The Vegan Lifestyle

love doing electrical and plumbing works, and small repairs at home. I like fixing the light wirings, and the plumbing works. Last July 2008, we started renovating the house unit downstairs. It was vacated the previous month, and it was high time to do the repairs and  make it ready for the next occupants.

Like all other renovation works, we spent a certain amount for the purchase of materials and for the workers’ wages. I hired my brother-in-law to do the carpentry and painting works, and a helper to break down the existing masonry.We relocated the main door, and made a new window. The previous master’s bedroom was converted into a sala, and we made a master bedroom, and added another room for a total of three rooms. The two rooms were all new, but all three rooms needed three coats of paint. The room at the center adjacent to dinning room was provide with a window complete with glass jalosies. All the walls and the ceilings in the entire unit were painted new. The broken floor tile in the comfort room were removed and replaced with another color, and its wall tiles were extended up. Broken floor tiles of the bathroom were also replaced with new ones. And the floor tiles of the sala as well.

I installed the main door and its door lock, and relocated the previous main door to the the back door together with the door screen. I also installed the doors of the new rooms complete with door locks.

I did the electrical wirings for the lights and for the outlets. It was a little bit hard fixing the wires in areas above the ceiling with so restricted spaces for free movement. And quite risky too – I was only guessing where the live lines were, having no voltmeter to test the lines. I had to be extra careful not to connect to the wrong wire to avoid “shorts” that might easily cause fire. I removed the existing wirings that were no longer needed, and I had to be sure that they are no longer connected to any other wirings in the house, and really no longer needed in the circuits before cutting them.

The plumbing works needed extra personnel. I hired a laborer to dig a deep trench around the house going to the sewage tank. We removed the damaged surface-run drain pipes connected to the kitchen sink, and from the laundry concrete sink at the dirty kitchen, and replaced them with new ones. I installed a 4-inch-diameter PVC pipes from the bathroom to the sewage tank, and buried them two and a half foot deep. I installed clean outs at trategic points along the lines for maintenance purposes in case the pipes become clogged up with dirts, greases, and grimes.

The existing sewage tank is small – 4 feet wide, 5 feet long, and 7 feet deep. This tank is solely for the storage of used water from kitchen washings, laundry, and bathes. We have another sewage tank at our front yard for the occupants of the other house unit downstairs besides the big common septic tank for the whole house.

I improvised a cylinder pump to empty the tank when it reach the drain pipe level, and it works very well. The unit downstairs is now occupied. Though there are four occupants only, the drain level of the sewage was easily reached because some of their relatives from Manila visited them including their relatives here in Cebu. They consume a lot of water for bathing, for washings, and for laundry. The sewage tank easily got full, and I had to pump the sewage once every 2 or 3 days. It was tiresome to pump it manually for an hour or so. I did it for almost a month, until we bought a submersible pump. I installed it inside the tank complete with level float controller to automatically operate the motor when the top level is reached, and to stop it when the level has reach the lowest point.

It gives a sigh of relief and a sense of happiness to see the pump working automatically and efficiently. And it does it for less than 30 minutes to pump the sewage out from the tank.

The Importance Of Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian lifestyle was God’s original plan for human beings. Man was not created to consume flesh meats. His original diet consisted of fruits, grain, nuts and vegetables. After the Flood, men subsisted on animal flesh meats, and a train of illnesses and diseases followed. Man’s lifespan became shorter and mortality rate soared higher.

Vegetarian diet can reduce, reverse, and cure a lot of diseases that plagued humanity today. Eating fresh fruits, and raw vegetable can cure even terminal cancers. There are a lot of testimonies that prove this fact. Drinking fresh vegetable juices can cure a lot of diseases including cancers.

Flesh meat eating used to be safe, but not nowadays. Sick animals are butchered and sold in markets. Some are dead before being butchered, and its diseases are transferred to consumers. Most of these animal flesh meats are saturated with toxins secreted during states of fear and trauma when they are butchered to death. Animals are feed with food mixed with chemicals that are toxic to human beings. Consumers accumulate these toxins in the body, and when the immune system becomes weak, then diseases result.

