The Good Die Young

Stress has a profound effect on our health. When we take on too much stress, whether at work or in our personal lives, when we are unable to say no because we "simply go with the flow" or are too nice, inevitably our bodies will say it for us and we will develop one type of disease or another.

To be whole is much more than to experience the absence of the disease. While holistic approach to health makes sense and separation of mind and body is an erroneous view which is more and more incompatible with science, the social aspect of our lives is also crucial to our health. Many scientists agree, for example, that the human brain itself is a social organ, shaped in its neurophysiological and neurochemical development by social activities we engage in from early on in our development as well as by social patterns we establish later on in our lives. In one of the scientific articles the following was stated:

"The interaction of genes and experiences literally shapes the circuity of the developing brain, and is critically influenced by the mutual responsiveness of adult-child relationships, particularly in the early childhood years."

So, we human beings are biopsychological creatures whose health or illness reflects our relationship with the world we inhabit. While science shows that people's lifetime emotional experiences profoundly influence the health, mainstream medical practice largely ignores the role of emotions in the physiological functioning of the human organism.

Some doctors are already seeing a relationship between emotional distress and progression of diseases. They say that their patients with chronic disease of all kinds are also characterized by certain emotional life patterns. Among those are the chronic repression of the so called negative emotions, especially of "healthy" anger, an overriding sense of duty, role and responsibility. In addition, we have also noticed on many occasions and been baffled by our observations that people whom we describe as nice or good, people who seem to place the emotional needs of others at the expense of one's own, are at a special risk of developing chronic illnesses and may even die early as the saying says, good die young.

While this self-imposed stress appears to stem in some people from the concept of what it means to be a good person, in others it seems to be the result of materialistic approach to life. Our value depends on what we produce, achieve or consume. We believe that we must continually prove and justify our worthiness and that we must keep having and doing to justify our existence. Yet in others, emotions are repressed because societal pressures of putting others ahead of ourselves is seen as worthy accomplishment. So this compulsive self-disregard and emotional repression is not deliberate or conscious, this is simply a by-product of our materialistic life style and tradition.

We forget that we are whole and each time when we repress emotions, or when we are at their mercy during the moments of rage, we are playing havoc with our nervous system, hormonal apparatus, immune system, intestines, heart and other organs. This is because all is connected and one affects the other. The result, at best, can be acute and this is when we learn to kill it quickly by relaxation but the chronic, unchecked stress, will turn against us eventually resulting in many types of illnesses.

While it is still not widely accepted that illness arise as a result of stress and emotional burden, modern epidemic of addiction, including the obesity, clearly shows that stress may be the main culprit behind our illnesses. This epidemic shows us that our bodies search instinctively for ways to escape the stress and emotional pain and we search for them by succumbing to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling and even food now.

So the epidemic of addiction is nothing else but epidemic of stress and emotional pain. We are sabotaging our lives because we feel hopeless, even the medical practitioners cannot help us because they are not trained to perceive us holistically and emotions are ignored or ridiculed. What are we to do then when doctors who are supposed to be gatekeepers to health care are blind to the basic realities of what generates health and their prevailing ideology of medical response is predominantly pharmaceutical? When their training denies them knowledge of the unshakable unity of mind and body, of emotions and physiology. When they do not recognize that social factors can be far more powerful determinants of health than genetic predispositions?

We read that healing flows from within and to be whole is much more than to experience the absence of disease. Science has already accepted that reductionist approach to biological inquires is limited and realized that in order to study biological processes we need to study them from various angles, we need to look simultaneously at how different parts of the organism actually work together to accomplish a particular task. Medicine will soon follow suit, and hopefully we will have doctors who will be practicing personalized medicine and look at us as a whole.

So far we have learned that nutrition and healthy ecology are important to our health. Our past actions also have shown us that the environment free of toxins and pollution is critical in preserving nature but also it is very important to our health. New observations and studies on stress and emotional negligence imply that health cannot be achieved in separation or alienation from others, it arises from social patterns of interaction, community ties and mutual support. So there is more and more evidence in favor that the sense of wholeness both on physiological and social levels bring joy to our lives, sense of completeness, and health.

Hidden orchestra - cellular noise

We have been hearing for some time now, that the future of medicine is the one, that is based on molecular picture of the disease, which in turn will allow us to develop precise drugs. This is called personalized medicine. The traditional paradigm, based on the physiology of the disease and the search for drugs based on the symptoms, gradually is displaced by this new approach. We begin to realize, that traditional drugs are not effective, especially if they are to treat chronic diseases, or cancer.

Although today's post is not about personalized medicine, in part its topic is related to it. I would like to share with you today a new trend in science, namely the study of cellular behavior. This new field of inquiry is researched from a variety of angles, hence the need for molecular biologists, statisticians and mathematicians is required. What we have learned so far is, that not all the cells are the same. Of course it is widely accepted, that cells differ depending on the tissue they come from. However, recent studies show, that even cells, that are part of the same organ, differ significantly. It is said, that our cells are noisy.

We all have become accustomed to constant cacophony of everyday life, there is no escape from it. The background noise generated by our smartphones, cars, music, conversation is sometimes overwhelming. Hence, it is easy for us to imagine, how hard it is to perform a specific task, when we are not able to suppress this cacophony. If we are able to suppress it, or turn it off, then the task becomes easier. It turns out, that the social noise is like a fractal, meaning the key that allows us to understand the life of our cells. Recent studies show, that our cells also operate in a changing environment, and as us, react to it differently. Some are able to "turn off" the noise and do the job, and for others it is more difficult. Over time, a population of cells having the same genetic information, starts to function and react to stimuli differently.

