scienceblogs.com — In most texts and sources that I've read, the germ theory of disease is stated something like, "Many diseases are caused by microorganisms." We could argue whether viruses count as microorganisms, but for purposes of the germ theory they do. (Most biologists do not consider viruses to be true living organisms, because they consist of nothing more than genetic material wrapped in a protein coat and lack the ability to reproduce without infecting the cell of an organism.) Now, let's take a look at the latest germ theory denialist idiocy I've come across. The first one, not surprisingly, I found on NaturalNews.com. Surprisingly, it was not written by Mike Adams, but rather by someone named Paul Fassa, who proclaims You have been lied to about germs. It should have been called "You are about to be lied to about germs." First, though, since this article wasn't by the usual science-hating loon Mike Adams, I was curious just who Paul Fassa is. I had never heard of him before. It didn't take long to find Fassa's Twitter account and then from there his blog Health Maven, which bills itself as an "escape from the medical mafia matrix." Interesting. Why does it appear that any time I come across a germ theory denialist like Fassa, he's someone who uses terms like "medical mafia matrix"? I don't know, but such people also tend to write introductory paragraphs like this: We have been taught to fear germs, pathogens, viruses, and bacteria that invade us from out there. This is the Pasteur model of disease contagion. This creates a dependency on Big Pharma to protect us from invading microbes, each having one form (monomorphic) and creating one specific disease. Pasteur`s model of disease won over rival Claude Bernard`s more accurate argument of the inner terrain. Pasteur`s declaration, though serving the coffers of Big Pharma, creates more questions: How come some get a disease that`s going around and others don`t? How do all these new bugs come out of nowhere to haunt us? Why do vaccines and antibiotics ultimately fail and create super bugs? These questions are answered by understanding the inner terrain and pleomorphism. Note how Fassa first misrepresents the Pasteur model of disease. This is common among germ theory denialists, in my experience. They tend to assume that germ theory states that pathogenic microbes are 100% infectious and always cause disease. Consequently, when people are exposed to pathogenic microbes and don't become ill, people like Fassa point to that as evidence that germ theory is invalid. After all, the germ didn't cause disease, at least in this one case! That must mean that all of germ theory is wrong! Concrete thinking, thy name is Fassa (and other germ theory denialists.) It's rather odd that even most teenagers can understand that catching an infectious disease is dependent not just on the microbe but each person's resistance to that microbe. This is the same thing that mystifies HIV/AIDS denialists, who seem to view the observation that most exposures to HIV do not result in AIDS as some sort of devastating indictment of the hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS. Add to that a long asymptomatic period and highly variable rates of progression, and HIV/AIDS denialists, who are--let's face it--really nothing more than a subtype of germ theory denialists who deny vehemently that one particular germ causes disease have all the doubt they need. But I digress. Also notice Fassa's early and immediate invocation of the pharma shill gambit. If there's another thing about germ theory denialism, it's that those who cling to it tend to be extremely distrustful of big pharma. I realize that in many cases big pharma deserves a lot of mistrust; its record in many areas demands it. What distinguishes many of these germ theory denialists is that they take healthy skepticism and take it to a pathological extreme. They also seem to think that the reason that antibiotics ultimately fail is because germ theory is invalid, which reveals an incredible ignorance of how antibiotics work. Helloooo! Evolution? Ever heard of it? Bacteria are incredibly good at evolving under the selective pressure of antibiotics. That's what creates superbugs, that and our tendency to overuse antibiotics. But what is the "inner terrain" and pleomorphism? This is where we find the "intellectual" basis of rejection of germ theory. As is the case with many alt-med beliefs, this basis harkens back to "ancient" knowledge (or at least 150 year old knowledge). It harkens back to Antoine Béchamp, who did indeed postulate nearly the exact opposite of what Pasteur did: that microorganisms were not the cause of disease but rather the consequence of disease, that injured or diseased tissues produced them and that it was the health of the organism that mattered, not the microorganisms. Basically, Béchamp's idea, known as the pleomorphic theory of disease, stated that bacteria change form (i.e., demonstrate pleomorphism) in response to disease, not as a cause of disease. In other words, they arise from tissues during disease states; they do not invade from the external world. Béchamp further proposed that bacteria arose from structures that he called microzymas, which to him referred to a class of enzymes. Béchamp postulated that microzymas are normally present in tissues and that their effects depended upon the cellular terrain. Ultimately, Pasteur's theory won out over that of Béchamp, based on evidence, but Béchamp was influential at the time. Given the science and technology of the time, Béchamp's hypothesis was not entirely unreasonable. It was, however, superseded by Pasteur's germ theory of disease and Koch's later work that resulted in Koch's postulates. What needs to be remembered is that not only did Béchamp's hypothesis fail to be confirmed by scientific evidence, but his idea lacked the explanatory and predictive power of Pasteur's theory. Fassa is sort of correct about one thing, though. Béchamp's idea was basically