This is a must read if you care to understand food for what it is
This is likely the most important of all Efficiency Principles. Before we talk about size and times of meals, we need to talk about the number ONE efficiency principle.
When looking at an eating efficiency scale, we could place on the one end "gluttony", and at other end maybe the extreme "breatharianism". But from there we can certainly have the more realistic discussion about eating efficiently. For example we have to make a choice everyday, for every meal weather we will eat for:
Health - Lifelong learning about optimal nutrition
Recovery - Eating to resolve cumulating effects of level 3 and 4, then falling back to level 3 and 4
Energy - Quick energy, blood sugar imbalances, tired, no rest, unconcerned, etc.
Pleasure - Immature, impulsive, gratification, excesses, emotional, etc.Efficiency Principle: Frequency trumps quantity
Most of the efficiency principles in this presentation will benefit your metabolism in one way or another. Whether it is in regulating your energy, your blood sugar, or pH value, or resulting in better hormonal balance, better digestive ability, etc. But one of the easiest to incorporate in your life is distributing your meals more frequently throughout your active day. Remember that we have been well trained over the last century to eat three large meals per day to satisfy our industry's work schedules. Once upon a time we ate in the field, we ate an early breakfast, a mid morning apple, we had a snack in the afternoon, etc.
There have been many research projects proving that evenly balanced meals throughout the active day lead to better health. One of the most dramatic was done in a laboratory setting with three groups of rats. The first group, when fed three equal meals per day, lived 2-3 years, which is the standard lifespan of rats. Like normal rats they also developed health conditions like obesity, diabetes, tumors and cancer. A second group was fed one large meal per day, equal to the size of three standard meals. They developed health issues like diabetes, obesity, tumors much earlier than normal rats, and lived between 1.75 and 2.25 years, a 25% shorter lifespan. The third group was fed six smaller meals equivalent to the size of three standard meals. They lived between 2.5 and 3.75 years, a 25% increased lifespan, and had dramatic drops in diseases like diabetes, obesity, tumors and cancer.
Certainly when it comes to the distribution of your meals, eating at regular intervals during your active day will prevent low blood sugar levels and provide energy for activities. Even a car needs regular fuel. We need sugar and its energy frequently, not massively. Just remember that with constant and balanced energy your body's metabolisms will perform better, whether it is digestion, elimination, muscle work, the beating of the heart, or secretion of hormones. In this way, the cellular activity supported by energy is the medicine. Free yourself from expectations of an external doctor or miracle drug or supplement and rely on food as fuel.
Efficiency Principle
ENERGY and NOT MEDICINE
I will talk about what 95% of people can do to contribute to society by improving their wellness and increasing their happiness and longevity thereby reducing the cost associated with sickness and disease. I have absolutely no doubt that if 95% of us made these changes, 95% of diseases would be prevented, most could be reverted, and we would live longer, healthier and happier lives. In the process we would reduce the health care crisis in the world not with ObamaCare, but with You Care, the self care version.
In my life I have studied anatomy, the endocrine system, digestion, biology, nutrition, nutrients, supplements, and even learned a lot about pharmaceutical drugs. I have read books, learned about many diets and tried several. Yet in this next part, I will not be speaking to you about medicine, supplements or diets. I will not talk about national, religious or philosophical diets. I will not side with diet gurus. I will not argue the value of one diet over another such as "eat for your blood type", the pH principle, Atkins, raw food, vegan, South Beach, etc.
Instead I will talk about common unifying principles that can render food and the way you eat more efficient, giving you back your life-force, leaving you vibrant and healthy instead of prone to sickness.
The principles that I will share are common qualities of many foods and of ways of eating. For example, with martial arts like Judo, Karate, Tai Chi, QiGong, etc., the common unifying principles of their hundreds of individual forms are generally the same few fluidity between movements, proper breathing and balance. These principles should be present when practicing the thousands of different forms, or katas of these martial arts.
Similarly with food and eating you will find that qualities like wholeness, purity, distribution of meals during the day, size of the meal, and even size of the food itself are efficiency principles that apply to the thousands of possible foods and their combinations. Here is a summary of the principles that I will cover in this presentation:
Efficiency Principle: Breathe yourself alive!
Efficiency Principle: Eating a diet based on the energy pyramid makes sense
Efficiency Principle: Eating a high photosynthetic diet of mostly plants, high in mineral energy, and of low burden is rational
Efficiency Principle: Eating for health is rational
Efficiency Principle: The whole is greater than its parts
Efficiency Principle: Frequency tells the diet
Efficiency Principle: Distribution matters
Efficiency Principle: Variety is the spice of health
Efficiency Principle: Frequent small meals instead of few large meals
Efficiency Principle: Small and dense instead of large and loose
Efficiency Principle: Make purity a necessity
Efficiency principle: Awaken the genius within
Efficiency Principle: Flexibility for longevityEfficiency Principle: Breathe yourself alive!
Normally when we think about nutrition we think of food period. You now know that overeating is one of the causes of the number one and two leading causes of death cardiovascular disease and cancer. So we eat too much and we know it. We eat too much and we regret it and we keep on eating too much.
But like me, I am sure that sometimes you have insights about a different reality. Sure, we apparently get nourished by a million potential foods, but what about sunlight, water, and all sorts of electromagnetic frequencies? Did you know that even colors have effects on us and thinking about something or someone does too? The hard reality is that all substances visible or not like food, light, friends and loved ones carry frequencies and energies that will either raise or lower YOUR energy and frequency. With that in mind, you will want to choose wisely.
Did you know that we actually get much more nutrients than just oxygen from breathing? Did you know that we get energy from breathing in the form of trace elements and other particles? In the air we breathe, we find proportionally the following elements; Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 20% Argon 0.9% Carbon Dioxide 0.03% Neon 0.001% Methane 0.0002% Helium 0.000524% Krypton 0.000114% Hydrogen 0.00005% Xenon 0.0000087% Ozone 0.000007% Nitrogen Dioxide 0.000002%, Iodine 0.000001%, Carbon Monoxide trace, Ammonia trace and other trace elements.
Your first food is the breath
In all forms of yoga, martial arts, exercise and meditation you will note that breathing is always emphasized. How many breaths have you taken today? Did you know that each breath you take is a meal? How long can you live without food? A day, a week, a month? Some have lived without food for months. How about without food and water? Now ask yourself how long can you live without breathing? Maybe 8 minutes? Hopefully you realize now that your first food is the breath. Be like a Ninja, learn to breath deeply, learn to appreciate each breath you take. Learn to be free from overeating, and get a whole lot more from just breathing.
Efficiency Principle Eating a diet based on the energy pyramid makes sense
Know about photosynthesis and the energy pyramid
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some single-celled organisms produce sugars from sunlight and carbon dioxide. These sugars then become the food used in cellular respiration. In plants, photosynthesis occurs in specialized structures known as chloroplasts. Elephants eat nearly all day. They feed on grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Blue whales feed almost exclusively on plankton, and very tiny shrimp like crustaceans known as "krill," itself living off of plankton and algae. Blue whales feed on tons of these foods during the summer season. During the other 8 months of the year, they don't eat anything and live off of stored fat.
Know about the energy flow of the ecosystem
Nearly all of the energy that drives ecosystems ultimately comes from the sun. Solar energy, which is an abiotic factor, by the way, enters the ecosystem through the process of photosynthesis.
The producers
The organisms in an ecosystem that capture the sun's electromagnetic energy and convert it into chemical energy are called producers. The name is appropriate because producers make the carbon-based molecules, usually carbohydrates, that the rest of the organisms in the ecosystem, including you, consume. Producers include all of the green plants and some bacteria and algae. Every living thing on Earth literally owes its life to the producers. The next time you see a plant, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to thank it for its services... which, as you will learn in other units, go way beyond just supplying you with food.
The primary consumers
After a producer has captured the sun's energy and used it to grow yummy plant parts, other organisms come along and greedily gobble it up. These primary consumers, as they are called, exclusively feed on producers. If these consumers were human, we would call them vegetarians. Otherwise, they are known as herbivores. Primary consumers only obtain a fraction of the total solar energy about 10% captured by the producers they eat. The other 90% is used by the producer for growth, reproduction, and survival, or is lost as heat. You can probably see where this is going.