Cellular noise is a new and vibrant scientific discipline. It is an inter-disciplinary approach of studying the behavior of cells, hence the need for various specialists of different sciences: biologists, mathematicians, statisticians and physicists. So far, most of the experiments have been conducted on single-cell organisms such as bacteria and yeast, but it can safely be inferred, that similar phenomena occur in higher organisms, including us. Not only, molecules within the cell move around and interact randomly, they also need to carry out their specific jobs, like eating, dividing, differentiating and at the same time being able to react to various toxic substances, pathogens and changing diet. Nothing is constant and everything is interdependent.

This is a new finding, because until recently it was believed that biological processes are ordered, hence predictable. Recent observations showing the extremely noisy life of our inner-selves toppled upside down our understanding of those processes. It is hard for us to imagine, how it is possible to perform a specific function in ever present internal and external noise. The development of an embryo, for example, looks like a well-programmed process, orchestrated by predictable waves of gene activity to produce a specific pattern of tissues. How could it possibly emerge amid this pervasive noise?

Not much will change over the next few years. Current research on cellular noise is the beginning and shows how science and medicine will look like in the future. But what modern science is showing and what is fascinating is, that the elements of our social life are reflected in the microscopic world and vice versa. So if cells depend on one another to acquire a specific identity and pattern, then we all also depend on each other, and life is nothing else, but one throbbing organism. Although science will not provide ready-made solutions and medicine a cure for our ailments in the near future, we can safely rely on holistic approach to our health problems. This view has been popular among supporters of alternative medicine for a long time, and now traditional medicine turns into personalized medicine, while science starts to use holistic approach by developing a new branch called systems biology.

I am not of the opinion, that cure will come in the form of a pill, medical or alternative. I simply do not believe in panacea, because the effectiveness of the cure depends largely on cellular noise, which means, that some cells will respond to the drug, while others will not. This is also the reason why we conduct statistical surveys. So far this kind of research has shown us the ineffectiveness of all drugs, because effectiveness measured in the range of 5-20% is insignificant to me. I believe, that if we want to think about health, we should think holistically, and treat ourselves as a whole, hence healthy eating, but also healthy habits, such as exercise and positive thinking are very important.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/20140522-inside-the-din-cells-fight-noise-with-noise/

Spicy Eggplant

Eggplant is a curious plant. On the one hand it is controversial, because of its ability to absorb pesticides like sponge. On the other hand it is a common ingredient in different cuisines pointing to our instinctive desires of incorporating it into our daily menu. One of my Indian friends loved eggplant and always liked to say that it was an amazing culinary experience for her. Over time I have assembled my own collection of eggplant recipes and although it is not my favorite plant (zucchini is definitely the one), I frequently use it in my kitchen.

If you are looking for an exciting eggplant recipe, I strongly recommend this one. It is my own recipe but it resembles somewhat Caponata. So why this recipe is worth trying? I have to admit that I love contrasts in my cooking and each time when the dishes are neutral in taste I tend to enhance the taste with spices. I also love Thai cooking filled with salty, sweet, sour and spicy flavors. This style of cooking is simply amazing.

My spicy eggplant is the best partner for today's Alfredo fettuccine. I love Alfredo sauce, but sometimes I want to brighten the dish by adding something spicy. This is how it all started and the reason why I prepare Alfredo fettuccine with spicy eggplant. If you happen to have a fresh thyme, then I strongly recommend, that you finish the dish with thyme. In my opinion thyme best harmonizes with eggplant and Alfredo sauce and for me it is one of the best herbs in the world.

Now the recipe...

Reflection on age identity

I am not an advocate of stereotyping and saying, that we are programmed to react and behave in a certain way. I am glad, that such a belief is being acknowledged by science. Until recently, deterministic worldview dominated and defined the laws underlying human relationships and our understanding of nature. For example, genetics, and with it, the programmed process of aging, only confirmed our sense of powerlessness and alienation. We live, grow old, we get sick ... this is our fate.

The beauty of science is, that it describes the reality. It relies on evidence and it is dispassionate. Because of it, we are now slowly learning, that our world and our lives, do not need to be described by deterministic laws. There are elements of randomness and unpredictability in our world, the elements of quantum reality. Every time we make decisions, we collapse all of the possible choices into one event. This is quantum reality collapsing into deterministic world. Our choices can always tip the balance and change the outcome. Do we prefer unpredictable reality with various choices, or are we more in favor of safe and secure world of determinism, in which our decisions determine the outcome and are limited by our previous decisions?

We are immersed in quantum reality, but live deterministic lives, like Phoenix we have the body, but also a possibility for a rebirth. Hence we are younger, than our biological age. A contradiction? Our cells renew themselves regularly, which can be interpreted as means to insure, that we are supplied with unlimited possibilities, so we can change any time. Sounds impossible? Science has shown us, that our genetic information is not deterministic, as once believed, and that we are able to change this information by adapting a particular lifestyle. Our choices are stimuli for our cells to adequately respond to them. Changes are saved and passed on - in this way, our cells accumulate knowledge. However, since epigenetic changes appear to be the response to environmental stimuli, which fluctuate, they can also change or even become erased. Therefore, it is true, that there are people who seem to defy the passage of time. Their young spirit is usually trapped in old body, but their attitude and subjective age determines their appearance and health.

