food

Based on a traditional recipe for ginger beer, I created this drink for the first part of Cura Romana Journey. But it was such a hit that every one (including me) just kept using it even long after the program was over. Sometimes I use only half a liter of water instead of a full liter, then top up just before serving with half a liter of sparkling water. My Orange Ginger Beer keeps for three days in the fridge. WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE ORANGE GINGER BEER RECIPE 50–100g of fresh ginger root, grated finely—preferably with a ginger grater—depending on how strong a ginger flavor you like. 1 liter of spring water (only half a liter if you plan when serving it to add fizzy water) Stevia to taste (see below) 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon The juice of 1 large freshly-squeezed orange 1 tablespoon of finely-shredded orange zest HERE’S HOW TO MAKE ORANGE GINGER BEER Place the grated ginger and the water in a blender or food processor. Add the stevia and the cinnamon and blend. Stir in the orange juice and zest. Put in the refrigerator for 24 hours so the flavors meld. Strain, then chill for another hour. Pour over ice to serve. I use Spoonable Stevia by Stevita or several drops of Wisdom Natural SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia in Lemon Drop flavor which I order direct from iHerb.com who ship ultra-fast worldwide. STEVITA:SPOONABLE STEVIA Stevita Spoonable Stevia uses only stevia extract with at least 95% pure glycosides (extremely sweet tasting ingredients of the Stevia herb leaves), and erythritol, a crystal granulated naturally produced filler found in fruits, vegetables and grains. Buy Stevita English Toffee Stevia All Natural, Zero Calories, Dietary Supplement. SweetLeaf liquid stevia with all natural flavors is convenient and easy to use. As a supplement, add nutritious stevia to water, tea, coffee, milk, sparkling water, protein shakes, plain yogurt or anything else you can imagine.. Buy English Toffee Stevia ORDERING FROM IHERB.COM: They ship all over the world very cheaply, and their products are the cheapest and best in the world. Get your order sent to you via DHL. I use them for almost everything no matter where I am.

2500 years ago Hippocrates, the father of medicine, pointed out that “All diseases are crises of purification—toxic elimination.”  The entire basis of natural medicine is based on his declaration. If Hippocrates knew the massive onslaught of toxicity that we face today, he would have turned over in his grave.  I don’t think he could have imagined it in his worst nightmare.  100,000 new chemicals In the last 80 years, more than 100,000 new chemicals have turned up in our environment. More than 95% of these have never even been tested. 4000 of them have been added to our foods.  The average child is exposed to 3.5 ounces of these chemicals every day of its life. These dangerous substances are taken into our own bodies as well, in even greater amounts. The average adult now carries more than 700 times the levels of toxic chemicals, heavy metals and pollutants than our grandparents were exposed to. Where do they come from?  From the manufactured fast foods and packaged convenience foods we buy in our supermarkets.  From herbicides and pesticides sprayed on our foods. From (PCBs), aromatic hydrocarbons and even flame retardants in the clothes we buy, as well as hundreds of other sources.   These toxic chemicals do not degrade.  They accumulate in the environment and pollute the food chain, undermining human health to a degree that has never before been seen.  Yet we keep eating manufactured foods, and we keep giving them to our children.  Then we wonder why we become ill. Too often we turn to conventional medicine which tells us we should take powerful pharmaceutical drugs that can only suppress symptoms temporarily while polluting our bodies with yet more toxicity.  Is there a possible end to all of this?  Are we able to protect ourselves and our children? Can We Protect Ourselves It’s not easy but the answer is yes.  We can. If we are serious about clearing all this toxicity from our bodies and restoring health to ourselves. bringing this about can be faster than you may ever have imagined.  We need to make changes in what we eat.  It starts with a return to REAL foods—foods grown on healthy soils.  If you have a garden, start planting organic vegetables and fruits.  If you live in an apartment, start growing sprouted seeds and grains in jars in your kitchen window.  Then search for a source of organic vegetables and fruits near you and clear your cupboards of manufactured foods altogether.  Next, eat half of your foods raw, and make sure they are organically grown.  The protein foods you buy should come from animals that have been naturally farmed—eggs from free-range, organic chickens, and meats from healthy animals that have been grazed on green grass.  If you eat fish, make sure they are wild. Never eat the farmed fish. They have been raised on waste products you do not want to take into your body.  Educate your friends, your children to question every advertisement they see on television.  People are smart if you give them a chance. All they need is a little encouragement to voice their opinion about what is true and what is fraudulent.  And if you Start now, in three months’ time the difference in your health will astound you.

