To further consider what we refer to here and now as “poison,” think of the many products we encounter that contain refined sugars or synthetic sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup or aspartame.  These chronically damaging elements exist in products where we expect to find them as well as other, relatively benign sources.  If these sugars and sweeteners are to be found in nearly all of our foods, their dangers are compounded not just by what they do to our bodies but by the fact that their presence could mean the absence of other ingredients.  Using this logic is makes sense to then question if too much of anything will eventually be problematic, as it could replace the benefits or variation.  Could this even be true for superfoods?

Let us begin by noting that superfoods have been important elements to important societies throughout history. Never the less, these foods often attained their “super” status due to their extreme scarcity or the difficulty certain societies had in trying to obtaining them. The scarcity of the foods could be because they only came from far away regions or because they were only available during certain parts of the year. Perhaps these specific foods were brought in through trade with other clans and civilizations and were generally not readily available.  Historically, this was also common for most foods until fairly recently when globalization and agricultural advances began allowing for us to carry apples, bananas, and basically any other commodity in our local markets all year round. The fact that all-year availability of certain products is a new phenomenon suggests that we may be silencing the wisdom of nature for our own convenience. Maybe seasonally-constrained product availability is nature’s way of saying that too much of a good thing is not so good.

This article might seem paradoxical when considering that Darin’s Naturals is passionately dedicated to the discovery of superfoods and development of a conscious chain of production from plant to palate. This has been our objective since the inception of the company, yet emphasis on conscious production includes promoting consciousness on the part of the consumer as well. We aim to invite our readers to become more conscious of the magnificence of these great foods and what must go into your own choice to consume these foods in order to receive the most out of them. The evolution of the plant begins with the appreciation of its richness by the farmers and workers in its native regions. It is with consciousness and respect that the most powerful plant is cultivated and through which the body will reap the greatest benefit.

That said, we must refocus on the question at hand. Is too much of a good thing bad? I believe when superfoods or densely nutritious foods are consumed on a day-to-day basis for prolonged periods time, in very few and extreme cases it can overload the body much the same way any over-consumption can. Is this something we should be worried about? Most likely this is a minimal threat, yet there are many factors to consider. Human beings are omnivores so consuming certain foods while willingly omitting others because of their supposed superiority/inferiority is not something I would immediately accept into my personal practice. Meat-based eating vs vegetarianism is a continuing hot debate in the health world, especially because these two opposite practices have been accepted as the quintessential nourishing traditions by some groups. In my experience, however, these two groups of eaters are comprised of the most frail, health deprived individuals. It is my belief that this comes as a result of the dependency on a handful of products and the deliberate, voluntary rejection of others. To be candid, this is only truly made possible by the fact that globalization has granted unnatural access and means to consume the same limited choice of ingredients all year long.

Another point to consider is the ‘tolerance’ we build to certain compounds. The body has 3 basic routes of metabolic processing. Food is either used, stored, or eliminated. The body is essentially built with its own RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), since one person does not have the exact same requirements as another. This implicates that under various situations you can require more or less vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, zinc, etc. How does this relate to over-consumption of certain foods? Basically we do not want to cause a metabolic disturbance that affects how the body is reading and regulating nutrient intake. When we consume something frequently, however, the active non-essential compounds in these products can cause the body to build a tolerance, thus flooding the body with too much of the good stuff and way too much of the not-so-good stuff in that product.

Let’s consider the most widely consumed stimulant in the world, caffeine. Although I am not a big coffee drinker, I have seen my family’s coffee budget grow from year the year. Dad’s coffee intake would creep up from 2 cups a day to more than 8 cups and this intake growth is not uncommon for coffee drinkers. The idea here is not to pass judgment on coffee drinkers, but to make a point of how the body builds a tolerance to certain non-essential elements. Research shows that the same is true of compounds like flavanoids and polyphenols, which we have come to know as vegetarian sources of antioxidants. Keeping this in mind, it is evident that over-consumption could create some kind of metabolic disturbance. Thus far superfood over-consumption has not been properly analyzed to see if such a disturbance could occur and what side effects this would have.

I am by no means suggesting that you stop consuming superfoods! What I do wish for is that you, the consumer, are able to recognize that you are a conscious being that can take ownership over what you choose to consume and how much you choose to consume it. Some companies will almost convince you that it is possible to live on one or two specific products. Perhaps this would be true in a world where only two products were readily available, however, we live in a world of abundance with endless ways of finding the nutrients the body requires. Health and nutrition are part our personal journeys and what we offer here is merely one opinion of the many that exist. We believe that dedication to self-education is the best way of forming your own opinions and finding the information that rings most true for you!

It is through the mouth that we nourish and hydrate ourselves, as well as through which we are able to communicate with each other.  Keeping these functions in mind, this article will examine some ideas for proper mouth hygiene so that we all can have both the beautiful smile we hope for and the health benefits of a clean mouth.  If you have been reading our Darin’s Naturals blog articles, you are well aware that we favor simplicity and effectiveness.  The things that we recommend in our blogs are methods that we practice in our own lives and that we willingly share so that you may try them out for yourselves and draw your own conclusions.

Our first recommendation for a clean mouth references a topic we discuss constantly, microorganisms.  The teeth are the only non-shedding surfaces in the body and bacterial levels can reach more than 10¹¹ microorganisms per mg of dental plaque.  With this said, it is important to realize that microorganisms play a significant role in mouth health. Few people realize that tooth decay is largely due to the creation of certain acids generated by bacteria.  This is created through the conversion of food material stuck between the teeth after eating.  Often this problem escalates when one’s diet contains high volumes of sweets and simple carbohydrates.

In order to combat tooth decay, I recommend consuming foods rich in probiotics and prebiotics.  Our ancestors did not have the benefit of buying exotic foods from their farmer’s market.  Instead they ate a wide range of accessible, fiber-rich foods to serve as their probotics, as well as foods cultured serve as their probiotics.  For us, there are plenty of available, inexpensive choices, including kefirs, yogurts, kimchis, sauerkrauts, etc. Darin’s Naturals hopes to promote a proactive approach by our readers.  In other words, although you can buy these foods from a high quality, reliable source, we always recommend making foods like yogurt and kimchi for yourself.  “There is nothing like the real thing, baby,” and making your own whole foods is as real as it gets!

We are conscious that there are people who do not have the time to make their own prebiotic/probiotic concoctions, yet still seek good health.  Udo Erasmus has a line of products called Udo’s Choice and I have been consuming his essential oil blend for quite some time now and have nothing but praise for it.  I’ve become increasingly interested in one particular of his, the Super 5 Oral Lozenge, due to its peculiarity and wisdom.  I found this product to be so unique as it was the first I had encountered that could be sucked on and allowed to dissolve in the mouth for the purpose of introducing and subsequently promoting the colonization of friendly bacteria inside the mouth.

My second recommendation for mouth health is a high quality mouthwash.  One of my personal favorites, which I honestly credit with saving the integrity of my teeth and mouth, is Dr. Schulze’s Tooth and Gum Formula.  This can serve as your mouthwash at any given time of the day, preferably as you wake up and before you go to sleep.  This wonderful formula contains powerful herbal antiseptic and circulatory and immune stimulant, while also proving being very effective for pain-relief and breath freshening.  Tea tree oil, habanero pepper, Echinacea, and a wide range of other organic herbs are used in this formulation.  Generally I am quite hesitant when it comes to recommending products, but I am truly confident in the benefits of this mouthwash.

