Foundation for Advancement in Cancer Therapy
Non-Toxic Biological Approaches to the Theories,
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2024
Our 53rd Year

Living Organically With SeedsBy Dr. Bernard Jensen, D.C.

HOW TO EAT SEEDS

Seeds are very concentrated foods, so eat them in small quantities and thoroughly masticate them for good digestion. Many people fail to reap the benefit of the seeds they eat because they pass through the body unassimilated. For this reason we always advise soaking nuts and dry seeds first. Many seeds can be ground to a meal in a nut mill or liquefier, just before using, made into seed butters, or made into seed milks for greater digestibility. Seeds are much better eaten raw, but they can also be incorporated in cooking, whole or as a meal, added to bakery goods, vegetarian roasts, etc.

Non-catarrhal drinks are substitutes for milk when it is necessary to change our diet entirely in order to rid ourselves of the various unhealthy conditions of the body. Anyone with asthma, bronchial troubles or any catarrhal discharge should have these seed drinks instead of the regular milk from the cow. Then you will find the catarrhal conditions lessening with the days.

Seeds have the starches and the proteins together. Nature combines them, but we cannot put them together as Nature does. Being the beginning, the seed is combined in such a way as to become the whole plant the completed process to give forth seeds for the next generation.

Seeds will cause gas when we are not adjusted. We may need to take them gradually. It is the hull that causes the gas. We find that it is made up of a cellulose that is almost like the bark on a tree. In many cases it prevents us from getting any good from the seed unless it has been worked through a liquefier or made into some kind of a broth. When the hull is taken off any of the seeds, they are made much easier for the body to handle. It has been found, for instance, that taking the hull off lima beans, or making a pureed lima bean soup, will do much to prevent gas. You will notice that split pea soup does not cause the gas that the peas with heavy hulls do.

STORAGE

Seeds should be kept in their original shells if possible, for these are the protection for the seeds, as Luther Burbank brought out. For instance, sunflower seeds should be ground soon after the shells are removed, as destruction gradually takes place thereafter. While attending a session with the Orowheat Bakers and Millers, I learned that only sixteen hours after wheat has been ground, it becomes rancid. A spoilage due to oxidation takes place. If you want good wheat bread, grind the wheat just before you use it. Seeds are alive through the wintertime, even though they are dry, for the hull protects the seed. If you do shell nuts, put them into airtight brown bottles. This keeps out the sunshine and the air which could destroy vitamins and other elements in the seeds.

WHAT OF THE FUTURE?

Atomic radiations are giving us a lot of things to take care of in the future. We will find that a certain plant life will take up atomic radiation more than others. We know that bone marrow in the body is affected tremendously by atomic radiation. This is one of the reasons why bone marrow is prescribed for many people living in the fall-out sections of the United States. They have worked experiments in Washington with various animals using bone marrow. Those animals having the bone marrow in the diet had more resistance to cancer; they have less cancer in the atomic radiation test. The bone marrow is really a seed within us, and it can be fed best by the seeds from fruits and vegetables. I say bone marrow is like a seed because we find it contains all the minerals and vitamins, all the building material to build every cell and every organ in the body. It makes the red blood cells. But, when it has been mutilated and hasn’t been fed properly, every cell in the body feels it and will be affected.

With the atomic radiation tests that have been made, it has been found that the goat is the one animal affected the least. I do believe it is because there is a heavy amount of fluorine in the makeup of the goat. In the goat’s milk itself there is ten times as much fluorine as in the cow’s milk Fluorine is destroyed by heat. In order to get the natural fluorine, we should eat plenty of raw seeds and raw nut butters and drink seed milks, all of which are also very high in the natural element, fluorine, for resistance.

So, all in all, if I were to say what was the most important food to partake of in Nature, I would say SEEDS. I would say that from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden seeds were possibly the most predominant thing in the natural diet. These earliest seeds had the true, concentrated food flavor. The strawberry in the beginning was very small. The blackberry was very small; but if anyone has ever tasted a wild strawberry or a wild blackberry, they have experienced a taste they will never forget. These tiny berries are loaded with seeds. They have to survive, and we find that the elements can be very severe in many parts of the country. Such plants which have not been tamed by man, have not been hybridized, cannot withstand a variety of conditions. But take the modern soybean. Through selection man has created soybeans that can thrive in Ohio others will grow well in Montana; but many varieties have been needed to grow in the different sections of the world. In this hybridization we are forgetting the fact that we should stay as close to the natural thing, the original thing, as possible.