The secondary consumers
Primary consumers may be eaten by secondary consumers. An example would be birds that eat bugs that eat leaves. Secondary consumers are eaten by tertiary consumers. Cats that eat birds that eat bugs that eat leaves, for instance.
At each level, called a trophic level, about 90% of the energy is lost. What a shame. So, if a plant captures 1000 calories of solar energy, a bug that eats the plant will only obtain 100 calories of energy. A chicken that eats the bug will only obtain 10 calories, and a human that eats the chicken will only obtain 1 calorie of the original 1000 calories of solar energy captured by the plant. When you think about this way, it would take 100 1000-calorie plants (those would be enormous plants, by the way to produce a single 100-calorie piece of free-range chicken. You are now recalling all of the plants you have ever forgotten to water in your life and feeling really, really terrible about it, aren't you?
The energy pyramid
The relationships among producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers is usually drawn as a pyramid, known as an energy pyramid, with producers at the bottom and tertiary consumers at the top. You can see from the example above why producers are at the bottom of this pyramid. It takes a lot of producers for higher-trophic-level consumers, like humans, to obtain the energy they need to grow and reproduce.
This is the answer to the great mystery as to why there are so many plants on Earth. We will even spell it out for you because it is so important to understand: there are so many plants on Earth because energy flow through ecosystems is inefficient. Only 10% of the energy in one trophic level is ever passed to the next. So, there you have it, choose wisely.
Efficiency Principle: Eating a high photosynthetic diet of mostly plants, high in mineral energy, and of low burden is rational
Did you know that humans obtain strong atomic/electrical)energy, which is the force that holds the atom together, 80% from the air we breathe and 20% from foods rich in minerals and trace elements? Did you know that we obtain heat (photosynthetic) energy, which is the energy we need all day, 20% from sunlight and 80% from starches, sugars, and fats, the bearers of light produced by plants and algae? Do You remember the phrase JESUS said Man cant live on Bread ALONE well??
Efficiency Principle
I will talk about what 95% of people can do to contribute to society by improving their wellness and increasing their happiness and longevity thereby reducing the cost associated with sickness and disease. I have absolutely no doubt that if 95% of us made these changes, 95% of diseases would be prevented, most could be reverted, and we would live longer, healthier and happier lives. In the process we would reduce the health care crisis in the world not with ObamaCare, but with You Care, the self care version.
In my life I have studied anatomy, the endocrine system, digestion, biology, nutrition, nutrients, supplements, and even learned a lot about pharmaceutical drugs. I have read books, learned about many diets and tried several. Yet in this next part, I will not be speaking to you about medicine, supplements or diets. I will not talk about national, religious or philosophical diets. I will not side with diet gurus. I will not argue the value of one diet over another such as "eat for your blood type", the pH principle, Atkins, raw food, vegan, South Beach, etc.
Instead I will talk about common unifying principles that can render food and the way you eat more efficient, giving you back your life-force, leaving you vibrant and healthy instead of prone to sickness.
The principles that I will share are common qualities of many foods and of ways of eating. For example, with martial arts like Judo, Karate, Tai Chi, QiGong, etc., the common unifying principles of their hundreds of individual forms are generally the same few fluidity between movements, proper breathing and balance. These principles should be present when practicing the thousands of different forms, or katas of these martial arts.
Similarly with food and eating you will find that qualities like wholeness, purity, distribution of meals during the day, size of the meal, and even size of the food itself are efficiency principles that apply to the thousands of possible foods and their combinations. Here is a summary of the principles that I will cover in this presentation:
Efficiency Principle: Breathe yourself alive!
Efficiency Principle: Eating a diet based on the energy pyramid makes sense
Efficiency Principle: Eating a high photosynthetic diet of mostly plants, high in mineral energy, and of low burden is rational
Efficiency Principle: Eating for health is rational
Efficiency Principle: The whole is greater than its parts
Efficiency Principle: Frequency tells the diet
Efficiency Principle: Distribution matters
Efficiency Principle: Variety is the spice of health
Efficiency Principle: Frequent small meals instead of few large meals
Efficiency Principle: Small and dense instead of large and loose
Efficiency Principle: Make purity a necessity
Efficiency principle: Awaken the genius within
Efficiency Principle: Flexibility for longevityEfficiency Principle: Breathe yourself alive!
Normally when we think about nutrition we think of food period. You now know that overeating is one of the causes of the number one and two leading causes of death cardiovascular disease and cancer. So we eat too much and we know it. We eat too much and we regret it and we keep on eating too much.
But like me, I am sure that sometimes you have insights about a different reality. Sure, we apparently get nourished by a million potential foods, but what about sunlight, water, and all sorts of electromagnetic frequencies? Did you know that even colors have effects on us and thinking about something or someone does too? The hard reality is that all substances visible or not like food, light, friends and loved ones carry frequencies and energies that will either raise or lower YOUR energy and frequency. With that in mind, you will want to choose wisely.
Did you know that we actually get much more nutrients than just oxygen from breathing? Did you know that we get energy from breathing in the form of trace elements and other particles? In the air we breathe, we find proportionally the following elements; Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 20% Argon 0.9% Carbon Dioxide 0.03% Neon 0.001% Methane 0.0002% Helium 0.000524% Krypton 0.000114% Hydrogen 0.00005% Xenon 0.0000087% Ozone 0.000007% Nitrogen Dioxide 0.000002%, Iodine 0.000001%, Carbon Monoxide trace, Ammonia trace and other trace elements.
Your first food is the breath
In all forms of yoga, martial arts, exercise and meditation you will note that breathing is always emphasized. How many breaths have you taken today? Did you know that each breath you take is a meal? How long can you live without food? A day, a week, a month? Some have lived without food for months. How about without food and water? Now ask yourself how long can you live without breathing? Maybe 8 minutes? Hopefully you realize now that your first food is the breath. Be like a Ninja, learn to breath deeply, learn to appreciate each breath you take. Learn to be free from overeating, and get a whole lot more from just breathing.
Efficiency Principle Eating a diet based on the energy pyramid makes sense
Know about photosynthesis and the energy pyramid
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some single-celled organisms produce sugars from sunlight and carbon dioxide. These sugars then become the food used in cellular respiration. In plants, photosynthesis occurs in specialized structures known as chloroplasts. Elephants eat nearly all day. They feed on grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Blue whales feed almost exclusively on plankton, and very tiny shrimp like crustaceans known as "krill," itself living off of plankton and algae. Blue whales feed on tons of these foods during the summer season. During the other 8 months of the year, they don't eat anything and live off of stored fat.
Know about the energy flow of the ecosystem
Nearly all of the energy that drives ecosystems ultimately comes from the sun. Solar energy, which is an abiotic factor, by the way, enters the ecosystem through the process of photosynthesis.
The producers
The organisms in an ecosystem that capture the sun's electromagnetic energy and convert it into chemical energy are called producers. The name is appropriate because producers make the carbon-based molecules, usually carbohydrates, that the rest of the organisms in the ecosystem, including you, consume. Producers include all of the green plants and some bacteria and algae. Every living thing on Earth literally owes its life to the producers. The next time you see a plant, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to thank it for its services... which, as you will learn in other units, go way beyond just supplying you with food.
The primary consumers
After a producer has captured the sun's energy and used it to grow yummy plant parts, other organisms come along and greedily gobble it up. These primary consumers, as they are called, exclusively feed on producers. If these consumers were human, we would call them vegetarians. Otherwise, they are known as herbivores. Primary consumers only obtain a fraction of the total solar energy about 10% captured by the producers they eat. The other 90% is used by the producer for growth, reproduction, and survival, or is lost as heat. You can probably see where this is going.
The secondary consumers
Primary consumers may be eaten by secondary consumers. An example would be birds that eat bugs that eat leaves. Secondary consumers are eaten by tertiary consumers. Cats that eat birds that eat bugs that eat leaves, for instance.
At each level, called a trophic level, about 90% of the energy is lost. What a shame. So, if a plant captures 1000 calories of solar energy, a bug that eats the plant will only obtain 100 calories of energy. A chicken that eats the bug will only obtain 10 calories, and a human that eats the chicken will only obtain 1 calorie of the original 1000 calories of solar energy captured by the plant. When you think about this way, it would take 100 1000-calorie plants (those would be enormous plants, by the way to produce a single 100-calorie piece of free-range chicken. You are now recalling all of the plants you have ever forgotten to water in your life and feeling really, really terrible about it, aren't you?
