I tried raw Brazil nuts because of high selenium content, as a relatively healthful and convenient snack food for work, and as a diet expander/diversifier (for a number of reasons). I discovered an unexpected benefit from it--it works better on constipation for me than anything else I've tried (and I've tried a lot). I hadn't seen this connection made before, so my openness to continued personal experimentation paid off.
For me, raw Brazil nuts have been much more gentle and effective than the legume fruit cassia fistula that has been touted by some at this forum. They also worked much better than raw cashew nuts, though those also provided some benefit. The downside of Brazil nuts is that they are excessively high in omega 6 fat and selenium and addictive, so there's the possibility of overdoing it. Thus, I try not to buy too much at once.
My recent dental visit was excellent. I was a bit concerned, because I went nearly 7 months between cleanings instead of the usual 3, which is the longest I've gone in quite some time, but I still had less dental plaque, bleeding and pain (almost no pain at all and the cleaning actually felt good at times, like a gum massage) than in years past at 3-month cleanings. Still no sign of worsening of my dental carie (a dentist told me to get it filled back in 2008 and said that it would get very bad soon if I didn't), though it didn't improve any further this time, like it had at the last visit. So bone broths/soups/stews and animal fats, including even butter, still seem to be quite beneficial for my dental health.
My dentist recommended coconut oil swishing/pulling. I had forgotten about my coconut oil (a centrifuged version by Wilderness Family Naturals that is less heated and tastier than pressed extra virgin olive oils), because I was keeping it in the cupboard. I decided to keep it in my bathroom as a daily reminder. It works better than mouthwash. By accident I found that leaving cut up coconut meat on the kitchen counter instead of the fridge dries it nicely, preserving it better than refrigeration (where mold is a big risk) and making it a bit tastier and easier to digest than fresh coconut.
Butter coffee and butter tea seem to have made maintaining dental health easier for me and I think they were the key addition that enabled me to go 4 more months between cleanings. I don't claim that they are raw Paleo or optimal, but they are another convenient way for me to keep my intake of animal fat up. I do minimize the heating--just enough to be able to melt the butter in a reasonable amount of time. I buy lightly roasted whole coffee beans, soak them overnight in a French press, then lightly heat it in the microwave and add butter. I tend to heat the tea more to make a black tea (usually assam tea, aka "breakfast tea") strong enought that it will keep some tea flavor with butter added. I may start soaking that overnight too at some point to reduce the amount of heating necessary. Interestingly, the less I heat coffee or tea, the less belching it causes. On days I drink butter coffee/tea my teeth are squeaky clean, like I just got home from the dentist's office (and even cleaner if I eat plenty of raw suet instead or in addition).
I'm digesting raw sauerkraut better and enjoying it more, especially with Gold's home style horseradish added. Now I understand first-hand why some people love sauerkraut so much. It required some adaptation, I hope beneficial, for me.
I love the way that raw parsnips get my saliva juices flowing and spices up my saliva, enabling me to savor the spicey parsnip flavor well after I've finished eating them. The thicker parts of parsnip roots are less tasty, so I throw those in the slow cooker (I know, evil cooking) along with other veggie scraps and bones to make bone broths/soups. I think I'll start experimenting with soaking my broths too, to see how little cooking I can get away with and still get a decent broth out of it.
