Is it good to mix raw foods?
Ideally, we would only eat raw and unmixed foods, just like a great ape would when going from tree to tree.
However, after decades of traditional eating, switching to this ideal diet would be too intense for the body, for two reasons:
- Eating is also a pleasure, and when one is used to certain textures and tastes, it can be difficult to do without them.
- Eating only raw fruits and vegetables will lead to intense detox crises that will be hard to manage, especially if you do not understand their origin and do not have the appropriate naturopathic tools to navigate them.
Like any major change in life, it is realized step by step by setting priorities or stages.
Avoid making too many mixtures:
Our body is equipped with many sensors in the ORL area and in our intestines that allow us to measure the nutritional quality of a food. In response to this very complex and almost instantaneous bodily analysis, our body gives us a response:
- If we like it, it means our body needs it.
- If we don’t like it, it means our body does not need it or that it is inappropriate.
The catch is that our instinct can deceive us when the food is cooked (a part of the information contained in the food is destroyed, especially when cooking is done at high temperatures) and/or when there are too many mixtures (even raw) and the sensors are, therefore, confused. Moreover, not all foods require the same digestive juices in the stomach, which hinders the proper absorption of nutrients and burdens digestion, particularly mixtures with fruits which, themselves.
Why are fruits eaten before meals or between meals?
Because fruits are digested only in the intestines and not in the stomach. If you eat them while your stomach is in full digestion, or if you eat them with other types of foods, the fruits will not be able to go directly to the intestines and will be exposed to acids that may potentially make them indigestible. It is therefore better to eat your fruits at the beginning of a meal (wait 20 minutes to an hour for their complete digestion) or between meals.
Note: If you consume a heavy meal high in fats (based on oilseeds, for example) or proteins, it can remain in the stomach for up to 10 hours! If you consume fruits before digestion is completely finished, you may experience heartburn, but the fruits will not be directly responsible.
However, some food combinations are very well tolerated by the body and it is wise to know the principles illustrated in the diagram below:
Here are my recommendations:
First stage: Eat as much living food as possible! In my view, it is better to do CRUsine (even if the combinations are not very physiological) than to eat cooked foods or animal products. As long as it is plant-based and alive, go for food combinations (without worrying if it is physiological or not) that you enjoy as long as you digest them well. However, it is preferable to not mix more than three or four different foods (condiments aside) in the same recipe.
Second stage: Once you are well invested in the process and if your vitality allows it, practice naturopathic detox techniques to deeply detoxify your body. You will then see, month after month, year after year, that your food cravings will lighten. You will then naturally and effortlessly move towards an increasingly raw diet without involving the mind, simply by reconnecting to your feelings. But this can only happen if you release layer after layer of accumulated toxins.
Some tips to avoid digestive discomfort:
- Avoid eating your fruits at the end of the meal.
- Avoid any mixture containing both fats and carbohydrates (like nuts – sweet fruits).
- Avoid mixing acidic fruits with sweet fruits (like dates – lemon).
- Avoid consuming more than 20% of fats (in caloric ratio) in a day. To learn more about fats, read: “What are our needs for fats ?”
Suggested reading for further exploration:
- The article: What about Sensory Nutrition?
- The article: What are our needs for fats ?
- « Food Combining Made Easy », by Herbert M. Shelton
- « The Detox Miracle Sourcebook: Raw Foods and Herbs for Complete Cellular Regeneration », by Robert Morse, N.D
