Living With The Seasons

What does this mean?  It simply means that we must live and work in perfect harmony with nature.  When we live and work against the laws of nature we experience dis-ease within the body. When we watch nature’s energy rising and falling through each season it should be a guideline to all of us how we can best cope with the energy each season brings.

Let's take the season of winter as an example as nature demonstrates to us that winter is a time of hibernation and stillness. Growth ceases as nature rests. The body thickens, the blood slows down the digestion and we gain a few pounds in preparation for the period of hibernation. We require this extra body fat to keep our kidneys warm during the long cold months.

It’s all about cultivating awareness

This concept gives us complete balance as we live within nature’s energy. The body’s inherent desire is for perfect health. We have the ability to earn our way back to that state. Give the body what it needs and it knows what to do. We should adjust our diet according to the seasons. During the colder months, many people eat large quantities of fruits and salads that have been imported from abroad. These foods are best suited in the summer months for cooling the body. That is one reason why it is important to live with the seasons and enjoy what is grown locally.

Food is and should be considered a medicine, therefore a nutritious and well balanced diet governs our ability to function at our best in health and life. Let’s therefore look at how we tend to work against this natural state of being.

What is food?

The answer to that simple question is the environment. We eat and live from our environment as each season comes and goes. As we are currently in spring, watching all the newly sprouted greens is simply a great joy. The earth once again comes alive from the dormancy of winter and brings us delicious crops to enjoy all summer long. How the earth transforms itself into a variety of delicious food is simply breathtaking.

By eating from our environment we become part of it as we are creating harmony with the earth under our feet so to speak. If we eat foods that are grown in areas very different from our environment we can create problems. Many people from the northern hemisphere eat a diet that is heavy in many foods from the tropics. Coffee, chocolate and many tropical fruits etc. This can result in many forms of dis-ease such as allergies, auto-immune diseases etc., Take a lesson from our animal kingdom, they all know what to eat in balance with their natural environment.

Today's food supply is loaded with artificial foods, chemicals and drugs that are clearly not going to contribute to a healthy and vital body and mind. Eat local, sustainable, organic produce that is kind to the earth that sustains all life.

Health is everything, without health, everything is nothing

In good health

Earth Day is Everyday

The 22nd April each year is promoted to honour the planet. However, here at our Human Ecology Project we are diligently working 365 days a year to raise awareness of the key environmental issues that desperately need addressing.

Earth Day is widely recognised as the largest secular civic observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people in 192 countries as a day of action to change human behaviour and create global, national and local policy changes.

The theme for Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics,” brings attention to the serious issue of plastic pollution and how it harms nature. But Earth Day isn't just about one problem. It's about understanding how everything in nature is connected.

They as always miss the biggest elephant in the room that is destroying planet earth, the insatiable appetite for animal based-foods. Obviously, we are nowhere close to living in harmony with nature let alone having robust conversations about such a goal. For that reason, it is suffice to say that without an entirely new conversation about moving towards a vegan world we Homo sapiens are probably on our last legs.

The only cure for the environmental disaster we are experiencing is a change in human actions not clever new technologies. It is our childish belief that we can think our way out of this, spend more money or find a way to continue our wasteful way of living without fundamental change. The only solution is to make fundamental changes in our way of living. It is our diet and our consumption patterns that need to change. Those changes do not need to be a punishment, they can bring about improved health, the end of animal slaughter, cleaner air and water and the knowledge that we are leaving a better world for generations to come.

Earth Day Should & Must Be Everyday

Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable. We all have the power to create a better world. The only thing that will change the world is a bold and unified demand for a new way forward. For us, that message is loud and clear.

In our latest blogs and videos we cover everything that anyone needs to know to make the change the world so desperately needs. You have this decision at your fingertips, you can do it right now, you just make the decision to Go Vegan, that's it. We seriously can save the earth, we are part of it, not separate from it. With a plant based vegan diet, we can feed the world. Food is grown, not born.

Eating a vegan diet could be the “single biggest way” to reduce your environmental impact on earth, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent. Enjoy this easy and delicious one-pot meal recipe using 'earth foods'. It's fast, easy and the most delicious 'earth food' we are grateful to enjoy daily.

So, what’s a one-pot meal?

It’s a healthy meal in a pot, prepared using a one-pot recipe. My bean recipes are infused with fragrant spices and herbs, then slow cooked with chunky vegetables and rich umami stocks. I use the very best all natural organic ingredients and each recipe is lovingly prepared in small batches that I can then freeze in portion sizes.

Earth Day Minestrone

Hearty Minestrone Soup

1 cup ditaloni pasta

2 sachets umami instant stock paste

8 cups spring water

2 cups cooked kidney beans

2 cups cooked borlotti or pinto beans

2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

2 onions, diced

2 leeks diced,

4 stalks celery, diced

4 carrots, diced

1 courgette, diced

2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

1 jar Sacla vegan tomato pesto

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger juice

2 tbsp, tamari or shoyu

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Cook the ditaloni according to the instructions and set aside. Mix the hot water with the umami sachets and set aside. Place a splash or two of water in a heavy soup pot and saute the garlic and onion over a medium heat.  When the onion begins to sizzle, add a pinch of sea salt and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in leek and celery, carrot and courgette and sauté for a few minutes.  Stir in the cooked beans, sun-dried tomato paste, stock and dried basil along with the vegan pesto. Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add more water if required.

Stir in the cooked macaroni, nutritional yeast, ginger juice and tamari. Serve in warmed bowls and enjoy with some of your favourite crackers.

Note:

I soak all my beans overnight with a small piece of kombu seaweed and pressure cook them. For my quick meals for busy people classes – purchase pre-cooked organic beans.

In good health

Red Lentil Koftas with Vegan Sour Cream

Overconsumption and overproduction of meat has given rise to the inhumane factory farm, which cause the death and suffering of billions of animals and consequently has put huge threats on the planet and our health. We offer hope for a healthier future through our educational material that we continue to  produce for our Human Ecology Project.

