Welcome to another edition of The Living Yoga Newsletter,
your source for the reliable information and support you
need to reclaim your health, naturally.
 
In this issue, you will find: 

Local events of interest
Feature Fruit of November:  The Persimmon
Recipes
Book Review:  The 80-10-10 Diet, by Dr. Douglas N. Graham
Articles:
Create a Nutritious Kitchen Garden this Winter
The Whole Truth About Whole Grains
Connecting the Yamas and Niyamas from Yoga Scripture with
The Raw Food Lifestyle

New Friday morning yoga class in the home studio, now till
Christmas.  9 - 10:30 am.  Call Ellen to register, 995-0875.
$15 drop-in., first class is always free!

My favorite way to enjoy either type is to cut off the top
as you would a jack-o-lantern pumpkin, cup the fruit in your
hand, and spoon the soupy-sweet flesh into your mouth.  A
grapefruit spoon works especially well.

You can find persimmons in Ann Arbor at Arbor Farms, Whole
Foods, Fresh Seasons, Meijers, and The Produce Station. 
Most are not organic, and prices vary dramatically, with the
best deal at Meijer's at two for a dollar.  Ask about a case
discount.  I have also found a non-local source of
uncertified organic persimmons, and will be receiving a
large shipment to my home at the end of November.  If you
would like to place an order, please contact me right away.

Chop and toss a big bowl of romaine, baby spinach, and
optional green leafy sprouts like alfalfa.  Peel and dice a
few oranges (try different varieties & find your favorites!)
and a sweet pink grapefruit and add them to the greens. 
Toss all with a simple dressing made with the juice of one
orange blended with ½ an avocado OR 2 Tbsp of raw tahini. 
If you prefer a low-fat dressing, simply squeeze ½ an orange
or grapefruit over the salad and toss. 

Blended Grape Drink
This may sound weird, but it has become one of my favorites.
I got the idea from Doug Graham.  Simply blend a pound or so
of red or green grapes (I usually fill the blender
half-way), and drink.  You just may learn to love the sweet
chewy-ness!

Tropical Smoothie
Blend 8 oz. fresh-squeezed orange juice (pulp included) with
8 oz. papaya OR pineapple chunks.  This makes a delicious
dinner appetizer!

The Whole Truth About Whole Grains
By Ellen Livingston

In the big picture of life on Earth, feeding grains to
humans is still an experiment in its infancy.  Thus far the
results are very questionable! Most people don't realize
that humans thrived for ten million years without consuming
grains, representing more than 99.9% of the time that we
have walked the Earth.  There are still societies who
experience robust health without eating grains, while there
are no exceptionally health grain-eating societies.

I will show you why a high carbohydrate diet is indeed our
best choice, and, importantly, what kind of carbohydrates to
choose for health.  My friend and personal health coach,
author and fitness expert Douglas Graham, has coined the
term "80-10-10" to describe the high carbohydrate diet
humans are designed to eat.  The numbers represent at least
80% of calories from carbohydrates, and not more than 10% of
calories each from fat and protein.  Top nutrition
researchers today also recommend similar proportions of
these three macronutrients.  

First of all, we ought to look at whether grain eating is
natural for humans.  There is not a single example in nature
of an animal with anatomy and physiology similar to ours
that consumes grains.  All of the anthropoid primates, our
closest genetic cousins, thrive on a diet based on fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and seeds, in their raw state, and do not
eat grains at all (which, by the way, must be processed to
even become edible).

There are many reasons why grains are not ideally suited to
humans, and are in fact harmful to our health.  This list
includes:

They are acid-forming in the body, and can cause arthritis
and possibly cancer.
Grains contain significant amounts of acid-forming minerals
such as choline, iodine, and sulfur, and very little of the
alkaline minerals - calcium, potassium, natural sodium and
magnesium; they cause a condition called "acid toxemia".
During digestion, the body must draw calcium (the best
alkalizer) from the bones to neutralize the acidity of the
grains.

