My Raw Iftar

Smoothie – Fruits — Salad /Soup – Dessert

These have been the foods of my iftar for the Ramadan so far. If you think they are boring, think again. With so many different varieties of fruits and veggies, the combination is endless. However, I tend to stick with fewer varieties simply for easier food preparation.

I will share some typical ones with you in case you’d like to try for yourself.

Smoothie: This is the ‘drink’ for breaking my fast. I have talked about smoothies, especially green smoothies quite a few times already. Guess you don’t want to hear it again (smile). In fact, you could subscribe to the blog or post a comment on this page to receive free recipes of green smoothies. However, I do want to say that since this is Ramadan, I reduce the amount of green smoothie into half (1 quart instead of 2 quarts) when I break the fast.

Fruits: I prepare up to two kinds of fruits in one setting as the first dish of my iftar. Recently, I enjoy mangoes and papayas a lot. They are in season so they are ripe and sweet, in particular, with reasonable prices. Other fruits that I also enjoy include figs, different kinds of melons, cherries, grapes, plums, and peaches. I had two plums and one mango today, sweet and juicy.

Salad/Soup: The second dish of my iftar is either a plate of salad or a bowl of soup. Let me start with the salad since that’s what I had today.

• Salad – Cut one bunch of spinach, half of a very long cucumber (a gift from a friend freshly picked from her garden), one small tomato, and half of an avocado in a large bowl. Sprinkle with some corn kernels cut from a cob of corns (bought from farmer’s market to ensure not genetically modified corns). Seasoned with cold-pressed olive oil and my homemade ginger soy sauce.

• Soup – In a large bowl place the following: two raw nori sheets (torn into 10 to 12 pieces each sheet), half of an avocado (cut into small chunks), corns, cut tomatoes, and cut cucumbers; seasoned with homemade ginger soy sauce and topped with sunflower sprouts and some raw shredded almonds or pine nuts. Pour in the lukewarm soup (see below).

The soup is not raw. First boil the water, and then throw in lemon grass and ginger roots. Let it cook for five minutes then simmer for ten minutes. Cool the soup until you can dip your finger in without the fear of getting burned.

Dessert: This is usually served after Isha and Taraweeh prayers if staying up late. The one I had today was Gojiberries with almond butter.

• Gojiberries with almond butter – Soak one cup of gojiberries in sufficient amount of water to cover the berries. Blend the following in a food processor: the soaked gojiberries along with the water, two tablespoons of almond butter, two tablespoons of lucuma powder, two tablespoons of mesquite powder and one teaspoon of maca powder (Note: these are only approximates since I don’t really measure). I only eat a portion of it at a time. It could probably serve up to four or five times.

• Fresh figs with tahini – This is my other favorite dissert. Simply open the fig and stuffed with raw tahini and enjoy! You can make your own raw tahini by blending the sesame seeds (both black and white) in a food processor.

Do I feel hungry? Certainly not! These are nutrient-dense living foods. They make me fresh and alive! The foods sustain me until about 6 PM the next day when I start preparing for my iftar. I have to confess, though, by the time I prepare iftar, I start craving for fruits.

Three important tips to get the most benefits of eating right and staying healthy in Ramadan:

1. Eat slooooooooooowly. This is so important even with already easily digested fruits and vegetables let alone hard-to-digest high fat cooked diet. If you finish your plate in fewer than 20 minutes, you’re swallowing, not chewing the food. My iftar lasts for one hour. Be nice to our bodies by treating all the organs in our bodies in a respectful way – they will complain to our Lord on the Day of Judgment if we abuse them.
2. Fully hydrate yourself when not fasting by drinking plenty of water. In my opinion, dehydration is more of a concern than being hungry. Even with high fluid-content diet, I still drink a lot of water after breaking the fast. Do you know that many times when we find ourselves feeling hungry not very long after eating, it’s because we’re thirsty, not hungry? We simply not interpret the message correctly. Why? Because we tend to remember the ‘tasty’ food rather than the ‘plain’ water. So drink the water first before you reach to more dessert.
3. Exercise moderately. Take some time out and go for a walk under the sun. Even five minutes (if it’s too hot in your area) is good. It may not be the most comfortable way of fasting but sweating is the best way to release the toxins from our bodies. Fasting should not be the reason to exempt us from exercising; nonetheless, certainly no drills for you and me except for Husain Abdullah, masha Allah.

Would you like to increase the living foods in your diet for the remaining of the Ramadan? Replace the bread with fruits and salad. Join the group with vibrancy, you’ll be happy with the change, guarantee!

Fasting is Beneficial if Done Properly

A friend sent me a link to a speech given by an Islamic sheikh. You can listen to the speech here: Fasting Clinical Studies

In this talk, the Sheikh used many scientific studies as evidence to show the benefits of fasting: fasting is anti-aging; it slows down the growth of tumor; it is anti-depressant; it helps to loose weight; and it even shows no harm in pregnant and lactating women etc.

