In the nutritional arena, the readings regard almonds as valuable blood builders, stating: “. . . The almond carries more phosphorus and iron in a combination easily assimilated than any other nut.” (1131-2) This nut is also recommended for its calcium content, and almond (or almond and hazelnut) milk is sometimes preferred to cow’s milk.
According to USDA statistics, almonds are indeed high in phosphorus and supply 6% of the Daily Value (DV) for iron and 6% of the DV for calcium. Incidentally, they’re even higher in magnesium (21%) and vitamin E (35%). Almond milk, which is widely available today, should be an excellent source of all these nutrients.
Along with hazelnuts (also a favorite) and other nuts, almonds are sometimes even regarded by Cayce as a meat substitute based on their protein and healthier fat content. The following comments are typical:
. . . Nuts are good, but do not combine same with meats. Let them take the place of same. Filberts {hazelnuts} and almonds are preferable in the nuts.
1151-2
. . . Those foods . . . have a tendency towards an alkaline reaction, but let the proteins be taken rather in the form of nuts and fruits—for the fats and oils, you see; these are much more preferable.
741-1
Almonds are so high in vitamin E and low in saturated fatty acids that some researchers have wondered whether they might play a role in reducing cholesterol. Sure enough, it has been found in studies that an almond-based diet significantly lowered total cholesterol and harmful LDL cholesterol and preserved helpful HDL cholesterol.6 Other studies have shown that eating nuts, in general, will protect us from heart disease.7 In the most dramatic of these findings, in five large studies the risk of heart disease was reduced by a whopping 30 to 45% in those who ate nuts several times a week.8
In addition to health benefits, many readings regard the almond as a beautifier both inside and out. Cayce’s skin emollient suggestions support the use of almond oil by the cosmetic industry for its legendary rejuvenating effect. Some refer to an almond cream or “. . . a lotion with an almond base.” (1293-2) However, the most intriguing comments on this subject are of a dietary nature: “And know, if ye would take each day, through thy experience, two almonds, ye will never have skin blemishes . . .” (1206-13)
Other readings go much further, commenting that a few daily almonds will act as a cancer preventive. The familiar statement that “A person who eats two or three almonds each day need never fear cancer” (3180-3) is among the more general ones in the readings. A more colorful way of putting this follows:
. . . and if an almond is taken each day, and kept up, you’ll never have accumulation of tumors or such conditions through the body. An almond a day is much more in accord with keeping the doctor away, especially certain types of doctors, than apples. For the apple was the fall, not almond—the almond blossomed when everything else died. Remember this is life!
3180-3
The almond’s possible role in cancer prevention has always been a puzzling one, but this is now being explored in animals. In a California study published in 2001, researchers investigated the effect of eating almonds, almond oil, and almond meal on colon cancer in rats. All were found to have preventive effects though the whole almonds were the most effective of the three and surpassed the wheat bran and cellulose used in control groups. The authors of the study concluded that “almond consumption may reduce colon cancer risk and does so via at least one almond-associated lipid [fat] component.”9
How much more encouragement do we need to eat our almonds?
Chocolate, Coffee, and Hold the Latte
When does something thought to be a health challenge become a health food? The short, skeptical answer is when it serves some group’s interests. But with Cayce, of course, there is no such pat answer. Here’s the scoop, and it won’t be the same flavor for everyone.
Chocolate, or Theobroma cacao, is a kind of bitter bean that is native to warm climates such as those found in Mexico and Central America. It contains theobromine, a caffeine-like stimulant that enhances mellow feelings. This mood altering effect has been highly valued by cultures such as the Aztecs, who were extremely fond of a peppery, unsweetened chocolate drink known as the food of the gods. Now, research is showing that this assessment may not be so far off.
Consider the findings of Joseph Vinson, a Pennsylvania chemistry professor, who says that cocoa powder is a better protective antioxidant food than either green tea or garlic. According to his analysis, a 40 gram bar of milk chocolate contains 300 mg. of polyphenols, dark chocolate twice that amount, and cocoa powder 1,200 mg. In another study, Vinson and Harold Schmitz, a chemist at M&M Mars, found that cocoa contains the same types of proanthocyanins found in Pycnogenol, a complex antioxidant matrix.10
In the Cayce readings, however, chocolate receives only moderate praise. Ovaltine, a fortified cereal drink containing cocoa, is proposed as an alternative to coffee or tea in several cases. Several more readings suggest cocoa itself as a beverage in small amounts. The ten or so references to chocolate itself are more ambiguous due to difficulties with overindulgence, cane sugar content, sugar and starch combinations, and digestibility. In other words, the ideal form would be free of starch and sugar and not overly sweet, so the Aztecs apparently got it right!
Coffee, or Coffea spp, is a rich, dark beverage made from a Middle Eastern bean that has been highly prized for centuries. The caffeine it contains (unless removed) seems to stimulate the dopamine pathway in the brain, leading to improved mood and alertness. Consumption is known to improve mental concentration, vigilance, and an overall sense that all is right with the world. According to studies by Vinson and others, coffee is also a top source of antioxidant polyphenols that can reduce oxidation of fats in the blood (a contributor to heart disease) by 30 percent.
The readings are perhaps unique in regarding coffee (or tea) as a nourishing food when taken black and a noxious digestive irritant when combined with milk or cream. In his twenty-five or more comments on this beverage, Cayce often observes that drinking coffee in moderation is beneficial, “. . . but for the food value and the proper strengthening the coffee should be taken without either cream or sugar.” (829-1) Further explanation is occasionally offered: “. . . While the food values in the milk or cream may be considered of an equal value alone, when used together they form a condition in the lactic juices of the stomach itself that does not make for the proper eliminations carried on through the whole of the alimentary canal.” (983-1)
There are those who feel that combining their coffee with some sort of dairy product (this goes for ice cream, too) is worth the intestinal toll, but we purists are not among them. We have learned to prefer ours black—but it isn’t too bad with almond milk!
Eating Our Way to Blood Sugar Balance
Dietary fads are nothing new. In fact, there is more similarity than variety in mono-diets that limit food group choices for more than a few days. Compared to current fads like the Atkins diet, the Cayce approach with its emphasis on plenty of fresh produce, lighter protein sources, whole grain carbohydrates, and a minimum of sweets is a model of moderation. It is heartening to know that confirmation has actually been around for several years now in the form of the New York Times bestseller The New Sugar Busters!
In focusing on the “glycemic” or insulin-stimulating content of various foods,