The energy pyramid
The relationships among producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers is usually drawn as a pyramid, known as an energy pyramid, with producers at the bottom and tertiary consumers at the top. You can see from the example above why producers are at the bottom of this pyramid. It takes a lot of producers for higher-trophic-level consumers, like humans, to obtain the energy they need to grow and reproduce.
This is the answer to the great mystery as to why there are so many plants on Earth. We will even spell it out for you because it is so important to understand: there are so many plants on Earth because energy flow through ecosystems is inefficient. Only 10% of the energy in one trophic level is ever passed to the next. So, there you have it, choose wisely.
Efficiency Principle: Eating a high photosynthetic diet of mostly plants, high in mineral energy, and of low burden is rational
Did you know that humans obtain strong atomic/electrical)energy, which is the force that holds the atom together, 80% from the air we breathe and 20% from foods rich in minerals and trace elements? Did you know that we obtain heat (photosynthetic) energy, which is the energy we need all day, 20% from sunlight and 80% from starches, sugars, and fats, the bearers of light produced by plants and algae? Do You remember the phrase JESUS said Man cant live on Bread ALONE well??
Efficiency Principle
Eating for health is rational
This is likely the most important of all Efficiency Principles. Before we talk about size and times of meals, we need to talk about the number ONE efficiency principle.
When looking at an eating efficiency scale, we could place on the one end "gluttony", and at other end maybe the extreme "breatharianism". But from there we can certainly have the more realistic discussion about eating efficiently. For example we have to make a choice everyday, for every meal weather we will eat for:
Health - Lifelong learning about optimal nutrition
Recovery - Eating to resolve cumulating effects of level 3 and 4, then falling back to level 3 and 4
Energy - Quick energy, blood sugar imbalances, tired, no rest, unconcerned, etc.
Pleasure - Immature, impulsive, gratification, excesses, emotional, etc.Efficiency Principle: Frequency trumps quantity
Most of the efficiency principles in this presentation will benefit your metabolism in one way or another. Whether it is in regulating your energy, your blood sugar, or pH value, or resulting in better hormonal balance, better digestive ability, etc. But one of the easiest to incorporate in your life is distributing your meals more frequently throughout your active day. Remember that we have been well trained over the last century to eat three large meals per day to satisfy our industry's work schedules. Once upon a time we ate in the field, we ate an early breakfast, a mid morning apple, we had a snack in the afternoon, etc.
There have been many research projects proving that evenly balanced meals throughout the active day lead to better health. One of the most dramatic was done in a laboratory setting with three groups of rats. The first group, when fed three equal meals per day, lived 2-3 years, which is the standard lifespan of rats. Like normal rats they also developed health conditions like obesity, diabetes, tumors and cancer. A second group was fed one large meal per day, equal to the size of three standard meals. They developed health issues like diabetes, obesity, tumors much earlier than normal rats, and lived between 1.75 and 2.25 years, a 25% shorter lifespan. The third group was fed six smaller meals equivalent to the size of three standard meals. They lived between 2.5 and 3.75 years, a 25% increased lifespan, and had dramatic drops in diseases like diabetes, obesity, tumors and cancer.
Certainly when it comes to the distribution of your meals, eating at regular intervals during your active day will prevent low blood sugar levels and provide energy for activities. Even a car needs regular fuel. We need sugar and its energy frequently, not massively. Just remember that with constant and balanced energy your body's metabolisms will perform better, whether it is digestion, elimination, muscle work, the beating of the heart, or secretion of hormones. In this way, the cellular activity supported by energy is the medicine. Free yourself from expectations of an external doctor or miracle drug or supplement and rely on food as fuel.
Efficiency Principle
Smaller meals are more efficient
Many sources say that you are better off eating a fist-sized amount of food several times a day instead of a few larger meals. I am sure many of you have read or heard of this advice. Just like with the previous energy principles, one can see and feel the benefits of adopting this healthy habit.
There is a ton of research on this topic with both animals and humans. Most diabetics know this in their guts as they are sensitive to large meals when they throw them into an immediate uncontrollable blood sugar spike. As detrimental as the sugar overload, the large meal will use up all your energy for digestion. Who has not seen a child fall asleep immediately after a large meal? And of course, many adults fall asleep or are dull for several hours after eating a large lunch. When you eat a reasonable sized meal, on the other hand, your energy is available. It is not easy to change this habit because of societal norms, and often our friends are eating large, sometimes there are even games about who can eat the most.
We become less efficient with aging
I assure you, if you are past 30 years old, your body will not digest large meals and benefit you like when you were a young adult. Instead of gaining energy you will lose some and much of the nutrients you ingest will not be assimilated. This can be verified as protein and calcium are found in higher levels in stools. Food can kill or give life. Think twice before finishing that large pizza. Bring some home and your body and mind will thank you for a much longer life.
Efficiency Principle
Many sources say that you are better off eating a fist-sized amount of food several times a day instead of a few larger meals. I am sure many of you have read or heard of this advice. Just like with the previous energy principles, one can see and feel the benefits of adopting this healthy habit.
There is a ton of research on this topic with both animals and humans. Most diabetics know this in their guts as they are sensitive to large meals when they throw them into an immediate uncontrollable blood sugar spike. As detrimental as the sugar overload, the large meal will use up all your energy for digestion. Who has not seen a child fall asleep immediately after a large meal? And of course, many adults fall asleep or are dull for several hours after eating a large lunch. When you eat a reasonable sized meal, on the other hand, your energy is available. It is not easy to change this habit because of societal norms, and often our friends are eating large, sometimes there are even games about who can eat the most.
We become less efficient with aging
I assure you, if you are past 30 years old, your body will not digest large meals and benefit you like when you were a young adult. Instead of gaining energy you will lose some and much of the nutrients you ingest will not be assimilated. This can be verified as protein and calcium are found in higher levels in stools. Food can kill or give life. Think twice before finishing that large pizza. Bring some home and your body and mind will thank you for a much longer life.
Efficiency Principle
Rational fasting
To learn more about rational fasting, there are a couple classic and inspirational books written by Professor Arnold Ehret. They are Rational Fasting and its companion The Mucusless Diet Healing System. He wrote a few more books, and I suggest you get them all and read them. They are inexpensive, around $5 each, and the knowledge gained will be invaluable.
"Rational fasting is the light that illuminates the path to deep-seated well being." Professor Arnold EhretWhen I was young and heard the story of Jesus fasting 40 days in the desert, I was impressed with his ability to fast for so long and I attributed this to his "superpowers". Today I know that teachers like Jesus did not just talk the talk but they also walked the talk. I envision Jesus walking hundreds of miles, eating figs and olives, drinking pure water, a little bit of wine with friends, fasting and living a high consciousness, high vitality, high frequency life. And in that way he was likely in touch with his creator, with his meditative self, he was inspired and inspiring. Today, we know that anyone can do a 40-day fast if done rationally! Rational fasting means a fast done carefully with reason, with caution and with the necessary how-to knowledge. What is fasting? When we do not eat or do not eat a lot for a period of time, our body and its energy has a chance to clean the house. It's not complicated, somewhat its just good plumbing. Just remember that "what goes in must come out", otherwise soon you'll have accumulation of debris, fats, and plaque build-ups in your intestines, in your arteries, and worse in the arteries of your brain. You'll have a mess on your hands. I often tell people, it's just like your kitchen. You bring food in, you prepare it, you eat it, then what? Then we clean the table, wash the dishes and empty the garbage, right? Otherwise we are left with a mess, then flies, worms and other critters can come in, eventually leading to cockroaches and rats.
How many of you have fasted or fast regularly? How many of you know that when you stop eating you are fasting? That breakfast is called "break-fast" in many languages, certainly French, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and others, and why is that? Nowadays it is no longer popular to fast. I remember 50 years ago my family fasted on Fridays, for Lent, and a few other days of the year. It was part of the fabric of life and embedded in many religions and for a better reason than pleasing God. I believe that God is happy no matter what! I also believe that it likely pleases him/her when we are cleansing and healthy.
