Dear Lynton,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your questions.

You asked several good questions, and I'll try and answer them all
now.
You asked about Kale.  Though Kale is technically a member of the
cabbage
family, it is far more easily digestible than cabbage, or the other
cruciferous vegetables, which have a coarser, more complex, cellulose,
which makes them very difficult to break down, and include cabbage,
brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower, to name the common ones.

I don't believe in eating anything that doesn't taste good, so if you
don't like the taste of Kale, don't eat it.  Similarly, I don't
normally eat or recommend eating collards, which are extremely bitter
when raw.

Alfalfa sprouts have gotten a bad name recently in the press because
of
naturally occurring aflatoxins.  The initiated have long known these
substances were there, but have continues to consume alfalfa sprouts
with
no detrimental effects.  These toxins are just one example of the
natural
toxins that many plants have in them, which are there to protect the
plant
from being eaten.  Plants have developed these toxins over millions of
years to protect them from their primary enemies, those animals who
are
most threatening to the plants survival.  As a result, some animals
will
have a problem with these toxins, and some won't.  My opinion is that
alfalfa sprouts do not represent a danger to humans, but there is no
need
to eat them, or any other specific food, if you have concerns over
their
safety.  I don't, and I like them, and continue to consume them in
limited
quantities as I always have.

Oxalic acid is a problem in its inorganic form.  It is only in this
form
that crystals form in the kidneys, creating kidney stones.  All
minerals in
plants, are by definition, organic.  Plants have the unique ability to
take
inorganic elements from the air, water and soil, including metallic or
rock
minerals, and turn them into organic, living constituents of the
plant.
This is as true with oxalic acid as it is with anything else.  Organic
oxalic acid is important for peristaltic action in the bowel.  Oxalic
acid
combines readily with calcium, and assists your body in assimilating
calcium.   When inorganic, oxalic acid combines just as readily with
calcium, but does not allow the body to break the bonds formed, making
the calcium in the food unavailable.

Organic oxalic acid becomes inorganic when cooked, just as all
minerals
revert to their inorganic state when cooked, becoming unavailable to
the
body.

A pound of greens may seem like a lot to eat in one sitting.  In
thinking
about your question, I realized that I was thinking about the weight
of the
greens purchased, not eaten.  I shop 4 or 5 or more times a week to
get the
freshest possible produce.  Usually, when I eat a salad, I have just
bought
the greens.  Unless I buy a bag of mixed greens, I am buying a head,
or a
bunch, that has substantial waste, including any damaged or discolored
leaves, and any central core.  These parts are also purchased, and
figure
into the approximate pound of greens that I mentioned, but are not
eaten.

Though leafy greens are indeed power houses of nutrients, do not
discount
the fruit.  Fruit is, in my opinion, the perfect food for humans.
Fruit
is loaded with vitamins, and has minerals, fatty acids, and protein,
and
the only pure water on the planet today.

I drink almost no water, or beverages of any kind, most of the time.
In
the summer, when I'm very active and sweat more because of the heat, I
eat
a lot more melon.  Often, 5 or 6 meals a week, or more, are melon in
the
summer.
But even in the winter, when I'm eating lots of citrus, apples, pears,
and
bananas, I'm getting plenty of pure water in my food.  Even bananas
are 70%
water.  I don't believe I've had anything to drink since my last short
fast
several weeks ago, and I urinate at least three times every day
because of
the water in my food.

Eating even some cooked food, or meat, drains a lot of water from your
body
to eliminate it, and will dehydrate you without taking pains to drink
a lot
of water.  Your kidneys must process all of the liquid that you
consume.
If you're drinking a lot of water every day to prevent dehydration,
which
you must do on an improper diet, you are working your kidneys much
harder
than you would be eating just fruit and leafy greens (which are also
mostly water).

Finally, you asked about exercise.  I don't much care for working out
in a
gym, much preferring to be active outside.  I do practice yoga (every
day,
in theory, less in actual practice) and like to do it out on my patio,
weather allowing.  I ride my bike, hike in the woods, climb rocks,
windsurf,
bodysurf, and play outside whenever possible.

I also do a lot of physical work.  I've renovated a lot of houses and
small
apartment buildings, doing much of the work myself.  Over the last six
months, I've been involved in a new project, and have done a lot of
landscaping, including reshaping and planting the front yard by
digging out
a
large area on the side for a patio, and relocating several tons of
dirt by
hand, using a wheelbarrow and shovel.  It's great fun, and great
exercise.

As an aside, one Saturday, I hired a kid who was referred to me.  He
is a
two
hundred pound high school football star.  Throughout the day, he
required
frequent breaks, and spent a lot of time resting, leaning on his
shovel,
complaining about the heat.  I am more than twice his age, and worked
continuously, only breaking for lunch and to pee.  I moved at least
twice as
much dirt as he did, and went back to work for a few hours after
taking him
home.  I did not bother hiring anyone again.

I hope these answers help, Lynton.

Namaste,

Loren