My third recommendation for proper mouth hygiene is to use a tongue cleaner.  This is another one of those easy to use, easy to clean, cheap yet effective products. It took me some convincing to begin using a tongue cleaner, since I believed that simply brushing your tongue worked just as well.  I am so grateful to have given this a chance and now I wouldn’t consider going back to basic tongue brushing.

Ancient Chinese and Indian cultures have practiced tongue cleansing for hundreds of years.  The Indians practiced it as a daily to remove toxins they called AMA.  Tongue cleansing devices are designed to clean the bacterial build-up, food debris, fungi, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue. The bacteria and fungi that grow on the tongue are related to many common oral care and general health problems.  Additionally, decaying bacteria produce volatile sulphur compounds on the rear of the tongue; these molecules account for 80 to 95 percent of all cases of halitosis (bad breath).

Arguments arise when considering which is the best type of tongue cleaners.  Some suggest using brushers, while others prefer scrapers.  Personally, I always recommend a stainless steel U-shaped cleaner.  Never the less, in some cases this can be too harsh on the tongues of certain people.  If this is the case for you, try other varieties as new cleaners appear on the market frequently.  Tongues, like any other part of the human anatomy, are unique to everybody, so what works for one person might not be helpful for another.  Be mindful of this and do not give up if your first purchase of a tongue-specific cleansing devise doesn’t work for you.

As surprising as it may seem, mouth care may be somewhat closely related to a person’s overall health.  Recent studies have found that there could be links between an unhealthy mouth and issues with heart, pancreatic, and fertility health.  Local osteoporosis has been identified as a result of periodontitis lesions exhibiting gingival inflammation, as well as destruction of the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. This leads to bone loss and apical migration of the junctional epithelium, resulting in the formation of periodontal pockets.

In recent articles, it has been proposed that periodontitis may affect the host’s susceptibility to systemic disease in three ways: by shared risk factors, by subgingival biofilms acting as reservoirs of gram-negative bacteria, and through the periodontium acting as a reservoir of inflammatory mediators. Subgingival biofilms constitute an enormous and continuing bacterial load. They present continually renewing reservoirs of LPS and other gram-negative bacteria with ready access to the periodontal tissues and the circulation. Systemic challenge with gram-negative bacteria or LPS induces major vascular responses, including an inflammatory cell infiltrate in the vessel walls, vascular smooth muscle proliferation, vascular fatty degeneration, and intravascular coagulation. LPS upregulates expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules and secretion of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and thromboxane, which results in platelet aggregation and adhesion, formation of lipid-laden foam cells, and deposits of cholesterol and cholesterol esters.

The proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, gamma interferon, and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) reach high tissue concentrations in periodontitis. The periodontium can therefore serve as a renewing reservoir for spillover of these mediators, which can enter the circulation and induce and perpetuate systemic effects. IL-1β favors coagulation and thrombosis and retards fibrinolysis. IL-1, TNF-α, and thromboxane can cause platelet aggregation and adhesion, formation of lipid-laden foam cells, and deposition of cholesterol. These same mediators emanating from the diseased periodontium may also account for preterm labor and low-birth-weight infants.

In this article we have addressed some, but not all of the potential systemic threats of poor mouth hygiene.  As with most of the body’s biochemistry, the process bridging poor mouth hygiene and potential systemic disease is extremely complex, involving genes, lifestyle, and other external and internal factors.  While it may be possible to live a long fruitful life of over 100 years without exhibiting proper mouth hygiene, it is not the norm, meaning that preventative care is extremely important.  A healthy mouth remains an integral part of an overall healthy body.

Thank you for reading about this often-forgotten topic.  We appreciate and delight in your thoughts and comments!

REFERENCE

1. Harold C. Slavkin, DDS; Bruce J. Baum, DMD, PhD I (2000). “Relationship of Dental and Oral Pathology to Systemic Illness”. JAMA -The Journal of the American Medical Association (284(10):1215-1217).^
2. Raul I. Garcia, Michelle M. Henshaw, Elizabeth A. KrallI (February 2001). “Relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health”. Periodontology 2000 25 (1): 21–36. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0757.2001.22250103.x.^ http://www.tau.ac.il/~melros/publications/current.html^ New Directions in Dentistry by Gordon Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD, ScD Dentistrytoday.com Issue Date: February 2002, Posted On: 8/26/2005   
3. Christensen GJ (August 2005). “Special oral hygiene and preventive care for special needs”. Journal of the American Dental Association 136 (8): 1141–3. PMID 1616137
4. Li X, Kolltveit KM, Tronstad L, Olsen I (October 2000). “Systemic diseases caused by oral infection”. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 13 (4): 547–58. PMC 88948. PMID 11023956.
5. Li X, Kolltveit KM, Tronstad L, Olsen I (October 2000). “Systemic diseases caused by oral infection”. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 13 (4): 547–58. PMC 88948. PMID 11023956.
6. Review of the Oral Disease-Systemic Disease Link. Part I: Heart Disease, Diabetes Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene, November–December 2006, 40(6):288-342
7. ORAL-SYSTEMIC HEALTH (YOUR ORAL HEALTH AND OVERALL HEALTH) American Dental Association – Oral Health Topics
8. PERIODONTITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS FACTA UNIVERSITATIS Series: Medicine and Biology Vol.12, No 2, 2005, pp. 100 – 103
9. Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease Division of Periodontology, Department of Dentistry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
10. Ensslen SC, Riedel HH, Bieniek KW, Hafner R (1990). “[Male subfertility and oral bacterial diseases]” (in German). Zentralblatt Für Gynäkologie 112 (13): 823–5. PMID 2238984.
11. K.J. Joshipura, E.B. Rimm, C.W. Douglass, D. Trichopoulos, A. Ascherio, W.C. Willett (September 1996). “Poor Oral Health and Coronary Heart Disease”. Journal of Dental Research 75 (9): 1631–1636.
12. V. Karhunen, H. Forss, S. Goebeler, H. Huhtala, E. Ilveskoski, O. Kajander, J. Mikkelsson, A. Penttilä, M. Perola, H. Ranta, J.H. Meurman, P.J. Karhunen (January 2006). “Radiographic Assessment of Dental Health in Middle-aged Men Following Sudden Cardiac Death”. Journal of Dental Research 85 (1): 89–93.
13. The Myth Behind Tongue Cleaning Healthy Forever: To Scrape Or Not To Scrape

When people learn that I work in this field they typically ask me the same round of questions.  “How do I get more energy?  How can I look younger?  How do I lose weight?”  I confess that I have fallen into the “know-it-all” category at times.  I recognize, however, that this is not the way to effectively communicate my ideas or to have a permanent effect on those with whom I share them with.  The “know-it-all” attitude is also not the proper approach when one aims to promote action and personal responsibility.  Considering all of this I have come to the realization that once again in order to keep interest in health alive one must consistently offer bold, fresh ideas and innovations, while also making sure they are simple, uncomplicated and easily accessible to the masses!