Indeed, fasting IS beneficial to our health – IF DONE PROPERLY. However, most people overeat when breaking the fast. Fasting itself is a type of detoxification (therefore, slows down the growth of tumor), repairing (repairs free-radicals and hence anti-aging), resting and self-healing. We’re not supposed to eat to the fill after breaking the fast. Rather, maintain that bit of emptiness. As time progresses, the level of deprivation (from food) should be lessened. Thus, one achieves the most benefit of fasting: deep cleansing.

What’s the purpose of fasting?

Non-religious fasting could be performed in various forms such as water fast and juice fast. The purpose of these fasting is simply to remove the toxicity from our bodies. However, the complete removal of toxicity could not be achieved until at least 5 to 7 days of continuous fasting. Since  fasting during Ramadan allows one to eat after only about 12-16 hours fast, the body is fluctuating between no work (fasting) and hard work (breaking the fast) for the entire month.

Therefore, to balance out between fasting and breaking the fast, one should not overeat to place extra burden on his/her body to cancel out all the benefits one could get during the fasting. Many of us went through a cleansing back in early July, before the start of Shaban — to prepare ourselves of eating less without feeling deprived and at the same time getting the most of the health benefits through fasting. In addition, insha Allah, we could practice the best of our ibadah (without getting distracted from feeling hungry or feeling tired).

Consume mostly fresh produce when breaking the fast

With all that being said, however, one could not successfully achieve the level of eating less while not feeling deprived until refraining from the heavily processed foods and artificial ingredients and flavors. That is, the type of food we choose to consume plays an important role. In fact, one should stick with the easiest digestible foods such as fresh veggies and fruits when breaking the fast. If the food is not right, your digestive system needs to work double hard to get rid of the poison after the short period of detoxification. It produces a shock to your body, first peacefulness (no food, no digestion), then chaos (overeating + wrong food). This repeats on a daily basis for 30 days. Just imagine that …

Halal and wholesome food

One interesting thing the sheikh mentioned at the end of the talk is about eating halal food that is tawib (wholesome). “In Islam, we’re forbidden to eat chickens eating filthy food”, said the sheikh. The sheikh continued to explain how the sahaba used to refrain the chickens from eating filthy food for 40 days before slaughtering them. If so, what about the cows (chickens as well or any other raised animals) that are fed with commercial feed made by collecting the body parts of slaughtered animals including their feet, organs, blood, feathers (if from poultry), and even their wastes? Not to mention the hormone and the antibiotic added to their diet.

Stress hormone

The sheikh went on to talk about the stress hormone imprinted in the animals when slaughtered in fear. He said that the Prophet (sallaAllhu Aleihi wasallam) forbade us to eat the animal killed by an arrow due to the animal’s fear at the end of its life. What about the animals brought up in the dark and crowded room, and at the end, are sent into a closed confinement and are crushed to death by a huge iron plate? The stress hormone will not go away after the slaughtering. It even stays in our bodies after consuming the meat of the animals that went through fear and distress. That explains why people eating meat are stressful whereas people eating fresh produce are much more happier.

Do You Have a Diet Plan in Ramadan? — Check out Mine!

Ramadan is right around the corner. Muslims should feel excited and ready to welcome this holy month. However, people complain about the long hours of the day, about the difficulties of fasting while going to work, about not being able to concentrate at work or study, about feeling tired during the day, and worst of all, easily feeling irritated by the surrounding people, known or unknown to them.

Islam is a whole package – It is a holistic way of living

Even though Ramadan is a fasting month, Muslims should not live the rest of the year differently. We should not indulge ourselves eating excessively without proper control over the other months of the year.

Prophet Muhammad (sallaAllhu Aleihi wasallam) instructed us that this life (dunya) is a prison for the believers. That is, it’s a test to the believers; it’s about controlling our desires (including our diet).

Therefore, a true Muslim will practice simple eating style to maintain good health. Our beloved Rasoolulah commented on a Muslim’s diet should follow “one-third of food, one-third of water, and one-third of air”.

We always, especially when breaking the fast, eat as if there will be no food available for the next day. We are so concerned about NOT eating enough. How many of us, including myself, can adequately control ourselves to eat moderately?

The benefits of fasting

We all know that regular cleansing is important in keeping good health. It should not be difficult to understand that establishing a habit of fasting regularly throughout the year is even more beneficiary.

Many raw foodists water fast once a week to relieve the burden from their bodies.

Muslims have the Prophet’s tradition of fasting two days a week (Mondays and Thursdays). This is all wisdom! Muslims get the health benefit through fasting in addition to the reward from Allah, insha Allah. What a good deal!

