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Food Classification 1 Greetings to all our subscribers, Before applying the principals of food combining let's learn a bit more about the vast classification of FOOD. The principal of food combining is based on the nutritional needs of humans and the limitation of our digestive system. It is not what we eat, but what we digest and assimilate that determines the nourishment our body receives. Correct food combinations result in an immediate improvement in health by lightening the load of the digestive organs. Better nutrition is assured and there is better digestion, less fermentation and putrefaction, more comfort less distress and less gas. Food allergies often disappear as a result of good food combining. But... What is food? Food is any substance which is eventually convertible into such end-products as tissues, body fluids, etc.. And can be utilized by the organism in the performance of its functions. To be correctly classified as food, a substance must: 1. Be capable of liberating energy when oxidized; 2. Be capable of being utilized for growth, maintenance and repair; 3. Be capable of being stored within the body; 4. Produce no nutritionally significant toxic effects. For example, some plants contain large amounts of oxalic acid and should not be used as food. Many plants which contain smaller (nutritionally insignificant) amounts of oxalic acid are excellent foods. On the other hand tobacco, which is a plant, contains proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and water, which are the constituents of food. But tobacco also contains considerable quantities of poisons; therefore tobacco cannot be a food. Nutrients in food are chemical substances of known composition and structure, classified as carbohydrates (such as sugar, starch and glycogen); lipids (fats); proteins (amino acids linked together); salts (minerals); and vitamins, needed in small quantities (or traces) by the body. In addition, foods contain indigestible materials- cellulose (fiber). Water, oxygen and vitamins, together with proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals, form the constituents of the body- the blood, tissue, bones, organs, muscles and so forth. Foods must be taken into the digestive tract and prepared for use by the organism before the body may use their constituents. The best food is raw food. Raw foods improve the total inner environment. Sluggish bowels begin to move eventually cleaning out waste that may have been lodged in the folds of the intestines for months. The layer of mucus that forms in the intestines when cooked food predominates is removed, greatly increasing efficiency in the absorption of nutrients. Food wastes don't stay in the bowel long enough to putrefy. The transit time of raw food in a healthy body is 20 to 24 hours, while cooked food may take 3 days or longer. The 80% raw food diet is ideal for those who are not ready, or willing, to change to an all-raw diet. For most people this is not difficult to achieve. It can be appetizing, interesting, varied, satisfying and economical. The best and quickest way to achieve an 80% raw diet is to never eat cooked food more than once a day, and as part of only one meal. Next week, with your permission, we will discuss Food Classification. Until then, stay well and take care, The Crazy Nut Team