If you were to leave a kernel of spelt, hard red winter wheat, rye, barley, or any other grain on your dining room table for the next five years, it wouldn’t rot or decompose. Grains were found  in the pyramids. Not only were they intact after two thousand years, but when water was added, some of the kernels grew. There is a reason why grains don’t easily decompose. Grains, seeds, tree nuts, and most beans, contain a live, biochemical agent called an enzyme inhibitor. Enzyme inhibitors stop enzyme activity until the right conditions exist for germination. This is nature’s way of preserving the life force in a seed so it can reproduce.

Foods with enzyme inhibitors are very difficult to digest, and they slow down the naturally occurring enzyme activity in your body. Every time you eat regular pasta, bread, cake, cereal, and all other grain products, or nuts, seeds and beans, you are slowing down the communication processes throughout your entire body and suppressing your body’s ability to function at peak performance. Ingesting enzyme inhibitors causes obesity, lethargy, gas, bloating, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal difficulties, an enlarged pancreas, diabetes, destruction of the body’s own natural production of enzymes, and an overall general condition of poor health.

Enzyme inhibitors make meat protein more difficult to utilize, while causing animal fats to concentrate, and cholesterol and triglyceride levels to rise.

So does this mean we should eliminate all of these foods because they’re bad for us? Absolutely not! All we have to do is to prepare them correctly to release the enzyme inhibitors. Once the enzyme inhibitors are gone, grains, seeds, tree nuts, and beans are some of the most perfect foods. They are very high in assimilable amino acids (proteins) and extremely rich in the exact kinds of enzymes
our bodies need to keep us in good physical condition.

So, how do you get rid of enzyme inhibitors? The answer is simple. Sprouting! Water unlocks enzyme inhibitors. Soaking these foods in water sends them into “sprout mode” and starts the germination process.

Put sunflower seeds in a sprouting jar, add water, and let them soak. Empty the water at the end of 8 hours and place the jar out of direct sunlight. Prop it at a 45 degree angle so it can drain. Rinse your seeds twice during the next 12 to 16 hours. To allow for air circulation, be sure the seeds do not cover more than half of the jar lid. After 24 hours, drain your seeds well and spread them on unbleached paper towels on a cookie sheet and let them dry. The enzyme inhibitors will be gone and your seeds will be bursting with flavor!

Sprouting not only eliminates enzyme inhibitors, it also turns acidic grains, nuts and seeds into alkaline foods.

Only eat breads and pasta made from sprouted grains. Soak and sprout your seeds, nuts, and beans. A great book with charts on germination times for various foods is Dining in the Raw by Rita Romano.

Recommended Supplements:

• Systemic Enzymes
• Digestive Enzymes

Our contributor, Dr. Shillington, tells us there are more enzymes in one papaya seed than in a whole store-bought enzyme capsule. The papaya seed also has all the nutrients necessary for almost instant assimilation.

Spread the seeds of an organic papaya (must be organic) on a wax paper covered plate or cookie sheet. Let them dry out for atleast a week. (If you have a food dehydrator it will take a few days). Then put them in a salt or pepper mill (or crush with a mortar pestle). Just grind them over your food as you would fresh pepper. In fact, papaya seeds are a bit spicy and taste similar to pepper, so they are an excellent substitute.

Fresh pineapple is another great source for enzymes. Buy one and eat it. Your body will thank you for days.

Enzymes in Food

Did you know your body is converting enzymes into other different enzymes all the time? By eating fresh, organic pineapple and organic papaya seeds, you’ll get all the enzymes you need, and your body will know how to convert
these enzymes into the ones it needs most.

Recommended Supplements:

• Systemic Enzymes
• Digestive Enzymes

One of the most commonly asked questions we receive at OLM is, “What one thing can I do to be healthier?” A diet of primarily raw fresh vegetables and fruits is the foundation for good health. If you are not as healthy as you would like to be, there is nothing more important. Even if you smoke, or don’t eat organic, and/or don’t exercise, adopting a raw food diet is still our first recommendation. We even recommend eating a raw food diet before we recommend supplements.

This takes people by surprise, especially since I own a supplement store. I have plenty of supplements on hand for acute health issues and first aid, but I only take Total Nutrition Formula, SF722, and systemic enzymes regularly.

