The Raw Food Detox Diet
The five-step plan for vibrant health and maximum weight-loss. In this book nutritionists Natalia Rose takes readers through the detox process by slowly reducing processed and cooked foods. According to Rose this process can take years. However, results can be obtained in the first few weeks of the detox. Rose actually warns us that going 100% raw overnight is too shocking for the system and it must be eased into overtime.

Rose has included some outstanding recipes to make the transition easier. This book has a wonderful layout and is easy to navigate. Though I have to admit converting to a 100% raw diet is extremely challenging and can even be socially disruptive.

Rose makes an excellent case for going raw. Although the goal of this book is to lose weight, I picked it up because of the appeal and long-lasting health.

Unlike many raw nutritionists, Rose puts together a plan that actually includes animal products, at least at first. This appealed to me because I know how difficult it would be for my dad to stop enjoying meat. In addition, Rose does not promote time-consuming raw foodie techniques like soaking and sprouting.

Here's my summary of what Rose says about going raw. When we consume products that are not 100% digestible they often leave waste behind, not only in the colon but also in our tissues. Foods that leave behind waste are those that are cooked or have additives and preservatives. Over the years this wastes builds up a significant burden on our bodily systems.

Something I've been reading a lot about is the use of soy products in vegetarian and vegan diets. Rose writes that soy is the most mucus forming plants on the planet. It creates a sludge like substance that holds up the body's flow and productivity. The accumulation can create symptoms like asthma, IBS, circulatory issues and ultimately weight gain. Many studies point to the Japanese as having superior health as a result of consuming soy however they eat much less away than Americans think. Rose feels that small amounts of soy and raw miso are probably fine. Peanuts are also very mucus forming and should be avoided, almonds and almond butter are great alternatives.

Milk is also something Rose is very concerned about, she says that it contributes to decalcification, organ deterioration, and weight gain. first of all the protein in milk is very difficult for the human body to digest, resulting in large amounts of residue and waste. Secondly because it is cooked all the positive enzymes have been removed.

Rose writes that the best foods are ones that don't stick around for very long ( quick exit). The faster the food leaves the body chances are the less waste they leave behind. Food combining is core to Rose's approach.

One of the key observations in this book actually really grosses me out; and that it is that foods that digest quickly and are sitting on top of foods that digest slowly... they begin to ferment. The number one culprit here is fruit. Rose recommends eating fruits on an empty stomach, ideally in the morning. Bananas stand on their own because they fall into the starch category.

So here are some of the key food combination no-nos: mixing any of these categories: starches, flesh protein, nuts/seeds/dried fruits, or fresh fruits. However, vegetables (not including starchy ones like squash and potatoes) can be mixed with everything but fruits during a meal.

Rose calls enzymes scrubbers and cleaners for our bodies. They do a lot of the grunt work for us Even on the cellular level. They can be found in fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been heeded above 108°. Not having enough enzymes puts a heavy strain on the elimination organs. Rose recommends the easiest way to get plenty of enzymes in the diets is to consume only fresh fruit and juices until lunch.

Here are Rose's eight tips for getting rid of cellular garbage: number one visits your friendly hydro therapist or get a home colema kit, number two if you're not doing number one is to use an enema, number three use a stool to elevates feet during bowel movements (makes them more effective), number four dry brush the body to eliminate uric acid, number five bounce up and down ( rebounding squeezes waste matter from our cells), number six practice deep breathing because we actually eliminate through our lungs, number seven hanging upside down (pumps blood through the body and brain), and an eight sweat (sauna) and sun (for short periods).

Has the book had an effect on me, absolutely! It was my first introduction to the importance of cleansing. I've been actively of avoiding peanuts, milk, and eating fruit on a full tummy. I also adopted Rose's morning routine of green lemonade (juicing: one head romain, two apples, celery, a lemon, and ginger). However with the free juice bar at work I haven't made the lemonade four months. Making the lemonade every day is expensive and somewhat time-consuming.

Here's my favorite recipe from her book:
Hearty Corn Salad
3 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
(marinate these together)
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
1 bell pepper chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 pound baby lettuce
4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off
toss altogether
superb!

New Glucose Revolution

In this book Miller, Foster-Powell, and Leeds explore the dangers of out-of-control blood sugar.

The major point of this book is that high levels of glucose are very dangerous. Glucose increases the production of free radicals, which are highly reactive, charged molecules that inflict harm on everything close by. In particular, they cause inflammation of the cells lining blood vessels... hello atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases.

Six years ago when I was studying gerontology I was taught that the hardening of the arteries was a natural and inevitable part of the aging process. These authors believe quite the contrary... by stopping the abuse, you halt (or significantly limit) the hardening and limit the inflammation.