We have the most wonderful board of trustees and advisory board who contribute to our Human Ecology Project with the most up to date studies in nutritional science, mental health, crisis in our ocean and collectively we offer solutions that can bring about change.

The world is in desperate need of healing. The increased industrialisation of our food system has led to both environmental degradation and epidemic levels of lifestyle-related diseases. The answer lies at the end of our fork and not in our healthcare system that continues to prioritise pharmaceutical intervention over lifestyle changes like diet and nutrition. We offer solutions that will benefit all life on the planet, human and nonhuman alike. This simple and delicious recipe is easy to make, enjoy.

Red Lentil Koftas with Vegan Sour Cream

These nutritious delights have a hearty texture and are perfect served in a sandwich, pitta, or on a bed of steamed greens. The garlic herb sauce adds an extra special sensation to these koftas. The mineral rich ingredients deliver a good source of omega 3 fats with every bite.

For the Sour Cream 

¾ cup cashews, soaked overnight

¼ cup water

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. ume plum vinegar

Pinch sea salt

Place cashews in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Place the drained cashews in a high-speed blender. Add the water, lemon, vinegar, and salt. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape down the blender now and then or add a touch more water if required. Transfer into a small, air-tight container and chill in the fridge. The cream will thicken up as it chills. and will keep in the fridge for one week. You can also freeze it for up to one month.

For the Koftas

1 cup red lentils

1 onion, small dice

1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 large carrot, grated

2 cups spring onions, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp umeboshi paste

1 cup fresh coriander

½ cup ground almonds

¼ cup shelled hemp

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp baking soda

Wash the red lentils and soak for one hour ahead of time. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200/400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Warm a splash of water to a heavy based pan. Saute the onion, potato, carrot and spring onions in a little water. Stir well to mix. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables dry out. Set aside.

Add the red lentils, garlic, ginger, tamari, umeboshi paste, coriander, ground almonds, shelled hemp and spices to a food processor. Pulse and occasionally scrape down the sides to mix well. Blend until you still have some texture remaining. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add in the vegetables. Stir in the lemon juice and baking soda. Lightly moisten your hands with water. Take a small amount of mixture and roll into an oval shape. Place on the baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.

Please share our work with family, friends and colleagues. We are all in this together. Take care of yourself and each other.

In good health

Let's Keep Fish In The Sea

It is our passion and pleasure to share our third short movie from our Human Ecology Project. Bill and I decided to create these short movies covering different topics that are crucial to our survival as a species. 

Fish is not a health food

Fish such as salmon, mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish. shark and tuna all contain high levels of mercury and PCB’s.  These are dangerous industrial pollutants that concentrate in tissue of predator fish.

There is a professional agreement that women who are pregnant or nursing or who plan to become pregnant within a year should avoid eating these fish. So should children younger than six. If fish are that toxic why would we want to eat them in any condition? Of growing concern is radioactive pollution, industrial toxins, agricultural run-off and sewerage - this chemical cocktail contaminates the ocean food chain. A situation with unimaginable consequences.

Please Go Vegan, the world needs your right now.

It's Spring, It's New, It's Wonderful & Powerful

Spring is a truly glorious time and my most favourite season of the year. All that has been lying dormant during the winter months is now beginning to stir and wake up after a rest and burst forth with new life and colour. As we journey through the spring I do hope that you have found greater energy levels over these past winter months following our teaching of Living with the Seasons. It is such a wonderful way to live. Letting nature set us an example by showing us how to work with the extremes of the seasons keeps us strong and healthy.

Many of our students and clients tell us year after year that they have come through winter with no colds, flu, sore throats or chest infections. Need I say more? When we constantly discharge the excess from our bodies it rewards us with good health. Keeping our immune systems strong with the nourishing wholefood plant-based vegan food we eat allows us to live our lives to our full potential.

Spring Is In The Air

Longer days, rising temperatures, daffodils and new buds on the trees and bushes is an indication that spring has arrived. It is a time of new growth and seeing nature’s energy rising. In oriental medicine and Macrobiotics this is called the ‘wood or tree element’. I adore teaching the 5 elements and in my Spring classes the main theme of yoga will be meridian related paying special attention to the liver and gallbladder meridians. Spring is the ideal time to clean out not only your home but your body.

Seeing the rising energy outside motivates us to exercise as does revealing more skin in the encroaching season of summer. It is an ideal time to start a fitness campaign; boosting our metabolism and complimentary exercise classes would be low impact with intensity work. Outside power walking is a great way to give your metabolism a boost and help remove any winter pounds you may have gathered round the middle during the months that the kidneys required for more heat. My online Yoga sessions will be focused on stretching the liver and gallbladder meridians.

Hydrate & Replenish

When you rise in the morning it is important to ‘hydrate your cells with water’. We lose approximately half a cup of water each night when we sleep. The cells need hydrated when we awaken to start a new day. Remember that the brain is 80% water so you will feel more alert when you give the body what it needs. This is a wonderful way to clean out your liver which is the main organ responsible for processing toxins that enter your system. A cleaner lighter diet with stir fry  or steamed vegetables, a detoxifying drink such as kombu/shitake tea and dried daikon soup are wonderful liver tonics. Cut back on alcohol and coffee as they overwhelm the liver. Drink filtered water kukicha or green sencha tea.

If you are eating heavy foods and drinking more than usual, your liver will start to get overburdened and you may experience: sluggishness, bloating, gas, diarrhoea, indigestion, depression, irregular menstruation, headaches, fits of anger, tense muscles, and believe it or not many more symptoms than those I just mentioned! My cleansing Mung Bean Soup below is a great way to give your liver a break and get you back on track.

Eat More:

Fruit and vegetables in season, sunflower, sesame seeds, vegetable soups, homemade green juice, your body loves the antioxidants and chlorophyll which is the life blood of the plant. Eat short grain brown rice, as well as lighter wholegrain like bulgur, and quinoa salads with loads of spring greens such as radicchio, endive, kale, dandelion and arugula, fresh herbs, (still keep up with your porridge) made from left over brown rice or make a fresh batch and take miso soup daily or try my delicious homemade breakfast granola with rice milk.