There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not eating 100% raw is healthy. We do believe that a 100% raw food diet can be very healthy if done right with enough variety. If you are interested in eating 100% raw this article can help you get started. We also recommend you get to know Raw Chef Dan (see next article). But we recommend going at least 80% raw for practical reasons. And, if you cut out junk food completely (this includes “organic” junk food) and make sure that two of your three daily meals as well as any and all snacks are raw fresh fruits and vegetables (1:4 ratio), you will achieve a significantly higher level of health. For many people, eating this way rids the body of disease and ailments. For individuals who have led a toxic lifestyle for too long, more help is needed to restore the body to health.

People often point to the fact that there is not enough variety in a raw food diet to maintain good health. If a raw food diet to you means carrot sticks, celery and apples, then you’re right. My daily routine consists of a salad for breakfast and sometimes for lunch and/or dinner. On the days I do not have two salads, I have a smoothie. How do I get variety if I eat almost the same thing every day? Each of my salads contains at least 10 different kinds of vegetables. I get more nutrition in one salad than most people get in a whole week, maybe a month. My smoothies are nothing to scoff at, either. One salad and/or smoothie and I know I am set for the day. I must admit I do still love to eat, so I actually eat too much. Though I also work out pretty heavily on a regular basis, I imagine I could do better with about half the calories I consume.

My Daily Salad

Want to know how to make an incredible salad? Here are the main ingredients for my salad:

• Spinach
• Arugula
• Collard Greens
• Spring mix
• Dandelion
• Leeks
• Red onions
• Red cabbage
• Red bell pepper
• Rainbow chard
• Beet greens
• Grated beet root
• Graded carrots
• Graded zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Cilantro
• Pomegranate (seed)
• Raisins
• Sesame seeds
• Ground papaya seeds
• Avocado

I also throw in chick peas, a three bean salad combination, and/or some raw sheep cheese I get at my local farmers’ market. I always put two to three soft boiled eggs in my salad. Obviously I am not a vegan, but if you are, this salad is good enough without the cheese and eggs. The salad is also great with chicken or steak.

Update: Now I don’t do the cheese. I don’t do meat either. I still eat eggs, but am very considerate of where and how they are sourced. The avocado makes it so I don’t miss the cheese. But, for those who are not vegan, and concerned about getting enough calories, add what you want. Just please make sure all animal products were as humanely treated and healthy as possible.

There are tons of recipes for raw and healthy salad dressings. I love my own creation.

My Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe

To make my salad dressing, I start with equal parts oil and vinegar (keep in mind that both olive oil and balsamic vinegar have a lot of imitators).

• 3/4 cup of flax seed oil
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons turmeric
• 1 table spoon basil
• Two teaspoons unrefined sea salt
• Two teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• Two tablespoons Dijon mustard

Do it all to taste if you want, but stay heavy on the turmeric; it’s very good for you, and it’s the most important ingredient to this recipe.

This salad dressing will have even the pickiest kids eating vegetables. It’s very versatile. Use it as a dip, a marinade, or whatever. It’s amazing.

Obviously this is not a 100% raw salad. But it’s mostly raw and very healthy. If you want to adopt a 100% raw food diet then find a great raw salad dressing and skip the peas, beans, eggs, and cheese. It’ll be healthier that way too.

Super Antioxidant Smoothie

I don’t have a smoothie every day. For health, nothing beats a great salad. But I do crave smoothies a few times a week.

• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup fresh berries
• ½ pomegranate (seeds)
• 1 raw egg (organic only!)
• ½ banana
• 1 large kale leaf
• 2 tablespoons nutrition powder (see below)
• 1 tablespoon Udo’s Oil with DHA

Nutrition Powder

Total Nutrition Formula, is the best nutritional support available. You can also make your own.  I don’t do smoothies everyday (salads are better), but when ever I do, I add my nutrition powder.

Conclusion

It takes time to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. I don’t spend much on groceries, but that’s because I’ve learned where and how to shop for the best deals. Local organic farmers’ markets are the best places to get the healthiest produce for a fraction of the cost you would spend at a conventional grocery store. It used to take me a lot of time to make smoothies and salads but I’ve learned to make them very quickly. I still spend more time than most preparing food, but health is my priority, my hobby, my most important investment. I’ll take the time.

There is no doubt that lentils are one of the most versatile of all the legume family. Indeed it is not only their culinary usefulness that they are well known for.

