Meet Sarconia!

Have you heard of salicornia before?

 It is also known as sea asparagus, pickleweed and sea beans and is being dehydrated in the sun to make "green salt". 

 It grows at the edge of wetlands, marshes, and seashores, and basically thrives in salty places.

As food insecurity is given more and more attention, this plant is undergoing research as a sustainable alternative. 

By absorbing salt, it is not only able to protect habitats but it also offers you a healthy alternative to salt. 

Because it contains 50% less sodium (by weight) than salt and contains both protein and fiber, it is not only finding its way into fine dining but into the lives of those who are at risk for high blood pressure.

Did you know that 1.3 billion people in the world have high blood pressure?

Research done on the effect of green salt points to it being a solution for this large population of people because it has minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium that balance out the sodium.

And if that's not enough, it has Chlorophyll, Vitamin B3, Zinc, and Iodine which make it a wonderful support for your immune system.

Chef Ken is trying out Green Salt at Hippocrates Health Institute in their raw vegan dishes as a way to support wellness, create delicious experiences for their guests, and support the environment.

So why not give “green salt” a try? (and let us know what you think of it in the comments below!)

You will be helping yourself and the environment.

Here's to enjoying life and caring about it at the same time!

The Wonders of Wheatgrass

The grasses which originated somewhere between 70-55 million years ago,

are silent superheroes of life on earth.

Wheatgrass in particular has been a go-to for health and vitality as far back as 5,000 years ago with the ancient Egyptians.

The founder of Hippocrates, Ann Wigmore, discovered 4700 types of grasses that had health benefits. However, with the help of her pets chose wheatgrass as the most medicinal of them all. 

Its seed was accessible, inexpensive and easy to grow inside the home and this made it an empowering choice as well.

With 297 different proteins discovered in wheatgrass many of which are related to energy and disease prevention, it was a good choice!

One of those proteins, hemoglobin, carries oxygen through the body and scientifically has been shown to slow cancer cell growth in the mouth and colon. 

Because the cellulose in wheatgrass is indigestible, it requires juicing and can be absorbed best in any of the following ways:

• on an empty stomach

• when thirsty

• after exercise

• at the start of the day

It is a simple way to up-level your nutrition and power up your immune system.

It is easy to grow yourself and since it is harvested early in its development, it only takes about a week. 

And, although it does require an initial investment of a juicer, growing it from seed and juicing it yourself is an inexpensive way to boost your health.  

Hippocrates Health Institute, whose history is rooted in the benefits of wheatgrass, recommends 1-2 oz. a day. Being such a strong cleanser, less can be more.

It’s not the taste but the feeling that has kept Ken returning for his daily shot for the last 18 years. He feels energy or life force moving through his body just like he does after a qigong set. 

What does wheatgrass do for you? Do you have a wheatgrass story?

We started putting our harvested wheatgrass mats at the bottom of our struggling orange tree and not only did its life come back but so did its fruit.

Here's to the many wonders of wheatgrass!

Craving Sweets?

Photo by Brian Chan on Unsplash

Indulging our senses is a given during the holidays.

However, when the holidays are long gone the sweet tooth can linger on indefinitely.

There are many ways to resist these cravings and they may or may not work overtime. One that you may not have heard of is getting to know and understand how your microbiome has a role to play in both creating the desire and reducing the desire.

A microbiome is a community of extremely microscopic lifeforms, or microorganisms, that ideally are peacefully coexisting within you. This community of trillions is in large part generated by DNA and unique to each of us.

These microorganisms can be helpful or harmful. A healthy gut will have both helpful ones and harmful ones and they coexist with no problem. The community is in harmony.

However, there are certain conditions that disrupt or bring back that harmony, and one of them is diet. 

Choosing foods that have high fiber content feeds the anaerobic or friendly bacteria that prevent harmful or unfriendly bacteria. These foods are sometimes referred to as prebiotics and some examples are apples, asparagus, dandelions, garlic, or onions.

When friendly bacteria have food, they create short-chain fatty acids that nourish the colon and support healthy digestion.

You may be wondering how all this relates to craving sugar?

When the intestinal flora is out of harmony or balance, the unfriendly bacteria can be triggering your cravings. These microorganisms are intelligent and send signals to your brain that they need food.

“There is a unique pathway that has coevolved between animals and the resident bacteria in their gut, and there is a bottom-up communication about diet,” — Jane Foster, a neuroscientist at McMaster University in Ontario

Not only does our diet have a role to play in our microbiome, but so do our thoughts and feelings. That which is sometimes referred to as a gut-brain axis both influences and is influenced by our microbiome.