Whole grains (and beans) also contain phytic acid, which
binds with zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium and interferes
with their absorption by the body.

Grains are difficult to digest, depleting our enzyme
reserves and fermenting inside our bodies, causing harmful
production of alcohol which gets absorbed into the
bloodstream and causes damage, and gas.

They give us a maximum number of calories with a minimum
number of nutrients (especially when cooked), the opposite
of what we ideally want.

They contain insoluble fiber which is harsh and can cause
damage to the sensitive intestinal lining, as well as
causing food to move through the bowels too quickly,
reducing nutrient absorption. 

Health problems associated with grains include asthma,
allergies, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, digestive
disturbances, mucous and congestive conditions, yeast
infections, arthritis, autoimmune disease, and chronic
overeating (Grain Damage, p.25).  (By the way, all of these
disease conditions and allergies are really just a normal,
natural reaction by the body to an unnatural food.)

They contain poisonous, toxic substances (both inherently
and added for preservation)
The gluten in grains has been proven to chemically contain
fifteen different opioid sequences, or morphine-like
molecules. These are labeled by scientists as addictive and
neurotoxic, and to have psychoactive properties. (Grain
Damage, p.27)  Eating foods that contain opioids creates a
subtle and temporary "high", which is why grain products can
be one of the most difficult things to eliminate (cheese has
casomorphine).

They cause tooth decay by their tendency to ferment between
the teeth and so produce the acid that destroys tooth
enamel.

They can cause permanent damage to the digestive organs of
infants.

They accelerate aging

They cause increased fat and salt intake due to their
inherent tastelessness.

Sprouting grains:
Many raw fooders tout the nutritional benefits of sprouted
grains.  It is true that soaking and sprouting grains makes
them somewhat more digestible, due to the extra hydration
and some breakdown of starches.  Sprouted grains also
contain more nutrients, both because you have not
heat-damaged them with cooking, and because the sprouting
process releases nutrients.  And they can be a significant
non-fatty source of calories on a raw vegan diet.

Yet grains do remain a better choice than animal products. 
Promoters of whole grains make their health claims based on
whole grains containing carbohydrates, trace minerals, B
vitamins, phytonutrients, antioxidants, magnesium, folic
acid (when fortified!), and fiber.  It is true that whole
grains contain these qualities. However, there is a better
choice.  As Doug Graham states in his book, Grain Damage,
"Our greatest nutrient needs are for water and simple
carbohydrates; starches provide neither, while fruits are
the best source of both."  

In addition to being rich with naturally structured water,
fruit carbohydrates also supply us with much more abundant
vitamins and minerals than any starches.  A particularly
important vitamin we must get from food sources, vitamin C,
is most plentiful in fruits.  All of the nutrients whole
grains are touted for are better supplied by fruits and
vegetables. In fact, there is no nutrient needed to support
perfect health in humans that cannot be amply supplied by
fruits and vegetables in their whole, raw, unprocessed
form.

It takes practice, and requires the development of a new
mindset, to eat enough fruit to satisfy your body's need for
simple carbohydrates.  I highly recommend that you read Dr.
Graham's book, The 80-10-10 Diet, and consider getting
some personal coaching to get your raw diet on the right
track:  the high fruit, low fat track.

Remember, "Grains are for the birds!"  - Ross Horne

You will gain full understanding of why humans are designed
to eat mostly fruit, the very dangerous mistakes most raw
fooders make, how to safely reach your ideal weight, why you
won't need supplements, how to transition to a raw diet, how
to make the 80-10-10 diet work for you, and much more.  Dr.
Graham includes a very helpful seasonal menu guide, with a
complete breakdown of calories and macronutrients for your
education. 

Marilyn Diamond, co-author of Fit for Life, says this about
Dr. Graham's book:
"The longer you apply these strategies to your life, the
greater will be your confidence that you have sidestepped
the seemingly inevitable endpoint of premature aging and the
degenerative diseases.  Why would anyone turn down the
opportunity to dance through life with the radiant
well-being this program delivers?" 

