diminish in warehouse storage, 15 but in general it seems to have little serious adverse effect on hardy vegetables. Similarly, if the cold storage is outdoors, in a cold cellar or porch, and the food is surrounded by fresh, moving air, we can assume that its energy field will diminish somewhat but not excessively. Cold storage in a refrigerator— a closed box with an electrical current running through it— can probably alter the energy field more dramatically, mostly because of the insulation: The foodstuffs need cooking, stirring, and other active motions to be reenergized and kept from tasting flat and lifeless. DRYING This is probably one of the oldest food preservation techniques. Laboratory tests show that thiamine and other water-soluble vitamins suffer losses of no more than 10 percent, except for vitamin C, which can diminish by as much as 20 percent. 16 I found no studies on the fate of carbohydrates in dried foods, but a simple taste test tells us that the loss of water increases the relative concentration of these nutrients( raisins are sweeter than grapes), or turns sugar into starch( as in what happens when corn is dried so that it can be ground into cornmeal). It is possible that even though the absolute quantities of some nutrients may be diminished by drying, the general ratio of nutritive elements to volume increases, which would account for the generally stronger flavor of dried foods. This may also be behind the popular impression that dried fruits, vegetables, and meats are strengthening. I have found no studies on the difference between sun-dried and commercial hot air and other drying processes. Perhaps the difference in vitamin loss is negligible; however, according to our model of living organisms, there probably is a great difference in the unmeasurable energy level of sun-dried foods and that of tunnel-, spray-, and drum-dried foods. The sun, after all, is the original source of all light, heat, and energy on our planet— our main battery charger.( Those of us who are old enough may remember that clothes dried under the sun feel very different— fresher, cleaner— from those dried in a dryer.) SALTING This method preserves food by inhibiting the development of toxin-producing bacteria. Traditionally, it was feasible only in those communities where either sea or land salt was easy to obtain. Today it is most often used for meats, and especially for fish, either in conjunction with drying or by immersion in brine. Nutrient density will be increased with the former method, but decreased with the latter. In many traditional communities salting is still widespread; but wherever a more“ modern” diet is followed, with its unbalanced large intake of sodium, salting is less popular. For those who must restrict their salt intake, it can indeed be harmful. PICKLING OR FERMENTING These two food preparation and preservation techniques are popular in all major cultures. They give us not only wine, bread, and cheese, but also miso, tempeh, shoyu, idli, and poi-poi— and let’ s not forget pickles and sauerkraut. During the fermentation process, in the presence of salt or a mold culture, microorganisms develop that alter the composition of vegetable or animal foods by increasing the amount of lactic acid present in them. This in turn changes the food’ s taste and aroma, making them both stronger and more distinctive, and sometimes more sour. Although there may be some loss of vitamins and water-soluble minerals during pickling and fermenting, the overall influence of fermented foods on our health is quite favorable. They are easy to digest, and some are even used as digestive aids; this is why we get, for example, pickles or sauerkraut with sausages or processed meats. Indeed, modern research has shown that nutritional values of foods, especially the B vitamins, are actually enhanced by fermentation. ‡ Miso and tempeh( both cultured soybean products) have been shown to have antibacterial properties, and therefore can also be effective as disease-preventive agents. 18 In addition, both tempeh and natto( another cultured soy food) show manyfold increases in vitamin B 12. 19 We can safely assume that all that microbial activity in fermented food also increases the food’ s energy level. SMOKING This ancient food preserving technique has generally been used in conjunction with drying. It is most commonly applied to meats and fish. Smoking preserves foods through the action of the antioxidants and bactericides present in the wood smoke; unfortunately, these are at times accompanied by minuscule quantities of other compounds that can be toxic and even carcinogenic. 20 Modern technology has given us additional methods for preserving our foodstuffs: freezing, canning, chemical preservatives, irradiation. What these methods have in common is that they require a more complex backup