I fasted many times throughout my life, and still practice the art of fasting. I did short and long fasts. I did many single food fasts. For example, I would eat apples for seven days with maybe some tea and water. I did 30 days on beets cooked with garlic, ginger, onions and tamarin sauce. I did 15 days eating bananas and drinking Yogi tea. I did weekends with no food and many one day no-food fasts. These latter are easier and fun. I don't pretend to be an expert at fasting but I did read books about fasting and I can assure you that besides fighting the desire to eat, I have only derived benefits from my fasts - many identical to those listed on the chart. But let me bring you more inspiration and more wisdom from Professor Ehret. These are words found on the website of the organization that is dedicated to promoting the wisdom of Professor Ehret. Much of the following text on fasting is borrowed from the website.
"If you desire true health and inner contentment seek out what actually works, and indeed, what has always worked. Professor Arnold EhretLet us talk about Rational Fasting - and not unruly wild and dangerous fasting please. Professor Ehret reminds us of our innate ability to heal any ailment, and live the "Paradise Health" that is each of our birthright. In his books, he states clearly and simply the basic tenets by which all living beings lead vibrant, pain-free, disease-free lives, yet humans seem to have forgotten. Rational Fasting and its companion The Mucusless Diet Healing System have inspired millions, since their first publication in the 1910's, to live a life brimming with health. They are the catalysts that inspired many prominent people in today's raw foods revolution such as Joe Alexander, Gabriel Cousens, MD, Dick Gregory, Aris Latham, Steve Meyerowitz, David Wolfe, and more.
To fast correctly and form dietary and life style habits which bring truly robust health, one must gain the proper knowledge and have the courage to carry it forth. Ehret provides us with both. In the present misinformation age, where disease consciousness and nutritional confusion are the norm, his convictions are more needed than ever. How many fasters have lived with this book close at hand, highlighted its words, dog-eared its pages, and felt Ehret's passion for a vital life? How many have understood Ehret's desire that the highest levels of health which he attained, could and should be attained by all? One of Professor Ehret's often repeated maxims was, "Whatever simple reason cannot grasp is humbug, however scientific it may sound." Can sense be made of today's interminable wash of health advice - new surgeries, miracle drugs, alternative therapies, co-enzymes, nutraceuticals, high-protein diets, etc.? The medical science and alternative health practices spew an endless litany of theories and techniques oblivious to, or barely aware of, the unchanging laws of health. The results have been at best short-term alleviation's of symptoms, and at worst detrimental and deadly.
Energy Principle
To learn more about rational fasting, there are a couple classic and inspirational books written by Professor Arnold Ehret. They are Rational Fasting and its companion The Mucusless Diet Healing System. He wrote a few more books, and I suggest you get them all and read them. They are inexpensive, around $5 each, and the knowledge gained will be invaluable.
"Rational fasting is the light that illuminates the path to deep-seated well being." Professor Arnold EhretWhen I was young and heard the story of Jesus fasting 40 days in the desert, I was impressed with his ability to fast for so long and I attributed this to his "superpowers". Today I know that teachers like Jesus did not just talk the talk but they also walked the talk. I envision Jesus walking hundreds of miles, eating figs and olives, drinking pure water, a little bit of wine with friends, fasting and living a high consciousness, high vitality, high frequency life. And in that way he was likely in touch with his creator, with his meditative self, he was inspired and inspiring. Today, we know that anyone can do a 40-day fast if done rationally! Rational fasting means a fast done carefully with reason, with caution and with the necessary how-to knowledge. What is fasting? When we do not eat or do not eat a lot for a period of time, our body and its energy has a chance to clean the house. It's not complicated, somewhat its just good plumbing. Just remember that "what goes in must come out", otherwise soon you'll have accumulation of debris, fats, and plaque build-ups in your intestines, in your arteries, and worse in the arteries of your brain. You'll have a mess on your hands. I often tell people, it's just like your kitchen. You bring food in, you prepare it, you eat it, then what? Then we clean the table, wash the dishes and empty the garbage, right? Otherwise we are left with a mess, then flies, worms and other critters can come in, eventually leading to cockroaches and rats.
How many of you have fasted or fast regularly? How many of you know that when you stop eating you are fasting? That breakfast is called "break-fast" in many languages, certainly French, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and others, and why is that? Nowadays it is no longer popular to fast. I remember 50 years ago my family fasted on Fridays, for Lent, and a few other days of the year. It was part of the fabric of life and embedded in many religions and for a better reason than pleasing God. I believe that God is happy no matter what! I also believe that it likely pleases him/her when we are cleansing and healthy.
I fasted many times throughout my life, and still practice the art of fasting. I did short and long fasts. I did many single food fasts. For example, I would eat apples for seven days with maybe some tea and water. I did 30 days on beets cooked with garlic, ginger, onions and tamarin sauce. I did 15 days eating bananas and drinking Yogi tea. I did weekends with no food and many one day no-food fasts. These latter are easier and fun. I don't pretend to be an expert at fasting but I did read books about fasting and I can assure you that besides fighting the desire to eat, I have only derived benefits from my fasts - many identical to those listed on the chart. But let me bring you more inspiration and more wisdom from Professor Ehret. These are words found on the website of the organization that is dedicated to promoting the wisdom of Professor Ehret. Much of the following text on fasting is borrowed from the website.
"If you desire true health and inner contentment seek out what actually works, and indeed, what has always worked. Professor Arnold EhretLet us talk about Rational Fasting - and not unruly wild and dangerous fasting please. Professor Ehret reminds us of our innate ability to heal any ailment, and live the "Paradise Health" that is each of our birthright. In his books, he states clearly and simply the basic tenets by which all living beings lead vibrant, pain-free, disease-free lives, yet humans seem to have forgotten. Rational Fasting and its companion The Mucusless Diet Healing System have inspired millions, since their first publication in the 1910's, to live a life brimming with health. They are the catalysts that inspired many prominent people in today's raw foods revolution such as Joe Alexander, Gabriel Cousens, MD, Dick Gregory, Aris Latham, Steve Meyerowitz, David Wolfe, and more.
To fast correctly and form dietary and life style habits which bring truly robust health, one must gain the proper knowledge and have the courage to carry it forth. Ehret provides us with both. In the present misinformation age, where disease consciousness and nutritional confusion are the norm, his convictions are more needed than ever. How many fasters have lived with this book close at hand, highlighted its words, dog-eared its pages, and felt Ehret's passion for a vital life? How many have understood Ehret's desire that the highest levels of health which he attained, could and should be attained by all? One of Professor Ehret's often repeated maxims was, "Whatever simple reason cannot grasp is humbug, however scientific it may sound." Can sense be made of today's interminable wash of health advice - new surgeries, miracle drugs, alternative therapies, co-enzymes, nutraceuticals, high-protein diets, etc.? The medical science and alternative health practices spew an endless litany of theories and techniques oblivious to, or barely aware of, the unchanging laws of health. The results have been at best short-term alleviation's of symptoms, and at worst detrimental and deadly.
Energy Principle
The whole is more than its parts
"The Whole is More than the Sum of its Parts" - Aristotle Who has not heard this expression? Is it possible that 1+1+1 does not equal 3? Or maybe that it equals 4, or how about that 1+1+1 maybe equals 111! Then what does this expression mean?
Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as salt, carbohydrates, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and non-homogenized dairy products.
The term is often confused with organic food, but whole food is not necessarily organic, nor is organic food necessarily whole.Diets rich in whole and unrefined foods, like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high concentrations of antioxidant phenolics, fibers and numerous other phytochemicals that may be protective against chronic diseases. and how about a thousand other phytonutrients within whole foods?
A focus on whole foods offers three main benefits over a reliance on dietary supplements: they provide greater nutrition for being a source of more complex micro nutrients, they provide essential dietary fiber and they provide naturally occurring protective substances, such as phytochemicals. (My comment: and a whole lot more...)
How about a hundred more or less. Tell me, if you pick a certain part or certain parts, or a whole lot of the biggest gears, would you stand a chance of getting time out of it? In essence, a bunch of gears are worthless when it comes to giving you time, right? Does that make sense to you?
And what does an apple give you?
Well in the same way that I asked you what a watch gives you, I am asking you what does an apple give you? Some say nutrients, some say energy, some say sugar, etc. But the reality is that an apple provides us fuel with which our cells derive energy from so we can go on living. So the proper answer is likely that an apple gives us Life!