Not good but harmful?

However, the usual practice of preparing for the fast and breaking the fast by the majority of Muslims destroy all the benefits we could get from fasting. The practice of waking up in the middle of the night eating a heavy meal for the suhour (the meal before fasting) and going back to sleep after the Fajr prayer leaves the heavy-duty digesting work to our bodies while in sleep is burdening our bodies. No wonder we feel tired after waking up and throughout the day. On the other hand, overeating upon breaking the fast is like giving our bodies a shock after all the tranquility.

Fasting = Food deprivation?

A very wrong idea that people adopt about staying healthy is to eat A LOT OF foods in one meal. It is as if malnutrition is caused by not eating enough food. True, we need all kinds of nutrients to stay healthy. But this doesn’t mean we need to EAT A LOT in quantity.

Fresh produce provides all kinds of vitamins and minerals our bodies need. Accompanied with a little portion of raw nuts, the diet is completed with a full spectrum of nutrients. In other words, it is not the quantity but the ** quality ** of the food we eat to stay healthy.

People during fasting (religious or non-religious) have a psychological effect of feeling deprived. Thus, it’s very easy to consume more than needed after the fast to compensate the “loss”. Eating in a manner as if tomorrow will not come – eating the last meal on earth. But think about it, the food is still there. It will not “run away”.

Less is more (Eating less = More energy)

From my own fasting practices, I experience exceptionally high energy when eating light.

Just the other day, my students from my evening class asked me in amaze (They would be even more amazed if they knew I just broke the fast for that day) that why I don’t feel tired after a long day? (How they wish I could dismiss the class earlier!)

I showed them the bottle I had in my hand, “This keeps me fresh and alive!” jokingly I said. They started guessing what’s in the bottle – water, tea, coffee, or some kind of medicinal drink?

It was fresh coconut water (not store-bought bottled coconut water but freshly cut opened by myself in my own kitchen)!

My fasting diet

So, what is my diet during fasting?

When breaking the fast time comes, I drink a 2-cup glass of either freshly made green veggie juice or fruit juice (cantaloupe juice or watermelon juice, for example). After the Magrib prayer, a meal including a big plate of fruits (no more than two different varieties) followed by either a big bowl of salad or a bowl of raw soup with a bit of sweet dessert (tahini blended well with honey and some cacao powder, for example) is served.

By the way, in addition to eating light, it’s equally important to get proper digestion by sloooooowly eating your food. That’s why break the fast with easiest digestible veggie or fruit juice and start the meal with a plate of fruit. They are easy to digest and in the mean time take up some space so you won’t feel too hungry.

Unless feeling really hungry, no more food before going to bed at night. If really needed, I would make a small cup of green smoothie after the night prayer. In fact, that’s the only quantity of food I would get during fasting.

My suhour is water – plenty of it.

Do you like my diet plan?

I follow this diet during my regular fasting and it works very well. But obviously, unlike Ramadan, my regular fasting usually does not last more than one day. Whether this low-fat, low-amount diet can continuously providing my enough energy for the entire month is still unknown to me. Insha Allah, I’ll report to you after Ramadan.

Regardless of the plan, Allah commands us to fast in Ramadan merely to wish us to establish taqwa in our hearts.  With this correct understanding, accompanied with faith, and the right approach, insha Allah, we’ll be successful.

I’d love to hear from you about your challenges during Ramadan. What are your thoughts about the diet plan suggested? Do you think it’s workable? Do you have a diet plan during the month of Ramadan? What is it? Share with us. We’d like to hear from you.

Sunlight Causes Cancer?

I talked about sunlight and vitamin D before (Click here to read). Many people expressed their concern about having adverse reactions such as getting red spots on the skin when exposing in the sun. Their dermatologists told them to refrain from the sun because sunlight exposure causes skin cancer. SUNLIGHT CAUSES CANCER? The answer lies in the matter of nutritional deficiency.

With lack of living foods and heavily processed, dead, and junk foods we consume daily, it’s not surprising that we are nutritional deficient and lack of antioxidants. Yes, lack of antioxidants (not the sunlight) is the culprit of skin diseases including skin cancer, when exposing under the sun. Skin gets burned easily without proper nutrients in the body in the first place.

You see, the problem is that we always blame the wrong reason for the cause of the disease. We blame the sun for causing skin cancer without realizing that the true cause is the lack of nutrients we put in our bodies. In fact, with sufficient nutrients, the sunlight can PREVENT all types of cancers due to its function of manufacturing vitamin D in our bodies. So, it is WE (our ill lifestyles) to blame, not the sun!