Green lentil soup on the side with a sandwich made with sourdough bread is a perfect plate for spring, using tempeh, rocket, sauerkraut and some vegan mayonnaise to make a delicious sandwich is one of Bill’s favourites. Eat foods as near to their natural state as possible. Have flaxseed or hemp seeds on salads or steamed vegetables daily.

This is the time to sprout seeds in abundance, particularly mung beans which aid in cleansing the liver. As always, sea vegetables should be a part of your daily diet using dishes like Wakame or Arame sauté and using kombu seaweed as the base for soup stocks. Incorporating fermented pickles into your diet will stimulate the liver and also feed the healthy gut flora. Aim for one tablespoon of fermented vegetables on your plate daily. Simple and easy to make, follow my instructions here in my video/blog.

Eat Less:

Sweets, cakes and puddings, processed and canned foods. Please remove ALL DAIRY (milk, yoghurt, cheese), meat, sugar, fish and eggs.

Drink Your Greens

Barley Grass being (a green food) is the most perfect addition to your spring diet, it’s the best I know of as it delivers enzymes which helps to aid in absorption of your food. Chewing well is also of paramount importance. I cannot stress this enough. When most clients I see with digestive problems relearn the art of chewing many of their problems disappear.

Thinking as always about disease prevention and keeping your insides sparkling clean particularly at this time of year (liver) will put a ‘spring’ in your step. If we adhere to what nature is showing us about regeneration and take that on-board internally I guarantee you that your energy will soar to new heights. It is unnecessary to do ‘hard-core’ liver cleanses if you constantly discharge the excess. Our health is priceless so invest in your own health.

Green juices, made from a variety of green vegetables have a rejuvenating effect on the body because they are rich in chlorophyll (the life blood of the plant), which helps to purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify the body and provide fast energy.  Green juice is the perfect fuel for your body. Its high water content means it is easily assimilated and it contains the whole vegetable except for the fibre, which is the indigestible part of the plant.

My Green Tonics

Green juice therefore provides all the healthful ingredients in a form that is easy to absorb and digest.  Here is just one option, feel free to experiment with your own ideas – I recommend this simple juice for the first two weeks of spring to all my clients.

1 carrot
1 cucumber
4 celery stalks
1 fennel stalk
Some spinach leave
Tiny piece of root ginger
Parsley sprigs
A handful of alfalfa sprouts (optional)

Put all the ingredients through a juicer and add the alfalfa sprouts before drinking

Step Into Spring with Marlene’s Mung Bean Soup

1 sachet umami instant stock paste
3 cups warm water
1 cup mung beans, soaked overnight
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch spring onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1 carrot cut lengthwise, sliced into half-moon shapes
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp, ground ginger
1 tbsp tamari or shoyu
1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped

Dissolve the umami stock paste with the water. Drain the beans and transfer them into a saucepan. Cover with the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until the beans are cooked. Meanwhile sauté the onion, spring onion and garlic in a little water for about 5 minutes and then add the carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Add the seasonings stir well then transfer into the pan with the cooked beans. Bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes adding more water if necessary, stir in the fresh coriander and serve.

A note on this miraculous cleansing food

Mung beans are originally from India but long ago became a part of Chinese cuisine and medicine; this is a cleansing food which falls into Chinese medicine traditions. Mung beans are cooling, sweet, beneficial to the liver and gallbladder, and nourish yin (the fluids of the body). Usually, mung beans are used in the summertime to cool hot conditions and keep the body regulated, but they can also be used to cool hot conditions or liver-related toxicity during other times of the year.

As we still many have cold days in the spring, the best way to use mung beans is in soups or by sprouting them. Leave the mung bean juice for summer time. As you all know cold foods and raw foods in the colder weather can overburden your digestive system.

Spring Quinoa Salad with Zesty lemon dressing

1 cup quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
Sea salt
1 cup corn kernels (canned organic corn)
1/2 cup chopped spring onions
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup pitted black or green olives

Wash the quinoa and drain, place in a heavy-based pan with the water and sea salt. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low so that the contents simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep covered for a further 15 minutes.

Transfer the quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Drizzle the lemon dressing over the salad and stir in. Allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop before serving.

Zesty Lemon Dressing

1 tsp umeboshio plum vinegar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of half a lemon
¼ cup ground almonds
¼ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup filtered water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. tamari

Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender, adding more water if required. Serve over spring quinoa salad.

Spring Tonic Tea

Daikon, Shiitake & Kombu

Helps to de-stress, unwind and leave you feeling soothed yet uplifted. This is a wonderful spring tonic as it helps the liver to open up and discharge smoothly.  Good for relaxing the body.

1 dried shiitake mushroom
1/2 cup dried daikon
1 inch strip Kombu seaweed
3 cups spring water

Place the shiitake, dried daikon and Kombu in a small pan and then cover with the water. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Slice the shiitake and place back into the pan. Cover and bring to a boil on a medium flame. Reduce the flame and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Remove and discard the ingredients. Drink the tea whilst hot.

Note: you can also add half cup of leafy green vegetables such as kale, cabbage or watercress and make this a light cleansing soup. Add the chopped leafy greens at the end and simmer for a further 2 or 3minutes.

Extra Tips

Start sprouting your seeds, mung beans, alfalfa and chickpeas. No ice with the water. Drink your water as close to room temperature as possible. Try dry skin brushing before having a shower, it is wonderful, you will have skin so smooth and at the same time remove the mucus from your body.

How To Keep In Balance

Alleviate stress by exercising regularly and making time to take enough rest and relaxation. Try and not hold on to anger, the corresponding emotion for imbalance in the Liver. Remain in control and focus on your breathing exercises that brings calm. Have a healthy and enjoyable spring clean and keep smiling. Remember it takes 42 muscles to frown ONLY 4 to smile.