In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Jacob Marley, Scrooge's dead partner, appears to him as a ghost: `You don't believe in me', observed the Ghost. `I don't', said Scrooge. `What evidence would you have of my reality beyond that of your senses?' `I don't know', said Scrooge. `Why do you doubt your senses?' `Because', said Scrooge, `a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheat. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!' Scrooge was right. Biochemical changes brought about by what you eat, how well you eat, and how often you eat, can affect your brain and alter consciousness enough in some people to produce imaginary fears—even hallucinations—not to mention depression and anxiety as well as chronic fatigue and chronic insomnia. The very worst of the body snatchers are the sugars in their myriad of forms. More about this in a moment. Meanwhile, everybody knows that fruit contain a kind of sugar known as fructose. Does this mean we should ban fruit from the table? GOOD FOOD BAD RAP Somehow fruits seen to have have earned themselves a bad name. Why? Because fruits contain fructose—fruit sugar. Nonetheless, it’s fructose that gives glorious organic navel oranges, blueberries, apples, and golden kiwis their marvelous sweetness. And the right amount of organically grown, whole fruits do as lot to keep us well. Fruit plays an important part in any high-raw way of eating. These colorful gifts of nature cleanse the body of the toxicity we absorb from our environment, the water we drink and the dreadful packaged convenience foods people eat. That’s why fruits are so valuable to any serious detox program. So what’s the problem with fructose? First of all, there is evidence which indicates that people who eat too much fruit can make themselves vulnerable to chronic problems like insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity. And this is important. For most fruits we eat today contain between 30 and 50 times the amount of fructose compared to the fruit our hunter-gatherer forefathers munched on. This has come about because, during the 20th century, enormous hybridization projects continue to make fruits sweeter and sweeter. As a result, not only has the incidence of chronic illnesses—from heart disease and diabetes to cancer and mental disorders—exploded in developed countries: So has our consumption of sugar in its many forms—of which fructose is one. WHERE DO YOU STAND If you are someone with high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, insulin or leptin resistance or hypertension, then it is best to limit your fruit intake so you only get, say, 15 grams of fructose a day. How do you do this? Choose your fruits carefully so that most of them are low-fructose. If you do not fall into these categories, you should be able to eat a lot more fruit and have it do you nothing but good. That is, of course, provided the fruits you choose are organic and therefore not sprayed with chemicals. Make sure they have not been GMO grown. Under no circumstances do you want to put genetically modified foods of any kind into your body. All GMO crops are dangerous, despite all the corporate hype designed to make us think otherwise. BIG CONTRADICTIONS But findings about the effects of fruit eating are contradictory, to say the least. The British Medical Journal published three observational studies that examined the effects of fruit-eating on human health. These studies analyzed the diets of almost 200,000 people between 1984 and 2008—none of whom had indications of heart disease, diabetes or cancer when the studies began. On completion, the studies indicated that, far from fruits predisposing us to degenerative diseases, some fruits including grapes, blueberries and apples may actually reduce the risk of diabetes. This is great news and somewhat unexpected, since apples and grapes contain a lot of fructose. But beware. Drinking juices made from these fruits that are bought rather than being homemade from fresh produce do contribut to the development of the same diseases that eating whole fruit can help prevent. Steer clear of all packaged and tinned fruit juices and fruit drinks. DEVIL IN DISGUISE One aspect of fructose is as dangerous as hell—high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The ultimate body snatcher it is. If you value your health and the health of your children you’ll want to avoid it at all costs. But avoiding it is not easy. HFCS is added to just about every packaged food and drink you buy. So read every label on every packaged food or drink you buy and reject every food or drink containing it. HFCS is deadly stuff. A highly processed form of liquid sugar extracted by a nasty chemical solvent called glutaraldehyde, is not only HFCS frequently contaminated with mercury. Putting it into the body is a major cause of obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and mood disorders, and hyperactivity in children. High-fructose corn syrup is similar in composition to sucrose, with levels of around 45% glucose to 55% fructose. And, as with sucrose, its harmful effects are concealed from view. It does not raise blood sugar, as it is processed by the liver. There it promptly turns into fat. In 1978, HFCS was brought in as a substitute for sugar in soft drinks. This quickly became a real game-changer, but not in a good way. By the year 2000, sugar consumption in America increased by 25 pounds per person per year, nearly ALL of it in the form of HFCS. These days the average American consumes a massive 35 pounds of HFCS each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It’s no coincidence that the obesity rate in the US has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. SNEAKY AND SINISTER You’ll find HFCS in thousands of grocery items, even in places you might never suspect—such as pizza sauce, salad dressings, foods from sodas, drinks and sweets to sauces, breads, and delicatessen foods like smoked salmon, luncheon meats and salami. Farcically, HFCS is often labeled "all natural" because fructose is found in fruit—even though it is mass-factory-produced, using a process which dramatically increases the fructose content of corn syrup. Fructose in these protucts bears little resemblance to fructose found in fresh fruit. It also lacks the