In Egyptian times they were used as bubble packing for ancient artefacts and sculptures for shipping. The word lens is the Latin for lentil and derives its name from the shape of these little nutrition packed wonders.

The cultivation of lentils as a food goes back to well before the Egyptians, to Neolithic times (roughly 10.000 years ago). It was during this time that farming came about and lentils were one of the earliest crops to be cultivated, originating in the Middle East. It is no surprise then that there are so many references to the lentil in the Bible. The French dish Esau potage is a lentil broth named after Esau. In the Old Testament, Jacob bought the birthright from Esau with a dish of stewed lentils. Then there is the arguable notion that Lent was named after the lentil as the majority of people were too poor to be able to afford fish at this religious time and therefore had to rely on lentils for sustenance.

But it is for their culinary uniqueness that we are looking to this humble legume. There are few foods that are so versatile. They can be made into anything from pates, dressings, soups, dhals, fritters and salads.

They are packed full of beneficial nutrients as well as being a very rich source of soluble fibre, and being the third richest vegetable source of protein there is.

A study of dietry patterns and risk of heart disease following 16,000 middle aged men in the U.S., Finland, Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece and Japan over a period of 25 years, found that after analysing the data, diets with a high legume content were associated with a huge 82% reduction in risk of heart disease!

Another study published in the ‘Archives of Internal Medicine’ confirms that a diet high in soluble fibre, such as lentils, helps prevent heart disease. Out of 10,000 adults, those eating the most fibre (21 grams a
day or more) had a 12% reduction in coronary heart disease and 11% less cardiovascular disease. Those that ate the most water soluble fibre fared even better.

The fact that lentils are excellent for heart health is not only in the fibre content, but also the significant amounts of folate (folic acid) and magnesium they supply. Folate has long been associated with heart health as it helps to lower levels of homocysteine. This is an amino acid that damages artery walls and is a serious risk factor for heart disease. When folate is present it converts homocysteine into cysteine or methionine, both of which are benign. Folate is also a crucial nutrient for pregnant women. Up to 70% of birth defects such as, spina bifida and  neural tube defects have been shown to be due to a lack of folate in the diet. Most doctors advise women of child bearing age to increase their intake of folate as it is not just during pregnancy but also prior to conceiving that there is a great need for folate.

The magnesium content in lentils adds another heart helping dimension. Magnesium is known to help the arteries and veins ‘relax’ which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Studies have shown that not only are low levels of magnesium associated with heart disease, but that after a heart attack low levels promote free radical injury to the heart.

It doesn’t stop there either. Lentils are an important source of B vitamins, particularly B-3. They are also high in iron, zinc and calcium, which is why they are so popular as a substitute for red meat. The iron is better absorbed by the body when eaten with vitamin C rich foods such as dark green vegetables. One of my favourite dishes is Indian spiced lentils, or dhal, with spinach stirred in at the last minute. A bowl of that with a hot naan bread makes a substantial and very healthy lunch for about a $1.00 a portion! Frugal food needn’t be bland and boring. It is high in protein too, being as good a source as some cheaper cuts of meat. Whilst they are deficient in only two amino acids, this is not the case once they have sprouted. When sprouted they contain sufficient amounts of all amino acids. In addition to this, their nutritional value goes up in sprouted form too.

Apart from the fact that they get a bad rap as being boring ‘hippy’ food, there is not a lot that you can say bad about the humble lentil.

Packed with goodness, nutrition and incredibly versatile as you will see in the following recipes. As with the acorn and mighty oak parable, these little guys should not be underestimated……

Lentil Varieties

There are numerous varieties of lentils but some of the most common are:

RED SPLIT (CHIEF)

These are perhaps the most common of all. They are good for soups and purees as they tend to puree when cooked and don’t hold their shape. A good use for them is to thicken stews or casseroles. Instead of reaching for the gravy granules or artificial thickener, try adding a good handful towards the end of cooking when making your next casserole. You’ll find it absorbs the excess liquid and provides a good protein boost to your meal.

BROWN LENTIL

Again these break down and become mushy if over cooked, but if cooked carefully they will retain their shape. They are good added to sauces or broths.

YELLOW LENTILS

These are actually split mung beans and are very similar to red lentils except they are a bit firmer.