I previously wrote an article entitled “Back to Basics.”  One of the key points discussed in that article was the importance of detoxification, which is commonly thought of in terms of detoxification of individual organs, most commonly the lungs, liver, bowel, or kidneys. In my meditation on the current situation of health’s ever-growing complexity, I remember one of my mentors, Dr. Christopher, a fervent believer in the dissemination of simplistic, “back to the roots” health theory.  Along with many other traditional herbalists and holistic doctors, Dr. Christopher discussed treatment of the important and uniquely visible organ known as the skin.  The skin is our largest organ and serves as our direct interface to the outside world.  The skin accounts for roughly 12-15% of total body weight and covers an area of approximately 18-20 square feet.  The entire epidermis is replaced, on average, every 27 days.  The skin is responsible for protecting our internal organs, muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments from damaging exposure to the outside world.  Some of the other important actions of the skin include synthesis of vitamin D, protection of vitamin B folates, excessive water loss prevention, temperature regulation, lipid and water storage, detoxification, UV ray protection and insulation.

Most of us are very well aware of the importance of a healthy gut flora since we hear about it from various sources, including mainstream medical establishments.  When we consider friendly flora we usually think of the large and small intestines, which are the main focus of available health-industry products designed to promote colonization of these specific strands of flora in our bodies.  Unfortunately, hardly any companies in the industry consider the friendly bacteria in our skin, which includes an astonishing variety of 1000 species from 19 phyla, at an estimated count of 50 million individual microorganisms per square inch.  There is an entire ecosystem living on our own skin and it is the presence and actions of these bacteria that allow for the skin to provide its many benefits.  It is important to note that mucous membranes and epithelial tissue found throughout the orifices of the body are actually extensions of the skin and require their own friendly flora balance.

Given these quick facts, I would argue that we should consider keeping our skin as healthy and vibrant as we possibly can.  I do not recommend expensive cosmetics and creams or useless machines that simply give the illusion of healthy skin.  For the sake of our health and the ability to see health at work, let us consider a course of action to help this cause in favor of our skin.

Tips for Healthy Skin:

1.  We already discussed the importance of skin flora.  PH is critical to the livelihood of good flora and the alteration of the PH can affect the make-up of flora, enzymes, and other bioactive compounds.  It is important to balance the PH in our own skin, just like how we concern ourselves with the balance of our PH in our internal organs.  While there are mechanisms in place to auto-balance the PH of the skin, our environment often makes this more difficult.  Every day we are exposed to many new toxins, which creates not only a volume issue, but a differentiation issue as well.  For this reason, we should be proactive in tipping the balance towards health and using APPLE CIDER VINEGAR is my first recommendation for doing so.  This is something you can use 1-2 times per week on non-irritated skin with no sign of sun burn, abrasion, open cut, etc.  Preferably use the apple cider vinegar shortly after coming out of a swimming pool, sauna, or steam bath.  The practice of application requires the use of a small cotton towel dipped in water of lukewarm, hot, or cold temperature.  Have a mid-sized bowl previously prepared with water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.  Dip the cotton towel in the apple cider vinegar mixture and brush the towel across the entire body, repeating the process once more to be sure you have covered all of the skin.  Allow for this liquid mixture to sit on your skin for about 1 minute then remove it with the same strained cotton towel you used to put it on or with a clean towel.  I suggest using Braggs, a company which makes excellent apple cider vinegar and other high quality products. There are other decent brands to use, just make sure you can see the “mother,” a string-like substance floating around the apple cider vinegar.  The “mother” is a good indicator that the product is alive and has been processed properly.

2.  My second tip for a healthy skin is to use a loofah glove and sponge.  These are quite common and can be found in almost any supermarket or health food store for $5 – $10.  These sponges have become an integral part of my health practices, as they are powerful tools for keeping skin clean and vibrant.  The ritual for using these tools takes no more than 5 minutes daily and is typically performed shortly after waking up or shortly before going to bed since the process can revitalize you or relax you depending upon the time of the day.  Use the glove on dry skin by brushing in the direction of your hearth, meaning if you start from your legs or arms, go from down to up, as it is believed this best stimulates your lymph fluid.  This motion also goes against the androgenic hair, which helps remove dead cells, old body hair or any other lodged, useless debris, local or foreign.  Loofah gloves are just one option as you can also find other organic materials such as sisal.  If you are used to softer synthetic sponges, proceed slowly and cautiously since the loofah may irritate skin initially.  There is no need to worry as this is not harmful and making the transition will result in great benefits to both the skin and the lymph system.

3.  Salt scrubs are my third recommendation.  This can be as easy as purchasing decent quality salt granules, mixing them with water and oil, and scrubbing parts of the body with them.  This usually works extremely well on parts of the body that have thick skin, such as the elbows, knees, back, and feet.  This can be done once per week and is best to do just before applying your apple cider vinegar mixture. You may choose to purchase commercial brands or make your own blends at home.  The benefit of this procedure is the exfoliation of dead cells, toxins, and the skins own excretions and other debris.  Salt scrubs also tone the skin and allow for better blood and lymph flow in the top layers of the epidermis.

4. Hydrotherapy is another good practice to implement.  This is a powerful therapy that benefits the body in many ways beyond simply promoting skin health.  This form of therapy is commonly practiced outside of the United States, mainly in Europe.  There are expensive tools that can be purchased for hydrotherapy, however, I believe in keeping things as simple and affordable as possible.  One way to implement hydrotherapy is to heat the water in your shower to as hot as you can handle and let this water hit every part of your body continuously for 1-2 minutes. Next, turn the water to as cold as you can handle it for the same amount of time.  Alternate these steps 3 times, using both hot and cold water.  Finish with a cycle of hot water if you are about to relax and/or go to sleep.  Finish on a cycle of cold water to feel invigorated.

5. Infrared saunas are another great resource for keeping your skin healthy and beautiful.  The general idea is to sweat, which can also be achieved by steam baths or through exercise, of course.  Infrared saunas are a good alternative for those who can’t handle the extreme heat of orthodox saunas. The goal here is to either find a place that uses the far-infrared panels.  These panels stay cold while emitting infrared rays that will heat the body without heating the local air.  This is more of an optional, pampering alternative than my previous recommendations, yet it is still worth a try if you have the opportunity.

Above are my 5 recommendations for maintaining the health of our largest organ with easy-to-understand, back-to-basics simplicity.  I have found these methods helpful as part of my own regimen though as stated in the beginning of this article, when it comes to health it is best not to take anyone’s word for it, even if the word is coming from your herbalist!  Try out these methods a few times for yourself.  If they feel good on a physical and emotional level, keep practicing with consciousness and awareness.  If you have a negative reaction, be aware that sometimes there are adverse reactions when practicing new techniques while the body becomes adjusted to them.  Also consider that special care must be practiced when suffering from an ailment.  These recommendations are purposely simple and should not pose any harm on healthy individuals.  I hope you enjoy these practices and I thank you for reading!

References

“Skin care” (analysis), Health-Cares.net, 2007, webpage: HCcare

^ Dean W (August 1981). “Effect of sweating”. JAMA 246 (6): 623. doi:10.1001/jama.1981.03320060027013. PMID 7253113. – letter

^ Searle AJ (January 1982). “Effects of the sauna”. JAMA 247 (1): 28. doi:10.1001/jama.1982.03320260016012. PMID 7053434. – letter

In order to return for a second visit and continue treatment with the famous Dr. Richard Schulze you must buy yourself a juicer. At first one might consider this to be a strange requirement. Generally the only necessity before returning to visit your doctor is that you pay your bill! It must be clarified that Dr. Schulze is not your common doctor. He is an herbalist and natural healer of the highest order. Dr. Schulze understands that most of his visitors are there because they are desperate and have come to an alternative healer as a last resort. His patients are generally suffering severely, if not dying, from disease so the first step is to provide their bodies with the elemental nutrients to kick-start the healing process. Hippocrates, the ancient healer, said ¨All diseases begin in the stomach.¨ Wise healers of today interpret Hippocrates’ theory to mean that all disease forms as a result of malnutrition and toxic accumulation in the intestines, leading to a compromised digestive system.

