Trophology: do you know what causes indigestion?

Trophology: "Compared to Taoist concepts of balance, the Western notion of a'balanced diet' is simplistic and superficial. Western physicians advise everyone to take 'a little of everything atevery meal', jumbling together such disparate ingredients as meat, milk, starch, fat and sugar.

Such indiscriminate consumption of food is no different than pouring acombination of gas, oil, alcohol and sugar into the gas tank of your car.

These blends will not burn efficiently, will provide little power and will quickly clog up the engine so badly that the entire system grinds to a halt.

The following advice given to the founding Emperor of the MingDynasty on the occasion of the authors 100th birthday, clearly reflects the fact that the ancient Chinese were well aware of the importance of the science of food combining.

'Food and drink are relied upon to nurture life. But if one doesnot know that the nature of substances may be opposedto each other, and one consumes them altogether indiscriminately, thevital organs will be thrown out of harmony anddisastrous consequences will soon arise. Therefore, those who wish tonurture their lives must carefully avoid doing suchdamage to themselves.'

[Chia Ming, Essential Knowledge for Eating and Drinking, 1368 AD].

In plain English, the Yin and Yang of diet boils down to 'Trophology', a term which you and no doubt your doctor, have probably never heard before.

Modern medical training in the West, especially in America, is notoriously deficient in nutritional science, although there are a few enlightened nutritional scientists in America and Europe today who, despite sneers from their peers in the medical establishment, are making great medical strides through the science of Trophology.

The Western scientific equivalent of Yin/Yang balance in foodcombinations is something we all learned in elementary highschool chemistry: acid/alkaline balance, or 'pH'. We all know that ifwe did add a measure of alkaline to an equal measureof acid, the resulting chemical solution is as neutral as plain water.That's the principle behind reaching for bicarbonate(a strong alkaline) to relieve 'acid indigestion'.

It is an established scientific fact in Western medicine that, inorder to initiate efficient digestion of any concentratedanimal protein, the stomach must secrete pepsin. But it is also awell-known fact that pepsin can function only in a highlyacidic medium, which must be maintained for several hours for completedigestion of proteins.

It is equally a well established fact of science that when we chew apiece of bread or potato or any othercarbohydrate/starch, ptyalin and other alkaline juices are immediatelysecreted into the food by saliva in the mouth. Whenswallowed, the alkalized starches require an alkaline medium in thestomach in order to complete their digestion.

Anyone should be able to figure out what therefore happens when youingest protein and starch together. Acid and alkalinejuices are secreted simultaneously in response to the incoming proteinand starch, promptly neutralizing one another andleaving a weak, watery solution in the stomach that digests neitherprotein nor starch properly. Instead, the proteinsputrefy and the starches ferment owning to the constant presence ofbacteria in the digestive tract.

This putrefaction and fermentation are the primary cause of all sortsof digestive distress, including gas, heartburn,cramps, bloating, constipation, foul stools, bleeding, piles, colitis,and so forth.

Many so-called 'allergies' are also the direct result of improper foodcombinations: the bloodstream picks up the toxins from the putrefied, fermented mess as it passes slowly through the intestines, and these toxins in turn cause rashes, hives, headaches, nausea, and other symptoms commonly branded as 'allergies'.

The same foods that cause allergic reactions when improperly combinedoften have no ill-side effects whatsoever whenconsumed according to the rules of Trophology.

The final fact of the matter is this: when you immobilize yourstomach and impair digestive functions by consumingfoods in indiscriminate combinations, the bacteria in your alimentarycanal have a field day. They get all the nutrientsand thrive, while you get all the wastes and suffer."

Source of information on trophology: Daniel Ried

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