The heart of this book is to control your blood sugar by selecting foods that have a slow burn and don't spike your blood sugar. Foods that take longer to digest tend to generate a slow rise in blood sugar rather than sharp spikes.

Insulin resistance is caused by the long term abuse of the pancreas... abuse in the form of roller coaster blood sugar. These researchers have found that insulin resistance can be better managed by following the low GI diet.

Exercise is the ticket back to healthy living! Benefits are well know.. how much... well, 30 minutes 5-6 days a week. Overall this is raise the metabolic rate so that you will even burn fat while you sleep. Exercise turns on the fat burning capabilities of the body.

Okay, let's look at the shockers... the foods you thought were healthy for you in endless quantities that may actually spike your sugars (anything with an index over 70) or have a negative affect resulting from fat:

• Cottage cheese (even the 2% variety)
• Cream of wheat
• Granola
• Grits
• Quick cook oatmeal
• Bagels
• Cantaloupe
• Raisins
• White instant rice
• Dried fruit
• Mashed or baked potatoes
• Cous cous
• Corn bread
• Flour tortillas

Based on The China Study, we should be limiting our intake of most of these items anyway... as they are refined non-whole foods. However it surprised me to see melon and raisins on the list.

The take-away I got from reading this book.. which was actually one of the first books I studied after finding out that my dad had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes... is that whole foods that are high in fiber are really the best.

Opt for whole wheat or whole grains whenever possible. Eat brown rice, not white rice if given the choice. Focus on the fresh vegetables... other than russet potatoes, they are all great!

Stress Free for Good

I just heard on KQED radio today that a researcher doing a study for Nature Health found that stress has an enormous impact on how we metabolize fatty and sugary food. In fact, the doctors found that in mice who were given fatty, high sugar diets and exposed to stress (cold water and/or alpha male mice) had significantly more weight gain than the mice who had the same diet and no additional stress.

Time will tell but, it seems that they were able to "melt away the fat" by injecting the mice fat cells with a naturally occurring substance the counter-acts the chemical produced by the nervous nervous system.

In his book Stress Free for Good Standford doctors Luskin and Pelletier outline a treatment plan they have used successfully in patients who suffer from a wide range of illnesses including heart disease, depression, and many others.

The premise is simple, if you can reduce stress in your life your body will be more healthy. Luskin and Pelletier characterize best... simple but not easy life skills are stress busters.

I took this book very seriously when I first picked it up about a year and a half ago. Being very stressed myself and seeing the affects of stress on my family I took it upon myself to create a story hour around this book once a week.

On Sunday evenings after a family dinner at my folks house we would take turns reading a chapter out of the book and then discussing how we thought we could apply the skill highlighted in that particular chapter. In the weeks that followed we would talk about how we were able to apply that skill in our daily lives.

Sounds dandy doesn't it. Well not really. I found my family to be very resentful participants in my experiment and we barely got through the book before they abolished family story hour all together. Despite the clear and well documented connection between stress, health and happiness... they were just not willing to change their behavior.

Ironically, the one of last skill of the book is acceptance... accept what you can not change. Which is much harder than it sounds and has taken me considerable effort over the last year and half to make some modest progress on this front.

Back to the book. I recommend this book to family and friends because it is practical and easy to ready. In honest truth, it is one of those books that does nothing for you if you don't follow the principles.

Here they are briefly.. as you will see they are all common sensical. Simple but, not easy.

• Breathe from you belly
• Using the breath, deep and slow... triggers the sympathetic nervous system allowing you to trick you brain and body into relaxation. This allows you to turn off the stress hormones that are ready to burst through your body causing all kinds of havoc
• So much to appreciate
• Expressing gratitude is very powerful. Those who are more grateful for what they have tend to suffer from less depression and stress
• Tense to Relax
• This one never really worked for me.. but, the premise is that you can know what it feels to relax by fully tensing the body and then letting go
• Visualize success
• This is really the antidote of pessimism. By visualizing something going well you convert anxiety into anticipation. Even if it is unrealistic, visualizing success turns off the stress hormones. Visualizing success is also a principle that is aligned with the teachings of 'The Secret.'
• Slow down
• Sounds pretty simple but, when you are blow drying your hair and brushing you teeth at the same time.. you know it is time to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N and observe the moment. Eckart Tolle writes about the amazing transformative power of being present in the moment. It is very difficult to be stressed when fully present.
• Appreciate yourself
• An opportunity to counter balance all the beatings you give yourself on a daily budget. Try giving yourself a compliment for once. This is not vanity, it is healthy self esteem and does wonders for your stress levels.
• Smile because you care
• We are all in service to others as caregivers, parents, children, and friends. It is easy to get burnt out. Taking time to consider why you do all the things you do will likely fill your heart with joy and love... its all worth it.
• Stop doing what doesn't work
• A little self reflection and looking at things from another angle may reveal an easier way of doing things. Also a great opportunity to observe destructive patterns... like criticizing/blaming/nagging others. Objectively observe behavior and the outcome. If you are not getting what you want... try something else.
• Just say no
• This is a hard one for those of us that just love to please others. It feels good to make others happy and like you because you are helpful. The balance is thrown out of whack when you are doing more than you can do and at the expense of your own sanity.
• Accept what you cannot change
• Yes it sounds familiar... but dang this one is hard. Accepting what you cannot change is accepting others as they are! We can't really change others... they have to want it for themselves. This is by far the most important and difficult practice for me.
• No time like the present
• Providing the perspective that we live in the moment... not in the future or in the past. Also, it is very clear that we can always start fresh... each moment is a fresh start and an opportunity for transformation.