Regardless of the food you choose, if your digestive system cannot properly digest and integrate the food into the systemic biological matrix there is little healing that can take place. Juicing has been proven as an efficient method to introduce nutrients and eliminate toxins. Juicing is also easy and great fun since once you get accustomed to it you can start creating your own blends. When it comes to specific juicers, there is usually debate as to the best brand and the best process used to extract the juice. For example, some juicers completely eliminate all fiber while others include it. I think for someone new to juicing, search for something that makes financial sense for you and that is readily available. Remember that you may have a wider selection of product option if you choose to purchase your juicer via Internet or catalog.

Unfortunately for me, I live in Argentina and can only get my hands on the Oster juicer. Still, this is better than nothing. The idea here is to get juicing, later on you can discuss with others if there is a better product option out there. If available to you, I personally recommend the Solojuice Extractor II. I used to use this extractor over at the Vitamin barn in Malibu and it was a beauty! We used to abuse the poor thing since we had well over 200 customers per day requiring shooters of wheatgrass and ginger. Naturally, it would break down from time to time and require a part to be changed. This product can juice basically any fruit or veggie, extracting up to the last drop without stressing the veggie or fruit through extreme heat or pressure. You can also find this product over at the web page given for the sprout people (www.sproutpeople.org) whom I also mentioned in the last article for their sprouting materials. You can find the Soulojuice Extracter II listed on this website under “Sprouting Supplies” by then clicking on “Juicers.” As a note of caution, if you consume very little fresh fruits and veggies, have digestive complications, are diabetic or suffer from any other glycemic abnormality, or simply are new to juicing, it is highly recommended that you start with small quantities or dilute your juice. This is especially important because most people tend to juice the sweetest fruits and veggies at first since they provide a familiar taste. Apples, beets, carrots, and other sweet fruits and veggies, though potent and extremely healing, lose their fiber when juiced, which effectively eliminates the natural buffer to slow down the glucose uptake, thus not spiking your insulin. When juiced the sugars are then concentrated, particularly the fructose which can be problematic for some people.  As a recommendation, start small, use mostly greens with a small amount of sweet veggies or fruits or dilute with clean water. Also, you can add a teaspoon or more of essential fatty acids (EFAs) to help slow down the intake of the glucose.

Now you can enjoy the power and potency of juice!

Stay tuned for the next indispensable kitchen utensil listed in next month’s issue…

Below Darin explains the significance of hydration and answers your questions:

Q – What is “hydration” and why is it important to health?

A – Hydration is a necessary process required by the body for proper cellular function.  With adequate hydration, the body thrives to transport communicate, deliver, detoxify, illuminate, and electrify.  Without water, life hardens and eventually dies.  With hydration we take on certain properties of the water itself.  We become fluid and flowing.  We are more receptive of change and can comfortably occupy a different space.

Q – How does hydration relate similarly to my personal health and to the planet?

A – All diseases are linked to hydration or lack there of.  Dehydration accelerates fatigue, disease, colds, viruses, flus, decreases detox, decrease vitality, increases inflammation and weight gain, and decreases hormonal balance.  We often attribute these symptoms to other deficiencies or dilemmas, however, even if dehydration is not entirely to blame for these problems, being sufficiently hydrated can help to repress their intensity, duration, or occurrence altogether.  A human being dies after only four days without water.  Living in dehydration is treading water, no pun intended.  Without proper hydration the body finds itself unable to live optimally regardless of any other health practices you might be following.

Q -  How does one improve hydration on a cellular level?  On a whole body level?  On a community level?  On a planet level?

A – Drinking enough clean water will impact the cells first, then the whole body, resulting in a healthier and happier person.  Someone who is strong from good hydration and awareness can and will naturally be attracted to making positive changes in their community and for the planet.  Hydration is essential to all people, regardless of their region, race, ethnicity, religion, or economic class.  If every person on Earth was willing and able to be properly hydrated, think of all that we could accomplish!

Q – Should I not drink water at restaurants because they may use tap or insufficient filtration systems?

A – We have to ask questions when our health and vitality is concerned.  I tend to remain cautious and do not drink water at restaurants.  Drinking water at home before going out to eat may be the best solution.  There are times when we have limited options, however, so being able to improvise is key.  You may choose to order bottled water at restaurants to avoid this problem.

Q – How do I know my water is clean?

A – This is a tough question, though I applaud your interest in educating yourself!  The best way to find out the quality of your water is obviously to test it.  Use a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter or a pH meter.  Ask questions.  Know that distilled water is neutral vacant water.  Technically you can buy distilled water in stores.  Add Himalayan crystal salt, Celtic salt, or sea salt to enrich your water source with essential trace minerals.

Q – What do you think about sea salt?  Is it a “miracle” ingredient as some claim it to be?

A – I do not discriminate amongst healthy clean unprocessed salts.  Himalayan, Celtic, and sea salts all provide essential ingredients.  Unrefined sea salts with 80 plus trace ingredients are certainly a great choice.  It is not always possible to trust the name “sea salt” since not all sources are clean.  I know that Selina Naturally is one good source that has performed adequate testing to ensure the quality of their product.

Q – I spend a lot of time in the ocean during the summer – swimming, surfing, etc.  -  does this affect how my body is hydrated?

A – Yes it does!  In terms of hydration and electromagnetic impact, the ocean is a powerful source for the body, pending its radioactive content.  My experience, like many surfers and sea swimmers, is that I do not need to drink as much water when in the ocean.

Q – How does swimming pool water affect hydration?

A – Unfortunately most pools contain chemicals that are harmful for our bodies.  Pools containing bromine may interfere with iodine, thyroid, and adrenal reception.  Chlorine, commonly found in  pools, affects brain.  By immersing oneself in these chemicals we force the liver to clean these added toxins.  Some people are able to keep a safe, chemical-free pool by using saline or salt water instead of the typical chlorinated cocktail.  Some people pump ozone into their pool which kills unwanted bacteria without harming humans.  Being chemical-free does not mean you have to give up your beloved water recreation and sports!

Don’t like the taste of water? Add an organic slice of lemon, or cucumber, both have an alkalizing effect! Try adding your favorite organic fruit. YUM!

Most slogans have a time and space to impact us, depending on a variety of factors affecting us at any one moment. Usually, however, these catch-phrases pass unperceived through our conscious thought and quickly find their way into our subconscious trash bin. “Make food, not war,”struck a cord with me, partly because it is continuously becoming more apparent that there is little interest in the kitchen. We have become distracted with our daily chores, some of us feeling like we do not have the calling for the kitchen and others simply do not care for it. The result of this estrangement is the near elimination of the kitchen altogether. Though some of us might find it unimportant, I believe the kitchen holds a magical power beyond practical influence on our daily lives. While generally we have come to think of the kitchen just as a room where food is prepared, most of us also have warm memories of the kitchen. Those memories hold a special meaning and have helped to define who we are. If one acknowledges not just the practical uses of the kitchen, but the spiritual moments within the kitchen, it is easy to determine that such a s space is extremely important within the home. Cooking itself has a life of its own. When diaspora brings ethnic groups to new countries or continents, it has been proven that while the language is the first to be lost, food is among the last elements of culture to disappear, if it ever does.