something like this: The inner terrain includes our immune system, organ tissues, and blood cells. Those who stepped out of line from Pasteur`s dogma asserted that the inner terrain was more vital for remaining disease free than searching for new antibiotics and vaccines to kill bacteria and viruses. As an analogy, flies don`t create garbage. But garbage attracts flies that breed maggots to create even more flies. Removing garbage is more effective than spraying toxic chemicals, which endanger human and animal life, around the house. Similarly, adding toxins to humans is not as effective as cleaning out the inner terrain. As I said, there's a grain of truth there, namely that the condition of the body and a person's immune system does matter. Specifically, it is true that the condition of the "terrain" (the body) does matter when it comes to infectious disease. Debilitated people do not resist the invasion of microorganisms as well as strong, healthy people. Of course, another thing to remember is that the "terrain" can facilitate the harmful effect of microorganisms in unexpected ways. For example, certain strains of the flu (as in 1918 and H1N1) are more virulent in the young because the young mount a more vigorous immune response. However, latter day Béchamp worshipers fetishize this idea to the point of claiming that the "inner terrain" is all that matters and that bacteria and viruses are manifestations, not causes, of disease. It goes beyond that, though. According to Béchamp, it's said: Blood is alive. It is not a liquid, but a mobile tissue (Béchamp was the first to describe blood thus). The things in our blood are alive. And one thing modern medicine does not accept is that something like a bacterium can change into a yeast that can turn into a fungus that can turn into a mold. We've talked about this in previous newsletters; it is called pleomorphism. Pleo meaning many and morph meaning form or body. This is, of course, complete nonsense. Bacteria cannot change into yeast or vice-versa, while yeasts are organisms in the kingdom Fungi. Dimorphic fungi can exist as a mold/hyphal/filamentous form or as yeast, but this fact does not invalidate the germ theory of disease. Indeed, some of these fungi are pathogens, such as Blastomyces dermatitidis, Histoplasma capsulatum, and Sporothrix schenckii. The misunderstanding of microbiology required to accept the rejection of germ theory in favor of Béchamp's ideas is staggering. Yet they remain very influential. Not among scientists, of course. Science moved on a long time ago. Rather, they remain influential among cranks. By Orac

scienceblogs.com — In fact, most of the bacteria, fungi, and yeast that inhabit our bodies are either beneficial or neutral; our digestive systems wouldn't function properly without the bacteria that live in our colons. They're responsible for breaking down some polysaccharides, starches, fibers into forms that can be absorbed. Without these wee beasties, there would be a lot of the components of our food that we'd have a hard time absorbing. They even produce some vitamins and facilitate their absorption. But that's not all. The normal gut flora play a major role in preventing infection by crowding out pathogenic bacteria. That's one reason why antibiotics can result in severe diarrheal diseases. They kill off the "good bacteria," leaving the "bad bacteria" to proliferate. They can also stimulate the development of the gut's mucosal immune system. Truly, it is a symbiotic relationship between us humans and our bacterial flora, which colonize our guts shortly after we are born and stay with us for the rest of our lives. by Orac

fruitarian.net — Fruit contains vital elements to make our body work and there is a great energy in their juices. These juices do not burden our system, but  pass easily through it, giving the body a more efficient energy system. Imagine a world where people ate only fruits. This will result in a healthy abundance of fruit trees, giving nutritious food to be enjoyed by those who wish to live an energetic and healthy life. The world will  transform in beauty to the way it used to look earlier with an increase in tree populations cleaning the air and offering hiding environment for animals of the nature, many of them are already endangered. When we  start eating only fruits and nuts the difference is felt very quickly. A sensation of integrity and a wave of energy spreads through the body. Another benefit to our health could be a psychological one, if  we think we are not causing the death of animals to survive. There is no need to make secret of the fact that when we consume meat, we are triggering a chain reaction together with all the other consumers, which will finally cause the death of a poor animal living somewhere out there, which we have never seen the face.The increase of our human races in the world and our wrong eating habits are the main reasons for the destruction of the forests and the right environmental conditions in which we live. The excessive grazing of the animals and raising of the crops do not permit the creation of a suitable flora which is necessary for the growth of the trees. This also means erosion, which takes away the fertile soil and poor peasants moving to the towns, which grow continually, creating more environmental and social problems. As for our bodies they are not designed to live sedentary lives in those towns. Degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis strike us and we suffer.Fruitarian lifestyle could be a plan to stop the global warming and save the world as it will result the increase of the fruit trees everywhere in the world. It simply consists of collecting fruits from the trees, eating them and scattering their seeds around. By doing this, we will spread these fruit trees everywhere and will need no instruments to do that. Our bare hands are designed to collect and eat fruits. So there will be no need to harm the nature by processing, cooking and washing dishes.

