Thursday, May 31, 2012

Visit to the Buckstaff Bath House

Yesterday, Travis and I did a 100% raw, all fruit day.  Travis is down to 172 lbs, so he has the 160's in sight.

Lunch was bananas and cantaloupe.

Dinner was Green Smoothies (banana, mango, kale, blackberries); watermelon; avocado; and mung bean sprouts.  It's important to chew your smoothies instead of gulping them.  Digestion begins in the mouth.

We have heard some good reports of people that attended Dr. John Fielder's presentations here in Arkansas.  Our friends, Arthur and Nancy, committed to doing six weeks on all raw.  So far Arthur has lost five pounds and Nancy has lost eight.  The weight loss is just a bonus, because the primary reason for doing the all raw is for better health.

Joe, from Little Rock, reported that he hated hearing what Dr. Fielder was teaching, but he realized that it was truth.  So he has stopped smoking and stopped eating before noon.

My cousins, Sandy and Debbie, came to visit.  We went to the Buckstaff Bath House in Hot Springs, AR.  The package included a 20 minute bath in hot mineral waters, a hot towel treatment, a steam bath, a sitz bath, a needle shower, and a 20 minute massage.

Debbie and Sandy at the Buckstaff Bath House


I had an asthma attack during the hot towel treatment and could only stay in the steam cabinet a  few seconds.  After the treatment, I had a 2-3" circular rash develop on my skin below my left lung.  

Dr. Fielder convinced me in Australia that I am in the process of detoxifying from smoking over 26 years ago.  The asthma and rash from the bath are probably related to this.

Ever since the bath I have been low on energy...just wanting to sleep or rest.  Fortunately, I have been able to give in to that desire somewhat.

Back in the early days of Natural Hygiene, the pioneer doctors used hot baths and cold baths in their healing treatments.  The modern Natural Hygiene doctors, such as Dr. Fielder, no longer use those extreme temperatures in their treatments.  They do not consider them to be necessary or beneficial.  Sometimes a cold compress is recommended.  Cold does not refer to ice...just water at room temperature.  Very rarely is a hot compress called for.

One of the principles of Natural Hygiene is to be in the sun.  Vitamin D is an essential vitamin and the best source is the sun.  We should get out in the sunshine daily when possible.  It's important not to immediately wash off the body's oils after being in the sun if we want to maximize the benefits.  Sunscreens are not beneficial.  Building a healthy body with nutrient rich foods enables us to be in the sun longer.

To health and happiness.


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Italian Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta

I was all raw yesterday.  That makes me feel good about what I am doing!  I never regret eating raw.  I always regret eating cooked....Don't worry, though.  You don't have to be 100% anything.  Everyone has their challenges with being 100% raw.  Even the raw food teachers are not 100%....except for Dr. John Fielder, my mentor and teacher.  He models the lifestyle he teaches as near to perfection as humanly possible.

I have fallen in love with Italian Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta.  I have made it three times since I discovered the recipe.  I purchased the first decent vegetable peeler I have ever owned last Friday at Company's Coming.  The brand name is Rada.  With this peeler it is possible to make fettuccine type slices of zucchini.    I also tried out my spiral vegetable slicer for the first time.  It is wonderful and super easy.  It makes three sizes of spiral spaghetti depending on the blade you select.

Another good thing about this recipe is that it only requires a peeler and a knife so this could be made very easily while traveling, either at a road-side park or in a motel room.
Italian Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta
ITALIAN TOMATO BASIL ZUCCHINI PASTA
1 or 2 zucchini per person
Fresh basil leaves - I used about 5 for two people
1/2 lemon
1 tomato per person
A little sea salt
A little olive oil

Use the peeler to make the fettuccine noodles.  Stop peeling when you get down to the seeds.  Dice the center portion of the zucchini and add it to the bowl along with the noodles.  Chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl.  Slice the basil leaves as small as possible and add to the bowl.  Squeeze the 1/2 lemon.  Add a little olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little salt.  You can add a little garlic if desired.  Mix it up and serve.  The longer it sits, the softer the noodles become.

I like to sprout mung beans.  I buy mung beans in a 5 lb. bag from Nuts.com.  I have always sprouted the beans for three days, then left them in the light for another day.  I heard that if you eat them only one day sprouted they will have their highest protein content.  So last night, I started sprouting some beans that we can eat tonight.

