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Earth Cuisine for Longevity


Image by Barry Gourmet and Raw
My Personal Experience with my diet:
Writen by Barry Gourmet & Raw © copyright Aug. 24 2011

Having a new lease on life with my slimVegan body,and feeling good ,with tons of energy I continued to abstain from eating any kind of animal even though many Korean people love their barbecued beef but in much smaller portions compared to Americans.
However near the end of the 4th year of my 100 percent strict Vegan Cleansing Diet I felt that my energy should be much stronger than it was, and as usual I listened to my body and paid close attention to it.
I was living and working in Soul Korea at the time during the early 90s and I was burning a lot of calories at the time enjoying my new life by vigorously ice skating every evening at Lotte World Ice rink and on week ends mountain climbing and hiking with my friend Mr Park.
I will never forget my Friend Mr. Park and his gracious family for introducing me to many fine Traditional Korean foods to enjoy.
Even though we are the same age and had almost the same diet I noticed that Mr. Parks Stamina and endurance,climbing mountains was better than mine and his dieting was just only a little bit different than mine when we would eat out together . Back then I was working as an Animator Supervisor in Cartoon film production for Television,and having been trained to observe people and their movements and habits I made mental notes of every thing Mr. Park was eating doing ,and saying. I did not have enough time and money to make a double blind test study on 2 or 3 large groups of people so I just studied Mr. Park instead.

We where eating a Korean style of Macrobiotic plant based raw foods and some cooked and some high enzyme raw fermented foods as well like Miso Soups, Kim chi, sour vegetables with herbal Green teas and some times a bit of Korean Rice Wine. Included with our meals was boiled brown rice with different legumes Tofu, sesame sauce and seed, asian pickles, with fruit plates as a snack. Some times I would share a Korean Vegetarian style fried pancake with Mr. Park.And sometimes Mr. Park would surprise me, and place an Acid forming Egg on his Bi Bem Bap!! Thats a popular Korean Style bowl of rice and vegetables. On occasion but not often enough I would sprout and grow wheat grass in my hotel room.

What I notice Mr. Park doing that was different from me was his love for Raw Honey , Bee Pollen and fresh Raw Korean Red and White Ginseng Root mixed together. Honey and Bee Pollen was animal so it was off my list.
And another thing that Mr. Park would do was sometimes on occasion he would add a bit of Fish to his vegetables or a bit of beef or pork. I would never touch the last 2 but I know especially pork is very popular in most Asian countries. Other than that we where on the same diet that lasted for at least 2 years before I finished my job with the Walt Disney Company and flew back to California USA for a check up with my Natural path Doctor ND and Nutritionalist.

When my lab blood work came back I was SHOCKED and surprised to discover the following results?

Even though I felt a 100 times better in the past after losing all my excess weight , I still did not feel at my optimum in energy levels.

My blood count looked good except for the following result:

I had Anemia with a low red cel blood count .
I was deficient in Vitamin B 12
And I was low in my Essential Omega 3 Fatty Acids

My Doctor gave me a Vitamin B -12 shot that I did not like because I have a thing about being poked with needles . My Doctor subscribed Sublingual B -12 liquid under my tongue and subscribed Iron supplements and told me to start eating fish for my essential Omega 3 fatty Acids.

I found out later that I was not alone , and that other people experienced the same thing.
Did you ever see the Movie or Video called “ Super Charge Me “ directed and acted by Jenna Norwood?
Well after only 30 days of strict raw vegan dieting and remember mine was almost 4 years straight, her Doctor after looking at her blood lab results informed Jenna that her red blood cell count was lower and borderline Anemic.

She called David Wolf who is an Expert Nutritionalist and Food Researcher about her findings.
David , advised her to take more green vegetable juices ,especially Parsley,Dandelion,and Spinach. And to eat more dark red cherries , and more dark red berries of every kind that is rich in the mineral iron. David is right of course as all the above mentioned foods ,will supply the body with dietary organic Iron to correct the Anemia. At the time I did not have David with me to consult with, and so I had to figure things out a lot on my own over the years ,and research a lot about how to best keep my vitamin B -12 at normal range and my Omega 3 Fatty Acids optimized.

