The Healthiest Foods on Earth

by Jonny Bowden, Forbes.com

What is the best diet for human beings?

Vegetarian? Vegan? High-protein? Low-fat? Dairy-Free?



Hold on to your shopping carts: There is no perfect diet for human beings. At least not one that's based on how much protein, fat or carbohydrates you eat.

People have lived and thrived on high-protein, high-fat diets (the Inuit of Greenland); on low-protein, high-carb diets (the indigenous peoples of southern Africa); on diets high in raw milk and cream (the people of the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland); diets high in saturated fat (the Trobriand Islanders) and even on diets in which animal blood is considered a staple (the Massai of Kenya and Tanzania). And folks have thrived on these diets without the ravages of degenerative diseases that are so epidemic in modern American life—heart disease, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and cancer.

In Depth: The Healthiest Foods On Earth

The only thing these diets have in common is that they're all based on whole foods with minimal processing. Nuts, berries, beans, raw milk, grass-fed meat. Whole, real, unprocessed food is almost always healthy, regardless of how many grams of carbs, protein or fat it contains.

All these healthy diets have in common the fact that they are absent foods with bar codes. They are also extremely low in sugar. In fact, the number of modern or ancient societies known for health and longevity that have consumed a diet high in sugar would be ... let's see ... zero.

Truth be told, what you eat probably matters less than how much processing it's undergone. Real food—whole food with minimal processing—contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and healthful fats, and can easily keep you alive and thriving into your 10th decade.

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Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and You

If you were saddened by the recent loss of Michael Jackson, Farrah and others whose lives seem to have been cut short, perhaps its time to take a good look in the mirror at your own health.

When you see that Michael was around 50 years old and from all reports his body was already decrepit, it is stunning.



Your body was created to live to be 100 and beyond, with no pain, no illness, no drugs, operations or debilitating effects of any kind.

If you're 50 years old and you are not in top physical condition, your road ahead may not be a pleasant one.

Unless you make some changes... now.

The Importance of Maintaining an Alkaline Diet

It didn't have to end in this sad manner for Michael, Farrah or anyone else who is currently suffering illness or disease of any kind.

You can virtually immunize yourself from pathogens by making a few simple changes in your life. And one of the most important is to maintain an alkaline terrain inside your body's cells.

Pathogens have zero chance to thrive and destroy in an alkaline environment.



If you maintain an alkaline environment, you will greatly reinforce your immune respose against cancer, heart disease, stroke and dozens of other maladies which fell westerners every day.

These diseases don't strike out of the blue.

They're the cumulative effect of years and decades of poor decisions, bad diet and unhealthy thought patterns.

You can change.

And if you don't want to end your life prematurely, like many Americans, now is as good a time as any.

Maintaining an Alkaline Environment is the Difference Between Life and Death

Change your diet to include alkaline-forming foods.

Stop abusing yourself by overeating and ingesting acidic-forming foods.

Get yourself some pH tape at a drugstore. Monitor your pH balance often.

And you can't even imagine how good you'll feel.

And I'll see you on the golf course or surfing a rippin' curl well into your 90's.

Bom apetite!


ALKALINE FOODS...

ALKALIZING
VEGETABLES
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Beets
Beet Greens
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard Greens
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Dulce
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Fermented Veggies
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Nightshade Veggies
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach, green
Spirulina
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens

ALKALIZING
ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame

ALKALIZING
FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit
Honeydew Melon
Lemon
Lime
Muskmelons
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon

ALKALIZING
PROTEIN
Almonds
Chestnuts
Millet
Tempeh (fermented)
Tofu (fermented)
Whey Protein Powder

ALKALIZING
SWEETENERS
Stevia

ALKALIZING
SPICES & SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs

ALKALIZING
OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Molasses, blackstrap
Probiotic Cultures
Soured Dairy Products
Green Juices
Veggie Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water

ALKALIZING MINERALS
Cesium: pH 14
Potassium: pH 14
Sodium: pH 14
Calcium: pH 12
Magnesium: pH 9

Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect in the system.

...ACIDIC FOODS...

