Diet in Disase
Diet in Disease:
The primary cause of disease is a weakened organism or lowered resistance in the body, arising from the adoption of a faulty nutritional pattern. Right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of health and wrong kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of disease. Acidic and toxic substance accumulation generates diseases in the body hence ingestion of alkali-genic foods only help in curing diseases. Alkali foods are purifying foods can extract the toxic substances accumulated in the cells of the body and help in their elimination. Sickness is rooted in acids accumulated in the body. Alkali-genic especially liquid easy digested foods can neutralize and deactivates these acids.
Disease is an abnormal condition of the body aiming or removing the harmful substances accumulated due to unnatural way of eating or living. Diseases invade the body only if there is an accumulation of acids and toxic substances in it. The efforts of the body to get rid of these harmful substances are what we deem to be the symptoms of diseases. When these toxic substances accumulate beyond the limits in the body, the body makes strenuous and violent efforts to eliminate them. It is these constructive efforts of the body that are mistakenly regarded as acute illnesses. The body uses all its energies on the process of healing.
During this crisis, the body has no need for, and does not welcome, food. This results in loss of appetite, and mouth becomes bitter with bad taste. If food is ingested at such a time, the energy of the body gets diverted to the process of digestion. Consequently, the elimination of harmful substances is halted and disease either intensifies or become chronic. In fact man is the only living organism who is totally unaware that food taken in illness nourishes the illness and not the patient and continues to eat even when indisposed and even when no appetite has. It is an incontrovertible fact that has no other organism eats when ill.
To get rid of accumulated toxic substances and restore the equilibrium of the body, it is worth having to completely exclude acid-forming foods, including proteins, starches and fats, for a week or more and to confine the diet to fresh fruits which will disinfect the stomach and alimentary canal. Better not to ingest any food while suffering from acute illness. During an illness the secretion of digestive juices is greatly reduced and the digestive processes are almost at a standstill.
When the body is overloaded with toxic matter, as in acute disease, a complete fast for a few days may be necessary for the elimination of toxins. Fruit juice may, however, be taken during a fast. A simple rule is: do not eat when you are sick, stick to a light diet of fresh fruits. Wait for the return of the usual healthy appetite. Loss of appetite is Nature’s warning that no burden should be placed on the digestive organs. Alkaline foods such as raw vegetables and sprouted whole grain cereals may be added after a week of a fruits-only diet.
There is an elaborate healing mechanism within the body but it can perform its function only if it is abundantly supplied with all the essential nutritional factors. Hence while coming back to normal diet during disease, breakfast may consist of fresh fruits, lunch may comprise raw vegetables OR acid and sub-acid fruits, and for dinner raw and cooked vegetables, or light starchy vegetables like beet, carrot, cauliflower, egg-plant and squashes may be taken. Sweet fruits may be added to this diet after seven or more days.
Foods are classified as acid-producing or alkaline-producing depending on their reaction on the urine. Calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium present in foods contribute to the alkaline effect, while sulfur, phosphorous and chlorine contribute to the acidic effect. Depending on the predominating constituents in a particular food, it is classified as acid-forming or alkaline-forming. The effect of food stuffs upon the alkalinity of the blood depends upon their residue which they leave behind after undergoing oxidation in the body. It is an error to presume that because a food tastes acid, it has an acidic reaction in the blood. For instance, fruits and vegetables have organic acids in combination with soda and potash in the form of acid salts. When the acids are burnt or utilized in the body, the alkaline soda or potash is left behind. Hence the effect of the natural fruit acids is to increase the alkalinity of the blood rather than reduce it.
Food is necessary for the body, not for the tongue. We eat to live and do not-should not live to eat. When the valuable energy of the body is not wasted in useless, futile attempts at digesting the indigestible become available for regeneration and healing. Cooking destroys valuable constituents of the foods. But on the other hand germination of grain and pulses results in vast increase in their nutritive contents. In uncooked germinated seeds there is an increase of up to 5 times or 6 times of its normal value and that too in a natural, live form.
Diet after Disease:
A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Daily Menu FOR BEST NUTRITION & ACID-ALKALI BALANCE is given below:
This is a general outline around which an individual diet can be designed. It can be modified and changed to adapt to specific requirements and conditions. The menu for lunch and dinner is interchangeable. Do not drink liquids with meals. The water should be taken half an hour before meals or two hour or more after meals. Milk, buttermilk, and vegetable soups are foods and can be taken with meals. Drink lots of water on odd times.
Upon arising :- Three or four glass of lukewarm water before brushing.
After bathing :- A glass of lukewarm water mixed with the juice of a half a lemon and a teaspoon of honey, or a glass of freshly squeezed juice of any available seasonable fruit such as apple, pineapple, orange, sweet lime and grapes.
Breakfast :- Fresh fruits such as apple, orange, banana, grapes, or any available seasonal fruits, or a couple of tablespoons of sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Mid-morning snack: One apple or a banana or any other fruit if desired.
Lunch: A bowl of freshly prepared steamed vegetables using salt, vegetable oil or butter for seasoning, one or two slices of whole grain bread or chapattis or small cup of rice and a glass of butter-milk.
Mid-afternoon: A glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice or any available fruit.
Dinner before sunset: A large bowl of fresh salad made up of green vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, red beet without dressing, any available sprouts such as alfalfa seeds, and mung beans, a warm vegetable course, if desired, one tablespoon of fresh butter or a glass of butter-milk.