NATURAL IMMUNITY WITH NATURAL FOODS: The Original Plant-Based Diet

©  2020 Jane and Lino Stanchich, L.N.

We are honored to be Licensed Nutritionists and life-long plant-based educators, dedicated to teaching students worldwide the life-saving effectiveness of healthy eating through macrobiotics. During this Covid pandemic, this is more urgent than ever to eat well! A strong immunity and disease-free body is the #1 way to prevent and survive Covid. A balanced plant-based diet is proven to prevent illnesses, increase immunity, and even save your life! Contact us if you have any questions.

The most vital way to increase immunity is to eat organic, plant-centered, balanced, ecological foods. In this first installment in our series, Daily Diet is our focus. We provide lists of many super foods, powerful remedies, and effective supplements proven to increase immunity and create, not only a healthier body, but deeper inner peace and joy of life!

Food is a first line of defense for your immunity. Remember:

• Food creates your blood
• Blood creates your cells
• Cells create your organs
• Eat like your life depends on it….IT DOES!

Nutrition experts now acknowledge that the Macrobiotic Plant-Based Type Diet as a sound program for total nutritional health.1 It more than satisfies the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) for essential human nutrients. In fact on the USDA website, a plant-based type diet is recommended. The exciting conclusion supported by nutritional science is that the same foods and beverages that will help you conquer heart disease and cancer will help prevent diabetes, obesity, and depression! It is a win – win way to eat!

Each of us is unique! Balance the plant-based or macrobiotic diet for your own special needs. They are intended to be utilized in conjunction with professional medical and health advice and should provide a diet adequate for your type of body, age, gender, climate, activities, and work.

Whole foods make whole people. The whole, organic foods, which form the foundation of the Macrobiotic diet, provide abundant quantities of complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals and vitamins in their most natural and nutritious form. Refined and processed foods fail to provide such nutrition. As with all dietary programs, it is essential to use a variety of seasonal whole foods and cooking styles in order to ensure that all key nutrients are supplied. These delicious and satisfying foods will give you and your family high quality nutrition and energy to help you achieve and maintain vitality and health. For specific, individualized dietary guidance, seek our professional counseling, menu planning, cooking instruction, and online coaching. Macrobiotic Cooking for the Whole Family Download Video with Jane…2

       The Original “Plant-Based Diet”

MACROBIOTIC DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS

Welcome to the healthy, natural plant-based macrobiotic way of eating and living. We call it the “Original Plant-Based Diet!” Several top American nutritionists and physicians have credited macrobiotic teachers and diet with introducing them to natural foods in their personal and professional practices.

It is time to eat!

1. WHOLE GRAIN CEREALS

The human body is designed to eat whole grains! Look at our teeth and our intestines. The word, “Meal” means eating grains, eating our “meal.” Every country in the world traditionally cooked and ate whole grains. However, modern meat-eating societies favored refined grains like white breads and white rice to balance the heavy meat. You can easily see where the health of the meat-eating world is today. Besides the costs of human diseases and the inhumane treatment of animals, farming of animals and deforestation is having a devastating effect on our soil, water, and air.

Three films to watch ASAP:

• The Game Changers- world class athletes speak about food and performance in Olympics and at home!
• Cow-spiracy – Learn what animal waste is doing in our air and water and soil. And the suffering of these poor animals! And why this goes on!
• Forks Over Knives with Caldwell Esselstyn, MD and Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and others.

Now, back to good food…

Cooked whole grains, cereals and whole grain products may comprise from 30% to 50% of the volume of every meal. Enjoy these grains in a variety of ways and learn the proper way of preparing them. The whole grains recommended include brown rice (short, medium, long grain), brown Basmati rice, sweet brown rice, barley (unhulled, pearled, and hato mugi), millet, whole wheat berries, whole oats, corn, buckwheat (kasha), rye, amaranth, and quinoa.

Whole grain products include partially polished rice, whole grain sourdough breads, whole grain pasta, non-gluten pastas and noodles, steel cut oats, oatmeal (rolled oats), corn grits, tortillas, cracked wheat, seitan wheat gluten, couscous, and rice cakes. Remember, whole grains provide more strength and energy than the lighter whole grain products and should be emphasized for optimum healing.

2. SOUPS

Vegetable soups, lightly seasoned with miso, soy sauce (shoyu), or tamari, may comprise from 5% to 10% of your daily food. Soups start the digestive juices flowing in a warm, strengthening way. One or two small bowls of satisfying soup a day, containing a variety of fresh organic vegetables, sea vegetables, and sometimes leftover beans, pasta, or grains are warm and delicious beginnings to any healthful meal. Our cookbook has many scrumptious recipes for soups: Delicate, chunky, and creamy! Try them. Jane is known as the Soup Queen.

3. VEGETABLES

Choose from the colorful array of nature's abundant and healthful vegetables. Each day, enjoy a variety of organic vegetables from leafy greens such as kale, broccoli, and collard greens, to sweet round vegetables such as yams, squash and cabbage, and hardy root vegetables such as onions, turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Vegetables may comprise 35% to 65% of your daily diet. Prepare vegetables in many different cooking styles from sauté or boiled, steamed, and baked to marinated, pressed, and raw in crunchy salads. It is truly wise to "Eat your vegetables!" as Mom said.

4. Sprout UP Family FUN!

We can increase the nutrients in foods, even 100-fold, by sprouting seeds and beans. It is easy! Enjoy their crunchy texture and bursts of flavor! Family members can have fun growing delicious sprouts in their own kitchen! It is a great learning time. Kids love it! With simple glass jars or in shallow pans with soil, a small amount of seeds can yield a quart of delicious sprouts in a few days. Sprouted beans often digest better than stove-cooked beans. See Resource List at the bottom of this article for recipes and websites to get you started sprouting. Read recipes carefully for best results.

5. BEANS AND BEAN PRODUCTS

Savory and satisfying, the protein in nature's delicious beans/legumes provide a healthful and more ecological alternative to the high saturated fat and cholesterol-laden protein found in meat and dairy products. Among the delicious beans, which may comprise 5% to 10% of your daily diet, are home-cooked hardy chickpeas, lentils, and aduki red beans, along with kidney beans, cannellini, navy beans, pintos and nutritious, cancer-preventive bean products such as tofu, tempeh, and high vitamin K natto (the new food fad!) Prepare beans properly for best digestion. (See our cookbook in our Shop.) Digestive enzymes are effective to eliminate intestinal gas if needed- as many people avoid beans because of the gas. During Covid especially, keep some canned organic beans with sea salt on hand for a quick meal as needed.

6. SEA VEGETABLES

True gifts from the sea! We eat sea vegetables every day! Nature's highest source of vegetable quality calcium, iron, and essential minerals for the health of our skeletal and nervous system, sea vegetables are enjoyed in delicious macrobiotic dishes such as wakame in soups, kombu in beans, arame in salads and stir fry, toasted nori in rice rolls and sushi, dulse in salads and agar in refreshingly sweet desserts. See our cookbook in the Shop for incredibly wonderful recipes with sea vegetables. We are slightly boosting our consumption of sea vegetables during the Covid outbreak.

7. NATURAL SWEETENERS

We all love sweets. Many do not love us back! Avoid white refined sugar. Watch “Sugar as a Toxin” on 60 Minutes. 3 Natural grain sweeteners such as brown rice syrup, barley malt, maple syrup, amasake, and pure plant stevia provide a healthy substitute for refined sugars and honey which can create blood sugar disorders, mineral deficiency, fatigue, and mood swings. Enjoy these healthy sweeteners in your desserts and beverages. Many delicious recipes using healthy sweeteners are available and fun for the whole family to make!

8. FRUITS

An abundant colorful array of seasonal organic fruits is recommended according to your condition. Have bowls of fruit out for the family to eat.  These fruits may be fresh, dried, or cooked. Delicious apples, pears, grapes, melons, berries, nectarines, and tangerines are among those recommended. Sprinkle blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries on porridge or salads; cut up apples or pears and lightly stew with cinnamon for an easy dessert that staves off sugar cravings and also helps balance blood sugar. Dried fruits are high in minerals and are easily carried in bags or autos as a great pick-me-up snack. Never leave home without a healthy snack!

9. Nuts and Seeds

We recommend the addition of delicious, high-protein nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, and occasional cashews in many dishes, from soup to grain, entrée, to dessert. Nutritious sesame seeds, (high in calcium), pumpkin seeds, (high in zinc), and sunflower seeds (high in vitamin A, foliate, minerals,) add great flavor and nutrients to any dish. We suggest lightly toasting most seeds and nuts to improve flavor and digestibility. Some soak cashews and almonds. During Covid, we are having more seeds and other super foods to increase our nutrients.

