Got digestives and health issues?

How to create our uber powerful herbal psychoactive tincture.

Directions on how to make our psychoactive herbal tincture.

1. Take about 250 grams of goji berry and soak them for 8-12 hours in half a litre of coconut water. The next day blend them all up with the soak water then strain out the juice with a sieve or nut milk bag. You can either eat the goji fibre or dehydrate it and make goji powder.

2. Make a couple batches of coconut kefir by fermenting coconut water for 24-48 hours in two separate jars with water kefir grains (easily obtainable on ebay). Once they are ready, take the 1st batch, separate it from the culture, then add the goji juice along with 2 teaspoons of Korean panax ginseng into a kilner or mason jar for 48 hours. With the second batch of strained kefir you add some chaga tea grounds that are left over from tea that you have previously boiled and thus extracted the water soluble triterpenes from. About 2-3 teaspoons is sufficient. Leave this for 48 hours also. The slight alcohol content of the kefir and the secondary fermentation will extract some of the other triterpenes that according to research coming out of Russia primarily, are potent medicinal compounds that are reported to be very effective at reversing various kinds of cancer, this you also let sit for 48 hours.

3. Once enough time has passed (48 hours) strain the chaga grounds from the kefir. (You may see a few white spots appearing at the top of the liquid, don't be alarmed this is normal for coconut kefir). combine the goji ginseng mixture with the chaga kefir infusion and voila!

4.Add 1 or 2 capsule of mega hydrate which is an amazing advance in the technology of supplementation you can read about online just googling. This next stop is optional but to guarantee the tinctures preservation especially if you are going to drink it over a long period of time like say a month or more, we highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading and watching our video please feel free to subscribe to our blog and youtube channel if you would like to get more content like this.

Kenny interviews Theo broma on anti aging

Lacto fermented mint Salsa

Theobroma at the Avalon hemp fest.

Fats that heal, fats that thrill

by Kenny Sunshine and Holly Paige

These days within the raw food movement there are numerous different approaches as to how one can attain vibrant and dynamic health, some of them sane and some of them other than sane.
In regards to the latter, e.g. "You should cut down drastically from your fat intake and predominantly eat fruits and maybe a few greens here and there", we felt it necessary to express our concerns and highlight not only the massive importance of having healthy fats in one's regime of eating but also some suggestions that are perhaps new to you and some strategies for you to implement them into your culinary adventures.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
We think this is a good place to start because having the right balance of these essential fats is crucial in allowing ANY nutrient to transmit its signals correctly to our cells. Omega 3 - omega 6 ratios have impact on brain, endocrine, cardiovascular and mental health,they are defined as essential fatty acids because we cannot function as healthy human organisms without them, we cannot manufacture them from other raw materials and we have to get them from food. Scientists have quite recently termed omega 3 deficiency as: FADS.  Fatty Acid Deficiency Syndrome.
The typical western diet has insanely unbalanced omega 3 - 6. ratio's, generally around 1- 20 or even as high as 1- 30. It is thought that a healthy ratio is 1- 3 or 1-4. Doctor Tom Gilhooly a researcher from Edinburgh who markets an essential fatty acid blood test called the ideal omega test. http://www.idealomega.com/ suggests that a healthy ratio is 50% omega 3 going up to an optimal level of 70% omega 3 in the cellular membranes. The point is WE NEED MORE OF THEM IN OUR DIET.
An inflammatory response is created in the body by large amounts of omega 6 and that inflammation is counteracted or dampened by omega 3's. The raw food diet is already much improved from the standard western diet by the fact that there is a reduction in omega 6's and the quality of these fats is also improved. Often though adequate amounts of omega 3's are not present unless people aggressively supplement with flax and or algal oils, even then, depending on your genetics, you may not be able to convert the short chain (18 carbon) ALA(Alpha Linolenic Acid) into EPA (Eicosapentanoic) and DHA (Docosahexanoic Acid)
Generally only about 5% of ALA s converted to the necessary EPA and DHA anyway! Certain ethnic groups including: British Columbian Inuit (Eskimo), Scandinavian, Scottish, Welsh and Irish cannot convert plant based ALA's into the usable forms of EPA and DHA. Compounding this is the fact that 80% of the population ( Definitely in the USA and probably most other western countries) have elevated insulin levels. This in effect means that the ability to convert these 18 carbon short chain ALA's into the 20 and 22 long chain EPA and DHA is reduced due to the fact that the enzyme delta 6 desaturase is inhibited
In order to have proper neurological function the brain needs EPA and DHA. Without an adequate supply, the cell membranes/synapses etc do not work properly. Proper absorption of nutrients depends on cellular membrane functionality. The omega 3-6 ratio also affects the nuclear and mitochondrial membranes. The bottom line is when these ratio's are askew our ability to deal with inflammation at a cellular level is compromised. It is thought that inflammation is at the source of almost all diseases that afflict western society.

