Take Root and Write

Book Review: God's Way to Ultimate Health

As you could tell in last month's article I was very impressed by my interview with Caroline Hook. After reading the book based on her recommendation, I decided to review it.

This book is a great reference tool. I honestly thought I was going to enjoy reading it more than I did. I was not totally disappointed, and I was challenged in some ways.  I do sense, however, a radical edge to the thinking that I cannot overcome, and I would not ask my clients to try and overcome it either.

This book is also somewhat repetitive if you read it straight through. It contains many testimonies of people who have been helped by the Hallelujah Diet. The testimonies are grouped topically in the chapters. The information that is repeated many times is the nutritional philosophy of Dr. George Malkmus, who believes in a 100% vegetarian, 75-85% raw (fresh) diet. Absolutely no animal products are used.

The basis of the raw food recommendation is that cooking food destroys many of the nutrients. I do not know how humans could have survived this long if this was completely true. However, many diseases have been reversed by people who have used this diet so there must be a big difference in the healing properties of raw foods vs. cooked.

Hallelujah! A Diet?

I'm finding increasing evidence that a raw food diet of plants including fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to promote health and deep healing in the body. I recently had the privilege of a telephone meeting with Carolyn Hook, a Health Minister and Holistic Nutritionist with the Hallelujah Acres network. There are over 9000 health ministers in this network. Of those 9000, 91 are medical doctors, and many are chiropractic physicians and registered nurses.

By way of introduction, the Hallelujah Diet is one which recommends 85% of the food intake be fresh or dried raw plants -- fruits, nuts, beans, and vegetables. Heating above 118 degrees (F) is not recommended as this kills the enzyme life within the plant, the energy that promotes growth. Even in nuts or seeds you will find enzyme life that is ready to germinate a new plant under the right conditions. Those contain great nutrients and other benefits for us. If the food is roasted or even pasteurized it actually loses this quality.

Please enjoy my interview with Carolyn, already in progress, and by no means completed! We'll be talking again I am sure!

Chris: Carolyn, what got you started on the Hallelujah Diet and what is your reason for continuing?

Carolyn: Well the short answer is, I feel better at age 62 than I did at 22, and that is why I stick with it!

My journey began in the mid 1970's, leaning toward a vegetarian diet and clean and/or organic meats. I heard a little bit about the benefits of the raw diet in the mid 1980's. In November of 1999, I heard Rev. Dr. George Malkmus speak in Rockford, Illinois about the Hallelujah Diet, which seemed to me at the time to be quite restrictive. However, the truth I heard in his philosophy, coupled with a friend's testimony of how she was healed of arthritis really got me thinking about eating more raw foods. Three months later I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I had the books from Dr. Malkmus's seminar but had not had a chance to read them yet. After surgery and after trying one devastating chemotherapy treatment I decided to try the Hallelujah Diet for one year.

Do I Need Food Supplements?

It's time to get back to basics for many of us. In my family the basics have always included obeying God, church and family life, and being proactive about our health. The basics for us have not included the newest cars and the biggest house. We believe our proactivity has paid big dividends and will continue to do so in the years to come.

Food supplementation is one giant step toward wellness that can do more than just fill in the gaps of imperfect nutrition. Supplements, when taken at optimal levels, can help the body to heal itself of many adverse situations, illness, and disease.

The Lord is a miraculous healer, my own husband is an example of a true miracle healing. Diagnosed at age 8 with a brain tumor, which was caught "just in time" by an eye exam at the pediatrician's office. They happened to live near Boston at the time, home of one of the very first MRI machines which was used on him. Many truly miraculous events surrounded the whole time between the diagnosis, surgery and recovery, not the least of which was a vision of Jesus to this eight year old who had never read the Bible. The night before surgery Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you." My future husband went to surgery with supernatural peace. His recovery astounded everyone, because due to the location of the tumor he was supposed to have had at least partial paralysis on one side. There was not a trace of this effect, nor any recurrence of the tumor or any other damage. Radiation treatments followed, and at each follow up visit Jim was declared cancer free. He kept telling the doctors he was healed and finally at age 20 he was allowed to discontinue further follow up visits, they finally admitted that God had done a miracle.

Yet, knowing many people don't get supernatural miracles, one has to wonder if God has another plan. He spoke to the prophet Ezekiel about a river of life flowing out from underneath a temple. The river was supposed to have trees on both sides of it, about which God declared, "Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:12b, NIV). There has to be a way for that type of healing to exist today, but we don't live near that river.

What is Wellness?

 

When I mention the word wellness, what pops into your mind?  For me it used to be a perfectly combined picture of a spa, an exercise program, alternative medicines, and a vegetarian or other extreme nutritional lifestyle.  All of these things seemed elusive to me.  Though I considered myself a healthy person, I really didn't know if I had anything to do with "wellness."  Though the word meant something to me, it didn't mean anything for me.  The Lord has had me spend some time during the last fourteen years changing that and helping me define wellness for myself and my family.

Wellness begins with the choice and the belief that everything you do to, and for, your body effects your health now and in the years to come.  It is the realization that you alone, not your doctor, are responsible for your choices and your freedom to be truly healthy.  Your doctor can rescue you from a bad situation with drugs or surgery.  But your ongoing choices are what can turn your situation around for the better. 

Some find this overwhelming and give up at the outset.  Maybe they have a few health issues that already seem insurmountable.  It may seem that no amount of small, daily choices could overtake and heal the damage that has been done.

Some people are skeptical, pointing to family history and the fact that everyone dies of something.  They would rather just "enjoy living" without concern for wellness principles.

To the overwhelmed, I say, let's break down the most important things about wellness to begin making the shift, adding hope and meaning to those small, daily choices.

Plan for Your New Routines

With our Happy New Year's greetings complete, our Monday holidays over for the month, and 49 weeks left in the year 2009, it's time to get down to business.  Will it be business as usual, the same as last year, or will we bring new, healthier habits to our kitchen routine?

If you've been tracking my column you've probably found some good ideas to try and implement in your family's diet.  Today I'm going to encourage you to scroll back through the articles and find those ideas again.  This time, plan for your new routine.  

If your idea is more home baking, then put the basic ingredients on your next grocery list.  You'll surely begin to go through more eggs and flour.  Vanilla, baker's chocolate, frozen fruit, and your sugar or natural sugar substitute. . . have everything at home, ready to go.  Look through your recipe book and see which ones you want to try.  Choose goodies your family enjoys often, or that can be frozen for later.  You can enjoy your work twice when you make a double batch and freeze!

If you would like to increase your plant based protein, again, go to your grocery list right now and add some basics; almonds, pecans, and garbanzo beans can all be bought plain and simply prepared for munching at home.  Make sure you get raw nuts, not roasted, to enjoy their nutrients and the benefits of the plant enzymes.  Here's a great soy protein mix I use with all the raw benefits.  This Shaklee protein can be used in baking, or mixed in food, juice, or milk.  It's also great for kids!

Creative with God in the Kitchen

I am convinced that God created cooking.  It works so perfectly.  All of this holiday baking has got me thinking of how thoughtful God was when he put the universe together, for giving us tons of ways to get great stuff to eat.  Consider water and fire, two of the most basic elements of creation. 

Water is the only liquid that boils at exactly 212 degrees which is a great temperature at which to cook meat, rice, or pasta.  The flavor is enhanced and the food is made more digestible.  Soon after removing the food from the cooking pot, it is cooled enough to eat and does not burn our mouth.  Moreover, water can be part of the recipe; whether it be part of a soup or a baked treat, water is the perfect agent for mixing and moisturizing.

Fire is also a perfect cooking tool.  Roasting, baking, and frying are all methods which use direct heat from a stove or fire.

Many cooking and baking stories are found in the Bible. An angel even baked bread for Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-9)!  Yes I had to read that twice to make sure.  God provided manna and meat for the Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 11).  The manna was a bread-like substance, and they only got the meat because they complained and begged for it.

I enjoy cooking so much, but I am fascinated by a philosophy of nutrition that would be fairly new to my household, namely Raw Foodism and Veganism.

Raw foods are vegetables, fruits, and nuts that have not been touched by high heat, above 107 degrees (F).  In the raw cookbook I own, the only heating tool used is a food dehydrator!  Serene Allison creates amazing dishes for her family and rarely if ever, uses her stove or oven. In fact, she has jokingly nicknamed the book an "uncook" book.

What's That, Pumpkin?

Thanksgiving is coming!!  My new recipe book is out on the counter, all bookmarked and ready to try some exciting things.  I'll keep a lot of my stuff simple, but I found a new version of pearl onions, you just have to check it out!  It sounds delicious!

 Last year I brined my own turkey!  It came out very tasty but it was not a fun process.  I made the brine in the evening, then realized, the brine needs to be COLD before the turkey is immersed in it.  So I had to stick it in the back freezer until 3:00 AM!  I got up in the middle of the night to begin my turkey's soak time, it was like having another baby!   I doubled my recipe to accommodate my larger bird, which I later found out, does not mean you need to double the amount of SEA SALT.  My turkey floated on the top of the bucket like it was lounging in the Dead Sea!   I had to weigh it down with a pan lid and the cover of my cooler! 

So I've learned to make my brine early the day before. Shona, I know you are laughing over there at Easy Eats but I just had to have a healthy turkey!  Will I do it again this year?  Stay tuned to find out.

Thanksgiving brings about the wonderful cravings for foods we usually eat only during the holidays.  Some favorites, like pumpkin pie, seem to be best savored in cool autumn weather, following a huge meal with tons of potatoes, vegetables, and turkey!  But what is it about pumpkins?  Why do we only eat them once a year, when canned pumpkin is available year round?  Yes, I always use the cans, avoiding the extra steps of chopping and mashing my own fresh pumpkin.  That's one way I keep it easy!!

Maybe if we saw the benefits of pumpkins and other foods in the squash family, we would try to incorporate them more throughout the year.

Orange vegetables and fruits like pumpkins and carrots have high levels of a specific group of nutrients called carotenoids.  It is part of their pigmentation system.  These are needed by the body as part of a larger group called antioxidants.  Antioxidants are the way plants protect themselves from sun damage while growing.

Don't Let Sugar Beat You!

The Candy Onslaught has arrived. . . hundreds of thousands of pounds of candy have been purchased and a huge amount of it has been handed to your child! It may be too late to change your  plans midstream, but see some of the suggestions posted in the group discussion on Nutrition: Ctrl+Alt+Delete! Some Moms have created a game they do with the kids to keep the candy consumption to a minimum!

In addition I'd like to point out some of the effects of sugar, and list the safe and unsafe alternatives so you can make informed choices.

Why is sugar harmful? ‌ It is a form of simple carbohydrates because it has been stripped of its nutrients. A sugar plant has nutrients. Sugar cane and molasses are more directly utilized, not extracted from the sugar plant, and therefore carry more of the nutrients that are supposed to help us metabolize the sugar. Sugar and other simple carbohydrates drive insulin levels to abnormal heights and this creates a host of problems, either Type 2 Diabetes or a condition often referred to as Syndrome X.

Sugar also depresses the immune system response.  It slows the ability of white blood cells to move to the site of an infection and do their jobs.  Think about a group of kids just after breakfast; they're very susceptible to passing around viruses and bacteria due to the sugar they've just consumed in their cereal.

According to Dr. William Sears, "Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tbsp.) of sugar, the equivalent of about two cans of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by forty percent.  The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours." (from Feeding Your Immune System) 

Our body has a way that it deals with having excess sugar. It begins to create more insulin. What is the purpose of Insulin‌ Insulin controls many internal body functions. It is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Its main function is to store energy from food into our cells. Only a small amount of what we consume is able to be stored as glycogen, the rest of the carbohydrates are converted into triglycerides. Yes, triglycerides! Maybe you thought as I did that triglycerides are only formed when fat is consumed. (from Dr. Ron Rosedale)

There are so many reasons we don't want our insulin levels fluctuating. The biggest is that our cells become resistant because too much insulin is being pumped. They turn off their insulin receptors and then are not ready to receive energy from food. The cells are trying to protect themselves from the excess, so they send a signal that they've had enough. It is like a key that doesn't fit being jammed into a lock, or like clapping your hands over your ears when music is too loud.

