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Article 10. A Reader Asks

Dear Edith Carter,

I just read an article you authored in Ottawa's "Energy Medicine" newspaper “Debunking Myths and Hype”. It was very educational and well written. I have a keen interest in health and nutrition, and recently just read Harvey and Marilyn Diamond's "FIT FOR LIFE" book. One of their rules of thumb is that you should not ever drink fluids with meals (which you stated as a popular myth within your article).

I would like to ask if you have read this book, and if so what was your perception of the "rules" they put forth i.e. combining starches with proteins, only eating fruit alone and before noon, etc. How many of these are again popular myths, or useful information? I would greatly appreciate any insight you could bring forth! Leslie D.

Edith Carter replies...

Dear Leslie,

I am familiar with FIT FOR LIFE. It contains a lot of good material but some which I disagree with quite strongly. Their basic premise seems to be that we are all alike, assimilating and utilizing food in the same way. To them, vegetarianism is the only way to go and therefore advice is doled out in a wholesale manner. This is simply not realistic. Remember that we all have our own biological individuality and it would serve us well to listen to our bodies to determine what is good for us personally.

While the authors are very knowledgeable about nutrition as it is practised in the western world, they appear to be less so when it comes to the medicinal and nutritional properties of different types of foods including herbs and spices. Items such as cinnamon and cardamom, coriander, ginger, lemon grass, and many others contain properties that stimulate the secretion of digestive juices so essential to good and proper digestion. And the tea whose recipe I given in my article is but one example of the wide range of teas (or tisanes) that promote good digestion. Example: the gauchos of the South American pampas who live on an almost exclusive beef diet also ingest large quantities of maté tea (Yerba Mate) which is high in antioxidants and digestion-promoting properties. It is usually carried in wine skins and drunk freely all day long - to the benefit of the user.

North Americans have the dreadful habit of slurping their drinks ice cold. Go to almost any restaurant and the glass of water with several ice cubes floating in it will appear before even the first course has arrived. If the FIT FOR LIFE authors decry that, so much the better. But they should not go to extremes and condemn any fluid. After all, where would that leave soup?

Regarding fruit to be eaten by itself and in the early part of the day - yes, that is good practice. And not combining proteins with starches is sound advice as well. Nutritionists in this country tend to dismiss this as a “fad” since they appear to be quite oblivious to and ignorant of the workings of the human digestive system. As is often the case, people feel that having fruit for dessert is a “healthy thing” to do. Not by a long shot! The sugary substance thus consumed has a very detrimental effect on the digestion of the preceding meal, particularly if it contained protein. It slows down proper digestion, creates gas in the intestines which, in turn, generate toxins which are reabsorbed by the body. A popular snack, yogurt with fruit bottom, is not a healthy snack at all, especially if it is the fat-free kind. It is simply a bad combination. And - get rid of the Canada Food Guide - it’s not worth the paper it is written on!

The authors of Fit for Life are, after all, California Gurus, who have probably never woken up to days of minus 30 degree temperatures. Would they still want to nibble on cold fruit and drink cold fruit juice before facing the elements outdoors? Their very admonition to only have fruit for breakfast but as much as one wishes, and to drink all the fruit juice on wishes, is just pure nonsense. For a good number of people, that is about 25-50% of the population, this is just too much sugar. Instead, why not have a bowl of steaming soup and a decent piece of bread (not the kind you stuff into a toaster)? It is far preferable, nutritionally speaking, than all this sugary fruit or, that other nutritional aberration, boxed cereal.

To spur your interest in nutrition further I would suggest reading Nutrition & Diet - a holistic approach by Rudolph Ballentine, M.D. published by The Himalayan International Institute. Ballentyne has written some excellent material which also touches on the teachings of macrobiotics and ayurvedic nutrition. I think you will find more of this in forthcoming issues of Energy Medicine. So - stay tuned!

Thank you for your inquiry. It serves as a good reminder that there are all sorts of viewpoints.

Edith Carter

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