IMPORTANCE OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS FOR BRAIN FUNCTION AND MOOD

Everything we have said about the importance of the omega 3 fatty acids in relation to body cells in general applies to the cells in the brain with extra significance. The brain is the fattiest organ in our bodies consisting (after water) of about 60% fat. The omega 3 fatty acid DHA makes up about 15% - 20% of the cerebral cortex (“grey matter”) of the brain. It also makes up about 30% to 60% of the retina of the eye.  DHA has an important role within the membranes of brain cells as well as in the cells of the rest of the body. “Brain cells” otherwise known as 'nerve cells” or “neurons” are electrically excitable cells that transmit information in the brain through electrical and chemical signals. If there is not enough DHA available in the membranes of these neurons (“neural cell membranes”) then cholesterol and omega 6 are used to make up the neural membranes instead. The nerve cells then become too rigid and the transmission of electrical and chemical signals becomes compromised. Low DHA levels have been linked to memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, depression and bipolar disorder.  DHA has been found to significantly improve cognition in the elderly.

WHY WE NEED ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS IN UNDAMAGED I.E. RAW FORM

Now we come to a very important point, the significance of which is often lost. The omega 3 fats are part of a class of fats called polyunsaturated fats which are very volatile and easily affected by interaction with heat or other substances. They are particularly susceptible to the changes that all foods are subject to when they are heated above biological temperature (i.e. about 40 degrees). Cooking, heating or processing fats produces chemical reactions and the molecules of the fats are changed into forms that cannot be properly assimilated by the body since there are no enzymes adapted for their digestion. Basically they accumulate in the body and brain and potentially cause problems. In particular they can become part of neural cell membranes and compromise electrical signalling in the brain as described earlier. For example French researchers found that dietary trans-fatty acids (processed fats) find their way into the myelin of the brain cells where they change the electrical conductivity of the cells especially when the cells are already deficient in essential fatty acids. Therefore it is important that we consume these essential fats in pristine fresh and raw form.

WHY RAW FOODISTS STILL NEED TO BE AWARE...

Simply not cooking or overheating food does not guarantee that we will be taking in the types and rations of fats that we need for optimal function. We need to ensure that we are taking in adequate undamaged omega 3 oils and as mentioned, in the forms DHA and EPA. It is speculated and very possible that humans once got their omega 3 essential fatty acids from leaves plus some seeds but clearly we do not have the capacity to assimilate the fats that we need from these sources in our current situation.

Even on an apparently 'healthy' raw food diet it is easy to neglect the need for omega 3's and particularly EPA and DHA. Most seeds and seed oils for example sunflower, pumpkin and sesame are predominantly omega 6. Fatty fruits such as avocado and olives are predominantly omega 9 (mono-unsaturated) oils. So although by eating our fats raw we may avoid the worst of the damaged and damaging fats such as trans-fats we may still be consuming an unfavourable ration of omega 6 to omega 3 and be consuming very little amounts of DHA and EPA. Traditionally flax seeds and flax oil have been used by raw fooders to up the ratio of omega 3's in their diets. Flax seeds make great crackers and supply fibre which can cleanse our digestive tracts but whether we can actually extract undamaged omega 3 from them is doubtful. Dehydrating them potentially causes the oils in them to turn rancid especially if they are ground. Flax seed oil has many beneficial properties in its own right but still only gives us ALA not EPA and DHA. The same can be said of chia seeds and oil.

