Chapter III
Minerals
— the body's lattice —
« The body is a living geological formation — every mineral becomes an enzyme, a bone, a nerve, a thought. »
If proteins are the walls, minerals are the framework — and the current that runs through it. This chapter explores our share of rock: it opens on salt, the most ancient of minerals, tells of the body as living geology, reviews the major minerals and their roles, and ends with the most useful of all — the kitchen gesture that finally makes them assimilable.
Salt — the first mineral
After the bricks, the lattice. Proteins build the walls of the body; minerals stretch its invisible framework and carry the current through it. For here is the truth we forget: we are made of rock. The calcium of our bones was once limestone, the iron of our blood comes from the earth and the stars, the sodium that carries each of our thoughts comes from the sea. The body is a living geological formation — and the tour begins with the most ancient of minerals: salt.
From the edges of seas to the depths of mines, salt is the mineral that tells a story as ancient as humanity itself. It has been a treasure of trade, a currency of exchange, and even an element of sacred rites.
In its purest form — Himalayan salt, sea salt, rock salt — this translucent crystal is a concentrate of telluric energy. Rich in minerals and trace elements, salt is indispensable to the balance of our body fluids and to the proper functioning of our nervous and muscular systems.
More than a seasoning, salt amplifies the flavor of food and, used with measure, reveals its very essence. It is the keeper of our culinary traditions, a vector of memory, a symbol of hospitality and community. Salt is both earth and sea — a small miracle of nature that reunites the elements and balances our being.
Every mineral becomes an electrical signal between our cells. Every signal becomes motion, thought, life.
The body, a living geological formation
We often forget that our body is, literally, a mineral formation. Our bones are calcium phosphate. Our blood carries iron in hemoglobin. Our enzymes function only when carried by metallic cofactors — zinc, copper, magnesium, selenium. Our nervous system transmits impulses only because potassium and sodium dance across cellular membranes.
When the body receives its minerals: deep sleep, radiant skin, strong nails, luminous mood, full energy. The body functions at 100 % — clarity, vitality, presence — because it holds the mineral matter that every enzyme, every bone, every nerve impulse needs to express itself.
The major minerals
| Mineral | Role | Plant sources |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium | Bones, teeth, muscle contraction, nerve signal | Sesame (tahini), kale, almonds, broccoli, figs |
| Magnesium | Muscle relaxation, sleep, +300 enzymes, ATP | Raw cacao, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, spinach |
| Iron | Oxygen transport (hemoglobin), cellular energy | Spirulina, lentils, parsley, pumpkin seeds |
| Potassium | Water balance, heart rhythm, nerve impulse | Avocado, banana, potatoes, spinach, dates |
| Zinc | Immunity, skin, taste, fertility, DNA synthesis | Pumpkin seeds, sesame, legumes, cashews |
| Iodine | Thyroid, overall metabolism, brain | Seaweeds (kombu, wakame, dulse), unrefined sea salt |
| Selenium | Major antioxidant, immune support, thyroid | Brazil nuts (2 a day are enough), sunflower seeds |
The gesture that releases minerals
The minerals are there — in seeds, grains, legumes, nuts. But they are also locked. To protect itself, the seed encloses its minerals in molecules called phytates (). If we eat the seed as is, part of the minerals will not be absorbed — they will leave the body as they entered.
- Soak seeds 4 to 12 hours in slightly acidulated water (lemon juice, cider vinegar): hydrolyze, minerals are released.
- Sprouting: the simple act of waking the seed deactivates its defenses and multiplies certain nutrients (vitamins C, B, enzymes).
- Fermenting: in miso, tempeh and sourdough bread, ferments strongly reduce the . Minerals become bioavailable.
- Pair with vitamin C: a squeeze of lemon over a bowl of lentils or spinach multiplies iron absorption by 3 to 5 times.
“What the rock has patiently held, the body turns into motion”
Virgile Health · chef-alchemist
This chapter’s recipes
Frequently asked questions
How to release minerals from a seed?
Four gestures release the minerals locked by phytates (phytic acid): soak the seed 4 to 12 hours in slightly acidulated water (lemon juice, cider vinegar), sprout it (the simple awakening deactivates its defenses and multiplies vitamins C, B, enzymes), ferment (miso, tempeh, sourdough make minerals bioavailable), and pair with vitamin C (a squeeze of lemon on lentils or spinach multiplies iron absorption by 3 to 5).
What are the essential minerals and where to find them in plants?
Calcium (sesame, tahini, kale, almonds, figs) — bones and nerve signal. Magnesium (raw cacao, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, spinach) — muscle relaxation, sleep, +300 enzymes. Iron (spirulina, lentils, parsley, pumpkin seeds) — oxygen transport. Potassium (avocado, banana, spinach, dates) — heart rhythm. Zinc (pumpkin seeds, sesame, cashews) — immunity, skin, fertility. Iodine (kombu, wakame, dulse seaweeds) — thyroid. Selenium (2 Brazil nuts a day) — major antioxidant.
Which salt to choose for health?
The most living salts keep all their mineral richness: Himalayan salt (translucent crystal, telluric energy), unrefined sea salt (gray or pink, rich in trace elements), rock salt. We steer away from refined table salt, which has lost its minerals through industrial processing. Salt, used with measure, is a concentrate of telluric energy — essential to the balance of our body fluids and to the nerve signal.
The chapters
- — I —
Energy
the inner flame
We do not eat — we burn stored light. The body is a solar machine running on two fuels.
- — II —
Proteins
the brick of life — and its hidden origin
Meat does not contain proteins — it only carries them. The source is the plant.
- — III —
Minerals
the body's lattice
The body is a living geological formation — every mineral becomes an enzyme, a bone, a nerve, a thought.
- — IV —
Ingenious Tips
the gestures that wake the matter
The precious tips that elevate my cooking — soak, cook low, tune the umami, vary the oils, dose the acid, sweeten with plants — and the right tools, to wake the full intelligence of living matter.
- — V —
Recipes
daily practice
The whole collection of living recipes — from everyday bowls to longevity broths, from raw sweets to mineral ferments — where every gesture learned becomes flavor.
- — VI —
Ingredients & Suppliers
the chain of care
I share here my favorite foods and my hidden-gem suppliers — the ones that make plant-based food nourishing and delicious.
- — VII —
Ayurvedic Intelligence
six tastes, one fire
A science three thousand years old described, without a microscope, what biochemistry is rediscovering today — every meal is a complete sensory pharmacology.
- — X —
The Sattvic State
bliss, the joy of the present — to activate and nourish it
Our inner states are not our nature: they are qualities of light. Depending on the day, the same consciousness is limpid, ardent or veiled — and we are the only living being able to tune its own, through food, breath, sleep.
- — XI —
The State of Action
drive, strength, focus — to light it with intelligence
Action is not a matter of willpower alone: it is a chemistry the body mobilises — and one that food can light or extinguish. To understand this system is to better master our states of mind.
- — XII —
The Technology of Rest and Sleep
the great nightly workshop — and the art of recovery
Sleep is not lost time: it is the body's most active workshop. And rest, chosen, is not an absence — it is a regeneration. We do not force sleep: we invite it, by giving it back its signals.
- — XIII —
Feminine Intelligence
nourishing the rhythms of women's bodies — cycle, transitions, carrying life
Women's bodies live in rhythms — the cycle of the month, the great transitions of a life. None is a problem to correct: they are intelligences to accompany. We treat nothing — we nourish the terrain, so that vitality returns on its own.