The following article was written by Marilyn Gang, CNP,  for the May 2009 issue of the Toronto Dowsers newsletter, hence its somewhat folksy style.   The Toronto Dowsers is an independent dowsing organization which started in 2000 and holds mostly monthly meetings and publishes a mostly monthly newsletter with an empasis on health. You can find additional info on Mila at: wordpress.com/milachi  and   www.lifemax.net/dowsers and email Marilyn at:  mgang "at" dowsers.info

For the past several years I have been looking for a certain kind of protein source.  It needed to be simple, quick, preferably vegetarian, portable and travels easily, would not need refrigeration, something that I could use as a food as well as in one of my concoctions.  Oh yeah.  Affordable, too.

I have found all sorts of protein powders, whey powders, soy powders and more but was not satisfied with them because they either tasted funny or smelled funny and did not seem to remain fresh once opened.   I would often make the mistake of leaving it on the kitchen counter near the stove and the heat was not kind to them.

April 18, Sharie Bridge stopped by at the Total Health Show and asked if I wanted to try something.  Sharie is a Health Practitioner helping very very sensitive people with myriad problems.  She does a lot of energy work, nutritional work, remedies, works on emotional as well as physical levels as well as having in depth knowledge of David Slater's programme and is extremely sensitive herself and I know her to be a fine judge of quality.  So I said "Sure."   She puts about a half teaspoon of a dark coarsely powdered mixture in my palm and tells me to Try it.  I do.  WOW!   The life energy zoomed to the top of my head.  I don't get reactions like that.  This time I did.

Thank you, Sharie.  After years of searching, I have finally found the more than perfect Protein.  Not just Protein.
A complete, whole food.
A complete whole, VEGETARIAN food.
A complete whole, RAW VEGETARIAN food.
Although proper care and storage is recommended, it will NOT become rancid.
One scoop, with some liquid becomes a delicious cereal.  The perfect solution for traveling, camping.

Heat is not used in its preparation.  Heating, cooking, will neither change nor diminish its nutritional value.
Adding it to other foods does not change the taste nor the smell of the original food.

Okay, so WHAT is it?   Have you been hearing, the past few years about Salba?   And its very high nutritional contents?   And you know that Salba is really Chia seed, right?  This product is -- Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L. seed).  But not just one Chia seed.  Grown in South America, without pesticides (since it is part of the mint family and plants in the mint family repel bugs), it is a combination of Chia seed(s) grown in different areas of South America due to the different benefits of soil nutrition in different areas, combined, milled and cut in a special process -- again without heat -- and vacuum packed.

Conventional grinding which is used with processing other products and brands, but not with this one, heats the seed, which in turn leads to oxidation and decreased oil quality and to an extent to quantity. Thus grinding reduces the shelf life of the product. The process for this product opens the seed and increases the surface area that gets exposed to the digestive process.  All this ensures the highest bio-availability of any other form of Salvia hispanica L. known to those who have spent years researching this seed, how to grow it and process it, for the highest good of all.

The name of the product is:  Mila™

Dr. Oz from the Oprah show says, "Chia seeds just may be one of the healthiest things around."

Yes, this is MLM.
One of the best things about this for me -- and perhaps for you -- is that Sharie found out about it from Nick!  That's right! Nick Lomangino, Eastern Canada's Tong Ren Master Practitioner and Teacher.   Nick was in Boston recently, spending a week with Tom Tam and he stayed with his friend, a close colleague of Tom's and also a 3rd generation (Chinese) herbalist.  This friend of Nick's has been wild about it, he and his clients experiencing great results.

This is what I like most about MLMs --- that it creates an excuse to play with your friends and make better relationships with those you don't yet know well but would like to.  Because you have to interact about a topic.  So I get to spend more time with Sharie and with Nick -- who I like a lot.

The company is about 6 months old and this is brand new, too, in Canada.  Nick helped to co host the Canadian launch a couple weeks ago.

Here are 2 sentences from the company -- how can this be?::
"Mila is the healthiest food that has ever come out of the earth."
"Its the healthiest raw food ever."
It is 100% natural.  There is absolutely nothing else added to it.They say it lowers cholesterol.