In good health

Gut Health & Mental Strength

I have been a ‘serious’ gardener (inside and out) since my teens. When I teach my Internal Gardening Workshop, I do not talk about houseplants, I refer to gut maintenance. I have been using seaweed and miso in my diet since my teens and even had the good sense to use seaweed as mulch for my vegetable patch when I used to grow vegetables on my farm. Let’s therefore take a look at the similarities of growing healthy vegetation and growing healthy good bacteria. In these times of COVID19 it's important to protect and strengthen your immune system and a reminder that our gut health is of huge importance to our mental strength.

Growing Healthy Good Bacteria

The natural and beneficial flora in a healthy gut keeps the pathogens at bay, antibiotics wipe out the gut’s beneficial bacteria, causing pathogens such as candida, on contraceptive pills and other drugs prescribed on a long-term basis to also have an effect.  Many women on the contraceptive pills for many years unfortunately finish up with quite abnormal gut flora.

Junk food and diets full of processed carbohydrates feed pathogens at the expense of the beneficial flora, so pathogens proliferate and cause nutritional deficiencies. This is why we now have generations of adults, children and older people who have abnormal gut flora.

Our Immune System

When the immune system is not fed properly, it becomes compromised. The malnourished gut lining becomes damaged, leaky and porous. Foods are processed in a partially digested form and on finding the food in the bloodstream when it is absorbed, the immune system considers it as a foreign body and starts to attack. People then develop allergies, food intolerances and various reactions to food. The problem is due to the gut lining being damaged, not the food itself. IBS is the most common gut problem that I see with clients.  The abnormalities in the gut flora are usually caused by a combination of medication, stress and an unhealthy diet, which all present themselves together in the same person; such is our modern life.

The bacteria in your body outnumber the cells in your body by ten to one. There are 100 trillion bacteria and only 10 trillion of your cells. Because the bacteria are so much smaller than our cells, they don’t take up as much volume or space and are mostly in your intestinal system.

Digestion

Your digestive system is responsible for about 80% of the function of your immune system. It’s not only the immune system, your mind and your mood are controlled by the functioning of a healthy gut, because the serotonin cruising your body is primarily produced in your gut and not in your brain. That’s why there is some credence to the term ‘gut feeling’, because your gut truly is your second brain.

What are the ways you can ensure you have good bacteria in your gut?  Remember, they outnumber you 10 to 1, so it’s important to make sure you are growing good healthy bacteria. It’s like growing a garden. In the garden you are going to have weed killer and fertilizer. The fertilizer will nourish the good bacteria and diminish the growth of the bad bacteria.

One of the most potent and powerful things you can do is to eliminate sugar and foods that convert to sugars very rapidly. Fruit juices and artificial sweeteners need to be eliminated. What they tend to do is act as nourishment or fertilizer for the bad bacteria, the yeast, the bacteria that should not belong there and in normal concentrations will definitely cause you problems. This will diminish your body’s response to producing a proper neurotransmitter and to optimize your immune system, so you want to stay away from sugar. It’s probably the single most important strategy that you can do right now.

Prebiotics

The other component is that you want to have plenty of good vegetables because they serve as fibre, which are literally prebiotic. These are sources of nutrients that will feed the good bacteria. As they are broken down and metabolized, they have breakdown metabolic products that actually serve as weed killers for the bad bacteria. The foods that you eat, therefore, are the most profound tools you can use to modify that ratio between good and bad bacteria. It’s a very powerful predictor of how healthy you are going to be.

You can eat foods that are influenced by large numbers of good bacteria; foods that have been cultured with different bacteria and grown. When you eat these foods, they tend to grow and reproduce in your system. Your best choice is to choose from the following fermented foods.

Miso soup

Umeboshi Plums

Natto Mixed With Shoyu

Sauerkraut

Pressed Salads/Pickles

Avoid antibiotics unless completely vital and make sure you are drinking plenty of clean pure water. I use a free-standing Berkey water filter. Tap water is treated with chlorine which kills off good bacteria in your system. Use organic produce because the pesticides on other foods are there to kill the organisms, so purchasing organic food is another key element.

Fermented Foods:

Definition - Foods can encourage the growth of healthy bacteria, known as probiotics, in the human intestines. This is thought to improve the function of our immune system and aid in digestion. The definition of a probiotic is - A live microbial feeding supplement, which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance.

Health Benefits

The human digestive system is ideally suited to a healthy vegan wholefoods plant-based diet centred on whole grains. A high meat diet causes many problems, especially in the lower colon. Ulcerative colitis, or UC, often begins in the lower colon and is associated with a high meat diet. Crohn's disease can begin anywhere in the digestive tract and often starts in the ascending colon and small intestine. Animal foods such as chicken and cheese can trigger this condition. Aside from a shift to a grain-based diet with a corresponding removal of all animal food, macrobiotics recommends drinking Ume-Sho-Kuzu and applying a hot salt pack to the abdomen to reduce inflammation and the incidence of diarrhoea.

Research suggests that fermented foods help prevent or aid recovery from diarrhoea, colon cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and infectious illnesses, the ill effects of stress on intestinal flora, IBS and colitis.

Examples

The MACROBIOTIC DIET is very high in fermented foods and potentially high in healthy bacteria. Fermented foods have long been part of human food consumption. Examples of fermented foods include miso, pickles, sauerkraut, tempeh, shoyu, umeboshi plums, gherkins and natto. In addition to foods that have been fermented, many raw vegetables will grow healthy bacteria on their skins. If we leave a salad exposed to the air, spores in the air will attach to the skins of the leaves and start to breed, forming healthy bacteria.

Encouraging the Growth of Healthy Bacteria in Foods

One way to speed up the growth of bacteria in vegetables is to mix them with salt and press them between two plates with a weight on top for an hour or more. This is known as a PRESSED SALAD or use a pickle press as I do. I make delicious tasting pickles and use a small portion daily. I encourage the use of pressed radishes, a wonderful tonic for the thyroid.