Once I was invited to have dinner at an Italian-American friend’s house. Typically I do not tolerate Italian food well; the starches make me sleepy and overall my body rejects what is served. Though reluctant at first, I agreed to attend. My friend’s father and mother were both fourth generation Italian-Americans, neither of whom spoke Italian. The members of the family long forgot many customs and were not particularly devout followers of the Catholic faith. Yet, to my surprise, I was greeted with an Italian feast! The food was superb and erased all of my assumptions about Italian food as being primarily a redundant simple carbohydrate free-for-all. I did not feel as if Iwas in a fourth generation Italian-American house, as the food seemed to transport us all back in time, especially me. The whole ambiance changed, the food was the nucleus of this gathering and the elements around this nucleus where also just as fascinating. The father took to the head of the table, followed by my friend, the eldest son, to this right, the youngest following him and the mother to the left, when she was not cooking or serving. The way the food was served seemed to have the gallantry and hand coordination of a symphony conductor. Though one was created to feed your ears and the other your stomach, both certainly held the power to feed the soul. Nobody was in a rush to devour the food, as dinner was treated as an experience, not just the consuming of a meal. One moment everyone was carrying on about their own hectic lives and the next everyone was eating in unison, discussing their days with a joke here and there. The father had decided to give me a culture class regarding the magnificence of Italian food. He began by instructing me on the proper pronunciation of the dishes before explaining how they should be prepared and how using fresh ingredients is of the utmost, critical importance. This was how I came to understand Italian food as an exquisite art form. Italians are passionate people. The cultural hand gesturing and patterns of speech are passed from Italian-born parent or grandparent to their children, then to their children’s children, and so forth. American-born generations of Italians carry their ancestor’s passion for all aspects of life, especially food. Through eating a traditional Italian meal, I came to truly understand the power of food and the more than important influence it holds within our social, cultural, and familial structure.
When I was young my my parents provided mostly fresh and homemade ingredients for food. As I grew older, however, my parents worked long hours to raise their four children and we often resorted to fast food as a faster, easier, and more economical choice. Often my siblings and I were received dollars to buy 2 “Whoppers.” To our pre-teen eyes, the Whopper looked like a mountain of a hamburger and we were drawn to the taste and the seductive television commercials that aired during all of our favorite shows. We fell for the propagandist ads and, of course, the collectible toys you could get when you purchased a combo meal.

While eating fast food kept us fed, it did not keep us healthy. My family experienced illness more and more frequently, and although my parents assumed being sick was part of being young and interacting with other kids, our diet would soon come into question. It wasn’t until one Sunday when a small-framed individual walked to the front podium at our church that the answer was made clear. “Don’t you know God does not want you to be sick? You ask for miracles, but then stuff your face with crap, so naturally you are going to feel like crap!” I was very young but even as a kid those words made complete sense. My mother was quick to approach this man whom we learned was named Garavito. She asked for him to come to our home and give us a consultation. He agreed and the first thing Garavito did was head to our kitchen and began tossing things out. I remember the cereal boxes were the first thing to go because, at the time, Frosted Flakes had been my favorite breakfast. He went on until about 80% of our “food” stock was reduced, and though my entire family was somewhat shocked, we simply stood in silent disbelief.
Later in life, as I studied under David Christopher, the son of the famous herbalist Dr. John Christopher, he told us a story of his father. Once he was requested to visit a family which lived deep in the back country, hours away from the nearest town. The family suffered from poor health and given that they were unable to keep up with the farm work in their poor condition, the burden which began as physical was now economical as well. Dr. Christopher made his way to their house to evaluate the situation. He was shocked to discover that despite the fact that he was on a farm, the kitchen was stocked with non-fresh foods. Though Dr. Christopher explained the situation as best he could, the farmer was reluctant to accept diet as a major factor of his ill health. After all, what difference does it make if the corn is fresh or canned? Finally, in a moment of inspiration, Dr. Christopher took a can of food in his hand and looked out the window at a bunch of cows grazing. He asked the farmer how important the cows were to him and his family economy. Needless to say, they were vital and as he looked at these cows mow down the green grass of the prairies he proposed something to the farmer. Dr. Christopher asked for him to eat the grass for 1 week, to which the farmer simply laughed. Additionally, the proposition included that as he and his family ate the grass, they in contrast feed the cows the canned food he and his family typically ate three times per day, every day. The farmer’s facial expression changed and shouted “ ARE YOU CRAZY, IT WILL KILL THEM!” The Dr. looked at him smiling and the farmer understood his earlier point. As my family and I looked at how our kitchen stock was being tossed out. I felt kind of like this farmer, in total disbelief that my favorite ¨food¨ was being scrutinized.

What all these stories have in common is the disassociation all of these characters had with the kitchen. The case of my Italian-American friends was much different in comparison to the farmer’s family and my own. Their constant connection to the kitchen maintained part of their heritage and added a down-shift to their accelerated lifestyles. As Michael Polland explains in his lectures and quite often points out in his book, food and the relationship we have with food presently is being guided by the elites. The elites are the scientists, the FDA, and nutritional gurus who decide what is good for you and then, as an omnipotent dictator, bring down the laws by which all society must abide or else, they say, you are at risk of being malnourished. Culture, however, has guided humans throughout history, before we even knew a vitamin existed or what a makes something a carbohydrate. Culture has always existed and I make strong argument that it should be an important guide in the increasingly complex nutritional landscape. This is where the kitchen can help us reconnect with our roots. I find it intriguing how once you decide to surrender to the experience of cooking, be it for pure need, curiosity, or something else, you tend to gravitate inadvertently, yet almost certainly, to the foods that have been handed down your family lineage for generations. Even Dr. D´adamo tracked down and tested according to your blood type which foods your body recognize as suitable for your specific biochemistry and assimilate better than other foods. These foods would be whatever your ancestors ate in the all the regions of the world they inhabited. This could be a reason why we tend to lean towards what could be considered “comfort foods.”
From a more biochemical perspective, cooking or preparing your own foods assists you in taking full control of your life, after all ¨we are what we eat¨ says the old adage. If we really knew how most of the food we eat was grown, handled, and treated most of us would think twice before eating it. Preparing your own food is the best way to eliminate the middle men who pretend to know what is better for us. When you start doing so, you will find that you reconnect with your body and you begin to understand your body´s needs to custom tailor a proper diet to fit.
Food preparation provides us with the creative tool with which to generate a masterpiece, even if the masterpieces is just a salad. After all, salads are to be ingested by you, so it´s worthwhile to put some love and imagination forth during preparation. Besides the many factors as to why our ancestors and still many people around the world don´t suffer from the chronic obesity epidemic, have you thought of the physical energy that goes into cooking? Food preparation burns plenty of calories. Have you ever tried making a cake by hand? My arm was sore for about two days afterward! There is no doubt that if we implemented preparing our own foods you would burn as many, if not more, calories during the preparation than what we consume, depending on what we eat, of course.
So there are many reasons why food preparation plays a key role in your health. Heribert Watzke talks about the brain in your gut and details how our prehistoric ancestors had to forage for food, many times on the run and not necessarily because they were late picking the kids from soccer practice. Food was scarce so they had to do with whatever they could find. This included foods which, by today’s standards, most of us would not even touch. At the time their digestive system had to be adapted to that unique food landscape. Their stomachs where larger in order to properly digest the rustic foods they encountered. As humans evolved a farming and husbandry system, their digestive systems adapted to not just the foods they domesticated but the ways it was prepared. During their preparation phases, foods usually high in lectins, phytic acid, oxalic acids etc, were transformed to be rendered more easily digestible. Thus the digestive system of our ancient forefathers was reduced in size and became more efficient as a result. Mr. Watzke has transformed an old Latin proverb to say ¨cocos ergo sum¨ which translates to ¨I cook therefore I am.¨

