The Sea as a garden
Seaweed:
Food as Medicine and Aging
Traditionally, water is the very source of life. Without water there is no life, as we know so. It rejuvenates and cleanse.
Illnesses, due to an imbalance of water, include nervous problems such as phobias, depression and lethargy. Circulatory conditions, such as low or high blood pressure, arthritis and other diseases of the joint and certain digestive ailments.
That is one of the reasons why it is good to use food grown in the water and sea like fish, shellfish, seaweed and other things.
The sea is rich
on minerals and so are the seaweeds. Land on the other hand degenerates in time
and minerals get washed out and flow towards the sea. And the more the air
becomes polluted, the higher the content of acid, the faster it will happen.
Most of the soil has deteriorated to an extend that without fertilizer nothing
will grow properly. The plant are sick and as result of it attacked by insects
and illness.
Kelp
Dulse
Irish Moss
Some
countries do use more food derived from the sea than others. Japan is an example, also the Okinawa’s and
Chinese.
Ulva LactucA or sea Lettuce
An article,
published in the National Geographic Magazine, claimed that the world
healthiest old people were the Okinawa’s. They were always
hardworking and sexually active beyond 100. Their diet contained lots of tofu
and seaweed.
Rockweed at the right corner
Nori
Tofu, also
called Soy Bean Curd, is made of soybeans.
Because of
its bland taste that soaks up other flavors, it is often used in vegetarian
cooking.
Age and History
When
is somebody old, or how old can people really get?
People who
are born healthy can grow very old in good health. Most of them will however
die long before the Biological Old Age is reached. I will try to explain why!
I suggest
that we take a short tour of history and I leave it up to you to make up
your mind!
One of the
oldest books we can use is the bible. If you take The Old Testament or Genesis,
you will find that Adam and his six children lived for more than nine hundred
years.
Methuselah
is even documented as nine hundred ninety-six year old.
Lamech
seven hundred seventy seven years old and his first son reached the age of one
hundred and seventy eight years old. Noah another 900 years and older, he was
for six hundred years old living on the Arc. Moses died at the age of
one hundred and twenty years.
Most
scientists dispute these claims and one of them; C. Edward Burtis however, had
to admit (after a life long study) that the age as mentioned for Moses was
correct. Part of these ages was only possible because of their life style and a
special diet, what had to be enforced rigidly.
The
Sumerians, living in the same area, are another society who left us with a lot
of baked clay documents. They recorded most of the Reign of different King in
the area and when we look at them we find:
Dynasty
Name No Kings Reign Average Rule
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*The rule by king’s stops and there power is
transferred to the
temple of Eanna at Uruk. The son of the high priest ruled for 324
years! |
The old
people explained the decrease /increase of the life span mostly as follows:
First: the facts that time and space are
aspects of the material world. There existence is limited. When you look at the
stars you can see what is happening. New worlds get born every day and others
die out. Our Earth and our Son have only a limited period of existence!
This is one of the reasons why Buddha called the material world an illusion. Despite its powerful manifestation, it glamour and glitter it is al in vain.
But there is another reason; the material world has no inside, it is empty: it cannot make one single soul really happy!
The spiritual and mental world is not subject to Time and can there-fore exist forever, indefinite. The more cynical ones of the old ones associated Time with what they would call corruption and as the destructor!
Second: expansion of the
conscience/awareness could reduce the affects of time in the material world and
expand the maximum lifespan. (Transcendation)
LiFe extension
Caloric
restrictions
Not only
the choice and preparation of food was important but also
the
rejuvenation of the body, done by food restriction. Later on it was
incorporated by all major religions as fasting.
This form
of calorie restriction, combined with meditation, would have the same effect as
the so-called caloric restriction.
Big
advantage; this period of food restriction limited to a maximum of six weeks a
year instead of permanent. During this period people were asked to reflect on
their way of life, behavior towards others (relations), meditation and pray..
At the end of the fasting, a big celebration ,the sharing of foods and goods
with friends and the poor.
Artificial Rejuvenation
There is a big difference between fasting and the artificial rejuvenation of the body. When it became clear that the maximum lifespan was decreasing rapidly, people (rulers) started to look for other ways to extent life.
As far as I
know, the king went to the temple and had to undergo a severe kind of food
restriction. (Starvation). No solid foods, only lots of special vegetable
juices. To help him getting through this difficult period they used special
sedatives by holding him in a quiet room without light. The bench had the form
of a cross. The food restriction would go on until most organs were reduced or
nearly gone. The liver for example was reduced to approximately 10 % of its
normal size. It was so severe that halfway during his treatment all parasites,
such as worms, would leave his body and
flee like rats do, before a ship goes down. A needle to say that such a procedure
is not without risks and takes a lot of knowledge!
