Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (18 page)

As a final blow, soft drink manufacturers polish off their creation with a variety of artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives, most of which have dubious claims to safety. The entire brew is a concoction of chemicals designed to sap our physical and mental health. Soda pop is the veritable drink of the devil. If you choose to improve the eating habits of your family, here is your starting point, the first place to take a stand. Don't buy soft drinks, don't keep them around and do everything you can to discourage your children from drinking them.

The list of drinks to avoid is a long one—soft drinks, sugared drinks and milk that has been pasteurized or homogenized. Coffee, tea, and cocoa are traditional drinks but they contain stimulants that are best avoided. To this group must be added yet another—fruit juice—because the process of juicing fruit concentrates its sweetness. There is as much sugar in a glass of orange juice as there is in a candy bar—and most of it is fructose, which is more harmful than the sucrose of sugar. Consumption of apple juice has been linked to failure to thrive in infants.
¹⁵⁹
Excessive consumption of fruit juice can also upset the acid-alkaline balance of the body, causing the urine to become alkaline rather than acid. Even overconsumption of vegetable juices, which are not sweet, can cause an imbalance. Fresh fruit is delicious and healthful in moderate amounts, but even overindulgence in fruit can lead to severe mineral deficiencies. Our natural "appestats" usually prevent us from eating too much fruit at one time, but in fruit juice we get concentrated sweetness—the equivalent of several pieces of fruit—in several quick gulps. Furthermore, most fruit juice is filtered and pasteurized, hence skeletonized, much like refined sugar and white flour. Fruit juice consumption should be limited to an ounce or two at a time, diluted with water, so that you do not take in any more fructose than you would consume in one piece of fruit.

What about water? Should we drink distilled or purified, bottled or tap, hard or soft? The evidence points to hard water, which is water rich in mineral ions, as being of great value in promoting overall health. Several studies have shown that the rate of coronary heart disease is lower in localities where hard water is available. Areas of the world noted for the longevity of local inhabitants—notably the Caucasus, Hunzaland and Vilcabamba in South America—are all watered by richly mineralized runoff from the grinding action of high mountain glaciers.

A comparative study of the water in Deaf Smith County, Texas with that of Dallas produced an interesting profile of drinking water's ideal components. Deaf Smith County residents are famous for their good teeth and bone structure; they have few fractures even in advanced age. X-rays of both people and cattle show unusual bone size and density; cross sections of long bones are approximately 50 percent greater in thickness than those of people living in other regions. By contrast, bones of Dallas County residents break easily and heal slowly. Analysis of the water in both counties reveals the surprising fact that the calcium content of Dallas County water is six times higher than that of Deaf Smith County. But Deaf Smith County water is eight times richer in iodine, two times higher in magnesium and contains numerous trace minerals that are absent from Dallas County water.
¹⁶⁰
It seems that the magnesium and trace minerals, especially iodine, contribute to enzymatic processes that go into creating strong and healthy bones; and magnesium is incorporated into the bone itself, contributing to its strength.

Water that has been softened is water that has been shorn of its valuable mineral content. Water softeners function by exchanging sodium ions for ions of other minerals, so that the end product is high in sodium but low in minerals. The use of softened water is highly correlated with an increased incidence of cancer, heart attacks and strokes.
¹⁶¹

Unfortunately, most water supplies are contaminated by a number of harmful chemicals, either as a result of runoff from farms and gardens or because they are deliberately treated with chlorine or fluorides. Fluoridated water should be avoided at all costs. Fluoride is an enzyme inhibitor that contributes to bone loss, bone deformities, cancer and a host of other illnesses. It offers little real protection against tooth decay.
¹⁶²
Bottled mineral water varies widely in quality and is not necessarily free from contaminants.

So what is the solution? There is no perfect source of water for most of us, but the best solution seems to be tap water that has been treated with a filter. A ceramic or compressed carbon filter removes all heavy metals, chlorine and other impurities but leaves valuable mineral ions, such as calcium, magnesium, iodine, silicon and selenium. Unfortunately, these types of filters are less effective for removing fluorides and nitrates. Some filtering systems run the water through two different filters, one ceramic or charcoal filter that removes heavy metals and chlorine, and one that removes some of the fluoride. (See
Sources
.) Fluorides and nitrates can also be completely removed with a reverse osmosis water treatment unit. Unfortunately, this process is said to denature the water, such that plants do not grow as well when watered with reverse osmosis water. State-of-the-art reverse osmosis units "restructure" the water by running it through pebbles. Reverse osmosis also removes beneficial minerals, but these can be restored to the diet with a mineral supplement of fine clay or mineral ions added to the water. (See
Sources
.)

How much water should we drink? Conventional wisdom calls for six to eight large glasses per day, but Oriental medicine teaches that this is a dangerous practice that puts undue strain on the kidneys. In fact, when we drink plain water with few electrolytes, the body tries to excrete it as quickly as possible in order to maintain homeostasis in the blood.
¹⁶³
Researchers from both East and West warn that excessive liquids taken at meals dilute stomach acid and put undue strain on the digestive process. On the other hand, large amounts of purified or distilled water taken throughout the day as a temporary measure have been used successfully to treat a number of disease conditions, such as kidney stones and toxemia. A good rule is to avoid drinking too much liquid from one-half hour before a meal to two hours after and to sip beverages slowly with meals. It is also wise to avoid liquids that are too hot or too cold. Iced water with a meal makes digestion very difficult. Water to which a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice has been added will quench thirst and aid digestion better than plain water.

Water is a by-product of carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Thus, a diet that is high in protein but low in fat and carbohydrates can lead to excessive thirst.

A study of beverages from around the world reveals that traditional societies frequently consume lacto-fermented beverages made from fruits, milk, sap, herbs and grains.
¹⁶⁴
Lacto-fermentation is a process whereby special bacteria transform sugars and starches into beneficial acids. These drinks are valued for medicinal qualities including the ability to relieve intestinal problems and constipation. They encourage lactation, strengthen the sick, enhance digestion and promote overall well-being and stamina. Above all, these drinks are considered superior to plain water in their ability to relieve thirst during physical labor. Many vitamins and minerals are lost through perspiration. Modern research has discovered that a liquid containing small amounts of sugars along with minerals in ionic form is actually absorbed faster than plain water, is retained more thoroughly and has the added advantage of rapidly replacing minerals lost in sweat.
¹⁶⁵
This research has been used to promote commercial sports drinks—high-sugar, additive-laced concoctions containing small amounts of electrolytes. But natural lactic-acid fermented drinks contain numerous valuable minerals in ionized form and small amounts of natural sugars along with lactic acid and beneficial
lactobacilli
, all of which promote good health in many ways, while at the same time satisfying the sensation of thirst.

Both modern soft drinks and plain water are poor substitutes for these health-promoting traditional beverages. Taken with meals, they contribute to thorough and easy digestion of food; taken during physical labor, they rapidly replace lost mineral ions to give an energizing lift that renews rather than depletes the body's reserves. The day when every town and hamlet in America produces its own distinctive lacto-fermented brew, made from the local products of woods and fields, will be the day when Americans see the dawning of a new age of good health and well-being—along with a new era of economic vitality based on small-scale local production rather than on large-scale monopolistic control of the food processing industry.

On the subject of alcoholic beverages, the evidence is also inconsistent. Certainly the problem of alcoholism is enormous, particularly in the United States where there are some 15 to 20 million alcoholics, or about one in every ten people. Alcoholics are more prone to disease and to accidents than the normal population and tend to die young. On the other hand, several traditional societies, noted for the longevity and good health of their citizens, consume moderate amounts of beer or wine made from grapes, bananas and other fruits. These wines tend to have a lower alcohol content than modern wines and beers. Research indicates that moderate consumption of alcohol, particularly wine, may prevent heart disease; one oft-quoted study indicates that those who drink moderately—one to two glasses of wine per day—in general live longer than those who overindulge, and than those who do not drink at all, but this may be due to the fact that such people tend to be moderate in
all
their habits and may be better able to afford a more nutritious diet. Other studies link even moderate alcohol consumption with breast cancer.
¹⁶⁶