HYBRIDS

I hardly think much has been taken out of the seeds through hybridization, but I do believe that the original chemical balance is not the same. For instance, we have about 200 varieties of soy beans today. The original ones from Indochina are entirely different from those we have now. Sprouts from the original mung bean, and sprouts from the hybrids are not at all the same. The original seeds are smaller and much more concentrated. Like the herbs, they are so volatile that their odors are powerful to the extent that there is no comparison in their flavors. Originally all of the vegetables in our garden were herbs.

We have hybrid oranges today. The orange was a berry with thousands of little seeds, but now the demand is for a seedless variety. When the seeds are removed the gland structure is removed. Man is degenerating food by making hybrids out of it. Just think, we have over 200 varieties of avocados today, and now they are trying to get an avocado without a seed. This is being done just to please the public. In the beginning, these seeds had a purpose, but man has caused deviations to take place. He who knows gardening sees that we are lost in the wilderness and need to return to conformity with Nature. Hybridization is a crime being perpetrated upon the seed world.

NATURE’S ABUNDANCE

In Germany an extract is made from the bark of a tree. It has certain effects on the body. The sap has another effect. An application of the flowers from that same tree has another effect on the body, the fruit still another. The combination of any two of these has yet another. All the parts of the tree are represented in the seed. Any seed has all the elements that the parent body has. The seeds bring forth the next generation. Nature is interested in the next generation. Look what a part it plays in mankind. Think of the tumbleweed dropping its seeds in the reproduction process as it rolls along from field to field.

The more seeds in a food, the greater its value. Wild blackberries and wild strawberries are delicacies far beyond their hybrid sisters. The sweetness is something, but of course they are full of seeds, the most volatile of that plant. Here we are trying to have things for man’s good, but now I hear they are growing watermelons without seeds. Man’s convenience is not always man’s ultimate good. What fun we will be missing spitting out these seeds! Man is really trying to do away with the harvesting of foods. Here convenience is the detrimental factor. The canning, the preserving, the processing all for man’s convenience at the moment, are making man become as depleted as his processed foods. The supermarket foods are prepared for a long shelf life, for the producers could not stay in business if their foods spoiled in a few days. Certainly you should pay more for foods from a health food store! Realize the spoilage that takes place in natural food.

Nature is so interested in reproduction in man’s favor that the yield from one seed is usually from two to three hundred percent. The abundance in Nature is far beyond any man-made scheme or system of manufacture.

You are a plant, so you need “whole” foods to become whole in mind, body and soul. Many animals live mainly on seeds. They know where the vitality of the plant is. It is hard to keep a herbivorous animal well without feeding him a certain amount of grain. The old crofters of Scotland live close to Nature. When a man takes his herd of sheep to the mountains, he carries along plenty of oats to munch on.

ANISE SEEDS

Anise seed is good to chew and very soothing to the stomach. It is also used as a spice in baking, soups, etc.

CAROB

The carob is truly a seed worth its weight in gold. It was the original “carat” of the goldsmith, the standard by which gold and precious stones were measured.

Far older than any bread, the “Staff of Life” to many peoples has been the “bread that grows on trees,” the ancient carob. Since before history began, it has supported man through famine and pestilence. He has called it the “universal provider”; for it has been his flour, meat, sugar and drink. Armies, both conquering and conquered, have lived on it. Being so old, its names are legend. John the Baptist ate it during his life in the wilderness; it is the “St. John’s Bread” of the Bible, and still a popular name is “locust” or “honey locust.”

CANTALOUPE

These are a high-protein seed. If you want to do something really nice for yourself, take the cantaloupe seeds along with some pineapple juice, or honey-sweetened tea or even water, and liquefy them until very fine. Run through a strainer to remove the sharp seed hulls, and you have one of the most vital drinks, and very delicious.

Watermelon, honey dew, casaba, and any of the other melon family can be used the same way. It is probably more practical though, to juice the whole of the watermelon rind, seeds and pulp, and so get the value of the complete fruit. Watermelon seeds are highly esteemed in the treatment of nephritis, a kidney disease. It is flown from Florida to Canada for this purpose.