BELUGA LENTILS

These are an incredibly attractive lentil, so called because when they are cooked they glisten like caviar. They retain their shape and remain firm when cooked. Excellent as an accompaniment to meals and also in sauces or dressings.

PUY LENTILS (FRENCH GREEN)

These to my mind are the king of lentils. Small and robust, they too keep their shape after cooking and are adaptable to a whole host of uses from pates to stuffing’s for vegetables to sauces and dressings. Green and brown lentils are also higher in nutrients than their red and yellow cousins.

BKACK LENTILS (URAD DHAL)

Again these are actually a bean and if they are shelled and split they become white lentils. These are widely used in Indian cooking. It is no surprise that India is the biggest producer of lentils in the world. But it may come as a shock to know that Canada is the second highest producer!

A few years ago there was an outbreak of salmonella from tainted almonds. This outbreak led to new laws causing the pasteurization of almonds. OLM talked to Seth Leaf at Living Nutz about pasteurization. Seth, what can you tell us about the reason why almonds are now pasteurized? The FDA in conjunction with the Almond Board of California and the USDA passed a mandate declaring that all almonds in the United States must be pasteurized.  During the comment period, when citizens are invited to give their input before a decision is reached and a law is passed, there were only 18 responses, and those were just from people on the Almond Board. No one in the public knew about it. In September the new law was passed. During the salmonella outbreak, Trader Joe’s and some of the more commercially based health food stores had to pull a lot of product off their shelves. But the contamination was in the conventional almonds, not the organic almonds. There was a whole lot of misinformation given out. How can almonds get salmonella? Almonds cannot get salmonella naturally. The way these almonds became tainted with salmonella was due to processing—to what’s called stockpiling.  That’s when these giant commercial farmers who are growing tons of different kinds of produce, meat, and whatever will put big giant loads of almonds near chicken droppings or something. Almonds don’t get salmonella without that kind of really sloppy big business agriculture.

McDonalds had a salmonella outbreak where people died, where children actually died. The government didn’t do a thing, really. But a few people get sick from eating almonds and it’s a bigger deal to the government somehow. Maybe they feel that McDonalds was doing everything they could, I don’t know. But it’s sad really, and it doesn’t make sense. Why are they targeting Almonds and not McDonalds? It’s the politics behind this. There are a couple of different motivation factors. A lot of people think that big business is shutting out the smaller business and that may be true to a certain degree. But what’s really going on is what’s called the Codex Treaty. What is the Codex Treaty? The Codex Treaty is a ban passed in Europe which will put big pharmaceutical companies in control of supplements. Of course supplements will be watered down, weakened, and/or made in a lab and basically be ineffective. Big pharmaceuticals want people to remain sick. They want a massive chain of codependence. They want to get rid of the life force, the healing properties in our food. That’s really what the almond pasteurization is all about. Almonds were becoming the most famous nut. They were so good for you before they were pasteurized. Right now in Canada they are trying to pass a bill stating that 60% of all supplements are banned. They’ve already banned a lot of them there. People are trying to prevent it, but they aren’t too successfully so far. And it’s going to happen here too. More people are learning about the power of the right kinds of supplements and healthy food, and these companies will put a stop to it if they can. It’s not a question of if, but when. It’s going to happen here. These are big players. Pharmaceutical companies are bigger then oil companies. And they only care about the bottom line, and nothing else. What can we do? People need to wake up and learn what’s really going on. This is such a brainwashed nation, it’s just unreal. This stuff is going right now. Mainstream media is not going to tell the truth about this. They are in the pockets of big Pharm. We have got to wake up! Go to naturalnews.com for the best source of alternative, honest, knowledgeable and true information about what’s really going on. Check out The Health Ranger, Mike Adams. He goes after any information that disempowers us. He’s not worried about a lawsuit, maybe because he’s not selling anything. The way this country works is that if you are selling something, no matter how honest you are, you can get into trouble. But he is not selling anything so he just goes for it. No holds barred. They went after almonds first, but this is just the beginning. No other nuts or seeds must be pasteurized, yet. They don’t want live, living organic food. Even our organic food is losing its nutrition now that big business is involved. People think it’s great because now organic foods are so much more readily available, but with the continued weakening of organic standards and things like monocropping, the organic food we purchase from big business doesn’t have the same nutrition. It’s all demineralized. It’s really just more expensive and has fewer chemicals than the conventional counterparts. Plants thrive on minerals; everything does. Plants transmutate minerals from the soil into bio-available nutrition; they turn non-assimable minerals into nutrition we can assimilate. Nut in order for crops to be well mineralized and to have a lot of life force in them, you need crop rotation. You have to grow different crops in the same soil to replenish the minerals. Big agricultural companies are growing organic food in mineral depleted, bland, lifeless soil. Tell us about your products. We have 19 different flavors right now. We germinate all of our nuts for at least 12 hours.  Then we add the flavorings—all organic ingredients. When you germinate nuts and seeds, you release enzyme inhibitors. But if you were to eat nuts or seeds that have not been germinated and you chewed them up really well, with lots of your own saliva, you would also deactivate the enzyme inhibitors. But germinating is a process that essentially starts the nuts and seeds growing. We “wake up” the nut or seed in this manner, like Mother Nature does only we do it faster. They become living foods and the nutrients are easier to assimilate. Anything else you’d like to tell us? This pasteurization of almonds ruling really shook us up. It’s our biggest seller. We started a petition. We are asking you to sign the petition but don’t stop there, bombard these sources; the Almond board of California, the FDA, and the USDA with emails, or even better, letters. We need to empower ourselves and self educate. We can stop this stuff, but it will take a lot of people educating themselves and speaking out. We are loosing our rights. We need to wake up, and educate ourselves. On his deathbed, Louis Pasteur said he was wrong about pasteurization. He fought to promote it most of his life, but he realized later that when you kill all of the bacteria, the bad bacteria comes back and you’ve killed the life of the food. It is all making us so sick. Seth Leaf is co-founder and co-owner of Living Nutz. OLM endorses and recommends Living Nutz. They are delicious and nutritious snacks from a small company with the highest integrity. www.livingnutz.com

