Ultra Simple Diet

[mcb]

I have wondered about maximizing bioavailability in food.

I don't know enough about our chemistry but understand we can only absorb so much nutrients and anything beyond that point of maximum absorption is excreted. So even though the food has more available nutrients, at what point is it, er, pointless?
...

That is my guess -- that whether you chop the broth vegetables finely or coarsely, there will be a surplus of nutrients. If the broth made from coarsely chopped vegetables tasted weaker then I would suspect that it made a difference, but I didn't notice anything like that. It tasted quite good either way.

 

[Nienna]

I have wondered about maximizing bioavailability in food.

I don't know enough about our chemistry but understand we can only absorb so much nutrients and anything beyond that point of maximum absorption is excreted. So even though the food has more available nutrients, at what point is it, er, pointless?

Of course, in this era of vegetables having significantly less nutrition than they had a few decades ago (unless we eat heritage or heirloom varieties), the more we can get out of them the better.

Gonzo

I think that some of the significantly less nutrition in vegetables is also because of soil. The nutrients have been sucked out of it without putting them back in with compost. Most chemical fertilizers are what is used in commercial farming and they don't have what the soil needs. So buying from organic farmers whenever possible is a big plus.

 

[Laura]

The advertising on juicers is to sell juicers. Chemically, it is better to eat your vegetables gently cooked.

 

[Gonzo]

Yes, Nienna, you are correct. Thanks for bringing that up.

Intensive farming and chemical ferts have certainly harmed the soil and affected nutritional uptake in plants.

The microorganisms in soil that help oxygenate the root systems are vital to nutrient uptake also. Poor soil means poor microorganisms and chemical fertilizers or the overuse of unbalanced fertilizer certainly affects both microorganisms and uptake.

And then we throw GMO into the mix, with high chemical fertilizer needs.

I wouldn't be surprised if we soon see genetic mutations in the few soil organisms that survive.

Scary.

Thanks,

Gonzo

 

[Thor]

The advertising on juicers is to sell juicers. Chemically, it is better to eat your vegetables gently cooked.

Very valid point :)

Also, that's good to know - particularly, since the VitaMix blender is around $ 1000 in Denmark which can be better spent on a FIR blanket!

 

[SolarMother]

I drink raw goat's milk now and then...I cannot find anything on the forum specifically about why this would be harmful ( and cannot go thru this entire thread) though I understand there is to be NO dairy allowed in ultra simple diet detox or after!
Isn't this a generality and can it be possible that for some, raw goat milk is highly beneficial, depending on one's genotype/body chemistry? This is what I have learned from a certified nutritionist who really seems to know her stuff and looks at each person in great detail as a unique individual. I do not get congested or inflamed when I drink it, and since I don't always have it, I don't think I am addicted.
At this time, due to circumstances, not able to start the diet plan but want to in near future (one thing needed is a bigger freezer/fridge!) Ours is miniscule.
thank you.

 

[Laura]

Try NO dairy of ANY kind for a period of time and then test it; I think you may be surprised. We went through all the stages of thinking we could get away with this or that, raw milk, goat milk, sheep's milk; all had the same effect: inflammatory. Casein is casein is casein. It binds to the opiate receptors and other evil things.

 

[Gonzo]

I still get the odd craving for cheese and before I started the diet, I had already moved over to occasional bits of goat or sheep cheese. But I haven't been on the diet long enough to dare mess things up.
So, I remind myself when cravings for a nice piece of herb crusted goat cheese on a buckwheat cracker that I am neither a baby nor a goat. Although goat milk is a lot closer to human milk than cow's milk, I have been able to convince myself that it just isn't natural for an adult to consume food intended specifically for babies.

We know that human's eventually lose their ability to adequately digest human milk as we grow, so there is a biological message that milk is not for adults.

Of course, I had to fight years of programming and question every preconception I had about dairy before I could make room in my mind to accommodate the new belief, and I still have moments where my logic fails me, but I know there is no biological requirement to consume that wonderful goat cheese I crave and hope to soon feel consuming animal dairy is even more bizarre that wanting to consume human dairy.

Gonzo

 

[Gaby]

I drink raw goat's milk now and then...I cannot find anything on the forum specifically about why this would be harmful ( and cannot go thru this entire thread) though I understand there is to be NO dairy allowed in ultra simple diet detox or after!

You can find information here:

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=650.msg157472#msg157472
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=16178.msg138213#msg138213
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=15644.msg142087#msg142087
http://www.health-matrix.net/2010/06/05/why-milk-is-so-evil/

Casein not only has opioid activity, it also inhibits the excretion of heavy metals like mercury. On the other hand, mercury contributes to the production of opioids from casein in milk.

It is really bad. You'll feel much better without it, and if you are having mood problems, you would benefit even more.

 

[RedFox]

I just wanted to post a successful experiment regarding detox, sleep and feeling fatigued in the morning.....its relevent to the Ultra Simple diet as well as the Detox threads, so wasn't sure where to post it.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/02/secrets-to-a-good-night-sleep.aspx?aid=CD945

# Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health.

Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

And.....

Just curious, for all you who are waking in the middle of the night, when are you taking your 5-HTP?

I can't take HTP because it makes me incredibly sleepy during the day. But I also wake in the night, two or three times, usually from a dream.