Have you ever heard of this comment? “So and so fell and caused a fracture on her hip”. What happened first, falling or fracture? We all believe that falling happens first and the fracture follows. The truth is that she was vitamin D deficient; her body could not effectively absorb and utilize the calcium in her body. Due to the weakness of her bone density, a fracture occurred. Therefore, she fell.

Allah creates all the necessary substances in the nature for us to thrive on earth – the sunlight, the air, the water, and the food crops. We not only abuse them but also, with out limited understanding, blindly blame these fundamental substances created by Allah as the cause of our diseases. Human beings are indeed ignorant and not thankful!

By the way, antioxidants can be found in all the fresh fruits and veggies, especially berries and dark leafy greens. Embrace the lifestyle of eating fresh and living foods, and practice regular outdoor activities; we will be healthy and thriving, insha Allah.

Mike Adams, the editor of NaturalHealth.com, reveals the truth about the benefits we could get from the sunlight. Take a look …

Fat Nation

I don’t know about you. But I always say “No” when asked for donation for cancer research at the checkout of a local chained supermarket. The research fund is collected, after all, to help the pharmaceuticals to ‘invent’ more drugs to poison us. Many of us, regardless realizing that cancer or any other diseases cannot be ‘cured’ by chemo or drugs, we still have that false hope that one day the research will discover something to finally ‘cure’ the diseases. We do not want to take the responsibility of taking care of our own bodies; we still rely on and allow someone else (doctor) or something else (drug) to control us. But, the real cause of any diseases is simply the foods we put into our bodies.

Refined sugar/refined salt + fat = destructive addiction

A recent published research paper (Johnson & Kenny, 2010) reports the results of an experiment conducted to understand the eating behavior of the rats. The results of the research reflect exactly the same eating behavior of the human beings. The researchers divided the rats into three groups: chow-only (offering rat chow only diet), restricted-access (offering rat chow diet along with one hour of cafeteria-style buffet), and extended-access (offering rat chow diet for one hour and cafeteria-style buffet for 23 hours). Palatable high-fat food items such as bacon, sausage, cheesecake, pound cake, frosting and chocolate was included in the cafeteria diet. The experiment lasted for a consecutive duration of 40 days.

Among other things, one of the interesting results shows that the restricted-access rats develop a binge consumption pattern; the rats would wait until that one-hour to binge on the unhealthy pleasure food. At the same time, the extended-access rats became quickly obese and were obsessed with the pleasure food. So much so that even when painful electric shots applied to their feet when coming near the junk food would not dissuade them to the least.

Is it coincidence to be a fat country?

“Ease of access to palatable high-fat food is considered to be an important environmental risk factor for obesity”, according to Johnson & Kenny (2010, p. 5). Fast food chained restaurants are ubiquitous in the US. Comparing the United States with any other nations in the world, we have more restaurants offering junk food than anywhere else in the world. Coincidentally, we have more obese people in the US than in any other countries (Two-thirds of the Americans are overweight). Is it merely coincidence?

Going into any grocery store, fresh produce section is always a tiny portion of the entire store. Not only that, you really need to be courageous enough to walk through all the challenges (breads, cookies, cakes and so on) before reaching to the produce section. If you spend some time at the checkout, it would not be difficult to summarize the majority items people are buying: packaged and heavily processed foods. Another interesting fact: the more high-fat palatable foods at the checkout, the more obese the buyer. Is it another coincidence?

Any experiments on human beings?

You might argue that it was just an experiment on rats. How can we relate that to human beings? If you think that all those obese people out there have nothing to do with what they consume, please watch this 100-min film – Supersize Me! (Scroll down to the bottom of this post).

Morgan Spurlock filmed this documentary in 2003 when he was 32. He experimented on himself with eating nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days. As you will see that only half way into the experiment, he started feeling sick and appeared tired most of the time. The only time he felt happy was eating McDonald’s junk food. If this doesn’t prove that high-fat junk food is addicted, I don’t know what explanation the fast food industry could offer.

It makes me sick to watch this video but the message from this film is clear – not only foods are unhealthy at McDonald’s or any other fast food restaurants but also the abundant heavy processed foods surrounding us at the supermarkets, at the convenient stores, and sometimes even at the so-called “health food stores” are all very harmful to our bodies. How can we get away with that? As quoted in the film, “The food industry is not going to change, you’ll have to change”. Educating ourselves is the best way to eat right and stay healthy. Who doesn’t like to live vibrantly and joyfully each and every day?

What goes around, comes around!

Back to the checkout counter where I was asked to make donation to the cancer research, a sign was posted: “If our cashier fails to ask for donation, you get a free bottle of Coca Cola”. I can imagine how consumers are tired of being asked to donate time and time again. Putting out the sign is, in a way, telling the consumers that “Do not blame the cashier. They’re only doing what they are told”. But come on, “Free bottle of Coca Cola?”

