daily health tips

An important rule for food combining is to avoid mixing carbohydrates and acid fruits in the same meal. The starch-splitting enzyme ptyalin in the saliva plays an important role as the food is chewed. It converts the complex starch molecules into simpler sugars. Ptyalin requires a neutral or slightly alkaline medium for proper functioning and this is the normal condition of the saliva in the mouth. However, when acid foods are taken, the action of ptyalin is halted. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid acid fruits in the same meal as sweet fruits or starches. Thus tomatoes should not be eaten with starches especially potatoes or bread. Refined sugar products are also acidic, both in the mouth and in the bloodstream. The acidifying of the saliva by sucrose is one of the main causes of tooth decay. It can also cause severe damage to the digestion. In a nutshell, starches, fats, green vegetables and sugars may be eaten together as they require either an alkaline or neutral medium for their digestion. Similarly, proteins, green vegetables and acid fruits may be eaten together as they require an acid or neutral medium for their digestion. But starches and proteins, fats and proteins and starches and acid fruits should not be eaten together as a general rule, if the best results are required from the ingestion of the food eaten. This in brief is the whole basis for successful food combination.

Fruit is the universal detoxifier, principally because of its content of potassium. It promotes the secretion of hormones and helps the kidneys in detoxification of blood. Potassium is important as an alkalizing agent in keeping a proper acid-alkaline balance in the blood and tissues. It is essential for muscle contraction and therefore, important for proper heart function. Potassium prevents female disorders by stimulating the endocrine hormone production. It is involved in the proper functioning of the nervous system and helps overcome fatigue. It also aids in clear thinking by sending oxygen to the brain and assists in reducing blood pressure. Potassium is widely distributed in foods. All vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables, grapes, oranges, lemons, raisins, whole grains, lentils, sunflower seeds, nuts, milk, cottage Cheese, and butter milk are rich sources. Potatoes, especial potato peelings, and bananas are especially good sources.

Eat your greens. Researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and at St. John's Medical College in Bangalore recently published a landmark study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Working with clinicians from Harvard University, the researchers found that heart disease in India could be predicted by just two factors: Eating green leafy vegetables just 3 times a week lowered the risk of heart disease by 67 percent. Cooking foods in mustard oil rather than sunflower oil lowered risk of heart disease by 50 percent. One of the most effective home remedies for preventing heart disease is lemon peel. It is believed to be one of the richest known sources of vitamin P. It strengthens the entire arterial system. Shredded lemon peel may be added to soups and stews, or sprinkled over salads. To make a medicine, the peel of one or two lemons may be cut up finely, covered with warm water and allowed to stand for about 12 hours. A teaspoonful may be taken every three hours, or immediately before or after a meal. Parsley is another effective preventative for heart disease. It contains elements which help to maintain the blood vessels, particularly the capillaries and arterial system in a healthy condition. It may be taken as a beverage by simmering it gently in the water for a few minutes and partaking several times daily. The beet juice has also proved valuable in arteriosclerosis. It is an excellent solvent for inorganic calcium deposit. Juices of carrot and spinach are also beneficial. These juices can be taken individually or in combination. Formula proportions found helpful when used in combination are carrot 300 ml and spinach 200 ml to prepare 500 ml of juice.

Bran, the outer coverings of grains, is one of the richest sources of dietary fibre. And it contains several types of fibre including cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. Wheat and corn bran are highly beneficial in relieving constipation. Experiments show that oat bran can reduce cholesterol levels substantially. Corn bran is considered more versatile. It relieves constipation and also lowers LDL cholesterol, which is one of the more harmful kinds. Besides being rich in fibre, bran has a real food value being rich in time, iron and vitamins and containing a considerable amount of protein.

There are six classes of fibre. They are cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, gums, mucilage and lignin. They differ in physical properties and chemical interactions in the gut, though all except lignin are polysaccharides. The facts known so far about these forms of fibre as a result of various studies are discussed below. Cellulose: Thisis the most prevalent fibre. It is fibrous and softens the stool. It abounds in fruits, vegetables, bran, whole-meal bread and beans. It is also present in nuts and seeds. It increases the bulk of intestinal waste and eases it quickly through the colon. Investigations indicate that these actions may dilute and flush cancer-causing toxins out of the intestinal tract. They also suggest that cellulose may help level out glucose in the blood and curb weight gain. Hemicellulose: It is usually present wherever cellulose is and shares some of its traits. Like cellulose, it helps relieve constipation, waters down carcinogens in the bowel and aids in weight reduction. Both cellulose and hemicellulose undergo some bacterial breakdown in the large intestine and this produces gas. Pectin: This form of fibre is highly beneficial in reducing serum cholesterol levels. It, however, does not have influence on the stool and does nothing to prevent constipation. Researches are being conducted to ascertain if pectin can help eliminate bile acids through the intestinal tract thereby preventing gallstones and colon cancer. It is found in apples, grapes, berries, citrus fruits, guava, raw papaya and bran. Gums and Mucilages: They are the sticky fibres found in dried beans, oat bran and oatmeal. Investigations have shown that they are useful in the dietary control of diabetes and cholesterol. Lignin: The main function of lignin is to escort bile acid and cholesterol out of the intestines. There is some evidence that it may prevent the formation of gallstones. It is contained in cereals, bran, whole meal flour, raspberries, strawberries, cabbage, spinach, parsley and tomatoes. The best way to increase fibre content in the diet is to increase the constipation of wholemeal bread, brown rice, peas beans, lentils, root vegetables and sugar-containing fruits, such as dates, apples, pears and bananas. The intake of sugar, refined cereals, meat, eggs and dairy products should be reduced. Candies, pastries, cakes which are rich in both sugar and fat, should be taken sparingly. White processed bread should be completely eliminated from the diet.