fiber, antioxidants and nutrients found in fresh fruit. As pediatric specialist and childhood obesity expert Robert Lustig puts it, high-fructose corn syrup is “a poison all by itself”. Lustig doesn’t distinguish between plain sugar and HFCS when it comes to health perils—they are “equally dangerous”, he insists, like two sides of the same coin. And what’s so insidious about HFCS is that it is sold to the public as a “healthy alternative” to regular sugar. You should avoid it at all costs. MY OWN FRUIT EXPERIMENT Most of you know that I am a passionate fan of organic raw food and have been for almost half a century. A high-raw way of eating in my mid-twenties healed me from so many illnesses contracted as a result of being raised on junk food throughout most of my unpredictable childhood. A few weeks ago, Aaron and I decided to experiment by returning to being on an all-raw fruits and vegetables diet for a period of six weeks. We wanted to check out what, if any, ill effects eating an all raw diet containing lots of fresh, organic fruits would have on us. The results of our little experiment have turned out to be excellent. We ate a lot of fruit. We put it in our salads, we made juice from a mixture of fruits and included in it much of the pulp produced from the juicing. We loved the way this made us look and feel. I’m happy to report that the results of ouro little experiment has been nothing but good. Like vegetables and herbs, fruits are not only a storehouse for vitamins and minerals; they boast high levels of phytochemicals. These powerhouses for health and vitality are not nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Yet they carry colored plant factors which play an important role in our health. A good supply of these phyto-nutrients helps minimize the incidence of cancer and heart disease and protect from degenerative conditions associated with aging, such as inflammation of the joints, loss of memory and concentration. They even help slow the aging process itself. Large quantities of these plant factors with many different names are found in common fruits, from berries, oranges, lemons and grapes to cantaloupe, kiwis, cranberries and cherries. However, in any diet based on manufactured convenience foods, they are scarce as hen’s teeth. MEET THE GOOD GUYS Berries, grapes and cherries as well as citrus fruits are excellent sources of water-soluble phyto-chemicals known as flavonoids. Flavonoids guard the integrity of collagen within the body. They work together with vitamin C and—as do many of the other phyto-nutrients—enhance the positive effects of antioxidant vitamins, improving the function and the integrity of tiny blood vessels known as capillaries, which deliver nutrients and oxygen to our cells. This helps raise overall energy. It also helps keep skin smooth and elastic, protects against bruising while improving memory and eyesight. Phyto-nutrients often carry weird names like catechin, quercetin and hesperidin. Among the more than 20,000 known, hesperidin, rutin, quercetin, catechin and pycnogenol are especially important. Catechin reduces allergic reactions by calming histamine release in the body. Rutin helps guard the integrity and health of capillaries, veins and arteries, as well as the skin itself. Many phytochemicals protect our health by interfering with or blocking specific disease processes. They do this either by acting as antioxidants and preventing free radical damage, or by inhibiting enzymes which promote the development of diseases like cancer. Some plant factors found in fruits and vegetables clear our cells of toxins and other damaging substances such as herbicides and pesticides we take in from our environment. HEALTHY SUPPORT HERE At Tufts University in the United States, scientists developed a method of quantifying the anti-oxidant power of specific fruits and vegetables by measuring their ability to quench free radicals in a laboratory test tube. To test a food’s oxygen radical absorbance capacity, called the ORAC test, scientists have been able to categorize a fruit or vegetable according to its overall anti-oxidant power. Fruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries are at the top of the list. They can be highly protective of our health. While we’re talking of lists, here is a list of some of the most common fruits indicating how much fructose is in each. Become familiar with it and, given the state of your own body, you can easily make your own decision about what kind and how much of each fruit suits you best, as well as how much you want to eat of it. FRUIT SERVING GRAMS OF FRUCTOSE Lemon 1 medium 0.6 Passionfruit 1 medium 0.9 Apricot 1 medium 1.3 Raspberries 1 cup 3.0 Kiwi 1 medium 3.4 Cherries 1 cup 3.8 Strawberries 1 cup 3.8 Pink grapefruit ½ medium 4.3 Nectarine 1 medium 5.4 Peach 1 medium 5.9 Orange 1 medium 6.1 Banana 1 medium 7.1 Apple 1 medium 9.5 Persimmon 1 medium 10.6 Pear 1 medium 11.8 Grapes 1 cup 12.4 Mango 1 medium 16.2 Here are my suggestions on how to get the very best from fruits, now and always: If you know you have insulin or leptin resistance, suffer from food cravings and are overweight, it’s pick your fruits from those with the lowest levels of fructose and limit your fruit intake to around 15 grams of fructose a day. If you are not troubled by any of these conditions, you can experiment by eating fruits which give you from 20 to 40 grams of fructose a day and work out by trial and error what the levels of fructose best work for you. Always eat your fruits whole if possible. If you choose to juice them yourself, make sure you keep the valuable pulp from the juicing process and add a good quantity of it back to the juice. Go for organic fruits. You might even try growing a lot of your fruit in your garden if you have the space. Never eat GMO fruits...something difficult to ascertain in most countries these days since corporate interests have lobbied hard to prevent GMO labeling. This is another reason to choose organic. Never eat or drink anything with high fructose corn syrup in it. It’s deadly stuff—so read labels carefully. Fruits are one of nature’s most glorious gifts to us. Know the ones that work for you and shun those that don’t. Above all steer clear of high-fructose corn syrup and read labels carefully to make sure you do.