To reverse this onslaught, man should strive to change his diet. A diet of fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetable is the perfect healthy alternative. Eating raw vegetables daily will keep diseases away. Skin becomes fairer and glowing; eyes become brighter; hairs become blacker and brilliant; memory becomes sharper and more retentive; the body more flexible and pliant, and the whole body full of vitality to run to and fro a mountain.

Indeed, vegetarian diet is the best diet for man. No amount of vitamins sold in the counter can compare to it. All the nutrients needed by the body are all available in fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables.

Alkaline foods are excellent for our body. They are the best and fast restorer of good health. Alkaline food neutralizes the hyperacidity of the body thus eliminating the toxins in the system. Hyperacidic system is very prone to diseases, therefore eating alkaline food restores the body to good health.

The following herbs, fruits, nuts, and vegetables are alkaline food: celery, lettuce, cucumbers, egg plant, strawberries, okra, limes, oranges, tomatoes, lemons, peaches, grapefruit, banana, carrots, beets, and figs.

Cooked food ferments easily once inside the body. It causes hyperacidity and toxify the body. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables are best eaten raw. The nutrients are preserved, and organic live enzymes are excellent for good health.

I eat raw vegetables during all my regular meals. With rice as the only cooked food, I have as my viands all raw vegetables, such as cucumber mixed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, cabbage, squash, potatoes, raddish, cabbage, and horseraddish. Lately, I tried eating raw eggplant. It taste like an egg yolk. No wonder it is called an eggplant.

Mustard leaves are quite bitter and pungent like the horseraddish leaves. But by garnishing your vegetable salad with lemon, tomato, onion, and garlic, the dish become delicious and palatable.

The health benefits of eating raw alkaline food is tremendous. You will have fairer, naturally glowing skin. You will have a strength and vitality you never had before, and your memory becomes sharper and more retentive. All body aches will disappear, and you will have a very good night sleep. Your immune system becomes stronger, and all your days and years of your life are disease-free.

Vitamin B complex And Their Health Benefits

The vitamin B complex is a group of a dozen or so vitamins that are very essential for the brain  and the nervous system. It includes vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, B13, B15, B17, biotin, choline, folic acid,PABA, and inositol. These vitamins have different functions in the body, but most of them need each other in the proper functioning of the body.

Vitamin B1 or thiamin is essential to growth. It protects the heart muscles, the brain, and the nervous system. It is good for blood circulation, peristalsis, and for red blood count. It prevents thiamin deficiency in diabetes, and Crohn’s disease. It prevents multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and other neurological diseases. It is used to treat impaired mental functions in the elderly such as Alzheimer’s disease. Rich sources of vitamin B1 are brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, unpolished rice, whole-grain cereals, nuts, sunflower seeds, and some vegetables such as beets, potatoes, and leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is also needed for growth. It aids in carbohydrate nmetabolism. It is good for the eyes, skin, hair, and nails. It helps prevent certain cataracts. Rich sources of vitamin B2 are almonds, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, soybeans, sunflower seeds, whole grains, and leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B3 or niacin is needed in protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It strengthens and maintains the nervous system, and the gastro-intestinal tract. Vitamin B3 is important in energy production and in the metabolism of fat and cholesterol. It helps regulate the blood sugar, lowers high cholesterol, and reduce the risk of early onset of diabetes and arthritis. Rich sources of vitamin B3 are brewer’s yeast, brown rice, rice bran, rice polishings, wheat bran, peanuts, sunflower seeds, whole wheat, and green vegetables.

Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid is essential in all life processes. It stimulates metabolism, and promotes growth. It also prevents graying of hair, and skin changes. Vitamin B5 is an anti-stress factor that helps the body to resist the effects of stress, infections, and premature aging of skin and organs. Rich sources of vitamin B5 are brewer’s yeast, torula yeast, wheat germ, molasses, whole grains, beans, peas, peanuts, green vegetables, and egg yolk.

Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine is extremely important in the formation of body proteins and structural compounds, red blood cells, chemical transmitters in the nervous system, and prostaglandins. It is needed for the proper functioning of over 60 different enzymes. Vitamin B6 is vital in cell multiplication, and very important in  the prevention of miscarriages. It is important in maintaining hormonal balance,and proper immune functions. Vitamin B6 is needed for the absorption of vitamin B12, and hydrochloric acid production. It is involved in the production of all amino acid neurotransmitters, and is very crucial in good brain chemistry. Rich sources of vitamin B6 are soybeans, walnuts, lentils, brewer’s yeast, torula yeast, bananas, brown rice, peanuts, avocados, whole wheat, oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and eggs.

Vitamin B12 or cobalamin is very important in the formation of red blood cells. It promotes growth in children, and is used to treat impaired mental abilities in the elderly. It is also used to treat asthma, depression, low sperm count, tinnitus, and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin B12 deficiency affects the brain and the nervous system first, although its most obvious deficiency symptom is pernicious anemia. Rich sources of vitamin B12 are are fortified brewer’s yeast,  and eggs.

Vitamin B13 or orotic acid is needed in the synthesis of nucleic acid by the body. It helps the cells to regenerate. Vitamin B13 is used to treat multiple sclerosis. Vitamin B13 deficiency can cause liver disorders, multiple sclerosis, cell degeneration, and premature aging. Vitamin B13 or orotic acid can be found in the whey portion of milk.

Vitamin B15 or pangamic acid helps regulate fat metabolism. It stimulates the glandular, and nervous system. It is used in the treatment of angina, heart disease, impaired circulation, blood cholesterol, and premature aging. Vitamin B15 increases tolerance to insufficient oxygen supply. It can be given to cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, and to drunks to detoxify them. Rich sources of vitamin B15 are nuts, seeds, whole grains, and brown rice.

Vitamin B17 or nitrilosides is also known as laetrile. It is used to treat certain types of cancers. Rich sorces of vitamin B17 are seeds of fruits, apricot, peach, apple seeds, raspberries, faxseed, garbanzos,  cranberries,  blackberries, blueberries, buckwheat, grains, and vegetables. It was also found in some studies cassava tuber is rich source of laetrile, and it is this substance that is being used to treat certain forms of cancers.

Choline is a B complex vitamin that helps the body to digest, absorb, and carry fat and fat-soluble vitamins in the bloodstream. It is very essential in fat metabolism, and is also used in the synthesis of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. It helps in the production of phospholipids, and certain neurotransmitters.It is extremely important in brain and memory function. Choline helps in liver and gallbladder functions. It prevents gallstone formation, kidney damage, atherosclerosis, nephritis, and glaucoma. It is used to treat manic depression, and serious liver problems.Choline can be used lto lower the total serum cholesterol, and to increase the HDL (good) cholesterol. Rich sources of choline is lecithin, egg yolk, grains, blackstrap molasses, legumes, vegetables, such as cauliflower and lettuce.

Biotin is a vitamin essential in protein and fat metabolism. It is important in hair growth, and in the prevention of hair loss. It is used to treat malaria.  Rich sources of this vitamin are brewer’s yeast, soybeans, soy flower, unpolished rice, rice bran, rice germ, peanut butter, walnuts, oatmeal, other nuts, and whole grains.

Inositol is a an important vitamin for the integrity of the heart muscles. This  vitamin prevents hair thinning and baldness. It is used in the treatment of liver disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, and schizophrenia. It reduces blood cholesterol, and increases hair growth. This vitamin promotes the export fat from the liver, thus preventing cirrhosis. Rich sources of inositol are brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, citrus fruits, whole grains, nuts, wheat germ, brown rice, seeds, and legumes. Some plant sources have phytic acid which is converted by intestinal bacteria into inositol.

Folic Acid is  is an important vitamin that works together with vitamin B12 in the formation of red blood cells. It is also needed in the production of DNA and RNA. Folic acid is essential in  cell growth and division, protein metabolism, skin and hair health, and some healing processes. It prevents  greying of hair, atherosclerosis, anemia, radiation burns, circulation problems, dropsy, diarrhea, menstrual problems, and stomach ulcers. Richest source of folic acid is brewer’s yeast. Other good sources are blackeye peas, soy flour, wheat germ, wheat bran, beans, rice germ, white potatoes, nuts, peanuts, and deep-green leafy vegetables.