Although people may think of their body, as a fairly permanent structure, most of it is in a state of constant flux, as old cells are discarded and new ones generated in their place. The cells lining our digestive track last only 5 days. The red blood cells, bruised and battered after traveling through the maze of the body's circulatory system live up to 3 months, before being dispatched to their graveyard in the spleen. The epidermis, or surface layer of the skin, is recycled every two weeks. As for the liver, the detoxifier, its life on the chemical warfare front is quite short, the cells live up to 1 year. Other tissues have lifetimes measured in years, but are still far from permanent showing, that our bodies are much younger, more vigorous, than we think.

About the only pieces of the body that last a lifetime seem to be neurons of the cerebral cortex, and perhaps the muscle cells of the heart. Although some research has shown, that heart cells possess some traces of self-renewal, the rejuvenation is a very rare phenomenon. The same goes for cells in the nervous system. Although it has been shown already, that stem cells in the nervous system possess the ability to create new cells, it is still difficult to determine, how common it is.

Although it seems, that we do not replace cells in our nervous system on a regular basis, we change the connections between them, because our brain is "plastic". As it turns out we can change our identity (or the identity of our cells) by exchanging the old cells for new ones as well as by changing the interaction between cells. In the nervous system we do that by playing with our thoughts or by changing the responses to certain stimuli. So we can change communication and interaction between the cells in the nervous system, hence their identity consciously, that is by our thoughts and our approach to life. Given our brain is the master system of our body, it can be inferred, that our thoughts can also have an indirect influence on the identity of the cells in the rest of our body. So feeling younger solely depends on us.

Studies have indicated that in middle and late adulthood feeling of being younger is positively related to mental well being, longevity, physical and cognitive functioning. Positive perception of reality and the passing of time positively influence the state of our health and resistance of growing old. For me positive thinking represents life filled with opportunities, which is not reduced to the deterministic reality with few choices to make us feel safe. So not only positive thinking, but also our physiology gives us opportunity to renew ourselves each day and feel younger, than our birth certificate indicates.

Skillet Broccoli and Cauliflower

Cooking brings people together and this is not just a saying. For example we love open concept spaces, where everyone can be together. I believe, that this sense of intimacy and belonging is the main reason why we create wonderful dishes, that taste delightful. And it is true, that sometimes what we taste and think does not necessarily reflect the reality but the fact, that it is the result of combined effort makes all the difference. And today's recipe is just such example. I can swear, that it tastes amazing but because it is just another variation of my childhood dish I am not sure, if you also decide that it is worth trying...

Not long ago, while visiting my sister-in-law, together we invented this dish. She was planning on preparing a casserole but that day I felt like eating something light, so I suggested broccoli and cauliflower from the pan. In my childhood I used to eat cauliflower with bread crumbs but that day this type of dish seemed to us too ordinary. Given recently we tend to use pesto to almost anything, right away in the blender landed parsley, garlic, olive oil, some lemon juice and sunflower seeds. Although I tend to use almonds for this pesto we run out of them but had sunflower seeds. Believe me they also work well. Of course do not forget about parmesan, but if you happen to not have it, it is OK too. We had so much to catch up and this particular dish was cooking on its own...

The end result is amazing. The freshly prepared pesto adds more depth to the flavor and something which was so ordinary came out tasting amazing and different. Sometimes we like certain dishes because they evoke special memories and this recipe will always be just that for me. A wonderful time in the kitchen. A time filled with inspiration and intimacy. I really hope that this recipe is special and not only my personal recollection of the past, that adding freshly prepared pesto transforms a simple dish into tasty main dish, if you are a vegetarian, or a side dish if you are a traditionalist. 

 

Surprising sweetness of cinnamon – Ideal sugar substitute

Today I would like to share my new culinary experience with you. I have learned firsthand, that cinnamon can be used as sugar substitute. We all know, that sugar is the so called white death and because we are addicted to it, now we should try to slowly eliminate its amount from our everyday food. I did not cover this topic in my previous posts, because I believe, that now we all can agree, that it is poison, if consumed in excess. We can find it everywhere, because it is present in almost every processed food. This is why it is so hard for us to break the "bad" habit, but surely it will help, if we try to consciously avoid it from the food we prepare. Personally I have not get rid off sugar completely, because I love desserts, cookies or cakes from time to time, but I do not use sugar in my everyday cooking.

Cinnamon is special. It is aromatic, hence its benefits are questionable. What I mean by that is, that not many people like its aroma and taste. Turmeric, on the other hand, is a different story. It does not have a pronounced aroma or taste, hence its popularity. Cinnamon suffers a great deal especially if we take into account, that it is also an attractive and healthy spice.

Scientific research shows, that regular consuming of cinnamon positively influences our health. It can lower the blood sugar levels, because of a couple of reasons. Firstly it stimulates the insulin receptors as well as it deactivates the insulin receptor blockers, thereby helping us to control the carbohydrate metabolism. Secondly, addition of cinnamon to food high in carbohydrates, like for example rice, controls the way sugar is released into the bloodstream, hence it reduces the rise in blood sugar after eating. Another interesting feature of cinnamon is, that it has a very potent anti-microbial activity. As a result, it helps with our digestion as well as it can be used as an effective preservative. Patients suffering from rheumatoid disease find, that eating a combo of cinnamon and honey everyday makes them pain-free. Finally you can also enhance your brain powers by eating the same combo everyday. No matter what your reasons for eating cinnamon research supports the notion, that cinnamon has a unique healing abilities.