Helping Healthy Bacteria through Our Stomachs

Our stomach acids reduce the number of healthy bacteria that get through to our intestines. It therefore helps to keep ourselves more ALKALINE.

This would imply that eating fermented foods with alkaline-forming foods helps enrich our intestinal bacteria. So, for example, acid-forming foods like coffee, alcohol, sugar, meats and shellfish reduce the beneficial effects of the healthy bacteria.The range of home remedies that Macrobiotics offers creates a healthy equilibrium. Follow the seasonal guidelines of home remedies in my book ‘Macrobiotics for all Seasons’ for a strong immune system.  Strengthening one’s immunity is key and the first lesson in our workshops.

In good health

How To Eat Right & Save The Planet

Squirrels don’t gather to discuss if they should try a little meat in their diet. Lions don’t debate veganism. But we humans chop and change our diets all the time. So exactly how do we make food choices?

It seems that cultural habit, taste, and advertising are the primary motivations that inform our decisions. All are unreliable and derive from emotions or from concepts we absorb from others. But what if there are biological factors that guide us as to what we eat. We seem to have lost the capacity to detect foods that are toxic. Like any animal, we would not have survived without the capacity to detect harmful compounds in what we ate. It is a sign of health when we can discern what actions support our health and which do not.

The reasons for our sensory deficit are simple. The food industry has employed the power of science to fool the senses. Food scientists can now replicate almost any flavour (or smell) using artificial formulations. We can have strawberry cheesecake with no strawberries and no cheese. The simple potato crisp can now be purchased tasting like chicken or pork. This is an important nutritional issue especially since the food we eat not only nourishes our body but also our mind.

PSEUDO-GENES

Scientists have recently discovered what are termed as pseudo-genes. Some of the most important ones have to do with taste and smell. These genes have lost some or even all of their original functions largely due to lack of use. They have been referred to as genetic fossils. This loss of sensitivity provides an interesting insight into our dietary history. The modern diet has become more tightly focused on a narrow range of tastes with sweet (simple sugars) and salt being highest on the list. The other factor that influences our modern preferences is “mouth feel”, the way that food pleases the internal surface of the mouth.

During the great migrations of human populations, there were very few sources of fat, salt, and simple sugars. Calorie-dense foods, especially sugars, were valuable sources of energy. Aside from the immediate pleasurable effects of eating them, sugars could convert to fat in the body. According to Harvard University evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman:

Apart from honey, most of the foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate were no sweeter than a carrot. The invention of farming made starchy foods more abundant, but it wasn’t until very recently that technology made pure sugar bountiful.

The modern diet has been designed to trigger these ancient memories of scarcity and provoke a desire to eat more. This is done by triggering the activity of Dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter that sparks pleasure in us. Fat, simple sugars and salt are all dopamine triggers. The effect is that we want more. The modern diet is built around these three factors in excessive quantities.

Anytime you plan on eating one cookie or just one portion of dessert and end up eating the whole thing it was dopamine. Dopamine is the messenger of not only pleasure but also of addiction. The effect is to keep wanting more but not getting increased rewards. It is the most intense stimulations that are the most troubling. A sugar laden cake with loads of dairy in the frosting is a tsunami of addictive force.

To escape the effects of harmful eating it is important to reeducate the body. That means setting aside the harmful foods and replacing them with healthy options. It is a sign of health when we can discern what actions support our well-being and which do not. This does not mean giving up pleasure, to the contrary, it means developing a more refined sensitivity and finding great pleasure and creating health at the same time.

The most advanced modern research into nutrition and the reflection of decades of epidemiological study from around the world all point to the same conclusions. The healthiest way to eat is a wholefood, plant-based vegan diet. Basically, this announces a return to eating simple foods such as whole cereal grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, fruits and seeds. It means cutting out highly refined and animal sourced foods and eating low on the food chain. It means rejecting an industrially manufactured diet and taking control of our kitchens.

This revolution in nutrition has been driven by scientists, grass roots activists and environmentalists. This dedicated band has been engaged with the powerful forces of vested interest, cultural mythology and food industry giants who buy “scientific” research that spreads confusion. If all this reminds you of the battles for the truth about the dangers of smoking or climate change, it should. It is the same game.  The issue is simple: our modern diet not only creates disease, it endangers all life on the planet—and yes, that includes us.

HEALING OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

When I started studying food and nutrition over fifty years ago, I was intrigued by the connection between what I was eating and the environment. I should not have been, one of the great truths of life is that everything is connected. I discovered that many of the foods that had questionable or negative effects on health also had an adverse environmental impact.

We do not need new products or even more studies to create a wholesome way of eating. What we need is a new way of looking at the whole issue of food and health. We need a user-friendly, common-sense approach to understanding food that is healthy and sustainable for society and the environment. To accomplish this requires us to question everything we have been told about nutrition and review some very basic questions about the role of food in our life and in our culture. It means strengthening the relationship between the individual and nature.

The word “health” comes from Old English and means “to be complete.” Food is certainly an important part of being whole---being connected. To be healthy, we eat food that allows us to operate at our full potential. That potential includes the sensitivity and capacity to adapt to environmental change. Health enables us to nurture the bond between nature and ourselves. Ecology is a central theme of the ancient systems of understanding food.

Ecology is rarely acknowledged when discussing nutrition, and yet it is central to understanding our food choices and how different foods affect us. These effects are both direct and indirect. Rachel Carson, author of The Silent Spring and the accepted mother of modern ecology put it this way.

            If we have been slow to develop the general concepts of ecology and conservation, we have been even more tardy in recognizing the facts of the ecology and conservation of man himself. We may hope that this will be the next major phase in the development of biology. Here and there, awareness is growing that man, far from being the overlord of all creation, is himself part of nature, subject to the same cosmic forces that control all other life. Man’s future welfare and probably even his survival depend upon his learning to live in harmony, rather than in combat, with these forces.