The basic health-giving foods are all of plant origin: seeds and nuts, vegetables, and fruit. They should be supplemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils and honey. Milk is an excellent food. It is considered as " Nature's most nearly perfect food." The best way to take milk is in its soured form - that is, yoghurt and cottage cheese. Soured milk is superior to sweet milk as it is in a pre-digested form and more easily assimilated. Milk helps maintain a healthy intestinal flora and prevents intestinal putrefaction and constipation. High quality unrefined oils should be added to the diet. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C and F and lecithin. The average daily amount should not exceed two tablespoons. Honey too is an ideal food. It helps increase calcium retention in the system, prevents nutritional anaemia besides being beneficial in kidney and liver disorders, colds, poor circulation and complexion problems. It is one of the nature's finest energy-giving food. A diet of the three basic food groups, supplemented with the special foods, mentioned above, will ensure a complete and adequate supply of all the vital nutrients needed for health, vitality and prevention of diseases. It is not necessary to include animal protein like egg, fish or meat in this basic diet, as animal protein, especially meat, always has a detrimental effect on the healing process. A high animal protein is harmful to health and may cause many of our common ailments.

When pursuing a vegetarian diet, combine plant foods for maximum protein. Wheat, which has a deficiency in the amino-acid lysine but an abundance of sulphur containing amino-acids, can be combined with beans which have the opposite enrichment combination. Taken together, they complement each other to form a complete protein. As regards the adequacy of B12 nutrition, lacto-ovo vegetarians and lacto-vegetarians should not feel concerned on this score, as the B12 needs can be easily supplied by dairy products and eggs. A quarter litre of milk or 100 grams of cheese or 1 egg per day will supply the recommended daily allowance. This vitamin once eaten is stored in the liver. Vegans, however, do not get this vitamin in their food, yet reliable scientific studies have found no evidence of B12 deficiency diseases. It is therefore, presumed that this vitamin can be synthesised in the body.

Simple meals in every way are more conducive to health, than more elaborate ones, no matter how well they may be combined. An important point to remember about meals is that the smaller the number of courses they consist of, the better it will be. They should approximate to a one-course meal as much as possible. The content of this one course? Plant foods! A vegetarian diet can have many nutritional benefits, if it is rich in fruits and vegetables, and contains moderate amounts of seeds, nuts, whole grains and legumes. One of the main benefits of a proper vegetarian diet is its low caloric content in relation to the bulk supplied, which helps maintain ideal weight.

Meat seems to have assumed an exaggerated importance nutritionally. It is generally mistakenly believed that nutritional deficiencies, especially of proteins and vitamin B12 and poor health may result if animal foods are eliminated. Studies however, have indicated to health problems or deficiency diseases for those on a vegetarian diet. Of the 22 amino acids -the essential components of proteins - needed by the body for its normal functioning, only nine need be supplied by the diet as the body synthesises the remaining 13. The body can use 100 per cent of this protein if all ten amino acids are in ideal proportions. If, however, one or more of the essential amino acids are present in less than the ideal amount, the value of the entire protein is reduced in the same proportions. On a quality rating scale of 1 to 100, egg protein is 95, milk is 82, meat and poultry are 67, fish 80, grains are between 50 to 70 and legumes, nuts and seeds are between 40 and 60. The so-called protein deficiency in a vegetarian diet is in fact more imaginary than real as the contribution of the protein value of the green vegetables has been ignored and the true protein requirement is less than that assumed. Green vegetable protein is as high in quality as milk protein and thus makes a very valuable contribution to the vegetarian's protein nutrition. The high quality of protein balances the lower quality of other vegetarian proteins such as nuts and beans. The recommended daily allowance of 70 value proteins is 44 grams per day for women and 56 for men. Researchers have now discovered that the actual protein requirement is much less, being 15 grams per day of 100 value protein or 21.5 grams of 70 value protein or 30 grams of 50 value protein. A wholesome vegetarian diet can, therefore, easily meet the body's protein needs.

Optimal nutrition is achieved through wise combinations of foods. The observance of rules of food combining is neither faddish nor eccentric. It is a simple, scientifically -based system of selecting foods, from among different types, which are compatible. This facilitates easy and efficient digestion and ensures after-meal comfort. Digestion is not merely chemical or physical process, but also a physiological one. When food enters the body, it undergoes several changes before it is broken down into its constituent parts and assimilated. But no food can be assimilated by the system and used by various organs unless it has first been digested and then absorbed in the digestive system known as alimentary canal, while the residue, unfit for absorption is eliminated from the system. The chemical part of digestion is accomplished by a series of juices and their enzymes. The juices alternate between alkalis and acids, and their character is determined by the requirement of the enzymes they contain. These enzymes remain active in suitable media of well defined acid-alkaline ranges and are destroyed in unsuitable media.