Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

from Janice Welch

3 cups almond meal
3 teaspoons Stevita liquid stevia
1-1/2 tablespoons almond oil or sesame oil
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
boiling water as needed

Mix almond meal, stevia, oil and ginger. Add one tablespoon of water at a time until dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls and flatten on to cookie sheet. Bake at 300? until firm and golden brown.

Almond Cookies (gluten-and casein-free)
from Janice Welch

2 1/4 cups almond flour (or any raw nut except peanuts, ground into flour)
1/3 cup of ghee (at room temperature)
1 tsp Frontier brand non-alcohol vanilla flavoring
1 tsp Frontier brand non-alcohol almond flavoring
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp Xylitol
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour with baking soda and salt, set aside. Beat ghee until creamy. Add xylitol and honey. Beat in vanilla flavor, almond flavor, and eggs. Beat in flour until combined. Mix in coconut with a spoon. Line an airbake (the bottoms brown fast) cookie sheet with parchment paper, and drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Cook for approximately 12 minutes. Recipe yields 25 cookies (keep a batch on hand in the freezer – they even taste good frozen).

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1. Bring one quart (or liter) of milk to the simmer stage, stirring often to prevent scorching and sticking to the bottom of the pan, and remove from heat.

2. Cover and cool until the milk has reached room temperature or below (may be placed in refrigerator to speed cooling). It is very important that you allow the temperature to drop sufficiently or you will kill the bacterial culture you are now ready to introduce.

3. Remove about 1/2 cup of the cooled milk and make a paste by mixing it with 1/4 cup of good quality commercial yogurt. The commercial yogurt you use should be unflavored and unsweetened. Buy one that contains only milk or milk solids and bacterial culture, if possible. It is usually unnecessary to buy yogurt culture separately since commercial yogurt is very satisfactory to use as a starter. If you find it impossible to buy commercial yogurt that contains only milk and bacterial culture, then you are advised to buy yogurt culture (“starter”) separately. After removing what is needed, return the container of commercial yogurt to the coldest part of the refrigerator for it to be used as a starter for the next batch of homemade yogurt.

Saving some yogurt from a previous batch of homemade yogurt to use to start a new batch is not as satisfactory as using commercial yogurt as a “starter” each time. Manufacturers of commercial yogurt make every effort to use “lively” bacterial strains and extremely large numbers of bacteria in the manufacturing process. The conditions of home refrigeration most often do not promote the survival of yogurt bacteria to the same degree as the conditions maintained by the commercial producers of yogurt. Homemade yogurt, made by using some from the last batch as a “starter”, often fails to solidify (coagulate) properly due to insufficient live bacteria to properly convert the milk sugar.

4. Mix the paste with the remainder of the cooled milk and stir thoroughly.

5. Pour milk into any appropriate sized container, cover, and let stand FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS at 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (38 to 43 degrees Centigrade.) If you forget to remove it after 24 hours, and the fermentation goes on longer, all the better. Under no circumstances should the fermentation time be decreased to less than 24 hours. This fermentation time should supersede any other instructions that may accompany a commercial yogurt maker. ommercial yogurt maker.

The source of heat used during the 24 hour fermentation is critical. It is very important to get the temperature correct at 100 to 110 F (38 to 43 C) before you proceed with the fermentation. Too high a temperature will kill the bacterial culture and will prevent the proper “digestion” (conversion) of lactose. Too low a temperature will prevent activation of the bacterial enzymes and will result in incomplete “digestion” of the lactose.

A thermos type of yogurt maker may NOT be satisfactory for this long fermentation period inasmuch as the hot water surrounding the thermos will not stay warm. Commercial electric yogurt makers control the temperature perfectly but the amount of yogurt that can be made at one time is limited.

The ideal source of heat is a large electric warming tray. If it has a temperature-regulating dial, use a thermometer to set the dial properly (a mouth thermometer is satisfactory). If the warming tray does not have a dial to control the temperature, cover the surface of the tray with a thickness of metal (such as a metal cake rack), or FIRE-RESISTANT material (such as a Teflon treated ironing board cover). Then allow the tray to remain on for about five minutes before placing the thermometer on the surface to determine the temperature. If too warm, use a thicker piece of metal or material. By using the large surface of the electric warming tray, a gallon of yogurt can be made at one time in two plastic or ceramic half gallon containers. An electric crock-pot (set to low) or heating pad, both checked for temperature, may be used.

