Nick Shevtchook <[log in to unmask]>:
>By my experience grains and short sprouts are bad foods(I have never
>given a try to long sprouts). I think, they are destructive for nervous
>system and lead to depression, not to mention their complex starches
>cause severe intestinal fermentation. Surprisingly, cooked potato,IMO,
>does not have such undesirable effects. I remember Walker in his books

Tom:
My experience differs dramatically from yours. Sprouted grains and seeds
are (partially) pre-digested proteins and starches. They provide a slowly
assimilated food source, that does not produce the "sugar shock" one
gets from eating fruits. Eaten correctly, they do not ferment in the
system or cause gas (certain legume sprouts may cause gas, I have
written about that at length in the past - in the archives).

Cooking causes the crystalline structure of starch to degrade, making it
much easier to digest than raw starch. Cooked potatoes can and do cause
a "sugar shock" to the system - they have a high glycemic index. Raw
potatoes do not, but they are not very tasty either! Sprouted grain will
have a lower glycemic index than cooked, with the possible exception of
3 day old wheat sprouts in the "sickeningly sweet" stage.

A food like fruit, which causes major, fast changes in your blood sugar,
will promote depression. You get "high" on the sugar, then you "crash"
into depression and fatigue. (If you don't believe that it causes your
blood sugar to increase, I suggest you go to a drugstore, buy some urine
glucose test strips, and test your urine for sugar shortly after eating
a large fruit meal. You may be surprised by the results.) A slowly assimilated
food like short sprouts, does not cause the extreme blood sugar swings (or
associated mood swings), of a sugar food like fruit.

Certain sprouts - oat sprouts, in particular, are regarded as being good
for the nervous system. Ayurveda suggests that baked grain products, being
dry, can aggravate the vata dosha and may, in the very long run, promote
vata disorders (nervous system disorders are primarily vata disorders).
But sprouted grains are wet, not dry, and most of them don't aggravate vata.

Nick Shevtchook <[log in to unmask]>:
>judge by myself. If such diet is deficient, maybe, goat milk will help
>diminish cravings and binges? Is it true that goat milk does not produce
>"mucus"? Anyway, I think dairy and even flesh are better than cereals.

Tom:
Dairy, or other fat foods (avocados, RAF for instinctos), can be very
helpful in eliminating cravings. Raw goat milk, consumed in a reasonable
manner (warm, with cardamom/saffron, AFTER meals, not with), generally
does not promote mucus. In fact, I find it easier to digest than avocados!

Regards,
Tom Billings
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