For this
reason only, royalty and high priest would/could be treated.
Fasting,
and a simple way of living, were the guidelines for the common people. They too
could greatly benefit from it.
Every
important religion did incorporate these guidelines for the benefit of their
followers.
As far as
modern times are concerned, there is a big difference. People now are stimulated to consume,
consume and consume….the more the better!
Why Food?
First: we need energy to be able to move,
collect and digest more food; to communicate, work, think, upholding/regulating
our body temperature etc. Most of this energy comes available during the
breakdown of cells containing sugar or fat, alcohol that have primarily a
Caloric function (Energy).
During fasting this type of nutrient is
limited but not the other vital nutrients like proteins and minerals, vitamins
etc.
Second: the cells, which make up our body,
do not live long. Our body has to replace them at least once within every seven
years, depending on the type/function they perform within. Our body stays
the same nor do we feel different.
This
process goes on every day!
Proper
digestion must prepare these cells, next selection and integration into the
existing body structure. This is an complex and difficult process/operation.
You need healthy cells (proteins) and other building blocs, minerals, vitamins
in sufficient amounts. Fresh and uncooked vegetables contain lots of suitable
cells or building blocs.
Only
vegetable juices were used during the artificial rejuvenation.
Cooking
your food, most of the cells get damaged. Even if you eat enough, there might
be a shortage of suitable cells.
If there is
a shortage or insufficient quality (damage, poisons, genetic manipulations)
these building blocs will become part of your body and will lead to what is
called the degradation of your body… aging!
Food as Medicine
2500
years ago…
Hippocrates,
who is called the “Father of Medicine”, often quoted for his statements during
his lectures as follows:
“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine
be thy food”.
The old
people did know more about it then we do now!
Prevention not healing
Health is
simple! You give the body what it really needs and it will be healthy or, if
necessary, even heals itself: Orthomolecular Nutrition. Linus Pauling get twice
a Nobel price for his studies.
However I
would like to add: this only applies when this food is of natural origin and
not contaminated by example weed killers, insecticide, hormones, preservatives,
GM modifications, etc.
Man made substances/chemicals
Everything
nature produces or comes to live can be broken down by small microorganisms to a
size were it can be re-used again. The so-called life (and dead) cycle. Nothing
is wasted and every thing will be reused again. For that reason the old Celtic
people placed a circle in the cross on their grave. An ancient tradition.
Pointing to the live cycle.
However
this does not apply to man made things/substances.
When you
walk home, go into the park, visit the strands you will see litter everywhere.
What you see is only a small part of the total amount of waste surrounding you.
Most of the chemicals and other substances cannot be seen. The bottom of most
rivers is now so badly contaminated with poisons, like heavy metals, that the
soil has to be decontaminated before some other use can be found for it.
Sometimes you can smell it, or it will give a reaction as burning skin or
irritate you longs for example. Because the litter is man made nature is not
capable to handle this properly. Eventually it will disappear but only after a
very long time.
Food can be
contaminated too with different man made substances. Weed killers, hormones,
insecticides, preservatives etc.
During the
replacement of your body cells it gets incorporated in your body. Like I
mentioned before this cell replacement is a continuing process and within every
seven years all cells will be replaced.
The newly
formed contaminated body cells within your body behave now differently (have a
different life-cycle). Your body becomes a kind of ‘”waste dump”. Despite all
the progress made at medical level the number of sick, people with allergies,
asthma, are on the increase. The amount of money and people needed to keep the
healthcare system will increase. You get sick and eventually will die, not
because of some defect genetically but because of the environment you live in
and the food you eat. Since you are living in what is called “a man created environment or city” you do
not have to look far to find the people, the government or businesses who are
responsible for your misfortune. They are not anonymous either.
Nostradamus
the famous prophet, prophecies about a period in human existence were the health
system collapses and the people are left on the streets to die. Most experts
expect it to be somewhere in India or Africa. But it could also be in the West.
The way we manage to pollute our environment is shocking and never done before.
Even now we are still doing it despite the fact that the signs of disaster are
already visible.
Health
Health of
cause is more than food alone. Many people now believe that the true causes of
many diseases and premature death are created by:
Faulty nutrition,
Pollution,
Stress,
Addiction
Lack of exercise.
When we do
go back to the old people their priority list has some similarities but also
differences.
Proper and balanced food
Proper internal communication
Regular fasting
Patience.
These rules
where set for an unpolluted environment. It stresses the importance of mental
and spiritual development, personal development and growth. The aim to be at
peace with yourself. They would say
that a healthy mind could cure a sick body. The mind was regarded as important
as the physical body. You should not overstress the body, rush around, do to
many things at the same, say “no” if
needed, take proper rests.
