Not only will this approach to eating help us to recover from illness, it will contribute greatly towards prevention of illness and allow us to live out our lives to the full.
A balanced, good quality diet will tend more towards a greater vegetarian, lower animal and, lower dairy end of the food spectrum. It will consist in greater part whole foods - this means unprocessed, unrefined. These principles will need to be gently implimented into your daily way of living and eating.
a. Make external (physical) adjustments
i. Reduce
i. Reduce
the consumption of acidic foods (see appendix)
ii. Understand ways of combining foods to make them digestible and hence less likely to cause fermentation in the gut and therefore in the body.
b. Most importantly to make internal (mental) adjustments - consider ways to overcome ‘acidic’ emotions – mental stress, worries and so forth.
Doing these two things alone can be most beneficial without the need to spend time and money on expensive products to fix what is naturally available. We need to encompass wisdom in our mind not add to our confusion and problems.
The answer to enjoying a healthy and relatively disease free life or to prevent further disease development is
ii. Understand ways of combining foods to make them digestible and hence less likely to cause fermentation in the gut and therefore in the body.
b. Most importantly to make internal (mental) adjustments - consider ways to overcome ‘acidic’ emotions – mental stress, worries and so forth.
Doing these two things alone can be most beneficial without the need to spend time and money on expensive products to fix what is naturally available. We need to encompass wisdom in our mind not add to our confusion and problems.
The answer to enjoying a healthy and relatively disease free life or to prevent further disease development is
usually to be found in making these two adjustments alone. In my opinion other factors are secondary to these.
There now follows ways and principles of eating that will make your food more digestible and less acidic.
Where possible and practical emphasis is placed upon
- whole foods (that which is organic and unprocessed)
- that is fresh and seasonal
- recently cooked and eaten
- unfussy preparation of food
- delight in eating
There now follows ways and principles of eating that will make your food more digestible and less acidic.
Where possible and practical emphasis is placed upon
- whole foods (that which is organic and unprocessed)
- that is fresh and seasonal
- recently cooked and eaten
- unfussy preparation of food
- delight in eating
as a vital part of life and not as an appendage to it
Combinations of food will sometimes include both acid and alkaline food groups. However this cannot be avoided in many instances, especially at the beginning when you are trying to make a transition to more wholesome and less acidic ways of eating.
Combinations of food will sometimes include both acid and alkaline food groups. However this cannot be avoided in many instances, especially at the beginning when you are trying to make a transition to more wholesome and less acidic ways of eating.
Do not get too bogged down or discouraged since the way of combining foods as well as how they are consum
ed greatly affects the acidity of the food. In other words it’s not just the food that is either acidic or alkaline but the way it is cooked, combined with other foods, and eaten. Having the intention to change is what is needed; the rest follows gradually and patiently.
Local greengrocers or supermarkets that have a good selection of whole foods and whole food supermarkets (such as Fresh & Wild & Wholefoods) or health stores are good sources.
General Principles
There are three things we need to understand when cooking and eating food:
Keeping a healthy and balanced digestive system. This is essential for maintaining optimal vitality and good health throughout life.
Make the body more alkaline – mainly a lacto-vegetarian based diet. This means to prevent fermentation (Damp-Heat) from forming. This makes the body too ‘acidic’ and slows up metabolic activity in the body, adding further stress and acidity, sapping vitality.
Combining and consuming food and drink for good digestion.
Maintaining a good digestive system
Always 'unlock' food by using the appropriate cooking method. Frying and baking is generally acidic whilst steaming, slow cooking is considered more yin.
FOOD QUANTITY (approximate proportions for a healthy digestive system)
50-80% Gains (corn, barley, millet, oats, rice, spelt, wheat)
30-40% Cooked vegetables (carrots, potatoes, fennel, beans,
cabbage, legumes)
5% Meat (beef, lamb, game, poultry, fish)
5% Raw foods, salads, fruit; more during the Summer months
Recommended
Use high quality, clean, unprocessed foods, organically grown if possible
Enjoy your meals, don’t rush
Eat little and often 3-5 times a day
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like an emperor and dinner like a pauper
Stop eating when it tastes best
Drink small amounts of liquid only during meals – too much can weaken the digestive fire
Take into account your individual constitution when planning meals
Choose foods that are appropriate for the season (locally available and grown foods is a useful guide)
Take only small amounts of liquid during meals to prevent drowning the ‘digestive fire’ (juices) and weakening its function.