PABA (Para-Aminobenzoic Acid) is a vitamin needed for body growth, metabolism, and all physical functions. It helps protect against ozone, air pollutants, and tobacco smoke. It also protects against sunburn and skin cancer. It keeps the skin healthy, and delays wrinkles. PABA deficiency can cause infertility, extreme fatigue,gray hair,  anemia, and reproductive problems. Rich sources of PABA are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, wheat germ, molasses, milk, yogurt, eggs, and deep-green vegetables.

How can we increase our intelligence?

Intelligence is the desire of all. It is the biggest factor for success. Without intelligence, everything will be topsy-turvy, and beauty cannot exist. Intelligence is  the foremost element of the Grand Design of the universe.

Man, in his original Edenic state was endowed with super intelligence. When he fell in sin, his intelligence decreased gradually until he lost that super intellect he was originally gifted with.

Some fortunate people are gifted with intelligence. Others inherits it from their parents. Most acquire it through education, and still others get it from experience.

The greatest genius that ever lived in this planet had an IQ of 200. This IQ corresponds only to a minimal 5 to 7 percent of the full potential of the brain. This means, 93% of the brain’s potential is lying dormant in the cerebral cortex, waiting for man to harness it.

How can we increase our intelligence?

There are many ways to increase intelligence. Most of these are physical exercises designed to increase blood circulation to the brain. Scientists found out that increased blood circulation to the brain increases the supply of oxygen and other nutrients  essential to the healthy functioning of the brain.

One of these exercise is the yoga ‘inverted stand’ or the head stand.  This exercise increases blood flow to the brain. This is done by standing on your head against the wall for support for few minutes. This relieves the feet of the usual load on it, and this also helps in the prevention of varicose veins.

Another exercise is holding the breath under water. This exercise stimulates the carotid artery to the brain to dilate or open wider to allow more blood flow. Do this when you swimming in the beach or sea where you can have something to hold on while underwater. Hold your breath as long as you can until you feel discomfort. You can also do this in swimming pools as long as you something to hold on underwater.

Exercises that stimulate our senses also helps to increase our intelligence. One of these is lying on your abdomen while studying. The sensation created by the friction between the floor and the abdomen have been proven to stimulate the cerebral cortex of the brain. This stimulation improves reflexes, and brain functions,  and develops the mental faculties.

Another sensory- improvement exercise is brachiation or swinging. Use a not so high monkey bar. Grasp the bars, and swing as you change your hands from one bar to the other. Be sure that your eyes follow the movements of your hands as you swing on the bars. This touch sensation on the hands, and the synchronization of the eye movement with the swingare very effective sensory stimuli that help improve the brain and its intelligence.

Another exercise is ‘masking’. This is done by re-breathing your breaths in a plastic bag. This should not be done by little children, and if done, must have the supervision of parents or adults. Cover your head with a plastic bag. Be sure that the plastic is open  at the other end near the neck. Breath normally, while your head is inside the plastic bag. By this, you are re-breathing your breaths, and these breaths have carbon monoxide in them. Carbon monoxide is not good for the body, so do not overdo this breathing exercise.  Studies have shown that carbon monoxide can also dilate the carotid artery  for increase blood  flow to the brain.

Other factors involved in intelligence development are good nutrition and healthy lifestyle. For the brain to function at its peak, it must be supplied with all the essential nutrients that are found in fruits,grains, nuts, and vegetables. Certain plants and herbs are very good for the brain, such as gingko biloba, gotu kola, horseradish, and ginseng.  Gingko biloba and gotu kola dissove cholesterol in the arteries, thus clearing the vessels for increase blood flow to the brain. Horseradish is a miracle herb with all the essential nutrients for maximum brain functions. Lecithin, a very important nutrient found in soybeans, is a super brain food. It is the richest source of choline and inositol – two powerful vitamins for the brain and  the nervous system.