This view of our relationship with nature is more crucial now than ever. Carson’s vision of an evolution in biological science that unifies human life with the environment has been steadily sidelined. If man is “a part of nature, subject to the same cosmic forces that control all other life,”then natural law exists for us as well as for every other creature, plant, and aspect of the planet. If we do not learn to cooperate with the laws of nature, we will harm ourselves. We don’t need an environmental degree to understand natural law.

When we grow enough grain and beans to feed double the present population simply to feed to animals, we are not observing natural law. When accepting that killing 70 Billion land animals each year for our eating pleasure we are not practicing sound ethical principles. When we ship an exotic fruit thousands of miles by air to eat because we have been told it has magical properties to cure all our ills, we are not being mindful of our place in nature.

Our belief in human supremacy (often referred to as anthropocentric thinking) allows us to place ourselves at the center of the universe. We view our uniqueness as a sign of separation from the rest of life that swirls around us and within us. The belief that we are superior to other life-forms permits us to use the natural world according to our desires and whims. After all, we feel we have “dominion” over all living creatures. As we pull away from any physical interaction with nature, we fortify those mythologies that lie at the foundation of our most harmful behaviors.

HEART AND MIND, BODY AND SOUL

Changing our food choices is an act of Deep Ecology. It is a practical demonstration of our personal awareness of our link to nature. This automatically places us outside the modern social environment we live in, it encourages us to pay attention. It is an act of rebellion against the consumption of toxic foods built on social injustice, ecological damage and the killing of sentient life. It is an escape from the most prevalent aspect of consumerism. It is difficult to imagine a single act that has so many positive repercussions to our physical, social and psychological well-being.

As we move into an era where our young are developing the diseases of the old, where behavioural problems continue to rise, and our health systems teeter on the edge of failure we should be worried. That is seemingly not the case. We are held in place by deep-seated emotional attachments and out-dated traditions.

Imagine the benefit of preventing 50% of all heart disease, reducing cancers by 30% or reversing 80% of all type two diabetes. Think of the impact on our overworked hospitals, doctors and nurses. I believe that the figures above are conservative. Achieving them would require no new drugs, no improved technologies and no extensive training of professionals. What it will require is a new vision of health and healing as well as a stronger commitment to real rather that superficial change.

One of the clear lessons we can learn from our present dilemma is that nutrition, health, ecological concerns and compassion for non-human life are all intimately linked. Until we approach human activities with a clear ethic regarding long term outcome we are doomed to flounder from the effects of simplistic solutions. The Native American Iroquois Council of tribal affairs encouraged leaders to consider the impact of decisions for seven generations. Try and imagine what todays leaders would decide if that system had the force of law. In today’s rush for the quick fix they would be paralyzed but it must be done. It is a challenge to us all.

The food industry and the damage it does from farm to factory to table will only change through consumer demands. These demands should not be for “vegan” or “healthy” replacements for familiar junk food. Our demands should be for food that is organically grown and free of chemicals, it needs to be whole food and not processed quick fixes. The more we move our attention back into the kitchen, the more control we have over our health, and our relationship to the environment. This in no way needs to inhibit any other social actions we wish to take or other environmental causes we want to pursue but it is fundamental.

My wife Marlene and I have 90 years of experience between us in the field of natural health care. We are here to support the shift to eating a diet that is healthy and causes no harm, we welcome your questions. After all, if we don’t take care of our body and our planet, where are we going to live?

In good health

Fish & Fish Oils are Not Health Food

This week's blog post comes from one of our fantastic advisory board panel, Dr. Tim Radak. Dr. Radaks' recent presentation is a must-see and his post below is packed with invaluable information sharing the truth on fish and fish oil. As a longtime vegan I teach the same message that most of the fat in fish is not heart-healthy fat and also fish are full of pollutants. A wholefoods plant-based vegan diet automatically reduces exposure to these toxins and supplementing with fish oil may do more harm than good.

In recent years, fish oil has been hailed as a miracle cure for everything from heart disease to dementia. Many people supplement with fish oil to increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining cellular function. Unfortunately, studies have shown that most of the health claims associated with fish oil may be unfounded.

As you know, our Human Ecology Project is our life's passion and both Bill Tara and I teach all our students that our belief is that the sole purpose of life is to pass on what was learned, all we share is the truth always. It's therefore, a great joy to introduce you to Tim and his work.

Dr. Tim Radak

Dr. Tim Radak has worked in leadership and administration for a variety of public health-related nonprofit organizations, ranging from cancer prevention and research to health promotion and nutrition. He has taught graduate-level courses for over a decade in both campus-based and distance learning environments. Prior to joining Walden University, Dr. Radak served as assistant professor at Appalachian State University and Director of the Graduate Dietetic Program.

He has published articles in a number of national and international peer-reviewed journals, written textbook chapters, and contributed to and participated in television, radio, and newsprint media as an expert on various public health and nutrition topics, with a focus on essential fatty acids. He is an Advisory Board Member for the Human Ecology Project. He has been credentialed as a registered dietitian nutritionist since 2000. Dr. Radak has been a faculty member at Walden in the College of Health Professions since 2010, teaching public health courses in both the PhD and MPH programs before becoming the academic program coordinator for the PhD in Public Health program.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid Sources

These fats are essential and confer many health benefits. Omega 3 fatty acids are distributed in a wide variety of food sources both on land and from the sea.

What are Omega 3 Fatty Acids?

Omega 3 fatty acids are part of a class of fats that the body must incorporate directly from sources in nature. Unlike all other fats, which the body can produce from other fats as needed, omega 3 fatty acids are unique in that they cannot be derived or synthesized from other fats in the diet and the body. They are therefore labeled as “essential” fatty acids.  Requirements for intake of EFA are very small.

What do they do?

