Lesson 26 - Preparing And Serving Foods For Best

Nourishment, Part I

26.1. Evaluation Of The Various Stages And Methods Of Preparation Of Uncooked

Foods

26.2. Priority Of Food Preparation

26.3. Preparation Of Foods Without Cooking

26.4. The Sprouting Garden

26.5. Questions & Answers

Article #1: Well, You Wanted To Know By V.V. Vetrano, B.S., D.C. Article #2: Some Fundamentals Of Food And Feeding By Ian Fowler Article #3: Vegetable Salads By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton

Article #4: Hypoalkalinity By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton

Article #5: Sprouts And Sprouting by H. Jay Dinshah

Article #6: The Marvelous Avocado

26.1. Evaluation Of The Various Stages And Methods Of Preparation Of

Uncooked Foods

26.1.1 Less Is Better

26.1.2 Shredding, Grinding, Blending and Juicing 26.1.3 Over-Washing

26.1.1 Less Is Better

The less preparation to which foods have been subjected, the better nourishment they provide. Even when foods are not cooked, there are many methods of preparing them which are progressively more damaging to their nutritional value.

Shredding, grinding, blending and juicing all critically impair the nutritional value of the food. Even cutting up the food causes some loss of nutrients, as each cut edge is ex- posed for oxidation to begin. The smaller the pieces, the greater the fragmentation—the more widespread the oxidation and damage.

26.1.2 Shredding, Grinding, Blending and Juicing

Shredding, which produces a greater number of exposed surfaces, is obviously more destructive than cutting up. Grinding is even worse, producing smaller particles. Blend- ing breaks the food down even more, and juicing extracts only the juice, discarding all the fiber.

All these processes deprive the body of part or all of the chewing exercise, which is necessary for the secretion of salivary enzymes and for sending signals for the secretion of gastric digestive juices.

In addition, vital food elements are impaired or destroyed. Oxidation of food is in- tended to occur within the body, and when it is allowed to occur before the food is eaten, the body is deprived of important elements. Blending, grinding and shredding cause sig- nificant losses of Vitamin C as the fragmented foods are exposed to the air, and as much as a 50% loss of Vitamin C within a few minutes after food is juiced.

26.1.3 Over-Washing

Even “over-washing” of fresh foods will result in significant impairment of nutri- tional value. Fresh foods should be washed as rapidly as possible in fresh, clean water.

Fruits should be quickly scrubbed under running water. No food should be allowed to soak; this leaches valuable nutrients.

Green leaves, especially lettuce, lose crispness, quality and nutritional value if al- lowed to remain in water more than a few seconds. Just swish the lettuce through the water, while rubbing off the sand and dirt with your fingers; a final quick rinse is more than adequate. You don’t have to eat “sandy” lettuce, nor limp, overwashed lettuce.

Nor should you use any of various substances in the water to wash off the contam- inants; this creates the additional problem of removing the washing compound. If the food is organically grown, there is no problem. If it is not, you cannot do more than quickly wash it in clean water.

Nothing will remove residues of chemical fertilizers or sprays, and your efforts to do so will only further impair the produce. Get the best quality of food that is available to you, wash it quickly and enjoy! If it is selected in accordance with Hygienic prin- ciples, your health will still be better than that of conventional eaters, even though not all of your food is organically grown (and, yes, even if little of your food is organically grown).

26.2. Priority Of Food Preparation

Recapping the various stages of raw-food preparation prioritizes them in the following order:

The best food is that which is eaten raw, whole, and fresh from the garden or orchard, after a quick washing in clean water.
A minimum amount of separation of leaves for washing, or cutting of vegetables, per- formed immediately before eating, will result in minimum impairment of nutritional val- ue.
Cuttingupvegetablesforatossedsalad,orfruitsforafruitsalad,willresultinconsider- able impairment of nutritional value, because every cut edge is exposed to oxidation and loss of nutrients. If such vegetable or fruit salads are occasionally desired, they should be prepared immediately before the meal.
Shredding,producingagreaternumberofexposedsurfaces,isevenmoredestructive.If shredding is temporarily necessary because of dental or digestive problems, it should be done at the table, immediately before eating. Attractive, efficient shredders for table use are available.
Grindingorblendingbreaksdownthefoodevenmore.Sometimes,blendedsaladsmay be resorted to as a temporary measure, to tide one over dental, digestive, or other spe- cial problems, but the habitual use of blended salads is not advisable. If blenders or food processors are used in the preparation of special recipes, for occasional use, it should be done with the full knowledge that the nutritional value of these foods has been greatly diminished. If this is but an occasional practice and the major part of the diet consists of whole, raw foods, the principal negative will be subjecting the organism to digesting foods which do not provide maximum nutritional return.
Juicingfoodsanddiscardingallthefiberiscontraindicated,exceptforuseinbreaking some prolonged fasts or where extreme debility makes the use of juiced foods necessary. The occasional use of juiced fruits or vegetables, in small amounts, twenty to thirty min- utes before a meal, isn’t harmful. Habitual use of large quantities of juiced foods is high- ly inadvisable. Juices bombard the body with large quantities of fragmented nutrients in much the same way as food supplements do, and the effects can be negative and even positively harmful. In addition, the body is deprived of the opportunity to chew, assimi- late and metabolize the complete foods which are sources of optimal health. We receive many requests for special recipes for transitional food programs to pro- vide greater variety in a raw-food diet, and for ideas and instructions in the preparation

of special menus and treats. Such menus, recipes, ideas and instruction are therefore in- cluded in this lesson.

It is hoped that the student will gradually realize that simple meals are the best, and will come to delight in luscious fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. Included in this lesson is a special section on sprouting.

26.3. Preparation Of Foods Without Cooking

26.3.1. Fruits

26.3.2 Nuts

26.3.3 Coconuts (Classified as Starchy Protein)

26.3.4 Chestnuts

26.3.5 Vegetables

26.3.6 Additional Recipes for Vegetables Combined with Nuts, Avocados, etc. 26.3.7 Preparation of Salad Vegetables

26.3.1. Fruits

26.3.1.1 Fresh Fruits

Most fresh fruits should be served whole after scrubbing under running water. What can rival the appeal to the eye and to the taste than a bowl or tray of beautiful, colorful, fragrant whole fruit?

Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums should be served whole, with sharp knives for peeling and cutting if necessary or desired. The fruit should be eaten unpeeled whenever possible, but if fruit is not organically grown, it is a difficult choice.

Grapes and cherries, of course, require no preparation other than washing.

Some citrus fruit is easy to peel (tangerines, murcotts, mandarins, tangelos, temples). Other citrus may be cut at the table. No sugar on grapefruit! (Nor other sweetening.)

Berries should be served whole. Serve strawberries with caps and stems attached. No sugar! (Nor any other sweetening.) Fruit that is not sweet enough to eat without added sweeteners is not ripe enough to eat.

Serve persimmons whole—fully ripe, soft and luscious. I like to cut this fruit in half and spoon away from the skin. My husband, Lou, just bites into the fruit, discarding the skin as he eats.

Nature provided bananas with a wonderful coat, protective and easy to remove—no problems there. Serve them golden, brown-freckled and whole.

Cut ripe, buttery avocados in half at the table and eat with a spoon out of the half (or quarter) shell. If you want to peel the avocados, quarter them and remove the skins from each quarter. Serve the sectibus on a platter, or arrange them on lettuce leaves or other salad vegetables. Serve fresh, soft, ripe figs whole.

Serve delightful, emerald kiwi fruit whole. Cut it in half at the table and spoon out of the half shell.

Fresh litchi fruit is easy to peel at the table. Loquats require no peeling.

Florida papayas are sometimes very large. Cut in wedges and remove seeds immedi- ately before serving. I have seen some people eating the seeds of the papaya, and heard them stoutly maintain that the seeds are “loaded” with nutrients and should not be dis- carded. I believe the taste of papaya seeds is ample evidence that they are not intended to be eaten. The plethora of nutrients which they undoubtedly contain are intended for the fruit which the seeds are programmed to produce.

Just-right ripe mangos are a treat any way you serve them. They can be cut in half, slicing over the large flat seed on both sides and eaten with a spoon. They can be peeled and sliced, but don’t waste whatever clings to the peel and seed, though you may have to hang over the sink to eat it.

Joy Gross demonstrated (at the American Natural Hygiene Society national conven- tions) an attractive way to serve mangos. With a sharp paring knife; score the flesh of the halved mangos in cubes, without cutting through the skin. Invert the two halves (turn them inside out). Beautiful! And delicious!

Melons, of course, will have to be cut immediately before serving. Small melons may be served whole.

Prepare pineapple immediately before serving in the following manner: Cut a thin slice from the bottom. Cut in quarters lengthwise, either leaving the top on as a decora- tion, or removing it. Prepare each quarter as a separate serving by separating the flesh from the skin with a sharp knife and slicing the remaining wedge into segments. Serve on the rind (pineapple boats). Serve with forks for removal of the segments and serrated grapefruit spoons for scraping out any flesh remaining on the rind. Don’t put the rind to your mouth—use a spoon. The eyes of the rind are razor sharp and can cut your lips, mouth and tongue.

Pomegranates may be served whole, and may either be cut and eaten in sections, cut- ting into segments as you eat, or the juice may be sucked out through a carefully punched hole (look out, it’ll spurt all over you) after carefully kneading it until it is entirely soft. Don’t be too rough, you may inadvertently break it open.

26.3.1.2 Dried Fruits

Dried fruit may require some advance preparation.

Dates and raisins may be presumed to be clean enough to eat as they come from a sealed package. For those who doubt this, a quick rinse just before eating may allay their misgivings.

Dried figs are usually soft enough to eat without preparation. Rinse, if desired. If figs are hard, they may be soaked in distilled water for several hours, or over night.

Dried apricots and peaches are greatly improved by overnight soaking. In fact, un- sulphured apricots and peaches are almost inedible unless they are soaked.

Dried apples are very tasty—not too sweet. Soaking makes them too mushy.

Dried prunes, cherries and pears may be used either way—as they are, or soaked. Dried bananas are excellent as they come from the package—soaking is not neces-

sary or desirable.

Dried litchi fruit needs no preparation—just crack open the nut-like outer skin and

find the raisin-like fruit inside.

Dried carob pods are sometimes too dry to be really palatable, but usually are soft

enough to chew on. I have not tried soaking them.

26.3.1.3 Fruit Recipes (Without Cooking)

Ideally, recipes (especially for fruit) are not necessary nor desirable. We know that many people will want fruit recipes for a variety of reasons:

A nostalgic yearning for “mixtures”.
For variety.
As a replacement for junk foods (to satisfy “cravings”).
A desire to prepare something “fancy” or “convenient” to serve guests.
For reluctant family members.
For children (of any age). These might also work out better for parties or groups of people, because they are perhaps more economical, more convenient, or more “liberal” for conventional friends.

Fruit Salad

Acid Fruit: Oranges, pineapple, strawberries and kiwi fruit. This can be prepared an hour or two in advance to serve to guests. The juice from the oranges should keep the other fruit from drying out or discoloring. Use whole strawberries, fairly large pieces of fresh pineapple, and orange sections. Serve slices of kiwi fruit alongside—don’t put the kiwi fruit into the salad. Or use the decorative slices of kiwi fruit as a garnish.

This salad can be served to luncheon guests, along with nuts or avocado along with a salad bowl of romaine lettuce, buttercrunch lettuce and celery. (Of course, these same foods could be served more Hygienically by putting out bowls of oranges and strawber- ries, platters of pineapple boats and kiwi fruit halves, along with the bowls of greens and platters of avocados or nuts if desired.)

Other Acid Fruit Combinations: Winesap, Jonathan or other tart apples. Put cubes of mild cheese on toothpicks and arrange in a circle on each apple. (Or just serve trays of apples and trays of avocados, nuts or cheese.) Serve with bowls of lettuce and celery.

Oranges, avocados and romaine lettuce—this combination is an excellent meal any time of the day.

Subacid and Sweet Fruit: Combine berries (blackberries, raspberries, etc.—not strawberries) or dark sweet cherries or dark purple grapes with two or three of the fol- lowing: sliced papayas, peaches, nectarines, apricots, sweet plums, apples, pears.

If this can be prepared immediately before serving to guests, arrange fruits attrac- tively on romaine lettuce leaves, either on platters or individual service plates.

If it must be prepared an hour or two in advance, put together as a fruit salad, and moisten with apple, cherry or grape juice. For this purpose, you may have, to use bot- tled juice from a health food store, which usually does not contain additives, and will be of quite good taste and quality, although, of course, usually pasteurized. Or add dried soaked cherries or apricots and the juice in which they have been soaked.

This fruit salad can be served with, ripe Japanese persimmons, whole ripe bananas (or you can add sliced bananas to the fruit salad just before serving), and either avocados on the half or quarter shell or platters of dates, figs, raisins or other dried fruit. Also set out a salad bowl of two varieties of lettuce and some celery.

26.3.1.4 Papaya with Subacid Fruit Salad

Fill halves of large papayas with subacid fruit salad for a party buffet. Or fill wedges of large papayas or smaller papaya halves with subacid fruit salad for individual servin- gs.

26.3.1.5 Papaya, Avocado and Apple Salad

Arrange wedges of papaya, avocado and apple (sweet or tart) in a circle on a bed of romaine or Boston lettuce.

26.3.1.6 Party Melon

A very attractive way of serving melon buffet style with less of the mess of rinds is to cut open and shape a watermelon as a basket with a handle. That is, instead of cutting it in half, make the cuts lengthwise a little short of the halfway mark, to leave a handle- like section about three inches wide.

Melon balls can be made of the red flesh, but a better way is to cut small wedges and arrange them in the watermelon basket, along with wedges of several other varieties of melon, such as honeydew, casaba, cantaloupe, etc. Don’t mix any other fruit in the watermelon basket. Instead, provide bowls and trays of other varieties of fresh fruit for those who don’t wish to partake of the melon, or for those who sometimes mix melon with other fruit at the same meal.

This is excellent for an afternoon reception or evening party.

26.3.1.7 Other Entertaining “Tricks” with Fruit

(Sometimes combined with other uncooked foods)

Although the following are not cooked, their nutritional value has been substantially impaired by blending, freezing, etc. These recipes are provided as alternatives to con- ventional cakes, pies, puddings, ice creams and other desserts.

Compote or Pudding: Soak dried figs (or dried apricots) overnight. Remove stems and blend with the soak water. Add fresh (or frozen) bananas and blend. If too thick, add distilled water—if not thick enough, add more bananas. Serve topped with sliced bananas. The fig pudding will be quite sweet, the apricot pudding less sweet. This may also be made by blending bananas with any other subacid or sweet fruit. Keep very cold until served. This may be served with fresh subacid or sweet fruit (not acid fruit or pro- tein).

Apricot-Prune Whip: Soak dried apricots and pitted prunes overnight. Blend the next day with the soak water. Serve plain or with sliced bananas.

Frozen Banana Treats: Break ripe bananas in halves or thirds. Dip in carob syrup (carob powder mixed with distilled water) and then roll in grated coconut, and freeze. These may be eaten without thawing—they do not freeze hard. Remove from freezer about ten minutes before eating.

Raw Applesauce: Wash, quarter and core sweet juicy apples (do not remove skins). Put in blender a few pieces at a time with a small amount of apple or grape juice. Other fruits maybe combined with the apples. This should be prepared immediately before serving, to keep color and flavor, or keep very cold until served.

Banana “Ice Cream”: Whenever you have a surplus of ripe bananas, peel and freeze them while in tightly-closed plastic bags. They may be converted to “ice cream” by putting them through a Champion juicer (using the homogenizing blank instead of the juicing screen); or in a blender. The Champion juicer method is preferable. The blender method may require a small amount of liquid to get it started. Other frozen or fresh fruit may be combined with the bananas (peaches, cherries—not strawberries).

26.3.2 Nuts

26.3.2.1 Shelled vs. Unshelled

Ideally, nuts should be served in the shell, with nutcrackers, picks and bowls for debris. Some people prefer the convenience of shelled nuts, and, if they are purchased fresh, in season, and properly stored, I must admit to their many advantages—especially in the case of the hard-shelled varieties.

Pecans, almonds, walnuts and Filberts are easy to shell, but the quality of the shelled varieties is more uniform. Shelled nuts, of course, take up less space, and are, therefore, easier to store. Shelled nuts are easier to serve, easier to eat, and there is no debris to clear from the table (and usually the floor, as well).

Pistachios in the shell (whenever available unsalted, which is not often) should be shelled as you eat them. They are so easy to shell that there is no excuse for buying them shelled, unless you just can’t find any unsalted, in the shell. Interesting note: Dr. Shel- ton says that, unlike most other protein foods, pistachios are non acid-forming (alkaline- forming when digested).

Indian (monkey) nuts are tedious to shell. Pignolias (without shells) have a taste sim- ilar to that of Indian nuts.

Sunflower seeds are available in or out of the shell. They are tedious to shell, usually done with the teeth.

26.3.2.2 Shelling Suggestions

Special nut crackers are available which simplify the opening of hard-shelled nuts like Brazils, hickories and macadamias. Black walnuts are a special problem and usually must be opened with a heavy hammer on a large stone. I have heard it suggested that black walnuts be well wrapped and laid in the driveway, so that the car could be run over the package. A vise might be the best solution for cracking black walnuts.

Another suggestion for cracking hard-shelled nuts appeared in Organic Gardening magazine. The suggestion is to soak them for ten or fifteen minutes in a hot (or boiling) water bath prior to cracking. If they have been dried and stored for several weeks, sprin- kle with water and place with a damp cloth in a tight container for twelve to twenty-four, hours before cracking. This will also soften the nutmeats for removal in larger pieces.

26.3.2.3 Blanched Almonds

Most almonds should be blanched, as their brown skins contain a strong astringent (prussic acid). Almonds which do not have a bitter taste are relatively safe to consume in limited quantities, but it is still better to remove the skins.

To blanch, put almonds in a large strainer with a handle. Dip in boiling water for about one minute; then dip in cool water. If this does not loosen the skins sufficiently, repeat the process. Skins should slip off easily.

If the almonds are not bitter, and it is not convenient to blanch them at the particular time, the skins may be partially scraped off with a sharp knife. You might also like to scrape some of the brown skin off filberts or Brazils, which may improve the taste, though these skins are not toxic. Dr. Shelton recommends removing the skins of Brazil nuts.

Although most nuts are acid in metabolic reaction, Ford Heritage and other refer- ences list almonds as being alkaline in metabolic reaction. Dr. Shelton (The Hygienic System, Volume II, Orthotrophy, p. 147) disagrees, and says that almonds are definitely acid-forming, although not so much so as animal proteins. The comparative degrees of acidity of nuts with animal proteins are: walnuts (one of the most acid nuts) 8; chicken, 11.2; beef, 9.8; eggs, 12.

The only nuts Dr. Shelton calls alkaline-forming are the pistachios. Although the skin of the almond contains prussic acid, and should be removed, Dr. Shelton recom- mends it as one of the finest of nuts.

26.3.2.4 Ground Nuts and Nut Butters

Sometimes, dental, digestive or other problems may necessitate the preparation of ground nuts or nut butters—or these might be needed for young children. Children should learn to chew their nuts (thoroughly) at as early an age as possible.

Ground Nuts are quite dry. If they are to be used, it may help to use a half grapefruit along with a serving of ground nuts. Squeeze some of the juice over the ground nuts, and roll some of the grapefruit sections in the nuts. This results in quite a palatable meal.

Another possible way to use ground nuts is to eat with whole strawberries, dipping each bite of strawberry into the ground nuts.

Nut Butters: To make nut butters, grind the nuts in nut mill or blender a little longer (beyond the ground nut stage). This produces an oilier mixture which can be patted into a butter with a spoon. The longer and finer you grind the nuts, the oilier they will be. If necessary, add a very small amount of oil after removing from the grinder. Sesame oil (buy cold-pressed) is a pleasant-tasting and more stable oil.

It would be better to make nut butters without the use of added oil. Try a tiny amount of distilled water instead, and see how you like it. Almond, pecan or sesame butter may require a little oil (or water). Cashew butter or peanut butter are oily enough without

it. (Peanuts are not really nuts, but are starchy proteins, similar to legumes. Neither are cashews really nuts, being the pistils of cashew apples.)

Brazil nut butter is too oily by itself, but mixes well if ground with walnuts. The taste of each is improved by the combination.

Nuts ‘n’ Seeds Butter: Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds have an excellent taste when used whole, but, somehow, they are less tasty when ground into butter. They com- bine well in a nuts ‘n’ seeds butter. Use one cup of nuts (any kind except cashews or peanuts), one-half cup of sunflower seeds and one-half cup of sesame seeds. Grind to- gether. A very small amount of oil (or water) may be necessary.

Nut and seed butters may be served on celery strips, lettuce leaves, sweet pepper slices, cucumber slices or other nonstarchy vegetables, or they may be eaten with a spoon.

26.3.2.5 Nut Milk

(Sometimes used for infants or for special problems.)

2 cups water

1/2 cup nuts

Blend as thoroughly as possible. If this is to be used for an infant, it may be necessary

to strain it through cheesecloth.

26.3.3 Coconuts (Classified as Starchy Protein)

To open a coconut, drive a clean large nail through two of the three “eyes” or soft spots, and drain off the liquid. The liquid may be filtered through filter paper (coffee fil- ters are fine) to remove any bits of husk, and it may be drunk immediately or stored in the refrigerator a short time, not more than a day or two. The shell may be cracked with a hatchet or hammer, or in a vise. If the coconut is placed in the freezer for an hour or so before cracking (after removing the liquid), it will crack and come away from the shell more readily.

Break up the meat in small pieces and eat out of hand. The pieces may be stored a short time in the coconut liquid or in water (not more than a day or two).