I have to admit, that I belong to a group of people who do not consume cinnamon on a regular basis. However, after what I have just learned, I will definitely re-examine my take on cinnamon in the kitchen. Especially, when it comes to preparing fruit cocktails and shakes. And this is what I wanted to share with you today. Just recently I felt like eating something simple and not complicated for breakfast, so I thought about the fruit shake. I had plums and pears, because they were in season. Combining them with yogurt is not a great idea, because the shake will become too acidic, if sugar is omitted. Hence I decided to test the idea, that cinnamon is a good replacement for sugar. For a cup of yogurt I used 1 teaspoon of sugar and the result was unbelievable. I do not remember the last time, when I got so surprised by synergistic effect of food combining (maybe the last time was when I prepared beet jam and carrot jam). My shake had surprising sweetness without the sugar. I suspect that we can attribute the mystery to its aroma, which helps bring out the natural sweetness of food. You have to try it! It is plainly unbelievable!

Yogurt fruit shake

2 plums

1 pear

1 cup yogurt

1 tsp cinnamon (or more)

Wash fruit in water with baking soda to remove the pesticides. Cut fruit into pieces and combine them with yogurt and cinnamon in a blender. Blend all until smooth and enjoy. In my opinion cinnamon is great to make yogurt shakes with acidic fruit, because it enhances the natural sweetness of fruit. Shakes made with alkaline fruit, on the other hand, can be made with addition of banana, which is great source of sweetness. However, given that combining fruit with any other food product is not recommended, because it can bring about unwanted intestinal fermentation, I think that it is a good idea to include cinnamon to all shakes and take advantage of its anti-microbial activity. In my opinion it is one of the most potent synergistic combos, because it allows us to indulge and enjoy something so delicious as yogurt fruit shakes. ENJOY!

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=68&tname=foodspice

Dynamic Bunch

Dynamic Bunch defines synergistic interaction, in which the combined effect is greater, than the simple sum of its parts. Hence synergy can make 1+1=3. The inspiration for today's blog was the latest trend about healthy food combinations, I came across recently, mainly chocolate and apple. I was quite surprised to learn, that this combination is healthy, because I am of an opinion, that no one should combine fruit with any other food product. Such combinations lead to the intestinal fermentation, which is never a good thing, so why this duo might be the reason for the increased health?

 

In addition, what is interesting, there is scientific evidence showing, that such combination actually works...Obviously I experienced cognitive dissonance and while trying to deal with it, I spent hours on the internet searching for the nonexistent publications, which supposedly support the synergistic effect of this new dynamic duo. 

 

Living in the information age means, that we need to navigate the noise, we are flooded with unprecedented amounts of written information, which does not necessarily means, that it is true. Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and changed our world forever. Everyone can become a writer and contribute to the increased amount of data available on the internet. We can make references to non-existent publications, to appeal to our audiences, the same way the authors of the above mentioned dynamic bunch have done. By doing so we introduce new theories and concepts. We hope, that others are not inquisitive or curious enough to get to the bottom of the issue. The art of getting the most out of the multitude is to select, what is most relevant. We all should remember, that not all things, that are written are true, especially if we rely on internet to tell us what is important. For instance, dynamic bunch, such as oatmeal and peanut butter or hard-boiled egg and banana will never impact our health in a positive manner, although many sites on the internet claim that they possess almost magical power.

Does it mean that food synergy does not exist? Of course it does, but to be able to navigate the noise, we first need to learn what harmonizing combinations are. The below listed combinations are examples of dynamic bunch:

avocado and tomato

brown rice and onion/garlic

legumes and cooked carrot

turmeric and black pepper

vinegar and grains

nuts and beer

broccoli and radishes

mushrooms and cream plus onion

tomato and olive oil

chickpea and beets

The reason why the above mentioned combinations positively influence our health is because all vitamins and minerals interact with one another and also because their absorption is dependent on the presence of another micro-element.

For instance, inulin which is present in onions and garlic positively stimulates our intestinal flora and this in turn helps with digestion of legumes, rice and other grain products (for more information see phytic acid).

Beta-caretonoids present in the cooked carrots, on the other hand, help with absorption of iron and zync present in legumes.

Vitamin D present in mushroom will be better absorbed, if it is in the presence of food high in calcium. Hence the traditional preparation of mushrooms with cream makes perfect sense and is the example of our intuitive power of properly combining food.

When consuming food rich in calcium like for example cheese, we should keep in mind, that it is also a source of sodium and this means, that if we overindulge ourselves, we may run the risk of disturbing the electrolytic balance in our bodies. So keep in mind when eating cheeses or similar food products to always include some vegetables, since they are the source of potassium.

B Vitamins from the theoretical point of view are better absorbed when in the presence of food high in those vitamins. It is also a good idea to combine such food with food high in vitamin C, especially if we aiming to increase the levels of vitamin B2 and B12. While folic acid is important for metabolism of vitamin B1, B5, B6 and B12, magnesium is important for vitamin B6. We can produce our own vitamin B3 but for that we need tryptophan and vitamin B6, hence we also need folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B12 and magnesium.

I believe that most of us already know, that iron is better absorbed when in the presence of vitamin C, and absorption of vitamin C depends on the presence of vitamin E and flavonoids (some of it is present in dark chocolate). Production of vitamin A is dependent on vitamin D and K and selenium levels depend on vitamin C and E.

Have you become confused already? Do not worry, it only seems complicated at first glance. Most of the dynamic duos is utilized in our kitchen already. We intuitively know how to combine food for best results. For example, I am not sure if you noticed, but to make hummus, which is also a good source of iron, we add lemon juice and parsley/coriander as sources of vitamin C. In addition, most if not all legume dishes also contain onion and garlic and to some we also add lemon/orange juice as well as parsley/coriander. Those dishes are also good sources of B vitamins, but also of iron, magnesium, folic acid and added vitamin C. So you see? It is easy.

