Hippocrates Health Institute

Spent the day at the Hippocrates Health Institute.

There was a short course with the Chef Ken on raw cuisine. He showed us how to make flax crackers, tacos and red pepper corn salsa. He used a Vita-Mix Blender and dehydrator to make the crackers. He had some already made for us to taste. Now, I've purchased some flax crackers at Whole Foods and at a raw cuisine restaurant but these were much more delicate and tastier than those I've tried before. The girl sitting next to me opened her eyes wide with approval as we devoured our crackers. It was comforting to know that such goodies could be made with not that much work. However, it does take time, lots of time. Dehydrating usually takes 24 hours, sometimes more here in humid Florida.

Chef Ken said that the focus at the Institute is health and secondarily on taste. Hopefully, at the Institute they have both. But the foundation of the diet is sprouts and wheatgrass juice. The stuff made in the dehydrator (pizza, tacos, crackers, cookies) were considered "condiments". He also said that sugar in whatever form is still sugar and he wasn't telling us that we couldn't have it, because it is our choice, I got the feeling that I wouldn't be seeing anything like the chocolate hazelnut tort that I shared with my niece at the raw restaurant, Cafe 118. Since I would want to learn the "right way", it makes me feel more confident about the Hippocrates Institute though a little sad about the chocolate. I gave up coffee quite quickly and easily and yes, I sometimes linger by the roaster at Whole Foods and take a deep whiff, but must everything go?

At the beginning of the lunch buffet all I could see were mounds and mounds of the cleanest, freshest sprouts of all kinds. I have to say that they were ... well... beautiful. Like a beautiful lawn, but I never thought about eating my front yard. I got a little worried til I got to the end of the buffet and found the salad dressings and tacos. Whew! I grabbed some olives too and some what turned out to be very crispy pieces of dulse. Obviously dehydrated. Dulse chips?

At lunch I dined with two ladies. One local and the other, rather elderly, who was dealing with cancer. She was doing the three week program where you detox and learn the skills you need to take home with you. She had just completed her first week so I asked her if she felt better. She very enthusiastically said "yes!" and then picked up her dulse chip and said "I just love these".

She said that she had met people from all over the world that had come to learn at Hippocrates. I confided that I had come today with the purpose of checking out the place. When I mentioned that I was a teacher and on a teacher's salary and that the price was a bit high to be here, the other woman pulled out her card. She is a realtor and knows some people that live close by that could give me a better deal to stay nearby. Hmmmmm.....I'm definitely interested.

We were also shown the greenhouse and how to grow sprouts & wheatgrass by the greenhouse manager, Michael. He is very passionate about what he does and extremely knowledgeable. Before arriving I had thought, couldn't I just get this from books or DVD or youtube? But I learned so much more and the grounds were so beautiful. They have 40 acres. It's in West Palm Beach so it is subtropical and just beautifully maintained.

Michael said that he has seen so many people come through with cancer and seen their tumors shrink from (using both hands to make a big circle) to a pea. Basically, the foundation of the diet is wheatgrass juice and sprouts. Wheatgrass juice is very close to hemoglobin which provides oxygen to the cells. Cancer cannot survive in oxygen. So many diseases go into remission because of the oxygenation. Anyways, really glad that I went.

Long drive and I'm a bit tired now. Exhilirated and pooped.