בחזרה לעמוד מאמרים
18 פבר Beneficial and healthy foods and Substances
Written by: Zvika Koren Natural nutritionist, expert in Juice fasting and cleansing
.
Fresh vegetables: lettuce, cucumber, red peppers, carrots, onion, cabbage, large and small radishes, broccoli, baby corn, parsley, tomato, herbs and spices (parsley, dill, coriander,basil, rockat, Watercress (gargir), thyme, Syrian marjoram(zaatar).
Cooked vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, yams, potatoes, onions, garlic, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, corn, beans, peas, artichoke, kohlrabi, fennel, turnip, celery roots, parsley roots, Jerusalem artichoke.
Cabbages: (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts) contain pyto-estrogens that limit the cancerous influence of a surplus of sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in the body.
Fresh fruit: Apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, figs, bananas, citrus fruit, persimmon, mango, papaya, pomegranate, strawberry, melon, watermelon, sabras.
Fruit contain a wealth of vitamins, minerals, fibers, convertible sugars, and pure water. It is advisable to eat locally grown fruit in season and to reduce sweets. It is preferable to eat them as the “meal” rather than as the “dessert” and preferably in the morning.
Whole Grains: whole grain rice, millet, buckwheat, wheat, corn, oats, barley, grits, rye, whole wheat bread, rice cakes, crackers
Whole grains contain Vitamin E, fiber, unsaturated fat. They can be cooked, steamed, baked and sprouted.
Beans: Lentils, (black, green, red), chickpeas, ful beans, soya (flakes, milk, tofu, tampa, miso) beans (white, red, azuki, lima) alfalfa, clover, lubia, peas.
Almonds: Israeli and American almonds
Nuts: Pecan, Brazil, Walnut, Macadamia, Cashew, Pistachio, hazel nuts (Bondook)
Seeds: Pumpkin, Sunflower, Sesame, Linen, Watermelon, Melon, Pinenuts
Soy Products: Tofu, tampa, milk, miso, flakes, soy sauce.
Tahine (Sesame paste):
Cold Pressed Oils: Olive, Sesame, Wheat germ, Corn, chariya, Avocado, Soy
Sprouts: Alfalfa, Wheat, Clover, Lentil, Maash, Radish, Sunflower, Chickpea, fenugreek (Chilbe), Broccoli
Sprouts contain high grade, accessible proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes. They are easy to digest, have a low calorie content, have not been sprayed and poisoned and have a balanced distribution of protein, fat and starch. They can be added on to salad, soup, sandwiches, patties, and to juice.
Fruit and vegetable juices:
"Red" vegetable juice: Squash, beet, cucumber, carrot, celery, parsley.
"Green" vegetable juice: Squash, cucumber, celery, parsley.
Wheat grass juice:
Contains 70% chlorophyll that is similar in composition to hemoglobin.
Advantages and uses:
- A rich source of vitamins (A, B, C, E, K), minerals (calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and more) 17 amino acids and enzymes.
- Contains anti-oxidant substances that act against free radicals in the body
- Chlorophyll is an anti bacterial agent (that prevents the increase of pathological germs and the decay of intestinal protein) for internal and external use.
- It is quick to be digested.
- It fortifies the immune system.
- It helps treat anemia and other chronic diseases
- It purifies and neutralizes poisons, heavy metals, and traces of medications and drugs
- It helps purify the liver and the blood
- It helps balance the sugar level in the blood
- It heals skin damage: acne, itches, bites, infections and scars
- Its heals ulcers and other intestinal damages and skin abrasions
- It prevents gum infection and tooth decay
- It can be gargled in the case of sore throat
- It prevents the hair from turning white and is effective in treating the aged
- It neutralizes body and mouth odor
- It improves digestion – prevents constipation and intestinal problems
- It can be used for vaginal infections
- It improves heart beat and the vascular system
- It reduces high blood pressure
- It inhibits metabolic activity of cancerous substances
Garlic
Contains mainly sulfur and vitamins B and C. Holds the “secret key” to destroying viruses. Has healing properties (that have been so confirmed by modern research):
Disinfects
Reduces blood pressure (open to debate) and cholesterol.