Some people use their ovens; the pilot in a gas oven usually keeps the temperature in the oven within the correct range. If using the oven of an electric stove, change the oven light to a 60-watt bulb. Turning on the oven light (with a 60-watt bulb) should create enough warmth to make yogurt but always check the temperature with a thermometer first. Sometimes the oven door must be propped ajar with a little stick to achieve the correct temperature range. CAUTION: upon completion of yogurt fermentation, replace regular oven bulb.

6. Allow the yogurt to remain on the heat for a minimum of 24 hours to insure that all lactose is completely “digested.” Remove from heat gently, pour into smaller containers if desired, and refrigerate.

While this yogurt may not be as thick as commercial yogurt, it will be a true yogurt since virtually all of the lactose has been digested by the bacterial culture and further lactose digestion will not be required by intestinal cells.

For more information on yogurt makers and cultures, visit www.breakingtheviciouscycle.org.

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When discussing yogurt, we must first realize that virtually everything that is sold as yogurt in retail stores is far from the real thing. Commercial yogurts are loaded with sugar, dyes, and other additives to enhance taste and consistency, and are never fully fermented in order to avoid a taste people might think is too sour.

True yogurt is the result of a fermentation process whereby different strains of bacteria collectively known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) convert the lactose in milk to lactic acid. A review article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 71: 861-72) discusses the health benefits of yogurt and the research supporting them.

During the fermentation process, LAB also put out enzymes that break down the protein and fat in milk. Therefore, fully fermented yogurt does not contain lactose and the proteins and fats it does contain are partly to fully digested. This makes them much easier to assimilate than those in milk and less likely to cause allergic reactions, even in very sensitive individuals.

The proteins in fully fermented yogurt are rich in sulfur-containing amino acids that help support detoxification. In addition, the lactic acid itself helps promote intestinal health because the bacteria in yogurt have been shown to support normal digestion and immunity.

I have often recommended the yogurt from White Egret Farm near Austin in Texas (see www.whiteegretfarm.com). The benefits I perceive are that the farm produces yogurt the right way, allowing it to ferment for thirty hours at the correct temperature, using a broad variety of beneficial LAB strains and their own goat’s milk. The benefits of goat’s milk are that it is even easier to digest and less likely to cause reactions than cow’s milk. Unfortunately, since it is a small family-run operation they are sometimes out of yogurt for extended periods.

So I recently started using and recommending a type of yogurt starter produced by Klaire Laboratories, a top-quality supplement company with great expertise in the area of probiotic bacteria. This product is called Culturaid.

To make great yogurt at home, you don’t need to buy a yogurt maker because over time you’ll find it to be mostly a hindrance. All you need is a good ceramic pot and a kitchen thermometer. If your oven has a warming light, that could provide all the heat required.

First, fill the pot with water and see if your oven will keep it at a steady temperature ranging between 90 and 110 F. If your oven won’t do this, another option is to buy a warming tray. In my experience most warming trays generate too much heat, even at the lowest setting. To achieve the right temperature I put a couple of trivets over the warming tray and the pot on top of the trivets. This separates the pot slightly from the heat source. Remember that achieving the right temperature is important because too much heat will kill the bacteria and too little will prevent it from growing properly.

It might take you a while to determine how to maintain the right temperature, but once you figure it out, all you have to do is to repeat the same procedure every time. I recommend that you use whole goat’s milk from Whole Foods because it is not homogenized and will make better yogurt than any milk that has been homogenized. If you don’t like the taste of goat’s milk, you can use cow’s milk and still get acceptable results. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a source for non-homogenized cow’s milk in Houston. If you know of one, please let me know.

Next, slowly bring the milk to a boil and allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes. Then let it cool to about 100 F, stir in the Culturaid as directed on the label, cover and keep at the desired temperature for a minimum of 24 hours or, for even better results, up to 36 hours. Then stir, transfer to glass jars you can close tightly and refrigerate. Homemade yogurt stays fresh in the fridge for at least a month.