10. FERMENTED PRO-BIOTIC SEASONINGS

Delicious and extremely healthful fermented seasonings such as miso, soy sauce (shoyu), tamari, umeboshi, supply abundant amounts of pro-biotics, enzymes, and minerals, as well as deep umami flavor to daily foods from soups to desserts. These are staples in macrobiotic and healthful Japanese diets. Strengthen immunity with miso in soup each day; add tamari or shoyu to stir-fry and noodles, umeboshi in grains, vegetables and remedies. Tekka is a strengthening condiment to enliven meals and strengthen immunity. Read about the amazing proven benefits of miso in reference section below.*

11. Pickles and Sauerkraut

Fermented foods are a daily part of our diet. Indeed, pickles are beloved worldwide as tradition foods served daily. Whether store-bought or homemade, these pickled vegetables add a scrumptious tang to the meal, but most important, they restore intestinal flora, aid digestion, vitality, and immunity. Check out your local food co-op for hand made non-pasteurized pickles. Home Isolation family time could include making homemade pickles and sauerkraut. Fun and Easy! Eat about one tablespoon pickle each lunch and dinner.

12. EXTRA SUPER FOOD TO EAT DURING COVID:

• Natto-Newest super food fad. Buy or make your own and flavor with mustard, scallions, and a dash of tamari or shoyu. Natto has a distinctive odor and flavor, like strong cheese and is stringy…. High in Vit K and is a delicacy to many. A favorite in Japan where Covid cases are lower.
• Shiitake and other mushrooms are delicious in soups, stews, stir-fries. High in Vitamin D. Dried Shiitakes protect the cells from microbial pathogens, cut fats from the body (obesity is a risk factor for Covid,) and are an insomnia remedy. Read more.*
• Kuzu – This amazing plant grows throughout our NC town and our entire region. Valued highly in Asia and by health food proponents for its medicinal qualities including soothing digestion and elimination, kuzu is a medicine for alcoholism and is anti-viral. We add it frequently to soups, sauces, and in healing remedies such as ume-shoy-kuzu**. One of the symptoms of Covid virus is a digestive ailment. Keep kuzu in your pantry for daily use and in case of illness. Read more.***
• Ginger Root-Grated or minced (Add to tea, soup, stir fry, beans)
• Turmeric Spice for Immunity- a pinch in beans or for yellow rice-add at the start of cooking.
• Garlic- Minced or in organic granules, to taste, use sparingly.

13. STOCK UP!

Healthy whole foods can be stored easily. We will list the basic types of whole, organic foods to purchase and keep for many months. Fresh vegetables and fruits must be purchased at least every week. Consider planting a garden in your own yard for tremendous family enjoyment and fresh food! Help plant gardens around your city for those who cannot get fresh vegetables. Free dietary details and recipes are available on our website: www.greatlifeglobal.com

Our Home Page even has a site where you can find an organic garden in your area!

14. CHEWING BUILDS T-CELLS FOR STRONG IMMUNITY!

HOW you eat is as important as WHAT you eat! Scientists have proven that thorough chewing of whole food is the simplest way to build vitality and immunity. Chewing saved Lino’s life and the life of his father. (Power Eating Program book.) Chew whole, high-fiber plant-based foods as a powerful way to break down the food and stimulate hormones for optimum absorption and digestion of nutrients. Best remedy for acid reflux and indigestion! T-cells are increased. Chewing healthy food well is the first defense against viruses and illness. Eat peacefully to calm yourself and produce gastric enzymes. You are sure to notice a difference! Lino’s PEP BOOK:       www.greatlifeglobal.com/shop

15. FOODS TO AVOID

The following list of foods and beverages should be eliminated from your diet to achieve greater health and promote healing:

• Highly refined sugars (white, cane, brown, powdered, raw sugars; corn syrup; honey; molasses; fructose)
• Artificial/ Chemical sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, Splenda, etc.)
• Red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, wild game)
• Poultry (chicken, turkey, wild game, etc.
• Eggs (poultry eggs)
• Dairy (cow’s and goat’s milk products: butter, milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, ghee, ice cream, cream—whether they are advertised as low-fat or not)
• Refined grains, low in fiber (white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc.)
• Preservatives/ Chemical additives/ Artificial colorings
• Coffee
• Carbonated beverages/ Sodas
• Chocolate (Reports of its healthful benefits are shown to be false.)
• Commercial tap water/ Distilled water/ Reverse osmosis water
• Genetically Modified (GMO) foods
• Hydrogenated/ Trans-fats (margarine, additives to commercial baked goods)
• Canola Oil
• Baked flour products (cookies, bread, crackers, muffins, etc.)
• Traditional mayonnaise and commercial salad dressings
• Tropical Fruits (mangos, bananas)
• Gray salt/ Iodized salt
• Food with a high carbon footprint.
• Be sure to consult with an appropriate health professional before making alterations to your daily diet. Follow any recommendations carefully and consciously.
• NOTE: Avoid microwave cooking, electric cooking, and blackened-grilled foods.