There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Although we have been misinformed about this for half a century, here is the truth: Carbohydrates are not required in a healthy human diet. The standard advice still doled out by doctors and nutritionists insists that at least 120-130 grams of carbs are needed each day to feed our brain and central nervous system. This is not true. By the way, Americans today consume on average between 300 and 500 grams of carbohydrates a day. KETONES ARE COOL When there are no carbohydrates in a person’s diet, the central nervous system and the brain are fueled by fascinating little molecules known as ketones. Ketones are made in the liver from the fat we eat, and from fatty acids released from the fat tissues of our bodies. When we are living on a very low-carb diet, ketones alone provide us with about 75% of the energy the brain uses. The rest of the energy to fuel the brain and nervous system is derived from glycerol that is released from our fat tissues as they are broken down, together with small quantities of glucose which the liver makes out of amino acids from the protein foods you eat. This is a normal and natural process. The name ‘ketones’ sometimes strikes fear into the uninformed, which includes some doctors, nutritionists and the media. They confuse this natural process known as nutritional ketosis with a pathological condition called ketoacidosis which occasionally occurs in uncontrolled diabetes and has nothing to do with the benign nutritional ketosis. POWERFUL STUFF Research has shown that the brain and the central nervous system of someone on a very low and even no-carbohydrate diet actually function better and more efficiently on ketones than on glucose. What is little known as yet is that mild ketosis is the human body’s normal way to function, and has been throughout 99.9% of human history. It’s interesting to note that wise physicians have been using what is known as a no-carbs ketogenic diet for many years to treat epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer. I personally became fascinated with a ketogenic diet in 2000. I spent two years studying everything I could find about it. Then I wrote a book, published in 2002 by Random House UK, called The X Factor Diet…For Lasting Weight Loss and Vital Health. At the time it was published I was expecting lots of criticism from the powers-that-be since it was the first book written specifically about a ketogenic diet used for weight loss. To my great surprise the book entered the London Times’ bestseller list the same week it was published. Since then, much exciting research has been carried out about ketogenics and low-carb eating. Slowly we are beginning to educate people about the healing and weight loss benefits that can be gained from a low-carb or no-carb way of life. Leslie Kenton’s Cura Romana also makes use of these discoveries. Both the Journey Program and Inner Circle Gold use ketogenics during the rapid weight loss part of the programs and the all-important Consolidation, a life-changing experience which can help people end forever dieting and struggles with food addictions. BOTTOM LINE: The fewer grain-based, cereal-based, sugar-based carbohydrates we consume, the leaner and healthier we can become. Learn More: Download My New Book Free - Healthy And Lean For Life In my new book Healthy And Lean For Life which is available to everyone at no cost, readers will be surprised to learn some of the real causes of degenerative conditions and weight gain as well as natural methods to become free of them. Download Health And Lean For Life Now

Many years before Ayurvedic medicine arrived in the West, I made a journey to hospitals throughout India to learn all I could about this ancient healing tradition. I was bowled over by all the marvelous things I did discovered. When I arrived at the Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala—land of the coconuts, I found thousands of acres, interspersed with twisting waterways lined with organic coconut trees. Doctor’s there taught me how inexpensive organic coconut oil can heal your whole body using a technique which is called “oil pulling.” I am excited about sharing this with you. Oil Pulling There are literally thousands of types of bacteria in your mouth, including Streptococcus mutans—an acid-producing bacterium that is a major cause of tooth decay. During oil pulling, coconut oil produces acids which breakdown these toxic pathogens. When you take coconut oil into your body through oil pulling, your system converts one important ingredient, lauric acid, into monolaurin, which has antibacterial, antiviral and antiprotozoal properties. In truth, coconut oil contains the largest amount of lauric acid of any fruit or vegetable on the planet. Monolaurin is a monoglyceride with the ability to destroy negative invaders in the body that have a lipid coating. The lipid-coated viruses and bacteria that it attacks include the HIV virus and the influenza virus as well as a number of other pathogenic bacteria and protozoa. Another ingredient in coconut oil, capric acid, also boasts antimicrobial properties. Finally, coconut oil is about 66% medium chain triglycerides or MCTs. These offer a huge variety of health benefits, including sating your appetite. Powerful Detoxifier The oil pulling technique has been used for some 5000 years, not only because it reduces plaque in the mouth, but as a means of healing conditions throughout the whole body—from inflammation, pain in the joints, chronic fatigue, sinusitis, back pain and diabetes, to migraine, PMS, and chronic skin problems. Oil pulling is powerfully detoxifying to the body as a whole. The mouth is home to billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites and other toxins which undermine health and can trigger disease. It is these beasties and their toxic waste products that create gum disease and tooth decay. They are then passed on to the rest of the body. The immune system