Food Preparation, Combination, Consumption and Cookware
Food Preparation
  • Never never never use, or stand near an operating, microwave. Advice given on how to clean a sponge: "Zap sponges in the
    microwave for one to two minutes weekly. It will kill off any organisms growing inside." If it kills organisms that quickly what is it
    doing to your food when cooked 3, 4, 5 ... minutes!?
  • The rule of cooking is slow/low is better than fast/high--especially with meats.

Vegetables Cooked vs. Raw:
  1. With vegetables the rule is slightly cooked/fermented is better than raw.
  2. Humans are incapable of breaking down plant cell walls, which consist of cellulose fibers; plants nutrients are mostly found within
    the cell wall. Chewing thoroughly helps break open cell walls if the vegetables are raw.
  3. Cook vegetables into the texture of the vegetable changes.
  4. Fermenting also breaks down the cell walls and "pre-digests" the vegetable. It is good practice to re-use the vegetable cooking
    water for soups or for drinking.

Meat and Fish and Eggs Cooked vs. Raw:
  1. Only slightly cook red meat. Click here for tips on how to roast meats. Do not overcook chicken and fish. Cooking meat at high
    temperatures (grilling, frying, broiling) dangerous chemicals are produced, which include HCAs (linked to cancer); PAHs (cancer-
    causing); AGEs (oxidative stress, inflammation, increased risk of heart and kidney disease and diabetes.
  2. Cook all of them in the oils listed above (not olive oil as high heat destroys it).
  3. When cooking eggs leave the yolk somewhat watery.

Soak all grains and nuts/seeds.
  1. Soaking grains and nuts/seeds dissolves the phytic acid, which impairs absorption of minerals, and breaks down enzymes that make
    them difficult to digest.
  2. When grains are properly prepared through soaking, sprouting or sour leavening, beneficial bacteria do some of our digesting for us.
  3. For grains add 1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice for every cup of water. Soak all grains for at least 7 hours (brown rice no more
    than seven, other grains between 7-16, oats for 24 hours). For nuts/seeds add 1/4 tspn of celtic sea salt for one cup of water.
    Cover grains or seeds lightly.



Food Combination and Consumption
  • Thoroughly chew all food.

  • Combine foods that promote healthy digestion (i.e., proper pH level of stomach acid). In sum:
  1. Do not combine melons with other foods.
  2. Non-starchy vegetables combine with all foods (i.e., with starchy vegetables, or with protein foods, or carb foods).
  3. Fats and oils combine with all foods.
  4. Do not combine protein foods with starchy vegetables or carbohydrate foods.
  5. Eat carbohydrate/fruits with oils and fats like butter and coconut as this slows the release of sugar.



Cookware
                   1. Cast Iron/Ironware (properly seasoned) - Heats very well
                  2. Earthenware, Glazed - Takes a long time to heat up but once it is heated it will retain the heat for a long time.
                  3. Glass and Glass-ceramic - Conducts heat poorly, so use for relatively low heats and over long periods of time.
                  4. Porcelain and Enamel Coated Cast-Iron, Aluminum and Steel - as long as coating is intact, no leeching will occur.
                  5. Stainless Steel

  • Stainless Steel Quality (How to Test): Stainless steel not of the highest quality contains cadmium and nickel as alloys that can leach
    into the water.
    Two Testing Methods:
  1. The Baking soda test can be done on your stainless steel cookware to check its quality. Boil some water in the pot or pan with one
    tablespoon of baking soda in it. After boiling it, taste the water. If it tastes metallic the stainless steel isn't of a high quality.
  2. The Magnet Test: You want to buy only the magnetically-attractive type of stainless steel, which apparently has very low nickel
    content and does not leach nickel into food. Nickel is likely more toxic than mercury and the main reason for concern with stainless
    steel cookware. The addition of nickel neutralizes the natural ferrous properties of the iron in the stainless steel.
  • For websites to purchase non-stainless steel alternatives click here.