When
discussing matters of health, I am often asked,
"What can I do to improve my health?'. In
response I am quick to say, 'Drop the Standard
American Diet and start eating plenty of dark, leafy
greens!' More often than not, this advice is met with
disappointment and usually a grimace. Nevertheless, I
follow up with a mini-lesson about dark, leafy greens
and why they are so important for building a healthy
body.
To begin with, the human body was designed to run
best on plant-based foods. Given this fact, one might
question the plan and purpose of YHVH Almighty in
choosing a vegan fare for His people. Why is a diet
of vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, and whole grains
such a great menu plan?
It seems too simple and too limited! Furthermore, why
is it better to eat it all raw?
In His
infinite wisdom, YHVH custom made the fruit,
vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole grains with our
better health in mind, since these plant-derived
foods contain all the life force that we need in
order to experience optimum health. The 'seed-bearing
fruit of the tree, and the seed-bearing herb of the
field' (Genesis 1:29) in their natural, raw
state
are power-packed with myriads of live vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, anti-oxidants, naturally distilled
water, oxygen, phytonutrients, etc. This
is living nutrition
for your living body. Your
body that is 'fearfully and wonderfully made' is
composed of over one hundred trillion cells. These
cells are living and need
to be fed each day. They must have live
food
in order to function.
While all of YHVH's live foods are important in
achieving optimum
health, dark, leafy greens enjoy a
special place in His diet plan.
So it is that greens such as chard, collards, kale,
spinach, leafy
green/red lettuce, herbs, etc. are exceptionally
healthy foods
because they are
1) nutritionally dense
2) high in protein
3) rich in life-giving chlorophyll.
1)
Greens are an exceptional source of concentrated
vitamins
and minerals, thus rendering them nutritionally-dense
food.
For example, most greens are rich in calcium and
vitamins A and C.
They are good for every system in the body. Based on
nutrients per
pound, the nutritional profile of some popular greens
is as follows:
Collards-14,020I.U
vitamin A, 203mg ascorbic acid,
503mg calcium, and 118mg. phosphorus. Collards are
excellent
for every system of the body.
Kale- 21,950 I.U vitamin A, 335mg
ascorbic acid, 655mg calcium,
and 180 phosphorus. It builds up calcium reserves in
the body,
builds strong teeth, and aids the digestive and
nervous systems.
Parsley- 3,298I.U. vitamin A, 780mg
ascorbic acid, 921mg calcium
28.1mg iron. Parsley is a blood purifier, stimulates
the bowel, and
leaves an alkaline ash in the body. It is also high
in iron, copper, and
manganese.
Swiss chard- 10,920I.U. vitamin A,
148mg ascorbic acid, 410mg
calcium, and 140mg phosphorus. In combination with
other
vegetables prevents colds and is beneficial to the
digestive system.
Spinach- 26,450I.U vitamin A, 167mg
ascorbic acid, 368mg calcium,
13.6mg iron. Spinach is rich in iron, contains about
40% potassium,
and leaves an alkaline edge in the body. It is good
for the lymphatic, urinary, and digestive systems.
Spinach is also known to have a
laxative effect.
2) Greens are high in protein. Plant-based
protein is the best
source of protein because it is the only form of
protein that the body
can recognize, process, and assimilate. Animal
proteins (meat, dairy, seafood) are foreign
substances that are undigestible and therefore
unassimilable by the body. Surprisingly, the body
requires only
about 2% protein each day which many, especially
meat-eaters,
find difficult to believe. Research shows that the
protein content of
greens (per pound) averages as follows:
collards-
8.0g
endive and escarole- 6.8
dandelion- 12.3g
kale-11.3g
lettuce- 3.8g
parsley- 16.3g
spinach- 10.4g
swiss chard has 5.5g
turnip greens- 11g
watercress- 7.7g
Whereas
no one would eat a pound of greens at a time, it
makes
healthy sense to incorporate as many greens into
one's diet as
possible in order to maximize protein intake. Eating
concentrated
greens in any form (especially juice) is not only
highly nutritious,
but filling. Try it sometime. Greens entirely satisfy
hunger.
In her book, Green for Life, Victoria Boutenko
presents remarkable
evidence of the nutritional value of greens. Her
personal research
into the nutrient qualities of greens is spelled out
in a number of
charts that explore the essential mineral and vitamin
content of
greens as well as their amino acid and protein
content. She also
compares the nutritional value of beet, turnip,
parsley greens with
their root, and shows the nutritional difference
between organic
and conventionally-grown foods. Suffice to say,
Victoria has become
a recognized authority on greens. Her book is
recommended reading.
3) Greens are special foods because they contain
cholorophyll.
Cholorophyll is to a plant like blood is to
the human body. This
surprising fact is addressed by Dr. Norman Walker, in
his book,
'Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices':
"
...in order for vegetation to flourish, it needs
nitrogen and carbon from the air; minerals,
mineral
salts, and more nitrogen from the earth in which
it
grows; and, of course, oxygen and hydrogen from
water. The most vital and potent factors in this
process of conversion are the enzymes and the
life-giving influence of the rays of the sun
which
generate the cholorophyll. The chlorophyll
molecule is made up of a web of cardon,
hydrogen,
nitrogen and oxygen atoms around one
single
atom of magnesium.
It is interesting to compare
this design with that of the hemoglobin of our red
corpuscles, which has a similar web of
elements
girdling it with an atom of iron
instead of the atom
of magnesium."