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1 lb ground beef or ostrich, buffalo, turkey or other meat)
1 clove minced garlic or diced onion to taste
3 tablespoons minced dry parsley
1 tablespoon minced dry basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 16 oz can undrained tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste (use 2 cans for more tomato flavor, if desired)
1 5 oz package baby spinach or equivalent amount of fresh cabbage leaves, torn into small pieces
2 12 oz cartons cottage cheese or two 8 oz goat chevre
2 beaten eggs
1 lb sliced mozzarella, shredded or Alta Dena goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (optional)
1/2 c parmesan or shredded Alta Dena goat cheese

Brown meat in a skillet (no oil needed, but you can use a little olive oil if you want) and drain. Add garlic, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, basil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, tomatoes, tomato paste. Simmer 30 minutes with top off, until thick. Combine cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and parmesan. Spread half of the meat sauce in a 13x 9x 2 baking dish, then a layer of spinach, then the cheese mixture, then the mozzarella. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

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‘Carb-Free Comfort’ is a collection of recipes compiled by Elizabeth Caldwell to help those challenged with cutting carbs from their diet. Elizabeth was put on a diet free of all simple carbs but could not stay on it until she started adapting familiar ‘comfort food’ recipes that she missed. In this way she was successful in avoiding simple carbs and staying on the diet, and in the process regained her health.

The cookbook also contains tips for using organic ingredients and substitution ideas for those with allergies. It has 39 dessert recipes made with acceptable sweeteners.

Elizabeth has shared two of her recipes, below. If you are interested in the cookbook, call her at 512.567.1075, email her at carbfreecomfort@yahoo.com or visit the website at www.cookbooks4sale.com/displayCookbook.php?id=59914.

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Health conditions can be inherited without being genetic, but this important distinction is often overlooked. People say: I have this problem, my father or mother has it, my child has it; therefore, it must be genetic. But this is not necessarily so.

The point is clearly demonstrated in nutritional research dating back to the 1940’s and outlined in the landmark book ‘Pottenger’s Cats’ by Francis Pottenger, MD. When Dr. Pottenger deliberately fed some of his cats impoverished diets, their health deteriorated progressively as nutrient reserves were depleted over successive generations. By the fourth generation, cats had a very high rate of allergies and reproductive disorders; some even exhibited behaviors reminiscent of autism or ADHD.

Another clear illustration comes from omega-3 research described in Andrew Stoll’s book ‘The Omega-3 Connection.’ Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for many aspects of health,
including mental health; however, they are severely deficient in the modern American diet. In his book, Dr. Stoll explains how the body goes to great lengths to conserve these fats when it doesn’t get enough of them from food. To some extent omega-3 fats are passed on from one generation to the next during fetal development and through breast milk, so the full impact of dietary depletion only appears after several generations.

Many of us would agree that the standard American diet has become increasingly dependent on highly processed and packaged foods over the past several decades. Another equally significant aspect is that food itself is not as nutritious as it used to be. More evidence of this comes from a new study performed at the University of Texas. Using as a benchmark nutrients that were documented in crops 50 years ago, researchers found that six out of 13 nutrients had shown reliable declines (from a press release. The study will be in the December edition of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Find the press release at www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/uota-ssn120104.php ).

The common practice of applying toxic industrial sludge to farmland by labeling it as ‘fertilizer’ gives us an idea of how we have been progressively impoverishing our soil and food, while at the same time poisoning them both. This disturbing practice has been reported in various news outlets as well as a previous issue of this newsletter (1).