Besides the nutrition and the physical exercises, a good personal hygiene, and good lifestyle are also required to increase intelligence. Wake up early; exercise – walk or jog; take a bath, and  eat your breakfast. Never skip your breakfast – it is the most important meal of the day. Do not stay late at night. You must be asleep two hours before midnight to avail the health benefits of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland  associated with natural body rhythms and sleep-wake patterns. It is proven by science that melatonin production is at its peak at 10 o’clock in the evening. Deficiency in melatonin is the main cause of imsomnia, and imsomnia destroys our memory. As Plato said, all knowledge is but remembrance or good memory.

Soybean is a very nutritious food that have so many health benefits. No other bean has so many beneficial properties as soybean. Soybean belongs to the legume family. It is rich in protein that provides all the amino acids needed by the body for growth. This soy protein is the most complete of all the vegetable proteins. The soybean protein is a light proteinthat can be easily digested, assimilated, and absorb by the body for optimal use. Its protein quality is equal or even better than animal proteins.

Soybean or soy is high in quality proteins. It is low in saturated fats, and has no cholesterol. It is also high in omega-3 fatty acid, which is useful in the prevention of heart disease and certain cancers. It is also high in calcium bioavailability. Soy is lactose free, and it stimulates the growth of friendly bacteria in the body.

Soybean is the richest source of lecithin, the main nutrient in choline and inositol – two powerful B vitamins that are very essential for the healthy functioning of the brain and the nervous system.  Soybean contains phynolic acid that can prevent some forms of cancer.

Soybean can prevent or reduce the risks of osteoporosis, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and menopausal symptoms.

Soybean also lowers the risks of lung cancer. A study in China found that frequent tofu consumption lowers the risk of lung cancer by 50percent. Another study showed that Japanese in Hawaii consuming tofu  had a 33% lower risk of stomach cancer, and in China, frequent consumers of soymilk had 40%  lower risk of stomach cancer. People consuming soymilk on a daily basis had 70%  lower risk of prostate cancer. Soybeans lower the risk of colon cancer by 40%.

Soymilk is better than cow’s milk. It is easily digested and absorb by the body. It is free from growth hormones, chemical additives,  preservatives, bacteria and diseases normally found in animal milk.

A vegan lifestyle is the best and most healthful in life. A vegan lifestyle is a life free from ailments, diseases, and sufferings. A vegan lifestyle is a life of zest, joy and happiness. A vegan lifestyle is a life of peace, full of hope of a brighter tomorrow and fully assured of God’s daily providence.

A vegan lifestyle is indeed the most ideal life for us all. Would you like to know and follow this vegan lifestyle?

What is a vegan lifestyle?

A vegan lifestyle is, first and foremost, a life lived according to will of God. God created us all, and we only borrowed our lives from him. As owner of our lives, God deserves our respect and love.

What is the will of God?

In 3 John verse 2, it says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” God wills that we all be healthy. And how can we be healthy?

To be healthy, we need to follow a vegan lifestyle. In the beginning, God provided us our original diet consisting of fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables. God originally designed us as vegetarians. We were not created like the carnivorous animals that thrive on animal flesh.

After the Great Flood, when Earth’s vegetation was destroyed, men started to eat flesh meats. Diseases appeared on the surface of the Earth; afflictions and sufferings followed. Men became wicked, and iniquities abounded. Moral values degraded, and men gradually lost their spirituality.

In our modern time, millions are dying everyday because of diseases, accidents, and brutality that are being done under the sun. This is the curse of the law that God forewarned which will happen to men if they continue violating his law.

Is the law a curse? No! The law is holy and honorable. The law did not bring in the curse, but men’s transgression of the law has brought the curse upon them.

What shall we do to be spared of this curse of the law?

(more…)

Raw vegetables are better that cooked.  Vegetables loss most of its nutrients when cooked. Heating, and boiling vegetables kill its enzymes and nutrients that are important to good health. Most of these nutrients become useless and are washed out in soup.

How to eat raw vegetables? Is it safe? Will it not cause harmful effects to the body?

As in most food, thorough washing is necessary. Vegetables, life fruits are sprayed with pesticides, and sometimes preserved fresh by applying formalin. Most of them are handled by vendors and consumers alike before reaching your home, and lots of bacteria thrive on it. so be sure to wash them thoroughly with enough water to remove these chemicals and bacteria. Do not worry of  not being able to remove them completely. We have been exposed to them since birth. They are everywhere –   in market places, in slaughter houses, in worksites, in offices, in the air, and at home. We are ubiquitously surrounded by them all the time. So do not worry like a hypochondriac.