An apple is to our mitochondria as gasoline is to a car's engine. It is the fuel with which our mitochondria make energy from. Can you say that we only get life or energy when the apple is whole? Some may want to play a game here. Some may say that any part of the apple, or a half of the apple will still give you life and they may be right. But is it possible that a part or parts of the apple would cease to give life? Before we move on, can you guess how many parts there are in an apple? Most will say they don't know. Some may say 6 and they'll name them as the skin, the seeds, the puree, the fiber, etc.
How many parts are there in an apple?
Well what if I told you that to be realistic, there are more than five hundred parts in an apple that we can identify, and many hundreds that we don't have a name for yet, or that we cannot see yet. And those listed nutrients are really what make up the apple from a nutritional point of view, not the bigger parts such as the skin or the stem. So these are the real parts of the apple, right? Are you with me? And now let me ask you again, do you believe that any one or several of the nutrients listed here would give you life?
Do you believe that eating, say the little calcium out of the apple if that were possible, and taking it as a separate supplement would give you life? Tell me, think it through, can you live on calcium? Can a fish live on calcium alone? Does calcium, the most important of our minerals, give life or energy when consumed alone, as an isolate separate molecule?
The Colorado School of Mines published a study in the Reader's Digest in 1950 that demonstrated that calcium as an isolate was dysfunctional and quasi-inassimilable by the human cell - its molecules were too large by a factor of 100+? And ever since, with that reality, the calcium supplement industry has flourished to become a hundred million dollar industry using marketing tricks of all sorts to make you buy some, using terms like "chelated," "liquid," and even "natural."
In that research paper, the scientist wrote that inorganic calcium (calcium separated or isolated or not within food) should be called a metallic, and not a mineral. Or another way of looking at it is that when nutrients are operating within food, they are bio-chemical or organic, while when separated or isolated they are in the domain of chemist or chemicals.
The calcium supplement is a major player in the supplement market, with annual sales estimated at more than $800 million (and growing) by industry sources quoted on the results of a google search. Do you realize that the consumption of calcium supplements has not made a dent in the epidemic of osteoporosis in America? Do you now think that this Efficiency Principle: The Whole is More than the Sum of its Parts make sense? Let me know what you think.
Efficiency Principle
"The Whole is More than the Sum of its Parts" - Aristotle Who has not heard this expression? Is it possible that 1+1+1 does not equal 3? Or maybe that it equals 4, or how about that 1+1+1 maybe equals 111! Then what does this expression mean?
Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as salt, carbohydrates, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and non-homogenized dairy products.
The term is often confused with organic food, but whole food is not necessarily organic, nor is organic food necessarily whole.Diets rich in whole and unrefined foods, like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high concentrations of antioxidant phenolics, fibers and numerous other phytochemicals that may be protective against chronic diseases. and how about a thousand other phytonutrients within whole foods?
A focus on whole foods offers three main benefits over a reliance on dietary supplements: they provide greater nutrition for being a source of more complex micro nutrients, they provide essential dietary fiber and they provide naturally occurring protective substances, such as phytochemicals. (My comment: and a whole lot more...)
How about a hundred more or less. Tell me, if you pick a certain part or certain parts, or a whole lot of the biggest gears, would you stand a chance of getting time out of it? In essence, a bunch of gears are worthless when it comes to giving you time, right? Does that make sense to you?
And what does an apple give you?
Well in the same way that I asked you what a watch gives you, I am asking you what does an apple give you? Some say nutrients, some say energy, some say sugar, etc. But the reality is that an apple provides us fuel with which our cells derive energy from so we can go on living. So the proper answer is likely that an apple gives us Life!
An apple is to our mitochondria as gasoline is to a car's engine. It is the fuel with which our mitochondria make energy from. Can you say that we only get life or energy when the apple is whole? Some may want to play a game here. Some may say that any part of the apple, or a half of the apple will still give you life and they may be right. But is it possible that a part or parts of the apple would cease to give life? Before we move on, can you guess how many parts there are in an apple? Most will say they don't know. Some may say 6 and they'll name them as the skin, the seeds, the puree, the fiber, etc.
How many parts are there in an apple?
Well what if I told you that to be realistic, there are more than five hundred parts in an apple that we can identify, and many hundreds that we don't have a name for yet, or that we cannot see yet. And those listed nutrients are really what make up the apple from a nutritional point of view, not the bigger parts such as the skin or the stem. So these are the real parts of the apple, right? Are you with me? And now let me ask you again, do you believe that any one or several of the nutrients listed here would give you life?
Do you believe that eating, say the little calcium out of the apple if that were possible, and taking it as a separate supplement would give you life? Tell me, think it through, can you live on calcium? Can a fish live on calcium alone? Does calcium, the most important of our minerals, give life or energy when consumed alone, as an isolate separate molecule?
The Colorado School of Mines published a study in the Reader's Digest in 1950 that demonstrated that calcium as an isolate was dysfunctional and quasi-inassimilable by the human cell - its molecules were too large by a factor of 100+? And ever since, with that reality, the calcium supplement industry has flourished to become a hundred million dollar industry using marketing tricks of all sorts to make you buy some, using terms like "chelated," "liquid," and even "natural."
In that research paper, the scientist wrote that inorganic calcium (calcium separated or isolated or not within food) should be called a metallic, and not a mineral. Or another way of looking at it is that when nutrients are operating within food, they are bio-chemical or organic, while when separated or isolated they are in the domain of chemist or chemicals.
The calcium supplement is a major player in the supplement market, with annual sales estimated at more than $800 million (and growing) by industry sources quoted on the results of a google search. Do you realize that the consumption of calcium supplements has not made a dent in the epidemic of osteoporosis in America? Do you now think that this Efficiency Principle: The Whole is More than the Sum of its Parts make sense? Let me know what you think.
Efficiency Principle
Variety is the spice of health
Let us briefly look at the importance of VARIETY in our diet as IT IS undeniably a smart strategy when it comes to efficiently feeding those trillions of engines mitochondria in the 100 trillion cells of your body. Unlike a car that can only tolerate ethanol or gasoline, we humans are blessed with millions of food options and variations. Yet most people eat the same food over and over never taking advantage of such digestive potential. Have you ever given that some thought?
Did you know that most Americans are challenged when asked to name five different fruits? A quote borrowed from William Cowper is somewhat relevant and cute. "Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor." Here is my take on it: variety trumps quantity. It's better to eat little of many different foods than lots of mashed potatoes. Variety helps you cover all the bases increasing nutritional synergy, balance, and completeness in your diet.
Here is a interesting analogy that you may have heard. In the world of finance, experts advise to avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. With diet, a similar rule exists, but with a twist: Avoid filling your basket with only eggs. We humans have the most efficient filtration and refining system of all species. We are blessed with the ability to eat thousands of different foods from around the world, in a multitude of combinations. And all that as potential fuel for your mitochondria to generate energy from in each of our cells. How many mitochondria engines per cell? How many cells? Do you remember? On average there are 2000 mitochondria in each of the 100 trillion cells in your body!
When you choose to eat a variety of foods that are red, blue, green, and orange, remember that they all have different variants of phytonutrients, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, etc. that benefit the wellness of each and every one of your cells.
Energy Principle
Let us briefly look at the importance of VARIETY in our diet as IT IS undeniably a smart strategy when it comes to efficiently feeding those trillions of engines mitochondria in the 100 trillion cells of your body. Unlike a car that can only tolerate ethanol or gasoline, we humans are blessed with millions of food options and variations. Yet most people eat the same food over and over never taking advantage of such digestive potential. Have you ever given that some thought?
Did you know that most Americans are challenged when asked to name five different fruits? A quote borrowed from William Cowper is somewhat relevant and cute. "Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor." Here is my take on it: variety trumps quantity. It's better to eat little of many different foods than lots of mashed potatoes. Variety helps you cover all the bases increasing nutritional synergy, balance, and completeness in your diet.
Here is a interesting analogy that you may have heard. In the world of finance, experts advise to avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. With diet, a similar rule exists, but with a twist: Avoid filling your basket with only eggs. We humans have the most efficient filtration and refining system of all species. We are blessed with the ability to eat thousands of different foods from around the world, in a multitude of combinations. And all that as potential fuel for your mitochondria to generate energy from in each of our cells. How many mitochondria engines per cell? How many cells? Do you remember? On average there are 2000 mitochondria in each of the 100 trillion cells in your body!