I love the activities / exercises that Luskin and Pelletier provide. I think a nice addition would have been discussion points that could be used with friends and partners.

Guide to Diet & Detoxification

In his book Guide to Diet and Detoxification, Dr. Jensen explores numerous tried and true approaches to detoxifying the body.

His opening line may or may not be familiar to you: Death Begins in the Colon! I know, gross huh. Why is that, you may be asking? Aging and death are gradually caused by the destructive power of toxic metabolic byproducts that build up as bowel bacteria.

Dr. Kellogg an American doctor that lived from 1852-1943 believed that the primary culprit for toxemia in the bowel is eating meat which putrefies and creates a residue of undigested flesh foods. This idea of toxemia was widely accepted in during his age.


It is estimated that across the world, 20% of all men, women, and children suffer from a GI disorder.

Autointoxication
The poisoning of he body, or some part of the body by toxic matter generated therein. Jensen identifies a few likely suspects that contribute to this toxicity: heavy metals, industrial toxins, drinking water (esp chloriniation), tobacco smoke, air pollution, and dietary toxins.

In this book Jensen outlines several methods for reversing autointoxiciation. His primary approach is to have patients complete a detoxification program and then transition to a health balance diet to minimalize the future build up of toxins.

Unlike Campbell & Campbell, Jensen sees animal products as part of a healthy diet... even a vegetarian diet. Jensen's approach is to include as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible and minimize the consumption of saturated fats.

Here is a list of the primary detoxifying programs:

• 11 day elimination diet
• Fasting (water only)
• Carrot juice diet
• Grape diet
• Watermelon flush
• Potato peel diet

Along with all plans Jensen recommends daily skin brushing (to remove uric acid crystals), nigh time hot baths, and enemas.

I recently completed the 11-day elimination diet, which Dr. Jensen recommends 2-3 times a year for good measure. The 11-day plan allows for normal activities.. as opposed to the water only fast which really requires a lot of rest.

Here is what the plan entailed:

• 3 days of juice (orange or grapefruit) for meals with lots of water all day
• 2 days of fruit only for meals with lots of water all day long
• 6 days of fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch, and steamed vegetables for dinner with the integration of a vital broth at lunch and dinner
  

Dr. Jensen highlight that deviating from this plan will result in less than optimal detoxification. Which I totally believe.. though I did not follow it to the letter.

I found that during the first 3 days I was not really hungry. My biggest challenge was facing my habits of eating as a social activity or out of boredom. The next two days of fruit only I felt great! I felt full but not heavy and totally energized. It slacked off a bit in the last 6 days.. really only pulled off 3.5 days.. but found that on day 7 I felt the very best.

I think that Dr. Jensen's plan is very doable for most people. I also feel really different.. which is really the only proof I need to say that it is worth doing. I plan to revisit this regime in the winter (though not during Christmas :)

Dr. Jensen writes about something called the "Healing Crisis" which occur when symptoms that where thought to have been eliminated by the detox come back. I did not experience a healing crisis because I was not really sick to begin with. Jensen cautions that this experience can be very confusing but, ultimately resolves itself leading to better health.

The China Study

The China Study by Campbell & Campbell (2006) has had the most profound affect on my current outlook on health and wellness.

In this hefty 368 page book, Campbell highlights study after study that points to one significant fact: consuming animal products contributes to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases as well as diseases of the bones, kidneys, eyes and brain.

One might argue that "yeah, eating t-bones every night is going to make you fat and probably sick." Campbell takes it quite a bit further as he demonstrates that even the diet recommended by the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Society, American Heart Association and the like is still likely to contribute to these devastating diseases.

