The Food of the Gods

Cacao (Theobroma Cacao) - The cacao-tree is a small evergreen tree that grows wild in the forests of Central America and varieties have been found also in Jamaica and other West Indian islands, and in South America. It is cultivated throughout the tropics. The cacao tree will bloom in its third year, but does not bear fruit till its fourth or fifth. The flower is small, out of all proportion to the size of the mature fruit. Little clusters of tiny pink and yellow blossoms show in many places along the old wood of the tree, often from the upright trunk itself and within a few inches of the ground. The flowers are extremely delicate, and a planter will be satisfied if every third or fourth produces fruit. The fruit, called cacao pod, is ovoid in shape, containing 20-60 seeds, usually called cacao beans.

Of the many varieties of the cacao, the best known are the Criollo, Forastero and Calabacilla.

History: Cocoa, “the food of the gods”…as it was called many centuries ago, has been used since 1,000 BC. At the Mexican royal banquets chocolate was served from golden goblets with finely wrought golden or tortoise-shell spoons. The froth was of the consistency of honey, so that when eaten cold it would gradually dissolve in the mouth.

Cocoa was regarded by some as a violent inflamer of the passions, which should be prohibited to the monks… though it was the monks, who made cocoa known in France at about 1661.

During the first centuries after cocoa and chocolate was introduced to the English, it was so expensive that only the aristocracy could afford to consume it. When it became much cheaper, so that also the poor could afford to buy it, the fellow of the Surgical Society of Ireland, Mr. Faussett, wrote in 1877: "Without presuming to pass any judgment on the many artificial substitutes which, on alleged chemical and scientific principles, have from time to time been pressed forward under the notice of the profession and the public to take the place of mother's milk, I beg to call attention to a very cheap and simple article which is easily procurable--viz., cocoa, and which, when pure and deprived of an excess of fatty matter, may safely be relied on, as cocoa in the natural state abounds in a number of valuable nutritious principles, in fact, in every material necessary for the growth, development, and sustenance of the body."

The first Englishman born in Jamaica, Colonel Montague James, who lived to the age of 104, took scarcely any food but cocoa and chocolate for the last thirty years of his life. For athletes and all who desire the development of the muscular tissues, its use is most beneficial. Professor Cavill, in his celebrated swim from Southampton to Portsmouth, and his nearly successful attempt to swim across the English Channel, considered it to be the most concentrated and sustaining food he could use for that trying test of endurance.

Rich in: The most important active constituent of cacao is theobromine, a compound somewhat similar to caffeine. It contains fatty acids; vitamin C, beta carotene, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin; minerals: calcium, phosphorus; amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, theobromine; sugars; polyphenols; alkaloids; flavonoids; caffeine; catechins; acetic-, arachidic-, cholorogenic-, citric-, glycolic-, gentisic-, galacturonic-, glutamic-, formic-, ferulic-, maleic-, linoleic-, nicotinic-, nonanoic-, octoic-, oleic-, palimitc-, phantothenic-, propionic-, sinapic-, stearic-, syringic-, tartaric-, valerianic-, vanillic-acid.

Interesting fact: Cocoa is said to yield thirteen times the nutriment of tea and four and half times that of coffee. As already mentioned above, due to its amazing nutritional value, cocoa has been successfully used as a substitute for mother’s milk.

Internal use: Cacao bean contains antiseptic, diuretic, emmenagogue, parasiticide and vulnerary properties. Cocoa is prepared by grinding the beans into a paste between hot rollers and mixing it with sugar and starch. Part of the fat is removed. Chocolate is prepared in much the same way, except the fat is retained. Cocoa and chocolate (only the bitter chocolate with a high content of pure cacao) are useful when there is an accumulation of fluid in the body resulting from cardiac failure. It is also beneficial to the muscles, kidneys and heart and in case of high blood pressure as it helps to dilate the blood-vessels. Chocolate is a wonderful stimulant, helping to boost the brain activity during long hours of studying or working. As a folk remedy, cacao has been used for cough, fever, malaria, pregnancy, rheumatism, parturition, wounds, snakebite.

In order to get the most benefits out of cacao, buy chocolate that contains at least 70% of cacao solids. Milk chocolate contains so many other substances that the benefits of true cacao are lost. Always prefer organic chocolate and cocoa. In order to support the workers of the cacao plantations and cut down the use of child labour, buy fair trade products.

External use: Cacao butter is a yellowish solid which is used for cosmetic purposes. It has excellent emollient properties and is therefore used to soften and protect chapped hands and lips. It is also rubbed into wounds and burns and applied to wrinkles in the hope of correcting them.

I hope You enjoyed it,

Eve
Body-Mind-Spirit Health, Fitness & Beauty in Organic Way
http://www.TheSpringOfLife.net

Don't Be Afraid of Dirt

Parents do everything they can to keep their kids from getting dirty, but in reality, our environment is much too clean! Immune cells that are not exposed to naturally occurring soil microbes tend to overreact when they finally come in contact with them. Too many adults and children have been denied this much-needed exposure. The immune systems of children and adults are overreactive because they are no longer being properly "educated" on the biological playground of life.

To make matters worse, we oversterilize everything with disinfectant dishwashing, hand soaps, and shower gels; disinfectant body lotions and skin bars; and "deodorant soaps" loaded with antibiotic disinfectants such as triclosan. And we sterilize our soil using pesticides and herbicides that destroy beneficial and harmful microbes alike. These substances harm the immune systems of all living things, including the very plants we try to "improve" with our technological advancements.