They play a role in the health or function of every tissue in the body and produce potent substances and compounds involved in a variety of processes. The parent omega 3 fatty acid is α-linolenic acid (ALA), some of which is converted to longer chain fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  Omega 3 fatty acids are incorporated in the membrane of phospholipids (the building blocks for cell membranes) and play a variety of roles in cell signaling and functioning. They are required for growth, reproduction, neuronal function, and skin maintenance, are involved in cholesterol regulation and metabolism, and affect gene expression (a process where genetic information in lipids and fats can be changed by omega 3 fatty acids).

How much do we need?

Despite playing an important role and function in the body, requirements for intake of omega 3 fatty acids are very small. The US Institute of Medicine advises that men and women need about 1.6 and 1.1 grams/day, respectively, of ALA and a bit more for pregnant or lactating women. This represents about 0.6 to 1.2 percent of total daily energy requirements.  The US Institute of Medicine suggests there isn’t enough evidence for providing an adequate intake threshold for EPA or DHA but 10% of ALA can come from EPA/DHA if desired.  The UK Dietary Reference Guide recommendations for omega 3 fatty acids are a bit less for ALA (0.2 percent total energy).

Data from US national nutrition studies suggest we are meeting and slightly exceeding these intake recommendations, and deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids is almost unheard of in both the US and UK. Intake of another essential fatty acid, Omega 6, does compete for incorporation with Omega 3, so if intake of Omega 6 is high, it may increase Omega 3 requirements.  Though both are essential and important to health, it is recommended to keep intake of Omega 6 fatty acids at a moderate level and the best way to achieve this is to focus on whole, unprocessed plant based foods as much as possible.

Sources with significant Omega 3 fatty acids

1. Flax seeds

Flax seeds are rich in nutrients, phytochemicals, fiber and are a very good source of omega 3 fatty acids.  1 tablespoon contains about 1.6 grams of ALA providing 100% to 145% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.  Due to their fat content, purchase the seeds and grind them as needed, and store in an air tight container.

2. Chia seeds

Chia seeds are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and other important nutrients, including magnesium, calcium, and manganese, and are loaded with fiber. Over half the fat in Chia seeds comes from omega 3 fatty acids making this a very rich source of ALA. A one ounce serving contains about 5 grams of ALA providing 312% to 454% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.

3. Walnuts and pecans

Nuts are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, with walnuts being a superior source. Both of these nuts are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals such as phytosterols and other nutrients.  A one ounce serving of walnuts contains about 2.5 grams of ALA providing 160% to 233% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.  A one ounce serving of pecans contains about 0.28 grams of ALA providing 18% to 25% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.

4. Oils and margarines

While oils and margarines are processed foods and high in calories, it does not take much to provide substantial omega 3 fatty acids. 1 tablespoon of canola oil contains about 1.3 grams of ALA providing 80% to 116% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively. A tablespoon of flax oil contains a whopping 7.2 grams of ALA providing 453% to 660% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively. 1 tablespoon of canola oil contains about 1.3 grams of ALA providing 80% to 116% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively. 1 tablespoon of margarine such as Earth Balance contains about 0.44 grams of ALA providing 28% to 40% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.

5. Soybeans and Tofu

Touted as health food, soy and soy products like tofu are a solid protein source, rich in phytochemicals, and have a sizeable amount of omega 3 fatty acids. A half cup of roasted soybeans yields about 0.67 grams of ALA providing 42% to 61% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively. A half cup of tofu, being more processed than soybeans, contains about 0.23 grams of ALA providing 14% to 21% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.

6. Beans

Beans of all varieties are an excellent source of protein and fiber, one of the cheapest sources of protein, and some have significant amounts of omega 3 fatty acids.  A half cup of navy beans contains about 0.56 grams of ALA providing 37% to 54% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively. A half cup of kidney beans provides about 0.33 grams of ALA providing 20% to 30% of daily adequate intake for men and women, respectively.

7. Algae

Where do fish obtain their omega 3 fatty acids? Directly from the plentiful algae in the ocean. For those wishing to take a supplement, algae oil or dried algae are available and provide very significant quantities of EPA and DHA, the long chain omega 3 fatty acids.  Various gel capsules sold on the market can range from 72-130 mg of EPA and 120-350 mg of DHA per capsule.

8. Fish and Fish oil supplements

Fish oil and fish, especially fatty fish are plentiful in omega 3 fatty acids, however these are not ideal sources for several reasons despite their widespread promotion.  Fish accumulate heavy metals like methyl mercury and other environmental toxins like dioxins and polychorinated biphenyls to the degree that the Dietary Guideline for Americans provides specific guidance to pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children to consume no more than 8-12 ounces per week and to specifically avoid certain fish.  The UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition in a 2006 report have similar recommendations and still promote fish mainly for cardiovascular disease reduction.

There are also issues surrounding sustainability, such as severe overfishing causing depleted fish stocks and affecting other sea life (bycatch). Please also refer to my previous post from Dr. Bruce Monger 'Crisis In Our Ocean'

Fish oil supplements have also largely been disproven as beneficial for cardiovascular and  brain health and mortality with several major meta-analysis studies showing little to no benefit.  The NHS Omega 3 Prescribing Fact Sheet, NHS England considers omega-3 fatty acid supplements as an item which should no longer be routinely prescribed in primary care.

Farmed fish do not fare any better. Because some are grown in concentrated containment areas and excrete their waste products in the surrounding water  and are often fed reprocessed ocean fish remains, they may end up containing more contaminants. Additionally, fish naturally produce trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), which is considered to be a pro-atherogenic compound. Fish produce more TMAO than meat and eggs.

Finally, fish and other seafood sources of omega 3 like oysters are sources of cholesterol and saturated fat. and contain no fiber, all of which are related to cardiovascular health.  The cholesterol-free and fiber rich plant kingdom with far less issues for contamination thus offer better and safer sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

Are there other dietary sources of omega 3 fatty acids?

We don’t need to exclusively focus on the rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids in order to meet the adequate daily intake. Nature has distributed omega 3 fatty acids in small amounts widely, even in leafy greens and raspberries.

