them in the section on“ Beans.” Since then, there have been many studies about the effects of soybeans, both on animals and on human beings. There are two main points I’ d like to add here. 1. Soybeans contain elements that interfere with the absorption of zinc, namely, phytic acid, or phytates. 3 They also contain protease or trypsin inhibitors, elements that interfere with the pancreatic enzymes that help digest protein and that are mostly( but not fully) removed or eliminated by heat and processing. 4 Dry soybeans are fairly difficult to digest, and an excessively high intake of soy foods( more than one serving per day) may be of questionable value. For this reason, in cultures where soybean products are used extensively, they are usually cooked, fermented, or otherwise processed( e. g., tofu, miso, and tempeh) to make them more digestible. 2. Following nature’ s sweet ironies, where everything has a positive and a negative aspect, these same trypsin inhibitors, in small amounts, appear to have anticarcinogenic effects. 5 Other elements in the soybean, namely phytoestrogens such as genistein, have been shown to be cancer preventative as well. 6 In addition, soybeans are good for the heart: one review study found that soy protein, when replacing animal protein in the diet, seems to help lower cholesterol and serum triglycerides by about 10 percent each. 7 At the time of this writing, the latter study is making headlines, and the soy-food craze looks poised to imitate the oat-bran craze of a few years ago. Interestingly, that review study was funded in part by a company that manufactures and markets soy-protein products, and the principal author of the study is on the company’ s Health and Nutrition Advisory Group; nevertheless, the paper went through the proper peer reviews before publication, and the author is considered a reputable scientist. 8 What is not clear to me is this: Does the cholesterol go down because the soy protein does something to it, or does it go down because there is no more animal protein in the diet? I would say that the latter is just as possible as the former. Not eating food that makes us sick has just as much of a healing effect as consuming foods that are good for us. As with all other healthful foods, let’ s remember that with soy foods, a little is good, too much is no good. THE FOOD PYRAMID The official standard for meal balancing used to be The Four Food Groups. In the early 1990s the Food Pyramid was introduced, which was a big step forward, although we still have a way to go. The Food Pyramid suggests that we consume daily 6 to 11 servings of grains and cereals; however, there is no mention made about whether they should be refined and unrefined. It also recommends 3 to 4 servings of vegetables( again with no mention about whether fresh, frozen, canned, irradiated, or organically raised); 2 to 3 servings of fruit( ditto); 2 to 3 servings of dairy products; 2 to 3 servings of protein, either meats or beans. Fats and sweets are to be used“ sparingly”; however, their position at the top of the pyramid gives a confusing message as they’ re“ on top,” but supposedly to be consumed in the smallest amount. While the number of servings seems to suggest a large amount of food, the“ servings” themselves are small, e. g., ½ cup cooked spaghetti( most people eat two cups). With minor adjustments, this is a workable model. Even vegetarians can use it by picking beans from the protein group. Vegans, macrobiotics, and others who eschew dairy products can replace that category with sea vegetables or leafy greens for their calcium sources. Also, as I suggest in this book, we’ d do well to search out the fresh, natural, organically grown foodstuffs. Finally the official government recommendations have come closer to those of the“ health food” community, which can only improve the health of the public. FOOD COMBINING Many people have asked me why I didn’ t discuss the question of food combining, as delineated in the hugely popular book Fit for Life, by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. I didn’ t because our books were published closely together, and I hadn’ t seen theirs in time to comment on it. Food combining, a system originally set up by Herbert Shelton, recommends that we eat only fruit from four A. M. to noon; that we eat both our main meals between noon and eight P. M.; and that we eat nothing at all between eight P. M. and four A. M. Our main meals should consist only of either protein and vegetables or grains and beans and vegetables; starches( potatoes, bread, rice, whole grains) and animal protein( fish, fowl, meat, eggs) should not be eaten together; fruit should be eaten by itself, never with vegetables; and melons should always be eaten alone. Students of mine who have tried this system have told me that fruit for breakfast works best in the summer or in warm climates, and for people who are physically active. On the other hand, for office workers and in cold climates this regime often makes them chilled, hungry, and tired. These reactions can be understood with the expansive / contractive, heating / cooling concepts discussed in chapter three. The meal combinations( protein and vegetables, no starch; or starch and vegetables, no protein) are difficult for widespread use in the average