Whole Foods Diet

A whole food diet can (and should) consist of many varieties of healthy organic whole foods. But just to make it really simple, we are including only five natural foods (listed below), because this provides a very good example of how much so little can do. Not only do these foods fit the bill regarding nutritional health, but they can also be grown indoors or out, preserved and stored in very little space, and used in so many different ways! For example, all these foods can be sprouted from nut, seed or grain (even carrot if you can find the seeds); and because nuts, seeds and grains can produce 4-10 times the volume in sprouts, you're saving 4-10 times the storage space. Sprouts also grow fairly fast, usually ready within a few days, so it isn't necessary to have a lot of them growing at one time. Each stage of the plant's life can be taken advantage of and used in different ways. For example, nuts can be made into nut butters, or dried and ground into flour, or the oils can be expressed and used in cooking and herbal remedies; sprouts can be eaten fresh, steamed, or they can be juiced and added to other juices; or they can be dried (or not) and used as flour or otherwise added to breads; grasses can be juiced and added to other juices, or dried and ground into flours; and then we come back to the stage of being nuts! (pardon the pun); and of course, juices can be concentrated, frozen, dried, powdered, made into syrup, etc. Provided below is a list of these foods, which together we call Nutrino:

ALFALFA (Medigo sativa)

The roots of the Alfalfa plant can grow as deep as 130 feet below the surface of the soil. It is rich in Chlorophyll and nearly all vitamins and minerals (which are in balance with each other, promoting absorption). Alfalfa has a neutralizing effect and is alkaline in nature. It is helpful in cases such as arthritis, intestinal ulcers, gastritis, liver disorders, eczema, hemorrhoids, asthma, high blood pressure, anemia, constipation, body and breath odor, bleeding gums, infection, burns, athlete's foot and cancer. Alfalfa sprouts are good on sandwiches or dried, ground and used like pepper. Full grown alfalfa leaves can be made into an extract or dried and made into teas.

Nutrients (leaf/sprouts): Complex Carbohydrates, Antioxidants, Bioflavanoids, Enzymes, VA, VB1, VB3, VB6, VD, VE, VK, Folic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Silicon, Sodium and Zinc

BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare)

Barley Grass and sprouts are high in just about every nutrient, including Calcium, Iron, Proteins (all Essential Amino Acids), Chlorophyll, Flavanoids, Vitamin B12 (so it is said), Vitamin C, all Minerals, plus Enzymes and are highly alkaline in nature. It can heal the stomach, duodenal and colon disorders, as well as pancreatitis and is an effective anti-inflammatory. Barley sprouts can be juiced and added to other juices, as can all five of the foods in Nutrino. If barley is sprouted and harvested just prior to the green tail (mature sprout) becoming visible, it can be dried and ground to produce barley malt. Barley malt is a high quality, natural, healthy substitute for sugar and can be used 3 parts barley malt to one part white granulated sugar. Barley grass is sprouted and allowed to grow until harvested at its peak cycle of growth (at about 8-12" tall). This can be juiced and added to other juices, or dried and ground into flour to add to other flours. Barley (the grain) is acidic in nature and can be dried and ground for flour, or made into cereals, vinegar, alcohol, etc.

Nutrients (grain): Complex Carbohydrates, VB3, Folic Acid, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Nickel, Phosphorus, Potassium, Silicon, Sulfur and Vanadium

Nutrients (grass/sprouts): Complex & Simple Carbohydrates, Proteins and Amino Acids, Antioxidants, Bioflavanoids, Enzymes, VA, VB Complex (except VB12), VC, VE, VK, Choline and ALL Minerals

CARROT (Daucus carota)

Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A, E and many other nutrients. The carrot is an Anthelmintic, a Carminative, a Diuretic and a Stimulant. It is easy to digest, good for the eyes and skin, can be used to treat diarrhea, and its essence (essential oil) is effective against ringworm. The juice is helpful for stomach acidity and heartburn, the seeds can be used to treat flatulence. Carrots make an excellent juice and can be added to other juices (like apple juice and/or sprout juices), and grated carrots can be made into carrot bread or carrot cake.

Nutrients: Complex Carbohydrates, Antioxidants, Enzymes, VA, VB3, VC, VE, Biotin, Folic Acid, Silicon

SOYBEAN (Glycine max)

Soybeans are easy to grow almost anywhere, and not only improve the soil but also supply the family with one of the most nourishing of foods. They are very versitile and can be sprouted, made into milk, dried and ground into flour, or made into ice cream, cheese and many other things. They are easy to digest, do not curd (unless made to curd), and are rich in Minerals, Amino Acids, Choline, Inositol and most other nutrients. The Calcium content of Soybeans is twenty times that in potatoes, twelve times that in wheat flour, five times that of eggs, and about twice that of regular cow's milk. One pound of Soy flour is equivalent to two pounds of meat in Protein content. Mature soybeans are acidic, but highly alkaline if sprouted.