My friend, Cindy, brought me a package of hemp seeds to try.  They taste really good just by themselves.  They can also be used in smoothies or sprinkled on salads.  I see that my favorite nut/seed supplier, Nuts.com, carries them for $15.99/lb.  They are one of the world's most nutritious seeds...33% protein and lots of Omega 3.  Nuts.com recommends 3 tbsp. per day.

To health and happiness.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Best for Yourself

This morning I worked outside cleaning all the decks.  Then I took the older Odyssey (which we call the garden truck) to the car wash and vacuumed the inside.  On the way home, I bought $10.00 worth of peaches from a vendor.
This is the way the garden looks today.

A view of the back of the house from the garden.
 We took out the Nandina's along our front drive and replaced them with blueberries this year.  It's paying off.  They are covered with berries.
Blueberries
For lunch I had 2 peaches, blackberries that I picked yesterday, avocado, watermelon, and goody balls.

My cousins, Sandy and Debbie, arrived today and we went to Terrace on the Green for dinner.  I had the traditional salad with 1000 Island Dressing.  It was a lovely evening with good company.

In Houston, Dr. Fielder told us that we need to always take the best for ourselves.  Sometimes we think we should leave the best for someone else, but it is the same principal that the airlines teach us when they say to put on our own face mask first.  He said that when you are choosing your food, always choose the best that is being offered.  Choose the best apple, or the best lettuce.  This will enable us to build our own vitality so that we will have something to give to others.

To health and happiness.


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Dr. John Fielder's Visit

My Natural Hygiene teacher and mentor, Dr. John Fielder, included us again on his Worldwide Raw Food Lecture Tour.  He arrived at my house on Monday, May 14.  Tuesday we had a raw foods dinner at the house for a few of the people that helped to organize the events here in Arkansas.   Wednesday, the Hot Springs Village Raw Foods Group met at Gulpha Gorge Picnic Area for a picnic with Dr. Fielder.  Wednesday night he made a presentation here in Hot Springs Village about the Principles of Natural Living.  The following night he spoke at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church in Little Rock.  There was a good crowd at both events. 
Dr. John Fielder

Here I am introducing Dr. Fielder at the HSV lecture.
At the lecture we served some raw food treats for our guests to sample.  One of the items was a chocolate granola bar.  I cut the squares much smaller for this event because of the number of people we had to serve.
Chocolate Granola Bars


 Chocolate Granola Bars

Granola:
1 cup sunflower seeds - soaked two hours
1 cup pumpkin seeds - soaked two hours
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup date paste
Chop seeds briefly in food processor.  Put in large bowl and add date paste.  Mix thoroughly.  Spread on parafex sheet 1/4" thick.  Dehydrate for five hours.  Peel off sheet and place on mesh dehydrator tray for five or six hours.

Date Paste:
1 cup dates (appx 16) - Soak for 20 minutes
1-1/2 cups water
Pinch of salt
Squeeze of lemon juice
Drain water and reserve water for blending.  Process all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Store in fridge in air tight container for up to two weeks.

Raw Chocolate Topping:
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup carob or cacao powder
Whisk all in bowl to mix together.

Spread chocolate mixture on top of granola in a pyrex pan and place in refrigerator.  Cut into small squares.  These are really good!


I worked in the garden this morning.  I planted some chives, but most of my time was spent watering.  I got the first tomatoes out of the garden.  The blackberries are beautiful.  Other harvest was arugula, kale, chives, lettuce, cilantro and parsley.
Today's harvest.

Watering one of the beds.  I moved the sprinkler every thirty minutes as well as hand watering  some of the plants.

Lunch today:  Green Smoothie (arugula, kale, lettuce, blackberries, kiwi, banana, water); peach; apricot; goody balls; pistachios; organic gummy bears

Dinner:  Salad (romaine, mushrooms, radishes, sprouts, tomato, cilantro, parsley, chives, lemon juice, tiny bit of Himalayan sea salt); avocado; sauerkraut, goody balls

There is a spiritual link between Man and Nature.  There is no other possible way of development for this country but a return to the land. - Wes Jackson

Live the solution.

The Quintessence of Natural Living reminds us that a doctor is a teacher.  One of the aims of the doctor should be to teach his patients how to retard the rate of dying, but his primary aim should be to teach his patients how to  achieve a state of health and well being..."joie de vivre".

To health and happiness.