With some food we do not even have to think about best combination. For example fruit and vegetables, which are good sources of vitamin C are also good sources of vitamin E. I have already talked about healthy combination between mushrooms and cream, but another dynamic duo, which is also a good example of intuitive combining, is tumeric and black pepper. This duo is natural for regions, where curry is on every day menu. We adopted the spice, so maybe it is not as intuitive for us, but it makes sense at least. While we are talking about black pepper, I want to tell you, that black pepper goes well with anything. And the reason for this is, because it stimulates our stomach to release gastric juices. This also means, that those who like pepper are most likely those who do not have problems with digestion and others who stay away from it may be those, who may experience digestion problems from time to time.

The bottom line is, that there are some dynamic bunch, which harmonize with one another, but we should not stay extra vigilant and worry too much, that we do not know everything about food, because as I hope I showed you, a lot of those healthy duos we already use intuitively in the kitchen.

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/10-powerful-healthy-food-pairings
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/10-powerful-healthy-food-pairings http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=106
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/10-powerful-healthy-food-pairings
https://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/nutrition/9-healthy-food-pairings-for-more-nutrition
http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/healthy-food-pairings
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/food-pairings-that-are-healthier-together/slide/6
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/9-healthiest-food-pairings.html
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3615/10-Common-Food-Combinations-That-Wreak-Havoc-on-Your-Health.html
https://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/nutrition/9-healthy-food-pairings-for-more-nutrition

http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/advice/a6333/7-super-powered-food-pairings-125087/

Reflection on Claustrophobic Society

Why have we become so claustrophobic about food? Why are we afraid of supermarkets? Is it because they finally offer a variety of food suitable for various needs? Why is it so bad? Just recently I read an article in the Spectator about “the dangerous reality of clean eating”, which starts with the following sentence:

“The supermarket aisle has become a confusing place. It used to be full of recognizable items like cheese and butter; now you find yourself bamboozled by all manner of odd alternatives such as 'raw' hummus, wheat-free bread and murky juices”.

Have you noticed the attributes the author uses, like “odd alternatives” or “murky juices”? What does it tell you? Are we no longer open to differences and varieties? Do we need to have one thing, because our world is ruled by monopoly? Personally I find it strange. Isn't it a good thing. that now we can try almost anything? That we can cater to variety of people, because our abilities and imagination allow us to do so? Why clip the wings?

Advocates of healthy eating are portrayed in this article as religious disciples - they are the food bloggers. They are inflexible and they command the wellness and nutrition trends:

“The high priestesses of this new religion are a group of young, attractive women who amass hundreds of thousands of followers online as more and more people turn to them for guidance”.

See what I mean? They call them high priestesses of new religion. Derogatory comments are like ammunition, which are to be used in a battle. Who are they fighting? Are they simply worried about the many followers or maybe because they are afraid, that their world will collapse? But why would it? There are so many followers of traditional diet and in addition there are practices which ensure that we will not move away from it. So they should be safe. 

 

Just recently we have seen a documentary called “Cowspiracy”. It is a mind-blowing experience. Not only they confirm, what I have already written about about unsustainability of meat consumption, but also they show, that the main culprits of this conspiracy are organizations, which should fight preserving our environment in the first place, such as Green Peace and others. As a result the world went silent about environmental destruction of our planet and we pretend that all is OK. How strange. Actually both me and my husband, we were so shocked and our hearts were pounding so hard, that we could not finish watching the movie in one run and we had to take a break. It is horrifying to know, that we prefer to live in an illusion than to face the truth and actually do something about it. It is no longer living off the interest, we are digging into reserves and soon we will hit the bottom.

The problem is that we all over-consume meat. Even if we prefer meat over vegetarian diet we still do not need to eat it that much. According to my calculations, we can easily reduce consumption of meat by half and become healthier by sticking to a well-balanced diet. By being healthier we can also take care of the environment and everyone who lives in it. In addition, once we acknowledge what actually goes on around us we will be able to see, that this madness in the world of illusion is leading us to catastrophic results. We literally become sick and unhealthy from ignoring the symptoms of imbalance and the health of our planet is just yet another manifestation of what we do to ourselves. We live in the information age so we should take advantage of that. The information is out there, no one can hide it although by not speaking about it we make it disappear from our consciousness. If we woke up for at least few minutes we would embrace the unique, diverse, and even peculiar and discard uniform, homogeneous, rigid, conventional and monolithic.

Home-made cottage cheese

We all meditate in different ways. Some mediate using traditional methods, yet others do fitness, dance or paint. My best way to meditate is to be in the kitchen. I simply immerse myself in the process, so the rest cease to have any importance for me. Once, I owned a cafe and spend hours in the kitchen and was very happy. I was actually saying that probably I was the happiest person on the planet because I worked so many hours in the kitchen :) How sad that I could not make my living that way. Oh, well... I am writing about meditation in the kitchen because just recently I have done it again. Finally I made a home-made cottage cheese. I was making ricotta cheese often but I cannot find any explanation as to why it took me so long to try making cottage cheese. It is so easy and how gratifying.

My hubby loves cottage cheese and there is none where we live now. After I made it he said that he does not remember the last time he ate something so delicious. I take his word for it because I am not a big fan of white cheese. Sure I eat it but it is not something that I need or crave every day. So there you go, I made it and I will continue making it from now on.

It is not my recipe but I think that it is OK. A lot of those recipes call for fresh milk and I guess I was not convinced if I manage to replicate the taste if I use the pasteurized version. The cool thing with fresh milk is that you can also make buttermilk from it so in the end you are using all natural ingredients to make a new product. There are only few places in this world where you can find fresh milk and not everyone have access to them.

