There is a
phrase among some naturopaths, and some alternative physicians or
irregulars, as they have been historically classified, that "death
begins in the colon."
This is such a
facile phrase to mock that "debunkers" and "quackwatchers" have had
a field day with the concept, almost as much fun as their field day
with coffee enemas.
But there is
some truth here being uttered, and we can all learn from it.
First off, as
we’ve said previously (at this site):
The inside of
your digestive tract (alimentary canal) is still the outside of your
body.
What we
consume, doesn’t necessarily go "into" our blood and body, end to
end, top to bottom.
If nutrition is
the foundation of health, then digestion is the factory within that
foundation. Our nutrition is limited first by the proper function of
our factory, digestion. Poor digestion means poor health. If you
suffer from indigestion three times a week, you are ill. Four times
a week? You’re moving rapidly into a degenerative state. It’s just a
matter of time.
Everyone, we
admit, is unique. In many ways, we are also the same. Our proverbs
and clichés describe our alikeness, while our uniqueness is the sum
of our makeup. That Chinese proverb from our previous newsletter,
"You can abuse your body up to age 35. After that, it abuses you,"
tells us about our alikeness. At about age 35, things begin to
change. Digestively speaking, take the hamburger.
The hamburger
(or cheeseburger, or doublecheese doublebacon gutwhomper for that
matter) is an American staple. Tasty, filling, pleasing American
foods; we all ate them as kids.
The combination
of starchy buns (not to mention the sugar that Ray added to his
McDonalds’ buns) and meat protein is, according to nutritionists,
hard on digestion. Two separate and not equal parts of our digestive
system are at work here, the one to digest starch and the other to
digest meat protein, and they do not function well together.
As youngsters,
our systems are strong enough to handle this combination, to a
degree. At around 35, it all catches up, and our digestion suffers,
and millions are spent to earn your billions of dollars in the
number one, over the counter, self-prescribed medication: antacids.
And the
problem, the odds are, is not even remotely associated with too much
acid in your system.
Age 35 (it’s an
average, could be 40 for some, could be 30 for others) is the cut.
The Perfect
System
If digestion is
working perfectly, you will have a bowel movement 24 hours after
eating a meal. If you eat three meals (significant meals, not
snacks) you should have three significant bowel movements the next
day.
You should not
have to strain and push, if you are eating enough fiber and are
avoiding foods you are sensitive to. You should eliminate the bulk
of your movement in just a few seconds after sitting down.
If you are
"performing" at a rate any less than this, your digestive system is
not working up to its capacity. If you are not even close to this,
you are a chronic, degenerative disease just waiting to appear.
When digestion
slows a few things happen.
- Our bowels
become impacted with toxic fecal matter. We eventually get
diverticulitis, which according to the Merck Manual, we will all
have one day. (Keep in mind that the person described in this
manual is the "average person." One way to stay healthy is to
refuse to be average.)
- Toxins are
reabsorbed if they stay in the bowel too long.
- The yeast
that resides in our bowel (to soften our stool) can begin to
flourish in a stagnant colon.
All this adds
up to a cycle of acidity. We become more acid, which leads to more
yeast/fungal growth, which leads to more acidity from the toxins
they release. Degenerative disease is not only possible, it’s
inevitable.
What to do?
First off, find
out what’s killing you. Do an elimination
diet. The Fat Flush Plan is one great elimination diet, as you are
eliminating a lot of problematic foods. (As if food could ever be a
problem.) Wheat, grains, cheeses, fermented foods, milk products. If
you wanted to eliminate more, that is even better. A juice fast, a
water fast, a mono diet; these are all perfect places to start an
elimination diet, as you get rid of those things that could be
causing your digestion problems.
A mono diet is
a simple diet of one thing, say apples (fruit is always best). You
eat only apples for three days. You CAN (and really should) add some
Celtic Sea Salt to your mono fast. Apples dipped in electrically
charged minerals in the salt is an excellent treat for your body,
mind, and even spirit. And for those of you who think I’m nutz
saying this, well, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
Dr Bruce West
suggest beginning with seedless grapes or watermelon since these are
the least allergenic foods.
After your mono
diet (at least 48 hours, or 72 hours if you are still having
digestive pains), juice fast, or water fast, you slowly start
bringing back into your diet, one at a time, those things you might
be sensitive to: wheat, cheeses, fermented foods, milk products,
etc.
Beyond an
elimination diet, the next best thing is to learn to eat
differently. There are many theories of nutrition. While one side
promotes this, the other side promotes that, and since no one really
knows anything, really, well, it all becomes a religion. My religion
is right, yours is wrong. That is one way of looking at it.
Macrobiotics
is an oriental diet based upon hot and cold conditions, and hot and
cold foods and herbs. Many people have benefited from this diet.
Listed below are some of the best books we've found on macrobiotics.