Even if a person eats enough foods rich in Iron like , Beef, Fish, Poultry,and for Vegetarians ,Beans,and all kinds of fruits including dry fruits, and green leafy vegetables like Spinach things can still go wrong if you sway away from NATURE and nibble on that man made processed glue thats advertised in print and media.

Seliac Disease or condition,plus Gluten Intolerance, or people that are allergic to Gluten grains , like Wheat ,Rye,and Barley will have a hard time absorbing the mineral Iron even if they think they are on a good diet. Grains normally along with a few root vegetables like potatoes are very starchy foods and offer less bio available nutrition to the body as compared to vegetables growing above the ground.( Go for a lot of Dark Greens rich in Iron)
Crones Disease or condition, which is a chronic inflammatory auto immune disorder that affects the small intestine and other parts of the intestinal tract can cause Iron deficiency leading to Anemia as well.
Even parasitic infections can cause iron deficient anemia as some invading parasites are capable of feeding off of your blood supply.
Parasites live in all meats of every kind so my recommendation is to cook the meats well, and to eat the wild game meats as condiments and not as the main course at any meal.
It takes a lot longer to properly chew any meat until it becomes liquid in your mouth , and on top of this it even gets more challenging for us to digest the meat proteins in comparison to plant based proteins. The meat takes longer than any other food group out there for time of digestion, and transit time through your body,and if this isn’t enough, all meats are very Acid Forming inside our body and if eaten in excess could cause an imbalance with our intestinal friendly flora bacteria living in our gut, that would compromise our immune system .And I could say a whole lot more why we should not eat so much meat ,and I have to save it for another article because ,there would not be enough space left on this page to do so. So trust me on this , a lot can go wrong with eating to much land meat in our diet, including sea food that is farm raised.

Wild fish in moderation agreed with me ,such as Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines and Herring.
I personally do not eat any Beef or Pork and very rarely any poultry with their eggs.( And if I did it would be open free range and organic , chickens or ducks running around some villagers back yard living a free life like nature intended . I purchase my wild sea food from my local Sea GypsyVillage.
People living in the 5 Blue Zones noted for longevity live on a Plant Based Whole Food Diet that includes a little bit of wild free range protein as a condiment only. With their primarily vegetarian plant based meals with much of their diet RAW they eat small meals spaced out.

The founder of the Blue Zones ,Mr Dan Buettner with his Expert team of Scientists supported by the National Geographic Society Magazine, in 2004 made a discovery that in my opinion should, and must wake up every person living in our modern day society, to take notice and to act upon and learn about LIFE from the people living in the Blue Zones around the world.

The 5 Blue Zone locations around the world now famous for peoples Longevity ,Good Health, and Happiness are the islands of Okinawa Japan,the island of Sardinia Italy, Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica,Loma Linda (Seventh Day Adventists), California USA, and the island of Ikaria, Greece.

I find it interesting that the 3 Blues zones that have a lot in common that contribute to the peoples longevity in Okinawa Japan, Sardinia Italy, and Lorma Linda California,are as follows.
The Family is priority and has great purpose in their lives.
Non Smokers, as Centenarians (People who live to be one hundred years or older)from the studies do not typically smoke.
A Plant Based Diet for life is primarily their choice for consumption of plants from nature.
Constant every day moderate physical activity with rest periods.
A strong sense of community and purpose ,with all people engaged in social activity.
Legumes or Beans are commonly consumed.