This version calls for milk products you find in your grocery store or supermarket. I am not against food from supermarkets because I believe that even such food can be nourishing. So to make this cottage cheese we need milk, buttermilk and yogurt. I used ratio 1:1:1. The only trick we should remember is to cook it very slowly. It took me 1 ½ hours to do it. I used the lowest setting “2” and played with the lid to control how quickly milk was warming up. You cook it until temperature reaches 40-50 degrees Celsius. And this is all. Sure it is time consuming because we need to be close to the pot for almost 2 hours but for me it was nothing since kitchen is my meditation field.

This cottage cheese can be used to make cheese cake or as the filling for crepes, my childhood dish that I love. You can also mix this cheese with onion springs and sour cream (or yogurt) and have a spread for your bread. I also like my bread with this cheese and a little bit salt or some honey. We also make potato and cheese pierogies, also called Ruskie Pierogi. I hope that one day you will also give it a try and you will enjoy it as much as we did.

 

Reflection on Raw Food Diet

Enthusiasts of raw food diet claim, that food is not only about nutrition, but also about life's energy. Food, which is eaten in its natural unprepared state, with all the enzymes intact, is the source of vitality, and our nourishment. In our hands, it is also an ammunition of strength and self-reliance. Labored beginnings, however, characterize the raw diet. It is a slow process, not a single event in time. But with mindful approach to food, we can select from life, what is best for our well-being.

Both paleo diet and raw diet discard processed and artificial food, and replace it with a simple and natural ones. Enthusiasts of raw food diet claim, that it is their lifestyle and although it is not an easy transition, it can be adopted by many. Testimonials from ordinary people are endless, but there is always one underlying note: it is a challenging diet and it works most effectively, if you follow the rule of 80:20, meaning that you rely on raw food 80% of a time and eat cooked food for the other 20% of a time.

Raw veganism is a plant-based diet, that involves no cooking. No food is heated above 42 degrees Celsius. Foods are eaten fresh, sprouted, dehydrated with low heat or fermented. So taking these ideas into consideration, let's come up with a healthy regime, which is also nutritious. Let's create a 1800 calorie diet plan, which is quite restrictive, hence more challenging. It is a daily plan for 1 person. So let's take a look:

1/6 cookie sheet of dry seed crackers (see below), 50g almonds, 25g nuts (3 walnuts, 3 brazilian nuts), 100g quinoa or lentils (every other day), 50g pumpkin seeds, vegetables (200g romaine lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 1 red pepper, 200g cucumber, 7 radishes, 1 beetroot, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 fermented cucumber, 2 onions), fruit (1 orange, 1 apple, 1 nectarine).

The above mentioned plan translates into the following:

vitA:821%, vitC:650%, vitE:113%, vitK:388%, vitD:?, vitB1:168%, vitB2:96%, vitB3:75%, vitB5:66%, vitB6:137%, vitB12:?, folate:290%, Ca:82%, Fe:120%, Mg:203%, K:175%, Zn:117%, Se:442%

COMMENTS

1. Healthy raw food diet means eating approx. 1.2kg of vegetables, 0.5kg of fruit. It is also based on eating nuts, almonds and seeds – we need approx. 180g of them every day as well as some grain and legumes, such as quinoa and lentils (I selected quinoa since it is the most nutritious type of grain and the same rationale was for selecting lentils).

2. Due to calorie restrictions, there is no room in this diet for any type of sweets, even those prepared raw. It is also hard to incorporate into this diet fruit, such as banana or avocado because of the calories (1 banana corresponds to 100 calories and ½ avocado means 160 calories). The same goes for oil. We should limit ourselves only to olive oil, due to high content of vitamin E.

3. The recommended amounts of vitamin D and B12 can only be derived from eating raw fish. If we consume raw fish twice a week, then we will take care of our daily requirements for those vitamins. The other options are to supplement the diet with vitamins or by adding nutritional yeast.

4. If we follow the rule of 80:20, then it is OK to cook hard-to-digest food like quinoa or lentils. It is also advisable to cook carrots and add them to food containing phytic acid, such as nuts or seeds (see here).

5. We should consume 1 fermented cucumber every day, to take care of our intestinal flora. Fermented vegetables contain probiotics, which are important in maintaining a healthy gut.

6. Raw food can be source of infection and it is due to the fact, that most food is in a fermented state and is of plant-origin. Hence it is very important to sterilize the equipment and wash thoroughly vegetables and fruit. We should wash them in acidic water to remove microorganisms and in alkaline water to remove pesticides. It is also advisable to rinse the mouth with water and baking soda. 

 

REFLECTION

Raw plants and vegetables tend to be hard on our digestion. So if we are constantly eating foods, that our bodies cannot digest, our ability to digest food in general is weakened. A weakened digestive system can cause bloating, indigestion, constipation or loose stools, malnutrition, food allergies and a lowered immune system, even if we consume food filled with nutrients supporting our health. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is believed, that raw foods are too “cold” - or yin – in nature and require too much energy from our part to digest. The cold, hard-to-digest food puts a damper on the body's digestive fires. The prolonged practice of eating raw depletes body's energy from having to support the weakened digestive system, which results in less energy for other bodily functions. Hence, enthusiasts of this diet steer towards uniform meals, to ease the digestion. They prepare simple meals and follow the rule of proper combining. In addition, a helpful tip is to keep fruit at room temperature and take vegetables from fridge at least 1 hour before eating. Eating food at room temperature aids the digestion and may alleviate some of the problems associated with eating raw.