You'll find many menus and menu suggestions in their pages. We’ll
soon be reviewing a book called Controlling Crohn’s Disease, by
Virginia Harper (and Tom Monte) in which she tells us of her story,
how she beat Crohn’s Disease using a macrobiotic diet.
Eat Right 4 Your Type
is a very popular system, and is recommended by our friend and
advisor, the author of Health Alert, Dr Bruce West. It is based upon
the theory, developed by Dr Peter D’Adamo, that certain foods are
good for certain blood types and certain foods are not good for
certain blood types. It is well worth reading, but to sum up its
main points:
Type A people
are natural vegetarians. They don’t function well with meat. Though
some seafood is good, and soy products. Not good with dairy, either.
If overweight, avoid wheat.
Type O are
natural carnivores, they love meat. Fruits and veggies are also good
for you, but limit (or cut out entirely (all grains and legumes
(beans) ) Your healthiest meal would have red meat and liver,
broccoli and spinach. Lots of
Celtic Sea Salt.
Type B are
omnivores; they can eat everything (let’s hope they don’t). Chicken,
though, might not be good for you. And, according to Dr West, if you
have a weight problem, avoid corn, wheat, lentils, peanuts, sesame
seeds, and buckwheat.
Type AB are
also omnivores, but they have to be a bit more particular (picky)
than people with blood type B. And you have to eat less. If you are
overweight, according to D’Adamo, you must avoid red meat, beans,
nuts and seeds, corn and buckwheat.
The contrary
side to Dr Peter D’Adamo’s theory is the claim that this is just
plain bad science. Blood types evolved thousands of years before
agriculture and we were all hunter/gatherers way back then. These
people say that you can still get a lot out of this book by eating
the Type O diet, regardless of your blood type.
The
Mediterranean Diet is, by our western standards, one of the
healthiest diets in the world. You can cut your risk of heart
disease in half just by starting this diet. In fact, I have a friend
who was on all sorts of heart medications, and he was a sailor. When
he sailed into Greece, he was able to get off his meds while he was
there, but after leaving had to get back on them. This is his
testimony, and yet he still thinks that everything I talk about here
at our web is pure bunk. Go figger.
The
Mediterranean Diet and the Fat Flush Program have one thing in
common, they decimate the Low-Fat Myth, stomp on it and sweep it out
the door.
The
Mediterranean Diet is dripping with olive oil, lots of veggies, dark
green veggies, a little meat, pure water, fresh fruits, and a glass
of good wine now and then. Check this link:
http://www.mediterraneandiet.gr
Food
Combining (something we did naturally as hunters/gatherers) is
one thing most modern nutritionists all seem to agree on. It is good
digestive science. If you are entering middle age and you are
starting to have problems, then these simple rules must be followed
without exception. I know many of you are going to miss your
hamburgers and steak sandwiches, but try it for two months and tell
me if it doesn’t work. Ok?
Keep in mind
that these rules will also help you to lose weight. If you combine
your foods properly, your digestion improves and your metabolism
improves.
The Rules
- Do not
combine fruit with any other food. Eat fruit separately, half an
hour before anything else and three hours after a meal. If you
must eat close to bedtime, and it is three hours since your last
meal, then you can have a little fruit. Anthony Robbins in his
book Unlimited Power, one book that really changed my life,
recommends nothing but fruit before noon and nothing but fruit
after six. I did this, as well as other things he suggested, and
yes, it really changed my life. Fruit is digested "better" when
it is eaten alone or before a meal.
- Only ONE
protein per meal. This means no steak and lobster or steak and
shrimp. No steak and chicken either. No shrimp and scallops
either. However, EGGS are the exception. Consider them neutral;
they are good with meats, dairy, and beans.
- Do not
combine beans with meat, poultry, or fish. They combine well
with dairy and veggies.
- Milk and
meat should not be eaten together. This is one of the laws of
keeping Kosher. Milk and meat are simply not designed to be
digested together. Sipping a hot tea with meals helps digestion.
- Most
should not combine meat (including fish or fowl) with gluten rich starches.
Here is where we find out just how deadly our hamburgers are.
According to Ann Gittleman, "Proteins do combine well with other
friendly carbs such as a baked potato, a sweet potato, corn or
peas – providing a green leafy salad is included in the meal."
- Never
drink water before food is swallowed. Allow your saliva to begin
the digestive process.
This is about
it.
In our next
article on digestion, we hope to give you some more solutions
involving the use of digestive enzymes and other digestive aids.
References
and Further Reading
The Secret
Link Between Indigestion and Disease,
by Dr Bruce West.
You can get a free copy with a subscription to his newsletter,
Health Alert: 800-231-8063
Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight
|Eat Right for Your Type Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia
The Macrobiotic Way : the complete macrobiotic diet & exercise book
The Quick and Natural Macrobiotic Cookbook
The Fat Flush Plan
The Fat Flush Plan
Audio Book
Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement
|