Editorial

Clinical studies showed that when patients with arthritis, gout, etc. are fed with dry beans, their symptoms become much worse [1]. My mother was claiming that there are two categories of food – food that thins the blood and increases the blood circulation and food that makes the blood thicker and decreases the blood circulation. My mother’s claims were the ancient Celtic wisdom, but the ancient Chinese wisdom says the same – there are two types of food – Yang food (“Yang” means “active” and this is the food that activates (increases) blood circulation) and Yin food (“Yin” means “passive” and this is the food that decreases the blood circulation because it makes the blood thicker) [1].

In my book “Delicious Herbal and Folk Remedies” [1], I have listed the food, which thickens the blood and worsens the blood circulation. Such blood-thickening food should be avoided, especially in a Pandemic like this one. This is because the blood carries the white blood cells, which are the soldiers defending the body against any invader (Coronavirus or any other germ) and poor blood circulation means poor defense. Blood-thickening food is: dry beans, meat, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cheese, etc. The Naturopathic Schools teach that the food that thickens the blood and increases the pain of arthritis, gout, etc. has acid ashes. Knowing that a food has acidic ashes does not help much. Instead of this, they should teach that the blood-thickening food increases the blood acidity and more acid blood means more pain [1].

The book also lists the food that makes the blood thinner and improves the blood circulation. This is the right food to eat during the Pandemic. It is because the fast circulating blood delivers fast the white blood cells, which are the soldiers defending the body against any invader (Coronavirus or any other germ), and good blood circulation means good defense and healthy body. The blood thinning-food is: lemons, cabbage family, turnip family, celery, parsnips, flaxseeds, seaweeds, sesame seeds, ginseng, ginger, clove, rosemary, dill, basil, onions, garlic, dandelion root, burdock, lotus, papaya, mustard greens, quinoa, etc. The lemons are also known as blood purifiers. My father had kidney deficiency and my mother kept him living with these poorly functioning kidneys for 30 years by eating a lot of lemons. The Naturopathic Schools teach that the food that makes the blood thinner, improves the blood circulation, and decreases the pain of arthritis, gout, etc. has alkaline ashes. Knowing that a food has alkaline ashes does not help much. Instead of this, they should teach that the blood-thinning food decreases the blood acidity making it more alkaline and less acidic blood means less pain [1], better defense against germs, and healthier body.

Another harm of dry beans is the abdominal gases they create, which can be drastically reduced. Research done in Europe showed the substances that create the gases are mostly in the water in which we cooked the beans []. To reduce the gases, first soak the beans overnight and throw away the water in which you soaked them.  Then cooked the beans and when they are almost ready, throw away the water in which you cooked them. Add hot water and all the spices you want there and cook the beans until completely done. If you have greasy spots on cloths, do not throw the beans’ water because the best way to get rid of the greasy spots is soaking the greasy cloths in beans’ water for half an hour, then rub out the spots and rinse. The cloths will be like new and the grease spots will never reappear [1].

The harm of the spinach is that it contains oxalates, which form stones in the kidneys. Research done in Europe showed the oxalates forming stones are mostly in the water the spinach was cooked in [1]. Cook the spinach, throw the water, add hot water, the spices and the produce you want to cook the spinach with, and cook your meal. By throwing the water, in which you cooked the spinach, you are throwing the harmful oxalates [1]; this is of special importance for people, whose parents had kidney stones because they could have inherited predisposition to form such stones [1].

Clinical studies in Europe showed that in the cure of cancer, the chemotherapy is tolerated much better and its toxicity is substantially reduced if sweat basil tea is drank during the chemotherapy. It was not known how it worked, but as soon as basil reduced the toxicity of the chemotherapy without reducing its effect, basil was used to help reduce the toxicity of the chemotherapy. Now, when writing this article, I listed the basil as Yang food, i.e. food that thins the blood and improves blood circulation. Obviously, sweet basil was thinning the blood and improving the blood circulation, which was helping to get rid of the toxins of the chemotherapy; it is a miracle that the effect of the chemotherapy is not reduced [1].