5. Questions & Answers

When we eat cooked food in restaurants, we don't know how it has been booked. It may have been cooked in a pressure cooker, a microwave oven, a charcoal broiler, or aluminum cooking utensils may have been used. How can these hazards be determined and avoided?

If you eat cooked food in a restaurant, it is not only subject to the hazards you mention, but it will also contain salt, probably sugar (even in vegetables), and probably pepper and other irritants. It may also contain monosodium glutamate; corn starch or flour for thickening; or other unknown additives. The only way to avoid all of these things is to avoid eating cooked food in restaurants. If you do decide to partake, do the best you can, depending on circumstances. A baked potato is fairly safe, except for the sprout retardant on the skin, and the aluminum foil in which most of them are baked. Order it to be served uncut—otherwise you may find a piece of aluminum foil in your mouth. Sometimes you can get a plain cooked vegetable without seasoning.
Some restaurants cook certain dishes to order, and you can request "no seasoning." In most Chinese restaurants you can get vegetable chop suey with raw bean sprouts and snow peas and without monosodium glutamate, or corn starch or seasoning. Some "natural food" restaurants do a fairly good job. Some salad bars are fairly good.
But any time you eat, in a restaurant, be prepared to compromise. Sometimes, rarely, you can find a friendly rand cooperative restaurant owner or manager who will do things your way. Good luck!

Most conventional nutrition charts advise against using nuts, because they are so high in fat. Why do Natural Hygienists use so many nuts?

Conventional diets contain so much fat already (mostly animal fat) that any additional fat is contraindicated. Of course, conventional diets include flesh foods as the major protein source, while Hygienic food programs look to nuts and seeds for concentrated protein. The major sources of fat in the Hygienic diet are nuts, seeds and avocados, which contain unsaturated fat (which conventional nutritionists admit is superior to animal fat). It is true that even Hygienists should not gorge on nuts and avocados, but should eat them sparingly.
Since nuts and seeds are also the major sources of concentrated protein in the Hygienic diet, they are important elements of the food program. Some Hygienists use two to four ounces of nuts and/or seeds almost every day, which would be considered maximum amounts. Many Hygienics use them less frequently, perhaps three or four times weekly (sometimes even less) and get along very well.

Is it advisable to eat a protein meal and a starch meal every day?

No. That would comprise a large amount of concentrated food on a daily basis. Most people would, sooner or later, find that this practice would overburden their digestions. A protein meal three or four times weekly and a starch meal two or three times weekly would be adequate for most people (many would want less), planning protein and starch meals for different days, and filling in with fruit and salad meals. Some people might want up to four or five protein meals weekly and four or five starch meals weekly. This would be quite a lot of concentrated food, and would involve using both a protein meal and a starch meal on some of the days. Actually, starchy meals should not necessarily be included on a regular basis. They are filling, satisfying meals at the time they are eaten, but such foods as grains and legumes (even, to some extent, when sprouted) burden the organism with their digestion.
Potatoes are much easier to digest, and are a good choice for a cooked starch meal, but should not be used everyday, nor in large quantities. Sweet corn (unless freshly picked) is starchy; fresh peas are starchy; both can be eaten without cooking.
The coconut, starchy protein, eaten raw, is a good food to use for some of your starch meals. Chestnuts, another starchy protein, can be used for starch meals when in season. But you certainly don't need a protein meal and a starch meal on a daily basis.

Why should the oven be preheated to the desired temperature before inserting your vegetables which are to be baked?

The cooking time will be shortened.