Basic Food Combining, Part 7

There’s a difference between eating fruit as an entire meal, compared to eating it as a snack.  You may find it necessary to consume more fruits than you have been accustomed to.  Trust your appetite and eat the fruit that will be enough to satisfy you.

Another fruit selection may be taken for lunch.  Or vegetables, if so desired.  You make the choice.  When choosing vegetables, they are wholesome to eat whole and uncooked such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell papers, celery, fresh sweet peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and various sprouted grains or beans.

Some vegetables may be preferred by lightly steaming them.  Always have some fresh uncooked vegetables with the cooked food to provide your body with nutrients and enzymes that are easily assimilated and digested.  It’s best to limit the variety of vegetables to not more than four varieties at meal.

If you want something more concentrated with your vegetables, an avocado makes a good combination.  Or you may want a starch item such as potatoes, yams, or rice.  For a healthier meal, choose brown rice, possibly organically grown.  It is best, however, to avoid overeating on concentrated foods.  Protein food, combined with a vegetable meal, is also a possible choice.  But remember to exclude tomatoes in your meal if you intend to have either a starch or protein (with the exception of those proteins noted earlier).

When preparing vegetables, it is best kept to a minimum.  Many vegetables may be washed and eaten whole without being cooked.  If a vegetable or fruit salad is preferred, avoid dicing and shredding, as these practices promote oxidation and loss of nutritive value.

Salad greens may be cut in half in a bowl, mixed with other vegetables.  Adding a “dressing” to the salad may be acceptable, but those commonly used are unhealthy.  All types of vinegars are highly toxic and should not be added to food.  Also, once vegetable oil has been separated from its original source, the body has a difficult task in digesting it as it coats the foods, preventing access by the digestive fluids.

Dinner may often be the best time to eat concentrated foods.  Since the day’s activities have been accomplished, there is more energy available to digest them.  These concentrated foods should always be accompanied by whole, uncooked vegetables, especially the green leafy varieties.

(“Classification of foods” will be addressed in Part 8 on Monday, Sept. 24, 2012 – J.P.)