Cells in the body do not just grow and remain, but rather all body cells degenerate, die, and must be replaced within 24 hours to seven years. Growing, nourishing, repairing and replacing all body cells requires nutrients, and the metabolites the body produces as a result of nutrient metabolism. Essential nutrients include water, calories, fat-soluble nutrients, water-soluble nutrients and microbes. Unless chemically isolated, denatured or imbalanced, nutrients can provide a wide variety of health benefits and medicinal properties. To prevent the denaturing of nutrients, avoid cooking foods that contain them, as all nutrients except water, carbohydrates, cholesterol and minerals are denatured and/or destroyed by heat (temperatures over 118 degrees F), light and air. To prevent nutritional imbalances, RDAs should be met but not exceeded (unless for medicinal use).

Select Nutrient Water Calories    Carbohydrates    Fats    Proteins Fat-Soluble Nutrients    Vitamin A    Vitamin D    Vitamin E    Vitamin K    Coenzyme Q10    Cholesterol Water-Soluble Nutrients    Vitamin B1    Vitamin B2    Vitamin B3    Vitamin B5    Vitamin B6    Vitamin B7    Vitamin B9    Vitamin B12    Vitamin B13    PABA    Choline    Inositol    Vitamin C    Vitamin P    Boron    Calcium    Chloride    Chromium    Cobalt    Copper    Fluoride    Iodine    Iron    Magnesium    Manganese    Molybdenum    Nickel    Phosphorus    Potassium    Selenium    Silicon    Sodium    Sulfur    Vanadium    Zinc Microbes

Anti-Nutrients

Aside from probiotics, plant foods can provide all the nutrients we need. Most plants however, also contain anti-nutrients such as oxalic and phytic acids, trypsin and protease inhibitors. Anti-nutrients help to protect growing and mature plants from infections and decay, while preserving nutrients for their dormant offspring (i.e., nuts, seeds, grains, beans and legumes) until growing conditions are favorable. Many anti-nutrients are used for medicinal and other purposes, but when consumed, anti-nutrients bind nutrients and inhibit nutrient absorption unless neutralized and/or deactivated first.

Oxalic acid is present in nearly all plant foods. It binds with alkaline nutrients, but can be neutralized with antacids, Vitamin B6 or Vitamin C, decomposed with magnetic and electromagnetic energy, or broken down into carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide by an enzyme in barley root called oxalate oxidase. Nutrient absorption is only inhibited however, if the foods containing oxalic acid are cooked!

Phytic acid and protease inhibitors are commonly found in nuts, seeds, grains, beans and legumes, but such anti-nutrients can be neutralized and deactivated by soaking in water (i.e., germination) and sprouting.

Trypsin inhibitors are found in seeds, beans and legumes, but they can be reduced by 50% via germination and sprouting, and are completely deactivated by fermentation.

Nutritional Notes

• Nutrients cannot provide the health benefits claimed if isolated or imbalanced. To help prevent nutritional imbalances, RDAs should be met but not exceeded (unless for medicinal purposes).
• Animal products must be cooked to well over 118 degrees F before consumption (so as to prevent infection by the many pathogens all animals carry). All nutrients except water, carbohydrates and minerals however, are destroyed by temperatures over 118 degrees. Nutrient sources shown here therefore include all essential nutrients, but only from vegan sources (not from animal products).
• Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) are based on a 2000 calorie diet. To calculate calorie requirements based on your own body weight (or desired weight), multiply your current (or desired) weight by 10-20, depending on activity levels. To calculate carbohydrate requirements, multiply your current weight (or desired) weight by 3. To calculate your protein requirements, divide current (or desired) weight by 3. To calculate fat requirements, multiply protein requirements for your current (or desired weight) by 3. To calculate the RDA for other nutrients based on your current or desired weight, divide the RDA for individual nutrients by 2000 calories, then multiply that by the number of calories you need. If for example, your current or desired weight is 120lbs, the RDA for calories would be at least 1200 per day, which is the equivalent of 180g Carbohydrates (300g Carbohydrates divided by 2000 calories = 0.15 x 1200 calories = at least 180 carbohydrates/day at 120lbs).

Matt Furey
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