ds9.botanik.uni-bonn.de —  ROOT APEX – THE ANTERIOR POLE OF PLANT BODY Root Apices represent the Anterior Pole: Specialized for uptake of nutrients and for neuronal activities. Importantly, new roots are formed endogenously (recapitulation of embryogenesis). Shoot Apices represent the Posterior Pole: Specialized for photosynthesis (which is dispensable in holoparasitic plants like Rafflesia) and for sexual reproduction. The flower is the perfect form of the shoot. Shoots harbor plant organs of excretion, trichomes and hydathodes. Moreover, stomata allow gas exchange. Similarly as sexual organs, also organs of plant excretion and stomata are located at the posterior part of the plant body. Even more, hydathodes seem to function in analogy to kidney (Pilot et al. 2004, Plant Cell 16: 1827-1840). Roots are essential whereas shoots are dispensable: In holoparasitic plants, such as Rafflesia, roots are transformed into haustoria while the green part of the plant is missing completely. Nevertheless, haustoria of Rafflesia form the largest flowers in the plant kingdom which reveals that this unique organism really belongs to plants. AUXIN – PLANT NEUROTRANSMITTER Auxin: Represents a plant-specific neurotransmitter and is transported, in a light- and gravity-dependent manner, preferentially along the anterior-posterior axis of the plant body. Auxin induces the formation of both vascular strands (plant nerves) and roots (which harbour the “serial plant brain”). Roots and Auxin: Root apices represent major sinks for the polar auxin transport. Root apices are extremely sensitive towards externally applied auxin, and lateral root formation is induced by this means. Moreover, auxin rapidly regulates vesicle trafficking and gene expression in roots. Initiation of lateral root primordia is an endogenous process resembling early embryogenesis. In contrast, new shoots and leaves are formed exogenously. CELLULAR END-POLES – PLANT SYNAPSES Plant Synapses: Stable actin-supported adhesive domains (known as end-poles or cross-walls) between adjacent plant cells across which auxin and other chemical signals are transported via actin-based vesicular trafficking pathways. Besides these developmental plant synapses, plants are also capable of forming cell-to-cell junctions with cells of another organisms (plants – fungi – bacteria) corresponding to what is defined as an ‘immunological synapse’. These specialized cell-to-cell adhesion domains involve the plasma membranes of two different organisms opposing each other. Such adhesive domains are also sites of active cell-to-cell transport of molecules and metabolites. VASCULAR STRANDS – PLANT NERVES Vascular Strands: The basic units of the vascular system represent both plant nerves as well as a plant endoskeleton. Leaves contain single strands which combine to form the vascular bundles of the stem, and the vascular cylinder of the root. In roots, the largest portion of the organ is the vascular tissue, and its strands (plant nerves) are supported by numerous cells forming the vascular cylinder. Phloem: Supracellular axon-like ‘channel' interconnecting shoot and root apices. Phloem is specialized for transmission of action-potential-driven electric signals. Axon-like means that it is specialized for the rapid transfer of RNA molecules but does not accomplish ribosome assembly and mRNA translation. Xylem: Non-living and water-filled tubes specialized for transmission of hydraulic signals which are self-transmitting waves induced and driven by changes in hydrostatic pressure. ROOT APICES INTERCONNECTED VIA VASCULAR CYLINDERS – SERIAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF PLANT Plant Brain: Each root apex harbours a unit of nervous system of plants. The number of root apices in the plant body is high and all brain-units are interconnected via vascular strands (plant nerves) with their polarly-transported auxin (plant neurotransmitter), to form a serial (parallel) nervous system of plants. The computational and informational capacity of this nervous system based on interconnected parallel units is predicted to be higher than that of the diffuse nervous system of lower animals, or the central nervous system of higher animals/humans.

