Natural Hygiene - Fruitarians - Raw Foodists

Natural Hygiene is an interesting philosophy of eating only raw food. A tiny few people do this. They have websites and books on the power of eating live foods and cleansing through fasting. We met one of the major thinkers and writers of this philosophy, T.C. Fry. We visited with him in his home and at his office in Austin, Texas. He had a magazine and a course of study. Like all groups they have a national organization and monthly magazine. The website for the National Association of Natural Hygiene is www.anhs.org. Other websites are www.rawfood.com and www.living-foods.com. And finally Mrs. Hsu's site, www.Hsu.com.

Herbert Shelton and T.C. Fry are two of the most influentialT.C. Fry writers on the philosophy of eating uncooked food and food combining. If you would like to read more of their ideas, click on the following and you can read some articles by them. T.C Fry on eating only live food | Herbert Shelton on food combining. Like all things, there are many points of view. Many nutritionists do not believe that cooked food is dead food that is bad for a person. Many also do not agree with the concept of food combining. If you would like to read a critique of food combining printed in the University of California at Berkeley Lellness Letter (April 1996) click here.

Fit for Life

We have heard that the most printed book on health is Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. In the beginning of their book they mention T.C. Fry as their inspiration. They teach some of the principles of Natural Hygiene. We believe that the motivational speaker, Tony Robbins, has some connection to this way of eating. They teach that a person would eat only raw fruit until noon and then eat as much raw food as possible. Natural Hygienists are wrong in thinking that mankind is not omnivorous but made to eat only plant food. But they are right in that we should emphasize plant food in our diet.

There have been a number of articles in the UNews by members who teach different aspects of Natural Hygiene. For example, in an article in UNews October 1995 by Mrs. Hsu we read that we should eat mainly raw fruits and vegetables: "Have a diet consisting of 70-75% raw food, and always eat a raw food with a cooked food"

Father has mentioned several times about the value of eating only raw food. Perhaps in the ideal world raw fruits, vegetables and nuts will play a much more prominent role than today. In a speech titled "The Heart of True Mother" given by Mrs. Woo Ok Lim on July 8, 1990 we learn that True Mother's mother made a condition of going to raw food for a while in preparation for meeting the Messiah:

"After they arrived in Seoul, Hong Halmonim ate uncooked food, even rice and fish. She offered that spiritual condition as she searched for the Second Messiah. After living in Seoul, they moved to Cheju Island in search of the Second Messiah there. Hong Halmonim thought that because she was eating raw food, she should serve True Mother raw food also, but Jesus Christ appeared to her and asked her not to serve True Mother raw food. Hong Halmonim wanted to dedicate True Mother to work as God's servant in a spiritual mission when she grew up."

In the speech "True Parents' Wedding Anniversary Address" given May 3, 1996 Father said, "There will be a campaign to eat raw food. Once that time comes raw "fish and vegetables will be the best food."

Food Combining

An core teaching of Natural Hygienists is the concept of food combining. Many nutritionists denounce this concept, but maybe there is some truth to it. I definitely feel a person should give Natural Hygiene a try if they are sick or not feeling well. Many people testify to how they got better when they let the body cleanse its toxins by doing the things Raw Foodists teach.

Mrs. Hsu teaches the value of food combining. In an article in the UNews (2/99) titled "Taking on Cancer … and Winning" Edy Iversen, a blessed sister from Palm Coast, FL writes how Mrs. Hsu program worked. You can read her article by going to www.tparents.org and typing "food combining" in the search engine there.

The following is a reprint of an article in the UNews (Sept. 1995) by Mrs. Hsu:

"Digestion and Staying Healthy"

In the last few articles I explained the concept of internal cleansing and how it is best accomplished. But, cleansing the digestive and eliminative systems, together with the circulatory and lymph systems is not enough! We need to avoid reintroducing poisonous substances into our body. There are two ways by which poisons can enter our body: one is through eating so called junk foods, the other through eating healthy foods, but having that food turn into poison in the body.

There is one aspect to eating for maximum health that is hardly understood, even by those who try to eat correctly. Many of you have reduced your fat and sugar intake, you cut out red meat from your diet, in short, you try to eat responsibly. Still, you don't feel as well as you would like to. Why is this?