Protects and supports the heart muscle.
Is effective against nicotine poisoning
Is useful in the treatment of intestinal infection, worms, diarrhea and intestinal disease (gastritis)
Has a powerful effect on the respiratory system (expectorates, triggers sweating)
Destroys various kinds of viruses
Improves body metabolism
Helps fight headaches
Has a proven effect in the treatment of skin cancer
Dried Fruits: prunes, apricots, figs, dates, raisins, preferably organic
Apiary products (from the beehive): honey, royal jelly, propolis, pollen,
Molasses: vitamins and minerals
Spices: basil, oregano, timia, kummel, zaatar, celery, marjoram, thyme, saffron, ginger
Herbal tea: fennel, anise, chamomile, sage, rosehip, peppermint, melissa, lemongrass, verbena.
Detoxifying Plants: common gdilan, artichoke, dandelion, nettle, harpago, golden seal.
Plants that Fortify the Immune System: achinea, astragelos, shitki, cayenne pepper, garlic
Nutrition for Health and Renewal
Personal Responsibility: First and foremost we must take personal responsibility for our health and not rely only on doctors, healers, medicines, sick funds, insurance companies, fate, or the higher powers.
Corrections to Nutrition: For starters, I suggest making changes in your diet. I believe, and I have not made this up, that food affects us on three levels (physical, mental and emotional). Yogis claim that “we are what we eat”. Man is the mirror image of what he eats…. It is important to remember that corrections in diet must be made gradually and with moderation or else the cleansing regime may result in trauma and will not succeed.
Start by reducing (or entirely abstaining from) the most harmful substances: coffee, cocoa, cola, soft drinks and carbonated sodas, artificial sweeteners, food coloring, preservatives, vinegar, salt, sweets, white sugar, white flour and its products, red meat, dairy products (other than low fat yogurt) saturated fats (margarine), MSG (monosodium glutamate), fried food and sharp spices (cayenne pepper, cinnamon, mustard, paprika). Remove or reduce as well alcohol, tobacco, sprays and SLS.
Add on to your diet from the beneficial foods: It should be more natural, fresher, greener and preferably organically grown. Some of the greens are lettuce, parsley, green onion, celery stalks, and so on. It is also a good idea to maintain healthy eating habits.
Food supplements:
The question of "vitamins" or food supplements is a topic under debate. Naturalists say “don’t believe in a vitamin that comes in a capsule”. Doctors say that the only difference is that it causes “expensive urine”. Supporters of vitamins say that in the conditions we live in of stress, societal demands, work, family, noise, weather, distance from nature, artificial farming methods that remove valuable minerals from plants and the problems of vitamin absorption in the body, it is advisable to take a food additive. It is worthwhile to consult an expert on the subject for the correct dosage. It is also useful to take a break for a few days after one month.
Pythochemicals
In the past we worried about the calories, proteins, fats, starches, vitamins and minerals in food as if they were the only things that food supplies us with. Today we know that food also supplies us with additional substances, no less important, of whose existence we were not aware until several years ago. These substances have been called pytho-chemicals. Just as the most recent vitamins were discovered in the first half of the twentieth century, phyto-chemicals are the future of the 21stcentury.
Phyto-chemicals serve as coloring and flavoring in various plants. They are biologically active, with a significant influence on health. Many of them function as anti-oxidants; others can suppress harmful process in body cells or prevent the proliferation of cancer cells and more…
Carotenoids
This group contains all substances of orange pigment in various plants. One of the group is beta carotene (pro vitamin A), the well known anti-oxidant.