drgreger.org — Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, among countless other symposia and institutions, and was invited as an expert witness in defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous "meat defamation" trial. Currently Dr. Greger proudly serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States. # Fall 2005    * -Ornish Takes on Cancer    * -Peppermint Oil for Irritable Bowel Syndrome    * -Arteries--Open Sesame!    * -Childhood Brain Tumors and Maternal Diet    * -Mad Cow Update    * -Bird Flu Update # Summer 2005    * -Making the Healthiest Food on Earth Even Healthier    * -Treating Springtime Allergies with Spirulina?    * -Figs Fight Fatigue    * -Heart Attacks, Side-Effects, or a Healthy Diet    * -Plant-Based Diets Beneficial in Pregnancy    * -Soy and Cancer: A Meta-Analysis    * -Dairy Diet Myth    * -ATTACK OF THE SUPERBUGS    * Chicken Out of Urinary Tract Infections    * Campylobacter Joins the Resistance    * The Hard-Boiled Truth: Salmonella and Eggs    * Don't Wash Your Meat    * Bacteria or Cancer # Spring 2005    * -Lifestyle Change Slows Breast Cancer Growth Within Days    * -Preventing Prostate Cancer with Guacamole?    * -Preventing Breast Cancer with Lentil Soup?    * -Maternal Seafood Consumption May Damage Child's Heart    * -Antioxidant Status of Vegetarians    * -Mothballs May Kill More Than Moths    * -Not all Fruits and Vegetables are Alike    * -Ovarian Cancer and Dairy # November/December 2004    * -AGEd Meat    * -Vegans Need to Eat More Greens, Beans, and Nuts    * -Raw versus Cooked Vegetables for Cancer Prevention    * -Meat, Cheese, Eggs, and Lymphoma    * -Berries to Prevent Metastases?    * -Cancer-Fighting Cranberries    * -Eggs and Ovarian Cancer # October 2004    * -AtkinsExposed.org    -- my rebuttal to the Atkins Corporation's legal threat # September 2004    * -Full-Fat Salad Dressings Healthier than Fat-Free    * -Prostate Cancer and Milk    * -Reversing Arteriosclerosis with Pomegranate Juice    * -Vegan Children: A Recent Review    * -Vegetarian Athletes: A Recent Review    * -Endometriosis and Diet    * -Live Paratuberculosis Bacteria Found in U.S. Milk # July/August 2004    * -Rocket Fuel in Milk    * -Broccoli and Breast Cancer    * -Antibiotics and Meat    * -Eggs and Death # June 2004    * -Full text of my book on the Atkins Diet # May 2004    * -Mercury Contamination in Fish    * -High Carb Diet for Safe Weight Loss without Hunger?    * -Insulin Sensitivity and Vegetarianism    * -Skim Milk Versus Soy Milk: Head to Head    * -Iron Status of Young Vegan Women # April 2004    * -Milk and Multiple Sclerosis    * -Macular Degeneration: Go Nuts for Your Eyes    * -Cinnamon: Spice Up Your Life # March 2004    * -Bowel Movement Frequency    * -Raw Vegetables More Protective than Cooked?    * -Eggs and Colorectal Cancer Mortality    * -Green Tea May Protect from Prostate Cancer    * -Girls, Fruits & Veggies and Skeletal Development    * -Eat the Peel? Antioxidant Power of Peels and Seeds # February 2004    * -Arsenic in Chicken    * -PCBs in Fish    * -Flax Seeds and the Stress Response    * -Greens May Prevent Colon Cancer # January 2004    * -Cow Cancer Virus    * -Mad Cow Disease # December 2003    * -Fish Consumption and Breast Cancer    * -Enlarged Prostate and Tomato Sauce?    * -Sore throat? Try Gargling with Green Tea    * -Prostate Cancer and Cranberries # November 2003    * -Soy Foods and Bone Health    * -Meat Molecule Builds Up in Human Tumors    * -Got Testicular Cancer? The Dairy Connection    * -Best to Keep Dead Birds Out of Your Kitchen    * -Long-term Multivitamin Use May Lower Colon Cancer Risk    * -Iodine Deficiency Reported in Vegetarians and Vegans    * -Raw versus Cooked: Which is More Natural? # October 2003    * -Biggest Study on Vegetarians in History Finally Published    * -Vegans Should "Consider" DHA Supplementation    * -Low Protein Intake May Also Harm Bones    * -Nuts Will Not Make You Fat # September 2003    * -Vegan Diets Deficient in Three Nutrients?    * Well, Meateaters are Deficient in Seven!    * -Take Some Greens for Your Blues?    * -Green Tea and Breast Cancer    * -Breakfast of (Slim) Champions    * -Animal Fat and Breast Cancer    * -Milk, Greens and Ovarian Cancer Survival    * -Animal Products and Stroke Risk