For the purposes of this article, unless otherwise stated, when we say milk we mean pasteurized, homogenized, conventional cow’s milk.

While I have yet to see an actual study that proves milk is good for you, there are countless studies out there that state that calcium is good for you and you can get it by drinking milk. This is true. Statements such as this sum it up perfectly: “Indeed, it is impossible in a diet based on conventional foods to obtain adequate intakes of calcium if milk and dairy products are not consumed.”1

They’re correct. But consider a conventional diet: microwaved dinners, cereal, and frozen vegetables at best. Maybe a salad made with pre-packaged iceberg lettuce, a few pieces of romaine lettuce, some shredded carrots and Hidden Valley ranch salad dressing when it’s supper time. With the soda most Americans drink, which leaches minerals including calcium from the body in order to keep the blood’s PH at 7.4, it’s no wonder milk can do a body good. So does this mean milk is good for you?

Most alternative health care practitioners and a growing number of conventional doctors say “no”. They know milk is a major source of allergen in people, especially children. Okay, so maybe a more realistic statement would be, “Milk is good for you, unless you are one of the millions who are allergic or intolerant.” On the other hand, milk allergy or not, on the holistic side of health, it’s not uncommon to have relief from other allergies when one stops consuming milk. In fact, most alternative health care practitioners will tell you before you do anything else, “Stop consuming dairy and refined sugars!”

There are so many studies. Some say milk may make you fat2, while others claim milk helps you lose weight. Some studies state that milk can help prevent heart disease3 while others claim the opposite is true4.

Many people advocate drinking raw milk, which is unpasteurized and non-homogenized. We at OLM are not fans of pasteurization or homogenization at all. And milk does contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals and very easily assimilable protein. Some argue that it is not at all easy for humans to absorb the calcium from cow’s milk, but others say that you can if it’s raw.

So what’s our take on the milk issue? Cows have four stomachs. Humans have one. Raw cow’s milk from a healthy cow is a much better choice than the homogenized and pasteurized varieties, but there is still some minor risk of food poisoning (though if the cow and the human ingesting the milk are healthy, the risk is extremely low). This is what confuses many. “Healthy” and “Safe” are not the same things. Raw milk, provided it is not tainted with e-coli, is healthier than pasteurized milk. But the pasteurization of milk does make it safer to consume. For health, raw sheep’s milk is a better choice, and raw human milk is the best. Isn’t it silly that the idea of human milk is disgusting to many people, yet cow’s milk is the norm? Come on, guys, would you rather suck on a cow’s udder, or… Well, you know.

