The Free Radical

This list includes many food items which I try to ingest on a daily basis. They are not strictly conventional, and some, perhaps, will be unknown to most readers. Therefore, I have included nutritional profiles and descriptions where appropriate.

1. QuintEssential Optimum Mineralization 3.3: The origin of this mineral supplement goes back to 1897 and the work of Rene Quinton who demonstrated the profound effect of all known natural minerals and trace elements upon the structure and function of all life-forms. Bio-available minerals are the basis of all metabolic functions; they are the foundation of life. They are all essential for optimum human physiology. When any one trace element is absent in the human organism, there are certain specific metabolic pathways which become impaired or disabled. The human body will often find ways to compensate for the absence, but these adjustments in metabolism will be less than optimal. This food, which comes in 10mL vials, provides ocean-sourced minerals and trace elements in precisely correct ratios for immediate use by the human organism. It is essentially blood plasma, but 3 times concentrated. My experience with it is that it improves everything! After several months of using QuintEssential, the body is fully remineralized, becoming extraordinarily efficient and experiences hunger very rarely. Going a full day without food is not uncomfortable in the least. I believe that we are a society of over-eaters primarily due to the vast mineral deficiencies in our conventional food supply. This food solves that problem in a jiffy.

2. Pine Pollen: This incredibly nutrient-dense food has been a staple in Chinese and Korean medicine for more than 2000 years. It contains over 200 bioactive nutrients, which when consumed daily provides abundant energy, super-immunity and restores balance to the endocrine system. This is the semen of the forest… and it tastes great! Just a half teaspoon a day provides clearly noticeable results. The sexual energy it provides to the human male is off the charts! I always smile at the Viagra commercials when they suggest consulting with a physician if erections last more than 4 hours. With pine pollen 4 hours is perfectly normal and wholly sustainable!

3. Chaga: This mushroom grows primarily in birch forests. It “blooms” from the trunks of living and dead birch trees appearing as a rough black mass. It can be cut from the tree with a machete or hatchet revealing a light to dark brown interior. Chaga is the richest known food source of melanin, the pigment which turns our skin brown as protection against sun exposure. Its antioxidant capacity is totally outrageous, scoring 1104 on the ORAC scale (blueberries score 24). It is the undeniable King of the medicinal mushrooms conferring immune-boosting qualities to its users. Its taste is not at all unpleasant, and I brew it up in my coffee daily having found that it actually improves the flavour of my already exceptional home-roasted organic coffee. This is perhaps the number one anti-cancer food in the world. I am very fortunate in that I am surrounded by pockets of birch forests and further blessed with a roommate who enjoys chaga hunting. We’ve got literally buckets of these precious beauties!

4. Hemp Hearts: These are the shelled seeds of the hemp plant. Loaded with amino acids, this complete protein source is balanced and highly digestible. It contains all the essential fatty acids (EFA) in excellent ratios for human health, boasting more omega 3 than any fish. These seeds are excellent in salads and smoothies and even taste great just straight off the spoon! I eat about 3 heaping tablespoons of these a day. Until one’s body is fully remineralized, hemp hearts are superb at curbing hunger.

5. Organic Raw Milk Cheese (from grass fed cows): Now here’s something most people will recognize as “regular” food. The essential difference here is that the cheese is made from raw milk. The pasteurization of modern dairy is a complete health catastrophe. Pasteurization causes proteins to become denatured as well as altering the fat content of milk. What this means in the simplest of terms is that your body can no longer properly digest what should have been a very healthful substance. Pasteurized milk– or the cheese made from it– causes a strong immune response as the body regards it as a foreign invader rather than a food. I eat enormous quantities of organic raw milk cheese… somewhere in the neighbourhood of 80 to 100 pounds of it a year. As long as it truly is raw from grass fed cows, it doesn’t make you fat, nor does it cause constipation like pasteurized cheeses will. There are a few cheese makers in Canada who offer organic raw milk cheese and I usually do try them when I can find them. My favourite source for the very best cheese however comes from my friend Eldore Hanni in Pennsylvania who claims to be producing the most nutritious cheese on planet Earth. The name of his cooperative is Farmstead Fresh… and they do mail order.

6. Kimchi: Sticking with the more recognizable foods, kimchi is Korea’s national food. It is served with virtually every meal in traditional Korean households. So what is Kimchi? It is a cultured vegetable ferment, and if you want the tremendous health benefits of kimchi you need to make your own. Fortunately it’s extremely easy to do. You can use pretty much any vegetables you want. Root vegetables, leafy greens and stalks are all suitable. Cut them up into bite-sized pieces and then soak them in brine for 1 or 2 days. Use a good full spectrum salt like Redmond’s or Himalayan crystal salt. After soaking, the vegetables should have a lightly salted flavour. Drain the brine. Now make a paste in the blender using fresh onion, garlic, ginger and hot peppers. Use the amounts of each of these according to your own taste preferences. I like it hot and gingery! Mix the paste into the brined veggies and pack it into jars. There should be just enough water to cover the veggies. Leave the lids slightly loose as the ferment tends to produce gas as it proceeds, and put them in a cool cellar or the fridge. In about 3 weeks you’ll have young kimchi, but it will continue to grow stronger as time goes by, but as far as I can tell, it will never go bad. I’ve heartily eaten kimchi that’s been in my fridge for more than 2 years! Oh, and don’t be put off by the smell; kimchi is one of those foods which can smell atrociously awful and yet somehow taste delicious. It is loaded with probiotics which can do absolute wonders for rebalancing the gut and bolstering the immune system. Kimchi is very handy for home gardeners who aren’t sure what to do with the autumn bounty. Rather than canning– which kills your food– making kimchi from it actually boosts its nutritional content and preserves it at the same time!

