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The Role of Digestion / Assimilation in Health and Disease
Typed document. Undated.
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How much digestive and assimilative power the body has will always remain a secret. An individual may look hungry and weak; yet his digestion may be in a state of suspension–he may have no power to assimilate; and if this is true, feeding him will push him farther away from health.
Pain or discomfort of any kind, either physical, mental or emotional, causes a suspension of digestion. When food fails to digest, it takes on fermentation; the acid is taken up and causes over-stimulation of the nervous system.
Feeding in fevers is the cause of needless mortality.
The majority of people who suffer T.B. are sensualists. As children they “stuffed” at meals and in-between meals. Food desires are usually followed by excess sexual activities, tobacco, etc.
Auto-toxemia (self-induced diseases) is the universal cause of all diseases.
The real question to settle is: are not the simple foods better for the body than the highly complex ones? They are more stable, and less inclined to take on degenerative changes.
Over-stimulation from food, alcohol, over-wrought emotions, or any influence on mind and body continued for an unreasonable length of time, brings on a sensitive state of stomach and constitutional derangements besides.
A sound stomach gives out no sensation except a feeling of well-being.
An urgent desire for food following only a short time after a full meal, should be looked upon as abnormal, whether it includes faintness, gnawing stomach, irritation or “sick headache.” Trying to eliminate this feeling with a meal or cup of coffee or drugs, tobacco, etc., will bring “relief”, but it means the building of nervous disease that will eventually destroy the victim. This is aptly termed, “food drunkenness”, which will eventually cause serious disorders, such as, gastritis, ulceration or cancer. “Food fiends” also help create crime, divorce rates and insanity because of an abused stomach. Coffee and rolls is the route over which more stomachs have been ruined than any other. Rich dressings and high seasonings are other leading causes.
Food cravings are caused by the body’s inability to properly metabolize the craved food, thus causing toxic stimulation of the system. When this stimulation wears off, the body again craves this stimulative effect (either consciously or subconsciously). This toxic stimulation can also occur during one’s detoxification diet regime. So, during an elimination crisis remember: What one’s system craves is due to the stimulative toxemia that is being eliminated! (You crave what you are eliminating). Understandably then, it is extremely important to not give in to the craving.
Heart Diseases
A weak heart usually accompanies stoutness.
Not just food, but shocks, uncontrollable emotions, bad air, alcohol, excesses of all kinds, weaken this organ. The weaker the heart becomes, the stouter the patient becomes. Gradually, dropsy is added (all tissues are water-logged because of kidney impairment). In extreme cases, fruits should be removed from the diet until the patient is within 25 lbs. of normal weight. Starches should also be removed to prevent possible conversion-to-sugar toxemia, among other reasons.
A cough, without evidence of “lung troubles”, means starch poisoning, or sometimes salt is implicated. When well of the cough, eat starchy foods only once a day.
No starch, fruit and milk at the same meal, otherwise much acid fermentation will occur.
It is impossible to correct digestive troubles, as long as an individual lives in an atmosphere of discontent.
When indigestion is in the intestines, the gas from bowels will be foul. Often there will be much mucous, pain, bloat, etc.
Post nasal catarrhs are caused by acid-forming foods, starches, meats and sugars. Post nasal discharge should not be swallowed.
Lemonade should not be used in the wintertime and never after or with a meal in which starchy foods are consumed.
People can’t retain health, nor get well, when energy is destroyed by being forced to live in a domestic atmosphere of fault finding.
Nagging persons have the power of ruining the health of their families.
Dry mouths represent protein poisoning.
Hypersecretion of saliva in the mouth (ptyalism) represents starch poisoning.
Excess starches cause cold hands and feet.
Tonsilitis can be traced to starch and fruit. Starchy foods combined with fruit are the cause of much indigestion and simple tonsillitis, or sore throats. When meat is added to the diet, the throat derangement is liable to take on a septic form or diphtheria or other bad forms.
Acids and starches or fruits and foods made from cereals mixed in a haphazard way, build these types of illnesses. No greater dietetic crime can be committed than to feed children fruit, cereals, and sugar for breakfast.
The habit of eating too many varieties of food, is as condemnable as the incompatible mixing. When meals are simplified, the opportunity for making absurd mixtures will not be so great and the temptation for over-eating will be vastly overcome.
The habit of eating between meals is one of the principal causes of sickness in children.
Cold drinks may be used at the close of a meal, only after digestion is fairly underway (around 2 hours).
Coffee, tea, sodas–not many believe these are injurious; a few are willing to believe it, yet they are not influenced by the knowledge. But, knowing it, they should not complain when heart palpitation, heart weakness, constipation, hyperkinesis, hardening of the tissues and premature aging occurs.
Fruits are ruined by cooking and preserving in sugar. They lose all their blood cleansing properties.
People who are in poor health should be certain to eat very few varieties of food at a meal, and fruits should be eaten by themselves. (Likewise with starches and proteins.)