Here’s the real message: Folks, keep consuming disease-caused products (such as Coca Cola). No worry; our pharmaceuticals got a lot of donation (also from you folks) to invent drugs to protect (or poison?) you.

I don’t see the logic except – What goes around comes around!

Resources:

Johnson, P. M. & Kenny, P. J. (2010, March). Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats. Nature Neuroscience, 13, 635-641. Retrieved July 5, 2010, from http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v13/n5/full/nn.2519.html

Szalavitz, M. (2010, April). Can eating junk food really be an addiction? Time.com. Retrieved July 3, 2010, from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1977604-1,00.html

Pre-Ramadan Cleasning ~ It’s Free, Sign up Now

In preparation for the fasting in the months of Sha’ban and Ramadan, I am organizing an event of pre-Ramadan cleansing. You are cordially invited to join me one week in the month of Rajab to go through body and mind cleansing. The purpose of the cleansing is to allow your body to have a break and detoxify the impurity from your body. The only foods allowed during this period of time are fresh fruits and veggies, period. You can eat in any forms you want, in smoothies, juices, soups, or salads (with the salad dressing made from fruits and veggies only, sample recipes will be given once signed up). No condiments, no dried fruits, nothing in powdered form, no seeds or nuts, and no fats of any form are allowed during the cleansing.

When is the Cleansing?

Saturday, July 3^rd ~ Friday, July 9^th (Invite your family members and friends to join and spread the words of staying healthy!)

Why Cleansing?

The main purpose of the cleansing is to get the most of fasting during Shaban and Ramadan, physically (stop craving for food when fasting and consume healthy living foods after breaking the fast) and spiritually (focus more on Ibadah).

In addition, you’ll also get the benefits of

• Giving your body a break;
• Dropping the unwanted weight and feel good about yourself;
• Stopping your craving for heavily processed, unhealthy foods;
• Getting rid of depression and foggy brains;
• Improving energy and concentration;
• Reversing the degenerative diseases; and
• Detoxifying and restoring the level of alkalinity in your body for maintaining good health in the long run.

Who Needs the Cleansing?

Everyone needs regular cleansing to keep the ultimate health for his/her body. If you’re not including at least 80% of raw fruits and veggies in your diet already, this is the best time for you to start. If you are eating mostly or completely raw, chances are you might sometimes consume too much fat or “cheat” on yourself (including myself consuming more fat than needed, occasionally); it’s time to remove the excess fat and restore the vitality you deserve to have.

What Appliances do You Need?

A blender is all you need. If you have a juicer, you can make veggie juices easily. However, it’s not necessary. I personally did not have a juicer in the first two years of consuming raw foods but still made veggie juices by using a blender. By the way, the blender that I had was a cheap and simple one. I will share with you how to get around with a not-so-sophisticated blender to enjoy making smoothies, soups, and even veggie juices.

What will You Receive from Me?

• You’ll get specific instructions on how to conduct the cleansing.
• You’ll receive tips on shopping for fruits and veggies, what to buy and sample recipes to follow.
• Additional instructions and guidelines will be provided to you during the cleansing as often as needed, if it’s not on a daily basis.

What is the Cost to Join?

A coached cleansing program usually costs you around $100 to sign up but it’s FREE if you join my program. What is the catch, then? Really, NOTHING, except that I want to give you a chance to experience the benefits of eating consciously so that you’ll continue the journey after the cleansing. Even if you don’t do 100% raw right away, you’ll see tremendous health improvement just by eating at least 80% raw. In return, I am hoping, insha Allah, to gain the reward from Allah by showing you to live a fuller life in this world so that you can serve Allah the Almighty through total submission with good health (Let’s face it, how many Muslims CANNOT fast in Ramadan due to the medication that they have to take FOR LIFE?).

BUT WAIT! This Program is NOT for Everyone.

If you’re currently eating a Standard American Diet (SAD), you’ll experience the detoxification reaction at a certain point during the cleansing. This is indeed good news for your body but not so pleasant for you. Think about all the toxic stuff you put into your body all these years. Be thankful that you have the chance to let them out of your body before they become an issue (a disease, in this case) to you at later time. Read about the causes and symptoms of detoxification. You can also read this article about my own experience of going through detox due to perfume inhalation. Not everyone is the same, though. Some people go through very minor detox experience while others go through very intense detox symptoms.

Are you ready for the challenge? Are you ready for a completely new you? Don’t sign up if you are unwilling to improve your health condition. Don’t sign up if you’re hesitating to take control over your own health (Let a total stranger, so called “doctor”, to drug you while never advising you the cause to help you truly recover). Honestly, if you still believe in that corrupted system, don’t sign up my program because you need the courage to go through the entire process and allow your body to heal by itself while nourishing it with the real foods so that you could successfully transform yourself into a healthy and a decent human being.