Peel the pieces before eating if you have trouble with tough skins. Coconut maybe grated if used shortly after preparing. Grated coconut may be used in salads.

Coconut is sometimes used with sweet fruits. (See recipe for nondairy coconut carob ice cream.) While coconut with sweet fruit is not an ideal combination, it seems to work out fairly well, in most cases. Don’t use coconut with nuts or with acid or subacid fruits.

Unlike most nuts, coconuts are alkaline in metabolic reaction. Coconut oil, unlike other vegetable fats, is naturally highly saturated.

The only other saturated vegetable fat is palm oil, which you will find included in the labeling of many packaged products. The label usually says “one or more of the follow- ing oils has been used in the preparation of this product: corn oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil....” So it is impossible to tell which oil has actually been used. Palm oil, like coconut oil, is highly saturated.

The fact that coconuts contain saturated fat is not a contraindication for their use as food. This information, however, is of value in planning a diversified Hygienic diet. Sat- urated animal fats are not recommended. Fresh coconut is an excellent food.

26.3.3.1 Coconut Milk

Some people who find coconut meat difficult to chew may enjoy using this palatable coconut milk occasionally.

Blend two cups warm distilled water with one-half cup fresh peeled coconut, and cool in refrigerator. Blend again and strain through cheesecloth or Nylon mesh. If stored

in refrigerator, it will separate, but may be stirred with a spoon before drinking. Do not store more than a day or two.

26.3.3.2 Coconut Milk Shake

Blend one cup coconut milk with one small banana and/or one tablespoon carob powder and/or several dates and/or two ounces sweet cherry or sweet grape juice. The juice adds an extra “fillip.” The amounts and combinations of ingredients depend on how sweet you like it.

26.3.4 Chestnuts

Chestnuts are starchy protein, and are alkaline in metabolic reaction. They are usu- ally “roasted,” but may be eaten raw if they are a nonbitter variety. To remove the thick skins, blanch in boiling water and let stand about two minutes. Remove a few at a time from the water and cool slightly, then peel with a paring knife. Roasting will also loosen the skins. Recipe for roasting chestnuts will be included in the lesson on cooked food recipes.

26.3.5 Vegetables

26.3.5.1 Finger Salads

Most vegetables may be served raw and as nearly whole as possible with no dressing as part of a “finger salad.” They should be washed immediately before serving.

These vegetables include, but are not limited to, all varieties of lettuce; celery; all varieties of cabbage; celery cabbage; cucumbers; carrots; sweet peppers and pimen- tos; tomatoes; Jerusalem artichokes; English peas; edible podded peas; young, tender green beans; broccoli florets and leaves; cauliflower; young turnips; young, tender beets; young, tender kale, collard or turnip greens; yellow crookneck squash; zucchini squash; sweet potatoes or yams; asparagus; young, tender sweet corn. A few vegetables are not particularly tasty when used uncooked, such as Brussels sprouts, eggplant, okra, globe artichokes and white potatoes, although some people do use these raw. White potatoes should not be eaten raw, but should be steamed or baked to dextrinize the starch.

Combine three to five vegetables as a salad for one meal.

26.3.5.2 Salad Dressings, Dips and Spreads

(Vegetables Combined with Nuts, Avocados, etc.)

If you must have salad dressing (get out of the habit as soon as possible), the follow- ing are better than bottled salad dressings or the use of vinegar.

Blended tomatoes with avocado
Blended tomatoes with cashew nuts (or other nuts or seeds)
Avocado with diced cucumbers (Optional: add lemon juice or Vegebase)
Yogurt or sour cream, Vegebase, diced cucumbers
Yogurt or sour cream, avocado! Vegebase
Avocado “butter”—(mashed avocado with optional lemon or lime juice)
Equal parts of Vegebase and Oil
Lemon and oil Some of these dressings may also be used as dips or spreads (or gua- camole—avocado dip).

26.3.6 Additional Recipes for Vegetables Combined with Nuts, Avocados, etc.

26.3.6.1 Rollups

For this, use one or two large leaves of romaine lettuce, and choose from a variety of fillings:

Choose one of these:

Avocado

Nuts (Ground or whole) Seeds (Ground or whole) Cheese (if you use it)

Combined with one or more of these:

Tomatoes

Sweet Pepper Strips

Cucumber Strips

Celery Strips

Sprouts

Roll up the filling inside the lettuce leaves, wrapping it up. This may be eaten like a

sandwich.

26.3.6.2 Individual Meal-in-One Salad Bowls

Medium-sized pieces of lettuce (two or three varieties) Cut-up red cabbage

Sliced sweet red pepper or pimento

Sliced celery

Choice of sliced young tender zucchini or other summer squash or a few broccoli florets

Choice of a few edible podded peas or young tender green peas or a few olives

Garnish with pignolia nuts and sunflower seeds and alfalfa sprouts or raw milk cheese slices and avocado slices and alfalfa sprouts.

Serve with Vegebase and oil dressing or cucumber sour cream dressing, if desired.

26.3.6.3 Coconut Treat

Combine optional amounts of: grated coconut

grated carrot

grated cabbage

chopped celery

(if desired, a few raisins may be added)

Moisten with coconut liquid or coconut milk (or yogurt, if you use it). This may be

served with a large green salad and globe artichokes for a satisfying company meal.

26.3.6.4 Other Entertaining Salads

For entertaining, you might serve trays of finger salad with salad dressings on the side. Or serve large bowls of salad cut up as little as possible, with salad dressings on the side. Or serve celery sticks with dips.

26.3.7 Preparation of Salad Vegetables

Leaves of lettuce or other greens may be separated under running water, rinsing away as much of the sand and dirt as possible, assisted by your fingers. A quick dip in a sinkful of cold water and another quick rinse should clean up the sandiest leaves.

The more delicate buttercrunch lettuce varieties (Bibb, Boston) should be handled carefully and washed even more quickly to avoid losing crispness and nutrients.

Lettuce should never be soaked in plain or acidulated water. This will only extract the vitamins and make it limp and unappetizing.

Separate celery strips from the stalk, rinse under running water, dip in cold water, using brush at the same time to dislodge the dirt from the crevices. Another rinse should finish the job. Discard pithy or damaged portions.

Remove the tough outer leaves from cabbage and you will usually find a clean head underneath. Rinse the head if you like, and cut wedges for serving.

Remove celery cabbage strips as needed. A quick rinse and brushing will clean them up quickly.

Scrub cucumbers with a vegetable brush. Remove peeling, if waxed. I don’t use waxed cucumbers. Some supermarkets carry packages of “pickling cucumbers” all through the year—small, unwaxed cucumbers with small seeds. If they are fresh (and they often are), they taste like fresh-picked garden cucumbers, and the peel is tender and edible.

Scrub carrots with a brush—don’t peel. Small, young ones are best for salad. If you can find them with the tops still on, those are freshest. If you must shred your carrots, do it at the last possible minute.

Tomatoes—ah, tomatoes! When they are good, they are very, very good, and when they are bad they are horrid.

Hydroponic tomatoes? Thumbs down! Hothouse tomatoes? Not much bet- ter—sometimes barely acceptable. Deep red, vine-ripened tomatoes? Oh, yes! Wash them under running water, serve whole and enjoy!

If you must slice or quarter tomatoes, do so at the table, or at the last possible minute before serving.

Red or green sweet peppers (preferably ripe and red, which are the sweetest) and pi- mentos: wash under running water and cut in half to inspect condition. This is necessary, because deterioration may exist without outward signs. If deterioration has occurred, cut away ruthlessly, and use only firm, hard flesh.

Scrub Jerusalem artichokes or sweet potatoes (or yams) vigorously. Serve in small amounts in the salad. The artichokes are crisp and easy to eat. If you must shred the sweet potatoes, do it as close to eating time as possible.

Edible podded peas need only a quick washing. English peas: serve fresh young gar- den peas in the shell. If they are larger and from the supermarket, you may prefer to hull and cull them.

Broccoli and cauliflower florets need only a quick rinsing or dip in water and per- haps a little cleaning up with a sharp paring knife. The smaller broccoli leaves are also a bonus salad vegetable of high quality. The larger, tougher leaves require some steaming.

Small young turnips may be scrubbed and served whole—also, small young beets. Small young green beans should be washed quickly and culled.

Asparagus should be rinsed, dipped and rinsed again to remove the sand.

Scrub yellow crookneck and zucchini squash lightly to avoid damage.

Strip husks and silk from young, tender sweet corn—you might use a tooth brush lightly. Rinse, and enjoy.

Raw mushrooms may be used in salads, but are not recommended because they pass through the digestive system unchanged. If used, wash by holding briefly under running water. If necessary, finish cleaning up with a sharp paring knife. Do not soak or peel.

26.4. The Sprouting Garden

26.4.1 Advantages of Sprouting

26.4.2 Miscellaneous Sprouting Information 26.4.3 Sprouting Instructions

26.4.4 AIfalfa Sprouts and Mung Bean Sprouts

26.4.5 Use of Soak Water

26.4.6 Avoiding Sprouting Problems 26.4.7 Sprouters

26.4.8 Instructions for Sprouting in a Bowl 26.4.9 Sprouting in Sand or Soil

A sprout is a germinating seed. It is the tiny shoot that emerges from the seed, the first visible evidence of the materials stored within the seed, programmed to create life.

I don’t agree with people who believe sprouts to be the most perfect food—I am in- clined rather to go along with Dr. Shelton’s belief that sprouts should be regarded as an excellent bonus food, but not to be relied upon as a replacement for foods grown to a more mature state, with benefit of earth and sunlight.

Cathryn Elwood’s chapter on “Vitamin-Rich Sprouts” in Feel Like A Million gives excellent information on the progressive and accelerating nutritional value as the sprouts progress.

26.4.1 Advantages of Sprouting

Sprouting is fun! It is exciting to watch the growth (in a jar or other type of sprouter on your kitchen counter) into vitamin-, mineral- and protein-rich green vegetables, loaded with enzymes and chlorophyll. As the tiny seeds multiply in volume (one to two tablespoons of alfalfa seeds fill a quart jar with sprouts), a wonderful salad ingredient, with an abundance of Vitamins A, B and C, is being grown. Alfalfa sprouts are also a splendid source of Vitamins D, E, G, K and U. Vitamin C is especially high in lentil and mung bean sprouts after three days. However, lentil sprouts should be harvested when the sprout is no longer than the seed, while mung bean sprouts should be allowed to grow long enough to produce green leaves.

The sprouted seed contains far more vitamins than the dry seed, multiplying dramat- ically through the sprouting period. Research at Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania revealed phenomenal increases of Vitamin C as sprouting progressed, and an increase in Vitamin C even during storage in the refrigerator. Riboflavin, niacin and other B vitamins were also increased during sprouting.

Dr. Paul Burkholder of Yale University found that the total Vitamin B content is in- creased 100% during the sprouting process.

Vitamin-conscious people, please take note; Hygienists need not be concerned, leav- ing that to nature and the Hygienic diet.

Sprouts are also noted for their high-enzyme activity. During germination, proteins are broken down into amino acids and some new protein is synthesized. During sprout- ing, much of the starch is converted to natural sugars. In many seeds, fats disappear and are replaced by carbohydrates, improving tremendously the digestibility of sprouts over seeds.

Phytic acid in whole grains is antagonistic to the absorption by the body of calcium, iron and other minerals. Soaking and sprouting neutralizes the phytic acid, so sprouted grains not only provide increased nutrients, but elimination of the threat of phytic acid also.

Viktoras Kulvinskas says that iron may become unavailable to the organism due to the resultant insoluble compound formed when the iron unites with phytic acid. “The acid combines well with calcium, iron, zinc and other minerals, which reduce signifi- cantly their absorption into the, bloodstream. Similarly, oxalic acid of spinach can re- duce significantly the availability of calcium. Phytin is very frequently present in many seeds and may constitute up to 80% of the phosphorus content of the seed. The absolute amount of phytin varies in species and families. Hence, eating a diet rich in seed, besides the high protein complications, can result in a tremendous loss of important minerals, in

spite of the fact that seeds are rich sources of such minerals. However, the mineral losses because of the high phytin concentration become insignificant if one sprouts the seeds.” Professors A.M. Mayer and A. Poljakoff-Mayber of the Botany Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, found that most of the phytin disappeared in the sprouted seeds studied and that there was an increase in desirable forms of phosphorus compounds, es-

pecially in lecithin.

The dry seed is characterized by a remarkably low metabolic rate, but even the

moistening of the seed triggers tremendous changes. Drs. Mayer and Poljakoff-Mayber describe the process which results in such important changes: “As soon as the seed is hydrated, very marked changes in composition in its various parts occur. These changes occur even when the seed is placed in water without any nutrients, and in complete ab- sence of assimilation. The chemical changes which occur are complex in nature.

They consist of three main types: the breakdown of certain materials in the seed, the transport of materials from one part of the seed to another, especially from the en- dosperm to the embryo or from the cotyledons (the first pairs of leaves) to the growing part, and lastly the synthesis of new materials from the breakdown products formed. The only substances normally taken up by the seeds during germination are water and oxy- gen.”

Cathryn Elwood says, “One of the chief advantages lies in the fact that sprouting can give us a new crop of delicious food every two to four days—a crop that needs no thought to soil conditions, composting techniques, blight, bugs, weeds, storms, sprays; one that can be grown any season and in any climate and is simple to harvest and store for future use.” She says they have valuable protein, compare favorably with fresh fruits in antiscorbutic (Vitamin C) properties, have no waste, are excellent raw (and could be lightly cooked, if desired, in about three minutes). One pound of seed increases to six or eight pounds of food, and so the price drops way down.

All sprouted seeds, legumes and grains can be eaten without cooking. Some people find sprouted soybeans unpalatable, in which case they may elect to steam them briefly to slightly alter the taste.

“Sprouties,” as Cathryn Elwood calls them, are not only convenient, economical, easily grown—any time, anywhere—they are also an easily available source of organically-grown food. If you do not use organically-grown seeds, be sure they are, at least, untreated.

26.4.2 Miscellaneous Sprouting Information

I have found alfalfa seeds, sunflower seeds, mung beans, azuki beans and lentils eas- iest to sprout; we like alfalfa sprouts best and use them freely, mostly with salad vegeta- bles. Many people with impaired digestions, who have trouble with other nuts and seeds, find that sprouted sunflower seeds are well tolerated.

Garden peas, soy beans, garbanzo beans and wheat and rye berries may also be sprouted, with just a little experimentation and practice. Most whole nuts, seeds, beans and grains may be sprouted, although shelled nuts are difficult, sometimes impossible, to sprout. As previously indicated, all may be eaten raw after sprouting, and may be stored in the refrigerator for about five days. Sprouted beans, raw or cooked, are less gassy than unsprouted beans, which, of course, must be cooked.

Eat sprouts from rye, wheat or other grain berries (seeds) in 24 hours or so, when but a short sprout is showing. (Grains sour readily.) Harvest sunflower seeds when sprouts are no longer than seeds, preferably even shorter. Eat lentils in two or three days, sprouts no more than one inch, preferably less.

Garbanzo and soy bean sprouts are especially high in protein but are not easy to work with; sprouts should be short—they also may sour. Rinse frequently to preclude souring, say, four times daily, even more if weather is hot.

Lentil sprouts are also high in protein, and they are easier to handle.

Mung beans are easy to sprout and will be ready in about four days, with sprouts about two inches long and showing green leaves (see sprouting instructions).

Alfalfa sprouts will also be ready in about four days, with sprouts of about two to three inches and green leaves.

Seeds and legumes for sprouting are available in health food stores, also in some su- permarkets. Don’t sprout mixed varieties, because different seeds, legumes and grains require different treatment.

26.4.3 Sprouting Instructions

This is the simplest and easiest sprouting method: Wash seeds thoroughly. Put one to two tablespoons of alfalfa seeds (or three to six tablespoons of beans, or one-half cup of wheat, rye or other grain) in a quart jar with the purest possible water (preferably distilled) about three times the volume of the seeds. Soak overnight, or six to ten hour (alfalfa, lentils and wheat or other grains about six hours; mung, garbanzo or soy beans ten hours or longer). Soak longer in cool weather, less in warm weather. The soak wa- ter should not be cold. One source advises changing the water should not be cold. One source advises changing the water halfway through the soak period.

Cover the jar with a stainless steel mesh and jar ring, or cheesecloth or nylon mesh held on with rubber bands or a jar ring. (The jar ring has a tendency to rust before long, so the rubber band is somewhat better in that respect).

Next morning (or at the end of the soaking period) drain and rinse the sprouts (with- out removing the mesh covering). Set at an angle to drain (prop up bottom end of the jar about an inch). Then rinse two to four times daily through the mesh; fill the jar with wa- ter from the tap, empty and shake very gently to disperse the seeds around the jar. I will repeat: sprouts require more frequent rinsing in warm weather, less frequent in cooler weather. Cover the jar with a small towel so that the seeds will have air and warmth, but not light, as they put out their first roots.

26.4.4 AIfalfa Sprouts and Mung Bean Sprouts

After three days (or when leaf appears), remove towel so light (not direct sunlight) will green up the leaves (chlorophyll). This may take eight to twelve hours or more, after which they may be eaten or stored in the refrigerator to eat at a later time. Actually, they may be eaten at any stage in the sprouting process, but they are at their best when the twin leaves are dark green. Only alfalfa and mung bean sprouts are sprouted to the green leaf stage. Other sprouts are used sooner, without green leaves, per previous instructions.

When sprouts are ready for harvesting, hulls may be floated off, if desired. In any event, the sprouts should be given a final rinse, and then allowed to drain on a paper towel before storing. They will keep longer if stored only slightly moist, not wet.

26.4.5 Use of Soak Water

You will note that I have recommended using the soak water for your plants. Al- though the soak water has been found to be rich in minerals, vitamins, enzymes and amino acids, it is foul-tasting. Some people advocate drinking this soak water, or using it by combining with other foods.

Dr. Alec Burton (Australian Hygienic Professional) believes that this soak water should be regarded as a waste product and discarded, but there is certainly no reason not to make use of its nutrient content for your garden, which will then return the nutrients to you when you harvest your vegetables.

Although the nutrients in the soak water have been leached from the seeds, the tremendous multiplication of nutrients occurring in the seeds as they are sprouted more than compensates for this loss.

Another option is to avoid the loss of nutrients by osmosis into the soak water by utilizing only enough water in presoaking the seeds so that all the water is absorbed into the seeds.

However, we do use the soak water when dried beans are soaked prior to cooking, which may seem inconsistent. Some authorities do advocate discarding this water also. But the soak water from the beans, if used, would be used in the preparation of the cooked beans.

There may be some validity to the suggestions to use the soak water by-product of the sprouting operation by mixing with other foods, especially if you are using cooked foods, such as soups or casseroles.

However, it seems to me that there is a basic difference in these two situations. If the bean soak water is discarded, there go a plethora of vitamins and minerals which have leached into the water! But, in the case of the soak water from the sprouts, the loss is adequately replaced and multiplied during the sprouting process.

As previously indicated, there is some disagreement as to whether or not to discard the water in which beans are soaked (usually overnight). Advocates of discarding the bean soak water say that although you will be discarding some nutrients, you will also be discarding many of the oligosaccharides that cause flatulence.

Those who advocate cooking the beans in the soak water believe that the marked and complex chemical changes in composition which occur in the beans as a result of hydra- tion and soaking (the process described by Drs. Mayer and Poljakoff-Mayber—referred to previously) are also accompanied by alteration of the nature of the breakdown prod- ucts, from which new materials are synthesized.

I have experimented with using and discarding the soak water, and have noticed no problem with flatulence when the soak water is used in cooking the beans; in fact, there doesn’t seem to be any difference at all.

I am a good subject for this experiment, because for many years I was unable to tol- erate legumes, either cooked or sprouted, because all legumes, even lentils, caused me distress. I eliminated legumes from my diet completely for about six months, and then restored them slowly and carefully. Now I use legumes (cooked or sprouted) occasion- ally, in moderate amounts, with no problem of flatulence.

You may decide to experiment with both methods—that is, using or discarding the soak water. I don’t believe either method will affect your health and well-being. In fact, I doubt that you will notice any difference. I will welcome comments and reports as to the results of your experiments.

26.4.6 Avoiding Sprouting Problems

Start with the easiest to sprout: alfalfa, sunflower seeds, mung beans, azuki beans and lentils.
Ihavefounditbesttousesunflowerseedsassoonaspossibleafteraveryshortsprout appears; they tend to deteriorate rapidly.
Soybean sprouts are highest in food value, so try to eventually progress to sprouting them. Some people enjoy raw sprouted soy beans; others reject their taste in the raw state, buy enjoy them cooked. Soy beans require far less cooking after they are sprouted. It is difficult to successfully sprout soy beans or grains in a jar; more sophisticated equip- ment is advisable, such as described later in this lesson.
Besuretousenewseedswithhighgerminationvalues;oldseedsorbeanswillbecome moldy or even rot during the sprouting.
Usedistilledwaterforsoaking.Usually,tapwatermaybeusedforrinsing,butifyour tap water is high in chemicals, it may cause problems with sprouting, in which case, use distilled water for rinsing.
Spoilagemaybecausedbysoakingtoolong.Usuallysixhoursislongenoughforseeds. If you are having problems, try sprouting seeds (such as alfalfa and sunflower) without

the pre-soaking, or a very short (two or three hours) pre-soaking period. Dried beans

(soy, mung, azuki) usually require pre-soaking, as much as eight to ten hours.

7. If you are having problems, try more frequent rinsing—in cool weather, two or three times daily should be enough, but four times daily may be required in warm weather Be sure the drainage is good. If sprouting in a jar, be sure to maintain in a slanting position.

26.4.7 Sprouters

There are many other types of sprouters—some, makeshift but efficient (a bowl with a plate to cover and drain—instructions later) and some more sophisticated. I have an excellent sprouter which was made out of a clear plastic shoe box with an opaque cover. For draining, six 3/16” holes were drilled along one bottom end, a screen was cement- ed over them (inside the box); and ten larger holes (1/4” diameter) were drilled in the lid, along the sides. A small piece of wood is used in propping up the end without the holes and screen, when draining. The alfalfa and mung bean sprouts grow straight up and beautiful, instead of tangling inside a jar.

Health food stores have two quart sprouting jars available with stainless steel mesh screens in plastic screw tops which, of course, do not rust.

I also have a decorative, sprouting sphere called “Little Green Acre,” which the fold- er says “provides light, humidity and air circulation in balanced harmony for trouble-free sprouting, and is specifically designed to utilize those light rays in the spectrum which enhance sprout growth.” I do find it superior in many respects to other sprouting meth- ods, but it is expensive, and you can do quite well sprouting alfalfa, sunflower seeds, azuki beans, mung beans and lentils in a jar. You may find your sprouts do better in the two quart wide-mouthed jar with plastic screw top and stainless steel screen, rather than the one quart Mason jar. The sphere does prevent souring of the more difficult to sprout soy beans and grains, and does not require as much attention—rinsing and changing the water in the base just once a day.

Regarding the garish color, mine is half ruby red (top half) and half purple. When I bought mine (introductory price at a Vegetarian Society Convention), it was also avail- able in ruby red and green.

This sprouter produces a generous harvest of beautiful, straight-up green-leaved al- falfa sprouts, which can be harvested gradually, if desired. It is excellent for all varieties of sprouts.

Another excellent sprouter is the “Kitchen Garden Sprouter.” It is ten inches in diam- eter and two and one-half inches deep. Water flows through the bottom as the sprouts are rinsed. It has a removable divided tray to make four different compartments for sprout- ing different seeds simultaneously without mixing.

26.4.8 Instructions for Sprouting in a Bowl

After soaking and draining the seeds, put them in a, bowl, fill the bowl with water from the tap, cover with a plate and invert and drain. Allow the bowl to stand with the dish on top to keep the seeds at high humidity, but the plate should not fit so tightly that there is no air circulation.

Fill the bowl with water and drain two to four times daily. For better bottom drainage, try inserting a strainer or colander in the bowl.

Another bowl method is the use of a clay bowl in a pan of water. The clay bowl (or flower pot) absorbs enough water to keep the sprouts moist but not wet.

Some people use these bowl methods very successfully, others prefer more sophisti- cated sprouters.

26.4.9 Sprouting in Sand or Soil

Sprouts can also be grown in sand or soil. Sunflower seeds and buckwheat are espe- cially recommended for this use. Plant in boxes or in the garden, allow to grow to about two to three inches tall, and snip off the green leaves for the salad. Soy beans, being sub- ject to spoilage when sprouted the usual way, will obviously do better when sprouted in sand or soil.

26.5. Questions & Answers

I have heard that blended salads have the advantage of enabling the consumption of greater amounts of green vegetables than would be possible if eaten whole. If one eats a regular raw salad, and an additional amount of blended salad, would you still object to the use of the blended salad?

If there is no dental problem (or other problem involving the use of whole raw foods), there is no reason why all the salad desirable or necessary cannot be eat- en as intended by Nature. When one has a feeling of surfeit (or, preferably, before such a feeling) after eating salad or any food, he should stop eating, not force more food into his body by “drinking” it. The use of blended salads often results in bom- barding the digestive system with more bulk than can be comfortably or efficiently handled. Blending foods does not result in making them easier to digest. It does bypass the necessity for chewing, but the food arrives in the stomach without suffi- cient insalivation and without any signals for the secretion of the necessary gastric enzymes and digestive juices.

Even though I personally experienced serious digestion problems, relived by a 29-day fast in 1967, today I eat mountains of raw salad and experience no problems as a result. When my body signals I have had enough, I stop eating. I have exper- imented with the use of additional blended salads, with negative results—cramps and discomfort. Even if overt symptoms do not occur as a result of “stuffing” with blended salads, future problems may be incubating. Enjoy your salads in their most appetizing and healthful form—whole, succulent and delicious.

Why do you object to the use of hydroponic vegetables, and yet you approve the use of sprouts, which are also usually grown without soil or sunshine?

It is true that sprouts are also grown without soil or sunshine, but they are har- vested before there is a necessity for the nutrients provided by the soil or sunshine. If seeds are grown beyond the sprout stage (to maturity or near-maturity), it

becomes necessary to provide such nutrients. Hydroponic vegetables are provided with these nutrients through the use of chemicals added to the water in which they are grown.

How much dried fruit should be used as part of the regular Hygienic diet?

Most dried fruit is very sweet. Such concentrated sweets should be used spar- ingly. Fresh whole fruit is better food, and much more acceptable to the organism, especially in warm weather. In seasons when fresh fruit is not plentiful, or in cold weather when one may feel the need for some more concentrated food, dried fruit may be used in slightly greater quantities. We never use dried fruit more than once in the same day, sometimes not at all. A reasonable amount (used with fresh fruit and lettuce and/or celery at a fruit meal) would be six to eight medium dates, three to five medium figs, four to six medium soaked apricots, two or three tablespoons of raisins, etc. If occasionally used with salad only and no fresh fruit, the quanti-

ties could be increased to about half again as much, if well tolerated. Overeating of dried fruit can bring on symptoms of a cold.

If one never gets beyond a “transitional” food program, can improved health be expected?

Usually a transitional food program (eating less and eliminating all or most ani- mal products and all junk foods, and utilizing a large percentage of uncooked food) will result in some health improvement, but, after a certain plateau is reached, no further progress can be expected unless further improvements are initiated. If one expects significant health improvement, significant and continuing progress toward true Hygienic living is necessary. However, if a transitional food program is accom- panied by a regular, vigorous exercise program, and attention to the other facets of Hygienic living (unpolluted air; pure water; adequate rest and sleep; sun baths and air baths; mental and emotional poise; pleasant and secure environment; cre- ative, useful, rewarding activity; meaningful relationships with other people; per- sonal control and self-mastery; recreational activity; comfortable temperature; nat- ural light; moderation in all activities; and dealing with illness by rest and absti- nence from food, rather than the use of drugs and treatments) much greater progress toward optimal health can be achieved.

If serious problems exist, it is highly inadvisable to indulge in any compromise to true Hygienic living. An impaired organism should be offered only those foods which will provide maximum nutritional value in return for the work that must be performed in processing these foods.

Can people with conditions such as arthritis or high blood pressure be “cured” by changing to a strict Hygienic food program, using mostly raw food?

Hygienists do not believe there are any “cures”—Hygienists merely assist the body to heal itself. Most people who are really in trouble must start out with a, ther- apeutic fast (usually fourteen to thirty days). Pathological conditions may some- times respond to the change in diet, along with a regular, vigorous exercise program and other changes in lifestyle, provided drugs are not used. However, it may take a long time before any progress is observed. If the pathologies are serious and ag- gravated, the changes in diet and lifestyle will not accomplish the desired results within any reasonable length of time, if at all.

Article #1: Well, You Wanted To Know By V.V. Vetrano, B.S., D.C.

Are there any recommendations for variations in summer and winter diets?

Summer and winter diets must of necessity be slightly different because of the different varieties of fruits and vegetables that are available during these seasons. There are more varieties of fruit in summer than in winter. In the summer, one can rely solely on fresh fruit for carbohydrates whereas in the wintertime it may be nec- essary to use some dried fruit. In very cold climates one may increase the protein intake as protein has a tendency to cause more body heat to be manufactured thus keeping the person warm. Carbohydrates and fats also help produce more body heat but not to the extent as do protein foods.

What about dried foods and their needed soaking time?

Unsulfured dry fruits are good foods and may be eaten in the dry state, soaked or slightly rehydrated. However, when fresh fruits are available they should be used in preference to the dried.

To soak dried fruits, use distilled water only. Place them in a bowl rather than in a jar or glass and put only enough water for the fruit to soak up so there will be very little remaining when the fruit is ready to eat. Usually eight to twelve hours will be adequate soaking time for most dried fruits. Actually, you can suit yourself and stop the process by putting them in the refrigerator and by controlling the amount of water you place on them. If you like them very soft, then use a lot of water. If you prefer them a little more firm, then use less water.

I prefer a method I devised myself. Not liking the tasteless water left when soaking fruits the ordinary way, nor the tasteless fruit after it absorbed water, I de- cided to just barely rehydrate the fruit. First, wash the fruit, then rinse it in distilled water. Next, place the fruit one layer thick on a flat plate or tray with about one eighth of an inch of distilled water in it. Cover to keep the fruit damp. Turn the fruit occasionally when the top looks dry. In about two hours the fruit is a delicious chewy soft consistency-not too soggy nor too hard. I think fruits rehydrated in this manner are much more savory than the soggy mushy tasteless mass that they be- come when completely soaked. If you prefer more softness add more water and let them stand longer. Turn the fruit approximately every half hour so it can soak up a little more water. With this method no sugar is lost into the water, as the water is all consumed by the fruit, none being left over to sap out the sweetness and nutrients. If you like delicious chewiness, try rehydrating your fruits in this manner instead of soaking.

Article #2: Some Fundamentals Of Food And Feeding By Ian Fowler

What to Eat

Cooking Condiments

What to Eat

What to eat? Food! Fresh food! Natural foods. But what are natural foods? Cow’s milk, honey, polar bear liver? No! Natural foods are not only foods unchanged by artifice but foods natural to man, that is, “natural” in the same sense as “grass is natural food for cows.” Ideally our food should be palatable, unprocessed, uncooked and uncontaminat- ed with pollutants, synthetic flavors, condiments, dyes, pesticides, preservatives, heavy metals, nitrates, plasticizers, etc. Our food should consist largely of raw fruit and veg- etables, that is, food which is chemically and physically constituted in accord with our design or the “way we work best.” Evidence directly implicating refined carbohydrate food in the development of Western patterns of disease is now substantial and cogent. In particular a diet rich in refined carbohydrates is almost certainly a significant causative factor in appendicitis, varicose veins, diverticulosis, bowel cancer, coronary heart dis- ease, acne, diabetes, obesity, gallstones and piles.

Food is essentially composed of fiber, nutrients, flavor substances, water and poi- sons. The sugar-coated drug of a physician may be composed of the same classes of sub- stances as may tea, coffee, cocoa and medicinal herbs, but we can hardly glorify them as foods because the nature and quantity of poisons they contain detract greatly from their nutritional value. Even synthetic foods and cooked food containing all known nutrients will not support life over successive generations. Animals that only consume such food become progressively deformed and infertile with each generation. Such food has un- derstandably been called foodless food. Food is more than the sum of its constituents, for those are determined by destructive analytical techniques.

We should try to consume mostly living food that contains as little poison as pos- sible. All food contains both artificial and natural poisons. So don’t be discouraged if you discover that Brazil nuts contain oxalic acid. They do. Most fresh vegetable material

does. But little of the oxalic acid from it is absorbed. However, some vegetable material contains “potent” poisons, e.g. “medicinal” herbs; these should be avoided. We should aim to meet our nutritional needs, while consuming as little poison as possible.

Some foods—indeed almost all foods—are claimed, by somebody, as having “ther- apeutic qualities” or “healing forces.” If this were true, eating a mixed diet would con- stitute preventative treatment in the form of preemptive multiple cures! Indeed some “foods,” such as tea, coffee, cocoa, peppermint, foxglove, belladonna, are used as stim- ulants, diuretics, etc., for they contain potent poisons (drugs) and represent primitive medicines. Caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, atropine, digitalis, are drugs which can be isolated from the above herbal sources and their administration is followed by physi- ological changes similar to those which follow the consumption of their parent herb.

No sophistry about “mineral balance” or “radiations” can make poisonous herbs nonpoisonous or anything other than injurious. Many people have double standards concerning drug use, e.g. marijuana is bad, alcohol is okay. Many people in the alterna- tive health care fields have similar double standards. Tea and coffee are bad but pepper- mint and chamomile have “healing properties!” Similarly, some of the medical profes- sion are reluctant to relinquish the hope that alcohol, coffee or tea. etc. have “curative” values.

To speak of food and to use food as “medicine” is to transfer to food all the mis- conceptions about drugs; to replace the notion “drugs can fix you up” with “food can fix you up.” Food is material for use by the body, food does not do anything, it is done unto—digested, absorbed, metabolized. The consumption of a particular food or foods cannot substitute for the removal of poor foods from the diet or for the removal of non- dietary causes of disease such as cigarette smoking, lack of sleep, inactivity.

Advising the sick to change their diet is not necessarily advising diet therapy unless we think of “therapy” as everything a sick person does in the hope of getting well. This understanding of “therapy” obscures important distinctions. For example a few years ago the most common medical dietary recommendation to those with diverticulo- sis was “avoid coarse foods-they irritate the bowels.” Now that it is “proved” that lack of “coarse” foods “causes” diverticulosis, many physicians advise those with divertic- ulosis to “eat more coarse foods”—a complete about-face. The former dietary recom- mendation constituted “diet therapy,” for the aim was to reduce symptoms rather than to provide needs or to remove causes and so, like all therapies, made things worse. The older dietary recommendations were therapeutic, the Hygienic dietary recommendations provide the needs of the body and omit unfavorable factors. A diet change (even a Hy- gienic one) understood as “food medicine” or “diet therapy,” like drug therapy, blinds the sick and the well to the realization that the primary prerequisite for better health is the removal of the extra-bodily causes of disease. Applied to diet, this means that the avoidance of specific foods is usually more important to recovery than the eating of spe- cific foods.

Cooking

Overheard casual conversation:

“Doesn’t poor old Mrs. Jones look unwell.”

“Yes, the doctor says she’s malnourished.”

“Well, I suppose when you live alone you don’t feel like cooking for yourself.” This illustrates a common misconception: that “good nutrition” and cooking go

together. In general, cooking is undesirable. During cooking some nutrients are lost through oxidation, denaturation and leaching. In addition, some are converted to noxious substances, such as hydrocarbons and nitrosamines. Some nutrients are also converted to a variety of substances called secretagogues-substances so named because their pres- ence in the stomach, even in minute amounts, evokes a vigorous secretion. Some secre- tagogues are partly broken-down food elements, for example, peptones (from protein).

The upshot is that when cooked food is eaten, an untimely, excessive and inappropriate- ly constituted (e.g. too acid) digestive juice is poured into the stomach and intestine.

The process of denaturation and splitting of food elements which occurs when food is cooked is often unwittingly called “predigestion.” Cooking tends to “soften” the food, which encourages poor mastication and a whole train of consequences (see previously). Softened, denatured food moves slowly along and so tends to putrefy and ferment read- ily, especially if it is also refined and concentrated and not accompanied by a substantial amount of raw food. Cooking also tends to dehydrate the food, hence its consumption is frequently accompanied by thirst. This leads to drinking with meals and the drink is usually tea or sometimes fruit juice, which is frequently “incompatible” with the cooked food. Many popular methods of cooking, for example, boiling vegetables, result in the addition of aluminum from the pot and fluoride from the water. It has yet to be demon- strated that either of these elements is constructively involved in cellular life processes. Their, poisonous nature has been demonstrated repeatedly. Cooking also “drives off,” leaches and destroys the flavor substances and organic salts, hence encouraging:—

the consumption of foods that would be distasteful if eaten raw;
the addition of salt, condiments, monosodium glutamate, etc., to “add flavor.” It is conceivable that a particular raw food diet that is nutritionally inadequate may be improved by addition of certain cooked foods. For instance, a protein-deficient raw food diet may be improved by adding cooked meat or egg yolk. But an adequate and suitable raw food diet may be preferable. Condiments These tend to denature and precipitate enzymes and proteins, rendering enzymes in- effective and protein less digestible. Condiments are irritants which occasion an abnor- mal protective secretion of fluid and mucus instead of normal digestive fluids. Constant use of condiments leads to secretory impairment and insensitivity to flavor substances. So those who use condiments regularly, or smoke, or drink alcohol, cannot perceive the flavor nuances of raw salads and many fruits. So, commonly, raw food is called, “taste- less herbage” or “rabbit food”—unless that “rabbit food” is mutilated as coleslaw and/or polluted with oil, salt and vinegar—the very things that have led in part to the sensory deterioration. Common salt (sodium chloride) is perhaps the most frequently used condiment. In natural foods sodium and chloride ions are present in low concentrations and are avidly and easily absorbed. Providing the kidneys are in reasonable condition, they rapidly excrete all salt added to food. However, chronic intake of added salt leads to impaired ability to excrete it, with consequent fluid retention. Table salt is also implicated in the development of some forms of “high blood pressure.” In short, our so-called “mineral metabolism” works best on low intakes of sodium and chloride; so low, in fact, that a deficiency of these ele- ments cannot be produced simply by feeding natural foods, no matter how little sodium and chloride they contain. Indeed if you develop kidney failure, liver failure, heart fail- ure, or high blood pressure, a low-salt diet is medically recommended. Too late. Don’t wait; omit salt from your diet now. Article #3: Vegetable Salads By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton A large raw vegetable salad with each dinner is one of the most important elements of the diet. As a preventive of disease, it is far superior to all the vaccines and serums ever devised. Salad eating, at least in this country, is a recent innovation and had its origin

among those who have been dubbed food faddists. The addition of a suitable salad to a meal always improves the nutritional value of the meal.

At the turn of the century cooking was much worse than now and the diet more gross-flesh, bread and potatoes or beans three times a day, with an assortment of side dishes, cakes, pies, etc., that would have made a meal for a 600-pound boar, all jum- bled together in the most abominable combinations. It was an era when a flesh, bread and potato diet with such accessory foods as butter, cream, mayonnaise, sugar and sweet desserts were the most common reliance of the people. Fresh fruits and vegetables were scarce in the diet.

At that time the medical profession was horrified at the thought of eating uncooked fruits and vegetables. There were germs on them! “There are typhoid germs on all un- cooked vegetables.” But under the leadership of the “cranks,” “faddists” and “quacks” the people took to eating these raw foods, and as the fresh foods entered the diet the germs vanished. No typhoid resulted from eating these germ-laden foods. Today, even the most bacteriophobic physicians eat these foods uncooked, the only food they refuse to eat without first heat-sterilizing is milk. (It also supposedly contains typhoid and tu- bercular germs.)

Although popular eating is less gross than formerly, people still overeat. They have relieved their stomachs and bowels to some extent but have thrown the burden on the liver, pancreas and ductless glands. Today the people are eating far more raw (uncooked) fruits and vegetables. Lettuce, cucumbers, celery, apples, strawberries, citrus fruits, etc., are raised in enormous quantities and shipped by trainloads to all parts of the country. Trainloads of lettuce are now raised where wheelbarrow-loads were formerly raised.

Until well within the lifetime of the author the medical profession advised never to eat “raw” fruits and vegetables because of the germs they carried. Not until it was dis- covered that raw fruits and vegetables were the best sources of vitamins did they cease to warn against the germ-laden uncooked fruits and vegetables. (And this discovery came only after the profession was forced to recognize that people were getting well on diets of uncooked fruits and vegetables.) Indeed, they are still issuing the old warning when one goes into Mexico, India, China and elsewhere.

For physicians to have told their patients to accompany their beefsteak with a large combination salad of uncooked, non-starchy vegetables would have subjected them to ridicule. It would have been too easy for the people to trace the advice to its source in the hated diets of the faddists. So, they retired to their laboratories and came up with the discovery (the faddists had beaten them to the discovery) that the virtues of such a meal are due to the vitamin content of uncooked foods.

At those mutual admiration gatherings of physicians, called conventions, much is said, between smoking and drinking bouts, about diet, but in practice, the subject is avoided like the plague. It is a safe estimate that no less than 90% of the medical pro- fession is giving no attention to diet, other than to ape popular sentiment on the sub- ject. Many of them “believe in diet,” but, as with the weather, they “do nothing about it.” Every day the sick tell me that their physicians have advised them to eat what they please—that food has nothing to do with sickness.

One can listen to a physician talk loud and learnedly about vitamins, amino acids, food blends, calories, etc., and easily become persuaded that he knows what he is talking about. This is a mistake. The garrulousness of the profession is an acquired habit in the effort to see how much they can say about a subject of which they know nothing. Whole libraries of technical literature bear witness to their success.

The present-day hospital is a chuck-house, overfeeding its inmates on the same kinds of “good nourishing foods” that filled the hospitals in our grandfather’s day. In these in- stitutions there is no “newer knowledge of nutrition.” Feeding a person who is said to be starving on such things as gelatin, alcohol, beef, tea, puddings, white bread, canned fruits and vegetables, pasteurized milk and such is a sure way of guaranteeing that the starvation shall be continued and accentuated.

To supplement a diet of this kind with vitamin pills and expect the patient to be well- nourished is the height of the ridiculous. Sooner or later the misled people are going to discover that vitamin pills are not satisfactory substitutes for uncooked fruits and veg- etables. The medical profession resisted the effort to popularize the uncooked diet and science came forth with vitamin pills as a substitute, but the results of the pills have not been satisfactory. Vitamins should come from the orchard and garden, not from the drug store.

Nature turns out her products in a state of physiological balance and when we eat our foods as she produces them, they are not sources of trouble. But when we extract portions of her products, as when sugar is extracted from cane or beet or white flour is extracted from wheat, we eat an artificial product that is out of balance, lacking in many of the essentials of nutrition. The remedy for such a state of affairs is to eat whole, that is, unprocessed, unrefined and uncooked foods grown on fertile soil.