Mother nature never gets it wrong. Please share this post with friends, family and colleagues and join us in service for a healthy world.

In good health

Crisis In Our Ocean - The Climate Change Impact

Dr. Bruce Monger is one of our Advisory Board members and an incredible gifted teacher. Climate change can be complicated and difficult to understand, given its many nuances. In his course, Dr. Monger teaches students the basic framework of climate change issues, which helps place current news into context and gives students a broader perspective of the trajectory for global climate change — both with and without mitigation. You can watch this wonderful presentation by clicking on the link.

The dire consequences of the climate crisis are on full display in our world’s oceans. Rising temperatures, ocean acidification, and de-oxygenation are causing dramatic changes in our marine ecosystems. The impacts of these changes are as wide-ranging as they are alarming, from coral bleaching to more intense tropical storms and the loss of sea life and habitat.

The speed at which changes are taking place is perhaps the most concerning of all. We need rapid action to bring CO2 emissions to zero by mid-century if we are to save our oceans and thus ourselves.

Crisis in Our Oceans: The Climate Change Impact 

Study with Professor Monger

Sometime in the near future there will be an extended non-credit course covering oceanography in general. It culminates with a lot of attention on climate change and other global-scale impacts on the ocean - and on human societies survival.

Toward the end of the semester, after Dr. Monger has made clear the magnitude of the climate change problem and the lingering effects that will last thousands of years, he tells students that every so often a generation is called upon to do something extraordinary.  “This generation is now being called upon to decarbonise the entire global energy system by mid-century to save all of humanity.”

Dr. Monger’s words still inspire students to think deeply about ways they can take meaningful action and help create a sustainable future. Over the last 10 years, he has influenced many students to shift towards civically-minded careers in areas such as earth and atmospheric sciences, environmental law, civil engineering, architecture and chemical engineering.

It's important to be an informed citizen. Please share this work with friends, family and colleagues and join us in service for a healthy world for humans and nonhumans alike.

In good health

Creating Change Starts Here

I believe that it is by the actions of individuals and families that change happens. Therefore, I strongly support the ethos of starting with whatever you have right now that will create change. It can be as simple as sowing a seed in a tiny space no matter how small just start and become a model for others to create change. When you plant the seed and watch it grow it seriously does make magic happen. That is how I started teaching farm to table cooking classes back in the 90’s. Sharing the gift of food is one of the greatest gifts we can offer another.

In many of his writings, Oshawa one of our Japanese teachers used the parable of “One Grain, Ten Thousand Grains” to explain the importance of giving to others. The phrase refers to how a single grain when germinated eventually gives birth to thousands of grains.

According to Oshawa, we should follow nature’s example and use it as a guiding principle for how we should live our lives. We can find true happiness by following in the path of nature, that gives continuously such things as food, water and air. Practicing giving also creates a kind of mysterious circuit in which the giver is rewarded even more than he or she has given. If anyone gives you something of value, you should be prepared to return it (or give it forward) ten thousand times.

Lessons From the Past – Directions For The Future

Oshawa’s parable always reminds me of my childhood when at harvest time my mum and dad would help us make food parcels that my sisters, brother and I would take to children’s homes, hospitals and the elderly. It was such a special feeling to share all the food that was collected in the community to do this. Sharing is caring and I truly believe that we feel the greatest connection when food operates at the local or community level.

In my community I see so many families who are disconnected from nutritious food, active lifestyles, and the natural world. This leads to physical and mental ill health. Reconnecting to food, people and the natural environment helps to preserve natural resources, strengthen communities and increase our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

If we look back over the past five decades at the food production systems in the West, there has been a huge trend towards industrialisation. It’s really quite shocking to see that humans were once 80 percent rural, and now we are 80 percent urban.  In my own community growing up in Scotland there was the wonderful slow food movement, and I was so proud at the young age of 16 to be a part of that.

Changing economic conditions coupled with this dislocation from food sources means that in areas of high poverty in inner cities and remote rural areas people cannot easily access fresh, locally grown produce. In the past these people would have been able to grow their own or were able to glean local farmers fields, or their neighbours would give them any surplus produce from their gardens.  Without local or community food systems these options don’t exist.

Educating The Youth

Recently Bill and I hosted our Tasty Tips For Kids workshop and we asked the children where their bread came from. They all said a factory. When we showed them soil and grain one little boy said, my food doesn’t grow in dirt, it doesn’t, it comes from the factory. Children are growing up not knowing where their food comes from, not just where it is produced but also how it is produced.  Not only have children lost their connection to the food they eat, their parents and communities have. There is so much work to do and we all need to connect and create exciting projects to turn this situation around.

Community food systems are one of the most important ways we can lead a connected life.  These systems connect us to our food, to our local area, to the producers of our food, and other people in the community who belong to the same community food system. I am encouraged by the amazing projects already out there that can be duplicated to bring this wonderful way of living back to our world. Community food systems result in increased food security and greater community self-reliance.  These food systems allow us opportunities to support people in our community who are disadvantaged and who may not otherwise have access to fresh, organic food.

Human Ecology Project

We are also able to develop social systems that can support social sustainability. In 2003 Bill and I wrote our 2020 vision, our Human Ecology Project that encompasses all that we love and teach. If we apply the considerations of personal health, social justice, environmental concerns, and ethical considerations that we have taught for many decades to our students, then we arrive at our Human Ecology Project. We will now share this on a much larger scale. Our educational programmes will be delivered via video, articles on the website and our community outreach programmes. In Spring we look forward once again to having a base to run our courses from growing food being at the top of the agenda along with cooking classes. It’s one for all and all for one.

The Personal becomes Planetary

We believe in the power of small acts. There is a resistance by many to believe in the power of individuals to create significant change. This is often used as a braking mechanism by those with vested interest in maintaining power. This is no time for pessimism it is a time for action. In the words of anthropologist Margret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”

I live it and love it daily. My passion for a healthy world for human and nonhuman alike has me jump out of bed every morning.

In good health