Raederle

The following question is very astute, and so I wanted to answer this not just for Mary, but for all of you. She writes: In looking at a chart for "good" and "bad" oils, nuts, fruits and greens, I see that coconut oil is listed as 'terrible,' having a whopping 91% saturated fat content... as well as listed as a pure omega 6 oil. My cousin is heavily into the Dr Mark Hyman diet, using low carbs, detoxing smoothies, etc. She has been advised through him and a professor to cook with coconut oil. They say it has loads of health benefits. They indicate that the real culprits are non-organic foods, and especially those with high sugar content. May I ask someone's opinion on this matter? I do have coconut oil and like the light sweetness it adds to some dishes. I have not used it a lot, however. Incidentally, I also saw where almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds have super high omega 6 ratios. I always thought these were super healthy in thei...

Question: "Since our body can go 20 days with water alone without danger, it seems that nutrient depletion is going at a very slow rate. I am sure that some nutrients do go faster than others. I would like to know which ones we really need to get more often and what frequency, and quantity. A more important question would be which ones are necessary for keeping our more important organs healthy... It seems so complex, animals bodies are so complex, but it seems that all wild animals find easily their ideal diets while we are still wondering and counting calories." You raise excellent questions! I'm so glad to hear something other than " Where do you get protein? " for a change! Protein, incidentally, is something we can recycle a lot. So is vitamin B12 . However, our ability to recycle minerals, proteins, vitamins, etc, is hampered by toxins. So if you live in a standard chemical-filled home in America, wear conventional clothing, ride in vechicles, spe...

A friend asks: I'm puzzled about vitamin D. I have been taking D 3 , as widely recommended, but now I hear I should be taking vitamin D 2 . What's the story? As far as science knows at this time, our body treats D 2 and D 3 exactly the same. The only difference is that D 3 comes from animal sources, such as sheep fat, and D 2 comes from plant sources, such as mushrooms or algae. (Note, only a very specific and specially raised mushroom contains D 3 .) With many vitamins, the number at the end can signify an entirely different purpose. Vitamin K 1 , for example, coagulates blood. Vitamin K 2 directs where calcium is stored in the body ( making the difference between hard arteries or healthy bones ). So K 1 and K 2 are entirely different! With vitamin D, the actual function in the body is the same as far as science can tell right now, it is just that D 2 is better for the environment and doesn't contribute to animal cruelty. More questions and answers like...

Is soy healthy? The natural soy bean, sometimes known as edamame, has been used to treat menopause and hormonal imbalance for thousands of years in Eastern medicine. The soy bean, like any natural plant edible to humans, is healthy as part of a diverse diet. Just like the natural cane stalk is a healthy plant when eaten in its natural unprocessed form. Yet you undoubtedly know that white sugar, beet sugar and corn syrup are all highly detrimental to your health. Yet raw, organic, corn on the cob is a very healthful addition to the diet, and so are beets. (Conventional corn is almost always GMO, and cooked corn is hard for most people to digest.) While poppy seeds are often added to bread and quite healthful, the juice of the poppy flower can be refined into heroin, an addictive and dangerous substance. Soy, like cane stalks, poppy seeds, corn cobs, and beets, is a perfectly viable food source. Unlike kidney beans, which are toxic when consumed raw, the soy bean can be eaten r...