ACIDIFYING
VEGETABLES
Corn
Lentils
Olives
Winter Squash

ACIDIFYING
FRUITS
Blueberries
Canned or Glazed Fruits
Cranberries
Currants
Plums**
Prunes**

ACIDIFYING
GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth
Barley
Bran, wheat
Bran, oat
Corn
Cornstarch
Hemp Seed Flour
Kamut
Oats (rolled)
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Rice (all)
Rice Cakes
Rye
Spelt
Wheat
Wheat Germ
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti
Bread
Crackers, soda
Flour, white
Flour, wheat

ACIDIFYING
BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk

ACIDIFYING
DAIRY
Butter
Cheese
Cheese, Processed
Ice Cream
Ice Milk

ACIDIFYING
NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Legumes
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ACIDIFYING
ANIMAL PROTEIN
Bacon
Beef
Carp
Clams
Cod
Corned Beef
Fish
Haddock
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Organ Meats
Oyster
Pike
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Sardines
Sausage
Scallops
Shrimp
Scallops
Shellfish
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Venison

ACIDIFYING
FATS & OILS
Avacado Oil
Butter
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

ACIDIFYING
SWEETENERS
Carob
Sugar
Corn Syrup

ACIDIFYING
ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine

ACIDIFYING
OTHER FOODS
Catsup
Cocoa
Coffee
Vinegar
Mustard
Pepper
Soft Drinks

ACIDIFYING
DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides
Tobacco

ACIDIFYING
JUNK FOOD
Coca-Cola: pH 2
Beer: pH 2.5
Coffee: pH 4

** These foods leave an alkaline ash but have an acidifying effect on the body.

UNKNOWN:
There are several versions of the Acidic and Alkaline Food chart to be found in different books and on the Internet. The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side. Remember, you don't need to adhere strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.
Asparagus
Brazil Nuts
Brussel Sprouts
Buckwheat
Chicken
Corn
Cottage Cheese
Eggs
Flax Seeds
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Honey
Kombucha
Lima Beans
Maple Syrup
Milk
Nuts
Organic Milk
(unpasteurized)
Potatoes, white
Pumpkin Seeds
Sauerkraut
Soy Products
Sprouted Seeds
Squashes
Sunflower Seeds
Yogurt

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease; research is ongoing.

Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic

Here's a chart that ranks foods from most alkaline to most acidic.

Extremely Alkaline
________________________________________
Lemons, Watermelon

Alkaline Forming
________________________________________
Cantaloupe, Cayenne Celery, Dates, Figs, Kelp, Limes, Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley, Seaweeds, Seedless Grapes (sweet), Watercress
________________________________________
Asparagus, Fruit Juices, Grapes (sweet), Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Pears (sweet), Pineapple, Raisins, Umeboshi Plums, Vegetable Juices

Moderately Alkaline
________________________________________
Apples (sweet), Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas (ripe), Currants, Dates, Figs (fresh), Garlic, Grapefruit, Grapes (less sweet), Guavas, Herbs (leafy green), Lettuce (leafy green), Nectarine, Peaches (sweet), Pears (less sweet), Peas (fresh, sweet), Pumpkin (sweet), Sea Salt (vegetable)
________________________________________
Apples (sour), Beans (fresh, green), Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carob, Cauliflower, Ginger (fresh), Grapes (sour), Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes (with skin), Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberries, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Corn (fresh), Turnip, Vinegar (apple cider)

Slightly Alkaline
________________________________________
Almonds, Artichokes (Jerusalem), Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Olives (ripe), Onions, Pickles (homemade), Radishes, Sea Salt, Spices, Tomatoes (sweet), Vinegar (sweet brown rice)
________________________________________
Chestnuts (dry, roasted), Egg Yolks (soft cooked), Essene Bread, Goat's Milk and Whey (raw), Mayonnaise (homemade), Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds (whole), Soy Beans (dry), Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Sprouted Grains, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet), Yeast (nutritional flakes)

Neutral
________________________________________
Butter (fresh, unsalted), Cream (fresh, raw), Cow's Milk and Whey (raw), Margine, Oils (except olive), Yogurt (plain)

Moderately Acidic
________________________________________
Bananas (green), Barley (rye), Blueberries, Bran, Butter, Cereals (unrefined), Cheeses, Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), Cranberries, Dried Beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), Dry Coconut, Egg Whites, Eggs Whole (cooked hard), Fructose, Goat's Milk (homogenized), Honey (pasteurized), Ketchup, Maple Syrup (unprocessed), Milk (homogenized), Molasses (unsulferd and organic), Most Nuts, Mustard, Oats (rye, organic), Olives (pickled), Pasta (whole grain), Pastry (whole grain and honey), Plums, Popcorn (with salt and/or butter), Potatoes, Prunes, Rice (basmati and brown), Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), Soy Sauce, Wheat Bread (sprouted organic)

