If you are like most people, you enjoy a tasty piece of fruit. Indeed, fruit is not only sweet but high in certain key nutrients, making it nutritious and delicious -- the perfect snack. Some diets take it a step further. One of these is the Natural Hygiene diet. Based in part on the book "Fit for Life," by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, this diet advocates eating exclusively fruit until noon. Before starting any new diet or treatment, check with your doctor.
Natural Hygiene
The basic foundation of the Natural Hygiene diet, according to the Diamonds, is that the body is always striving for health, and that it achieves this by continuously cleansing itself of harmful waste material. Foods that are high in water and fiber aid your body in this process, and fruits are one such food.
Body Cycles
According to this school, the body has three natural cycles that are based on the time of the day. Between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., you body's energies are devoted to eating and digestion. This is called the appropriation period. In the assimilation period, from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., your body is focused on absorbing the nutrients in food and putting them to use. In the elimination phase, which occurs between 4 a.m. and noon, the body rids itself of wastes and food debris.
Where Fruit Fits In
Fruit is easy to digest and rapidly absorbed. These qualities make it the ideal food to consume in the morning hours. The authors argue that at this time of the day, because your body's energies are devoted to eliminating wastes, the focus should be on consuming foods that require little digestive work. However, they urge you not to eat anything but fruit until noon, as combining more concentrated foods like vegetables, grains and meats can lead to digestive distress.
Other Principles
The Natural Hygiene diet centers around eating fruit and only fruit until noon. Other facets of the diet include making vegetables the major focus at both lunch and dinner. Like fruits, vegetables are also high in water, fiber and other nutrients. Because they contain less sugar than fruits, they are not as rapidly digested and therefore can be combined with foods such as meat, beans and grains.
References
- "History of Natural Hygiene and Principles of Natural Hygiene"; Herbert M. Shelton; 1996
- "Fit for Life"; Harvey and Marilyn Diamond; 1987
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