Simple Raw and Natural

Natural Hygiene teaches us to live a simple, natural lifestyle.  The practice is a journey in which we learn wisdom.  The principles can't just be learned intellectually, but they have to be practiced.  The last thing Carol, from the market in Cairns, told me before I left Australia was, "Practice well". Just because medical professionals have spent a lot of time studying disease and have built large elite universities does not mean they know about man and his health.  We really can't be satisfied with second-hand knowledge given to us by other people.  It's easy to get that kind of knowledge, and it doesn't require much from us personally. The world can give us the statistics about sickness and health, but Natural Hygiene requires us to search out the causes for our illnesses for ourselves.  The "practice" involves us experiencing things for ourselves and experimenting on ourselves. It is possible to intellectually learn from others that fasti...

I finished my lesson about Professor Dr. Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, one of my mentor's mentors.  He was a philologist and could translate texts from Sanskrit, Pehlvi, Aramaic, Greek and Latin.  He translated texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essene Gospel of Peace. I own several books by Dr. Szekely including the Essene Gospel of Peace series and a large text called Medicine Tomorrow an Introduction to Cosmotherapy. The story is that while Dr. Szekely was studying in a Catholic monastery school he spent several months in the Vatican library in Rome.  While there he discovered the ancient manuscripts about the Essenes of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  He translated part of them and published them as the Essene Gospel of Peace. He wrote Cosmos, Man and Society while living in the South Seas and treating natives in a leper colony.  It's now out of print, but I found a copy on half.com for $15.00.  It's on its way! Dr. Szekely spent the last thirty years of...

We had a wonderful Skype consultation last Saturday with Dr. John Fielder...direct from the Clohesy River Health Farm in Kuranda, Queensland, Australia.  We wanted his opinion regarding Travis' higher blood pressure reading.  The blood pressure is not dangerously high, but that along with some numbness and vision problems are all warnings.  It's a reminder that we haven't been as careful as we should have been. It's not a time to panic, but we must use it for what it is trying to tell us.  It is telling us to be more careful in what we have been doing and not to be so blase about falling off the wagon. As for my sore tongue, sore nose, and painful hand, that too is a reminder to be more diligent.  I have been toying around using some commercial foods in order to try and cover all our bases regarding nutritional needs, but we can't trust any of these companies to tell the truth about their ingredients.  Many ingredients are not even required to be listed...

I think we need a wood burning stove.  We are all electric here at our house, and a wood burning stove would be a good source of heat when the power goes out.  We have two kerosene heaters and a few gallons of kerosene, but what if we were not able to get to Walmart for more kerosene?  A wood burner would be nice.  I found one I like on Craigslist for about $800.  I think it will cost a lot more than that, though, to get someone to install it.  I have a place picked out for the new stove to go even though I don't know for sure yet when I will get to buy one. I had a good day with my sister last Thursday.  We are planning a trip to Europe next June.  It should be a good trip to London, Chateauroux, Paris, and Berlin.  We are working with a $3000 budget per person, so we are doing a lot of shopping around trying to find the best values.  It would be a big help if airline flights would come down.  I had lunch at Sheila's house....two...

We are trying to get with Dr. Fielder via Skype to discuss a few things with him.  I want to get his opinion on some of the things we have going on health-wise right now.  So far we have not been able to connect with him.  Maybe tomorrow. I have simplified my diet so that it is similar to the one served at the Clohesy River Health Farm.  Lunch was Green smoothie, avocado, trail mix and goody balls.  Dinner was salad, sauerkraut, veggie cocktail, avocado, and goody balls. We got a little sun on Wednesday by sitting in lawn chairs in the driveway.  It was in the 50's, but the heat from the sun was nice and toasty. We went to the fitness center and worked out, too.  I hope I am getting fit.  I still look pretty dumpy when I see myself in the mirrors.  Hopefully, that will improve. My Natural Living lesson was about Professor Dr. Edmond Bordaux Szekely.  He is originator of the term Biogenic Living.  He was one of Dr. Fielder's ...

What is the difference between raw food and cooked food?  The only difference is the presence of the enzymes.  If you take a raw almond and a cooked or pasteurized almond to a lab to be compared, their nutritional value will be exactly the same.  The only difference is the enzymes or life force. If you bury a pasteurized almond in the soil it will disintegrate in about three weeks.  If you plant a raw almond, however, it will not disintegrate but will remain through the winter and the spring rains can cause it to germinate to become a tree and bear many almonds. Our bodies also contain enzymes.  When we eat raw foods full of enzymes we don't have to draw on our own finite supply of enzymes.  When we eat cooked and denatured food then we must draw on our own enzymes in order to utilize this food.  Once our enzymes are gone I'm told they are gone forever.  Thus people like me probably only have 25-30% of our enzymes left. I want to be more pro...