No place
for what we call so proudly the 24-hour economy. No demands like “now”.
Big Business.
Men made products are used so widely because of the big return you can get on them. The profit to be made on natural products is limited because you cannot patent them or claim exclusivity. Furthermore it is difficult to control and to dominate the production that limits your potential profit. Another reason why it is cheap is because the byproduct and waste are, discarded into the water, air or buried on the land with little or no cost. When the manufactured product/substance is at the end of its life cycle, it is left there and not disposed off and reused. An other big important beneficiary of this practice is the government, takes a substantial part of every dollar made. Their slogan is, more, more and more or more precise consume, consume and consume.
Patents.
If you
plant one maize corn at your garden and look after it a bit you may harvest 200
to 300 of them 3 month later. Since there is not enough money to be made by the
big corporations in this process called nature, they will try to replace it
with a so-called better one, a GM version with a patent on it. Than they will
try to live on the royalties they can charge. Use there developing dominance to
exclude other or similar products. One way to make sure that there is no real
choice is by controlling what is on offer at supermarkets.
The discussion on what is a healthy diet is difficult and complex.
Most people
are therefore confused. There is so much conflicting advice. Most people have
given up on this subject. There is another smaller group who do regard it as
very important. They want that all food should be properly labeled and the
source of production traceable. Many of these people do not want to buy and
consume GM food. The industry does know that but tries to circumvent it by
introducing it in a stealthy manner. Despite the fortunes spend on promotion
these people are not convinced and opposition is even growing.
An option
to the food industry is the pursuit to introduce it without informing the user.
Some even did already so. To do this properly they need the government to back
them. They might succeed because there are close relationships between
governments and big businesses. They in
general share the bed with the big businesses or are courting them. If I watch
TV and see how government, politicians even presidents bend publicly forward,
backward to please the big businesses I feel sick.
Food and Money.
There is a
connection between food and money as far as the Western world is concerned.
If you ask
your neighbors what he recons is the most precious thing in his live he
probably will say his family and good health or visa versa.
In
practical terms this is not true. It is making money. He works to get it, even
thinks and worry at night about it.
with reason. If God is love, than love is money in our world. Without
money you cannot survive. No food, no drinks, no place to sleep, you get
abused, threatened, arrested, jailed etc.
One aspect many people are unaware of is
that Money is so powerful (power) that a lot of people get addicted to it, like
others do to coke, heroin, crack etc. They never will get enough. Because it is
so addictive a lot of people are prepared to cheat, lie, manipulate, betray,
they are dangerous and some of them are even prepared to kill for it.
In general,
money effects the relations between people in a very negative way. It is built
on exploitation instead of love. Always on the lookout for an opportunity to
get money from someone for whatever neither reason nor does it not matter how.
People are
not born to be exploited, but to learn, have fun, make meaningful contributions
to other peoples lives, explore, and develop themselves etc. You cannot, nor
should you try to abuse their right, as humans for you own purposes, to get
yourself rich let them work while you sit on your ass. And nobody certainly
nobody has the right to poison our air water, land or the sea for profits. That
is common property.
Seaweed as Food.
We produce only small quantities and more often it gives pleasure than the money it brings. Living at a converted boathouse at the ring of Beara, Atlantic, and the sea is close and plays a central roll in our lives. Provides us with fish, mussels, cockles, shrimps and seaweed. Seaweed we use as fertilizer on the land (We have a small vegetable and fruit garden). All seaweed we use to produce food is freshly cut. After drying, milled or fermented. We used it for beer as well but stopped because we find the wine more pleasant. Every thing we make we use ourselves and what is in excess we sell.
We promote it here because of the incredible health quality it has and as far as we are concerned it is a super food. When we started to use it our health improved miraculously. We are now sorry we did not know before. Being of age we cannot go back. It does not rejuvenate but slows down the aging. Its ability to prevent illness makes us happy.
Sea vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low in fat.
In Japan, where sea vegetables make up 10% of the diet, the incidence of many cancers and of obesity is low; in fact the lowest in the developed world as far as the statistic goes. There is a difference between developed and not developed because of the number of man-made substances around. Their are places and tribes known who still are doing better like the Hunza in the Himalayan.
Like mentioned at the introduction water is traditionally associated with certain properties in the living world. For seaweed goes that it can rebalance hormones, lower high blood-cholesterol levels, prevention of arthritis, and reduction of bloating and water retention.
It improves the digestion and allows a better assimilation of sugars and fats.