is constantly fighting off these pathogens. When we become overloaded from excessive stress, poor diet, or environmental toxins, they leak into the whole system and can create secondary infections, as well as a wide variety of other health issues. Pathogenic oral bacteria, and the toxins that they produce, harm far more than just your mouth. They circulate through the bloodstream and are carried all over the body. reduce plaque by at least 50% Coconut oil is highly responsive to temperature changes. In a cool room it goes solid. But set it in the sunlight or immerse a jar of it in hot water for a few minutes and it will turn into a crystal clear liquid oil. Oil pulling is believed to reduce plaque by at least 50%. It involves rinsing your mouth with coconut oil, much the way you would use a mouthwash. Even in its solid form the coconut oil will quickly change into a white liquid as it responds to the heat of the mouth. So how do you do oil pilling? You’ll need a container of organic raw coconut oil that is natural and has not had any fragrance taken out of it. Put a teaspoon to a tablespoon of oil in your mouth. It will probably be in its solid state. But it will melt as soon as you get it in your mouth. Swish the oil around in your mouth for around 10 to 15 minutes. Then spit it out completely. Finally, brush your teeth. This is best done twice a day after which you brush your teeth. You must never swallow the oil. You see, by the time you’ve done your oil pulling exercise each time, the oil will have become loaded with bacteria, toxins and mucus. You must then spit it out. I did oil pulling for eight months, after which my teeth were whiter, my breath was fresh and my tongue and gums had a healthy pink color to them. I was so pleased that I figured “I probably don’t need to do oil pulling any more”. So I stopped. After about three months, I realized that I was getting some slight swelling in my mouth. So I resumed oil pulling and have continued ever since. I actually enjoy it. So will you I predict.

Real age—your biological age—has little to do with how old you are in years. Most people, age prematurely. This is avoidable. It is also reversible. One of the reasons I have such a passion for herbs is, when you know what to use when they can slow biological aging, help restore balance, and improve how you look, you feel, as well as how your body functions year by year. Combined with regular detoxification and a natural diet high in a wide variety of fresh vegetables and top quality protein, they can even rejuvenate the body in medically measurable ways—improved circulation, increased resistance to illness, and to emotional and mental troubles. They can also help you reconnect with your innate vitality whatever your chronological age. NATURE’S PROTECTORS Plants do this in many ways. Some such as ginseng, garlic and gotu kola are specifically anti-ageing in their actions. Others—herbs such as purslane and thyme as well as foods like seaweeds, oranges, carrots, and green vegetables—are literally brimming with anti-oxidants and other phyto-chemicals which are protective, regenerative and immune enhancing. Make a few of these plants an every-day part of your life. They will help protect you from the kind of free radical damage which underlies both premature ageing and the development of degenerative diseases. Here are some of my favourite anti-ageing herbs: Gotu Kola Gotu Kola—Centella asiatica—has been used for centuries in India to extend life span and enhance memory. Gotu kola, like many quality bulk herbs, is native to the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, particularly Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Traditionally, its leaves are dried and steeped in order to create a tea or infusion. Gotu kola is also easy to grow in your garden or in a pot in the kitchen window however. It is also easy to introduce into your life. Just add a fresh leaf or two or a teaspoon of this dried plant to whatever herb tea you are drinking. You can also put a few leaves into salad when you make it. My favorite is a product for making your own gotu kola tea which is reasonably priced and organic. (see below) Nori Seaweed Nori Seaweed—If you have never used sea vegetables for cooking, this is an ideal time to begin. Not only are they delicious—imparting a wonderful, spicy flavour to soups and salads— they are the richest source of organic mineral salts in nature, particularly of iodine. Iodine is the mineral needed by the thyroid gland. As your thyroid gland is largely responsible for the body’s metabolic rate, iodine is very important to a person’s energy and to protect from early aging . I like to use powdered kelp as a seasoning. It adds both flavour and minerals to salad dressings, salads and soups. I am also excessively fond of nori seaweed, which comes in long thin sheets or tiny flakes. It is a delicious snack food which you can eat along with a salad or at the beginning of the meal. It has a beautiful, crisp flavour. I like best to toast sheets of nori by passing it over a hob flame for no more than a few seconds. This brings out its wonderful flavor and turns it crunchy. The only problem I have with toasting nori is that Gus, is completely addicted to it. This means there is no peace while we are making it. He can smell nori from far away even when the kitchen door is closed. As soon as we open it, he devours a couple of big sheets of nori which we have crumbled into tiny pieces for him. Green Barley Green Barley—This is a dried form of the natural juice taken from young barley leaves. It needs to be organically grown and pesticide-free. Rich in proteins, flavonoids, minerals including iron, vitamins such as K and B15, as well as chlorophyll and other nutrients, green barley boasts thousands of enzymes, not all of which are destroyed in the digestive process. Many can play important roles in supporting anti-aging metabolic processes. It also contains a high concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD)—an anti-oxidant enzyme. Sprinkle from 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon of green barley on to salads or mix into juices, miso broth or water. The brand I like best is very inexpensive and you can buy a pound at a time. Purslane Purslane—Portulaca oleracea brims with anti-oxidants—plant chemicals as well as vitamins known for their abilities to quench excess free radicals in the body. As such perslane enhances immune functioning. You can grow purslane in a vegetable patch or just about anywhere—even in window boxes, between the rose bushes or wherever you have an extra bit of space. Add purslane to fresh vegetable juices or put it through a blender to make ‘live’ vegetable drinks. Ginkgo Biloba Ginkgo Biloba—improves circulation to the brain. Lots of well founded European research shows this. It can even be helpful to people with Alzheimer’s disease. The leaves from this most ancient of trees restore memory, elevate mood, and quell anxiety. There are more than 300 published studies and reports which support the anti-ageing properties of Ginkgo. Its extract is used in Germany to help treat everything from depression and cerebrovascular insufficiency to asthma, transplant rejection and hearing loss. It is also used in a few expensive skin products to protect against environmental irritation. You can take ginkgo as an extract, tincture or in capsules. I prefer a high potency herbal tincture—1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon 2 or 3 times a day. Ginseng Ginseng—Panax quinquefolius—is the classic anti-ageing plant. It can be a godsend for both men and women when recovering from a long-term illness or stress or pulling yourself out of deep fatigue. And it improves libido in both. This root brings endurance when you need it. I like to take ginseng as a tea – but make sure you buy a good one. When I need strengthening I drink double doses of ginseng tea that has been specially processed to dissolve instantaneously in hot water. Horsetail Horsetail—Equisetum arvense is the best natural source of the mineral silicon which declines in the body as we get older. Silicon is important to the maintenance of strong bones, preventing osteoporosis, firming skin, and protecting from wrinkles and sagging. Horsetail is one of the world’s oldest plants. Organic horsetail tea is the best way to take this wondeful plant several cups a day. My favorite brand is organic of course and sells for less than US $12 a pound. Here are some of my favorites and the very best products: Organic Gotu Kola Herb Centella Asiatica Origin: India Kosher Certified by Kosher Certification Services Certified Organic by QAI, Inc. Gotu kola herb, like many quality bulk herbs, is native to the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, particularly Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Traditionally, the leaves of such herbs are dried and steeped in order to create a tea or infusion. Order Starwest Botanicals, Organic Gotu Kola Herb from iherb NORI ORGANIC SEAWEED Emerald Cove Silver Grade Organic Nori has a fine, pliable texture, producing exceptionally smooth and delicious rolls of nori-maki sushi. Just briefly pass over a low flame to toast before using. You'll marvel at the clean, sweet taste of this kind of edible sea vegetables. Order Nori Organic Seaweed from iherb ORGANIC GREEN BARLEY Frontier Natural Products, Organic Powdered Barley Grass Barley Grass is a whole food loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and many more nutrients your body needs every day. A wonderful way to ensure you're getting enough dark leafy greens in your diet. Order Organic Powdered Barley Grass from iherb GINKGO BILOBA TINCTURE ORGANIC We prepare our Ginkgo Extract from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba trees which have been Certified Organically Grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. To assure optimal extraction of Ginkgo's bioactive compounds, the leaves are hand-harvested in early autumn when Ginkgo's bioactive compounds are at their optimal concentration. They are then carefully shade-dried and promptly extracted. Our Ginkgo is never fumigated or irradiated. Order Herb Pharm, Ginkgo from iherb AMERICAN GINSENG ORGANIC We prepare our American Ginseng Extract from dry Panax quinquefolius roots which are Certified Organically Grown. To assure optimal extraction of American Ginseng's bioactive compounds, the roots are hand-harvested in mid to late autumn, are carefully shade-dried, and are then thoroughly extracted. Our American Ginseng is never fumigated or irradiated. Order Herb Pharm, American Ginseng from iherb HORSETAIL ORGANIC FOR TEAS A perennial grass that is dimorphic, having a fertile stem in the spring which dies back and is replaced by a sterile stem in early summer. The fertile stem is brownish in color, shorter and unbranched. The sterile stem is green with whorls of needle-like leaves and jointed stems. Order Organic Cut & Sifted Horsetail from iherb

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Eating cereals, grains and packaged foods distorts hormonal regulation and interferes with the body’s ability to maintain its functions within a normal range. These foods wreak havoc with insulin and blood sugar levels, produce peaks and troughs of energy, cause cravings, create chronic fatigue, weight gain and a myriad of other problems, including brain fog and depression. Independent studies confirm all this and more. What’s the alternative? The answer is simple. Replace them with FAUX GRAINS so health and vitality can soar. WHAT ARE FAUX GRAINS? As yet few people have even heard of faux grains—also known as pseudo-grains. These are seeds and grasses which for generations have been mistakenly labeled grains. Grains they are not. They are completely different. High in protein and fiber but low-glycemic compared to grains, they are full of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, iron and