I am fascinated with the pineal gland.   I only know a little bit about it.  It synthesizes and secretes melatonin (a derivative of seratonin)  which regulates the sleep-wake cycle.  The gland is shaped like a pine cone.  It contributes to our feeling of well-being and happiness.  Melatonin also fights free radicals which can damage our cells. The most interesting thing is that other than our eyes, the pineal gland is the only organ in the body that can detect light.  It has light sensitive cells like those in the retina.  That is why it is called the third eye.  Cutting bangs which cover the pineal gland impedes its function.  Genghis Khan forced the conquered Chinese women to cut their hair and wear bangs in order to make them easier to control.  Flouride also damages the ability of the pineal gland to function. I read that it is good to rub the forehead where the pineal gland is located for a minute or so then face it to...

I have toyed around with the natural diet for a little while, but a conversation with my brother the other night has brought me back on point that Dr. John Fielder's diet is the one that is sustainable for all of humanity.  You don't need to buy a bunch of books, a Vita-mix blender,  Excalibur dehydrator, juicer, refrigerator, or tractor.  All you need is a cutting board and a knife.  A $30.00 mandolin is also useful. It encouraged me to think it all over again.  There is no breakfast.  That is the time the body is assimilating the food we ate yesterday.  This is a good time to do our work, exercise, and spend time outdoors if possible. Lunch is all the fruit you care to eat, 1/2 an avocado, a little nut butter sometimes, and some grated coconut, goody balls, or other nuts. Dinner is all the salad foods you care to eat such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, parsley, celery, etc.  If a dressing is needed it can be made with lemon juice, hone...

Dr. H. Leslie Harrison was a Nature Cure pediatrician.  I am studying his writings in my Lifestyle Consultants Course on Natural Living.  I love the wisdom in his writings about personal responsibility and Nature Cure.   People no longer accept responsibility for the health of their off-spring in favor of self-gratification.  What does this say about us?  It's not totally our fault, though, as we have been dumbed down and  weakened with junk foods, processed and genetically modified foods, sedentary lifestyle largely due to debt and taxation forcing people off the family farm, pharmaceuticals, vaccinations, etc. In order to step up and regain what has been lost will require an enormous stretch of will-power, intelligence, and grace.  And even the will-power and intelligence will be by grace. Many people are concerned about the condition of our nation.  Our health affects us personally, but also collectively.  It affects our social beha...

Travis and I have joined the Fitness Center here in Hot Springs Village.  We have to do something!  While exercising in the gym is ten times less efficient than exercising in the open air, it is better than not exercising at all.  The hiking group and working in the garden will offer the necessary outdoor activity, but for times when more is needed the gym will be great.  The indoor track at the gym is perfect for getting in a couple of miles of walking. We have appointments set up to meet with one of the trainers at the gym next Friday who will help us set up a routine to meet our goals.  There are two Saturday's coming up soon of little mini-classes of the different classes offered at the gym to help decide which classes will be most beneficial and enjoyable, too. Sunshine is just as important as diet. Friday we were blessed with 60 degrees and sunshine in the afternoon.  We drove over to the boat to take advantage and soak up some rays on the lake. ...

I have been about 75% 80/10/10 over the week-end as I spent the night away from home one night, hosted a party at my home the next night, and attended a potluck meal at church yesterday.  I prepared all my food according to the diet plan but was not successful in eating it all.  I ate some gluten free crackers, a potato soup which was cooked, and some organic vegan gummy bears at the events I attended.    I failed in eating enough calories of the low fat raw vegan food and in getting a sufficient amount of sleep.  I think the lack of sleep made it hard to stay on point with eating the calories required. For breakfast yesterday I had three tangerines.  The recommended amount was seven tangerines. For lunch I had gluten free crackers while waiting on lunch to be served because I was hungry.  I had a large plate of salad but that was only about a third of the recommended amount.  I ate a small bowl of a pineapple/lettuce/tomato soup which was mu...

Yesterday was our first day on The 80/10/10 Diet.  The book The 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas N. Graham  has a chapter of sample menu plans.  There is a week of menus for each of the four seasons. I went through the winter menu plan and made a grocery list for the entire week.  Travis and I went to Walmart and purchased enough for both of us to eat according to the plan.  Walmart did not have enough papayas or persimmons, so I'll have to check Kroger when I go to town.  We didn't get enough oranges and I totally forgot the fennel.  Other than that our grocery bill was $100.27.  Allowing for the things we failed to get the cost to eat this way is about $55-60 per adult person for a week.  I think that is awesome! This is our cart full of one week's worth of groceries for two on 80/10/10. The amount of food you eat is tremendous.  Travis resisted eating so much at first, but I think he will catch on.  The calories are important...

2013 is underway.  The year began with the First Day Hike at Lake Ouachita State Park.  There were four brave souls that showed up on this cold New Year's Day to hike four miles on the Caddo Bend Trail accompanied by the park interpreter (Susan)....three women and a nine year old boy. The area of the park where we hiked was totally destroyed by the tornado that came through here two years ago. The trail only reopened last spring.  The landscape is still rough looking.  The park has done a great deal of controlled burning, too.  The positive side is that the view has been opened up to the lake, and birds and wildlife are more abundant now.  We were hoping to see a bald eagle, but could not be certain that we did.  We did see some deer, though. I thought I would be cold and miserable, but I was plenty warm in my layers of Under Armour, cami, turtleneck, sweater, jacket, knit cap, gloves, hiking socks, and hiking boots.  The cap I knitted in Aust...