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Naturopathy
classifies the diet into three categories:-
1.
Eliminative
2.
Soothening
3.
Constructive
Whenever a patient is
subjected to undergo the treatment in Naturopathy he/she has to undergo these
three phases. Accordingly diet is prescribed.
1.
Eliminative stage
is the phase where the
elimination takes place to have a favorable body condition free from toxins and
morbid matter. The foods which are eliminative in nature are largely of this
kind which includes water, vegetable/fruit juices.
2.
Soothening Stage
When the patient is subjected to elimination he/she tends to get tired or
weakness. Also, the digestive system after a rest stage during the elimination
not able to accommodate or digest normal food. Hence digestive system has to be
soothened to get prepared for the normal digestion. Not only is that during the
elimination there possibility of production of heat in the body, which has to
countered. The foods which take care of this stage are Daliya, Khichdi, Boiled
vegetables, fruits etc.
3.
Constructive Stage
Once the above phases
are tackled effectively, there is a need to prepare the body for normal
functioning. The patient has to get adjusted to the normal routine of food and
it should give extra energy to rebuild the structure of the body and to perform
his normal duties.
The constructive diet is
normal food habit of a person devoid of oils, fat, spices and unnatural foods
like Maida, Sugar, Fast foods, Bakery foods etc. The preferred food are sprouts,
salads etc.
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Food must serve two
purposes:-
(1) Supply all
essential nutrients to the body,
(2) Maintain the
acid-alkali balance in the blood.
The second purpose carries a
very much value according to the diet principles of Naturopathy in health and
disease.
Acid and Alkali Balance in
Blood: The ratio
of acids to alkalis in blood is generally 20:80. Maintenance of this ratio is
essential for health. The body naturally puts its best effort to maintain this
ratio.
Some of our foods leave
alkaline residues in the body after undergoing the full cycle of digestive and
metabolic process; some others leave acidic residues. We may call such foods are
alkali-genic and acid-genic respectively. Generally, the acids produced by the
metabolic activities such as uric acid, lactic acid, etc. react with the alkalis
in the blood, lymph, bile, etc., thus being neutralized and rendered innocuous.
But if our diet is replete with acid-genic foods, the body cannot cope with all
the resulting acids. When the acids accumulate in the blood, symptoms associated
with acidic blood like fatigue, headache, anorexia, insomnia, nervous tension,
hyperacidity, coryza, etc., begin to appear.
Acidic blood is
an abnormal condition that hinders the physical development of children and
adolescents, causes degeneration in older people, and diminishes vitality.
Cooking, as we
have seen, destroys valuable constituents of foods. But, on the other hand,
germination of grain and pulses results in a vast increase in their nutritive
contents. In uncooked germinated seeds, there is an increase of up to 600
percent in the amounts of thiamin (VitaminB1), pantothenic acid, niacin, etc.,
and that too in a natural, live form. Lactation in nursing mothers increases
considerably by the consumption of germinated cereals and pulses. This naturally
leads to the proper and quicker development of the child as well. This may be
the reason why the naturopathy is giving utmost importance to the germinated
foods in its natural form.
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Ten Practical Suggestions
Regarding Food
1.
Always be mindful of the wholesomeness (or otherwise) of food combinations.
2.
If
you are not hungry, don’t eat.
3.
Do
not eat when you are under physical or mental tension.
4.
Do
not eat or drink anything that is too hot or too cold.
5.
Chew
the food well.
6.
Do
not drink water with meals.
7.
Do
not stuff the belly with food.
8.
Rest
for a while after meals.
9.
Do
not take any food while suffering from fever or any other ailment.
10.
Eat
only one meal, or take only fruits, one day every week. |