And Frederic Patenaude, author of The Raw Secrets, says,
"The 80-10-10 diet as explained and advocated by Dr. Graham
in his book, is in my opinion, the greatest breakthrough
ever made in the field of nutrition.  Read it, study it, and
apply it as if your life depended on it - because it does."

I receive a lot of questions about growing and eating
sprouts, so I've decided to write a little article to
express my views on the issue, and to provide support for
those of you who want to explore this food.  First, I'd
better let you know that I am not an expert on sprouts!  I
grow them sometimes, and eat them sometimes, but they have
never been a staple in my raw diet, in any season of the
year.  For me they are a "fun food" that my children and I
enjoy every now and then.  They are fun to grow, and add a
nice texture to soups, salads, and raw sandwich wraps.  And
yes, they are nutritious.

Much of the raw literature has elevated sprouts to
"superfood" levels, due to their concentration of nutrients
and live enzymes.  While it is true that they contain a
concentration of nutrients as they prepare to launch
themselves into a mature plant, more is not always better
for our human bodies.  I generally don't put much stock in
the idea of "superfoods", preferring to focus on ensuring
naturally sufficient nutrients in my diet by consuming a
large variety of different plant foods throughout the year,
each food beneficial in some important way.  If we follow a
healthy raw vegan diet, we don't need the extra enzymes or
"super-nutrition" in sprouts.

Imagine going back to a pristine, natural, tropical
environment like that which we would have first encountered
on planet Earth.  The most readily available and satisfying
foods would have been fruits, and some mature greens.  We
may have discovered some teeny tiny young sprouts, but would
not likely have found them or gathered them in sufficient
quantity with which to create a meal.  Sprouts by themselves
are usually not tasty enough to form a meal, in my
experience.

Perhaps you are aware of the debate about the presence of
toxic substances in sprouts, especially in alfalfa sprouts. 
These toxins are present to protect the young sprout as it
attempts to grow into a mature plant.  In the quantities we
would eat, these toxins pose no serious threat to us.  An
exception may be wheatgrass juice, when consumed daily. 
Grass is not one of our natural foods, and when concentrated
as it is in wheatgrass juice, it can become a real irritant
to the body.  Hence its reputation as a detoxifier - in
reality it may be more of an "excito-toxin", causing a
reaction by the body as it attempts to cope with unwanted,
potentially unsafe concentrations of nutrients in an
unnatural form.

Sizing it all up, if you like sprouts, enjoy them!  If you
don't like sprouts, don't worry, you don't need them to
create health.  I don't recommend eating bean or lentil or
grain sprouts, as they are very difficult to digest and
cause toxic byproducts.  But green leafy sprouts such as
sunflower, buckwheat lettuce, clover, alfalfa, broccoli,
radish and others are fine, some more spicy than others, so
be careful.  You can also soak nuts and seeds in purified
water and most will eventually produce a small white sprout.
 But the real advantage to soaking nuts and seeds is that
they rehydrate some, and thus become easier to digest.

Green leafy sprouts grown in your kitchen can become a good
source of extremely economical, ecological, fresh-picked,
nutritious food in a long northern winter.  The extra plant
life in your kitchen will also freshen the air and bring
pleasure to your senses!  These sprouts are very easy to
grow, and easy to digest.  If you have children, sprout
growing can become a wonderfully fun and healthy project. 
Most kids will eat sprouts they have grown themselves.

By now you're either feeling relief that it's not necessary
to fuss with growing sprouts for your healthy diet, or
you're inspired to begin your winter indoor garden!  Steve
Meyerowitz (aka, "Sproutman") is the expert I can recommend
to you, and you can visit his informative website at
www.Sproutman.com.  He has published several sprouting
guidebooks.  Another good resource is www.sproutpeople.com. 
Go to these sources to order seeds, and to learn sprouting
methods.  But beware that I do not necessarily endorse other
so-called health information that you may find at these
sites.

There are several good sprouting methods.  You can use large
wide-mouth canning jars with a mesh lid, special breathable
sprouting bags, bamboo baskets, or automatic sprouters.  The
basket method takes up the most space, but is perhaps the
best method for green leafy sprouts because it provides
maximum growth freedom (leafy sprouts get pretty cramped in
a jar or bag!).  Hanging bags are perfect for nuts and
seeds.  

If you are inspired to get serious about creating a kitchen
garden, I suggest you explore the internet sites for
information, and consider purchasing a book.  The basket
method is my favorite, and is described in great detail in
Steve Meyerowitz's book, Sprouts, The Miracle Food.  It
involves soaking the seeds overnight, then placing them
inside a plastic colander or a natural bamboo basket. 
Choose an unpealed fiber basket with 2" sides and holes big
enough to let air circulate, and small enough to prevent
little seeds from falling through.  An 8" diameter basket
will comfortably grow 5 TBS of alfalfa or clover seeds
(clover is a little spicier than alfalfa).  Sterilize new
baskets by boiling them in water for 3 minutes.

First, soak your seeds overnight in pure water.  Then, pour
the seeds into your sprout basket. Rinse them vigorously
with a sink sprayer (if you don't have one you can buy a
shower nozzle for your sink faucet).  Place the basket in a
greenhouse tent with lots of air space above the seeds (a
large sturdy clear plastic bag will do).  Rinse well with
the sprayer and good water pressure for 30 seconds, twice
daily.  Tilt the basket to drain it well.  Sprouts like
indirect light (not hot, direct sun), at least in the second
half of their growth time, and a temperature of about 75
degrees.  An east or north window sill is nice. Enjoy your
sprouts in 6 - 7 days!   Every now and then clean and
brighten your bamboo basket by soaking it for an hour or so
in a dilution of natural bleach and water.  Then rinse and
air dry.

Yoga is classically divided into eight aspects, or limbs,
which are interconnected and lead eventually to the highest
states of awareness.  The limbs become progressively more
internal.  The first two of these limbs of yoga are the
Yamas and the Niyamas.  The five Yamas are ethical precepts,
or universal principles of right living, to be practiced in
word, thought, and deed.  These include non-violence,
truthfulness, control of the senses, non-stealing, and
non-possession.  The five Niyamas are personal practices to
be observed, which will help one establish discipline in
one's life.  These include purity, contentment, austerity,
self-study (study of the sacred texts), and surrender to
God.

It is interesting to explore how these powerful
prescriptions for right living interface with the journey
into a raw lifestyle.  The study of the Yamas and Niyamas
can form a powerful and supportive foundation for your
transition to raw foods.  I plan to expand upon this in a
longer future article.  For now, I'd like to take just one
of these principles and show you how you can apply it in
your raw journey.

I have chosen the third one of the Niyamas, "tapas", which
translates to austerity, or discipline.  It's useful to
explore your relationship with the idea of discipline, and
to notice how it shows up in your life.  If you are like
most people, you probably tend to have a somewhat negative
association with discipline, as though it is something you
should or shouldn't do for some desired outcome.  So, you
set up rules for yourself to discipline your behavior, such
as going to sleep earlier so that you will not be so tired
in the day.

But there is another, more loving and positive way to view
discipline.  Discipline is simply remembering what you want
and acting accordingly.  Thus, if you've decided that what
you want is a healthier body, then when you are tempted by a
food that would be unhealthy, you think, "Is this what I
truly want?".  You remember that what you really want is a
healthy body, and in that moment of clarity you empower
yourself to exercise tapas, and to decline the unhealthy
food, knowing that you really do not want it.  This is
loving self care.

Maybe what you want is to release yourself from negative
thoughts and/or self-judgment.  So when you experience a
negative thought or judgment, you remember that you want to
release yourself from this kind of unhelpful thought
pattern.  Now, again, you can engage tapas, and know that
you are being kind to yourself by releasing the negative
thoughts.