Our immune systems need regular exposure to naturally occurring soil organisms for long-term health! If I child isn't exposed to soil organisms early in life, his or her immune system may seriously overreact when exposed to completely benign intruders later in life. Loosing touch with our planet has had an unfortunate consequence: It has contributed to the development of allergies, autoimmune diseases, and certain types of asthma in children and adults alike.

From dr.Jordan Rubin's newsletter

The Power of Love

„Faith is active. It will change things. It will move mountains. But faith that’s not backed by love is powerless because faith works by love. Love is the force behind faith. It’s explosive and active; it causes great things to happen. So if your faith runs out of gas and stops moving, go fill up your tank with premium love and watch your faith work as never before.”

Dr. Creflo A. Dollar in „Love, Live and Enjoy Life.”

"Love is the magic key that unlocks the doors of heaven. Love is the supreme law of life: guided by Wisdom Love rules the universe.”

Henry Thomas Hamblin in „The Life of the Spirit”

Little Bulb - Miraculous Properties

Garlic (Allium Sativum) – Garlic is a little bulb, yet its healing properties are far from little! Garlic is a bulbous plant related to the onion. It has a strong odour and flavour. Ancient Greeks called it stinking rose. Garlic was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed by Greek Olympian athletes, it was a mainstay in the diet of the builders of the pyramids, and of ancient Greek and Roman soldiers and sailors. The wandering Israelites mourned the cherished garlic they had left behind in Egypt. Greeks and Egyptians, embraced garlic's alleged aphrodisiac properties. Tibetan monks were forbidden from entering the monasteries if they had eaten garlic, because of its reputation for inflaming the passions. In medieval times garlic was burned to disinfect houses visited by the plague and to ward off all kinds of sickness. Nowadays people who go trekking in Nepal in the Himalayas at 5 k above sea level eat lots of raw garlic, which enables them to take up more oxygen, strengthens their immune system, and increases their endurance and overall toughness.

Rich in: Most of garlic’s health benefits derive from the more than 100 sulphur compounds it contains, especially allicin, which is responsible for garlic's characteristic scent and flavour. Allicin is formed when the garlic bulbs are crushed, chopped, or chewed.

Internal use: Garlic has been rightfully attributed with miraculous healing and health-giving powers. It has been scientifically proven that garlic lowers the levels of cholesterol, strengthens the immune system, prevents arteriosclerosis, helps disintegrate bladder stone, kidney stone and gallstone, purifies the blood, cuts the risk of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, may help to boost the birth-weight of babies destined to be too small (when taken by pregnant mothers), has strong antibiotic and antifungal properties. Garlic is very useful in the relief of bronchial coughs, asthma, head colds, as a laxative, to prevent intestinal gas and to improve mental outlook. It may help heal cancer and prevent it. For those who love to chew garlic, I recommend to follow it down with an apple or parsley or a slice of lemon, if you respect the noses of your fellowmen.

How to prepare: To prepare your own potion to help heal intestinal gas, rheumatism, podagra, kidney stone, bladder stone etc., take 80 g of chopped garlic and add it to 200 g of vodka. Take 10 drops 2-3 times a day before meals.

A cure for arteriosclerosis, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, general weakness and tiredness or anaemia is prepared by taking 500 g of honey and adding to it 250 g chopped garlic, 250 g chopped onion, 250 g chopped horse-radish and 250 g of cranberries. Refrigerate the mixture for 3 days, then take 1-2 tablespoonfuls a day with food.

My personal favourite is garlic with honey. What a powerful preventative remedy and a good anti-aging mix! Chop one clove of garlic and add it to a tablespoon of honey. To make it more palatable, have a glass of juice or tea ready to wash it down with! It works wonders!

If You have more time, take 5 garlic bulbs and grate them. Add about 300-400 ml of organic extra virgin olive oil and stir with a big wooden spoon until smooth. Use it as a spread for rye bread or just take a spoonful a day. It also makes a great anti-aging facial mask. You can have a spa day and keep the mask on for hours. Your skin will feel and look great! If it starts to burn, then You have too little oil in it. Add more oil for the mask or some honey.

External use: Crushed garlic can be put on pimples, smallpox, even on wounds to prevent infection and hasten healing.

I hope You found some useful tips that You can put to use for Your greater health. If You wish to copy parts of the article or the whole thing, You are asked to add my name and website address to it as the material is copyrighted. Thank You.

Eve
Body-Mind-Spirit Health, Fitness & Beauty in Organic Way
http://www.TheSpringOfLife.net

Good News for Night Eaters!

I recently read from fitness expert Amy Lundberg's newsletter some good news about night eating! ...and I have to say that I completely agree with what Amy is saying... for I myself eat very late at night and do not gain any extra weight from it... while when I eat even during a day all my meals but eat more than I use up (and my body tells me when it is too much), it shows on the scale!

Here is what Amy says: Did you know that eating at night does not make you gain weight? Despite what you have heard for years, researchers have shown that night eating does not cause any more weight gain than eating most of your food during the day. But, weight gain will happen if you eat more calories than you burn in a day, no matter when you eat them. Many people come home from work and snack before dinner, then eat dinner, and then snack in front of the television before going to bed. Avoiding mindless eating in the evening, by eating throughout the day when you are hungry, is the key to keeping the weight off.

I wish You all great health - body, mind and spirit!

Eve