I am certain that nobody will be running to their kitchens ecstatic to start preparing food on solely the basis of reading this article. Most of us have a distant relationship with our kitchens and like with most damaged relationships, healing takes time. Healing also requires a good reason to do it. As humans, we act on the basis of a set of values and what those values permit us to do depends on if we consider something to be important or not. This is the premise by which I would like for each person reading this article to take a moment to consider the following points:

1. Food security – When you delegate food growth, production, and preparation to industries, you will generally find that their greatest interest lay in profit margins. This often results in culture, the environment, and ultimately our health being compromised.
2. Food transparency - When you take the time to purchase, stock, and prepare the foods you and your family consume, you are far more in control of exactly what goes into your mouth (and ultimately your cells). This is something which does not hold true when you purchase pre-made or take out food.

1. Food safety – Once food preparation takes a prominent place on your value list, you will find that the ingredients in your kitchen must be scrutinized. You will begin to realize that not all products are created equally. Quality will promptly be of high regard to you, as such, you will begin to look for the best possible products available within your individual possibilities. The food safety aspects take effect when you consider the options and wisely select locally-grown, seasonal, environmentally-friendly products as a result.
2. Health – The above three points eventually lead to one of the main reasons why over time we have come to consume certain foods and the reason why whole careers such as “nutritionist” have been developed. This reason is that foods are our medicine and healthy foods translate to a healthy individual. The reason I mention this as being one of the possible main reasons, rather than the main reason is because food and food preparation have not always been solely for health reason. Food as health is a more or less new western view of food. In many parts of the world, leisure, fraternizing, negotiating, romance, communion, devotion, even settling disputes are among the various other worthwhile reasons why people prepared and ate the fruits of their labor. Traditionally the emotions that went in to the handling, preparing, and eating of food were also important, often relating to feelings of respect, grace, and love. This influenced the writing of whole food laws which are still practiced in the Islamic and Jewish laws of Halal and Kashrut. It should be noted that when we are driven by proper reasons and with the proper emotion, health is often an imminent result.I make a stand for making food an important part of our daily lives. It all boils down to what we consider important. Our forks are, in truth, the most important tools in helping to shape our mental and geographical landscape. It is in the interest of ourselves that we eat, not in the interest of food manufacturers. The energy we invest in choosing and preparing our food can change our internal and external landscapes. It is your choice to choose wisely!

The idea of friends actually being a positive contribution to health and well being was presented to me via the TED talk presented by Dan Buettner. Buettner is a multi-talented man who traveled the world searching for the common denominators in health promotion.  He traveled to regions in the world he calls ¨blue zones¨ where health, vitality, and longevity, are words which don´t seem to cause awe among society, because they are not the exception, but quite often the norm.  Buettner traveled through about five of these “blue zones” and noted these regions of the world had no similarities to each other in terms of climate, habitat, or environment. In fact, these locations were completely different. Some “blue zones” were in relatively decentralized regions or what most of us would erroneously understand and classify as primitive, mainly because the people do not own Ipads.  Though oddly enough, not all of them were stranded in a time capsule. Some of these ¨blue zones¨ were actually in urban areas in well-populated regions of the world.  Not all healthy societies appear to live in the backwoods. This is intriguing since so often we are nostalgically presented with the idea of communities living in Caucasus mountains, herding goats and sheep, living on raw milk, cheese and yogurt.  Some relatively rural groups do still boast great health, so there is much we can learn from them also.  Still, there is no debate that convincing an American pre-teen to adopt a rural shepherd’s lifestyle would be tricky.

Dan Buettner was able to find several common denominators among the healthy groups in rural and urban spaces. Oddly enough, the one which seemed to make the most sense as to why these communities where able to live to age 100+ and still be functional, physically and mentally, was the social structure. Patterns appear in how these societies organize themselves and how they treated their neighbors, children, elderly and, most importantly, themselves.  Yes, they all ate much better than we do, they were involved in constant physical activity by default, and they had little to no stress. Clearly all of the typical denominators an ¨expert¨ would be quick to point out as the reasons why they live as long and vigorously as they do are also at play.

They all seem to share a fraternizing bond with other members of their communities. In some societies there are even words to define a friendship bond shared among a group. In Okinawa, Japan this word is moai. In reality a moai is not a social friendship group, but rather a cooperative where individuals share a common objective and each member assists each other in achieving this.  We can understand the logic in this, but the moai and what it represents is a world apart, literally and figuratively, of what we can comprehend it to be.  These moai´s quite often are groups of individuals who bond with each other from childhood or adolescence and they maintain this bond, this friendship, for the rest of their lives.  They not only help each other achieve their goals, but are there for them in every aspect, supporting one another emotionally and spiritually, giving meaning to each other’s lives.

Those who have close friends whom they have come to consider as family can understand the degree of importance they have in one’s overall well-being.  They posses a special place in our lives and we share aspects of ourselves with them which we do not share with anyone else. There exists a chemistry which is not physical and yet it is just as important as the way our biochemistry has an affinity for certain foods. We create a different kind of biochemical bond with these foods because they nourish us, similar to how our friends also nourish us.

Now comes the science! I mentioned earlier that independent studies have been carried out to determine the effects of loneliness. Personally I wonder if it is absurd we would have to test and analyze the effects that friends have on us. Yet, I believe it is interesting to have a scientific perspective to validate the effects friends have on our well-being and also to develop a good excuse to make time for our friends.  In any event,

“Social disconnectedness is associated with worse physical health, regardless of whether it prompts feelings of loneliness or a perceived lack of social support,” said study co-author Linda Waite, the Lucy Flower Professor in Sociology at the University of Chicago and a leading expert on aging.

Among the study’s findings:

• The most socially connected older adults are three times as likely to report very good or excellent health compared to those who are least connected, regardless of whether they feel isolated.

• Older adults who feel least isolated are five times as likely to report very good or excellent health as those who feel most isolated, regardless of their actual level of social connectedness.

• Social disconnectedness is not related to mental health unless it brings feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The above cited studies which were done at the University of Chicago, in Illinois, on study participants over the age of 65. Much the same way as when we get older we start feeling all the physical effects of wear and tear from our younger years, this also holds true for our mental and emotional health. In other words, we “reap what we sow.” If we have sowed good friends all along our lives we are likely to reap the benefits of these relationships in our later days.

