doesn't find it's way into the majority of households.  Although it is used in the some of the sugar-free Hershey's chocolate, and several other concoctions.  It is a tooth-friendly sweetener.

     Erythritol™ is found in Zsweet® since 2005, and it is easy on the body and it is expensive too.
  
     Agave is thick liquid like honey, and it requires a lot to sweeten anything,  this does affect the blood glucose to a small degree.
  
     Honey does affect blood glucose and it is less refined.  It requires very little to sweeten to taste, and molasses affects the blood sugars heavily too, also it is loaded with iron.
  
     Go for the natural option "fruits" yeah this is a good option, because the body knows what to do with it.
And it's still okay to use fruits with Stevia to make the fruits a little sweeter if you were to create a strawberry shake or use it plain yogurt.

• Refined sugar is a bad thing.  And your body NEVER needs it to continue working. 
• It can act like a drug in your body by knocking your body out of homeostasis ( a natural balanced state ).  
• The body can build up a tolerance to sugar  demanding more of it to feel the same rush or energy 
• The body can build a dependency causing cravings and even withdrawal symptoms from a prolonged use followed by a sudden stop in the use of sugar.
•  The body constantly battles to maintain the blood / glucose levels anyway - before refined sugars.
• Americans currently consume a toxic amount of sugar each year, month, and day of the week.

     When the blood sugar is out of norms it is called Hypoglycemia ( abnormally low glucose ) Hyperglycemia ( abnormally high glucose ).
  
     Turbinado raw sugar differs from refined white sugar in that is is obtained or crystallized from the initial pressing of sugar cane.   In the United Kingdom recipes call for demerara, and in the United States it is known as turbinado.  It's character has large light brown crystals.

     Sucrose is just a fancy name for sugar in case you were looking for it here.

  

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Chocolate, Cacao And The Bean

     Cacao beans pronounced ( Kuh Cow' ) are the source of all chocolates from the sublime to the most bitter.

     After a few trips in the year 1502 Columbus brought Cacao with him to Spain and the history of chocolate as we know it began.  Drinking chocolate soon became the new fashion among the nobles in Spain.


     Around 1520 , The Aztec ruler Montezuma II had approximately 24,ooo Cacao grains in one of his treasuries. Cacao  was used as currency by the Aztecs as well as the Mayas.  Therefore the seemingly strange need to count out the  exact amount of beans.  The beans were as valuable as any coin.  Therefore only the rich and noble could afford to drink Chocolatl.  As late as the early twentieth century, Cacao grains were still used as money in Nicaragua.

     Carl von Linné gave Cacao the name Theobroma cacao, which translates as Food of the Gods.

     It is believed that these seeds or beans originated in the Amazon River basin, later found their way into Southern Mexico and eventually into Venezuela.  After Cortez enjoyed his first Chocolatl drink, the Cacao production had spread to Europe and around the world.

     While growing on the tree Cacao beans are housed in a hull that resembles a football.  It is called a pod which is about (25 to 30 cm) long.  Nestled inside each pod are dozens of Cacao beans (20 to 40).  Once the outer skin is pulled away to reveal the Cacao bean it appears to be twice the size of almonds.

     Many consider it a delicacy to eat raw* or lightly roasted Cacao beans.  When the beans are broken into small pieces they are known as (Raw Cacao Nibs)*.

      Africa currently yields seventy percent of the world's production of Cacao, it is of low quality and called a hybrid strain.  The typical large scale process in Africa is to allow the pod to lay in the sun for several days to dry.  This techniques generates a high fermentation level which creates a very pungent, almost rancid alcohol odor to the pod, although this method eases the work of separating the Cacao bean from it's pod.
     During fermentation it is the pulp being fermented not the Cacao beans.  This gives heat to the bean. From the bean, through the skin escapes a variety of liquids and moisture until the bean is optimally dry at seven percent moisture.  
  
     Cooking and roasting the Cacao beans at high temperature eliminates the strong alcohol odor and the earthy dirt like taste caused by this fermentation method.
  
     Typical hybrid strain of Cacao beans has a poor quality.  And it requires a tasteful balance to counter any bitterness from fermentation. This is accomplished by adding milk and sugar to make it palatable for consumption as chocolate.

     Most companies around the world produce their chocolate by roasting Cacao at high temperatures and this typical process is used to mass-produce most of the chocolate enjoyed around the world.