When you choose to eat a variety of foods that are red, blue, green, and orange, remember that they all have different variants of phytonutrients, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, etc. that benefit the wellness of each and every one of your cells.
Energy Principle
Frequency tells the diet
This quote is found in the book Biological Ionization as Applied to Nutrition by A.F. Beddoe and is attributed to Dr. Carey Reams. For more information about this specific quote I invite you to read the book. You will find in it unique information about food and its nutritional energetic value that you cannot find in any other diet and nutrition book.
This quote refers specifically to the frequency determined by the electrons and protons around the nucleus, and their vibrational balance within the atoms that make up the molecules that make up the minerals of food. The highest frequency comes from food rich in minerals and trace elements, and these are generally the plants. Combining different foods or their frequencies achieves even higher frequency when consumed and broken down by our human digestive system.
It is said that disease cannot exist in high vibration tissue. A picture tells a thousand words. Here in this kirlian photograph you can see the difference between a higher and a lower frequency food. This is the way it is with frequency. Good food shines bright and bad food does not shine so well. Which one would you like for yourself knowing that you are what you eat?
This is the premise upon which healing is based. So what does "high vibration" mean? As quantum physics shows, subatomic particles are wave forms in their pure state and manifest as matter only when acted upon or observed. Ultimately, everything is energy vibrating at varying frequencies to give the impression of density. Science is now catching on to what sages and seers throughout the ages have always known - everything is energy and the higher your energy vibrates, the better health and happiness you can enjoy. And so it goes for the food that you eat. The higher their frequency the better for you.
So how will you insure that you are eating high frequency food? That is where the Ninja in you has to surface. Do your homework and apply the energy principles suggested in this presentation. Shop for whole foods that are fresh, organic, locally grown are often better than imported, grow your own when you can and wherever you can, even on your balcony; tomatoes grow anywhere. Learn what the best foods are, those that give you more vibrational value and more bang for your buck.
Energy Principles
This quote is found in the book Biological Ionization as Applied to Nutrition by A.F. Beddoe and is attributed to Dr. Carey Reams. For more information about this specific quote I invite you to read the book. You will find in it unique information about food and its nutritional energetic value that you cannot find in any other diet and nutrition book.
This quote refers specifically to the frequency determined by the electrons and protons around the nucleus, and their vibrational balance within the atoms that make up the molecules that make up the minerals of food. The highest frequency comes from food rich in minerals and trace elements, and these are generally the plants. Combining different foods or their frequencies achieves even higher frequency when consumed and broken down by our human digestive system.
It is said that disease cannot exist in high vibration tissue. A picture tells a thousand words. Here in this kirlian photograph you can see the difference between a higher and a lower frequency food. This is the way it is with frequency. Good food shines bright and bad food does not shine so well. Which one would you like for yourself knowing that you are what you eat?
This is the premise upon which healing is based. So what does "high vibration" mean? As quantum physics shows, subatomic particles are wave forms in their pure state and manifest as matter only when acted upon or observed. Ultimately, everything is energy vibrating at varying frequencies to give the impression of density. Science is now catching on to what sages and seers throughout the ages have always known - everything is energy and the higher your energy vibrates, the better health and happiness you can enjoy. And so it goes for the food that you eat. The higher their frequency the better for you.
So how will you insure that you are eating high frequency food? That is where the Ninja in you has to surface. Do your homework and apply the energy principles suggested in this presentation. Shop for whole foods that are fresh, organic, locally grown are often better than imported, grow your own when you can and wherever you can, even on your balcony; tomatoes grow anywhere. Learn what the best foods are, those that give you more vibrational value and more bang for your buck.
Energy Principles
Smaller is Better
When talking about food, my mom would often say "The better ointments are found in smaller jars" and my dad would chime "What goes in must come out". They said that a lot, I don't know why, and they were not scientists nor nutritionists. Maybe they heard it from someone else in their families. But these concepts make sense the minute you hear or think of them.
Just like "all fuels are not equal", "all foods are not created equal". Based on the principles learned so far, you are able to make rational choices of food without needing to learn the detailed makeup of nutrients and their quantities as often suggested by nutritionists, popular diet books, or by RDI's (Recommended Daily Intake). This simple funnel image drives the point about smaller foods. Even though there is no formal consolidated evidence that smaller foods are better, there is much nutritional information and wisdom about many. The benefits of eating more berries, nuts, grapes, figs, dates, lentils and mung beans, while eating less of the large lima bean, squash or watermelon have been written about throughout time. The list goes on, even with fish and meats with the high nutritional profile of the smaller krills, sardines, quail eggs, caviar, etc.
Why are smaller foods better?
The first reason for the benefits of small over large is generally the greater nutritional density of smaller foods, for examples; the small vs. the large cucumber, parsley and boston lettuce, carrot greens vs. carrot root, beet greens vs. beet root. Continue this exercise on your own using the funnel as a mental reminder.
Another reason is the abundance and variety of phytonutrients frequently found in a mix of smaller foods. A handful of berries, a few nuts, a few dates and apricots have significantly more nutritional variety and diversity of their carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients when compared with mashed potatoes and steak.
A third reason somewhat encompassing and resulting from the previous two reasons is the ability to obtain sufficient sustaining nutrition while eating less food, which in turn demands less energy for digestion and elimination, and also leaves less mucus and acid ash in the body.
Based on the energy principles that you have learned so far, including smaller is better, you now know that food is NOT medicine; food is fuel with which our cells can fabricate energy to operate at high performance. It's just like a Lamborghini with high octane gasoline!
Some foods are more efficient for the brain
When it comes time to feeding the most important cells of the body, the cells of the brain, there are foods that are more efficient than others. But before we can look at those foods we need to understand the brain and its critical functions that are dependant on food for energy.
As we all know, with aging, poor diet and neglect we become affected with deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, accumulated toxins, plaques, poorer circulation and diminished life-force, and this decline does not just affect our body's metabolisms, but also those mission critical areas of the brain involved with regulation of all our body's metabolisms. As a result we become plagued with diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer's and many others.
As mentioned earlier, the purpose of food is to get fuel to the cells of the body. Our brain cells are more active than our body cells and consequently they need more carbohydrates, fats, water and oxygen for their cells to obtain the energy required for work. Due to their mission critical functions, most area of the brain are better protected and difficult to reach nutritionally than other parts of the body. This protection is popularly known as the Blood Brain Barrier , essentially a group of specialized cells that make up the walls of the arteries bringing blood to the brain and protective membranes within the brain. These BBB cells filter and prevent bacteria, viruses and other toxic substance from getting into the brain.
What is missing from this picture?
In the image above depicting the brain we see several named sections, parts and organs of the brain. Do you know what is missing? I propose that the most important aspects of the brain are not the gray matter, the cerebellum, or the brain stem, but rather it is those invisible functions and roles that these parts play. It would take many books and much time to describe all of them. Instead we are going to focus on the function of the most mission critical organ of the brain, which is the regulation of all body metabolisms as performed by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis (HPA).
Hypothalamus The maestro within
At the base of our mid-brain resides a group of brain organs: hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and the pituitary and pineal glands. Within this group, the hypothalamus receives all feedback information and initiates regulations via its principal executive gland, the Pituitary, popularly known as the master gland. This duo is often referred to as the HPA Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis.
Mission critical homeostasis
This HPA, like the maestro of an orchestra, is responsible for metabolic homeostasis or the balanced performance of ALL body metabolisms and functions: each breath, each beat of the heart, blood sugar levels, enzymic and mineral activity, the liver, pancreatic and kidney functions, fat metabolism, and many more.
And the HPA regulates these metabolisms with trillions of biochemical messages issued 24 hours of every day of your life via the nervous systems, via the endocrine glands with the release of hormones and peptides, via the lymphatic system, and in other ways. Ultimately the HPA affects each and every cell of the body, even those cells at the tip of your big toe.
It's about energy not medicine!
It is well established that the brain uses more energy than any other organ, accounting for up to 20 percent of the body's total haul. Until now, most scientists believed that it used the bulk of that energy to fuel electrical impulses that neurons employ to communicate with one another. Turns out, though, that is only part of the story. A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA indicates that two thirds of the brain's energy budget is used to help neurons or nerve cells "fire" or send signals, and the remaining third is used for "housekeeping", or cell-health maintenance.