commonfund.nih.gov — Within the body of a healthy adult, microbial cells are estimated to outnumber human cells by a factor of ten to one. These communities, however, remain largely unstudied, leaving almost entirely unknown their influence upon human development, physiology, immunity, and nutrition. To take advantage of recent technological advances and to develop new ones, the NIH Roadmap has initiated the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) with the mission of generating resources enabling comprehensive characterization of the human microbiota and analysis of its role in human health and disease.HMPTraditional microbiology has focused on the study of individual species as isolated units. However many, if not most, have never been successfully isolated as viable specimens for analysis, presumably because their growth is dependant upon a specific microenvironment that has not been, or cannot be, reproduced experimentally. Among those species that have been isolated, analyses of genetic makeup, gene expression patterns, and metabolic physiologies have rarely extended to inter-species interactions or microbe-host interactions. Advances in DNA sequencing technologies have created a new field of research, called metagenomics, allowing comprehensive examination of microbial communities, even those comprised of uncultivable organisms. Instead of examining the genome of an individual bacterial strain that has been grown in a laboratory, the metagenomic approach allows analysis of genetic material derived from complete microbial communities harvested from natural environments. In the HMP, this method will complement genetic analyses of known isolated strains, providing unprecedented information about the complexity of human microbial communities.Scope of the Human Microbiome ProjectBy leveraging both the metagenomic and traditional approach to genomic DNA sequencing, the Human Microbiome Project will lay the foundation for further studies of human-associated microbial communities. Broadly, the project has set the following goals:    * Determining whether individuals share a core human microbiome    * Understanding whether changes in the human microbiome can be correlated with changes in human health    * Developing the new technological and bioinformatic tools needed to support these goals    * Addressing the ethical, legal and social implications raised by human microbiome research.

uvm.edu —  Ecological economics is a transdisciplinary field of study that broadly examines the relationships between ecological and economic systems. It differs from both conventional economics and ecology by emphasizing environment-economy interactions. Ecological economics is based on the assumption that the economy is a subsystem of a larger ecological life support system. Understanding this relationship is central to meeting humanity's current environmental challenges, as well as building a sustainable future. Ecological economists strive for an ecologically sustainable, socially equitable, and economically efficient future. The Gund Institute represents a commitment to using a transdisciplinary approach to solve real-world problems. Working together, both academics and practitioners can help to develop and implement new environmental policy and management techniques that benefit the environment and the economy, holistically and sustainably.