The religions of the world differ in their laws on alcohol consumption, but most are in agreement that those on a spiritual path, or those who have chosen a life of devoted service, should refrain from alcoholic beverages. If you do drink, we urge you to partake only of wine or unpasteurized beer with meals in very moderate amounts and to abstain from all alcoholic beverages from time to time. Pregnant women should not consume alcohol. (If you use wine in cooking but want to be sure that the alcohol has evaporated, boil the sauce to which it has been added, uncovered, for about ten minutes.)

The problem of alcoholism is allied to the problem of nutrition in general. The root cause of alcohol cravings is a deficiency of B vitamins, trace minerals and the amino acid glutamine.
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Some practitioners find that alcoholics improve when grains are removed from their diets.
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Thus, the best diet for the alcoholic is one that is high in B vitamins, devoid of all grains and sugars and rich in high-protein foods such as eggs and meat—not exactly the diet promoted by the Department of Agriculture and its new food pyramid!

Alcoholics tend to lack alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that gets rid of alcohol. This implies deficiencies in magnesium and zinc as well as an overload on the pancreas, all of which can be ameliorated by a diet of nutrient-rich and enzyme-rich foods. Homemade bone broths and lacto-fermented beverages can be particularly beneficial to the alcoholic because they aid digestion and the assimilation of much-needed nutrients.

Former alcoholics often replace alcoholic drinks with sweets and sodas without realizing that sugar plays havoc with the intestinal flora, fostering overgrowth of
candida albicans
and other fungi. Under certain conditions these pathogenic yeasts actually convert sugars in the gut to alcohol! There are well-documented cases of inebriation caused by sugar consumption and candida overgrowth in persons who do not drink alcohol.
¹⁶⁹
The alcoholic, in turning to sugar, is often supplying himself with alcohol throughout the day!

Alcohol-free beer and wine are high in carbohydrates and should also be avoided by those attempting to give up alcoholic beverages. Often they still contain 0.5 percent alcohol, and the taste of these wines and beers may perpetuate the longing for alcohol. As they have been boiled to remove alcohol, they have been shorn of their enzyme content, which is a health-promoting, compensating factor in wine and unpasteurized beer.

The recipes for traditional lacto-fermented beverages we present in this book constitute an alternative not only to soft drinks but to alcoholic beverages as well. We offer the theory that the craving for alcohol, as well as the craving for soft drinks, stems from an ancient collective memory of the kind of lacto-fermented beverages still found in traditional societies. These beverages give a lift to the tired body by supplying mineral ions depleted through perspiration and make food taste more agreeable and satisfying by supplying
lactobacilli
, lactic acid and enzymes needed for easy and thorough digestion.

ABOUT FOOD ALLERGIES & SPECIAL DIETS

For many people, the presence of food allergies and the necessity to restrict food choices present an unwelcome barrier to the joy of eating. Food allergies afflict a large portion of our population and can cause such diverse complaints as sneezing, itching, arthritis, nervous disorders, concentration problems, insomnia, headaches and chronic fatigue. More recently, diseases like cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia have been linked to food allergies. Often allergy sufferers find that they are allergic to the very foods they eat frequently and like the most.

Allergy tests have revealed sensitivities to every food commonly eaten, but most prevalent are allergies to milk products and grains—precisely the two foods added to man's diet when he changed from a hunter-gatherer life style to one of cultivation and domestication. The proteins of grain and milk, namely gluten and casein, are two of the hardest proteins for humans to digest. This is one reason that traditional cultures usually soak or sprout grains and culture their dairy products before eating them. Problems with milk also stem from the body's inability to produce the enzyme lactase, required to break down lactose or milk sugar. The process of fermenting or culturing milk products breaks down a portion of the lactose; even so, large numbers cannot tolerate milk products in any form. Some people are sensitive to the high levels of the amino acid tyramine found in cheddar-type cheeses. Asians, in general, tolerate milk products less well than Westerners.