Vegetables are better eaten raw. Its enzymes and phytonutrients are alive, and are easily digested, assimilated, and absorbed by the body. There are many health benefits in eating raw vegetables. It has curative powers against many diseases, including certain types of cancer. Many have been cured of terminal cancers by the use of the juices of fruits and raw vegetables.

When eating raw vegetables, do not pare or scrape off its skin or rinds. The phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are mostly found in their rinds or skin. This is specially true of the deep- green leafy vegetables. Studies showed that deep colored vegetables are rich in phytonutrients very essential for maximum body functioning.

Are raw vegetables palatable? Are they not bitter?

Indeed,  raw vegetables are palatable. They are not bitter except for few ones. You will surely like it as soon as you get used to it. It is just a matter of conditioning your taste buds.

When you eat your vegetables raw, be sure to put some natural enhancers like onions, garlic, and lemon. Tomato is a good enhancer too. Put a little salt to taste. Actually, there is no need to put salt to enhance its taste – the above-cited enhancers are enough. But we need a very little amount of salt or sodium chloride in the body. It works closely with potassium and chlorine inthe maintenance of proper electrolyte balance. It controls and maintains the osmotic pressure into and out of the cells that enables the blood to carry the nutrients throughout the body.

I became a vegetarian four five years ago. Befor going seriously into it, I experimented eating raw vegetables for three weeks. I was amazed of the result: I become stronger; the body pains disappear; my stamina  improves a lot, and I had the vigor and the vitality to run uphill and downhill without feeling exhausted during my physical exercises. And the most outstanding result is my having attained a very good memory. I noticed,  during the course of my experiment that I can easily memorize long verses in the Bible. I was able to memorize seventeen long chapters in the Bible in a little span of time.

So I decided to become a vegetarian. Most of the time, I ate my meals with raw vegetables.  With the so many health benefits in vegetarianism, I firmly resolved to remain a vegetarian in my whole life.

What is chlorophyll?

I remember coming across this word chlorophyll during my elementary school days. My teacher in Science taught us that chlorophyll is the green pigment in the leaves of plants.

Why is chlorophyll very important?

We understood chlorophyll  as the green pigment in plant that is very vital in photosynthesis. We learned that plants converts carbon dioxide to organic compound such as sugar by the use of  energy from sunlight, releasing oxygen as a waste product. This is  the oxygen given off by plants that comprises the air we breathe to live.

What makes chlorophyll very vital in photosynthesis?

One of the two primary functions of chlorophyll is to absorb light and to transfer this light energy through resonance energy transfer to a specific chlorophyll pair in the reaction center of the photosystems. Photosystems are pigment proteins embedded in thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts in plants. It is in and around these pigment proteins that chlorophyll molecules are specifically arranged.

Chloroplasts are organelles in plant cells that conduct photosynthesis. It is this chloroplast that captures light energy to conserve free energy in the form of ATP,  and reduce NADP to NADPH through photosynthesis. In the stroma of chloroplasts are stacks of thylakoid membranes where this photosynthesis takes place.

Why is chlorophyll  green?

The color of chlorophyll is due to its selectivity in the absorption of light wavelengths from sunlight. Chlorophyll absorbs more strongly the blue and the red of the electromagnetic spectrum, and less of the green, thus the green color of chlorophyll-containing tissues such as plant leaves.

What is so important about chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll is not only vital in the process of photosynthesis, but is also very essential to our health. The molecular structure of chlorophyll is almost similar to hemin of the hemoglobin of human blood. Scientists noted that the chemical composition of chlorophyll is similar to that of the human blood. The only difference of chlorophyll and the hemin is their central component: chlorophyll has magnesium at its center, while hemin has iron. Scientists found out that the magnesium in chlorophyll is converted to iron during assimilation in the body, and they are unable to explain why.