If vegetarian – ensure enough energetically warming foods ; increase the use of acrid spices in cold weather
Avoid
Too much raw or cold foods and fruits and tropical fruits (esp. not in cold/cool seasons)
Ice-cold beverages
Too much dairy
Over stimulation whilst eating (TV, hot debates, reading)
Too much oily, fatty foods
Too much sugar, sweet flavours
Too much alcohol (have equivalent of a glass of wine at dinner)
Too much meat (have only 2-3 times per week)
Late evening meals (after 8.30pm)
Overly rich foods
Excessive and prolonged fasting
Strengthening the digestive system and enzymes
This is of key importance in Oriental medicine especially in the area of food therapy and the secret for optimum vitality.
General Principles
There are three things we need to understand when cooking and eating food:
Keeping a healthy and balanced digestive system. This is essential for maintaining optimal vitality and good health throughout life.
Make the body more alkaline – mainly a lacto-vegetarian based diet. This means to prevent fermentation (Damp-Heat) from forming. This makes the body too ‘acidic’ and slows up metabolic activity in the body, adding further stress and acidity, sapping vitality.
Combining and consuming food and drink for good digestion.
Maintaining a good digestive system
Always 'unlock' food by using the appropriate cooking method. Frying and baking is generally acidic whilst steaming, slow cooking is considered more yin.
FOOD QUANTITY (approximate proportions for a healthy digestive system)
50-80% Gains (corn, barley, millet, oats, rice, spelt, wheat)
30-40% Cooked vegetables (carrots, potatoes, fennel, beans,
cabbage, legumes)
5% Meat (beef, lamb, game, poultry, fish)
5% Raw foods, salads, fruit; more during the Summer months
Recommended
Use high quality, clean, unprocessed foods, organically grown if possible
Enjoy your meals, don’t rush
Eat little and often 3-5 times a day
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like an emperor and dinner like a pauper
Stop eating when it tastes best
Drink small amounts of liquid only during meals – too much can weaken the digestive fire
Take into account your individual constitution when planning meals
Choose foods that are appropriate for the season (locally available and grown foods is a useful guide)
Take only small amounts of liquid during meals to prevent drowning the ‘digestive fire’ (juices) and weakening its function.
If vegetarian – ensure enough energetically warming foods ; increase the use of acrid spices in cold weather
Avoid
Too much raw or cold foods and fruits and tropical fruits (esp. not in cold/cool seasons)
Ice-cold beverages
Too much dairy
Over stimulation whilst eating (TV, hot debates, reading)
Too much oily, fatty foods
Too much sugar, sweet flavours
Too much alcohol (have equivalent of a glass of wine at dinner)
Too much meat (have only 2-3 times per week)
Late evening meals (after 8.30pm)
Overly rich foods
Excessive and prolonged fasting
Strengthening the digestive system and enzymes
This is of key importance in Oriental medicine especially in the area of food therapy and the secret for optimum vitality.
The qi obtained from the absorption of nutrients is called gu qi (qi from grains). A large part (about 70%) of post-natal qi (which is renewable) is derived from gu qi (ie. Carbohydrates).
If this network is weakened (Stomach qi vacuity or Sp/Pancreas qi or yang vacuity), the body invariably develops acute and later chronic qi or yang vacuity. This is generally experienced as tiredness, heaviness and bloatedness initially.
Later this progresses to poor immune function (frequent colds/flu’s), and starts to impinge on the functions of the internal organs. This causes a premature degeneration of the body’s health.
Foods that strengthen digestive system and enzymes
If this network is weakened (Stomach qi vacuity or Sp/Pancreas qi or yang vacuity), the body invariably develops acute and later chronic qi or yang vacuity. This is generally experienced as tiredness, heaviness and bloatedness initially.
Later this progresses to poor immune function (frequent colds/flu’s), and starts to impinge on the functions of the internal organs. This causes a premature degeneration of the body’s health.
Foods that strengthen digestive system and enzymes
Combine these foods that make them digestible, therefore avoiding fermentation.