 An ideal process cycle would be to:

• Have the Cacao seeds grown on trees on smaller farms in the Rainforest. 
• Hand picked Cacao pods 
• Hand peeled Cacao pods
• Slow mill process to avoid heat build up in the bean 
• Allow several days for the pods to dry at low altitude to reduce carbon dioxide exposure  
• Ensure low fermentation levels.   
• Only use hand-processed beans, 
• Process at low temperatures to allow the enzymes to remain intact and alive.

The Heirloom strain of Cacao seeds are required for the:

• Highest quality strain of Cacao
• Ideal chocolate flavor  
• Natural aroma, healthiest, and best quality chocolate      

     The Cacao Tree  has been cultivated  in South and Central America within 20 degrees North or South of the Equator for about 3,500 years give or take a month.

     The best source of Cacao grows in it's natural habitat which is the Rainforest.



                                                                                                                                                    * raw also means to be fermented


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Stripped, Bleached And Left For Bread

     Does anyone still eat white bread?
     Don't just walk away - run away from any enriched, white flour in your foods.

     White flour is used in the process of making white bread and it is devoid of nutrition for the human body.  It cannot feed a living cell, nor does not contain any enzymes.  Moreover, the body has a difficult time digesting this chemical residue.

     There is more - a lot more.

     Unbelievable, this lifeless white flour began it's life as yellowish pigments (carotene) nutritionally healthy, grains of wheat that would grow in the ground if planted.

     Here are some of the processing standards for making white bread and keeping a pristine white color for the sake of commercial production.

    The first thing that is removed is the outer shell or layer called the bran which contains most of the B vitamins and minerals.  Then the germ is removed which contains all of the nutrients and essential fatty acids and vitamin E.  Next the endosperm or starch is ground into a very fine white powder and bleached  and once complete this renders the flour dead, and stripped of it's nutritional value.  Placed into this fine white powder are artificial vitamins which has only a similar chemical composition to the real thing.  Thus it is called enriched flour.  This is done for precise controll standards.  And to increase reliable volume production.  Natural ingredient deviations are a characteristic not desirable in commercial bakery production.

      This enriched flour is then gassed in special ovens using chlorine dioxide ( like chlorine in the swimming pool ) it forms compounds such as dichlorostearic acid.  They remain in the flour and destroy vitamin E, and react with certain proteins to form methionine sulfoxide , which is known to cause central nervous system damage in humans.  Enriched flour also contains nitrous dioxide.  These two dioxides create a white ( bleached ) product, and both chlorine dioxide and nitrous dioxide together create a by-product called "Alloxan".
 
     Remember "Alloxan"? It was used for testing in subject mice to create diabetic subject mice for health studies.  Many of the test mice had complications during their diet of enriched bread.  Making the ultimate sacrifice were the pregnant female mice which died during the gestation period having never given birth.

     In Europe it is illegal to bleach flour this clearly demonstrates the contrasting integrity of health regulations regarding food processors within the United States.

     The healthy alternative to chemicals would be to wait ten to fourteen days for the natural yellow color to change to white solely from oxidation (exposure to oxygen). 
  
     Dr. Harvey W. Wiley who founded the F.D.A. in the United States was very concerned about processed foods, and especially about the ill effects on the human body regarding bleached flour.  He once won in a court ruling over the Supreme Court.  But it went unheeded and unenforced.  This was in 1914 to 1920. ( The New York Times ).  Soon afterwards he left the position as a result of no support to stop the process.

     Bleached bread or bleached flour which is a major ingredient in white bread is known to spike blood sugars to a very high glycemic index because it almost immediately turns into sugar the moment it hits the stomach.  This chemical residue over a period of time could wrench the gut and severely restrict the flow of nutrients to cellular tissues. 

     There is hope - an extreme alternative to this would be Ezekiel bread -it is an Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Product. This bread is Flourless, Organic, Complete Protein, And Sprouted Whole Grain.  It can be found in the special foods frozen section of the grocery.  It also has a quote inscribed  from the Bible on the product wrapping. ( Ezekiel 4:9 )  "Take also unto thee Wheat and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."


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Ageless Reishi (G.Lucidum) still potent at 4,000 years old

      It was believed by the Emperors thousands of years ago that the Reishi would make their dynasties eternal.  This is one of the most fascinating and highly documented foods ever encountered.  No other vegetation begins to compare.

     Earliest mention of Ling Zhi was in the era of the first emperor of China, Shing-huang of the Ch'in Dynasty (221-207  B.C.).