Chlorophyll has many health benefits. It is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Chlorophyll contains minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, calcium, and iron. Chlorophyll contains 17 amino acids. It has antioxidants that neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals in the body.

Chlorophyll is a powerful liver detoxifier. It cleanses and purifies the blood. Chlorophyll has anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. It was found out in some studies that chlorophyll has anti-carcinogenic properties, and may be used to treat liver cancer and other forms of cancer.

The following are the other health benefits of chlorophyll:

• it removes toxic heavy metals in the body
• it cleanses the digestive tract
• it lowers high blood pressure
• it lowers blood sugar level
• it eliminates bad breath, and reduces the odors of urine, feces, and wounds
• it increases oxygen utilization by the body
• it rebuilds , replenishes, and increases the red blood cells in the body
• it blocks the metabolism of harmful toxins that can damage DNA
• it breaks down calcium oxalates or kidney stones for elimination

The health benefits of chlorophyll are indeed many. Besides strengthening and boosting the immune system, chlorophyll cleanses the body at the cellular level. The health benefits of chlorophyll disprove the unfounded allegation that a vegetarian diet is deficient in vitamin B12, and vegetarians are anemic and sickly.

Spirulina and some seaweeds are good sources of vitamin B12, and vegetables rich in cobalt help the body to produce its own vitamin B12. The magnesium in chlorophyll itself is converted to iron during assimilation, and helps rebuild, replenish and increase the red blood cells in the body.

With the nutritious chlorophyll in green leafy vegetables, we can safely say that a vegetarian diet is the best diet for man. It is not only complete and balanced, but safer and healthy too.

Cassavas and sweet potatoes are good for health. Besides providing carbohydrates as energy for the body, cassavas and sweet potatoes are also good sources of fibers.

Cassavas and sweet potatoes, like other tubers are good sources of vitamin B17 or amygdalin.  It is a nitriloside, which occurs naturally in fruit seeds, berries, flax, root crops, and nuts. Vitamin B17 or amygdalin is called laetrile when used as medication for some forms of cancers. Laetrile is the shortened name for laevomandelonitrile.

Amygdalin was named vitamin B17 by Ernest Krebs, Jr., and his father, Dr. Ernest T. Krebs, Sr. promoted it as a cancer cure. Some studies showed that laetrile can be used to treat cancers of the kidneys, pancreas, and prostate gland. But there are lot of oppositions in the use of laetrile for cancer treatment because it contains a molecule of cyanide,  and the the results of studies on cancer patients treated with laetrile are not consistent.

An enzyme found in the small intestine called beta glucosidase catalyzes the release of cyanide from amygdalin. This cyanide molecule is uniquely absorbed and used by the body. Cyanide molecule can only be broken down by an enzyme found in tumor cells, acting as a “cancer smart-bomb”, and neutralized by the body’s other healthy cells. It is this breaking down of cyanide molecule in a tumor cell that makes laetrile a probable cure for cancer.

Cassava root crop or tuber has a high content of vitamin B17. It contains 500 mg of nitrilosides per 100 g serving, and sweet potato has 100 mg per 100 g serving. The Hunzas and the Eskimos who are noted for their longevity eat foods that are high in nitriloside content, and cancer is unknown in their cultures.

Cassavas and sweet potatoes are the staple foods of farmers in the island where I spent my childhood. In my many years of stay in the island, I had never known of anybody having been sick of or having died of cancer. Cancer had been an unknown disease in the island, until lately when the rural folks shifted to and adapted the western diet.

Some people do not eat cassava because of its cyanide content. Some died of cyanide poisoning upon eating cassava, and people are extra careful by cooking cassava with coconut milk to neutralize its cyanide content. According to old folks, this abnormally high content of cyanide that makes cassava poisonous is caused by the inversion of cassava stem when it is planted.

Other foods that are high in vitamin B17 are bitter almond, apricot seeds, apple seeds, wild blackberry, choke cherry, wild crab apple, Swedish cranberry, nectarine seeds, peach seeds, elderberry,  pear seeds, plum seeds, prune seeds, alfalfa, bamboo shoots, eucalyptus, sesame seeds, flax seeds, squash seeds, yams, brown rice, cashew, raspberry, and strawberry.