Extremely Acidic
________________________________________
Artificial Sweeteners, Beef, Beer, Breads, Brown Sugar, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals (refined), Chocolate, Cigarettes and Tobacco, Coffee, Cream of Wheat (unrefined), Custard (with white sugar), Deer, Drugs, Fish, Flour (white wheat), Fruit Juices with Sugar, Jams, Jellies, Lamb, Liquor, Maple Syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pasta (white), Pastries and Cakes from White Flour, Pickles (commercial), Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Sugar (white), Table Salt (refined and iodized), Tea (black), White Bread, White Vinegar (processed), Whole Wheat Foods, Wine, Yogurt (sweetened)

Good Clean Livin'

Here's a healthy grocery list - if you'd like to add any, just leave a comment.

Bom apetite!

Vegetables (Organic):

artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage (bok choy, brussels sprouts), carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, greens (collard, dandelion, kale, mustard, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip, watercress), lettuce (arugula, Boston, romaine), mushrooms, onions, peppers (sweet, hot), potatoes, spices, squash, turnips



Fruit (Organic):

apples, bananas, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, dried fruits (apricots, cranberries, dates, prunes, raisins), figs, grapes (black, purple, red), kiwifruit, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, tomatoes

Meat (Organic):

beef (grass-fed, hormone-free), chicken, lamb

Seafood:

mackerel, sardines, shellfish, shrimp, tuna, wild salmon, white fish

Grains/Beans:

beans (black, garbanzo, lentils, red, soy), brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta

Baking:

flour (whole-wheat, spelt), leaveners (baking soda, baking powder, yeast), sweeteners (raw organic honey, blackstrap molasses, stevia)

Oils/Vinegars:

extra-virgin olive oil, extra-virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, organic vinegar

Snacks:

crackers (whole grain), nut butters, nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)

Dairy (Organic):

butter, cheese, eggs, milk, soy (tofu, milk, tempeh)

Beverages:

juice (acai, cranberry, pomegranate, orange), organic coffee, seltzer water, tea

Search for Downed Plane Highlights Ocean Trash Problem

The massive amount of garbage in the ocean likely complicates the search for the remains of an Air France flight that went missing Monday near Brazil.

Earlier this week, investigators said they had located pieces of the plane in the southern Atlantic Ocean, which might have given them clues to the origin of Air France Flight 447's crash.

But on Thursday, Brazilian officials said what they had found was nothing more than run-of-the-mill ocean trash.


Trash clutters the world's oceans, as shown here in a file photo near Hong Kong.

This highlights a little-seen environmental problem: Scientists say the world's oceans are increasingly filled with junk -- everything from large items like refrigerators and abandoned yachts to small stuff like plastic bottles.

Much of the ocean trash is plastic, which means it won't go away for hundreds of years, if ever. And the problem has gotten so bad that soupy "garbage patches" have developed in several locations, called gyres, where ocean currents swirl.

One of them is estimated to be the size of Texas.

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Ayahuasca Healing Journey - Part II How to Fix You if You're Broken

“Remarkable physical healings and resolutions of psychological difficulties can occur with this medicine.”
– Dr. Ralph Metzner, Sacred Vine of Spirits (1)

If you’re Indiana Jones-ing for adventure…

Ayahuasca will provide it for you in spades.

But don’t confuse it with an E-ticket ride at Disney.

As one expert, Dr. Jeremy Narby puts it, “ayahuasca is the deep water.”(2)

There’s no hiding from the ayahuasca.

You will be given the gift of a meeting with your own unconscious mind. Unfortunately, it can be quite dark in there.

You Must Be Prepared

If you are considering your own ayahuasca cleansing, you must have the courage to be willing to open yourself up to having extremely dark encounters as a way to break through your deepest fears, your blocked emotions, and your suppressed memories to emerge cleansed from the chains that hold you back.

This bondage can only be alleviated during an ayahuasca ceremony by facing your demons head-on.


Ayahuasca Dream by Robert Venosa

The more serious your issues are, the more intense your experience is likely to be. And the greater your reward.