The Coronavirus is now a global crisis. Yet, troubling times bring opportunities. May you and your loved ones, our entire world, become safe and healthy in the midst of this tragic outbreak. Our love and our hope are sent out to each of you. Cook well, eat well, and be well. Contact us to ask questions and share.

In Friendship Together, Jane and Lino

ORGANIC NATURAL FOODS/ONLINE ORDERING

1. Natural Import Company

https://naturalimport.com

2. Natural Lifestyles Supplies

http://www.natural-lifestyle.com

3. Great Eastern Sun Co. (Miso Master)

https://great-eastern-sun.com

4. Gold Mine Foods

https://shop.goldminenaturalfoods.com

5. Bridge Foods, CT and Northeast USA/Retail

http://bridgetofu.com

6. French Broad Food Co-op

Asheville, NC Local Delivery: http://frenchbroadfood.coop

7. South River Miso

http://www.southrivermiso.com

8. Rhapsody Natural Foods (Natto and much more!)

https://rhapsodynaturalfoods.com

9. Sprouting Experts Instruction

https://sproutpeople.org

10. Whole Foods/Amazon – Free Delivery for Prime Members https://www.amazon.com/alm/storefront?almBrandId=VUZHIFdob2xlIEZvb2Rz&ref_=nav_cs_whole_foods_in_region
11. Maine Seaweed Company – Larch Hansen

https://theseaweedman.com

12. Jane and Lino’s website: www.greatlifeglobal.com

SUPPORT RESOURCES

THE POWERFUL BENEFITS OF MISO

   JANE AND LINO STANCHICH, Licensed Nutritionists

• Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure
• Reduced pain
• Alkalinizes blood
• Counteracts radiation
• Reduces risk of some cancer
• Aids digestion - builds intestinal flora
• Reduces food allergies
• Destroys pathogenic bacteria and toxins
• Enhances immune function
• Aids in food assimilation
• Acts as a natural antacid

Miso is a Nutritional Powerhouse! This delicious, fermented seasoning is an excellent source of: iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, B vitamins, and protein.

LATEST RESEARCH ON MISO’S HEALING QUALITIES

(September, 2015):

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/miso-protects-against-radiation-cancer-and-

Hypertension

*SHIITAKE MUSHROOM ARTICLE: http://www.greatlifeglobal.com/resources/articles/90.html

** UME-SHOY-KUZU RECIPE

Place one cup of uncooked water and two teaspoons of kuzu in a pot, stir well to dissolve kuzu. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly until liquid goes from white to transparent. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon umeboshi plum and 1/4 teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce). Cook for three minutes. Drink warm. Excellent for improving digestion, soothing an upset stomach, easing diarrhea, colds and flu-like symptoms (VIRUS!), and increasing general vitality.  Kuzu also helps overcome the effects of alcoholism.

***KUZU ARTICLE: http://www.greatlifeglobal.com/services/health-a-wellness-consultations.html?id=30

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1       Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, AbbVie (a pharmaceutical company), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital - Study of more than 200,000 participants to analyze the links between their diet and coronary heart disease. The study was published in the medical journal of the American College of Cardiology. They found that a plant-based diet is associated with reduced hypertension, lower cholesterol, better weight management and a reduced risk of heart diseases as seen in the large group of participants.

2       “Macrobiotic Cooking for the Whole Family Video” A complete meal with detailed instructions by Jane Q. Stanchich  http://www.greatlifeglobal.com/component/virtuemart/macrobiotic-vegan-cooking-instruction-dvds/macrobiotic-cooking-for-the-whole-family-digital-video-download-detail.html?Itemid=9

3       You Tube Video on “Sugar as a Toxin,” Sanjay Gupta, MD and Dr. Lustig on 60 Minutes. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-domaindev-st_emea&hsimp=yhs-st_emea&hspart=domaindev&p=you+tube+60+minutes+sugar+as+a+toxin#id=52&vid=9abfb361c21f1b2bb6d2d1691869b248&action=click

For Valuable Macrobiotic Information and Books on DIET, COVID, HEALING