Raw food can be the source of infection and every enthusiast of this diet knows, that raw food diet requires a lot of attention on our part. We should stay away from ready-to-eat food found in grocery stores as well as be wary about eating-out. The main reason why this type of food can be unhealthy is, because it is processed to encourage the growth of microorganisms. Every time when we ferment or sprout food, we also encourage the growth of bacteria and if not careful we can make ourselves ill, because of what we eat. This is probably one of the reasons, why raw food lovers tend to cook at home and devote a lot of their time to washing food and preparing meal for themselves.

Arguments against this diet rely on not sufficient scientific evidence showing, that it can be healthy. And this is true simply, because we lack evidence based on practice and real-life stories. However, we often hear, that raw diet is the source of malnutrition. Raw food lovers are deficient in vitamin D, B12, calcium, iron, zinc, omega-3 and selenium. If you look again at my plan above you will see, that raw food diet is only sensitive to deficiencies in vitamin D and B12. Vegans try to circumvent the problem and eat nutritional yeast. And yes, they can be a good source of vitamin B12 but at the same time they are the source of vitamin B complex overload (for example 100% of vitamin B12 translates into 640% of vitamin B1, 570% of vitamin B2, 280% of vitamin B3 and 480% of vitamin B6). If you are on raw food diet and eat flax seeds and walnuts, then you are OK with omega-3 and brazilian nuts take care of selenium requirements. Good sources of calcium are almonds, sesame seeds, and oranges, so you may want to pay close attention to this food, not to become deficient in calcium.

For sure it is a quite restrictive diet, hence not for everyone. Personally, I love eating warm food and I do not think, that I will ever try switching to eating raw. However, as I have shown you above there are certain tricks to make this diet healthy. But is eating raw really hard on our digestion and drains us of energy in the long run? I leave it to others to decide. Definitely we need more evidence backed up by practice. The best thing about Raw Food diet, in my mind, is that it shows us, that with careful planning, we can also be healthy, if we rely on raw food, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. Sounds impossible, almost like paradox and that's the beauty of it all.

Seed crackers (1 cookie sheet): 1 cup flax seeds, ½ cup sesame seeds, ½ cup sunflower seeds. Ferment all in acidic water overnight. The next day rinse it thoroughly and mix all with ¾ cup of water to create thick dough – add your favorite spices. Leave to rest for approx. 5 minutes. Spread the dough onto a cookie sheet covered with a baking paper. Dehydrate in a dehydrator or bake in the oven set to 42 degrees until dry.

Reflection on Paleo Diet

Do you feel bombarded with change from every direction? Are you fascinated by the world and you want to explore it and experiment? Our imagination takes us to many wonderful places and our creativity also finds its outlet in our attitude towards food. Modern trends in diet change fast and they are no longer about weight loss, but the new lifestyle. Paleo food lovers turn away from our traditional western diet and toss out all processed food, to replace it with natural and healthy lifestyle. They believe, it is a journey into the roots and something much greater, but is it really? Is Paleo diet really the diet we are predisposed to naturally and the only solution to retain health, or simply our romantic fascination with tradition?

Meat consumption is part of our evolutionary heritage and some say, that we are genetically predisposed to eating meat. Hence it does not surprise me, that we have seen a huge success of Paleo diet in recent years, because it relies heavily on meat, as the main source of protein intake. Another reason is, that it appeals to our sensibilities, and scientific reasoning claiming, that we cannot escape our genetic makeup. It is the only healthy lifestyle for us, but is it really?

Before we jump to any conclusions, let's concentrate on the diet itself. According to recommendations we should derive 50% of our daily calories from meat, or meat products (lean meat, fish and eggs), 35% from oil and 15% from fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts. There is no room in this diet for processed food, diary, grains, legumes, starchy veggies like potatoes, sugar, but also for coffee and alcohol. So if we assume, that our daily allowances are 2000 calories, then we should derive 1000 calories from meat products, 700 calories from fat and 300 calories from fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts. With those assumptions, is it possible to create a healthy diet? Let's take a look.

I have analyzed the diet and have to admit, that it is NOT possible to include seeds and nuts into the same category with fruit and vegetables. The simple reason is, that seeds and nuts are dense in calories and 300 calorie limit is far too low to include all types of food. The best solution is to include them into either meat or fat category. So if we do that, then it is possible to create a healthy plan, which is not only nutritious, but it also fulfills our daily vitamin and mineral requirement regime. However, in order to achieve it, we should consume liver daily together with some lean meat and fish. If we toss out liver then consuming just meat does not make it OK or healthy.

So if we want to eat healthy we should consume every day the following: 250g meat (50g liver – chicken, 100g chicken breast, 100g fish – the best would be small fish, that we eat with bone), 100g almonds, and 2 eggs; 100g olive oil or any other healthy oil (I prefer olive oil, due to high content of vitamin E), and eat every day 100g broccoli, 200g dark-leaf vegetables, 1 beet, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, 1 small cucumber, 7 radishes, ½ red pepper, ½ onion and 20g sunflower seeds. If we follow those recommendations, then the nutritious breakdown will look like this:

VitA: 800%, VitC: 430, VitE:194%, VitK: 434%, VitB1:84%, VitB2: 198%, VitB3: 167%, VitB5: 88%, VitB6: 123%, VitB12: 308%, Folate: 241%, Ca: 91%, Fe: 117%, Mg: 143%, K: 110%, Zn: 90%, Se: 259%.

We will also have enough VitD providing we will stick with small fish and of course we would not need to worry about omega-3.