Protein Means First!

Why do they call it protein?  Because it is the first thing your body needs.  The Greek root of the word is prota which means of primary importance.   Every single cell is made of protein.  Amino acids form our DNA.  There are nine amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained daily through nutrition.

Notice I said nutrition, not diet.  The word diet has the negative connotation of adjusting one's food intake in order to assist with weight loss.  I'm going to throw a strong caution in here, even though I'm digressing a bit.  When dieting you must keep your balance of nutrients.  Fasting, even for one meal per day, is not a good way to lose weight.  Every day should begin with a meal containing protein.

Without adequate protein intake we will start to lose muscle mass, because muscles are a ready source of protein our body can break down and use in a pinch.  We recycle a lot of amino acids from dead cells that are being taken out through the blood stream, but we need protein with every meal to insure adequate intake.  With inadequate intake, the recycling process will just accelerate.

How Important is Organic?

Have you noticed within the past 5 years or so, merchants are bringing more and more organic foods into the mainstream grocery stores?  I think it's great!  Produce, meat and dairy, as well as dry grocery, all have a fairly wide selection at the store where I shop.  I choose the organic whenever I can, within reason.

So what about you?  Do you bite the bullet and spend the extra money?  What drives your decision?  The foods look the same on the outside.  Do you have trouble embracing the idea?  With some tips from my grocery cart and a great book to refer, I hope to dispel some of the negative connotations.  I'll show you how I prioritize and compare prices to get the best deals on all my organic foods.

First of all, my biggest reason for choosing organic is to try to avoid as many chemicals as possible in my family's diet.  Processed foods all contain chemicals.  These can build up in the liver.  An overworked liver can cause various health issues such as fat carried around the midsection, acne, indigestion, poor memory, water retention, arthritis and other pains, as well as other more serious issues.   By avoiding at least the pesticides and herbicides, and also using products with healthier oils and sweeteners (non chemical), we take a huge weight off of our body systems and all that they have to process.

Defining Nutrition

Usually when we think of nutrition we think of WHAT we eat, associated with the four food groups or the food guide pyramid. Defining it this way encompasses only the choices of foods, the meals we prepare, what we grab when on the go, etc. If you think of food only as something to fill your family’s stomach, I would like to challenge you to think of NUTRITION as much more than that.

Nutrients are what is found in food.  Nutrition is a process.  By defining this difference we can talk more about the body, how it processes food and what it needs, and also foods and what they contain or do not contain. What can stop your body from absorbing nutrients?  When you eat food do you automatically get all the nutrients it contains?

Nutrition is a process of getting nutrients from food into the digestive tract, and through the blood stream, to each and every cell in the body, for energy, hormone and enzyme production, cell reproduction, and so much more.

The way God created us is actually staggering when you view the systems He put in place for us to live in our human bodies. By seeing my food intake in this light I have gained a great respect for my body and how it functions.  I have trained myself, for the most part, to eat based on what is good, not what will feel good temporarily.

Open House. . . Welcome!!

A Bright and Sunny Central Florida Welcome to all!
(OK truth be told it is unbearably humid these days, rain is our relief!!)

I'm excited to be writing to you about nutrition, a topic that has been on my mind since I was in college and began to be completely in charge of my own choices.  I've made some steps along the way which I will share with you, it will be educational and fun.  I'm not an extreme health nut but I have picked up many healthy habits and have learned a great deal through my studies and experiences since the (gulp) 19 years since college (and this journey) began for me.

I'll be excited to hear your comments through the discussion group, which will begin with the first post, next Thursday, July 24.

Intro: Nutrition: Ctrl+Alt+Delete!

You will learn to gain CONTROL of the choices you’ve already made, which are the established habits of your household.  You will learn about ALTERNATIVE nutritional lifestyles, and be able to choose which habits you want to DELETE or ADD to your family’s routine.  We’ll also examine optimal nutrition and nutritional healing tips.

By, Chris DeBaggis
Column Posted Fourth Thursday of the Month/ Also Group in CWTR Here.