In other words, friendly bacteria produce hormones that make us feel good and happy, and unfriendly bacteria produce hormones that make us feel depressed or anxious.

However, it goes both ways. The same bacteria that produce feel-good hormones also benefit from feel-good hormones. So, as we feel good, we feed good bacteria. When we feel bad, we feed bad bacteria.

“It’s always a fitness game — who gets to be more of the population. The gut microbes that promote serotonin are the ones that benefit from it,” — Elaine Hsiao

So, not only what we are craving but what we are feeling can impact our microbiome. 

Here are some ways you can help your microbiome regain its balance and reduce or remove those sugar cravings.

1. Eat pre-biotics which feed the friendly bacteria. This is basically fiber. Some great options are asparagus, leeks, garlic, or artichokes.

2. Take some deep calming breaths throughout the day which signal to the nervous system that all is well as anxiety can reduce diversity and good bacteria.

3. Adding fermented foods to your diet helps to keep the microbiome diverse. Things like sauerkraut, kimchi, or tempeh are rich in probiotics.

4. Add some sour or bitter foods to your diet to balance out the sugar. You can squeeze a lemon in your water or add bitter greens like arugula to a salad.

5. Consider taking a probiotic to supplement a fiber-rich diet.

6. Try using monk fruit or stevia when the sugar cravings kick in. 

7. Eat more protein. Things like nuts, seeds, and beans provide a sustainable energy source that helps keep us satisfied.

8. Get adequate rest. When your sleep is reduced your brain's reward system is strengthened and this makes it harder to resist the cravings.

Once we realize that we are 1% human and 99% bacteria, we begin to explore more of this vast aspect of who we are and realize we can never truly be alone. We are a part of this microbial community and our choices impact it. 

“Balance is the key to everything. What we do, think, say, eat, feel, they all require awareness and through this awareness, we can grow.” -Koi Fresco

Becoming friends with your microbiome is a great way to love yourself in new and expanded ways.

Photo by De’Andre Bush on Unsplash

Keeping A Legacy Alive

This leaf speaks volumes about what is possible when we look to the simple and the small for wisdom.

Native to Africa, the scientific name is Kalanchoe pinnata. It is also known as Bryophyllum pinnatum and Cotyledon pinnata, and often referred to as the miracle leaf. This magical little succulent can be found thriving in many different parts of the world today.

Each leaf that falls is capable of regenerating an entirely new plant from the seeds along the edge and has been called upon for centuries for its healing benefits. 

This little “wonder of the world” as it is referred to in Trinidad is known by many different names and has become a common folk remedy for a variety of cultures.

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” Frank Lloyd Wright

With its antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antihistamine properties, it can be of great benefit to respiratory conditions. It is helpful with coughs, flu, and shortness of breath and as a result, has become a popular remedy in Jamaica for bronchitis and asthma.

Along with its immune-enhancing properties, it supports a good night’s rest by calming the nerves and also relieves pain. 

Its microbial nature makes it a great wound healer and skin protector as well. 

The plant is often referred to as a weed because it is able to thrive no matter the environmental condition. It is self-propagating and one of the easiest plants to cultivate and share. It doesn’t even need soil in order to grow.

The leaves are usually made into a tea, but can also be juiced and used topically or eaten raw.

In order to make a tea, it is as simple as pouring boiling water over the leaves, allowing it to seep for 5–10 minutes, and then straining it.

The healing capacity of plants like this one can easily get lost over time. Honoring diversity and culture is one way to preserve wisdom such as this.

Let’s keep the legacy of affordable and accessible healthcare alive in our own yards and communities. Nature will show us the way.

“In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.” Aristotle

Image by Paul C Lee from Pixabay

A Gift Within

Qing Cheng Shan “Green Castle Mountain” Sichuan, China

Witness - (verb) to see, hear or know by personal presence and perception

In every moment of every day, we have the power to choose not only what we witness, but how we witness.

The quality of our witnessing is an infinite resource available to us at any given moment.

To focus on a thing lends itself to matters of the head. We can focus on the traffic light or the meal that we are making. We can focus on a message we receive or a result we want to achieve. 

This can be a helpful way to turn ourselves from negative mindsets as well. We can focus on what is right with a thing, person, or event rather than what is wrong with a thing, person, or event.

However, to witness something is to take it one step further. It beckons a whole body inner experience. It asks for the feeling component to rise up and lends itself to matters of the heart.