We do not sell however our product for use as medicine but as food. If you are sick you should go to see a medic.
The sea vegetables we use are Kelp or Laminaria, Palmatina or Dulse, wild Nori, Irish moss, Ulva or Sea Lettuce and Rockweed.
You can eat it as a vegetable, use it milled and sprinkle it on food , ad it to cereals or mix it with flour. Some use it for decoration or replacement of salt.
When we harvest it contains a lot of water. After drying the net weight is reduced to approximately 10 %. So one kilo dried kelp is equal 10 kilo fresh. If you use it dry do not use it in large quantities.
Kelp (seaweed) meal.
It is an
herb in use by people for centuries, an excellent source of iodine. A mineral
that is vital for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland or goiter. The
thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, and
therefore its growth and development.
Rich in B
complex vitamins, Vitamin D, E &K, magnesium and calcium. Amino acids,
biominerals, carotenoids etc. We use milled kelp as a replacement of salt.
Soups, fish meals, salads . Another option is adding it to flour.
Kelp is the
only vegetable we know of, that is able to bind and remove radioactive
substances from your body. Important because large area’s are contaminated
after the nuclear testing in the past. Its water retention can help fighting
over weight. Because it contains a lot of iodine you should not use it
excessively and if your are not sure contact your doctor. When we harvest the
sea vegetables they contain up to 90 of their weight as water. One kilo of
dried kelp equals 10 kilo fresh. So do not use it in large quantities. Dried it
looked not really appealing.
We dry it
without washing to keep all the important nutrients. Dried, the appearance of a
whitish stain consisting of dried sugar and salt is visible on the surface.
Kelp meal is very popular and an important nutrient added to horse food. Prevents illness, improves the digestion. Compensates of any food insufficiencies. It is added to keep the horses healthy.
During the harvest a visible inspection is carried out. Another important matter is water quality. All our sea vegetables are harvested at Coulagh Bay. Atlantic Ocean. Situated at the Ring of Beara. No industry around. Because Iodine can work as a toxin you should not exceed maximal limits. Recommended use is 150-300 micro gram.
Dulse, Palmaria palmate.Laver
Long used
as emergency food at sailing boats. Under the name MIWA and GRASS as snack
served in the Irish pubs. Nowadays replaced by salted peanuts. The bartender
would tell his customers that it was good for their health and increase their
age. Others would say that he offered it because it contained a lot of salt and
that would make the customers thirsty.
Recently
there was a program on TV that showed a monastery brewing beer. They claimed that due to the seaweed (kelp)
it worked as anti ageing medicine. Did not make someone younger but did stop
the aging. Mix it with cerials in the morning, ad it to flour for pancakes,
cookies, bread or soups
Sea Lettuce. Ulva lactuca
Used for
seasoning of meals and decoration. Can be used to replace salt. Expensive
because the cheats are only one or two cells thick. No real mass. You need a
lot of material for drying. Fresh it will be rinsed and rolled into salt to
preserve it. Its use therefore limited to local houses/restaurants. 
Irish Moss.
Added as
thickening agent in combination with dairy products, jam, marmalade etc.
The largest
part of it is collected and used for industrial purposes. Extracting the
carrageen from it, which is used widely as a thickening agent in paint,
lubricants, ice cream etc.
The old
Irish people would cook it with milk, remove the Irish Moss and ad a little of
whiskey. Would stop the flu/cold. After collecting it is rinsed and left to dry
on a net outside. The sun will bleach it and the color will change from black
to brown.
Wild Nori.
The Japanese use large amounts of its cultivated cousin in their country. It became popular as result of it use to make sushi. In many ways it is similar to kelp but has not the strong favor and flavor. Here it is relatively rare and the wild version is difficult to get.
Fermenting Seaweed.
The use of
yeast and bacteria for fermenting of drinks and food is as old as the existence
of the human race. Used to preserve them and to make them more digestible and
more nutritious. Cheese, sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh, coconut chutney, porridge
etc.
There are
hundred of recipes for fermented beverages, such as wines, ciders, ale lager,
vinegar, kombucha etc.
We see our
sea fruit wines as a modern Posca. A drink the Roman army used under war
condition and had to rush to the battlefields.
People who
live in a city, their health are nowadays constantly under treat. Polluted air,
food, polluted water, limited amount of sunlight, stress, crime, noise, radon
gas from concrete used as building material, electromagnetic waves,
insufficient rests, demanding bosses, financial worries, housing etc.
For these
peoples we make our sea fruit wines. Not only alcohol but also the needed
minerals, vitamin, protein etc.
To produce
these wines we use Kelp, Dulse, Irish moss, wild Nori and Ulva.
Links: www.bearaholidays.com