In a symposium termed “Social Emotion and the Brain,” MRI´s were used to study the connection between perceived social isolation and brain activity.  The research highlighted a response in one part, the ventrum striatum, of the brain which is associated with the reward system and is critical for learning. This was much more active in individuals who did not feel lonely.  The temporoparietal junction—a region associated with taking the perspective of another person—was much less activated among lonely, rather than in the non-lonely participants, when viewing pictures of people in unpleasant settings.  Furthermore, the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center published a study in the February issue of “Archives for General Psychiatry” stating that individuals who are or feel lonely are twice as likely to develop the type of dementia linked to Alzheimer´s.

So why is all this important for most Americans? A study carried out and documented in the 2006 issue of American Sociological Review states that Americans have been losing the quantity and quality of friends since 1985.  Research reveals that 25% of the population have no one to confide in and the number of friends people report to have has shrunk from four to two since 1985.  Science still does not understand to the full extent how friends benefit all aspects of health. Theories have been created to explain this, however, I believe as long as science continues to reduce this study to parts of a whole it will not be able to move beyond speculative theories.  Much the same way we still are light years away from understanding nutrition, health, and food, due to the current reductive practices which do not consider the holistic aspects of food, including how it is grown, handled, transported, prepared, and consumed.

I believe friends are superfoods for our hearts and souls. They are the immune system boost which keeps us going, even when we feel like giving up. They are the best psychologists and when they do not have the proper words to lift you up, they are simply there, and that counts just as much.  In the age of progress, technological advancement, and capitalism, re-humanizing ourselves and taking more time to appreciate that which makes us human should be just as important as making time for cooking, sleeping, or exercising. We can dispute the benefits of certain foods whether they where consumed by proto-humans or not.  We can debate on reverse osmosis or distilled water and question which was drank by a human being 10,000 years ago, yet nobody can debate the existence of friendship throughout history. I leave you with some food for thought from a beautiful song, Ta Moko, from the album 1 Giant Leap:

Ta Moko, One Giant Leap lyric

¨ Some people went around interviewing dying patients,
But not one person said they regretted not making more money or working harder,
They all seemed to say their regrets were not spending more time with the people they loved and not traveling more and relating more to the world and the planet.¨

Resources

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090215151800.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318113616.htm

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/jocn.2009.21007

http://pps.sagepub.com/content/4/1/10

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070206095635.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-06-22-friendship_x.htm

http://www.asanet.org/journals/asr/index.cfm

Friendship, social support, and health. 2007 Sias, Patricia M; Bartoo, Heidi. In L’Abate, Luciano (Ed). (2007). Low-cost approaches to promote physical and mental health: Theory, research, and practice. (pp. 455–472). xxii, 526 pp. New York, NY, US: Springer Science + Business Media.

Philippines quickly became a place where we saw much and learned a great deal, yet the significant discovery of the trip would be a three hour flight away. After leaving Philippines, we arrived in the beautiful mystical island of Bali, Indonesia. No member of our team was eager to jump on another plane after the initial long trip across the Pacific Ocean, yet we were all exited at the prospect of what Indonesia might hold. Our contact with our Indonesian friends was quite unusual and a last minute arrangement. Arriving on the island, we were surrounded by a thick air of devotion. As those who have visited this part of the world already know, Balinese people live for ceremonies and this significant part of the culture as well as other aspects of daily life were described to us by our local friend.  We were picked up at the airport at night, still a bit jet lagged, and uncomfortable from the constant movement and lack of rest.  Never-the-less, we were in Bali and we were there to make the most out of it! We were energized by the anticipation of what we might discover and learn in this truly unique location.  At this time all of us where suffering from AC syndrome, which is what happens when one is in a tropical country with 90 plus degree weather and 90% humidity outdoors, yet any car, store, or hotel you enter has the AC turned to the maximum, creating a difference in temperature of about 20 degrees.  This was true in Philippines, as is the norm in many tropical places, and Indonesia was no exception. The temperature extremes resulted in plenty of coughing and stuffed noses, but not enough to drive us off schedule.

The first place we visited was the Cacao fermentation, drying, and storing facilities of our contact.  It was , paradise in every sense of the word. As we were close to arriving at the facility, we could see the beach a couple hundred meters away from the road and Darin was quick to ask “Do they have stand up paddling here?”  We arrived to a group of people greeting us. This contact is sure to treat all employees very well and that positivity shined out from everyone we met, leaving quite an impression on me. A young woman, not older than 30, and a couple males of similar age came close to the vehicles to greet us with the already familiar, “Salamat.” Ben, our contact, and the employees at the cacao facility clearly had more of the relationship of family to one another than simply a boss-employee relationship and we were greeted with similar care as family or friend.

Ben gave an impeccable explanation of all the processes that go on at the facility. One might assume there is not much to it; receive product, sort, ferment, dry, package and store it. In reality there are literally dozens of micro-decisions which must be made and dozens of factors which can alter the processes towards a successful, high-quality end product or a spoiled one.  Ben explained with detail, while Darin and Seth took turns asking questions and we sure had lots of them! The more we asked, the more we learned. The more we realized the various layers of complexity surrounding cacao, the more we came to admire it.  We were each provided with a motorcycle, which was more like a scooter, and we headed up the road to visit a close by cacao plantation.

Once we arrived, Seth smirked and said “We should make a video solely on cacao, since it seems we encounter it wherever we go!¨ These simple words stuck in my mind.  He was right, cacao seems to have taken over any region where it can be cultivated, not to mention it has taken over the palates of billions of people around the world. One funny aspect of life I observe where I live in Argentina is that people often complain about the rise of cost of everything, yet nobody dares to utter a sound against the rise in the price of chocolate.  Such is the impact chocolate has on society, exponentially augmented by studies carried out around the world on its health benefits. In reality it is cacao, not chocolate, which lays claim to those positive effects on health. In fairness to chocolate it depends on the way it is made and the raw materials utilized in its creation which determines the health effects of the product.

Cacao is important not only due to the frequency it can be encountered around the world or its general health benefits, but because of the mystical and historical value of the crop. That is why this article is titled “On the Cacao Trail.” I would like to share some information on the history of cacao, which makes it an even more fascinating superfood, especially for all of you cocoa-holics.

There is still much debate as to whether, cacao, as we know it today, originated in southern Mexico-Central America and made its way down to the Amazon basin or if it traveled in the opposite direction.  In any event, it was the city-state ruled by the civilization we know as the Olmec, which dates back to around 900BC, who started using the product in food and trade and possibly were the first to cultivate it. Even more ancient, there are some documented uses of cacao stretching back a few hundred years before the Olmec empire developed.  Later on, cacao was adopted by the emerging civilizations of the Mayans, Zapotecs, Toltecs, Mixtecs, Totonacs and every other group extending from Meso-America down to the Orinico River and possibly even further down.

Cacao was used primarily as a food, but also as currency and medicine. The leaves were smoked and the white pulp surrounding the bean was used to make an alcoholic beverage.  Allegory tells the story of the plumed serpent God Quetzalcoatl, who decided one day to give wisdom to human beings, by providing them with the food of the Gods known as Cacahuatl (Bitter water).  As a result, he was banned from his land by the God Xpoc for introducing the sacred food of the Gods to men.  We can take this at face value and consider it a fun myth and nothing more, yet recent research has elucidated to the compounds found in cacao which benefit cognitive and emotional well being.  These particular benefits among the many others that Cacao offers to those who consume it and are responsible for why the name “food of the gods” goes beyond your typical botanist’s desire to name their research flora so extravagantly.