Likophene
Likophene is a red pigment that acts as an anti-oxidant. It is found in tomatoes, red grapefruit and watermelon. The best source is in cooked tomatoes or tomatoes fried in a little oil, ketchup and tomato paste. Research has shown a link between likophene consumption and the reduction in heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Pytho-estrogens
These are a group of phyto-chmeicals similar in structure to the chemical hormone estrogen. Estrogen acts to protect against heart disease and osteoporosis (bone breakage). During menopause, when a woman’s body stops producing estrogen, her risk of being afflicted by these diseases increases considerably. Research carried out in Japan showed that Japanese women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than Western women. They also suffer less from mid-life symptoms. These discoveries have shown that one of the reasons was the high consumption of phyto-estrogens by Japanese women. Phyto-estrogens are not as active as estrogens, but they attach themselves to the same receptors to which estrogen attaches. They can reduce symptoms of menopause such as heat flashes and incontinence and lessen the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Phyto-estrogens are mostly found in soy products and are particularly accessible in fermented soy products such as tofu or miso. They are also to found in linen seed, whole wheat and strawberries.
Recommended Daily Diet
Breakfast: Vegetable juice, or water with several drops of lemon
After 30-60 minutes: fruit with protein or a salad with protein (ie: 10-20 peeled almonds and a teaspoon of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and linen seeds (4 tsps), or oat cereal with a grated apple.
Mid morning break: a fruit or 2-4 crackers with a quarter of an avocado or humus or tehina.
Lunch: Salad with tehina and another protein (sea fish, a hard egg, low fat yogurt, tofu)
Afternoon break: a fruit or 2-4 crackers with avocado
Supper: Cooked grains with beans and vegetables, a small salad.
The Root of the Matter (soups)
Ingredients: onion, beet, kohlrabi, potato, yam, fennel, leek, parsley root, celery root.
Preparation:
- Wash, peel and cut the vegetables into pieces and place in pot with water
- Cook for about an hour or until tender
- Add parsley leaves (after cooking)
- Mix in blender or mash with a fork
- (Optional) add a teaspoon/tablespoon olive oil and natural zaatar.
A Cup of Health
Ingredients:
- Half a cup of grains: whole grain rice or buckwheat, millet, kinoa or a tablespoon of each one.
- Tablespoon read lentils
- Vegetables: onion, beet, carrot, kohlrabi, potato, yam, fennel, leek, parsley root, celery root, corn, squash, cauliflower, broccoli (as per choice)
Preparation:
- Cook the grains and the lentils (preferably soaked 2-4 hours previously) in 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes.
- Add potatoes, yams, beets, and parsley and celery root cook for another 15 minutes.
- Add additional vegetables and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- After cooking, add on a little miso, or soy sauce and diced parsley leaves.
- Optional: add on a tsp/tbsp of olive oil and a little zaatar to taste.
Summary
Good health depends on many factors: genetics, environment, lifestyle and so on. However, nutrition is quite influential on overall good health. Many think that the transition to natural nutrition demands great sacrifices, self-conflict, heartache and social difficulties. It should be done gradually and with time and determination changes will be felt in all dimensions of life. Dysfunctional diet will sooner or later cause deterioration in body and mental functioning and lead to various illnesses. This can be prevented by taking some of the following steps to improve the quality of the food we consume:
- Abstention from sugars and simple starches: sugar, candy, ice cream, cake and soft drinks
- Abstention from saturated fats: fried food, butter, fatty meat
- Abstention from salt: table salt, mixed nuts snacks, canned goods, potato chips, pretzels and sausages.
- Abstention from addictive substances: caffeine, nicotine, alcohol
- Abstention from processed foods lacking in food nutrients.
- Varied diet, eating fresh and wholesome food, eating food rich in dietary fiber
Recommended Literature
Renewal – Dr. Pnina Bar Sela
Man’s Nutrition and Health – Yitzchak Ben Ori
Guide to Natural Nutrition – Dr. Mordechai Hochberg
Perfect Nutrition – Herbert Shalton
Food for Thought – Dr. Nimrod Sheinman
Nutrition – the Fruit of Thought – Dr. Ilana Zilber
Natural Health – Dr. Tzachi Turknitz
Sugar Busters – Dr. Leighton Steward
Why Organically Grown Food?
Poisons in your Body – Gary Null