COCONUT

This is the biggest of the seeds, the entire coconut being the actual seed. Growing by the sea, it is richer in minerals than inland seeds. A good body cleanser. In the balance of its chemical elements it compares favorably with mother’s milk.

FENUGREEK

Fenugreek is a native of South Europe and Asia. Especially is it found along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Northern Africa and India also cultivate it.
Being a legume, fenugreek seeds are formed in a slender, bean-like pod with a beaked point. Their shape is oddly rhomboid.

Fenugreek is commonly used for brewing tea which is very beneficial for the kidneys and the skin. Fenugreek is considered a diaphoretic, helping the skin to eliminate toxic materials.

Used in moderation, fenugreek seeds make an unusual addition to black-eyes peas.

FIG SEEDS

Chew fig seeds very well to assimilate, and you have a wonderful constipation remedy.

FLAXSEED

Flaxseeds make a valuable laxative. For gentle action they may be brewed into a tea:

1 Tbsp. flaxseed

1 pint water

Boil 6-7 minutes, then strain off the liquid.

Flavor with a little lemon or mix with raw vegetable juices. This is wonderful in stomach and bowel inflammations. For a laxative, take a cup three times a day, half an hour before meals.

Flaxseed can be used for an enema whenever there is excessive gas, colitis, or inflammation of the bowels. The un-boiled tea is higher in vitamin F for bowel healing. Cover the seeds with boiling water and stand overnight before straining. Liquid chlorophyll added to flaxseed enemas is quite helpful when there is bleeding or ulceration in the lower bowel.

Flaxseed may also be ground into a meal, and we recommend that 1 tablespoon of this be used as a daily supplement. It may be sprinkled on breakfast fruit or cereal or used in a drink, but taken dry it sticks in the throat. Vitamin F or unsaturated fatty acids are abundant in flaxseeds. The ancient Romans and Greeks used it as a delicacy to nibble on between banquet courses.

A Connecticut doctor says that vitamin E arrests the growth of cancer of the prostate gland. So I believe that probably flaxseed is one of the finest seeds you can have in your diet.

GRAPE SEEDS

These also need good chewing. They are rich in vitamin A and C.

OKRA

Okra seed may be had raw, roasted or as a coffee substitute. It is especially rich in unsaturated fatty acids, while the okra itself contains sodium.

PARSLEY SEEDS

Parsley seeds are high in vitamins A and C. In fact, they were used by the ancients to relieve bleeding gums.

POMEGRANATE

I don’t think that we can get any food that has more seeds in it than the pomegranate. Pomegranate is one of the finest foods that we have for cleansing the kidney and bladder. For toning up the bladder wall there is nothing that surpasses pomegranate juice, which is also wonderful for the glandular system. By using the liquefier, the pomegranate seeds can be used beautifully when this fruit is in season. There is hardly any food with more protected seeds than the pomegranate. Is it that they are the most important seeds of all the fruits that Nature protects them so well? Because of their extreme bitterness and their high potassium value we must mix them well with some other food to neutralize that bitter taste.

PSYLLIUM SEED

In the early days in Greece, psyllium seed was used for constipation. They found that long chewing of this seed gave positive results in the eliminative process. There have been many changes since then, but we still have people with gluttonous appetites, constantly eating, so always having the feeling of a full stomach.

Psyllium seeds do greatly benefit the bowel. Constipation is remedied by them. They swell in the intestine to create bulk, also secreting a liquid to lubricate the passage.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

According to Dr. W. Devrient, pumpkin seeds are most helpful to hormonal function and proper glandular health. They are extremely rich in iron, contain 30% protein, 40% unsaturated fatty acids, are high in phosphorus, and have adequate amounts of calcium. Doctors use them as a therapeutic measure for prostatic hypertrophy, and with honey they are an old and proven “worm medicine.”

ROSEHIPS

It seemed to be during World War II that some countries, unable to import oranges for infant nutrition, turned back to rosehips in the form of a syrup for the valuable Vitamin C short in milk. Rosehips are the seed of the Briar Rose and can be easily collected in those areas where they grow wild. An interesting suggestion for their preparation for winter use is to halve rosehips, remove the seeds and grind fine with an equal weight of dates. Pressed into small jars and made airtight with wax, they keep beautifully.

