I recently watched Game Changers on Netflix. It has created a quite a stir recently. It has its share of protagonists and antagonists. Though I know firsthand what they claim is true, vegetarianism isn’t merely eating carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables. Vegetarian diet isn’t automatically better than meat diet. You can be unhealthy on a vegetarian diet and yet be healthy on a meat diet. This is the story of my lonely adventure in finding the right way of eating.
It all began when I read Tony Robbins’s book The Unlimited Power, chapter 10: “Energy: the fuel of excellence.” He talks about the importance of foods on our energy levels and how energy is the basis of all endeavours. Something clicked in my mind. For the next 10 years, I would study about diet, diseases, and exercise. I’m laying bare the the lessons learnt and the results achieved.
The books which opened my eyes are Fit for Life by Harvey Diamond, Orthotrophy Vol 1–3 by Herbert M. Shelton, and Mucus-less Diet Healing System and Rational Fasting by Arnold Ehret. These authors were revolutionaries of their times. They mercilessly eschewed what was then passed as Science of Health. To implement what they teach is to turn your back on the tradition and family and friends and go at it alone. Alone did I set off amidst tremendous discouragement and ridicule. The lessons are all from my own experience, and 10 years worth of experiments give me certain confidence.
Vegetarianism isn’t any better than meat-based diet if the principles of Natural Hygiene are not followed. Natural Hygiene is a set of principles or laws of nature and asserts the nature needs a little or no improvement. It holds: “Medical science is founded on a false premise — namely, that disease is caused by extraneous influences, and that drugs are something that cures or palliates discomfort… Anything used in a remedial way carries the idea of curing, healing, correcting, or affording relief, and this doctoring is all done without any clear understanding of cause.” — John Tilden, Toxemia Explained.
I developed my health plan by respecting the physiology of my digestive system. Our digestive system is very powerful but they’re limited in their capabilities. It can’t forever withstand the constant transgressions and repeated assaults.
Lessons I learnt:
Disease
1. All diseases are the result of acid build-up in the body. From minor ailments like cold to fatal diseases like cancer, the accumulation of acid is the cause. Our body is slightly alkaline and any disturbance causes disease.
2. Diseases are good. They are beneficial. They tell that we have abused our body some way and need to give it a break. It needs to clean up wastes and neutralize acids and bring the balance back. The rising temperature is the sign of all this activity. Instead of rushing to hospitals, I always take rest. I allow my body 2 or more days to do its job. I’ve always got well.
3. Drugs are poisons and foreign to our system.
Drugs cause disturbances in the body and interrupt the ongoing cleansing process. The seeming “cure” is nothing but the body abandoning the restorative action and trying to counter this new poison called “drug”.
Importance of Fruits and the principle of fruit consumption
I have fruits for breakfast and whenever I don’t feel like having heavy meal. All fruits are alkaline and are pre-digested. So they are assimilated very quickly. I feel energised and light. Fruits have overcome all craving for sugary foods.
Fruits have to be consumed on an empty stomach as they get digested in the intestine. If combined with other meals, they remain in the stomach, ferment and spoil. I have them separately at breakfast.
Raw Vegetables and Importance of Salads at Meals.
I began having large salads at lunch and at dinner. I rarely have meals without green leaves and raw vegetables. Cucumber is one of the most easily available food and most useful. It has 90% pure water and is rich is minerals and vitamins.
Vegetable salads provide us salts, minerals, and vitamins which are largely missing from processed/polished foods. They are very alkaline and neutralize the acid residues of other foods and metabolic activities. Raw vegetables also supply enzymes which help digestion.
Number of Meals and Principles of Food Combination
I have 2 meals at most. Lunch and dinner. I have only fruits for breakfast. Occasinally, I have fruits at night and skip dinner.
When it comes to having carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, there are some rules made by considering the nature of gastric juice secretion for different types of foods.
a. Starch and Proteins should never be combined in a single meal.
Starch require an alkaline medium and proteins require an acidic medium. Consuming both at the same meal leads to secretion of a lot of gastric acid it hinders the digestion of starch and leads to its fermentation.
b. Proteins should never be combined with fats.
Fats inhibit the secretion of gastric juice and hinders protein digestion. It leads to putrefaction of proteins.
c. Never eat carbohydrate foods and acid foods at the same meal.
Acids (fruit acids as well) not only prevent carbohydrate digestion, but they also favor their fermentation.
d. Never consume two concentrated proteins at the same meal.
“Two proteins of different characters and different compositions, calling for different types of digestive juices and these juices of different strength and character and pouring into the stomach at different times, should not be consumed at the same meal.”
e. Do not eat acid fruits with proteins.
“Acid fruits by inhibiting the flow of gastric juice — an unhampered flow of which is imperatively demanded by protein foods — seriously handicaps protein digestion and results in putrefaction.”
f. Starch should never be mixed with sugars(fruits).
Sugars(fruits) stop the secretion of ptyalin, an enzyme required for starch digestion and they cause fermentation of starch.
g. Fruits should never be combined with other foods.
As mentioned above, they get digested in intestine and ferment in the stomach if mixed with other foods.
Excercise
Regular excercise is a must in any health program. As little as 20 minutes brisk walk is required. Morning is the best time as the body is in elimination cycle at that time.
Breathing
Deep breathing stimulates the lymph system which carries out toxic elimination. Deep breathing and outdoor activities should form a part of the healthy lifestyle.
Emotional Well-being
It’s very important to have foods only when relaxed, unexcited, and undisturbed. It results in proper secretion of digestive juices, proper chewing, and regulates the quantity of the foods required.
Water
Water shouldn’t be taken during and immediately after the meals as it dilutes the digestive juices and takes them out of the stomach. It seriously impedes the digestion.
Water can be safely taken 20 to 15 minutes before the meal or 1 to 1.5 hours after the meal.
Alcohol and Smoking
Both are very acidic and they completely arrest the digestion.
Dairy Products
Milk isn’t digested in adults as we don’t have the milk digesting enzyme. We’re better off without all dairy products.
Processed Foods
All processed, preserved foods are acidic and don’t have any food values.
What I Achieved
1. My life has been transformed and I never worry about my health as I have a great system in place.
2. I haven’t been to doctor’s and I rarely feel ill.
3. I have run 18 kms nonstop a couple of times. I used to run 5 to 10 kms everyday. Nowadays, I walk as I enjoy listening to music and so on. So physically, there’s been an explosion in my energy levels.
4. I’ve read hundreds of books. I can concentrate easily.
5. I’ve been able to improve the health of my wife and friends and relatives.
6. I’ve gained muscles, hair is blacker, skin is glowing, I feel light throughout the day.
7. I don’t remember feeling fatigue except when I’m not well.
8. I’ve performed splendidly both professionally and financially.
…
Right, I’ve seen people not giving a single thought to what and how they’re eating and health seems to be their least concern. They’re busy making money, climbing the career/social ladder, buying houses, raising children. But health will catch up with everyone and all will have to pay the price of neglecting to take care of this wonderful gift of human body. But then, it might be too late and no price would be high enough to reclaim what’s lost.
I hope that we take health seriously and see through the conspiracy of drug companies, doctors, and fast food industries. They pass around customers One makes people sick, another promises to cure them. And it continues until we either run out of money or life. Health is simple and natural. We should strive for superior states of well-being rather than hoping for disease free sustenance.
References:
Orthotrophy, Volumes 1–3, by Herbert M. Shelton
Fit for Life series by Harvey
Mucusless Diet Healing System by Arnold Ehret
Rational Fasting by Arnold Ehret
Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices by Dr. Norman W. Walker