Grains : millet, quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, oats
Vegetables : carrots, cabbages (all types), fennel, potatoes, peas, squash,
pumpkin, soy beans
Meat : beef, veal, lamb, goat, venison
Poultry : duck, goose
Fish : bass, carp, herring, mackerel, sardine
Raw foods : sweet apples, dates, figs, grapes, papaya
Beverages : fennel tea (especially for infants and children), grape juice, liquers
Combining foods to optimise digestion and energy
What your tongue likes, your digestive system cannot process. So try to limit ‘tasty’ overly spiced and processed foods to a few times per week.
Water should be no more than 2-21/2 litres per day (more will cause tissue swelling and dilute your body salts causing major problems with your organs’ functioning)
Generally do not mix protein (fish, meat, soya) with carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, rice). So protein and vegetables combine well and carbohydrates and vegetable combine well.
Do not mix fruit (except melons) in the same meal as other food groups. Leave at least 2 hours clear between consuming fruits and other foods. This prevents fermentation.
It is not generally advised to consume fruits at night as they ferment over night and therefore make the blood acidic, increasing inflammation.
Consume easily digestible foods first
The digestive energy is the strongest during the morning and begins to weaken progressively throughout the day. It is at its weakest after 8.30pm. Overall the digestive system weakens with age.
During the early parts of the day the body can tolerate more food but less so in the evening. This should then guide us in the selection of the quantity of foods that we can consume – more during the day and much less in the evening. The old adage of ‘Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper’ should give you an idea.
Eat slowly, chewing food well increases the surface area that makes digestion further along the digestive tract easier and hence less work needs to be done by Stomach acidity and digestive enzymes.
Chewing thoroughly allows time for saliva to mix with the food. Saliva is alkaline in quality.
Try not to eat whilst watching TV, reading, talking to others, agitated mind. So take time to eat – your body will make the most of the food that it is given if you do.
Also the digestive system does not tolerate cold and raw foods very well.
Try to keep the foods unfussy – not too many elaborate flavours, rich sauces etc. Ideally eat freshly prepared, whole food that is in season.
If you are new to food combining, I suggest you start with three times per day meal schedule and diet plan A for enhancing your digestion.
The best plan for optimum digestion is plan B and you can try to work your way slowly to this way of eating.
Meal Scheduling
Type of person Physically hard work, those with low blood sugar (crave sweets), and those beginning a transition to a grain and veg based diet
Optimum times
1st meal 7 - 9am
2nd meal 11am – 1pm
3rd meal 4 – 7pm
1st meal (breakfast)
A. Simple & moderate prepared with ample water and cooked, or
B. cleansing meal of Vegetables or fruit for those who need purification
2nd meal (lunch)
Largest in size & greatest variety, containing some lightly cooked or raw food
3rd meal (dinner)
Smallest in size and cooked.May contain the most protein.Root vegetables emphasized
Notes :
- Morning beverage to be consumed soon after rising, quench thirst with water, herbal tea, vegetable broths, green drinks (wheat/barley grass or spirulina drinks), veg or fruit juice. Slightly warm or room temperature at least
- Interval between rising & first meal : at least 1-2 + hours before 1st meal; eat only when hungry – applies to all meals
- Very weak or sick people should eat according to condition and hunger
In Summary
It is best to start slowly. Firstly understand the food combination and ways of eating. Look for ways to make you daily food accord as closely as possible given your particular lifestyle and work schedule.
Mainly understand to emphasise more carbs during the day (breakfast and lunch) and more protein at dinner time. Give yourself at least a month or two to get the idea and also feel the improvement that it has on your well being.
Also make the meals at breakfast and lunch more than at dinner since the digestive system is weakest and more prone to injury and depletion after 8pm - keep dinner easily digestible and light (soup, veg, salad)
Once you get the hang of how to practically combine foods then you can progress onto getting the liver cleanse programme integrated into your daily routine.
References
Pitchford, P. Healing with Whole Foods: North Atlantic Books
Sill, F. The Polarity Process, Energy as a Healing Art: North Atlantic Books
Flaws, B. The Book of Jook, Chinese Medicinal Porridges: Blue Poppy Press
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