COMMENTS:

Deficiencies in VitB1, B5 and Zn can be overcome by eating more liver every day. For my calculations I used 50g of chicken liver, but if we change that amount to 75g, then we should be OK. As for calcium, it is tricky to ensure adequate amounts in this diet. Everyone should be aware of it and make sure to eat regularly small fish, almonds, and the tiny seeds, which I omitted in my analysis – sesame seeds. They are also a very good source of calcium, but in order to take advantage of them, they need to be fermented first (see here) – the same is true for almonds. Hence 28g of sesame seeds, or 3 tbsp, are equivalent to 160 calories, and this amount contains 25% Ca, 25% Fe plus other vitamins and minerals. So others are right in saying, that Paleo diet is the source of calcium deficiencies. Improperly eaten almonds and/or sesame seeds will not provide adequate amounts of calcium, because most of it will be bound to phytic acid and will be removed from our bodies. Something to think about.

My analysis has been done for 2000 calories, which means, that it is more representative of a diet for men, then women. Women on this diet should be very careful about their menu, due to calorie restrictions (1800 calories). They should get rid of traditional meat and switch to, for example, chicken liver and fish only. As for calcium they should experiment with almonds and sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are less dense in calories than almonds, but they are as nutritious as almonds. For example, 100g almonds translates into 500 calories and 28g sesame seeds (see above) equals to 160 calories. Both products are dense in nutrients, so it is a good idea to eat them every day.

I hope you noticed, that my analysis lacks fruit. They are high in calories, which makes them unattractive for this diet. A 2000 calorie diet should contain 300 calories coming from fruit, vegetables and seeds. So if we include fruit, then we do that at the expense of either vegetables or seeds. This means, that men can afford to eat fruit from time to time, but women should stay away from them and completely forget that they exist.

 

REFLECTION ON PALEO DIET

Killing animals and eating meat have been significant components of human evolution, that had a synergistic relationship with other key attributes, that have made us humans, such as evolution of human intelligence, development of language and of capacities for planning, cooperation and socializing in particular.

Given, that there are more of us now, we need more animals than our ancestors, to keep up with the tradition of meat consumption and deal with its “side effects”. Is it then possible to come up with a comprehensive appraisal, in order to contrast the positive effects of meat consumption with the negative consequences of meat production and to answer a simple question: are the benefits (health and otherwise) of eating meat greater than the undesirable cost, multitude of environmental burdens in particular, of producing it?

I hope, that I convinced you, that it is possible to stay healthy on Paleo diet. But this also means, that we need to consume 1kg of meat (700g traditional meat and 300g of meat liver) plus 700g fish every week or 48kg of meat (or 48 chickens) and 30kg fish every year. This amount is not particularly alarming, because in western countries consumption of meat is much greater, approximately 80-90kg/year. But comparing this amount to the average, which is 42kg/year, it is quite a lot, and there are consequences both from the production standpoint and the environment. However, the above calculations are based on the assumption, that we group almonds to the protein category, and if we move them to fats, then we will need to consume twice as much meat, which means, that we will consume 156kg/year of meat. A horrifying amount! Is this the price everyone needs to pay, so we can stay healthy???

Industrialized production of animals for human consumption is the source of multiple environmental burdens. At risk are land, water and energy sources, but it is also a source of greenhouse gas and reactive nitrogen burden. For example, while production of 1 ton of meat (poultry) requires 4,000L of water, cultivation of 1 ton of wheat depends on 1,500 L and 1 ton of potatoes has need for only 133 liters of water. Production of beef is more exploitative and it uses 17,000L of water to produce 1 ton of meat. On average production of 1kg meat requires 100 times more water than cultivation of cereal. By insisting on increasing the production of meat at the expense of other types of food we are wasting away natural resources unnecessary.

The same problem is with energy and we know how important it is for us. Meat production system relies on a ratio 25:1, which means, that to produce 1 calorie of meat we need to spend 25 calories of energy. Milk industry uses a ratio of 14:1, beef industry – 40:1, eggs – 39:1 and wheat – 2:1. To illustrate the situation, I have made my own calculations and found out, that to produce 1kg of beef meat we require 70 kW/h energy, which also means, that this energy will be enough to provide light to 250 apartments for 1 hour (or to drive 250km by car). In comparison production of 1 egg will provide light to 8 apartments for 1 hour (2kW/h) and 30 eggs are equal to 1kg of beef meat. I find it interesting and horrifying at the same time, don't you think?

Negative consequences of meat production are seen in other areas of our life. A rise in greenhouse gas emissions, landmass erosion and the fact, that we need more animals every day for our consumption purposes. Currently there is 5 times more cultivated animals in the world than us and if we continue to follow the trend the consequences are quite obvious.

I am not against meat consumption, but what I am against is our belief, that eating meat is the only choice to stay healthy. Relying on chicken breast leads to overeating, because we overcompensate the lack of vitamins and minerals in our bodies. Knowledge is power, so let's select food consciously. Living consciously means, that we take care of ourselves and the environment we live in at the same time. If we want to stay on a meat diet, then we should remember to include meat organs and fish into our menu. They are very nutritious and filled with vitamins and minerals.

In my mind, Paleo diet is not going back to the roots, nor it is a natural or healthy lifestyle. Presently it will contribute to degradation of the environment simply, because we need more animals to feed us. Paleo diet is an extreme approach, because it does not take advantage of other food, which has been shown to be nutritious, such as legumes or some type of grain, which by the way are less of a burden to our environment. Throughout history we experimented with food and now we can capitalize on our heritage to make intelligent choices. While meat was a prestige food throughout the millennia of pre-industrial history and associated with affluent economies, it does not have the same connotation anymore. Times are changing and affluence now means intelligence, so why not base individual diets on nutritional value of food and their vitamin and mineral content?