If you’re willing to embrace a new life and if you are determined to wake up every day with clear and sharp mind, a light body to bend down and prostrate in front of Allah (instead of sitting in the chair for the rest of your life), a clear nose to breathe the air etc, then this program is for you. I’m not giving you any false promises. In fact, you will experience all these after the cleansing. There’s no need for me to attract you to sign up. After all, I don’t get a single dime from you. But I want to share this beautiful information with you so that you could enjoy the way I live. Don’t take my words for it. Try it yourself!

Sign up today by posting a comment below to start receiving the instructions on the cleansing and get ready for it right away.

Disclaimer: This program is not designed for those who have severe medical issues, even though they could get tremendous benefits if the raw food diet is included as part of the treatment plan. However, there’s no on-site healthcare practitioner to answer any special needs may arise while going through detoxification. If you are currently taking any medication, please consult your healthcare practitioner about joining this program.

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

People ask me where I get my protein from since I don’t consume animal products. I tell them the green veggies I eat provide me plenty of protein. You might find it hard to believe. But think about cows, how do they grow so big without eating meat?

Where and how do we get protein from?

To get things straight, eating protein-rich food alone does not give us the protein we need for our bodies because protein does not create protein in our bodies, rather, amino acids create protein in our bodies.

When we consume protein (animal or plant protein), our digestive system breaks it down into amino acids and then regenerates the protein we need from those amino acids along with the essential amino acids we consume directly from the food sources.

The size of each protein, depending on its function, ranges from as few as only hundreds of amino acids to as many as thirty thousands of amino acids chained together. The large-sized protein reaches its stability through the structure.

Animal protein vs. plant protein

The animal protein may contain more complete profile than the plant protein. However, the bioavailability is much lower in animal protein than in plant protein. The bioavailability is mainly determined by two factors:

1. The structure and the size of the protein molecule: The larger and more tightly the protein, the more difficult the body could break it down. The incomplete digestion of wheat, corn, dairy, and soy is mainly due to their complex protein structure. On the other hand, leafy greens are simple protein, thus, easy to digest.
2. The presence of enzymes: Enzymes help to break down the protein. However, cooked food destroys the enzymes, thus, inhibits the breakdown of the protein.

How much protein do we really need?

The protein we need each day should be limited to no more than 10% of our daily caloric intake. Too much protein will be transformed into fat and stored in the body. The body will only utilize it as an energy source after carbohydrates and fats are depleted or unavailable. That explains why people consuming meat in large amount on a daily basis tend to be obese.

I met some people changing their diet from eating mostly fresh veggies and fruits back to Standard American Diet (SAD). The reason? “I’m not having enough protein”, was the most heard reason. Who suggested that they were not having enough protein? You’ve guessed it, DOCTORS! Why would doctors suggest that they are not having enough protein? Well, because they constantly feel hungry when eating mostly fresh fruits and veggies.

The real cause of feeling hungry

The actual issue of constantly feeling hungry is not because of protein deficiency but due to insufficient calories intake. Note that the calories I’m addressing here are not the empty calories we get when eating SAD. You get very high calories when eating hamburgers, for example. But that high amount of calories is “empty” since your body does not get any benefits (nutrients in this case) from eating the junk food. Therefore, your body requests more from you and you would end up feeling hungrier soon after eating. Without understanding your body, you’re drawn to junk food again because the artificial taste, even though harmful to your body, makes you crave for even more. The cycle continues. It is not surprising to see people with obesity could eat ten hamburgers, three large size of French fries, five apple pies, and a large cup of soda in one setting.

On the other hand, when consuming mostly fresh veggies and fruits, the calories you get are solid and real. However, with no experience, the daily total calories of a beginner might be less than 1000. A typical female adult generally requires about 1200 calories a day. If constantly not eating enough, no wonder people would wrongly blame protein as the culprit.

Sources:

Cohen, A. (2004). Living on Live Food.

Protein by Jon Barron: http://www.jonbarron.org/baseline-health-program/2008-08-04.php

Iron Deficiency: The Most Common Nutrient Deficiency in the World

Possible causes for iron deficiency

Iron deficiency syndrome is not uncommon and is affecting one billion people worldwide (Blake, 2008). The causes of iron deficiency anemia may be due to one of the following reasons (http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/ida.html#):

• Insufficient iron in the diet
• Poor absorption of iron by the body
• Ongoing blood loss, most commonly from menstruation or from gradual blood loss in the intestinal tract
• Periods of rapid growth

In addition to the above possible causes, another reason of causing iron deficiency may due to our bodies’ natural reaction to the bacteria invasion. Bacteria are fed on iron. In response to the infections caused by bacteria, our bodies lower the production of blood iron (Blake, 2008). In other words, it is the auto protection from our immune systems to fight back the bacteria in order to heal our bodies from the infections. Therefore, Blake suggests, “iron fortification and supplementation must be reconsidered during infections to prevent worsening infections” (p. 221).