SESAME SEEDS

A native of South-Central Asia, the sesame plant is now grown extensively in China, Africa, India, South and Central America and the Southwest United States. It reaches a height of about 2 feet, but is a sturdy annual Sometimes it is known as Benne. Sesame seed could be raised in herb gardens, but most of what we use is imported from the Orient and also from Turkey.

Sesame seed, queen of the oil-bearing seeds, is noted for its stability. It can be stored for long periods of time, and is resistant to oxidative rancidity. Sesame seed is 45% protein and 55% oil. Nine pounds of seeds give 2 quarts of oil, and it is said that 2 tablespoons of Tahini (Sesame butter) is equivalent in protein to a sixteen-ounce steak. It is rich in lecithin and fatty acids for dissolving cholesterol; one-fourth pound has 1,125 mg. calcium, according to the Agricultural Handbook No. 34. It is also rich in phosphorus, niacin and Vitamin E for the heart, blood vessels and oxygen utilization. It is especially high in the amino acid methionine. Sesame seed has a composition very like the almond but at a much lower price.

Sesame seed is capable of building a strong tough body. The Turks and the Greeks were considered the toughest soldiers in war. Their resistance to discomfort excelled in most instances. For food in battle they carried sesame seed with them.

Although classed as a spice, it has none of the aromatic qualities, being sweet and nutty in flavor. It has tremendous versatility. Nutritionally rich, even as seeds go, it makes a wonderful “milk substitute drink”. Ground to a meal it supplies a high protein powder to sprinkled over fruits, cereals or vegetable loaves. The butter known as “Tahini” is rich in unsaturated oil and protein, while the oil itself is highly recommended. Its value has been demonstrated in the many parts of the world in which it is an important article of diet.

More common uses include its incorporation in bread making, appetizers, vegetables and meats. Try oatmeal cooked with a tablespoon of sesame seeds; or sprinkled over any breakfast cereal. Fruit salads with sesame seeds are delicious. For a “different” graham cracker crust, add sesame seeds, especially for the pumpkin pie crust. Health candies, cheeses, soups and salad dressings are all the better for the addition of sesame seeds. Sesame seed is usually toasted, although its best value is obtained in the raw form.

Sesame oil has a long history as a superior food. It has a bland, pleasant flavor and is excellent as a salad or cooking oil and as a shortening for baking.

Tahini, having the same consistency as peanut butter, is simply liquefied sesame seeds, with nothing added or subtracted, and unrefined. Turkey in particular uses it as we do dairy butter here, and to some degree in almost every food. Try it as a delicious salad dressing. Mixed with honey and milk powder it makes a very tasty cream candy. (This candy can be hardened by drying out in the refrigerator for a few days.) As such, it can be used as a basic for nut candy by just adding any proportion of nuts. Such candy is true health food. A very tasty and nutritious ice cream can be made from sesame butter, honey and milk powder. Tahini, or sesame butter, can be converted into milk and is far superior to cow’s milk because it does not putrefy, is free from the bacteria causing constipation, is more easily digested, and is non-mucous forming.

Tahini is digested and in the blood stream in less than a quarter of an hour after it has been eaten, whereas it takes from 2-5 hours to digest and assimilate and metabolize meat. The sesame seed can be used instead of sesame butter if it is liquefied with honey in a blender. Sesame butter is ideal shortening for bread and cookies. Since sesame butter is half oil, use twice as much as other fats called for. Some have to acquire a taste for Tahini as they do for avocados.

Sesame seed milk, a non-catarrh forming milk substitute, is one of our best, I believe. It is a wonderful drink for gaining weight, for lubricating the intestinal tract, and its nutritional value is beyond compare as it is so high in protein and minerals. To take sesame seed in the form of a drink gives us the finest type of nutrition.

Uses for sesame seed milk include its incorporation in salad dressings, soups, cocktails; its use on cereals at breakfast, or with fruit; mixed with various nut butters; as an after-school snack; mixed with whey drinks to adjust intestinal sluggishness; or twice daily with banana to gain weight; add to it supplements such as flaxseed meal or rice polishings.

SQUASH SEEDS

Seeds from squashes, such as the Hubbard, acorn, butternut, summer squashes, etc., are valuable. They can be picked out of the ripe vegetable and eaten “as is” quite acceptably, or, of course, may be dried, or crushed and liquefied in a suitable liquid to make a seed milk, or toasted and nibbled as snacks.

The above material was excerpted fromSeeds and Sprouts for Life by Dr. Bernard Jensen.