This taps into a type of power that is often unexplored within ourselves. It is a power that involves collaboration. Each sense, each cell, each space is engaged in the experience and it is felt throughout.

This Thanksgiving, as traditions are being reborn, each of us can gather on the inside, go beyond words, thoughts, or lists to the felt experience of gratitude.

Acknowledging the imperfection as this audio is both unpracticed and unpolished in its natural state. But we offer it to you as a reminder that a gift can arrive in many different forms.

Hope you find some value.

Let's Talk Juicing!

How would you feel if you just won the lotto?

That is quite possibly how your cells feel when you juice. With minimum effort generated on the part of your cells, maximum nutrition is received and it all adds up to a sustainable boost of energy.

It is well suited to those with compromised digestion or assimilation (stomach/intestine) as well as those who have compromised immune systems. The juicing process compensates for where the body is working to regain balance with invaluable support.

It is a commitment to caring for yourself. It is an investment of time and resources that will grant you a significant return, and whether you turn to it periodically or consistently it will create momentum toward vitality and wellbeing.

“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” — Wayne Dyer

To begin this journey into self-care, you need three things....equipment, produce, and time.  Let's explore each of these.

Equipment:

• There are lots of juicers on the market and they all have particular things they are good at.  So, it’s important to match your juicer with what you intend to do with it.

• For our purposes, which is optimal health and vitality, we are going to focus on the juicers which are made specifically for juicing greens, sprouts, and wheatgrass and are capable of preserving delicate phytonutrients.

• The Omega 8006 which uses a dual-stage single auger runs around $300.  It uses a single auger to crush the produce into the screen of the juicer in the first stage, and then in the 2nd stage, it goes through an even finer holed screen to get even more juice.  This allows the juicer to get the maximum amount of juice from the produce. It runs at a low RPM, so there is little oxidation, or loss of nutrients, and is easy to clean. 

• The Green Power or Green Star which uses twin gears runs around $440. It uses two gears that turn at a very low RPM and mesh together to break down the fibrous cell wall by first shredded the produce and then by squeezing it.  It is an optimal way to preserve nutrients and work with fibrous produce like leafy greens or sprouts.

Produce:

• Produce that gets juiced is going to provide a concentrated version of itself directly into your bloodstream.  Because of this, it is valuable to exclude sweet things like fruit, carrots, and beets from your juice.  These are best eaten in limited amounts and whole where the fibrous content will help to slow down the absorption of the sugar.

• Because of the concentrated nature and quick assimilation of juicing, it is valuable to get organically grown produce.  It is free of pesticides, sewage sludge, GMOs, and irradiation and has grown up in soil free from artificial fertilizers.

• Wash and cut the produce before juicing.

• While juicing it can be helpful to rotate harder vegetables with softer vegetables.

• Green juice is highly perishable and begins to lose its delicate phytonutrients within ½ hr. to an hr after juicing, so it’s ideal to drink it as soon as you make it.

• If you are going to store it, put it in an airtight container like a mason jar and fill it to the top to prevent oxygen from interacting with the juice. 

• Juicing is high-quality nutrition but does not contain valuable fats and fiber so is best used in addition to regular meals and not in replacement of them.

Time:

• It takes time to juice, but it is an investment in yourself. 

• Because green juice is so perishable,  store-bought green juices can not compare health wise to your own freshly made juice.

• You'll need time to wash and cut the vegetables, juice them, and then clean the juicer.

• The juicer is easier to clean immediately after use.  If you choose to clean it later, consider taking it apart and putting the parts in water to soak until you're ready to clean them.

• An average time for prep, juicing and cleaning is around 15-20 minutes.

• It is nice to have the juicer sitting out on the counter where it draws your attention and reminds you to set aside time for your own health.

4. Recipe

Hippocrates Health Institute recommends a simple plan of 50% vegetables and 50% sprouts to promote alkalinity, high-level nutrition, and hydration. The recipe below which will create 16 oz of juice and is what they serve their guests twice a day.

1 1/2 organic cucumbers

(Great for hydration and keeping the taste mild.)

2-3 stalks of celery

 (Great for electrolytes.)

Large handful of pea sprouts/greens 

Large handful of sunflower sprouts/greens

(Great for phytonutrients which are chemicals that plants make which have anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits.)

One lesson this pandemic is teaching us is how important it is to take care of ourselves. Being willing to get a bit uncomfortable and try new things is a way of exploring new levels of our own health and vitality

“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos- the trees, the clouds, everything.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Here’s to you and the cultivation and experience of your own well being.

Juice on!