So it
is that a molecule of chlorophyll and that of human
blood differ
by one atom. Plants have a magnesium atom, while our
hemoglobin
has an iron atom. This similarity begs further
investigation. If you
remember from science class, chlorophyll is produced
during
photosynthesis: the process which, by the aid of
sunlight,
raw materials contained in the soil, air, and water,
are converted into
life-energy, aka 'food', for the
plants.This manufacturing process
takes place in the leaves of plants and trees. Thus
chlorophyll has
become known as 'liquid sunshine'. It
is no surprise, then, that leafy
greens such as kale, chard, collards, lettuce,
spinach, arugula, etc.
contain high levels of chlorophyll that in turn
infuse body cells with
life-giving nutrients of 'light'.
In her
article, 'What's so great about
wheatgrass? 40 Points about
Wheatgrass and its Nutritional Values,'
KK Fowlkes, health
minister, author, and sprout enthusiast, enumerates
many of the
remarkable qualities of cholorphyll. Here are some of
her findings:
1.
Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life
2. Chlorophyll contains more light energy than any
other element.
3. Chlorophyll is high in oxygen. The brain and all
body tissues
function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated
environment.
4. Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used
inside and
outside the body as a healer.
5. Chlorophyll arrests growth and development
of unfriendly
bacteria.
6. Chlorophyll rebuilds the bloodstream.
7. The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds
enzymes
that restore the sex hormones, hence increasing
fertility.
8. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines
them and
makes them over.
9. Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the
body.
10. Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
11. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
12. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.
13. In the American Journal of Surgery (1940),
Benjamin
Gruskin, M.D. recommends chlorophyll for its
antiseptic
benefits. The article suggests the following clinical
uses for
chlorophyll: to clear up foul smelling odors,
neutralize Strep
infections, heal wounds, hasten skin grafting, cure
chronic
sinusitis, overcome chronic inner-ear inflammation
and
infection, reduce varicose veins and heal leg ulcers,
eliminate
impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heal rectal
sores,
successfully treat inflammation of the uterine
cervix, get rid of
parasitic vaginal infections, reduce typhoid fever,
and cure
advanced pyorrhea in many cases.
14. Dr. Birscher, a research scientist, called
chlorophyll
"concentrated sun power." He said,
"chlorophyll increases the
function of the heart, affects the vascular system,
the
intestines, the uterus, and the lungs."
TO
GET THE FULL BENEFIT OF CHLOROPHYLL, IT MUST BE
FROM A LIVING PLANT
Considering
the noble characteristics assigned to greens by the
Almighty, these dark leafies deserve to have a place
of prominence in our daily diets. Incorporating more
fresh, raw greens into one's diet is not only easy
but fun. Instead of using head lettuce (which is an
unhealthy food) choose darker varieties of greens for
salads. Acquaint yourself with the different
tastes of greens. Use your favorites in raw soups,
smoothies, entrees, and even desserts. Turn them into
wraps. When all else fails, eat them plain. Chewing
on leaves of green is one of life's simple pleasures.
If fresh greens are not available, turn to the next
best solution: BarleyMax. Take
a couple extra servings of this concentrated,
powdered barley juice for a healthy boost. No matter
what, eat your greens!
Personally, I love greens! My diet consists mainly of
a variety of kale, collards, dark lettuces, and salad
mixes. I enjoy a rich, green-based raw soup before my
large salad at noon. In the evening, I am known to
have another especially green soup or a tasty green
smoothie. As a live foodist of many years, my body
naturally 'goes for the greens.' If I don't have
enough of them, my body feels robbed. I thus
encourage others to get
the most out of their meals by making them greener.
It has been said that the bitter herbs which the
Israelites ate before
leaving Egypt on the Passover were none other than
dark, leafy greens (Numbers 9:11). If this is true,
then YHVH has given us additional
evidence of the importance of greens. In light of
their superior nutritional quality, greens are an
important ticket for escaping the plagues of
modern Egypt, i.e. cancer, heart disease, diabetes,
fibromyalgia, liver problems, neurological diseases,
female problems, etc., etc. Considering the amount of
physical, emotional, and mental suffering in the
world,
it is a blessing to know that YHVH has provided a way
of escape from
our ills by trusting in Him and following His
ultimate health plan.
When all is said and done, the chlorophyll content of
greens is remarkable in that when we eat greens, it
is like eating sunlight! For those of us who want to
'walk in the light' and be the 'children of light,'
it stands to reason that we should naturally
gravitate toward eating foods that are filled with
light, namely chlorophyll-rich greens. I believe the
close correlation between the plant's blood
(chlorophyll) and human blood is no mistake. YHVH's
has a distinct purpose in mind here. He is telling us
something. Are we listening?
I believe that the food we will eat in YHVH's kingdom
is living food.
Dead food will not be allowed. Man-made food has
proven all too long
that it does not feed the body. If anything, it
destroys human life.
Sickness and death is not what YHVH intends for His
people. He desires His people to LIVE.
Therefore, let's LIVE by eating LIVE
FOOD. Let us
enter into His kingdom now by eating
what is good for us with the
understanding that superior health is predicated upon
excellent
nutrition. Therefore, do not settle for less. Eat
your greens!
In
the second month on the fourteenth day at even
they shall keep it; they shall eat it with
unleavened
bread and bitter herbs:
Numbers 9:11
For
you were sometimes darkness, but now are you
light in YHVH: walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8
You are the children of light, and the children
of the
day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
I Thessalonians 5:5
Every
good and perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 5:17
For He is not an Elohim of the dead, but of the
living: for all live unto Him.
Luke 20:38
References:
Green for Life, Victoria Boutenko
Foods that Heal, Dr. Bernard Jensen
Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices, Dr. Norman
D. Walker
Back to
Living Letter #145 / index
