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Italian

Pastas such as spaghetti, macaroni, and noodles in many sizes and shapes are characteristic of the Italian diet. Crusty Italian bread is widely used. Chicken, lamb, pork, and veal and a variety of cold cuts are popular but eaten less frequently than in typical American diets. Milk is not used much, but many varieties of Italian cheeses are favored. Vegetables boiled and dressed with oil or oil and vinegar are well liked. Salads and fruits arc important parts of the day’s meals.

Noodle doughs may be filled with meat, cheese, and vegetable mixtures for such dishes, as lasagne, ravioli, and pizza. Chick peas, split peas, kidney beans, and lentils are used in such substantial soups as minestrone. Polenta is a thick cornmeal mush often served plain or with tomato sauce and cheese.

Middle East

Round, fat loaves of bread are the staff of life at every meal. Cracked parboiled whole wheat (bulgur) and rice are staple foods eaten as such or with vegetables and meat. Fermented milk (yogurt, matzoon, leben) is preferred to plain milk. Fresh fruits are widely used. Eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, okra, cabbage, and cauliflower are favorite vegetables.

Lamb and mutton are preferred, although other meats and poultry are also eaten. Meat is often ground or cut and cooked with wheat, rice, or vegetables. For example, ground meat may be baked in cabbage leaves, and pieces of cut lamb may be placed on skewers with tomato and onion slices for shashlik.

Oriental

Rice, wheat, and millet are staple cereals providing most of the calories and protein for people of the Orient. The Chinese use soybeans and soybean sprouts in many dishes. Finely sliced vegetables are cooked by the Chinese for a short time in a little oil (stir-frying) and retain their color and crispness. Chicken, pork, eggs, fish, and shellfish serve as the foundation for many delicious dishes, such as shrimp egg rolls, sweet and sour pork, and chow mein, an American adaptation. Milk, cheese, and beef are not widely used. Sesame oil, peanut oil, and lard are much used. Soy sauce at almost every meal contributes to a high salt intake. Almonds, sesame seeds, and ginger are popular seasonings.

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GENERAL HEALTH

Eat several small meals during the day in preference to a few large meals.

In my lifelong study of nutrition I could find no scientific support for the idea of eating a few large meals a day. In my travels and studies of eating habits of various natives known for their excellent health, I have found that they always eat several small meals a day. In addition to 2 or 3 main meals, they have some snacks in between as they go about their usual work. Watching peasants work in the field in Russia and Ukraine, I noticed that they interrupt their work every two hours or so to eat and drink a little something: a fruit, a glass of cool sour milk, a watermelon, a plate of cold summer borsch, or whole fresh vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato, carrot – or just a slice of sour bread with onions! When a Mexican laborer goes to work, he takes with him several oranges, mangoes, ever-present limes or a large jicama, and has a snack of something every now and then.

It is better to eat 4, 5 or 6 small meals a day than 2 or 3 large meals. Such eating habits would also solve 99% of all hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, problems. Also, if you have a tendency toward obesity, you should know that while 2,000 calories eaten at two meals will result in a new fat accumulation, the same 2,000 calories eaten in 6 small meals, with 2 or 3 hour intervals, will not only fail to add weight but may actually help you to reduce!

Do not mix too many foods at the same meal.

There is much evidence to the effect that the fewer foods you mix at the same meal, the better your digestion and assimilation will be. Every food – every fruit or vegetable – requires a different enzyme system and (too many at one time) results in less effective digestion.

Do not mix raw fruits and raw vegetables at the same meal.

Raw vegetables and raw fruits require totally different enzyme combinations for their effective digestion, and, therefore, they should never be eaten at the same meal. Such combination will only result in poor digestion and gas. Fruit and vegetable juices should never be mixed either.

It would be advisable to make one meal of the day a fruit meal, where any available fruits are eaten, possibly with yogurt and raw seeds and nuts; and the other meal a vegetable meal. The third meal can be a cereal meal.

The exceptions to the above rule (it seems there are always exceptions to every rule!): lemon and papaya. Both can be used with any foods. Another exception: avocado (which is a fruit) can be eaten with vegetables.

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GENERAL HEALTH