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San Pedro Preparation 1

by an Anonymous Contributor



Spines are Cut Away Mauri cuts the needles away from the stock.



In a recent trip to Peru we had the opportunity to meet a village shaman who was kind enough to share his San Pedro and show us his customary way to prepare San Pedro. Mauri cut two pieces of San Pedro from a plant he had growing in his court yard. Each piece was about 35 cm long and about 7 cm in diameter, enough for two good experiences. Mauri first preparee the cactus by cutting away the needles. He did this by making two wedge-shaped cuts along the needle rows thus removing the needles from the stock. The next step involved removing the waxy outer skin from the cactus body thus exposing the slimy green xylem. He then proceeded to cut the green layer away from the stock. He explained that the green was the part containing the psycho-active components and should be seperated from the white core. The white material, he continued, will make you sick when consumed. He then boiled the green layer in about two liters of water for about four hours. He used a cloth to filter out the remaining pieces. He refered to the remaining pieces as cookies. Not the kind of cookies (my) grandma makes.



There was about 500 ml of light green liquid left. Mauri instructed us to share the liquid and cookies. He recommended that we not eat for several hours before partaking and do not eat any meat the day of the experience. Unfortunately, time did not permit us to share the experience with Mauri, but his kindness, guidance, and expertise in preparing San Pedro was evident throughout our experience. Que te vaya bien, amigo.



Green Material Removed Mauri then removes the green material



RECIPES

*crudites st. pierre*



slice raw, peeled cactus into sticks. eat like "bitter cucumber spears". add salt, lime-juice and chopped cilantro to taste. this is, so far, my method of choice, partly because it is so minimalist.



*ensalada de nopalitos*



to each 4 oz of peeled, chopped raw cactus add 2 Tbs good-quality cider vinegar, and let stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour. add chopped parsely to taste. this is the second-best tasting recipe.



*nopales asados*



fry raw, peeled cactus strips in extra-virgin olive oil over medium- high heat, until the sharp edges brown, and small golden-brown blisters rise up on the faces. this ties for second best-tasting. the white tissue, in particular, has an underlying quality of sweetness that is brought out by frying, and the contrast of the crispness with the now-gelatinous interior is rather nice. serve lightly salted.



*nopales al vapor*



to 1 2/3 C peeled, trimmed, and chopped fresh cactus add 1 Tbs chopped scallions, a minced clove of garlic and salt to taste. fry in 1 Tbs olive oil, covered, over low-medium heat for 10 min. shake the pan from time to keep the cactus from sticking. when the juice has started to flow, uncover the pan and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the juice has evaporated some, the residue has begun to resorb, and the cactus is lightly browned. scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. yield 1/2 C.



this is the best-tasting recipe. my concern is that some of the mescaline might stick to the pan rather than being entirely resorbed, although perhaps it is not carried out of the tissues in the mucilage, but remains behind in the cells. it *does* significantly reduce the volume of the cactus material.



*chunky snot tea*



add 1 - 2 Tbs cactus granules to 1 C hot water, and let stand for a bit. insignificant-looking granules swell to rice-grain size, and even finely chopped and ground fibrous tissue become noticeable "chunky-bits". the mucilage becomes quite pronounced, dripping in strings from the stirring spoon. adding the juice of 1/2 lime, or so, decreases the bitterness.



i wish that i could say that the mucilage reconstitutes as a silky unction, reminiscent of some beloved child-hood comfort food, but what it really reminded me of was a bad head-cold. tossing the reconstituted tea back into the blender smoothes out the texture some. i can't help thinking that this treatment has potential, but i'm darned if i can make it manifest.



*cactus jerky*



the peeled, sliced, and dried cactus sticks can be eaten out-of-hand. this is my second-favorite recipe. it is more work than "cactus sticks", but can be made ahead, and is quite handy. since the mucilage begins to reconstitute during chewing this has the unnerving property of "the more you chew, the more there is to chew".

Rhodiola Rosea extract

Rhodiola rosea Liquid Extract - Soviet Phyto Secret





Click to enlargeIn the former Soviet Union, Rhodiola rosea extracts were prescribed to some of most elite and valued members of the political party system and the military. Cosmonauts, fighter pilots, KGB special agents, flight surgeons, deep sea divers and even Russian Olympic athletes had access to Rhodiola. With the easing of the Cold War the West has finally accessed a vast body of phytmedicinal research conducted by the Soviets, and we’ve begun to uncover a wealth of research trials which document the diverse and astonishingly beneficial effects of this unassuming alpine plant.