runningraw.com — What is the difference between Raw Food and Living Food? Although the definitions of raw vary, it is commonly held that for a food to be raw it must have not been heated over 118 degrees F. My personal belief is that foods begin to break down and lose nutritive value when subjected to temperatures over 100 degrees F. A living food may or may not be a raw food (it may have been cooked at one point), but it has been re-enlivened or populated with living cultures. Examples would be kombucha tea, miso, tempeh, kim chee and krauts, etc. What is a detox? Detox, short for detoxification, is the elimination of toxic substances from the body. What can I expect during my detox? The detox is a highly individual process. Everyone experiences it differently. For some there are no detox symptoms at all. My detox lasted 4 months. I was light-headed, nauseous, weak, tired, headaches, fever-like symptoms. It was not fun, but I came through the other side with a new body. Where do I get my protein? This is probably the most common question i get, and the answer is that I'm not really that concerned with protein intake. Yes, I do consume some protein in the few hemp seeds and nuts that I eat. The dark leafy greens and broccoli that I consume daily also contain protein, but all in all, I really don't consume that much protein. The human body breaks protein down into amino acids, so I cut out the middle man and eat foods that are rich in amino acids - ALL uncooked fruits and vegetables. How do I get enough calories? Actually, I consume much fewer calories than the average American... I'll be doing a caloric breakdown of a single day shortly... my guess is that my consumption falls short of 2000 calories. Raw food is a much more efficient fuel, whereas many of the calories consumed on a SAD diet are burned trying to break down the very food that's providing the energy, and to clean up the damage brought about by an unhealthy diet. Running Raw Diet How long have I been eating raw? I took the plunge into fantastic health on November 3rd of 2004. What do I eat on a daily basis? I don't really have a strict plan or routine when it comes to my daily consumption. I eat what feels good. On most mornings i'll start with a piece of fresh fruit or two (apple, bananas, orange, grapefruit, kiwi, peach, strawberries, etc...), then I'll have a Larabar sometime mid morning. Before my workouts I usually consume a banana and some young coconut water. After my workouts I'll have another piece or two of fresh fruit - within 15 minutes of completing my workout!!! Then when i get home I'll make a smoothie with fruit and greens (kale, lettuce, collard), a few dates and some dulse (for electrolytes). Mid evening I'll chomp on another Larabar, and then I'll make a massive salad at around 7pm... it's got tons of different greens, broccoli, red peppers, radishes, avocado, celery, snap peas, mushrooms and whatever else i can find to throw in there... every day is different... but this is somewhat normal for me, and gives me all the energy I need and more. Did I go vegetarian or vegan before going raw? I was vegan for 6 years before I went raw. The last six months before I went raw I was eating a macrobiotic vegan diet. What is my pre-race regimen? As for a pre-race dinner... I eat no later than 6pm the night of a race... and that meal is almost entirely fruit - bananas, apples, mangoes, kiwis, strawberries... just no melon (they don't play well with other fruit). I might also have a little romaine lettuce. Make sure you are very hydrated the day before the race. The morning of the race, I wake up 3 hours before my start time and have a large all fruit breakfast. Half an hour later I go for a 3 to 5 minute run to get my metabolism going (all the top runners do this). Then I relax and make sure I'm getting lots of fluids... I'll drink at least 32 ounces of water or coconut water before the race... I stop drinking 30 minutes before the start. What supplements do I take? Actually, I don't take any. The point of the Running Raw Project is to prove that one can accomplish incredible feats of physical health and performance using inexpensive, easy to find, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. What superfoods do I take? My belief is that a raw lifestyle should be as sustainable and economically feasible as possible. Therefore, I keep to the foods that are commonplace in any supermarket anywhere in the country, and cost very little to purchase. The miracle of the raw diet is not in the foods you are consuming, it's in the foods you are NOT consuming. Your body is the miracle, you don't need expensive "superfoods" to have a super body. The Running Raw Project How did the project begin? The Running Raw Project came into existence on December 25th of 2005. I was at a Christmas party at my friend's house in Venice, CA. The topic of my recent entrance into the world of running had come up. As I described the changes that were happening to my body and the abnormal feats of endurance that I was capable of, someone said - "you should film this". That hadn't occured to me before. Had anyone ever done that? Was anyone documenting the physical changes that occur when one goes raw? Were people testing this diet and it's relation to physical performance? I looked around online and found not one reference to a Raw diet and athletic performance. This blew my mind. What I was experiencing was off the charts, was I the only one experiencing these physical improvements on this diet? I had to find out. Thus the journey began. What is the status of the documentary film? As of September of 2008, the documentary