Since reading this book in March 2007 I have for the most part, become a Vegan. I don't prefer the label but, it does describe my eating habits. I avoid animal products except on occasions I deem as "special" on which I will part take in very small quantities of... ice cream, cheesecake, shrimp, or steak.

Campbell & Campbell substantiate each every claim with sound, well documented scientific studies. Many of which they openly admit are simply correlation studies that do not have a proven cause and effect relationship.

Cancer
One of the most terrifying diseases in America. It is incredibly painful (treatments and the course of the disease) and seems indiscriminate as it takes both young and old. I think all of us can relate to having someone we love taken by this frightening illness. Here is a summary of what Campbell has found to be true of cancer.

• Cancer thrive in environments high in animal protein. Campbell compared cancer activity with plant and animal proteins and found that plant protein did not promote cancer growth (in fact they decreased tumor growth).
  

• Low-protien diets repress tumor formation
• Less of the enzyme that promotes cancer growth enters into the cells
• Cell multiplication is slowed
• Cancer enzymes themselves change

• We all consume or are exposed to cancer causing antigens
• Past carcinogen exposure can initiate cancer under poor nutrition conditions

• Foci (the bad guy in stage 2 of cancer growth) will not develop with less than 10% dietary protein. The average American is consuming 15-16% protien and in laboratory studies this increase risk by 8 fold.

• Cancer might be easily controlled, even reversed simply by decreasing the intake of the promoting nutrients and/or increasing the intake of anti-promoting nutrients.

Diseases of Poverty & Affluence
It makes perfect sense really. People who are rich or live in rich countries tend to have the luxury of eating more meat and animal products. Those who are poor or live in poor countries tend to subsist on a plant based diet.

Campbell has found a striking correlation between breast cancer and total animal fat intake amongst women in over 40 countries. At the top of the list: Netherlands, UK, New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Canada and the US. At the bottom of the list: El Salvador, Thailand, Ceylon, Taiwan, and Japan.

Those in poor countries are far more likely to die of pneumonia, tuberculosis, and parasites. These same individuals are far less likely to die of cancer (colon, lung, breast, leukemia, stomach, liver) diabetes, or heart disease.

Campbell admits there are always other factors at play. Factors that must be taken into consideration for breast cancer are: early period, high blood cholesterol, late menopause, and exposure to female hormones. However, these factors seems to be interdependent. In China (rural) the average age girls get their first period is 15-19 while in the US it is 11.

Other Factors to Promote Health

• Fiber: carries out chemicals that might be carcinogenic, creates fullness, and dilutes caloric density

• Antioxidants: we don't produce any naturally, we must get them from plants. Build protective shields for our cells against free radicals.
  

Hearth Disease
Amazingly, the small to medium accumulation of plaque, the plaque that blocks less than 50% of the artery, is the most deadly. The cause is entirely environmental. In the US we have the highest death rate from heart disease than any other country and share the top ranks with Finland, Canada, and Australia.

I know what you might be thinking... I'm young, I eat pretty well, I exercise.. that could not be me! In 1950 in North Korea 300 male soldiers killed in action (average age of 22) had their hearts examined. 77.3% of the hearts had gross evidence of heart disease! Active, young, strapping men. Yeah, the probably drank a little but.. give me a break!

Great new! The course of heart disease can be altered... even after the first heart attack. In a study run by Dr. Dean Ornish 82% of the patients in his trial had regression in their heart disease (in just one year) by following a largely vegan diet (eggs white were allowed along with one cup per day of non-fat milk or yogurt) paired with a modest exercise plan.

Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is an environmental disease and is considered more treatable than type 1 diabetes because the pancreas does not have significant damage. In a study run by Dr. James Anderson he put patients on a "veggie" diet for three weeks. The results were impressive: 40% reduction of insulin medication, blood sugar improved dramatically, and the average cholesterol dropped 30%. Anyone would pay 'big-bucks' for a drug that had such dramatic results!

A man with a 21 year history of diabetes was able to eliminate his need for insulin completely after eight weeks... simply by eating a plant-based diet.

Here are the specifics of the diet that yielded these amazing results:

• 70% of calories as carbohydrates
• 70gm of daily fiber
• 2oz or less of meat daily

Campbell's Nutritional Principles

• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts (isolating vitamins will provide less effect than consuming them as part of the food the came from)
• Supplements do not guarantee good health
• Very few nutrients need to be sought outside of the plant based dies: B12 being the outlier here
• Genes do not determine disease along: they can be activated or suppressed by environmental factors
• Nutrition can for the most part, control the negative effects in our chemical environment
• The same nutrition that can prevent disease may also halt it in its tracks
• Good for one, good for all. The plant based diet is truly beneficial for chronic disease across the board
• Good nutrition impact all aspects of our existence... we are being of interconnected systems