Vegetarianism comes in for much criticism and condemnation from the medical pro- fession, which knows nothing about the subject of diet. When vegetarianism is defined as a system of diet that excludes flesh and the matter is allowed to rest there, with no well-defined rational or scientific adjustments of foods to the needs of the well and the sick, it can and will turn in many dietetic failures. When commercialism is permitted to force upon vegetarians a decided cereal bias, so that grains are prepared in many differ- ent ways to appeal to the palates of vegetarians, the vegetarian diet becomes decidedly unwholesome. Fortunately, in more recent years vegetarians have taken more avidly to uncooked nonstarchy vegetables and to fresh fruits. Among the health-conscious vege- tarians, at least, better eating practices are in vogue.

A salad of uncooked, non-starchy vegetables should accompany every protein and every starch meal. The common practice of eating shrimp salad, potato salad and similar salads will not suffice. Indeed, such dishes hardly merit the name salad. The salad should consist of such foods as lettuce, celery, cucumbers, green and red peppers (the nonpun- gent varieties), cabbage, tomatoes and other non-starchy vegetables. These foods should be served fresh and without salt, vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise or dressings of any kind. Such “foods” are not recommended for salads nor to be eaten in any other way. Toma- toes should form part of the salad only when starches are not part of the meal.

To assure a plentiful supply of minerals and vitamins, a large salad, as suggested above, should accompany each protein and each carbohydrate meal. The customary sal- ad consisting of two leaves of wilted lettuce and a slice of half-ripe tomato, topped off with a radish or pickled olive and a spoonful of greasy foul-tasting salad dressing, is not only unwholesome but does not meet the vitamin and mineral needs of a canary. A salad should be part of the most enjoyable food of a meal and will be if proper choices of salad materials are made.

Reprinted from the Hygienic Review

Article #4: Hypoalkalinity By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton

Acidosis is the term misapplied to a lessened alkalinity of the body fluids. The fluids of the body are normally slightly alkaline. A lowering of the alkalinity of these fluids is more properly termed hypoalkalinity. Acidosis or hypoalkalinity is defined as a con- dition characterized by a deficiency of fixed alkalies in the body, which leads to an in- creased production of ammonia in the urine and a high acidity.

Acidosis is not acid blood, for the blood never becomes acid during life. An alkaline blood and lymph is necessary to life and health and for the blood to even reach the point of neutrality would cause speedy death.

The normal ratio between the alkalies and acids of the body is approximately 80 to 20—80% alkali and 20% acid. This proportion is maintained in balance by the so-called “buffer salts”—sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium—from which either side may draw as need arises. When this “buffer” or “balance wheel” is in normal order any

excess of acids in the body is promptly neutralized. It is only when there is a deficiency of these salts that troubles may arise. A shortening of the relationship between these is wrongly termed acidosis.

The body will not tolerate any free acid for a minute, except in the stomach during the process of digestion. All acids are instantly “bound,” by being combined with alka- lies, to render them harmless. The body makes use of every resource at its command to preserve its alkalinity for the reason that its cells can thrive only in an alkaline medium and cannot possibly thrive in an acid medium.

Since we supply acids and alkalies to our bodies through food, the matter of a balan- ce between acid foods and alkali or base foods is important. If an excessive amount of acid food is eaten, the blood is forced to draw upon its alkaline reserve, its “buffer salts,” in order to maintain its normal alkalinity. When we have taken more acid into the body than we can “bind” without sacrificing some of the bases of the tissues, blood alkalinity falls below the normal level and we have hypoalkalinity or acidosis.

Every food eaten leaves behind it an ash after it has been used by the body. The ash is either acid or alkaline. Eating too much acid-ash food, or eating it over long periods of time, results in storing acid-ash in the cells and in depleting the body of its alkaline reserve.

Acid-ash foods are all meats, eggs, cheese, milk (in adults), all cereals and cereal products, legumes (except in the green state), nuts, and all denatured foods of all kinds. Denatured foods have been robbed of their bases.

The alkaline-ash foods are fruits (except cranberries, prunes and some plums), all green vegetables and milk (in infants). Fats and oils are classed as neutral foods.

Severe acidosis may be produced experimentally by deficient diets, but such severe states are seldom met with in life, except in famine. Maignon has repeatedly shown that an exclusive protein diet is positively toxic even in the carnivora. Whipple, Slyke, Birkn- er, and Berg have shown the same thing.

The medical administration of acids, such as salicylic acid (often in aspirin), benzoic acid, boric acid, sulphuric acid, etc., leads to a dangerous loss of bases, for these acids can be rendered harmless and subsequently eliminated only after being combined with alkaline elements. Hydrochloric acid, prescribed by physicians in supposed gastric hy- poacidity, also leaches the body of its bases and aids in producing acidosis.

Free acetic acid, as found in vinegar, if consumed in quantities, may lead to symp- toms of acid poisoning. It is even more injurious to health than alcohol. The body is called upon to sacrifice its bases to neutralize the acid, while it has a particularly de- structive effect upon the red corpuscles and may produce anemia.

A diet poor in bases, or food that has been robbed of its bases, has the same delete- rious effects. The meat diet, as used in civilized countries, is of this type. An exclusive muscle-meat diet, when fed to dogs, will not maintain health and growth. If dogs are fed on meat from which the juices have been expressed, “emaciation ensues after a time, toxic symptoms set in, death speedily follows, and post-mortem examination shows in the skeleton changes characteristic of osteomalacia and osteoporosis.” (Osteomalacia is softening of the bones; Osteoporosis is the rarefication—decrease in density—of bone due to enlargement of its cavities or the formation of new spaces.)

Article #5: Sprouts And Sprouting by H. Jay Dinshah

I was very interested to read the article by Dr. Vetrano on sprouts in the September issue of the Hygienic Review, and there is much “food for thought” in it. However, I cannot agree with the conclusions drawn, apparently largely based on the letter from “N.P.” These are totally inconsistent with the facts given in Ford Heritage’s book that he cites as his authority.

On page 1 of the book Composition & Facts About Foods, Heritage specifically points out that dashes given in place of numbers in his tables do not mean zero nutriment

contents: “In some cases information was not available at the time of assembling this material. This is indicated in the tables by a dash (-). It is hoped that such missing in- formation may be forthcoming at a future time.” N.P. has totally misquoted these in his letter, rendering the dashes instead, as “0”; this is not as they appear in the book, for in each and every case cited (pages 26-27, soybeans) Heritage lists the missing ingredients with a dash (-), meaning simply that such information was not available to him. This is not surprising, with the interest in sprouts being a fairly recent phenomenon, and with not much of this interest in the orthodox circles from which Heritage drew his informa- tion. Clearly, then, the supposedly vanished elements have not “gone anywhere”; they simply have been unlisted due to lack of that specific information.

But let us look at the supposed “loss of Vitamin B” which Dr. Vetrano has men- tioned. I refer exclusively to Heritage’s tables, these being the sole expert or factual source cited by either Dr. Vetrano or N.P. We must realize that in the process of sprout- ing, the dried out (and in that state, virtually inedible) seed has been returned to a viable condition, through restoration of its lost moisture. In the specific case of soybeans, some additional water has been absorbed (as it naturally would be from damp earth), to re- constitute the seed to somewhat more than the percentage of water found in the original fresh soybean. The water content percentages are: fresh, 60.2%; dried, 10.0%; sprouts, 86.5%. This water content is the missing key that has eluded both Dr. Vetrano and N.P., and led them to jump to faulty conclusions about “missing vitamins.”

If we began with (for example) a single ounce of dried soybeans (seeds), and then reconstituted the water through soaking and sprouting, we would then have a total food weight of approximately six ounces of soy sprouts. The dry (non-water) material present would originally have been 90% of one ounce, or .9 oz. It would still remain roughly 9 oz., but would now be distributed throughout six ounces of food, the balance being the added water content. Percentagewise, all nutriments but water will have been cut by a factor of 6:1, but they have not “gone anywhere”; they are still there as before. Dry ma- terial would now be about 14% of the total, compared with 90% of the old dry weight. Using the factor of 6:1 as a convenient round figure, we proceed.

About of the actual weight of fat has been burned up, as “fuel” for the new life; this is of insignificant nutritional content for the purposes of this discussion. The calcium con- tent, which was 226, should now have dropped to about 38 (mgs. per 100 gm. portion); but we note it is listed by Heritage as 48. Clearly, we have no net loss of calcium. There is some loss of iron and phosphorus noted in the chart, the iron content being slightly less than expected, and the phosphorus about 2/3 of what could reasonably be expected from the 6:1 dilution. So we may have lost 1/3 of the phosphorus.

Let’s look at the feared Vitamin B losses. This is very revealing: it is exactly the op- posite! Thiamine (B-1) was 1.10 mgs. per 100 grams; now diluted at 6:1 with water, it must be around .18, but is in fact listed at .23, a gain of over a quarter of the original amount present. Riboflavin (B-2) is listed originally (dry state) as .31; in 6:1 dilution with water it should be .05. But it has a shot up to .20, indicating four times the net amount of riboflavin as compared to the original amount in the dry 1 oz. of seed.

Percentagewise the concentration in the 6 oz. of food has dropped to 2/3 of the for- mer content, but we nevertheless have a total amount of Vitamin B-2 that is 400% of the original amount.

Niacin is listed at 2.2 mgs. originally, which would theoretically be diluted by sprout- ing to less than .4 mgs. But again the reverse is true, for the figure is .8 for the 6:1 water- diluted sprouts, showing a doubling of total niacin present in the six ounces of sprouts, as compared with original content in the 1 ounce of seeds. Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) content is unavailable in Heritage’s charts, for the dry state, but Dr. Vetrano admits that this is increased. It is not, however, the “only vitamin increased.” The Vitamin A con- tent was originally given as 80 international units per 100 grams edible portion. In the sprouts it is still 80 units per 100 gms., but remember that we now have six ounces of sprouts, thus we have SIX TIMES the original net international units of Vitamin A; even

though the percentage would still be identical to the former percentage, we have nonthe- less six times the available quantity of nourishment in regard to this important vitamin.

I hasten to add that these additional net amounts of vitamins did not have to “come from somewhere” outside the seed; it can easily be understood as a matter of natural processes of rearranging molecules and compounds, synthesizing relatively nonuseful raw materials into more useful (for human nutrition) materials. The same thing occurs within the intestines of humans, producing B-12, for instance.

Protein content must also be taken in the light of the same 6:1 formula, allowing for the great increase in water content to bring the seed to its viable and edible condition. Thus, we had a figure of 34.1% dry protein, now 6.2% for the sprouted soybean. Yet, we see no complaints that most of our protein has vanished into thin air, or been leached out through osmosis. It has gone nowhere at all; it is simply comparing the same amount to a percentage of 1 oz. or a percentage of 6 oz. of total food. An analogy of this apparent paradox of “vanishing nutriments” is seen among the legumes as well. Dried peas and beans are often cited as having enormous protein contents, based upon hasty scanning of charts listing dry weight. This makes them a very good buy, dollar wise. But when reconstituted with water to make them edible, of course, the content of protein is frac- tionated along with everything else, rendering them a fairly good source of protein (per- centagewise), but certainly no “super-food” in protein content. Similarly, dry seeds can be a good value, as you add water yourself; if you buy presprouted seeds, you pay for convenience, as 5/6 of what you buy is water. Perhaps we shouldn’t mind this, as much of the Natural Hygienic food (such as fruits and salad items) is largely water anyway.

In regard to overpricing among health-food sources of seeds, it should be noted that the cheap open-market seeds sold for flour-making (for example) often are so stale they will not sprout at all, or at least have a high proportion of “dead” seeds. Freshness is very important; organic growing without sprays may also account for some of the additional cost. If N.P. can buy seeds at 1/5 the price in small quantities, which are equal in qual- ity for sprouting purposes, we would be delighted to learn of his source. We do not sell them, but we do use them, and would be glad to save even more on sprouting.

We can see no major objection to Dr. Vetrano’s method of sprouting seeds in white sand, but it should be noted that this would add nothing to the nutritional value of the sprouts either; the sand would merely act as a holder for the sprouts and the moisture; it might also be difficult to separate the grit from the sprouts. We feel the sprouter-jar method is cleaner in this respect, and see no drawback in having sprouts that are curled instead of straight. This probably comes about from tumbling in the jar, preventing the sprouts from consistently growing in the same direction. This would have nothing to do with nutrition.

So, to summarize: the vitamins do not “go anywhere”; they are manufactured by these busy little new lives from cruder materials within the seeds themselves, apparently. There is no vitamin loss in terms of net material available for human consumption, and it is a fallacy to use the dry material percentage of vitamins as a yardstick without allow- ing for the six-fold increase in water content. Allowing for this, there is a fair to tremen- dous increase in Vitamins A, B-1, B-2, niacin, and C, properly disregarding the specious dry seed percentage which is not available to us in that state. Otherwise, obviously you could say the same criticism of any natural food. One could take, say, bananas, dry them out, and say that the dry bananas are so much more nutritious than natural bananas. This ignores the fact that if you eat the dry food, you must then drink correspondingly greater amounts of water to supply your body’s moisture needs, and you would then be right back where you started!

As we have noted, there is some loss of nutriment by osmosis if seeds are soaked. We have already experimented with utilizing only the proper amount of water in presoak- ing of seeds for sprouting, so that all the water is absorbed into the seeds. This would preclude any possibility of osmotic loss into the water, of any nutriment; and we are now advising fellow Hygienists to follow this simple precaution to avoid the possibility

of such loss. We thank Dr. Vetrano for drawing our attention to this possibility, but this should satisfy that sole objection to the use of the sprouts.

Regarding N.P.’s objection to sprouts being grown “without any sunshine,” this is simply not true of the better sprouting methods. Sprouts are generally grown in subdued light for the first 2 or 3 days, corresponding to the germination period in the earth; but it is advocated that they be placed in at least indirect sunlight (skylight) for the last day or so, and this is analogous to the new shoot peeping up through the earth. At this time, it turns green and begins the chlorophyll photosynthesis chemical reactions, exactly as any new plant would. I trust this will all help to dispel any fears that any fellow Hygien- ists may have about possible “vitamin losses” through sprouting. As we have shown, all vitamins cited experience a moderate to great increase through sprouting, in terms of amounts available for humans.

Editor’s Notes: When harmony and cooperation are urgently needed for the advance- ment and good of Natural Hygiene, why should the leaders demonstrate contention and a lack of the poise stressed in the pedagogy of Hygiene? Why split hairs over the method of sprouting seeds?

Soy beans, being subject to spoilage, must obviously do better when sprouted over well-dampened sand. A method which lessens soaking and rinsing of seeds seems de- sirable. Since eye appeal is advocated in serving food, why not have straight, green, hearty-looking sprouts? Dr. Vetrano says the sand readily leaves the sprouts when water is poured over them, and if necessary, the sprouts are dipped up and down in the water for a moment. Until the method is tested, why not withhold contradiction and accept her discovery?

In actual practice, much of the sprouting is done away from the light.

To compare bananas, which must be dried artificially, with beans, which are dry nat- urally in the ripening process, seems a poor analogy.

We can be thankful that a natural process makes food appropriated by cereal grass- eating animals, along with other seeds, acceptable to the human digestive system. But, while enjoying this fascinating bonus viand more or less frequently, we’ll depend for our sustenance chiefly—added to fruits, nuts and non-sprouted seeds—on the broad leaves and other fresh green vegetables from the garden (organic, we hope), because of their free exposure to air, soil and sunlight.

What a marvelous full provision we have in the Hygienists’ diet, unspoiled by cook- ing and processing.

Elegant simplicity!

Article #6: The Marvelous Avocado

How To Combine Avocados

How Much And How Often Should You Eat Avocados? The Economics Of Avocado Eating

How To Buy And Ripen Avocados

Varieties Of Avocados

How To Prepare And Serve Avocados

How to buy and ripen them. How to prepare, combine and service them. Important considerations as an item of diet.

“The avocado is Nature’s butter!” I’ve heard this comment from several lovers of this fine food. And many of them use it just as if it were butter, spreading it on cooked potatoes, bread and other foods. Needless to say, cooked foods are less wholesome in the diet than unfired foods. Also, avocado does not combine well with all foods. Digestive problems and poor health result from eating a rich food like avocado in incompatible combinations.

Yes, avocado does have a consistency much like butter and is far more wholesome than butter. But it should be thought of as a food in itself and not as a butter substitute.

Many Hygienists/Life Scientists are confused about how to combine avocado with other foods. Some food combining charts show it as both a fat and a protein while other charts show it as a fruit of a very special character, a fruit in a category by itself. Some Hygienists combine avocados with other fruits. We’ll try to clear up this confusion.

How To Combine Avocados

The avocado is made up of the same basic elements as nuts. Both contain a large amount of fat and protein. Even though both are technically fruits, we treat them differ- ently and separately from other fruits because their dietetic character is determined by their heavy protein/fat content. Therefore, avocados should be treated like nuts in food combinations.

The main difference between avocados and nuts is that avocados are about 75 per- cent water and nuts contain very little water, only three to five percent. For example, let’s compare the avocado with the pecan. Except for the difference in water content, these foods are almost identical in make-up. There are two other differences that are worth considering, too:

Avocado is alkaline in metabolic reaction and the pecan acid. As you may know, no more than 10 to 20 percent of your diet should be acid-forming foods such as nuts and seeds. The remaining 80 to 90 percent should be alkaline foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. The more alkaline and few acid foods in your diet, the better.
Theavocadohasabroaderrangeofnutrientsthandoesthepecan.Weareverytempted to tell you the number of calories, percentage of fat and carbohydrates, grams of protein, milligrams of Vitamin C, etc. of these two foods. We have these figures at our finger- tips in the USDA’s book, Composition of Foods (Handbook No. 8). But Life Scientists eating an abundance of fresh whole fruits, vegetables and nuts don’t need to get bogged down in figures. We get as much as we need of everything we need because we don’t lose nutrients from cooking and otherwise processing our foods. Despite its broader range of nutrients and its alkaline-forming character in the diet that make it preferable to nuts and seeds, avocado should not necessarily always be eaten in place of pecans and other nuts and seeds. It is good to eat a wide variety of foods over days, weeks and months. This assures a variety of nutrients as well as a more interesting diet. We should eat nuts with green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers and other non- starchy raw veggies. The same is true for avocados. We should eat them with lettuce, celery and such non-sugar fruits as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. How Much And How Often Should You Eat Avocados? Avocados should not be eaten to excess because we would get too much fat and pro- tein if we ate too many. One-half of one a day or one every two or three days is enough. They should be the only protein/fat food at the meal and the only protein meal of the day. It is not necessary for most people to eat a protein/fat meal every day. The high energy level and leanness that go along with a diet relatively low in fat and protein is desirable. However, we do require a small amount of the essential fatty acids that are abundant in avocados and nuts. If you have nuts or seeds, three to four ounces is the most that should be eaten in a day. If you choose avocado, one average-size one is a reasonable serving portion. In fat and protein content, one medium avocado is equivalent to about one and a half to two ounces of nuts. Many people feel more satisfied after eating an avocado than such a small amount of nuts or seeds. This is very much in the avocado’s favor because we

are better off healthwise with less fat and protein in our diet and more sugar-containing fruits. We should get most of the energy (calories) we need from sugar-containing fruits, not from nuts, seeds or avocados. This is true even if you do heavy labor. Our fuel re- quirements are best met from carbohydrates, namely sugar-containing fruits.

The Economics Of Avocado Eating

Avocados average about 69 cents each throughout their season, sometimes being a dollar each out of season (winter—December-February) and as little as 49 cents each at the height of the season. They are not the most economical food. Sunflower seeds are a much better buy. But I personally prefer avocados over nuts because taste and ultimate wholesomeness are my primary considerations in buying food.

How To Buy And Ripen Avocados

If you buy avocados on a weekly basis it is best to buy hard green ones. They will become somewhat soft to the touch and dark colored when they’re ripe. There will be no hard spots. They will ripen in about two to four days at room temperature. If too many become ripe at once, you may refrigerate them one to three days without much further ripening or deterioration. However, avocados do deteriorate rapidly once they’ve ripened. For this reason it isn’t wise to buy avocados that have already ripened in the store unless you plan to eat them the day of purchase.

Good avocados have a consistent yellow-green color throughout. If part of the flesh has turned grey, black or brown, cut out those portions. If the taste isn’t great, don’t eat it. In time you will become an expert at picking out good avocados and knowing how to ripen and store them.

Varieties Of Avocados

We have been describing the Hass avocado, which is the most popular type on the market. But there are other varieties, none of which compare well with the Hass in flavor. The Fuerte variety is probably second best to Hass avocados. Bacon avocados are also sometimes available. Bacon and Fuerte avocados have smoother skins than the Hass, much less flavor, usually, and a higher water content and less fat and protein. For instance, Hass has about 75 percent water content and other varieties may have around 83 percent.

How To Prepare And Serve Avocados

The avocado may be prepared and served in many ways. One of the favorite ways is to serve it on the half shell, spooning out the flesh. Just cut the avocado in half length- wise, cutting around the pit. Then remove the pit with the point of your sharp knife.

Another method for serving avocado is to quarter it around the pit and then twist off the quarters and remove the pit from the final quarter in the same way it is removed from a half. Next remove the skin from each quarter. The sections may be served on a platter along with other salad vegetables, or they may be cubed into a cut-up salad. Many peo- ple make cut-up salads and simply spoon the flesh of the avocado out of half-shells into the salad bowl.

Yet others make guacamole with avocado by mashing it and possibly adding toma- toes. Or they make a dressing by blending it with tomatoes and other veggies. Gua- camole and salad dressings made with condiments such as garlic, cayenne, onions, etc. are not wholesome because of the irritating and poisonous nature of these seasonings.

Avocados are becoming a part of the diet of many Americans. This is good, as the avocado is a delicous, creamy-textured fruit that provides wholesome nutrition. If you’re not already an avid avo fan, try out this wonderful food!

Preparing And Serving Foods For Best Nourishment, Part I

Lesson 26 - Preparing And Serving Foods For Best

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