Nutrients (beans/sprouts): Complex Carbohydrates, Proteins and Amino Acids, Unsaturated Fats (omega-6 fatty acids), Antioxidants, Bioflavanoids, Enzymes, VB1, VB3, VC, VK, Choline, Inositol, Calcium, Iron, Molybdenum, Nickel, Phosphorus, Potassium and Sodium

SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus)

Sunflowers don't take long to produce seeds, which are acidic in nature (unless sprouted) and high in protein, essential fatty acids, Folic Acid, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin B6, Iron, Phosphorus, Copper, and Selenium among other nutrients. Though much of the calories in Sunflower Seeds come from fats, they are mostly Polyunsaturated (good) fats. The sprouts are also very high in nutrients and have a rich, nutty flavor and because fresh sprouts are so high in enzymes, the fats are basically predigested for you -- making fat digestion quick and easy, providing almost instant energy. Like Soybeans and the other foods that make up Nutrino, Sunflower Seeds are very versitile. They can be made into sunflower butter and used just like peanut butter (with much the same flavor), dried and ground into flour to add to other flours, dried and added to bread doughs or sprinkled on salads. The oils can be extracted to replace most other oils; the seeds can also be sprouted, and sprouts can be juiced and added to other juices.

Nutrients (seeds/sprouts): Complex Carbohydrates, Proteins and Amino Acids, Unsaturated Fats (omega-6 fatty acids), Antioxidants, Bioflavanoids, Enzymes, VB1, VB2, VB3, VB5, VB6, VD, VE, Folic Acid, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Nickel, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Silicon, Sodium, Vanadium and Zinc

USING THE NUTRINO FOODS

There are many different ways to include the Nutrino foods into a natural diet. For example, replace your regular white granulated sugar with barley malt sugar, have a glass of carrot/apple juice each morning, use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter ... and of course, you can grow all of these plants indoors (or out) all year round, with very little space. When juicing fresh carrots, apples or other fruits and veggies, I know it might look pretty if it is strained before drinking... but don't! Unless you don't want the fiber (or if you plan to save the pulp for making fruit/veggie breads later). Also, fresh juices taste best if refrigerated overnight before drinking. Soybeans, fruit and grains (like barley) can be fermented to produce vinegar and alcohol, and all of the nutrino foods can be sprouted, juiced or ground and made into flours. These foods can also either be made into an extract and combined with almond, olive, primrose or sunflower oil for an excellent suntan oil (use three parts barley milk to one part oil, and one part rosewater, plus Nutrino Extract for lotions -- very good for the skin), or they can be made into Nutrino Juice... like we said, even just these five foods can be prepared, preserved and used in so many different ways!

SPROUTING

Sprouting is fairly simple to do and provides many benefits, such as: it increases the vitamin and enzyme content of living foods by as much as 500%! Plus, sprouting converts starches into simple sugars, breaks proteins down into amino acids and peptones, converts crude fat into free fatty acids, (basically predigests the sprout for you and releases nutrients, making them available to the body), are a rich source of chlorophyll, remove anti-nutrients (such as phytic acid, lectins, protein enzyme inhibitors, etc. which are present in almost all foods, especially nuts, seeds, beans and grains) -- and unlike cooked foods, sprouts are a rich source of enzymes and if dried at temperatures below 118 degrees F, will maintain nutrient and enzyme quality to produce a natural source of powdered nutrients and enzymes (which can be made into chewable tablets, pills, capsules, sprinkled on salads or cereal, or added to milkshakes/machshakes or smoothies, etc.).

I prefer to use sprout bags, but others may want to use a glass jar, colander, sprouting trays, etc. -- to each his/her own. First, place seeds (or nuts, beans, grains, etc.) in a large, glass or ceramic bowl and cover completely with water; add 1 Tbs White or Distilled Vinegar to help further remove anti-nutrient properties; allow to soak overnight. The next morning, strain off the water, rinse the seeds and strain off the water again. Now, simply place your seeds in... whatever you plan on sprouting them in, and set in a warm place -- be sure to rinse 3-5 times every day. To also produce chlorophyll in the sprouts, put in a cool place with indirect sunlight, or hang sprout bags in front of a window for a few hours or so every day.

ARTICLES & RESOURCES

» Nutritional Health
» PH Balance
» Detoxification
» Whole Foods Diet
» Whole Food Recipes
» More on Sprouts
» Build a Solar Cooker
» Home Composting
» Container Farming

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