From my own experience and observations starting over 35 years ago when I first visited Thailand, I was overwhelmed with curiosity as to why all the Thais that I observed where thin ,lean and in good shape. And I can remember at that time that I was self conscious of my own body being very overweight from consuming the processed Standard American Diet (SAD). Back then not previously having the experience of traveling overseas ,it really hit me because I thought that it was a normal thing in society to have a certain population segment to be overweight or even obese as I was just a young man looking for adventure in a new country.
The Thai people back then primarily ate a traditional Thai diet of Rice, Noodles,lots of Vegetables, Fruits and seafood that would delighted any persons taste buds. But what really got my tasted buds jumping around like Mexican Jumping beans on a hot stove, where the hot Thai Chili Peppers that every Foreign Tourist will experience sooner or later as Thais will serve it HOT unless you order it otherwise. (Always keep a big glass of cold ice water near by)

I also noticed in my travels to up country in Thailand even today that life is really simple and the Thai people continue to eat the traditional fare of Greens with Rice and fresh fruits with the usual spicy hot dishes that they are famous for especially in the North East of the country.On my last visit to the up country in Thailand’s North East I witnessed interesting bits of edible protein ,very popular with the villagers,such as Beatles,Grasshoppers,Ants,Lizards and Frogs.
I gave a pass on the first four, but I did try the Frog Soup and it was tasty and not bad at all.Remember that these people are still eating from nature, with their Fruits and lots of Vegetable Greens and less processed food from out of a box. My Thai wife name Am continues to practice her traditional Thai North East diet today but does get distracted now and then, and falls prey to temptation from processed fast foods , only because we now live on a tourist island with lots of out side influences, but that is another story.

Today after my first trip 35 years ago to Thailand I definitely see and notice a negative change of health in some of the Thai People in general in comparison of 3 decades ago ,that also affects other developing countries that I have travelled to as well. In Bangkok and Phuket I see much more Obesity and over weight problems in general in comparison to the past, and when I talk with western trained Thai Md’s ,they all agree with me, for this point of view. At one time , I read a report a few years back that Thailand was the country along time ago with the lowest rates of Cancer for any country , anywhere in the world ! Now today this disease is going up along with Diabetes and other chronic ailments as well. Last reported the Thai government wanted to crack down on all processed foods that contain Hydrogenated Fats to protect their people from Diabetes ,that I learned from in a radio announcement.

What I have learned from all of this is very simple. You may be surprised but Yes I later updated and adopted a diet from the 5 Blue Zones and tailored them to suite my own life style,to learn from the information and to implement what works for me .I guarantee that in time you will see and feel a positive difference in your own life and well being as well, with time and effort on your part. I know this because I have been practicing a type of my own tailored Blue Zone life style, by shear fate ,and good fortune, and discovered on my own, that a Blue Zone diet and life style, really does work!

From 1979 through 1990 living in Los Angeles California ,a close friend of mine influenced my eating habits and life style to help me to make a profound positive change to my unhealthy living and obesity. My friend was a Seventh Day Adventist follower ,and I still remember the day that we spent together on her older brothers family farm that grew and sold the very popular Apple Pears to the Asian market place.

Other positive influences that helped me where the teachings of Asian Macrobiotics, Mediterranean Diets, the Thai Cuisine with all its wonderful herbs and spices ,and the Raw California Cuisine diet , along with Anne Wigmores Wheat Grass movement .All of these Plant Based programs helped me to make a healthier change that required many steps for me to implement ,and to finally take back my health. Believe me I know that it was not so easy to do this,with all the every day food temptations out there,such as the advertising, the peer pressures, the sounds , visuals, smells and addictions of processed foods .It was literally overwhelming to me, for a long time during those days. But with good planning ,persistence, and acquired knowledge I eventually beat the odds that where stacked against me and you can too.

The 5 Basic Blue Zone Diet Models at a Glance:

Island of Okinawa Japan Diet:

Their diet is heavy on grains of all kinds , with fish and vegetables,but light on land meat and dairy products. The Okinawans consume fermented foods such as Tofu,Miso Soup,and Seaweeds. They eat many different herbs and greens including Bitter Mellon.
Many small servings of Green and Yellow vegetables,including Sweet Potatoes,with a small amount of fish less than half a serving at one sitting per day maybe 2 or 3 times per week.
The Okinawans consume more than the general population of Japan in the way of Soy including fermented Soy such as Miso Soup, and other legumes plus sprouts green onions and Green Tea ,and Mugwort Tea beverages including a strong distilled Rice Wine called Awamori.
Pork may be consumed, but very rarely would eggs or any dairy or the last two could be completely omitted from their diet.
They also enjoy Mushrooms such as Shiitake ,Turmeric Root , Peppers and Fennel.
This diet looks and sounds like the Macrobiotic diet along with my Seventh Day Adventist program, that I followed more than 30 years ago to lose all my excess weight .I can say that it does work. An important note is the Okinawans never overeat at one sitting, compared to many other cultures.To recap ,the Plant Based diet is very heavy on Leafy Greens ,Assortment of other vegetables and fruits, and whole grains, with some fish, fermented soy, green tea , and a natural Rice Wine in moderation. Okinawa Japan has more Centenarians of people living over one hundred years of age, per capita than any other country in the world today.
Okinawans know how to live right, for proven Longevity.

Island of Sardinia Italy Diet:

Sardinia is located in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy and is reported to have the longest living Men in the world today. Sardinians enjoy high fiber whole grain sour breads that contain probiotic live bacteria that support their intestinal health. Their Cheeses are grass fed from sheep that would supply Omega 3 fatty acids, that would not be found from live stock that is grain or corn fed that we find in the USA and other countries around the world.
Sardinia is famous for their rich dark wines , organic and unique to their island ,referred to as the black wine boasting the highest anti oxidants of any known wine today.The fermentation process is longer than most other wines explaining the high anti oxidant protection. The important thing to remember is that they drink their wine with their meals and not separately.
The islanders enjoy seafood of squid,tuna,lobster,and sardines in moderation. They also enjoy lots of Leafy Greens ,Beans ,and an assortment of different vegetables, with tomatoes, and herbs such as Mint,Myrtle,Basil,Oregano,and of course the King of Herbs Garlic.
Nuts are enjoyed often. The Mediterranean Diet is well documented for good health and longevity, not to mention how delicious many of the recipes are as well.

Loma Linda California USA Diet:

The Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda California enjoy exceptional health and longevity that is part of their living standards with their faith and strong community support. The people of Loma Linda are primarily Vegetarian and enjoy a Plant Based whole food diet rich in various Fruits and Vegetables. Their diet is rich in nuts and beans. And they may eat meat very little and sparingly. The interesting part is what they do not eat. They will not eat pork, shellfish,drink no alcohol, and smoke no tobacco. They avoid coffee ,tea, and all soft drink beverages containing caffeine. We can all learn something good from the healthy life style and diet of Loma Linda California.

Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica:

It seems to me that the diet of Nicoya is more fatty than the other 4 Blue Zones but other than that , other factors could play in their good fortune of Longevity,such as being the closest of the Blue Zones ,to our earths equator and having fresh air and vitamin D tropical sunshine all year round. They enjoy Rice,Fried Plantain,Onions,and meat of chicken or beef.Also Eggs ,Beans, and Cabbage or Lettuce salad sprinkled with Lemon Juice or Salt.
Squash,Corn ,Rice ,Beans, and Leafy Greens are all very high in fiber and they eat lightly and enjoy their community and out door gardens and social community life.

Island of Ikaria Greece Diet:

A wonderful Mediterranean diet of Leafy Greens ,Grapes,Figs,Pumpkin and Squashes with herbs of Fennel,Oregano and St. Johns Wort to just name a few. Olive Oil is big on the island that is used on many of their meals that would include wild mushrooms,Bean Soups,Chestnuts ,Almonds, Apples, Pears,all eaten in season and locally produced from gardens on the island.
Locally made Organic Red Wine is enjoyed with meals with Whole grains and potatoes in moderation .The islanders of Ikaria Greece enjoy a big assortment of whole food vegetables and fruits.Fish from the sea is prominent in their diet taken on occasion.
Raw Goat milk yogurt with raw honey is part of their diet as well.
I find it interesting that 2 out of the 5 Blue Zones are Mediterranean Diets.

To recap the 5 Blue Zone Diets: They are all Primarily Vegetarian and Whole Food,Plant Based in Nature.Their diet consists of complex carbohydrates directly from NATURE and not the simple carbohydrates found in processed foods so prevalent in our modern day society. Their foods are in season and locally grown Organically and they eat nutrient dense calories that are very high in fiber,and rich with natures anti oxidants. With food like this their top soil would have to be properly amended organically and their crops would be well diversified. A lot of them have their own garden plots and therefore they are connected with NATURE. Dark Leafy Greens and Fruits are eaten by all 5 Blue Zones locations.
And many of them incorporate some kind of fermented probiotic natural food into their diet plan as well. Their diets are richer in the minerals Magnesium and essential Omega 3 Fatty Acids plus trace minerals and vitamins that are officiant in a modern fast food society that we know of today.
The people of the 5 Blue Zones truly are living Earth Friendly as nature intended.
“Would the Breakfast with Barry Gourmet & Raw Photo qualify as a Blue Zone Breakfast?”

The Blue Zone Diet plan for longevity is just part of the picture ,although a very important one.
Dan Buettner with his team of researchers discovered 9 more important factors to complete the picture for the secret of Longevity as follows.

1- Make natural movements with your body every day . Examples are gardening,walking, swimming in nature,bicycling,dancing,having social fun playing , hiking, and stretching.

2- Having a Purpose in Life. Enjoying the work that you do. Optimistic about your daily activities.

3- Not working to hard , slowing down , and taking things in stride.

4- Not eating to much at one sitting. Eating only enough to be satisfied but not to full.

5- Eating lots of various vegetables but not to much meat.Eating often socially together.

6- Having the occasional glass of natural organic Red Wine or some home made Rice Wine that supplies high antioxidants and cultures.

7- Belonging to a community,or having a social network.

8- Sharing personal Beliefs or Spirituality.

9- Making Family a priority .(Strong Family connections through out)

Barrys Health and Weight Loss Tip:

The reason that I chose the 5 Blue Zones to study as a relevant topic for health and weight loss is very simple. The people of Okinawa Japan,Sardinia Italy, Ikaria Greece, Linda Loma California,and Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica have been living and eating their natural diet for years , decades, and generations long before fad diets became fashionable. I believe lessons can be learned here from these people that truly live well past 100 years of their life ,and they are living testaments of Real Health Happiness and Longevity.

I believe when Dan Buettner wrote his 2 books , entitled “Thrive” finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way and the second book “ And the Blue Zones” lessons for Living Longer from the people who’ve Lived the Longest was his way of sounding the alarm.I believe Dan wanted to help many people living in the modern world to look and think about their own personal diet choices that may not be working so well for health and longevity?

It really dose not matter where you live. You actually do not have to live in a Blue Zone to achieve Happiness and Vibrant Good Health in your life. In fact you can adopt a Blue Zone way of life right where you are living right now today. It can be in steps or stages , like replacing processed packaged goods with real food from nature like fruits and vegetables, and using the internet for recipe ideas as there are thousands of them out there on line.It just takes a little of your time and effort ,and discovery ,to embrace the journey, to better lasting disease free health and desired weight loss and longevity.

“ If it grows out of the ground or on a tree,and occasionally swims wildly out at sea,then I will take 1,and 2 and occasionally 3.”

Barry Gourmet & Raw

Is the island of Phuket Thailand a Blue Zone ?

Phuket island is the largest island in the Kingdom of Thailand located in the south facing the Andaman Sea on the east side of the country. The weather is good all year round with scattered rains during the green season and bright Vitamin D sunshine through out the tourist high season. November to April for six months of the year is the time when the sea is calm and clear with good visibility for swimming and looking at coral marine life,but accommodation pricing is a bit higher at this time of year.But September 27 to the 5th of October offers a very special event on the island. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is not to be missed. How did it all start? About 150 years ago ,a large community of Chinese Tin Mine workers ,became very ill from some kind of epidemic disease, and many died. Realizing that they forgot to practice their belief of paying homage to their Gods they decided to sent one of their own to China for help .An entourage of a High Chinese religious committee returned to Phuket island to bring back the missing Chinese culture of respect to their nine Empire Gods.They practiced vegetarianism with out any disease fatalities and soon adopted a yearly festival known today as the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.
So since then they have celebrated every year the Vegetarian Festival on Phuket island with the possessions starting at all the prominent Chinese Temples in Phuket Town.

The commitments of the Phuket people are as follows for this Festival.

1- Cleanliness of the body during the Vegetarian Festival.
2- Wear white during the Festival includes shirt and trousers.
3-Behave proper physically and mentally with out any conflicts.
4-Clean kitchen utensils not to used by others who do not participate in the Festival.
5- Avoid eating any meat of any kind.
6-Avoid having Sex.
7-Avoid any Alcohol
8-People in morning should not participate in the Festival, it is discouraged.
9-Pregnant women and menstruating women should not attend ceremonies.

Yes the Chinese Thais can be very superstitious in their beliefs,but this sense of community is what keeps their culture alive and well, and I have to admit that I do see a lot of very old people walking around at this time of year.

The nice thing is at any time of the year here on Phuket island it is not hard to find a VeganVegetarian Restaurant that even serves brown rice with lots of leafy greens and other treats. Some of their plant based dishes are world famous like the spicy Papaya Salad (Som Dum) Suki Yaki which is a sort of do it your self heated vegetables in water with your choice of fish and land meats with salads on the side.Then there is a dish called “Can-om Jeen” which is noodles with your choice of different curry sauces and served with a big plate of different vegetables for you to choose from.
Every where you can see in certain sections of the island loads of Plant Garden Nurseries that sell organically grown edibles and ornamentals. One time I saw an elderly Phuket Man siting at a park bench with his bicycle looking at the monkeys playing in a tropical marine mangrove.I stopped to greet him. You know the feeling when you see a person and it just seems right to be sociable ,even if that person is a perfect stranger. His name was Mr. Lee and he could not speak any English so I spoke to him in my best pigeon Thai language and it turned out that he was 72 years old and looking very fit and lean despite his weathered face. We both rode our mountain bikes to my place for Tea and Fruit, and then all around the southern end of the island. I was so impressed with Mr. Lees endurance climbing the hills and his easy and happy disposition with everything in his life.

When you look closer at the Thai Traditional Diet ingredients ,it is not hard to see why many of the Thai people can be so healthy and look so good in their advanced years if they stay on such a diet.

Where I live there are many Thai Temples in my area and in particular there is one temple that is very well known,respected and famous among the Thai People.This place is home to a senior Thai Buddhist Monk named Lung Pu Supha and his birthday is at 115 years old and he could very well be the oldest man living today in the world.He is so respected and revered by the Thai people for his long life and his good deeds and cultural wisdom for the people.

Even if Phuket Thailand is not a Blue Zone , or where you live is not listed as a Blue Zone the important thing is that we can make personal choices in our life to learn from elders that do live very long and healthy lives .We can learn from them.

“Food appeals to all our sences , taste ,smell, touch, visual,feeling of anticipation, and the sound of hearing ourselves eat”

Barry Gourmet & Raw

Tuna “Burritos”


Image by lynn.gardner
Recipe is adapted from 300 Ways With Soups. No idea why these are call "burritos" — pretty sure merely wrapping something in a tortilla does not make it a burrito.

Tasty, fast, and easy to assemble, they reminded The Husband of the chicken pasties he ate as a child.

Ingredients: tuna, reduced-fat reduced-sodium cream of mushroom, low-fat Greek yoghurt, shredded sharp cheddar, french fried onion bits, tortillas.

Quinoa, peas, asparagus with mint in sour cream/mustard dressing.


Image by tracy out west
This was really yummy, and very easy: The mint and the dressing made all the difference (sour cream, dijon mustard, champagne vinegar etc).

From a Naomi Pomeroy recipe in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition: She’s doing a series on Slow Food Fast (recipe here). I hadn’t eaten all day, so added grilled asparagus and grilled chicken on top to make it a bigger meal — but it would be great on its own also.