Scores of Russian and Siberian experiments have proven that the plant acts as a potent cognitive stimulant that fights fatigue and stress, increases attention span, improves memory and concentration while also relieving anxiety, calming emotions, and easing depressive syndromes and sleep disturbances. Rhodiola also exhibits potent anti-fatigue, anti-stress, immune-enhancing and protective effects in the body. It increases physical work capacity, boosts endurance and strength, reduces recovery time and has anti-hypoxic effects (the ability to protect the brain from oxygen deprivation). Rhodiola does all this without introducing any untoward side effects or toxicity. Many researchers have excitedly dubbed it a miracle adaptogen worthy of much more attention and contemporary investigation.



GalantaMind (8 mg) - Neurotransmitter Enhancer





GalantaMind is a scientifically designed formulation featuring galantamine, a phytonutrient extracted from the common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus L.), and spider lily (Lycoris radiata), among other plants.



As an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEl), galantamine competitively blocks the premature, age-related breakdown of the natural neurotransmitter acetylcholine, an essential molecule that supports memory function. Unlike other AChEls, galantamine also enhances nicotinic receptor activity, an effect long known to influence memory and intellectual activity. Galantamine is the same memory-function enhancer used 3200 years ago by the Greek hero Odysseus, the champion of memory and the enemy of forgetfulness.



GalantaMind also contains the nutrients choline and vitamin B5, the precursor and cofactor, respectively, to the body's production of acetylcholine. Thus, the ingredients of GalantaMind help maintain - and possibly restore - proper memory function.



Suggested Use: For adults only. Start with one capsule each morning with breakfast for the first week. Add a second capsule with lunch, starting the second week. If desired, a third capsule may be taken in the evening with supper, starting in week three. If sensitivity occurs, reduce the amount used. If sensitivity continues, stop using he supplement. Many individuals do well on only one capsule.



Caution: Not for use by children or by pregnant or lactating women. Not for use by anyone sensitive to any of the ingredients.



SUPPLEMENT FACTS



Serving size: 1 Capsules - Servings per container: 90



INGREDIENTS:



Vitamin B5 (as calcium pantothenate)(100 mg), Galantamine hydrobromide extract (8 mg), Choline (from choline dihydrogen citrate) (200 mg)



CerebroPlex - Multiple Cognitive Enhancers





CerebroPlex puts it all together ... the exciting nootropic nutrients CDP-Choline, DMAE, Choline, and the cofactor Vitamin B5 ... plus the power of the leading neurosteroid hormone, Pregnenolone & and the vigilance herb, Vinpocetine. . . and now the neuronnourishing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). . . and now the time-honored herbal product Ginkgo biloba.



Instead of ingesting an often-confusing and inconvenient brigade of brain boosters, try CerebroPlex, which offers convenience and lower cost while delivering the kind of cognitive-function elevators you're looking for.



Get it all ... vigilance, long-and short-term memory function, focus, attention, spatial and verbal memory, task learning . . . even neuroimmunity and cerebral protection. Simplify your life: Take one instead of many.



CerebroPlex is a dietary supplement complex designed to provide a full nutrient, herbal, hormonal array of natural ingredients that separately and together are known to enhance proper memory function. All of the ingredients are well established in the scientific literature to be of measurable value in supporting the mechanisms of the brain from its cell membrane integrity, to its energy production, its bioelectrical patterns, and its neurotransmitter functions.



Caution: Use only as directed. Not for use by children, pregnant or lactating women, those with Parkinson's disease or manic-depressive psychosis, or those taking anticholinergic drugs. Do not use this product if you have abnormally low blood pressure or excessively rapid heartbeat (tachycardia).



Suggested Use: Take 1-3 capsules 3 times



SUPPLEMENT FACTS



Serving Size: 3 Capsules - Servings Per Container: 30



INGREDIENTS:



Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5 as calcuim pantothenate) (75 mg), Sodium (11 mg), Ginkgo biloba extract (360 mg), Citycotline (cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine sodium salt) (250 mg), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) (200 mg), Choline (choline dihydrogen citrate) (150 mg), DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol bitartrate) (150 mg), Phosphatidyl Serine (50 mg), Pregnenolone (25 mg), Vinpocetine (15 mg)



Other Ingredients: Silicon dioxide, gelatin capsule.



i will be doing these in cycles.