Catharyn Elwood: Nutritionist
(Page 6 of 11)
March/April 1972
By Hal Smith
PLOWBOY: What is the difference between organic and nonorganic vitamins? Does it really make a difference which we use?
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ELWOOD: That question calls for a long answer (laughs) . . . but, very briefly, we have come to call "organic" those nutri ents that have gone through the process of growth: the iron which is offered to you through spinach, kale or apricots, for example. If the nutrient is part of a mineral — rather than ani mal or vegetable — substance, we call it "nonorganic". That's really the only difference. Some people's bodies can make good use of the non-organic nutrients but we know that the organic substances are more easily and completely digested.
PLOWBOY: Many tests have shown that chemical fertilizers are bad for the soil . . . but what about plants? What difference does it make to a plant whether its nutrients are artificial or natural? Isn't it true, for example, that phosphorous is phosphorous . . . no matter where it comes from?
ELWOOD: Of course, there's a tremendous argument about that . . . with proofs offered by both sides. I tend to take the word of the real plant authorities such as Dr. Albrecht and the followers of the biodynamic method of composting. According to them, naturally fertile soil's main advantage is the micro-life it contains. They say that a single pin head of humus — the decomposed organic matter that makes up nature's fertilize — contains as many micro-organisms as there are people in New York City. The whole theory is very technical but the general idea is that it's this micro-life that helps make naturally grown nutrients more completely available to the body.
PLOWBOY: Alright. Several times now, you've said that the right foods will supply all the nutrients we need. What heads your list of nearly perfect foods?
ELWOOD: Growing, sprouting seeds. Sprouts have the life-element in them. They contain vast quantities of vitamin C and have been such effective cures for that old killer, scurvy. Because of their tremendous vitamin B content, they're marvelous for beri-beri and its pre-symptoms of worry, agitation, indigestion . . . all those B-complex deficiency diseases that started with the refining of food.
PLOWBOY: What are the best seeds to sprout and how do you do it?
ELWOOD: Mung beans are the easiest. That's the bean the Chinese use so much and which you find in chop suey. The Chinese sprout them in five-gallon tins by punching a few drainage holes in the bottom of the cans, pouring in several pounds of seed and keeping them moist.
You can do the same thing on a much smaller scale and, if you do it right, you'll get sprouts two or three inches long. I like to soak mine at least 8 to 24 hours, depending on the temperature (in the winter they need more soaking than in the summer), un til they swell. Then it's simply a matter of keeping the seeds in the dark and properly moistened. Flush them with fresh water three or four times a day and allow them to drain properly and one tablespoon of seeds will make a whole cupful of sprouts.
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