Identifying the cause

Twenty years ago, I was “suspected” of having iron deficiency anemia. Without knowing the cause, the doctor put me on iron supplementation for six months. However, there was no improvement of my constant feeling dizziness during the period of supplementation. Without having a clue, the lightheadedness had accompanied me until my changing diet two years ago.

Obviously, successfully reversing the iron deficiency anemia requires the understanding of what causes the deficiency, not with supplementation alone. Supplementation, if needed, should be used as a transient regime to recover the iron level in our bodies, not to be used as a tryout. If the deficiency is caused by poor absorption by the body, supplementation does no help but harm. After all, high amount of iron level in our blood is harmful (Blake, 2008). Therefore, finding the cause should be an urgent issue to address. Once the reason is identified, the treatment would become efficient in reversing the deficiency and thus iron level becomes balanced. Unfortunately, conventional doctors usually cannot identify what causes the deficiency. To find out the underlying reason, one needs to visit a homeopathic doctor. You can click here to find one in your area (if living in the US).

If the reason of low blood iron level is due to insufficient iron in the diet, spirulina (a kind of blue-green algae) “is an outstanding dietary aid to help prevent (or reverse) anemia” (NaturalNews.com). I personally take them on a regular basis (not daily, though). I like to chew the tablets for fun. They make my teeth and tongue green. I also blend them in my smoothie and drink it. Spirulina comes in tablet as well as in powder forms. One can purchase them online. The best ones are made in Hawaii.

Fresh fruits and veggies should be your main diet to prevent (and reverse) any kind of diseases

Eating 100% raw is not easy to do (even though it’s the best way to achieve the optimum health). However, at least 80% of the diet should be fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat as much organic as possible especially for leafy vegetables if you are concerned about putting toxic chemicals into your body. If any meat (chicken and fish) is consumed, they should be organic without any shortchange and is recommended to be no frequent than once a month. Refrain from the refined sugar, salt, pasta, bread, rice, packaged foods, processed foods, and so on. The list is endless (unfortunately).

Special caution on consuming fish: Light-watered fish are fed with hormone to grow more meat and are injected by antibiotics when sick. In fact, sickness occurred in hormone-fed fish are rampant due to the improper feed (Yes, this is the same problem with the factory-raised chickens and cows). On the other hand, salt-watered fish are living in highly contaminated environment (Read this article about the massive oil spill). We are at a greater risk (with more advanced technology???), either consuming hormone and antibiotic residues or intoxicated by the heavy metals, if not consuming organic fish, likewise for the meat. It’s your pick!

Blake, S. (2008). Vitamins & Minerals Demystified: A Self-teaching Guide. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Natural Detoxification – A Symptom of Gaining Health

I was invited to join a family dinner after Jumah prayer on Friday. I’ve known this family for years. The couple was extremely friendly with great hospitality. They have four kids aged from around a year old to nine years old. The couple was so enthusiastic welcoming me not only prepared food to accommodate my need of eating raw, but also refrained from eating meat themselves to show their respect to me. All went well except one thing – the air freshener used in the bathroom.

For most people, eating raw is a choice of consuming particular diet; it is similar to some people choosing not to eat meat (vegetarian), they think. However, eating raw, in fact, is only one aspect of staying healthy. The environment where we live in or breath in is equally important to maintain healthy life. Therefore, raw foodists not only eat mostly raw (if not 100% raw) but also eliminate as many harmful substances as possible from their lives.

Artificial Fragrance

One of the toxic substances is artificial fragrance (Note that the real fragrance derived from the plants, woods or animal, musk, for example, are true fragrances with true pleasant smell that will not harm us a bit). Artificial fragrance damages our nervous systems when used on a regular basis in a long period of time. Unfortunately, fragrance can be found almost everywhere, not only in perfumes and colognes but also in most of the personal and household products: shampoo, soap, lotion, deodorant, cosmetic products, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, dish detergent, air freshener, and cleaning products, to name just a few. Therefore, this toxic substance surrounds us almost every single minute on the daily basis. And, by the way, the stronger the smell, the more toxic the product is.

Because of the constant and small-amount-at-a-time exposure to this artificial fragrance, most people have gotten so used to it that they “look” immune to the toxin. But, in reality, this isn’t the case. The toxic chemicals do not melt away or wash away. They only accumulate in the bodies. Then why nothing has happened to them? Why don’t they look sick? The answer is that it’s not the time yet. When it accumulates enough, the brain is damaged. On top of that, the liver and the kidney are also damaged due to the toxin overload.