      G. lucidum Is as close to nutritional perfection as anything found in nature.   There are more than 200 documented phytonutrients found in G. lucidum.
  
     Welcome to the Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma Lucidum) also identified as:

• Varnished Conk and Artists' Conk
• Panacea Polypore
• Ling-Zhi (mushroom of herb and immortality) by the Chinese and Koreans
• Mannentake  (10,000 year mushroom) by the Japanese

• Was extremely rare in nature (grew in only 2 out of 10,000 aged wild plum trees found in the dense and humid, high mountain forests of Asia
• Still grows in the ancient and oldest rainforests on Earth 
• It was once only made available to the wealthy and ruling classes (because of it's almost miraculous benefit
• originally crowned by Chinese Emperors as King of The Herbs (It Became their imperial Chi or Life Force)
• Documented in thousands of ancient Chinese paintings (as a symbol for health)

     The Ganoderma Lucidum symbolizes long life in carvings, furniture, jewelry and in paintings.

     Artificial cultivation of this valuable mushroom was successfully achieved in the early 1970's, and since 1980, production of G. lucidum has developed rapidly, particularly in China.  It is now widely grown on a commercial scale and is commonly purchased for its medicinal and spiritual properties.

     Some of the benefits G.lucidum:

• Over 100 antioxidants on the cellular level
• Well documented restorative properties 
• Increases immune-boosting T-cells in those individuals with compromised immune systems
• Is as close to nutritional perfection as anything found in nature.    
•  Increases immune-boosting T-cells in those individuals with compromised immune systems:

• Triterpenoids (At least 140 different triterpenes have been identified in G. lucidum)
• Ganoderans 
• Polysaccharides; beta-D-glucans
• Sterols: ergosterol
• Coumerin
• Amino acids (LZ-8 a protein w/bioactivity has been isolated from G. lucidum)

     Reishi has now become recognized as an alternative adjuvant in the treatment of leukemia, carcinoma, hepatitis, and diabetes.  It was only within the last decade that clinicals on the use of G. lucidum used to treat cancer and other diseases been reported in international peer-reviewed journals.
  
     Because Reshi potentiates the immune system, caution is advised for those receiving immunosuppressive therapies.

     The N.I.H. and the N.L.M. have logged several studies on Pub Med online, documenting the biological activites and the pharmacological functions of Ganoderma Lucidum.

     The Japanese government has officially listed Reishi as an approved adjunct herb for the treatment of cancer (Willard, 1990)

  

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Caffeine Making You Nutritionally Nuts?

     Are you dependent on caffeine?  If so you're in trouble.  Those who need the stimulation from caffeine everyday are over-stimulating their adrenal glands and this practice could seriously affect the body long-term.  If you drink to enjoy caffeine that's fine, when it becomes a necessity or a daily absolute used to crank you up - watch out!
  
     Stimulating the adrenal glands continuously through the use of caffeine in soda, coffee, and  energy drinks or other ways artificially - reduces the cortisol levels to an unhealthy level.    
     Other stress hormones like adrenaline also get over-taxed and when the body hits a certain limit- it will eventually give up.
  
     Hows that ?  Know that all of the caffeine, drugs and things that are put into the body must be metabolized.  Caffeine is a stress all by itself, and it attacks the adrenal glands forcing the liver overwork in clearing the body of these stimulants.  This greatly interferes with the liver's ability to complete it's task of removing toxins, poisons, and by-products of the diet from the cells.

  
     These stresses burn through the B-vitamins, and other nutrients, and that eventually leads to other deficiencies.  Causing the body to steal from one place to feed another. Like stuffing the body fat with excessive acid to balance the alkaline or pH. 

     At a certain point  the use of these stimulants will require more and more, then at some point it just does not matter.  Resulting in disease, symptoms, and other problems.

     Though the body does have a great regenerative capacity it certainly has it's limits. Cortisol and melatonin run your daily clock.
If the adrenals are pushed beyond the point of high stress and ultimately to the point of total exhaustion, it will drop the cortisol levels to such a scarce amount, and it will burn out the adrenals. It takes a long time to restore the adrenal glands back to normal range and levels.

     If you are in doubt about whether this could describe you or a friend, please check with a clinic to schedule a cortisol check-up.  It won't kill you - really.  Who knows it could be a rewarding decision for someone you love.  Maybe that someone is reading this message. 

     Should you find that you are dependent on caffeine then seek to find an alternative to this stimulant.


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