This may seem innocuous enough, but it has far reaching implications in your body's digestive process. (Ice water was, in fact, the classical treatment for ulcers before today's modern drugs were available). Within the walls of the stomach are a group of cells, is to secrete the hydrochloric acid you require to digest food. When you drink water, you not only neutralize the acid; if the water is icy, you also anesthetize the parietal cells, making them incapable of doing their job.  Now, with the acid-producing cells in your stomach anesthetized, you are presented with a salad and probably some bread. Even if your stomach was producing hydrochloric acid efficiently, it would take a while for the vegetables in the salad to be digested because their high cellulose content makes them slow to break down. But you have impaired your stomach's function, so it will take even longer for them to be digested. Then comes the main course. Chewing carefully, you set the meat down on top of the bed of salad, beyond reach of the hydrochloric acid and enzymes needed to break down the protein in the meat. As it sits in your stomach at a temperature of 115 to 120 degrees, the meat begins to decompose. It reaches the intestines still largely undigested and continues to rot.  When the "normal" eating pattern is followed, the carbohydrates in the salad generally take about an hour and a half to break down. The meat proteins, however, take about three hours to digest, and the entire process is hampered both by the lack of hydrochloric acid and by the layer of salad sandwiched between the meat and the source of the acid. The vegetables in your meal actually need little hydrochloric acid to facilitate their digestion. Amylase, the enzyme of the salivary glands, has already begun the process of breaking them down, and enzymes from the pancreas will complete their digestion. It is the meat in your meal that needs the stomach acids the most.

Ideally, then, you should start a meal with your stomach empty and ready to receive the protein that it was designed to digest. Protein will, in fact, stimulate the vagus nerve, which in turn tells the stomach to produce more acid. Next, you should eat the potato or rice and finally the salad. You should eat the entire meal without water or coffee. If you are eating a stew, eat the meat first and the potatoes and other vegetables last. If you are having soup and the rest of the meal is heavily geared toward protein, set it aside and have it afterwards, not before the meal. By eating the potato or rice before the protein, you will cause the signals to your stomach to be reversed, since you don't need acid to digest this food, and your stomach "knows" it. If you alternate between mouthfuls of protein and carbohydrates, the vagus nerve will continuously tell the stomach to start or stop acid production, and you will have an incredible reaction of acid and alkaline working against each other. Protein and starch are, in sum, very poor combinations.

Fasting is one method of getting the body back into balance when it is out of kilter, as a means of healing imbalances in the system. An occasional fast will give the body an opportunity to start fresh, with renewed impetus toward total wellness.  In an earlier era the most frequent method of fasting was a water fast, but most authorities today agree that a juice and broth fast is superior, because it is alkalinizing, and most of us have too much metabolic acid in out systems. fresh raw juice of fruits and vegetables, plus vegetable broth and herb teas, are the standard fare for these fasts.  During a fast the body burns up or excretes large amounts of accumulated wastes. Drinking alkaline juices aids this process by speeding up the elimination  of uric and other inorganic acids. It also strengthens the heart. The vitamins, minerals, amino acids enzymes, and trace elements in Noni Juice can be beneficial in restoring the body's balance, which is the purpose of the fast. A four- day juice fast is about as long as one should attempt alone. Anything longer is best undertaken in a clinic or center that offers the support necessary to achieve the best results from a lengthier fast.  

For two days prior to the fast, terminate all coffee, alcohol, and other stimulants. Do not eat any meats, and lighten your diet with frequent small meals of steamed vegetables, light fish, poached or boiled eggs, and raw fruit. On the day prior to the fast, eat only fruit and vegetables, either lightly steamed or raw, and at different meals. It is very important to promote good bowel activity, and daily enemas are encouraged during fasting in order to eliminate the potential toxins that arise with constipation. A daily herbal laxative can be helpful.

A complete cleansing of the system allows the body to take a temporary rest, regain its equilibrium, and resume its journey along the path to total wellness.

 

.   .   .  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

BodyandFitness.com - Your Compete Fitness Center since 1979