Each person’s experience is unique. And you’ll never have two ayahuasca sessions which are identical:

You may experience “soul retrieval,” recovering a splintered “soul part” which had fled to survive a traumatic incident in your past. Shamans believe that unless you undergo “soul retrieval,” these parts of you will be lost forever.

You could cross into other dimensions to meet your other incarnations – your other lives.

You may even be granted an audience with the Almighty himself. Shamans claim to see Him all the time.

Reported experiences during ayahuasca cleansing ceremonies include:

Dr. Jeremy Narby:
“…found myself surrounded by enormous fluorescent serpents that were fifteen yards long…and hair-raisingly real. They started communicating to me in a kind of thought language, telling me things about myself that were painfully true, including that I was just a tiny human being who didn’t understand very much.

Then I flew out of my body, miles above the planet, until the shaman shifted his song and I landed back in my body.”(2)

Kara Salak:
“…I reached the bottom of the tunnel and saw three thrones in a black chamber. Three shadowy figures sat in the chairs; in the middle was what I took to be the devil himself.

“The darkness will never end,” he said. “It will never end. You can never escape this place.”

“I can,” I replied. All at once, I willed myself to rise. I sailed up through the tunnel of fire, higher and higher until I broke through to a white light. All darkness immediately vanished. My body felt light, at peace. I floated among a beautiful spread of colors and patterns. Slowly my ayahuasca vision faded.

“Welcome back,” the shaman said.

The next morning, I discovered the impossible: The severe depression that had ruled my life since childhood had miraculously vanished.”(3)

Clinical Confirmation from the West

UCLA’s Dr. Charles Grob oversees the Hoasca Project.

Many of the subjects he’s studied have experienced “remarkable transformations” including achieving lasting sobriety from chronic alcoholism and drug abuse, along with significant reductions of associated psychopathologies.

Dr. Charles Grob:
“One particularly surprising finding was the up-regulated platelet serotonin receptor systems in subjects, which might be the neurobiological basis of ayahuasca’s observed antidepressant and mood regulation effects.”(2)

There is a very profound chemical combination at work in the ayahuasca brew which is highly therapeutic and according to Dr. Grob “a far more sophisticated and effective way to treat depression than SSRIs [antidepressant drugs],” which he terms “a rather crude way” of doing it.(3)

If you’re willing to journey half way around the world, trudge deep into the rainforest and surrender yourself to a shaman’s care, in order to face your darkest terrors, you just may be rewarded exponentially.


South America (click image to enlarge)

These complex plants offer you an opportunity to communicate with the vast intelligence of the natural world.

In the Amazon, Earth’s own garden, as the sultry jungle pulses with a primal energy, you’ll become indoctrinated into the magical, mystical world of plant spirit shamanism.

If you’ll tune in to the sheer power of nature, ayahuasca is your invitation to emerge from the rainforest, stumbling out of the fog and into a new consciousness.


Amazon River at sunset - photo: Mike Lehtimaki

Ayahuasca opens the door to a life-changing experience, a spiritual epiphany of consciousness. And a return to balance and equilibrium.

During the ceremony, you’ll be seeing through your “third eye,” freeing you from three-dimensional reality and allowing you to connect with multiple dimensions.

It’s available now.

And it has been for thousands of years.


“Plant speech sounds like the hum of high-voltage wires, with a rhythmic, songlike quality to it. This is interesting, since shamans have spoken for thousands of years about the “song of the universe” – the energy vibration beneath all things.”
- Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing, Plant Spirit Shamanism(4)


If you’d like to explore ayahuasca further, here are a few resources you can find at your local library, bookstore or you can purchase them at Amazon.

In the meantime, you may be interested in Kira Salak’s story, Peru: Hell and Back. In National Geographic Adventure, Ms. Salak chronicles her own exorcism during an ayahuasca cleansing. It was the key to her escape from a crushing lifelong depression.

And if you choose to pursue ayahuasca cleansing on your quest for health and wellness, I wish you every success on your personal journey.


1 Sacred Vine of Spirits, Dr. Ralph Metzner ed., 2005, Park St. Press
2 Visionary Plant Consciousness – The Shamanic Teachings of the Plant World, J.P. Harpignies ed., 2007, Park Street Press
3 National Geographic Adventure, Kira Salak
4 Plant Spirit Shamanism, Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing, 2006, Destiny Books