Health Notes #26

Not Even A Peanut?

Reasons and Conditions

Why is it so bad to have food in your stomach for long hours at a time? Read below and see if what it says doesn't make sense.

Complete digestion consists of about 4-5 hours in the stomach and 4 hours in the small intestine. What is left should not take over 16 hours to complete the journey, so that no food would remain in the digestive tract over 24 hours. If foods move according to this schedule, there should be no sour stomach, no decay in the intestine, no gas and no constipation. Under normal conditions there should be an impulse to move the bowels after each meal, and if this were happening, the majority of our ills would disappear.

When the colon is filled with decayed matter and bacteria, the many sensitive nerve endings become irritated and inflamed and we end up with such things as headaches, nervousness, foul breath, loss of pep, inability to concentrate, depression etc. After a time we may have infections anywhere in our body.

If food ferments and decays anywhere in the digestive system, it is absorbed into the blood and is carried everywhere. This poison is fed every hour to every organ, gland, muscle, tissue, nerve and cell in the entire body. Under these conditions everything in the body must degenerate.

Part of the reason we eat between meals may be that our breakfasts are too skimpy and we get hungry before lunchtime. Try to add more food to your breakfast until you are getting enough to keep you five hours. Then eat a hearty lunch and go easy on the supper. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and supper like a pauper.

Having undigested food in the stomach at bedtime means that the stomach must work when it is supposed to be resting. Every organ of the body needs rest and the only time the stomach can rest is when no food is present. If the evening meal is early enough or light and easily digestible, when a person retires at night, the stomach can rest and sleep will not be disturbed by the digestive process that demands energy.

Here are some ideas for a hefty, last-a-while breakfast.

Spoon Bread

2 c. hot water

4 c. frozen corn

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. onion pwd.

1 c. cornmeal

Blend first four ingredients on high until creamy. Stop the blender and add cornmeal. Stir contents before blending. Briefly blend again. Pour into a sprayed 8" X 8" baking dish and bake at 400^oF for 45-60 minutes until golden brown. Spoon bread out and eat plain or with applesauce or other topping.

Variations:

1. Corn Waffles: Bake 15-20 minutes on a sprayed waffle iron, or until brown. Set on high.

2. Add 1 cup or more drained, chopped kale or other green of your choice. Nutritious and delicious.

Scrambled Tofu

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

2 c. mashed tofu (1#)

1 tsp. chicken-style seasoning

1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic pwd.

1/2 c. mushrooms (opt.)

1/4 tsp. turmeric (for egg-like color)

1/2 tsp. onion pwd.

2 tsp. yeast flakes

1 T. parsley flakes

1 T. soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Put onto hot, sprayed Teflon fry pan. Fry for 5-10 minutes. For color you may sprinkle with diced tomatoes just before serving.

Serve the above with a big platter of fresh fruit, granola and nut milk and you'll have a breakfast to suit a king and last you until lunch.

Breakfast Sunday

Whole Grain toast

Warm applesauce

Granola

Peanut or almond butter or tahini

Raisins

Peanuts

Spread nut butter on warm toast, top with warm fruit sauce, sprinkle on granola, raisins, or other dried fruit and peanuts.

Fun--Easy--Very Nutritious

(Use your imagination or your children's)