IHC --- Ear Cndling {print version}

FOR IMPROVED DIGESTION AND NUTRIENT ABSORPTION

PROTEIN (nuts, seeds, legumes, meats) & STARCHES (potatoes, yams, squash, grains, corn) COMBINED - POOR
VEGETABLES & FRUITS COMBINED - POOR

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FOOD COMBINING
1. Fruits should be eaten by themselves. Allow 30 minutes before eating anything else.
2. Proteins and starches should not be eaten together as one meal.
3. Combine protein with vegetables or combine starch with vegetables.
4. Do not eat more than one protein food per meal.
5. Melons are best eaten as a separate meal from other fruit.

Many people consider food combining an extreme that is too difficult to follow but before you say "no way" try it out and see how good you feel. Enhanced digestion increases energy levels, and promotes health and viltality.

Food Combining refers to the combination of foods that are compatible with each other in terms of digestive chemistry. It is a basic component to optimal nutriiton because it allows the body to digest and utilize the nutrients in foods to their full extent.

Our modern culture has become conditioned to think more in terms of a balanced meal rather than a balanced diet. Most people eat foods from all the different food groups at each sitting; this is very taxing on the body and may be why there are so many digestive diseases today--from stomach to colon.

For the best possible digestion and utilization of food, we need to observe certain rules in the way we combine foods within a meal. Protein foods require a highly acidic environment for digestion while carbohydrates (starches, sugars, and fruit) and fats require a more alkaline medium. Any time two or more foods are eaten at the same time, that requires opposite conditions for digestion, the digestive process is compromised. When proteins and starches are combined, their stimulation to the digestive juices generates a conflictual response and produces a medium that does not digest either food very well. This situation often leads to indigestion, gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and poor absorption of nutrients. If carbohydrates are not digested, they can ferment, producing poisons such as carbon dioxide, acetic acid, lactic acid, and alcohol. Undigested proteins have been linked to auto-immune diseases and allergies.

Eating different food type combinations together is for the digestive system like trying to do two things at once. The human digestive system works best when meals are simple and combinations are minimal. By applying food combining principles you avoid the poisonous by-product of poor digestion. By selecting compatible food combinations, the digestive task is lessened which allows more energy for other activities.

The discomforts of indigestion are so common in today's world that it's almost considered normal. The fact that over two billion dollars are spent annually on antacids is proof of this. The incidence of various diseases of the digestive tract are increasing at an alarming rate. Rather than suffering using drugs to suppress symptoms, wouldn't it be wiser to remove the causes of indigestion?

ACIDOPHILUS

The colon should contain about 85% lactobacillus bacteria and about 15% coliform bacteria, but these percentages are usually reversed. For this reason, excessive gas, bloating, toxicity, constipation, malabsorption problems, and excessive growth of candida result. Acidophilus may help neutralize these conditions. Acidophilus can be found in buttermilk, yogurt, kefir cheese, and acidophilus milk, in which much of the lactose has been predigested. Supplements are also available, to be taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before meals and never to be taken with antibiotics. Maxidophilus and megadophilus are other forms that are equally effective.

BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES

Blackstrap molasses is a truly rich source of minerals and vitamins. As the last possible extraction of the cane in refining sugar, it is the richest in nutrients of the sugar-related products. It contains more calcium than milk, more iron than many eggs, and more potassium than any food, and it is an excellent source of B vitamins. It is also rich in copper, magnesium, phosphorus, pantothenic acid, inositol, and vitamin E. One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses contains 3 milligrams of iron and over 100 milligrams of calcium. It is also a good source of natural sugar. Recommended daily dosage is 1 tablespoon dissolved in 1 cup of lukewarm water or milk; half that amount is recommended for children. Molasses may be used as a sugar substitute in cereals and may be eaten instead of jam or jelly. Varicose veins, arthritis, ulcers, dermatitis, hair damage, eczema, psoriasis, angina pectoris, constipation, colitis, anemia, and nervous conditions may respond to supplementing the diet with its mineral-rich molasses.