The most important metabolism regulated by the HPA is the fabrication of energy within every cell of your body, for all cellular metabolisms require that energy. For example, it is the HPA that via hormonal messages triggers the liver into releasing magnesium, a critical ingredient for the conversion of carbohydrates into ATP energy within the mitochondria of the cells. This fine-tuning work of the HPA is somewhat like the fine tuning of the carburetor of your automobile combustion engine.
There are at least 50 or so hormones or chemical messengers identified but still barely understood. These are only examples of some of the hormones within the body; there are more complex hormones whose functions are not easily understood. Our bodies (when in proper working order) function like well-oiled machines, and the hormones are a major part of nearly every process. The adrenal glands alone secrete two dozen types of hormones. And we continue to identify/discover new ones every few days. To depict a more realistic view of the HPA relationship with the endocrine system would take many panels to show a still unrealistic list of hormones, sub-hormones, peptides and their feedback mechanism.
Do you know about the little hormone system?
Adding onto this grand endocrine system, can you imagine that your cells are also capable of issuing messages? Yes, all cells are equipped with what is called "the little hormone system" when via enzymes, peptides and proteins they cooperate with surrounding cells or with the maestro HPA.
Efficiency principle
When talking about food, my mom would often say "The better ointments are found in smaller jars" and my dad would chime "What goes in must come out". They said that a lot, I don't know why, and they were not scientists nor nutritionists. Maybe they heard it from someone else in their families. But these concepts make sense the minute you hear or think of them.
Just like "all fuels are not equal", "all foods are not created equal". Based on the principles learned so far, you are able to make rational choices of food without needing to learn the detailed makeup of nutrients and their quantities as often suggested by nutritionists, popular diet books, or by RDI's (Recommended Daily Intake). This simple funnel image drives the point about smaller foods. Even though there is no formal consolidated evidence that smaller foods are better, there is much nutritional information and wisdom about many. The benefits of eating more berries, nuts, grapes, figs, dates, lentils and mung beans, while eating less of the large lima bean, squash or watermelon have been written about throughout time. The list goes on, even with fish and meats with the high nutritional profile of the smaller krills, sardines, quail eggs, caviar, etc. Why are smaller foods better? The first reason for the benefits of small over large is generally the greater nutritional density of smaller foods, for examples; the small vs. the large cucumber, parsley and boston lettuce, carrot greens vs. carrot root, beet greens vs. beet root. Continue this exercise on your own using the funnel as a mental reminder.
Another reason is the abundance and variety of phytonutrients frequently found in a mix of smaller foods. A handful of berries, a few nuts, a few dates and apricots have significantly more nutritional variety and diversity of their carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients when compared with mashed potatoes and steak.
A third reason somewhat encompassing and resulting from the previous two reasons is the ability to obtain sufficient sustaining nutrition while eating less food, which in turn demands less energy for digestion and elimination, and also leaves less mucus and acid ash in the body.
Based on the energy principles that you have learned so far, including smaller is better, you now know that food is NOT medicine; food is fuel with which our cells can fabricate energy to operate at high performance. It's just like a Lamborghini with high octane gasoline!
Some foods are more efficient for the brain
When it comes time to feeding the most important cells of the body, the cells of the brain, there are foods that are more efficient than others. But before we can look at those foods we need to understand the brain and its critical functions that are dependant on food for energy.
As we all know, with aging, poor diet and neglect we become affected with deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, accumulated toxins, plaques, poorer circulation and diminished life-force, and this decline does not just affect our body's metabolisms, but also those mission critical areas of the brain involved with regulation of all our body's metabolisms. As a result we become plagued with diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer's and many others.
As mentioned earlier, the purpose of food is to get fuel to the cells of the body. Our brain cells are more active than our body cells and consequently they need more carbohydrates, fats, water and oxygen for their cells to obtain the energy required for work. Due to their mission critical functions, most area of the brain are better protected and difficult to reach nutritionally than other parts of the body. This protection is popularly known as the Blood Brain Barrier , essentially a group of specialized cells that make up the walls of the arteries bringing blood to the brain and protective membranes within the brain. These BBB cells filter and prevent bacteria, viruses and other toxic substance from getting into the brain.
What is missing from this picture?
In the image above depicting the brain we see several named sections, parts and organs of the brain. Do you know what is missing? I propose that the most important aspects of the brain are not the gray matter, the cerebellum, or the brain stem, but rather it is those invisible functions and roles that these parts play. It would take many books and much time to describe all of them. Instead we are going to focus on the function of the most mission critical organ of the brain, which is the regulation of all body metabolisms as performed by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis (HPA).
Hypothalamus The maestro within
At the base of our mid-brain resides a group of brain organs: hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and the pituitary and pineal glands. Within this group, the hypothalamus receives all feedback information and initiates regulations via its principal executive gland, the Pituitary, popularly known as the master gland. This duo is often referred to as the HPA Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis.
Mission critical homeostasis
This HPA, like the maestro of an orchestra, is responsible for metabolic homeostasis or the balanced performance of ALL body metabolisms and functions: each breath, each beat of the heart, blood sugar levels, enzymic and mineral activity, the liver, pancreatic and kidney functions, fat metabolism, and many more.
And the HPA regulates these metabolisms with trillions of biochemical messages issued 24 hours of every day of your life via the nervous systems, via the endocrine glands with the release of hormones and peptides, via the lymphatic system, and in other ways. Ultimately the HPA affects each and every cell of the body, even those cells at the tip of your big toe.
It's about energy not medicine!
It is well established that the brain uses more energy than any other organ, accounting for up to 20 percent of the body's total haul. Until now, most scientists believed that it used the bulk of that energy to fuel electrical impulses that neurons employ to communicate with one another. Turns out, though, that is only part of the story. A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA indicates that two thirds of the brain's energy budget is used to help neurons or nerve cells "fire" or send signals, and the remaining third is used for "housekeeping", or cell-health maintenance.
The most important metabolism regulated by the HPA is the fabrication of energy within every cell of your body, for all cellular metabolisms require that energy. For example, it is the HPA that via hormonal messages triggers the liver into releasing magnesium, a critical ingredient for the conversion of carbohydrates into ATP energy within the mitochondria of the cells. This fine-tuning work of the HPA is somewhat like the fine tuning of the carburetor of your automobile combustion engine.
There are at least 50 or so hormones or chemical messengers identified but still barely understood. These are only examples of some of the hormones within the body; there are more complex hormones whose functions are not easily understood. Our bodies (when in proper working order) function like well-oiled machines, and the hormones are a major part of nearly every process. The adrenal glands alone secrete two dozen types of hormones. And we continue to identify/discover new ones every few days. To depict a more realistic view of the HPA relationship with the endocrine system would take many panels to show a still unrealistic list of hormones, sub-hormones, peptides and their feedback mechanism.
Do you know about the little hormone system?
Adding onto this grand endocrine system, can you imagine that your cells are also capable of issuing messages? Yes, all cells are equipped with what is called "the little hormone system" when via enzymes, peptides and proteins they cooperate with surrounding cells or with the maestro HPA.
Efficiency principle
Awaken the genius within
"If you can increase brain health, then the rest of the body is a no brainer Dr. Michael Kiriac, PhDGiven the relationship between the HPA and the endocrine glands, we realize the importance of feeding the best food/fuel to the cells of our brain and the HPA so that it can perform its regulation functions optimally. This need to feed our brain well is especially critical as we grow older or as we lose some of our precious life-force.
The smaller the better
We have seen why certain foods are better than others. We have seen why smaller foods like seeds, grapes and berries can be even better than larger foods like potatoes and watermelons. But did you know that there are even smaller foods that are even better? In the last decade some algae like spirulina and chlorella have become popular. But did you know that there are well over 80,000 varieties? Yes there are that many and many more are discovered each year. They are the sea vegetables like kelp, the barely visible planktons on which some whales feed, and then comes the smallest of all, the micro-algae.
Enter the microscopic food realm
Of the known algae, it is the microscopic "micro" algae, that are the most photosynthetic as far as human nutrition goes. With their extraordinary nutrient density, variety and completeness some are the most nutritious ounce for ounce when compared with any other food on earth.