calcium. Far easier to digest and assimilate than grains, they are also gluten-free and alkaline-forming when we eat them. These pseudo-grains are great for making muffins, pancakes, cereals, loaves, pilafs and all sorts of other dishes. You can even sprout many of them with ease to supply even more vitamins, minerals and important plant factors to your body. Here are a few of the most-celebrated faux grains. Try adding them to your diet. Amaranth Buckwheat Millet Quinoa Wild rice We’ll look at some more of the benefits that come from using each of these amazing foods in a moment. But first it’s important that you know about the grains you will benefit from eliminating from your life, and why. BAD INFORMATION Most people—including those who believe they are eating a “healthy diet”—are amazed to learn that the common grains we eat, which form the base of convenience foods, play a major role in the development of diabetes, coronary heart disease and a myriad of other degenerative conditions. For more than half a century food manufacturers, intent on making profit, have been producing a great variety of palatable “foods” by fragmenting and reducing raw material foodstuffs—grains and fats and sugars—to simple “nuts and bolts” ingredients. These nuts and bolts are then whipped up into the manipulated convenience foods that fill supermarket shelves—from ready-to-eat meals to candy bars, cakes, breads, and cereals—in short, the stuff that makes up some 75% of what the average person eats. Eating these foods and or the grains they contain encourages rapid aging. Eat a diet full of grains and cereals, and your body gets busy fabricating wrinkles, sags, a puffy face and a lackluster complexion. Then you wonder why it appears to be aging so quickly. Also, as a result of the chronic high blood sugar and insulin resistance which develops from eating grains and cereals, you can end up muddle-minded, depressed and lacking in the energy to change any of this. DUMP THE GRAINS Here is a short list of grains you benefit from avoiding: Barley Bulgar (cracked wheat) Corn and Popcorn Oats Rice Rye Sorghum Spelt (which is an older form of wheat) Wheat (which includes emmer, farro, einkorn, durum and kamut) There are numerous reasons to get rid of these grains from the meals you eat. Here’s an aide memoir: The vast majority of grains cause inflammation. Causes weight gain, sugar issues, food cravings, and predisposes you to diabetes. Grains are significant contributors to the development of chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, depression and rapid aging. 95% of corn and soy grains throughout the world are genetically modified. It is virtually impossible to tell if you are buying drinks or foods that contain GMO soy and corn. This is because neither the grains themselves nor the convenience foods which contain them are marked as such. Under no circumstances do you want to put any GMO food into your body. Nowadays, most grains are badly grown and processed, so that whatever nutritional value they once contained is now vastly diminished. A large part of the 21st Century population are gluten intolerant. Gluten is a protein not only found in wheat but the majority of other common grains, whether or not they have been highly processed. Many still believe that gluten only is only present in wheat. In truth it is also present in many other grains as well. These are but a few reasons to seriously minimize or completely eliminate grains, cereals, and convenience foods from your life. Most people who do are surprised to by how much better they feel. Many shed excess weight and in the process develop a spontaneous desire to increase the quantity of fiber-rich fresh raw vegetables in their diet. They report renewed vitality and wellbeing. They are able to control their weight without having to restrict the quantity of food they eat. To anybody who has conscientiously fought—and too often lost—the battle of the bulge, this can seem like a miracle. In truth, it’s no miracle. All this comes as a result of the metabolic rebalance which takes place by turning away from convenience foods, sugars and grains, and replacing them with nourishing seeds and grasses. SEEDS AND GRASSES RULE Amaranth This seed, which you can even sprout if you want to, comes from a Central American plant rich in potassium, phosphorous and vitamins A, E, and C. It has a light peppery flavor and mixes well with other pseudo-grains. Relatively high in protein, it’s blessed with natural essential oils and it is a great source of the amino acid lysine, which is not abundant in most plant foods. You can make delicious porridge from amaranth. It also works well with foods that have a strong flavor, such as chocolate. Use 1 part amaranth seeds to 3 to 6 parts water. Bring water to a boil, then add the seeds and gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Gradually amaranth thickens the liquid. When cooked, rinse the amaranth and let it drain. Use it in stews and soups, or add some butter and stevia and serve as a delicious and satisfying breakfast. Buckwheat One of the most ancient of all the seeds and grasses, buckwheat has nourished humans for 10,000 years. Do not be deceived by its name. It has no relation to wheat itself, and is not a grain but a broadleaf plant in the same family as sorrel and rhubarb. In Russia they call it Kasha and use it instead of rice. Buckwheat is great for making everything from soba noodles to light-as-air pancakes, muffins and breads. It is full of magnesium and potassium and it has a distinctly nut-like taste. The buckwheat seed is triangular in shape with a protective hull which is most often taken off when it’s milled. Millet This tiny seed which we feed to birds is full of magnesium, manganese, copper, calcium, tryptophan, phosphorous, B vitamins and antioxidants. It makes creamy-like “mashed potatoes” as well as “fluffy rice”, and couscous. Millet is a particularly delicious seed, which many still think of as a grain, with