GOOD SOURCES OF OMEGA 3.
Marine phyto plankton is a very small single celled micro algae that makes up a quarter of all vegetation on the planet (land and sea) and is responsible for 90% of all oxygen production, more than all forests on the planet (according to NASA).  It is 9 times smaller than a red blood cell making it the smallest food source that is known anywhere.  It has a very impressive nutritional profile. It contains all amino acids, vitamins, minerals,vital trace elements, anti oxidants, phospholipids, nucleic acids, pigments, enzymes etc. An amazing thing about phyto plankton is that is does not have to be processed through the mitochondrial "machinery" of our cells in order to be utilised as energy! It contains nucleotides that feed our cells directly with ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) which most food we eat has to be converted into in order for our body to use it as energy. An analogy would be, like going to a foreign country with a universal currency that allowed you to spend money with out needing to go to a bank or a bureau de change.

In regards to the subject matter of this article we are very intrigued by its profile of essential polyunsaturated oils,  particularly its EPA and DHA content. The whole food algae as opposed to the liquid "oceans alive" product contains 10% EPA by dry weight matter (according to David Wolfe). We intuitively feel like this is a better choice as a source of omega 3's than ALA based flax, chia or even hemp but it seems like there isn't enough scientific data upon which to come to an irrefutable conclusion, it may be an excellent choice for people who adamantly want to remain raw vegetarian/vegan.  We think it is very promising and sincerely hope it works as an adequate medium for supplying these essential human building blocks.  It has to be said though that these ways of getting our fats are at an experimental stage and haven't been tried and trusted over generations.

ALGAL OILS
The ideal ratio of EPA to DHA is supposed to be 3-1.  It seems like proponents of these products have latched onto the scientific observations that view the brain and see that it is mostly comprised of DHA.
What they fail to mention is that this DHA has been oxidised from EPA through its natural process and pathway. Algal oils have a far greater representation of DHA than EPA and our body needs them in the right proportions (3-1) in order to function optimally. This is not said to diminish the efficacy of vegan DHA and algal supplements, as we are sure they have benefits in their own right, but as means of supplying us with these compounds all the evidence points to the fact that they are other than adequate

NON VEGAN SOURCES:
KRILL AND PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE FISH OIL.

For those who don't have spiritual, ethical or moral issues regarding the consumption of animal products there are other options that do supply these essential nutrients in adequate proportions.
Like marine photo plankton krill doesn't have a massive amount of independent scientific studies to warrant us hanging our hat on it.  It appears based upon the research that has been published that krill oil could perhaps be potentially a better source of omega 3's than the more common fish oil, based upon claims that say the phospholipid content allows for more efficient absorption and thus smaller dosage etc.

This information maybe marketing propaganda though. One thing that we would look out for when selecting a brand of krill is look to see again how it is extracted and processed. Based upon some lab testing that was done on one of the brands out there we would suggest that there may be some ocean toxicity issue's with krill - unless the manufacturer has taken the time to have the oil purified of likely contaminants.
Pharmaceutical grade fish oil on the other hand does have a massive amount of published and independent scientific studies that have been conducted (over 10,000) and there are due to the exponential technological expansion of recent decades ways to process it that remove all detectable particles of mercury, cadmium, PCB's, PVC and the various other toxic components that make up today's waterways, seas and oceans.  We thus recommend that if you seek out such a product, that you find a source that has been molecularly distilled or uses molecular distillation as a means of filtering out the potential harmful components that otherwise could be there.

It's recommended that we consume at least 1500 mg of EPA and DHA per day. Whilst cod liver oil has many benefits we cannot consume it in this kind of quantity as we would likely overdose on the large amounts of vitamin A that are present within it and so we need to consume the oils that have been taken from the whole fish as opposed to just the liver.

Professor Saldeen of university Uppsala Sweden along with various associates concluded that some ordinary fish oils on the market may due to their unstable nature produce free radicals and can ultimately be detrimental to the cardiovascular system. There are stable good quality brands on the market which have noticeable effects in humans and have demonstrably significant advantages over ordinary more commercially available brands. Here are some of the reported benefits of pharmaceutical grade fish oil according to Dr. Dave Woynarowski author of the book The Immortality Edge.

