|
The Qur'an (7:160) says, "Eat of the good foods We
have provided for you."
The question may arise: if Allah has provided us with so
many good foods, why are so many people starving and many more suffering
from malnutrition? The answer may lie in our ignorance of the abundance
that has been sent to us by Allah.
We have been blessed with many "miracle foods"
that provide us with incredible amounts of concentrated nutrition and
healing and are also affordable. Many of these foods can be grown or
found in any environment. The modern market, however, is marketing many
of them as "super foods," and in the process, charging many
times their actual costs, which creates the illusion that healthy eating
is expensive.
On the other hand, there are agencies that are exploring
the possibility of providing some of these "super foods" to
supply nutrition to poverty stricken areas of the world.
The Qur'an hints at some of these secrets when it says,
"It is he who has made the sea subject... that ye may seek (thus)
of the bounty of Allah" (10:14), and "From within their
bodies, a drink of varying colors comes. Wherein is healing for me:
Verily this is a sign for those who give thought" (16:69).
In fact, most super foods are readily found in nature
and require minimal planting or harvesting. Some of the most readily
available are bee pollen, spirulina (algae), kelp, royal jelly, honey,
wheat grass, flax seeds, and alfalfa and other sprouts. Among herbs that
have been taken as sustenance foods is marshmallow root, used by the
Chinese, Assyrians, Egyptians, and Greeks in times of famine.
These "miracle foods" are readily available
sources of food for countries that are plagued by famine and
malnutrition, and they can be used to give a nutritional boost to people
who have adequate nutrition, are fasting, or are suffering from a
chronic illness. Many, such as bee pollen and algae, are used across
species lines so we are not inventing the idea of super foods - we are
simply rediscovering them.
It is best to consume super foods regularly, to
self-harvest them, or to buy them from a reputable source that does not
alter them by extracting substances from them or adding to them (e.g.,
by making them into a health drink with fructose and other additives).
The following is a list of some "miracle foods":
1. Spirulina (Blue Green Algae): Blue Green Algae is the
superior form of spirulina; however, they are both essentially the same
thing - algae that survives in hot sunny climates and is thought by many
to be the solution to world hunger. Algae produce twenty times as much
protein as soybeans. Furthermore, it contains many nutrients not found
in any other single food source such as gamma-linoleic acid, vitamin
B-12, iron, essential amino acids, chlorophyll, RNA, DNA, and
phycocyanin (a substance that has increased the life span in lab rats).
Algae curb the appetite, reduce cholesterol levels, and aid in mineral
absorption. You can harvest it at any natural water source (within
specific guidelines only - not all algae is edible) or you can buy it in
capsule or powder form.
2. Kelp: Kelp is another type of seaweed and can be
eaten raw, cooked, whole or chopped. It comes as a liquid, powder or
dried. Used as a salt substitute to provide iodine as well as sodium, it
contains many minerals and vitamins in concentrate, especially B
vitamins. It is beneficial to brain tissue, sensory nerves, the skin,
nails, and blood vessels.
3. Honey: Comprised of 35% protein and containing half
of all the amino acids the body needs, honey also has many other
essential nutrients such as B-complex and vitamins C, D and E.
4. Bee-Pollen: The powder produced by the anthers of
flowers and collected by bees, bee pollen contains 15% protein,
B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, amino acids, essential fatty acids,
enzymes, carotene, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and
plant sterols. It has an anti-microbial effect on the body and
strengthens the immune system.
5. Royal Jelly: A combination of honey and pollen that
is refined inside the nurse bee and secreted, this substance provides
the benefits of both pollen and honey plus a high concentration of
pantothenic acid (vitamin B).
6. Wheat Grass: Research shows that one pound of wheat
grass is equal in nutrients and vitamin content to twenty-five pounds of
choice vegetables. It is a living food that provides a powerhouse of
nutrition available to all, and it helps in the elimination of cancerous
growths. Produced by sprouting wheat berries, one of the cheapest grains
on the market, wheat grass can be grown easily on trays with a little
water in only three days time from "planting" to
"harvest." Whole-wheat berries (before they become flour) are
sold for about 15 cents a pound. Twenty-five pounds worth of wheat
berries could supply a family with meals for almost a year.
7. Alfalfa: Often used for livestock, alfalfa's benefits
for human consumption are largely ignored. In fact, in some areas,
valuable alfalfa is fed to livestock while neighboring people search for
nutrition in their own food. Its roots, which grow nearly 10 feet
underground, may account for the fact that it is one of the most
mineral-dense foods around. It contains ALL of the known vitamins and
most minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and
chlorophyll.
Allah has provided us with many more "miracle
foods." Many of the tonic herbs fall into this category as well as
many fruits such as acerola berries, and vegetables such as sprouts.
Everyone should partake of these miracle foods, easily found or
cultivated throughout the earth, that Allah has sent us for nutrition
and healing. The Qur'an (94:5) says, "Verily, with every difficulty
there is relief."
|