But just as important, due to their specific mix of nutrients, some micro-algae are known to have superior energy transfer potential due to their high content of chlorophylls and antenna pigments. Certain pigments are more efficient than others at supporting the fabrication of energy in the mitochondria. This is due to their antenna-like elongated molecular structure that works in synergy with chlorophylls during the chemical fabrication of energy from our carbohydrates.
Three classes of pigments
Chlorophylls - All photosynthetic plants, algae, and cyanobacteria contain chlorophyll "a". A second kind of chlorophyll is chlorophyll "b", which occurs only in plants and in "green algae".
Carotenoids are usually red, orange, or yellow pigments, and include carotene, which gives carrots their color. Carotenoids cannot transfer sunlight energy directly to the photosynthetic pathway, but must pass their absorbed energy to chlorophyll.
Phycobilins are pigments found in the cytoplasm, or in the stroma of the chloroplast. They occur only in Cyanobacteria and Rhodophyta.
But wait there is more!
In ending I want to share with you my final thoughts on food and eating. There is no doubt that we need food and its energy to live. But there is also no doubt that too much food compounded by the wrong food choices leads to most of the diseases and deaths in our world, even surpassing world hunger. So what to do? I have presented you with many principles to apply in your life regarding your choice of food and eating, but I want to end this presentation by leaving you with a couple of ideas to munch over, or food for thought.
Who remembers the formula E=MC²?
Mr. Einstein shared with us that Energy = Mass X the Speed of Light Squared, and the reverse (MC² = Energy) is true as well. He also gave us an example of what we could do with this formula, which I will share here with you. He demonstrated that if we could tap into the energry content of 100 grams of hydrogen molecules extracted from a gallon of water, it would result in the energy equivalent of hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline. In other words, he proposed that if we knew how to better tap into mass we could derive lots of energy out of very little mass; one day we could have a hydrogen energy propelled car.
With this in mind, remember our extraordinary human ability to tap into thousands of variations of food. We humans likely have the highest "tapping into" ability, which evolved over millions of years. Here is the first idea I want you to visualize or imagine. What if you started applying the efficiency principles suggested in this presentation, including eating the best of the best foods as suggested, and how about adding supportive exercises, good sleep and rest? Will it be easy? Absolutely not. But I assure you that you would feel better, have a whole lot more energy and live a longer life. But like me, if you started trying to be perfect you would likely fail, right? So I want you to add another efficiency principle.
Efficiency Principle
"If you can increase brain health, then the rest of the body is a no brainer Dr. Michael Kiriac, PhDGiven the relationship between the HPA and the endocrine glands, we realize the importance of feeding the best food/fuel to the cells of our brain and the HPA so that it can perform its regulation functions optimally. This need to feed our brain well is especially critical as we grow older or as we lose some of our precious life-force.
The smaller the better
We have seen why certain foods are better than others. We have seen why smaller foods like seeds, grapes and berries can be even better than larger foods like potatoes and watermelons. But did you know that there are even smaller foods that are even better? In the last decade some algae like spirulina and chlorella have become popular. But did you know that there are well over 80,000 varieties? Yes there are that many and many more are discovered each year. They are the sea vegetables like kelp, the barely visible planktons on which some whales feed, and then comes the smallest of all, the micro-algae.
Enter the microscopic food realm
Of the known algae, it is the microscopic "micro" algae, that are the most photosynthetic as far as human nutrition goes. With their extraordinary nutrient density, variety and completeness some are the most nutritious ounce for ounce when compared with any other food on earth.
But just as important, due to their specific mix of nutrients, some micro-algae are known to have superior energy transfer potential due to their high content of chlorophylls and antenna pigments. Certain pigments are more efficient than others at supporting the fabrication of energy in the mitochondria. This is due to their antenna-like elongated molecular structure that works in synergy with chlorophylls during the chemical fabrication of energy from our carbohydrates.
Three classes of pigments
Chlorophylls - All photosynthetic plants, algae, and cyanobacteria contain chlorophyll "a". A second kind of chlorophyll is chlorophyll "b", which occurs only in plants and in "green algae".
Carotenoids are usually red, orange, or yellow pigments, and include carotene, which gives carrots their color. Carotenoids cannot transfer sunlight energy directly to the photosynthetic pathway, but must pass their absorbed energy to chlorophyll.
Phycobilins are pigments found in the cytoplasm, or in the stroma of the chloroplast. They occur only in Cyanobacteria and Rhodophyta.
But wait there is more!
In ending I want to share with you my final thoughts on food and eating. There is no doubt that we need food and its energy to live. But there is also no doubt that too much food compounded by the wrong food choices leads to most of the diseases and deaths in our world, even surpassing world hunger. So what to do? I have presented you with many principles to apply in your life regarding your choice of food and eating, but I want to end this presentation by leaving you with a couple of ideas to munch over, or food for thought.
Who remembers the formula E=MC²?
Mr. Einstein shared with us that Energy = Mass X the Speed of Light Squared, and the reverse (MC² = Energy) is true as well. He also gave us an example of what we could do with this formula, which I will share here with you. He demonstrated that if we could tap into the energry content of 100 grams of hydrogen molecules extracted from a gallon of water, it would result in the energy equivalent of hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline. In other words, he proposed that if we knew how to better tap into mass we could derive lots of energy out of very little mass; one day we could have a hydrogen energy propelled car.
With this in mind, remember our extraordinary human ability to tap into thousands of variations of food. We humans likely have the highest "tapping into" ability, which evolved over millions of years. Here is the first idea I want you to visualize or imagine. What if you started applying the efficiency principles suggested in this presentation, including eating the best of the best foods as suggested, and how about adding supportive exercises, good sleep and rest? Will it be easy? Absolutely not. But I assure you that you would feel better, have a whole lot more energy and live a longer life. But like me, if you started trying to be perfect you would likely fail, right? So I want you to add another efficiency principle.
Efficiency Principle
Flexibility for Longevity
So rather than trying to be perfect or create a revolution, be flexible and try evolving gracefully into applying these principles and remember that a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. One thing is certain as far as I am concerned: we eat way too much. Make it a goal to keep or find your best weight. Aim to be lean. I myself have a constant goal to get back to what I weighed at 20. I was slim and fit, I could run, I could jump. That alone will put you on the path to wellness. Treat this as a hobby within the martial art of wellness. Why not become a Ninja of wellness, grow old and well. What else are you going to do, grow old and sick?
Wellness at Warp Speed!
Here is the second idea that I want you to visualize and imagine in addition to the efficiency principles. This next idea somewhat overrides all the principles. It is in the realm of the Quantum.
A good friend now passed, Dr. Noah McKay, wrote a book called Wellness at Warp Speed in which he explains that wellness can be obtained or found again or maintained much faster then our western minds will allow us to believe. In his book he uses our awareness of Einstein's energy theories to give sufficient rationales to the readers so they may comprehend his message.
Here is my version of this very real idea. Imagine as you take your next breath that you are well, feel it, feel wellness, feel the fullness of the breath and its energy reaching every single cell within your body, and just be well right now. Wellness is instantaneous! And anytime you need to be well, just take a breath and feel wellness joining you.
So rather than trying to be perfect or create a revolution, be flexible and try evolving gracefully into applying these principles and remember that a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. One thing is certain as far as I am concerned: we eat way too much. Make it a goal to keep or find your best weight. Aim to be lean. I myself have a constant goal to get back to what I weighed at 20. I was slim and fit, I could run, I could jump. That alone will put you on the path to wellness. Treat this as a hobby within the martial art of wellness. Why not become a Ninja of wellness, grow old and well. What else are you going to do, grow old and sick?
Wellness at Warp Speed!
Here is the second idea that I want you to visualize and imagine in addition to the efficiency principles. This next idea somewhat overrides all the principles. It is in the realm of the Quantum.
A good friend now passed, Dr. Noah McKay, wrote a book called Wellness at Warp Speed in which he explains that wellness can be obtained or found again or maintained much faster then our western minds will allow us to believe. In his book he uses our awareness of Einstein's energy theories to give sufficient rationales to the readers so they may comprehend his message.
Here is my version of this very real idea. Imagine as you take your next breath that you are well, feel it, feel wellness, feel the fullness of the breath and its energy reaching every single cell within your body, and just be well right now. Wellness is instantaneous! And anytime you need to be well, just take a breath and feel wellness joining you.
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