So how do you get enough calcium? You may have heard us say this before: At least 80% of your diet should be raw fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly vegetables. And if you want to get more vitamin D, we recommend sunlight.

• Claims of Conventional Milk Health Risks Unjustified
• Milk, dairy fat, dietary calcium, and weight gain: a longitudinal study of adolescents
• Research: Milk drinkers may live longer lives
• Research on milk protein/heart disease link causes dispute

If you are an animal lover, there is also the animal cruelty issue to consider when evaluating milk as a part of your diet. The intensive dairy practices for milking cows for any type of milk significantly reduce the animal’s lifespan. If you’re considering giving up cow’s milk all together and need a little extra push, check out the video on the right and this website for some more information.

Organic or not, a dairy cow’s life is not a pretty picture.

Editor’s Note:

As a child I was sick regularly. I had many allergies and other health issues. Eliminating milk made a huge difference in my quality of life. The last time I drank a glass of milk, years ago, it immediately made me feel terrible.

Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes. Many studies suggest that resveratrol is the reason for the French paradox, the observation that the French suffer considerably low incidence of heart disease, while enjoying a diet rich in of saturated fats. While we at OLM have our own theory as to why the French do not suffer from high incidence of heart disease, that’s another article.

Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes. Many studies suggest that resveratrol is the reason for the French paradox, the observation that the French suffer considerably low incidence of heart disease, while enjoying a diet rich in of saturated fats. While we at OLM have our own theory as to why the French do not suffer from high incidence of heart disease, that’s another article.

There are two common types of studies supporting red wine consumption. One kind is where animals and/or humans are given resveratrol, not actual red wine. Red wine consumption is said to “possibly” reduce chances of coronary heart disease,1 fight diabetes,2 aid in weight loss,3 prevent prostate cancer,4 kill pancreatic cancer,5 increase one’s lifespan,6 and more. But with the many studies claiming resveratrol has these benefits, note the usual little bit of “fine print” that reads something to the effect, “Researchers warn that you would have to drink three liters of red wine a day in order to receive the benefits of…” (this is not an actual quote, but the messages are similar).

The other kind of studies that lead us to believe red wine may be good for us are statistical correlation studies, or epidemiology. These studies will say things such as, “Among men who consumed four or more 4-ounce glasses of red wine per week, we saw about a 60 percent lower incidence of the more aggressive types of prostate cancer.”7 Consider the problems with such studies, specifically in the case of red wine. A person who drinks one to two glasses of red wine a day, typically no more, no less, is an individual who generally shows restraint, has refined taste, and is likely to be more affluent than the average person. This individual could be healthier than the average person who doesn’t drink alcohol at all due to multiple factors. I would venture to guess that the average single malt scotch drinker is healthier than the average Budweiser drinker. Does this mean that Scotch is healthier? Maybe, maybe not. Does this mean that Scotch is healthy? Certainly not.

And then there are other studies that suggest red wine is not all it’s touted to be.8 It’s interesting to note that some research indicates one or two glasses of red wine a day may prevent cancer, other research tells us the opposite is likely true.9

So is red wine good for you? OLM believes that alcohol is not good for you, period. In some cases the ends justify the means, such as the alcohol content in tinctures, which are used as herbal remedies, but we do not recommend consuming red wine. If resveratrol and/ or other antioxidants are what you seek, seek elsewhere. There are better and more natural ways of getting them—like eating grapes.

That said, if you want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage every now and then, provided you do not suffer from Candida, and your health is better than most people’s overall, red wine may be the best choice.

Editor’s Note

I love a good red wine. While I’m picky about the quality, I am not stuck on any one kind, such as cabernet or merlot. I’ve tried many different varieties; I once fancied myself a bit of a connoisseur. But while I still love a nice red on occasion, it has become rarer for me. Why? I am simply too in tune with my body to enjoy things that do not make me feel good. Every now and then, with the right social circumstances, I can turn off that warning in my head, but it’s rare. And even after only one glass, I tend to ask myself, “Was that really worth it?” It just plain doesn’t make me feel good. Well, mentally, yeah, it feels great, at the time of consumption. But physically and mentally, hours later or a day later, even one glass feels makes me feel as though I just abused my body.