Helps prevent recurring heart attacks better than any pharmaceutical drug it was tested against

Probably the most effective protection against sudden cardiac death

Makes the blood thinning properties of aspirin look like a joke

Is used effectively in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Improves memory IQ and age related memory lapses

Helps with MS

Plays a key role in brain development

Lowers blood pressure

Reduces the incidence of stroke caused by clotting of the brain blood vessels

Lowers triglycerides and raises good HDL cholesterol lowering the risk of heart disease

is a potent anti oxidant and one of the few that cross the blood brain barrier

Improves personality mood and mental disorders

Improves cartilage and joint health

Since experimenting recently with over a teaspoon (over 1500mg of EPA and DHA) pharmaceutical grade fish oil a day and encouraging family and friends to do the same we have reports of noticeably softer skin and hair, sharper memory, improved mood and reduced chronic inflammation. What a wonderful gift to bring to loved ones. In particular we are excited about potentially giving a new lease of life to the older generation and also the benefits for children.
Fish oil is absorbed much better with food and so we have been incorporating it into our meals and have been creating delicious salad dressings along with flax oil (for the plant based ALA's) so as to up the amount of omega 3's in our diet.

Anyway we hope this information helps you make the right decision in regards to choosing the best source of omega 3 fatty acid for your particular constitution.  We have tried our best to convey the facts that are out there in as succinct a way as possible so that the information is comprehensible and easy to act on.

Holly has been passionately engaged  in a raw food lifestyle in the British Isles for over a decade and has brought up two children this way, giving her a unique insight into the practicalities of making raw nutrition work here. Kenny returned to Britain after a decade of adventures in the cutting edge US raw food scene and now shares the wealth of nutritional and culinary expertise he acquired there.You can find more content from them here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Juicetasticcoach?feature=watch

http://www.foodforconsciousness.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25&products_id=93

New to raw food/living cuisine?

New to raw food/living cuisine? like trying anything new, often times when we are excited about something that we want to implement into our lives we are also at our highest level of anxiety about it. This is called fear of the unknown! Kind of like when we first began to learn how to drive a car, the task at hand seemed to be of such magnitude part of us naturally had resistance. Now i'm kind of exaggerating to make a point, but to most people it is the same when they think about making changes in their diet especially one that involves going onto predominantly raw /living plant food. What I would suggest to people is that trying to conceptualize this whole approach to lifestyle and the way one feeds oneself [not just literally but on many levels] in one big bite [no pun intended] is enough to put anyone off and in quitting mode before they have even started! Really I believe it's best to be gentle with ourselves and rather than being overly disciplinary and admonishing with ourselves, which does have it's place.We should focus more on self acceptance and self love during our transformational health process. And realize just that, IT IS A PROCESS that definitely will take time. For some people the "all or nothing" types in our world, it seems easy to go from eating macdonalds hamburgers to 100% perfect raw foodists overnight. But I know my own process of transitioning onto mostly around 98%- 100% was not so clear cut, that journey [over the past 15 years] has been affected by many factors, where I was living, if I had somewhere to live, who I was living with, who I was hanging around with etc etc. I guess the point i'm trying to make is this: Every great journey begins with a single step and often times if we think about the whole thing in it's entirety a lot of the time we will let our ego talk us out of it! I usually advise people who are thinking about going raw to do 60 - 80 percent raw for about 3-4 months, I know for me at this point my body began to differentiate between live and not so live foods.There were a few incidents where this was PAINFULLY obvious. Then for me the cooked food and the activity of indulging in it began to yield diminishing returns. WE ARE NOT PERFECT. As soon as we accept this fact of life it becomes so much easier to be a raw foodist and in the process of letting go of that little ego game we let go of the charge we have around perfection, which is attainable when it comes to inanimate objects, but fortunately for us as spiritual beings [who's prime motivation for being is to grow] not attainable as humans! Guy's believe me the time it takes you to transition is worth it,but like anything that you want to create YOU have to do it and there is nobody out there that's gonna do it for ya! The great thing about it is that there is more information than ever at the click of a few buttons and countless resources from which you can access the information [like this blog] that you will need in order to master this stuff and make it work in your own very unique and particular lives.Enjoy the journey and remember,a spiritual teacher once said: "The steps to getting there are the same as the qualities of being there" peaceout!