This raises another question: what happens when nutrient-depleted children (or adults) are exposed to environmental poisons such as mercury, lead, pesticides or other chemicals? A new study authored by Dr. Jill James (see www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/10405661.htm but registration is required) reveals that autistic children are deficient in a protein called glutathione and are therefore unable to excrete heavy metals like mercury and lead. The study also shows that providing these children with enough vitamin B12 and folic acid helps re-establish this protein and leads to improvements. We can therefore conclude that the lack of this protein is caused by vitamin deficiencies and is not genetic, as in this latter case the vitamin supplements would not make any difference. Evidence that children and adults alike are exposed to toxic metals and chemicals in the environment is certainly not lacking. After repeatedly denying that mercury used as a preservative in vaccines could be harmful, the Centers for Disease Control reported that as many as one in six women of childbearin g age have enough mercury in their blood to cause permanent damage to the nervous system of developing fetuses (2).

Studies that have looked for chemicals stored in blood or human tissues have never failed to find them, often at levels known to potentially cause cancer or neurological damage. One of these was reported some time ago on this newsletter (3).

A more recent study gives us an idea of how insidious this problem can become. The results showed that minute amounts of a chemical called methylisothiazolinone (MIT) –
commonly found in shampoos and skin lotions – could impair early development of the nervous system (see www.nature.com/news/2004/041129/full/041129-13.html). Although this was an in-vitro study and its findings cannot be considered definitive, the amounts found to be damaging are so minute that they could be easily absorbed through skin.

Children with symptoms of hyper-excitability may have a history of exposure to environmental toxins combined with nutrient deficiencies, but the solution is often fairly simple. A new French study showed that children described as suffering from aggressive behaviors, instability, lack of attention in school, muscle tension and spasms, improved over a period of 1 to 6 months with nothing more than vitamin B6 and magnesium supplements. (J Am Coll Nutr 2004 Oct; 23 (5): 545S-8S).

(1) “EPA sanctions use of toxic waste to make fertilizer” January 2003, archived on the Newsletters page of my website under the Environmental Issues link
(2) “More news on mercury” March 2004, archived on the Newsletters page of my website under the Environmental Issues link
(3) “New website reports high levels of chemical in our bodies” March 2003, archived on the Newsletters page of my website under the Environmental Issues link

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Nothing is as critical to life as water, and when scientists look for signs of life on a distant planet they look for water first. Our own bodies contain more water than any other substance, and the aging process has been described as one of gradual dehydration. The message is clear: drink water if you want to stay young!

Water is also known as the universal solvent, because it ionizes spontaneously generating weak electrical charges that dissolve almost everything. This is key to understanding why water is so critical for detoxification and health, and why it can easily become contaminated.

Much of the water that comes out of our taps today is surface water that has been exposed to endless contaminants and filtered by municipal systems that are rudimentary at best.

Even the purest underground water can become contaminated as pesticides and other chemicals slowly seep into the soil.

At-home water filtration can be problematic because many of the most sophisticated filtration systems on the market produce acidic water. To see this for yourself, buy an inexpensive water pH testing device called ‘Tetra Test pH’ that can be easily found and ordered on the Internet. Distilled and reverse osmosis (RO) water have a pH of about 5.2 (highly acidic, given that 7 is neutral). Water becomes acidic as it loses minerals through the purification process and absorbs carbon dioxide from ambient air. This is true, despite the fact that people have been taught in Chemistry 101 that distilled water has a perfectly neutral pH of 7.0!

Acid water is aggressive and readily dissolves a multitude of toxic chemicals from plastic containers, as well as metals from cooking utensils. This is why distilled water always tastes terrible, and RO water is about the same. Many types of purified water sold in health food stores, sometimes with claims of great health benefits, violate the most basic rule for clean water: they’re acidic and packaged in plastic. Avoid them!

Water testing can be expensive and is basically futile, since no known test can cover the full range of possible contaminants. However, a company called AquaMD (www.aquamd.com) provides a great deal of useful information. They have developed a huge database showing the specific problems with water from different parts of the country and they recommend targeted solutions. This can be important information for you and your family, even if you don’t drink the water from your tap.

When selecting a type of water to drink, look first for one that is slightly alkaline (with a pH of around 7.2) and is available in glass bottles or jugs. Next look for one with frequent and rigorous testing programs. Beyond this, there are types of oxygenated or ionized water that might provide additional health benefits, but reliable data on these is scant. If you feel inclined to research this you might begin by reading about ionized water at www.hightechhealth.com. If you find something of interest let me know.

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