I drink a lot of water throughout the day, but then don't have much after my evening meal (maybe half a glass). I did put it down to taking my pro-biotic before bed, but it seems to the same anyway.....
Only thing I can think of is the high protein diet may be causing it? Or perhaps I'm eating to much for my evening meal?

I follow the same drinking pattern as RF, and if I drink anything after my evening meal it will only be a few mouthfuls. I started waking in the night several years ago, usually needing to pee. Eating a few bites of a snack that contains fats, just before retiring (as suggested by James W Wilson) helps me to sleep better, and go back to sleep more easily when I do wake, as there is not that feeling of hunger that can keep me awake.

RF, I think it's quite possible that a high protein diet can cause excess urination. The following quote is from MedicineNet at: _http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900. I experienced this problem myself. While doing the ultra simple diet, I was consuming two tablespoons daily of hemp protein powder, which is that recommended amount on the pack. There was no mention on the pack of excess consumption. My urine became very dark regardless of the quantity of water I drank, I had a slight but constant ache in my kidneys, and I had muscular stiffness. At one point it was difficult to even turn my head fully to each side. It was not until I cut out the hemp protein powder from my diet that things returned to normal, which took a few weeks as the ketones were slowly flushed out of my system. I also took a Chinese herbal remedy called 'Six Flavour Tea Pills' or 'Liu Wei Di Huang Wan' for a couple of weeks which supported the restoration of my kidney function.

[ . . . ] a diet in which protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. So-called ketogenic diets can thrust your kidneys into overdrive in order to flush these ketones from your body. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily.

That water loss often shows up on the scale as weight loss. But along with losing water, you lose muscle mass and bone calcium. The dehydration also strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.

And dehydration from a ketogenic diet can make you feel weak and dizzy, give you bad breath, or lead to other problems.

I looked up ketones and found conflicting information, some say they are good/natural, some say they are bad.
Given I had the same effects on my urine as Endymion after being on the Ultra Simple diet for a while, I wondered if it was the protein stressing my kidneys out.....given the mixed results on ketones, I remembered that if the liver is taxed/not working that urine can become dark too (the toxins try and come out via the kidneys instead).

So I took some milk thistle (it helps protect the liver) with my morning and evening meals and this has cleared up the dark urine/kidney stress problem.

Secondly, after reading the article above about sleep and the gall bladder dumping toxins....and given I usually wake up fatigued I wondered if the toxins where recycling (stressing the liver out)...i.e. the toxins get dumped and reabsorbed.
So I tried taking some cholera and activated charcoal just before bed....and woke up totally refreshed for the first time in months!

So for those detoxing, or waking up fatigued or having to use the bathroom in the night (with dark coloured urine) then these might be things to consider.

 

[Seamus]

So I took some milk thistle (it helps protect the liver) with my morning and evening meals and this has cleared up the dark urine/kidney stress problem.

Secondly, after reading the article above about sleep and the gall bladder dumping toxins....and given I usually wake up fatigued I wondered if the toxins where recycling (stressing the liver out)...i.e. the toxins get dumped and reabsorbed.
So I tried taking some cholera and activated charcoal just before bed....and woke up totally refreshed for the first time in months!

So for those detoxing, or waking up fatigued or having to use the bathroom in the night (with dark coloured urine) then these might be things to consider.

I wake fatigued and I have to use the bathroom at night. And my lower back/kidneys have been feeling achy for about a week. I'm going to try this, thanks for sharing!

 

[Seamus]

I took a heaping teaspoon of activated charcoal with water last night right before I went to bed (I don't have chlorella or milk thistle on hand) and wanted to report back that I feel much better this morning! I woke up with a clear head and I feel rested for the first time in a week. Thanks.

 

[RedFox]

Cool! Glad it was of help Seamas

Just wanted to add that today I woke up with muscle cramps for the first time in ages (but also feeling quite rested). I'm thinking that now my body has been able to detox (and get rid of it!) that its needing extra magnesium to help the detox along.

 

[Gonzo]

Since being on the diet for a couple on months, my fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis have been reduced significantly. However, two herniated discs in my neck have now become rather aggressive, causing nerve pain in my upper arms and numbness in my thumb, and when I change neck position, my outside two fingers (C5-6, C6-7 nerve root compression it seems).

As well, since increasing my magnesium a week ago, I seem to have a bit of a fibromyalgia flareup. Could that just be the magnesium pushing detox along?

I'm hoping someday to be able to afford a FIR blanket (dream sauna will have to wait even longer) but am considering an infrared lamp.

Thanks,
Gonzo

 

[ScarletBegonias]

However, as you boil the vegetables for a long time for the broth, I believe that all the nutrients go into the broth so it is not as relevant here. On the other hands there might be gains if the food is less prepared.

If the broth made from coarsely chopped vegetables tasted weaker then I would suspect that it made a difference, but I didn't notice anything like that. It tasted quite good either way.

Hey thanks everyone! I have been cutting the vegetables into larger chunks again for the past few batches and my broth does seem a little more watery now, but perhaps I could try cooking it for longer. I usually boil it for about an hour or so.
Also, after straining the broth from the vegetables, I remove the garlic and ginger and put the soggy veggies in my blender to turn them into a soup! It tastes great so now I am making two things at once! SWEET!!