The Sickness is Not Due to Chance

Once a disease or a cancer is detected, we usually feel so innocent not knowing what makes us sick. We constantly hear comments such as “Sickness always arrives overnight” or “No sign of sickness in the first place, but it would appear just like that without any warning”. Unfortunately, it has been there for a long period of time already. The delay of the detoxification accompanying by the weakening of the immune system due to consuming unhealthy foods in the long run contribute to the sickness on a later day. Your sickness is not due to chance. It is not because you’re simply unlucky. It certainly isn’t a gift from your parents (inheritance), either. It’s how you live, how you treat your body on a regular basis.

What is Science?

Speaking of inheritance, this has become a wonderful excuse for the doctors to tell their patients once they couldn’t find reasons to explain what causes the diseases. You see; doctors really don’t need to know any rocket science to explain it. But unfortunately, doctors learn very little about this basic knowledge of nutrition in their medical schools. They learn “science” and how to use “scientific evidence” to explain our diseases. However, science is nothing but a man-made method to explain the unknown truth according to what we (the human beings) believe or assume. Insha Allah, I’ll share my view on the issue of “scientific evidence” in the future. For now, it suffices to say that each individual should take his/her responsibility to maintain one’s good health without blaming a bad inheritance.

Detoxification — A Natural Way of Maintaining Health

On the other hand, a raw foodist who takes care of his/her life in all aspects (that is, living in a holistic manner) may develop severe detoxifying reaction when inhaling or consuming toxic substances, which may appear “vulnerable”. However, the natural detoxification process reflects the cleanness of the body condition. Through this process, one could gain back the cleanness and become clean and healthy again, insha Allah.

So what happened to me after my returning home that night? I came down with flu-like symptoms for the next two days — severe headache with runny nose. Alhamdulilah, I had the chance to rest and detoxify. I’ve been thinking to do the cleansing for a while but was very occupied by my schoolwork. Now it’s perfect time to cleanse and detox at the same time. It’s fascinating how my body simply doesn’t want to consume any fat (nuts or seeds, for that matter), not even so much thrilled by the green smoothie as usual. The only thing I’m craving for is pure, clean water and some veggie juice.

Isn’t this the natural way of recovering? When wild animals are sick, they retreat to a quiet place to rest without eating allowing their bodies to detoxify and recover on their own. Human beings are no longer having this instinct. And yet, we consider we are the smartest creatures in the world. Therefore, we intervene with the process. When we have a cold or flu, we take drugs to cover up the symptoms and interfere with the natural detoxification (runny nose, sneezing, and coughing). The result is that toxic substances are forced to stay in our bodies. In addition, more toxic substances (that is, the drugs) are introduced into the bodies. Simply because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s gone. When I tasted the organic strawberries at the farmer’s market one day, a lady made a comment that “It’s dirty”. So, people truthfully believe that washing the produce loaded with the pesticides would make it “clean”. Well, smart creatures, what do you think?

There is a cure for diabetes

According to American diabetes Association, there is no cure for diabetes. However, Dr. Gabriel Cousens says otherwise. In fact, 95% of the Type 2 diabetics reversed their diabetes shortly after joining Dr. Cousens’ 21-day program (www.TreeofLife.nu).

Click here to listen to this interview with Dr. Cousens, given by Mike Adams, editor of NaturalNews.com.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

• Why conventional medical doctors cannot cure diabetes.
• Why do we have more diabetics than before even though we have more advanced medical technology today?
• How life foods can reverse diabetes.

In the interview, you’ll also hear that:

• The Arabs have high rate of diabetes. In Saudi Arabia, 26% of the population is diabetic.
• “White sugar” is the main cause of introducing diabetes into the society.
• Insulin index is spiked by dairy and meat.
• And much more …

Life foods can reverse diabetes

Muslims know that Allah (SWA) is the only source that cures our diseases when we are sick. When we pray to Allah (SWA) for recovery, our bodies gradually heal up because our bodies are empowered by the ability of self-healing. Taking medication in the long term interferes with the healing process, and thus, hinders the healing. Even worse, medication is usually poisonous to our bodies. It attacks our bodies until we completely lose our immunity.

On the other hand, eating life foods (foods created by Allah, SWA) strengthens our immune systems so as to speed up the healing process. Therefore, it’s no surprise that life foods can reverse diabetes, in fact, any diseases. Consuming as much life and raw foods as possible is a way leads to not only good health but happy life.

Please pass along the interview with anyone you know who might be interested in learning how to reverse diabetes.

Disclaimer: I have no financial ties with any organizations mentioned in this article. I have no financial gain whatsoever in linking this interview in my blog. My sole purpose is to help people, especially my fellow Muslims, insha Allah, to self-educate on gaining the real health.