masses of health benefits. Use 2 to 3 parts water to 1 part millet. Boil water, add grain and gently boil for 35 to 40 minutes. You can also "toast" millet in a hot pan before boiling to get a nuttier flavor. Quinoa Pronounced KEEN-wa, a sacred staple of the Incan empire, quinoa is a powerhouse of nutritional goodness. It boasts eight essential amino acids, B complex vitamins, phosphorous, iron, calcium and Vitamin A. More delicate in flavor than some of the other seeds and grasses, it’s great for stews, pilafs, salads and breads. You can toast quinoa flour by spreading it onto a baking sheet and putting it into a high oven for half an hour stirring occasionally. It turns a dark golden color and smells wonderful. Quinoa cooks in just 15 minutes. Use 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. Use quinoa instead of bulgar to make tabbouleh. It’s a great substitute for rice and rice pudding. Wild Rice Not a true member of the rice family, wild rice is an aquatic grass with edible seeds. It grows in cold-weather country and is very high in protein. It’s one of my personal favorite foods. It was once a staple of Native Americans from the Algonquin to the Soux. I was first introduced to wild rice by my mother, who was part American Indian. It has a distinctive nutty flavor, chewy texture and contains almost twice as much protein and fiber as does brown rice. Like many of the seeds and grasses, wild rice is relatively low in calories. It is also easy to cook the same as you would ordinary rice, and wonderful served with chicken, fish, or curry. THE WAY AHEAD Eliminating wheat, maize, sugars, starches and sweets from your diet, and drastically reducing or cutting out the other grains and cereals, transforms the biochemistry of your body, restores energy and wipes out cravings for alcohol, drugs and sweets. It helps the body grow leaner and stronger, then supports it to stay that way. Although as yet little known these delicious grasses and seeds—are important for everyone, even young children. They're naturally high in fiber and filling to eat. And, when eaten regularly, they help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes—even certain cancers.

Participants on Cura Romana continue to report that former digestive disturbances—from irritable bowel problems and acid reflux to chronic constipation—clear up during an online Cura Romana Journey. The vast majority of participants who have been on long-term medication for these ailments end up no longer needing any medication. Meanwhile, I am continually being asked by others what causes digestive troubles. Here is a pretty good list of the causes that you might like to check off and get rid of in your own life: WHAT CAUSES GUT UPSET Eating too much Eating before the previous meal is completely digested Drinking iced drinks often (especially before or during meals) Too much alcohol Eating on the run Eating at irregular times Eating heavy meals and late snacks at night Over growth of yeasts and fungi such as Candida Albicans Dysbiosis—low levels of good guy bacteria in the gut, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria adolescentis Food allergies or sensitivities Nutrient deficiencies such as zinc, magnesium, vitamin B complex Low stomach acid On-going physical, emotional or mental stress Medications such as antibiotics—even when used for only one day—or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) A diet too low in protein Increased demand for protein owing to trauma, surgery, excessive exercise, illness, fasting Too little fiber in your diet Go through the above list and see what, if any, of these issues you can clear from your own life, enabling digestive issues to clear up. What I love about Cura Romana is that it appears, quite naturally, to clear digestive problems from within in most cases, wiping out any need for drug intervention as the body rebalances itself. MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME A CURE For Digestive Problems She was part Native American and I learned a lot from her while I was growing up about the blessings of the herb goldenseal—Hydrastis canadensis. Favorite cure-all of the Cherokee Indians, goldenseal has in recent years won praise from scientists for its widespread benefits, which include banishing morning sickness and nausea, calming digestive disturbances, and banishing skin diseases and hemorrhoids. It can even be used as a douche in the treatment of vaginal infections, as a mouthwash in the treatment of gum problems, and to fight off flu and fevers. One of the most generally effective of all remedies, this is another herb I would never want to be without. HOW IT IS TAKEN: Many people prefer to use the powdered root in capsules rather than as an infusion or tincture, since goldenseal does not taste good. Personally I love the bitter taste. I can feel it working the moment I take it, as an extract or tincture in half a glass of water. Take 1 to 4 capsules three times a day, or tincture of fresh herb 10 to 30 drops, 3 to 4 times a day. NATIVE AMERICAN MAGIC This bitter tonic was much used in the 19th century to soothe disorders of the stomach and heal the liver. The alkaloids which the root contains not only stimulate bile production and secretion, they also destroy unhelpful bacteria in the gut and increase the tone and movement of the gastrointestinal tract. The root relieves nausea during pregnancy, has over-all tonic actions on the nervous system, and is excellent applied in strong infusion to eczema and many other skin problems. COUNTERS INFECTIONS: Excellent for the treatment of all kinds of infection, goldenseal can banish catarrh in the head and throat, and clear up infections of the teeth and gums when used as a mouthwash. CALMS UTERINE CONTRACTIONS: Gently strengthening to muscle tone and circulation, it has a mildly sedative and muscle-relaxing effect on the body, and helps stabilize blood sugar. It can even be used for menstrual disorders, especially menorrhagia.