Now is the time to explore the area of proper "food combining." This term refers to those combinations of foods which are compatible with each other in digestive chemistry. In other words, the goal of food combining is to aid the digestive process. It is not correct to think that as long as we eat enough of the basic food groups within a day that we well be properly nourished. Only foods that are properly digested will nourish us. Undigested foods, on the other hand, lead to putrefaction in our intestines which is the decomposition of proteins and carbohydrates and their conversion to poisonous substances. Furthermore, we all know why new wine must be put into new wineskins; likewise, we will not be well if we put fresh foods into unclean, putrefied digestive and eliminative tracts.

Where do these poisonous substances go? Into our blood stream, lymph system, the liver, kidneys and other vital organs. In the short run we experience a loss of energy, in the long run, we set ourselves up for a great many health problems. The liver and kidneys have to work extra hard to process and eliminate the poisons from the body. Even the skin, which is one of the major eliminative organs, will show the effects of improper eating habits through rashes and other skin problems.

Heartburn and indigestion are looked at as minor problems by many, they ought to be taken seriously however, since they are an indication that something is wrong with the way the body accepts and digests foods. Over the counter medications for heartburn, indigestion and constipation are by far the most taken medicines in this country! A recent advertisement emphasized the fact that 23 million Americans are taking acid blocking medications! This fact testifies to the need for information on proper eating. Even insomnia is related to the body's chemical imbalance caused by the putrefaction of foods. What is even worse is the fact that medications taken for these conditions only mask or deal with the symptoms without ever solving the underlying problems.

There is one additional area that greatly concerns me when thinking about the Unificationist community. We need to consider the effects of feeding children the haphazard combinations of foods commonly offered. The fermentation produced in their digestive tract as a result of such eating represents a major factor in causing childhood diseases. One of the pioneers in the field of food combining, Dr. Herbert Shelton writes this in his book Food CombiningFood Combining Made Easy:

"Until parents learn how to feed their children with proper respect for enzymatic limitations and cease feeding them the so-called 'balanced meals' now in vogue, their children are going to continue to suffer not only with colds and tonsillar troubles, but with gastritis (indigestion), diarrhea, constipation, feverishness, the various children's diseases, poliomyelitis, etc."

Dr. Herbert SheltonShelton mentioned the magical words-enzymatic limitations. What do they mean?

Digestion Explained

Digestion is the process by which the complex materials of food are broken down into simpler substances in preparation for their entrance into the bloodstream. For example, proteins are broken down into various amino acids, carbohydrates are converted to sugar, and fats are broken down into fatty acids. The body is then able to use these simpler materials to build new tissue.

This natural breakdown begins in the mouth, continues in the stomach, and is completed in the small intestine. Regarding the practical application of food combining principles, the conditions present in the mouth and stomach will be our primary concern since the efficiency of digestion in the small intestine is greatly dependent upon the work done in the mouth and stomach.

When we chew food, the saliva initiates the digestive process. Appropriate digestive juices are secreted, depending on the type of food ingested. If the food contains starch, the enzyme amylase is secreted at that time.

In the stomach, gastric juices are secreted, containing primarily hydrochloric acid and other digestive enzymes. The concentration and overall makeup of these gastric juices depends on the type of food eaten. Proteins require a highly acidic medium for the digestive enzyme, pepsin, to be effective. Starches and fats, however, require a nearly neutral medium for their digestion. Amylase, the above mentioned starch enzyme, is actually destroyed in the presence of a highly acidic gastric juice. And lipase, the fat digestive enzyme, is inhibited in its work in the highly acidic medium.

In addition, the enzymes present in the third area, the small intestine, cannot do their digestive work properly, if digestion in the stomach has not proceeded correctly. Furthermore, the time required for the stomach to empty its contents into the small intestine, depends on the type of food eaten. Fruits remain in the stomach an hour or less. Starches require two to three hours to complete gastric digestion, and proteins require four hours or more. These numbers apply only if the foods are eaten by themselves! If eaten in combinations, food remains in the stomach longer than is normally required, due to digestive incompatibility. This means, the food will likely decompose, offering no nutritional benefits, providing a breeding ground for unhealthy microorganisms, and effecting the whole body, not only the digestive and eliminative tract, through slow self-poisoning. In other words, the shorter waste stays in the colon, the less chance there is for a contamination of the circulatory and lymph systems.

I believe, you can already see the pattern that is developing here. Anytime, two or more incompatible types of food are eaten at the same time, each requiring opposite conditions for their digestion, the digestive process is less than efficient. The responsibility for proper digestion rests with us. Failure to observe the limits of our body's digestive abilities, causes not only the plethora of American digestive ills, but in the long run more serious health problems as well.

Next month I will go into detail, outlining the different food groups and how to combine them properly for best digestion. I will also provide you with a sample meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that will help adults and children alike to eat for maximum nutrition, greater energy and abundant health.

Until then, I wish you the best of health.

The following is a reprint of an article in the UNews (Oct. 1995) about food combining:

American Health

"I can't believe the sad state of American health." That's what Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Shwartzenegger stated soon after his appointment as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by then president George Bush. "But America's secret tragedy," he added, "is America's children." He explained his remarks by referring to the fact that 40% of all American youngsters between the ages of five and eight already show at least one heart disease risk factor: physical inactivity, obesity, elevated cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Last month I emphatically stated that we have a very clear and effective way of protecting ourselves and our children from many, if not most, diseases that befall millions of Americans every year. I am not referring here to surgery or drug treatment but to the very simple, yet highly beneficial and effective way of eating called "Proper Food Combining."

One of the first physicians to mention this term was Dr. Daniel Munro, author of "Man Alive-You're Half Dead." In his book he states: "Important clinical observations prove there is no greater absorption of foodstuffs than when eaten in proper combination." In Koopother words, we are not what we eat, but what we are able to digest and assimilate. Take a look at the food-combining chart and you will see how to eat your meals in a manner that will make it easy for your body to properly digest all that you eat. Can you see how the standard American diet violates these food-combining principles? No wonder former surgeon general C. Everett Koop said: "Nearly everyone in the country is sick."

Let me give you a simple daily meal plan that you and your children can follow that will set you on the path to optimal health.

BREAKFAST: Eat fresh fruits only. Eat as much as you want of any one kind until one hour before lunch. Fruits are mostly composed of water, minerals and their own enzymes. (Read last month's column for an explanation of enzymes.) The reason for eating one kind of fruit is that different fruits digest differently.

LUNCH: Eat carbohydrates (high-starches) and fresh, raw or steamed vegetables.

DINNER: Eat one kind of protein and low-starchy vegetables.

Drink raw carrot juice, if possible, with lunch and dinner and have a fresh salad with it as well (avoid head lettuce.) If you get hungry in the afternoon it's OK to eat leftovers from lunch or some carbohydrate snack, but remember that starches require about 2-3 hours for complete digestion. So don't have that snack to close to your dinner. Also, it's fine to switch your carbohydrate and protein meals or to have two carbohydrate meals in a day once in a while, but don't have two protein meals per day. The body does not require nearly as much protein as most Americans have been led to believe. On the contrary, there is ample evidence that excessive protein consumption has some serious consequences for our health.

In addition, AVOID:

White rice (use brown rice)

White flour (use whole wheat flour)

White sugar, chocolate, caffeine, and soft drinks.

Mucus-forming foods:

All dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream). However, use sweet cream butter rather than margarine.

Orange Juice (Whole oranges are fine)

DO: Have a diet consisting of 70-75% raw food, and always eat a raw food with a cooked food.

Drink plenty of distilled water (mostly between meals), and use it for cooking too.

Exercise! Start slowly at first and try walking or swimming, etc.

Take care of yourself in other ways. Dry brush your body with a natural bristle brush, learn how to deal with stress, and smile!

Do you know one of the major additional benefits of following this meal plan based on proper food-combining principles? Your body will begin to settle down to its proper weight! For most Americans this of course means-losing weight. And you will accomplish this without starving and without depriving yourselves of any nutrients. Try it. You have nothing to lose but all those extra pounds.

Peanuts and Nuts

I (John) struggled for years trying to figure out what is the best diet. Pritikin and McDougall made such a powerful impact on me about the danger of eating any high fat food. But over the years other books and the reality of life have made me question the sweeping generalizations they make. Research seems to show that some fats are good because they have properties in them that make them more positive than negative. Although Avocados and nuts have high fat and even saturated fat in them, it seems that there are other factors in their chemistry that counter the bad effects of the fat and even help the body so much that they are more healthful than harmful. Of course, anything in extreme may be too much, but taken in the right amounts it seems nuts are good.Peanut Butter

Reality

Also my children, along with much of America, is in love with peanut butter. Nuts seem to help elevate the good cholesterol and lower overall cholesterol. Two websites that give some research on this is from the Peanut Institute at www.peanut-institute.org and at a website called www.peanutbutterlovers.com.


Previous Home Next