The Mayans even had their own deity who governed over kawkaw, as they called it.  His name is Ek Chuah and like the Aztecs,kawkaw was said to be a gift to humanity from the plumed serpent God Kukulkan when it was discovered by the Gods in a mountain along with other foods, worthy for the Mayans to consume. Nearly every household had a cacao tree growing in the back yard, as the fruit had a place in their daily lives as well as in their ceremonial lives.

When Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez arrived in Mexico around 1519 he was somewhat familiar with the exotic fruit, as his sailor had come across large canoes in the Caribbean which transported cacao pods and other goods.  Upon arriving at the city of Tenochtitlan, he was received as what most believed was the reincarnation and return of their adored god, Quetzalcoatl, by which reason he was offered the same beverage which he brought to mankind, resulting in his expulsion.  This drink was Xcolatl, from where many believe the word “chocolate” is derived. While Cortez was more interested in other sources of wealth, he soon realized the benefits of Xcolatl.  He wrote back to the King of Spain, Charles V describing how drinking a cup of the beverage would give enough energy to his soldiers for them to work all day. So strong was the response and appreciation for the new drink that the Spanish consumed it constantly and it was renowned for it´s aphrodisiac, regenerative, and energetic benefits.  Hernan Cortez urged for European doctors not to come to Mexico since they believed the traditional medicine of the indigenous nations of the Americas to be at par or superior to European treatments.

Another aspect which is of extreme interest to the scientific community is the drink itself, as cacao was rarely consumed alone, it was always blended into foods and, of course, the drink Xcolatl.  There is more to it than simple culinary expression. It is understood that the PEA (Phenylethylamine), one of the many compounds found in cacao which is being revered and exalted by cacao enthusiasts is denatured in the gut by MAO enzymes, meaning the amount that gets into one’s system is minimal and no real effect occurs. The ancients were quite wise, however. They might not have been educated in biochemistry, but they knew of the alchemy that occurred when foods are blended. The blends they used to make Xcolatl as well as other foods and drinks is still found in mainstream dishes, though usually not prepared by the pre-hispanic methods. Of central importance is the compounds found in these other elements which were blended with cacao.  When analyzed they were found to have the MAO-inhibitors required to allow for the proper concentration and uptake of the PEA in to the body, thus allowing for its proper function once consumed.

The beverage gained popularity in Spain where nobles were exclusively consuming the newly discovered beverage, until smuggling and interception of Spanish ships by other European nations brought the knowledge of the cacao bean to these other nations. The cacao beverage began to be consumed in mass, creating a high demand, resulting in these countries growing the tree in their colonies to secure provisions.  This is the reason why the former Portuguese, British, and Dutch colonies we know to be Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia, and the Ivory Coast are among the primary bean producers in the world. At the time cacao was first being cultivated in these colonies, the cacao beverage was still not being consumed in mass by commoners in Spain.  From there it made a quick ascend to prominence and here we are today, enjoying all of the wonderful and some not so wonderful benefits of cacao and its byproducts. Our friend and colleague, Dr. Bernd Neugebauer, told us of a cacao tree he found in the Soconusco region in southern Mexico which probably dates back to pre-hispanic times and it is still giving fruit!

This trip defined our experience with cacao so far and without a doubt many more stories will follow. Whichever tropical region we explore where there is a wide range of biodiversity, we will most likely find cacao again.  Cacao has become and will continue to be our silent partner around the world as we continue on and find the most amazing, healing, and holistic gifts from nature to share with all of you, our friends.  Blessings.

References

• Beneficial effects of Cocoa in Perivascular Mato Cells of cerebral arterioles in SHR-SP (Izm) Rats. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, vol. 44, p. 142-150, 2009 by T. Mato, M. Kamei, R. Ito, M. Sawano, K. Inokuchi, K. Nakata, A. Yamagushi, T. Kouki, U. Mitsuhashi and M. Mato. [PDF: 1288KB] posted May 4 2009

• Effects of long-term administration of a cocoa polyphenolilc extract (Acticoa powder) on cognitive performances in aged rats. British journal of Nutrition, vol. 100, p.94-101, 2008. by J-F. Bisson, A. Nejdi, P. Rozan, S. Hidalgo, R. Lalonde, and M. Messaoudi. [PDF: 142 KB] posted August 1 2008

• Preventive antioxidant effects of cocoa polyphenolic extract on free radical production and cognitive performances after heat exposure in wistar rats. Journal of food science, vol. 72, p. S203-S206, 2007. by P. Rozan, S. Hidalgo, A. Nejdi, J.F. Bisson, R. Lalonde, and M. Messaoudi. [PDF: 105 KB] posted July 3 2007

• Cacao extracts suppress tryptophan degradation of mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 122, p. 261-267, 2009 by M. Jenny, E. Santer, A. Klein, M. Ledochowski, H. Schennach, F. Ueberall and D. Fuchs. posted May 4 2009

• The medicinal use of chocolate in early North America. Mol. Nutr. Food Res., vol. 52, 13 pp., 2008 by D. Pucciarelli and L. Grivette [PDF: 398] posted September 29 2008

• Repression of cacitonin gene-related peptide expression in trigerminal neurons by a Theobroma cacao extract. Journal of Ethnopharamcology, vol. 115, p. 238-248, 2008 by M.J. Abbey, V.V. Patil, C.V. Vause, P.L. Durham [PDF: 116 KB] posted February 1 2008

• Effect of dark chocolate on plasma epicatechin levels DNA resistance to oxidative stress and total antioxidant activity in healthy subjects. British Journal of Nutrition doi: 10.1017/S0007114509992698, 2009 by A. Spadafranca, C. Martinez Conesa, S. Sirini, G. Testolin. [PDF: 112KB] posted March 1, 2010

• Neuroprotective effect of cocoa flavonoids on in vitro oxidative stress. European Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 48, p. 54-61, 2009 by E. Ramiro-Puig, G. Casadesus, H. Lee, A. McShea, G. Perry, F.J. Perez-Cano, M.A. Smith and M. Castell. [PDF: 340KB] posted February 25 2009

• Brain blood flow and velocity : correlations between magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial doppler. J. Ultrasound Med., vol. 29, p. 1017-1022, 2010 by F. Sorond, N.K. Hollenberg, L.P. Panych, and N.D.L. Fisher. [PDF: 310KB]  posted August 9, 2010

• Theobroma cacao L., the Food of the Gods: A scientific approach beyond myths and claims. Pharmacological Research, vol. 61 (1), pp. 5-13, 2010 by M. Rusconi, A. Conti [PDF: 200KB] posted February 16, 2009

• Flavonoids and brain health: Multiple effects underpinned by common mechanisms. Genes and Nutrition, vol. 4, p. 243-250, 2009 by J.P.E. Spencer [PDF: 574KB] posted February 16, 2010
• http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+64-04-0
• New Chemical Analyses Take Confirmation Back 500 Years and Reveal that the Impetus for Cacao Cultivation was an Alcoholic Beverage”. Penn Museum. Archived from the original on 2007-12-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20071202095415/http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/news/fullrelease.php?which=306. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
• “Chocolate: A Mesoamerican Luxury 250-900 C.E. (A.D.) – Obtaining Cacao”. Field Museum. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/Chocolate/history_mesoamerican3.html. Retrieved 2 June 2008.