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Food Combination Categories continued Warm Greetings to you all, Last week we started specifying the different categories of food combining. Without further ado let's carry on.. 4-Protein-Fat Combination Our need for concentrated fat is small and most protein foods already contain a good deal of fat. Most nuts contain about 10% to 20% protein, and about 45% to 70% fat. Avocado contains about 1.3% protein to about 2.2% and 11 to 17% fat (depending on the variety). Most other protein foods are high in fat, including cheese, eggs and flesh foods. The only protein foods not high in fat are legumes, skim milk cheese and lean meat. Fat has an inhibiting influence on digestive secretion and lessens the amount and activity of pepsin and hydrochloric acid, necessary for the digestion of protein. The fat may lower the entire digestive tone more than 50%. Since most proteins already contain a good deal of fat, it would certainly be contraindicated to add more to the meal. 5-Use fats sparingly. Fats also delay the digestion of other foods and, if used with starch, it will delay the passage of the starch from the stomach to the intestine. Fat not only inhibits the secretion of gastric juice, it also inhibits the physical action of the stomach. Too much fat taken with a meal results in acid eructation and burning sensation in the throat. When fats (avocado & nuts) are eaten with green vegetables, preferably raw, the inhibiting effect of fats on gastric secretion is concentrated and digestion proceeds quite normally. The use of fat (avocado) with starch is considered acceptable, provided a green salad is included in the meal. Though not a high protein food, avocados contain more protein than milk. They are high in fat and the small percentage of protein they do contain is of high biological value. They are best used with a salad meal. 6- Acid-Protein Combinations Citrus, pineapples, strawberries, and other acid fruits should not be eaten with nuts, cheese, eggs & meat. Acid fruits inhibit the flow of gastric juice. The digestion of protein requires an unhampered flow. 7- Sugar with Starch, Protein & Acid Fruit The sugars in sweet fruit should be free to leave the stomach quickly, in perhaps 15 to 20 minutes. They are apt to ferment if digestion is delayed by mixture with other foods. Sugar-Starch combinations cause additional problems. When sugar is taken, the mouth quickly fills with saliva, but no ptyalin is present. Ptyalin is essential for starch digestion. If sugar, honey, molasses, syrup or sweet fruit disguises starch, the signals are scrambled and digestion is impaired. No other food depresses the action of the stomach and the desire for food as does sugar. 8- Eat only one concentrated starch at a meal This rule is probably more important as a means of avoiding bad combinations. But it is true that starch foods may differ greatly. If two different starches are eaten together in small quantities, it will seldom cause problems. 9- Acid Fruits and Sub-acid fruits. This is an acceptable combination. The acid fruits are those with the tart flavours, such as strawberries, pineapple, citrus, certain variety of apples etc.. Tomatoes are also considered acid fruits (without the sugar content of other fruit) they are best used with a salad meal where no starchy food is served. 10- Sub acid fruits and Sweet fruits. There is no sharp line of division between subacid and sweet fruit. The sweet fruits are those that are rich in sugar and taste sweet such as bananas, persimmons, sweet grapes, and all dried fruit. 11- Do not combine fruit with any vegetables except lettuce and celery. It is best not to combine fruits with vegetables ( especially cooked vegetables ) proteins or starches because if such a combination of foods is eaten, the digestion of the fruit will be delayed and subject to fermentation. Lettuce and celery, however, may be combined with any fruit except melon, and will cause no problem. We will have to leave the remaining 4 points for next week as this letter is getting too long and demands too much concentration after a long day at work. We wish you all a perfect week and look forward to our next rendezvous. The Crazy Nut Team