     The company also says:  "The Miracle Seed has the highest and safest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids, Antioxidants, Fiber and Phytonutrients of any source on the planet. It is non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and pesticide-free!"  Hmmm.  That would be nice.  I'll have to check it out.
     And:  "The Miracle Seed is gluten-free, trans-fat free, sugar-free, high in fiber and protein, has no taste or smell ."
     And:  "An unopened pouch of Mila™ can last for several years. Once opened, many factors contribute to its shelf-life. Although Mila™ does not require refrigeration, we recommend that if you do not use the product as directed (each pouch is a one-month supply) that you store it in a temperate, dry place such as your refrigerator."

This means Celiacs can eat it safely as it is gluten free.
Recommended daily serving:  1  13 gm scoop.
Very high in Omega-3s.
       It is supposed to be very high on the ORAC scale (the one that Cass Ingram told us about November 2007):  "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods.    A wide variety of foods have been tested using this methodology, with certain spices, berries and legumes rated very highly. Correlation between the high antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables, and the positive impact of diets high in fruits and vegetables, is believed to play an important role in the free-radical theory of aging."
     Total ORAC of 844 per 13g serving
     3,000 mg of Omega-3s per 13g Serving

 

Nutrition expert Dr. Andrew Weil says, "A healthful and interesting addition to my diet. My prediction? You will begin to see Chia being added to more and more commercial products, such as prepared baby foods, nutrition bars, and baked goods."

Just as there are all sorts of grades, levels and qualities for all kinds of products, especially food, the same is true for Chia seeds.

I spoke with a well respected Health Practitioner who has been using Mila with her clients.  Since it is still so new, her own experience and that of her clients is fairly recent.  Her own digestion has been severely compromised due to surgery.  This is -- literally -- the only solid food she can eat.  She tests her clients for assimilability and use.  This has the highest assimilability and bioavailable use that she has ever tested.  Not just with food in general -- in comparison with other Chia seeds as well.  As well as its life energy.  We think it is because of the way it is grown, the combination factor, the soils, the processing and the all around overall care.

The company says it has:
8x more Omega-3 than Atlantic wild salmon
6x more Calcium than milk
3x more Iron than Spinach
2x more Potassium than bananas
15x more Magnesium than broccoli
2x more Fiber than bran flakes
6x more Protein than kidney beans
4x more Selenium than flax seed
9x more Phosphorous than whole milk
More Antioxidants than blueberries
More Protein and Fiber than: rice, barley, oats, wheat, corn
More Folate than Asparagus
More Lignans than Flax Seed

A perfect product for Emergency preparedness.  Mila, and water -- could satisfy basic food requirements for quite some time.

And:

•  Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system.
• Feel fuller faster: Chia seeds can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water when they form a sort of bulky gel.
• Hydration for athletes:  They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
• Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest chia can reduce lower blood pressure.
• Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.

One 454 gm resealable vacuum packed bag costs $45-$55 USD + Shipping (no tax because its a food).   We may have some available at the May 19 meeting.  Otherwise, get in touch with Nick or Sharie or me, if interested.  There are also many YouTube videos..

     My site:  http://www.dowsers.lifemax.net

All this, all of the above from my trying a half teaspoon sample.  But SUCH a sample!   I could not forget about it and tracked Sharie down later, hours after she left our booth, wanting more, wanting to be able to get more.   I have not even received my first bag yet and usually would wait a couple months but as this is the last newsletter before the summer I thought better to include this than not.

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I wrote the above before I received my first bag of Mila, based on my Spidey sense; and trust and confidence in Nick and in Sharie.  My first order came in the afternoon before this issue went to print.  Ay.  The taste is a whole nutty taste, like powdered walnuts.  Do you know how it is when you have a really nutritious food, and you want more?  I had about 3 scoops of Mila before I was satisfied.  I wasn't hungry, my body simply felt its nutritional wholeness and completeness and craved more.   So I mixed some up with coconut water, raisins and dates and let it sit first for 10 minutes.  Delish.   Next I want to mix it up with a grated apple, some apple cider, then yogurt or kefir and banana.  And honey.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack.