Food Combination and low Stomach Qi

[Guest guest]

> Food combining is based on stomach acids and the digestive

processes.

> Not everyone agrees that the theories are correct.

>

> sue

>

 

'Food combining' is in theory correct - but there are so many

variables that to use it effectively is not easy. As Sue has stated

the basic theory of most systems of food combining relates to

digestive processes (although the effects are revealed also as

systemic symptoms). The number one variable in digestion is our

constitutional type – some constitutions need more protein or fats

while others need more carbs – failure to accommodate to these laws

end people in trouble. Example if we try to follow a low protein

diet if we are a Yang type will leave us weak and deficient - just

as eating a high protein and fat diet for those who are Yin in their

constitution will leave them clogged with phlegm.

 

This process in its basics is easy to understand. First we should

understand the correct sequence of the pH conditions of the

digestive process - many do not realize that saliva is a digestive

fluid - necessary to prepare the food for the stomach - it should be

slightly alkaline - then the food passes into the stomach which

should be acid - then it passes into the duodenum and small bowel

and this should be alkaline.

so the sequence is alkaline - acid - alkaline . This sequence must

be maintained to digest the food properly. The next fact to

understand is that foods digest at different rates - with

carbohydrates being the most rapidly digested (the rates at which

carbs digest can be determined (approximated since there are also

many variables here) by studying glycemic index tables) - proteins

are the next category in it's speed of digestion - fats are the

slowest to digest. When food enters the stomach if there are a wide

range of foods digesting at different rates this causes food to get

stuck in the stomach – with the rapidly digesting carbs creating

large amounts of toxins (mainly acids) as they ferment – in general -

carbs eaten with slowly digesting foods will stay in the stomach

until the slowest digesting foods are digested.

 

The fact of these multiple pH levels throughout the digestive system

combined with the slower rates of digestion of certain foods means

digestion is a very complicated process and it is easy for things to

go wrong. One needs sufficient stomach energy (Qi) to deal with the

many problems that might go wrong – yet a large percentage of people

have Stomach Qi deficiency. The result of this inability of the body

to deal with the complicated foods that we eat is that we digest our

food poorly and the effects of this create toxins of various types

but the many toxic acids are the potentially most harmful.

 

Many people have developed techniques for dealing with these

problems – but the best way to deal with digestive problems is to

eat simply – meaning do not alter the foods radically by wrong

methods of preparation (deep fat frying, etc) – eat simple natural

foods – fresh and warm. Attempting to solve digestive problems with

the various food combination systems is the wrong approach. It is

the same as taking digestive enzymes in an attempt to improve

digestion – this might be helpful but the problem of why the stomach

Qi is so low is in no way solved by taking enzymes – the same issues

are true for probiotics. I find most people who must take probiotics

and or digestive enzymes should be working on building their stomach

functions – these functions should easily digest even complicated

foods – if one is not digesting their food then by definition they

are suffering from deficiencies – correction of these deficiencies

will be more helpful than food combining, enzymes, etc. Analysis and

correction of Stomach/Spleen (Earth) functions and Liver/Gallbladder

(Wood) functions and balancing the relationship between the two will

solve most digestive problems at the gross or mechanical level.