7. Meditation: Okay, I know… it’s a bit of a stretch calling meditation a food, but it feels so nourishing. And really, what could be more important than full brain coherence? If you can’t think straight (or gay… whatever), how can you control your emotions? Without meditation we are like rudderless ships tossed about on angry seas. Fortunately, the past few decades have brought tremendous advancements in brain entrainment technology which makes effective meditation ridiculously easy. I’ve been using Holosync for about 2 years now. Their entrainment technology is mainly based on binaural beats which require the use of headphones. More recently, I’ve been looking into Lifeforce which utilizes binaural and monaural beats as well as isochronic pulses. These work best with headphones, but they are not strictly necessary. So a little more freedom here. I’ll update this post when I’ve had the opportunity to compare Holosync and Lifeforce for a few more months. I always like to try things for myself before making recommendations.

8. Chia Seeds: These little babies are perfect for creating instant pudding! Their flavour is so neutral you could ask “How much more neutral could the flavour be?” Answer: None. None more neutral. So go ahead and add a little raw vanilla bean, or raw cacao, or maybe some coconut… maybe even all of the above! The perfect healthy dessert, chia seeds are very high in omega 3 fatty acids, high in protein, and have an exceptional capacity for holding water and delivering hydration during endurance activities. Its hydrating action is due to a high percentage of soluble fiber (you have to soak them briefly first). Soluble fiber is prebiotic in action, supporting healthy intestinal flora.

9. Raw Cacao Beans: By now we’ve all heard of chocolate’s many health benefits. If you’re eating that chocolate in the form of Hershey bars or something similar however, the benefits will not outweigh the health challenges posed by refined sugars and highly processed milk solids. Try the beans instead, just the way nature produces them… okay, I buy the peeled ones, so I suppose they are “processed”. And if you’re looking for the very best, try wild cacao beans, or ones as being advertised as coming from mature trees, not hybrid bushes which account for the vast majority of cacao currently harvested. They are a bit of an acquired taste, but once you’ve acquired it… look out! Very high in magnesium, healthy saturated fats, and neurotransmitters.

10. Spirulina Crunchies: This form of spirulina is much easier to take than the loose powder or even the chewable tablets. It tastes kind of like unseasoned cooked chicken. A tablespoon a day (5 grams) is a good moderate dose. Spirulina is up to 70% protein, including all essential amino acids, in a highly digestible form. Its pigment content in the form of phycocyanin (up to 16%) is largely responsible for its ability to neutralize and remove radiotoxic substances from our bodies. It was widely used, with great success, in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Warning: it loves to stick to your teeth turning them very dark green, so check your smile before flashing the world your unabashed enthusiasm for this miracle food!

11. Clay: That’s right, I recommend that you eat dirt! Throughout history, all cultures the world over, have periodically ingested various clays primarily for their cleansing effect. Through both absorption and adsorption, clay– with its tiny particle size– is very effective in binding with most toxins including radioactive particles and safely moves them through the bowel. Various bentonite clays are used internally for this purpose. I use a specific one called pascalite clay. It’s excellent to have on hand in the event of upset tummies. A spoonful of clay in a glass of water (do not mix with a metal spoon) will almost always relieve upset stomachs even in the event of severe food poisoning. It also makes a good natural teeth brushing whitener and oral cleanser. Facial masks are also often made from clay for the purposes of drawing toxins out through the skin. It can also be used in bathwater for a full body effect.

12. Goji Berries: I grow these in my backyard. They are extremely hardy and adaptable! Goji is perhaps the most nutritionally-rich fruit on Earth, being a complete protein source containing 18 amino acids, numerous trace minerals, B vitamins, vitamin E, immune-boosting polysaccharides, and are the only known food to help stimulate the human body to naturally produce more Human Growth Hormone. They are the number one food in Chinese Medicine, boasting a balanced taste which has been enjoyed for more than 5,000 years!

13. Cereal Grasses: Here we’re talking about wheat, barley, oat, etc., but not the grains! It is the grass shortly after it sprouts which contains the mega-nutrition. These grasses when harvested within the first ten days are extremely nutritious, so much so that I’m not even going to bother listing them. The list would be too long! Now, lacking the extra stomachs of a cow and being too pressed for time to chew our cud, humans are advised not to actually eat the grass. Instead we press the juice from it with a masticating juicer and drink that. The taste is quite strong and a bit weird. The grasses I grow tend to be insanely sweet too, but not from sugar. I always add glacier rock dust to the soil and water them with a very dilute Dead Sea salt water solution. Perhaps these account for the crazy sweetness. This is the perfect survival food. The grains store very well, are ridiculously easy to grow– even during the winter, and the nutrition can’t be beat. During the spring and summer wild grasses can also be easily harvested from just about anywhere. There are no poisonous grasses among the 900+ species on Earth. In tough times, only a complete moron would starve to death around here!