is on hold. Other aspects of the project have taken precedence. My hopes are that a new team will be assembled and a new and better film will be produced. Raw Food and Performance Coming Soon. Recipes My personal favorite organic smoothie recipe: 2 ripe bananas 6 large dates 3 large leaves of kale 2 tablespoons Nutiva hemp seeds 1 tablespoon flax seeds 1 tablespoon dulse flakes 1 dash cinnamon 2 cups filtered water Training What does my training regimen look like? It all depends on the type of event I'm training for and the time of year. Currently I'm running about 91 miles a week. Which is accomplished by two runs of 5 to 13 miles a day. I also incorporate leg strength and core strength routines 3 times a week. On Tuesdays I do two to four mountain ascents at just below race pace. Typically, the mountains run have between 900 to 1,500 foot vertical gain. Thursdays are reserved for speedwork on the track. The length and intensity of the intervals depends on the event that I'm training for. I compete in a race every weekend which serves as a tempo run. Each race is preceded by a 3 mile warmup and a minimum of a 3 mile warmdown. Did I start training right away when I went raw? I was raw for a year before I started to train. I don't think it's a good idea to be on a training regimen when you are starting a raw diet. The detox can be pretty intense, and the exercise can further the stress on your immune system. What is my resting heart rate? Resting heart rate is measured the moment you first wake up in the morning, or after a period of 20 minutes of no activity. Currently, my RHR is 38. Was I athletic before I went raw? I was a competitive Cross Country skier and track athlete in high school. I competed my freshman and part of my sophomore years in college, then "retired" at age 20. (Back To Top) Weight Loss Eating a raw or living foods diet is one of the most effective ways to safely lose weight and keep it off. It is not uncommon for people to lose 25 lbs or more their first month of going raw.

healthalternatives2000.com — Article by J.D. Decuypere Irradiation Destroys Nutrition From a nutritional aspect, irradiation of food destroys essential vitamins and minerals, including: vitamin A, thiamine, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, C, E, and K. Amino acid and essential polyunsaturated fatty acid content may also be affected. A 20 to 80 percent loss of any of these is not uncommon. It also kills friendly bacteria and enzymes, effectively rendering the food "dead" and therefore useless to the body. In the words of Donald R Louria Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, "The supporters of food irradiation treat the potential damage to the nutrient value of food as if it were unimportant or nonexistent. That is a major mistake. If the nutrient value of food is reduced, then the argument for food irradiation prolonging shelf life is undercut. Surely, it would not make sense to prolong shelf life if the foods are nutritionally defective." Dr. Louria has a point: even if testing showed that irradiated food was 'safe', it has already been shown to lack nutritional value. One good thing is that in the United States, food growers and manufacturers must mention on the label that the food is irradiated, so avoidance of irradiated foods is possible if one shops carefully. However, if you eat out at a restaurant you will not know whether you are eating irradiated food, as they are not obliged to reveal that information. It is clear that food irradiation has not been adequately tested on humans, and the negative implications are apparent: potential nuclear accidents resulting in radiation leaks, more nuclear waste to dispose of, mutating bacteria, carcinogenic substances and depleted nutritional value of the food irradiated.

en.wikipedia.org — In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds. The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state, such as apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, juniper berries and bananas. Seed-associated structures that do not fit these informal criteria are usually called by other names, such as vegetables, pods, nut, ears and cones. In biology (botany), a "fruit" is a part of a flowering plant that derives from specific tissues of the flower, mainly one or more ovaries. Taken strictly, this definition excludes many structures that are "fruits" in the common sense of the term, such as those produced by non-flowering plants (like juniper berries, which are the seed-containing female cones of conifers), and fleshy fruit-like growths that develop from other plant tissues close to the fruit (accessory fruit, or more rarely false fruit or pseudocarp), such as cashew fruits. Often the botanical fruit is only part of the common fruit, or is merely adjacent to it. On the other hand, the botanical sense includes many structures that are not commonly called "fruits", such as bean pods, corn kernels, wheat grains, tomatoes, and many more. However, there are several variants of the biological definition of fruit that emphasize different aspects of the enormous variety that is found among plant fruits. Fruits (in either sense of the word) are the means by which many plants disseminate seeds. Most edible fruits, in particular, were evolved by plants in order to exploit animals as a means for seed dispersal, and many animals (including humans to some extent) have become dependent on fruits as a source of food. Fruits account for a substantial fraction of world's agricultural output, and some (such as the apple and the pomegranate) have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings.