INDIGESTION –
A common problem characterized by gas pains and distension, bloated feeling of the stomach, heaviness after meals together with various forms of indigestion, takes the toll of misery yet in majority of the cases they could have been avoided in the first place. The hectic pace of a modern style of living, hustle of city life, no time to eat and so on leads to the habit of “bolting” or gulping food which is the main reason of so called gas pains. This is particularly common in obese people in whom the greater part of food eaten consists of chapatties, khakras or bread made of refined white flour.
The digestion of these and other bakery products such as cakes and biscuits is initiated in the mouth by the starch splitting enzyme present in saliva called “ptyalin”. The stomach provides no means for digesting starches. Digestion must be completed in the small intestine, after the food has left the stomach. If it is not properly initiated in the mouth, it will probably not be completed in the small intestine and, indigestion will result. Because bread, biscuits, khakras, chapatties, cakes etc. are soft, we tend to ignore chewing them well and swallow them in chunks. These refined carbohydrate foods must be thoroughly chewed so that saliva is well mixed, throughout the entire mass, to initiate proper digestion.
Chewing of foods thoroughly is an important step to prevent indigestion. It is very important to reduce the foods to small particles in the mouth. The stomach juices will then obtain effective contact with the entire mass, and indigestion can be prevented. Of course there are other reasons for indigestion, other than mechanical aspects, such as lack of B vitamins in diet. B vitamins are essential to a good mobility of intestines required for churning, of food, so that digestive juices with their enzymes can gain access to every particle of food. Indigestion can also occur from a deficiency of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This requires medical attention. But in majority of people, indigestion is the result of faulty eating. Three golden rules for its avoidance are :
Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
Never overeat.
Be relaxed while eating.
Dr. H.D. Gandhi in his book ‘Diseases of the Stomach’ states a condition called “Nervous Stomach” . Under tensions, the involuntary muscles and nerves of the stomach are not free to carry out the process of digestion freely. To see anyone eating a hurried meal or discussing business over lunch is to see a case of indigestion. Relax. Shed all cares and worries. Eating is important. Those who have ‘no time’ to eat now, will have ‘ all the time’ in the world to eat later on but in all probabilities may not be able to eat on account of some chronic condition which could have otherwise been prevented.
Follow the rules just laid down. They are important to your only priceless possession – your health. Lastly, follow The Balanced-Nutrient Diet. To be sound in digestion, you must be sound in body. Be sure that the diet is ample and abundant in all the essential food factors – proteins, vitamins , etc.
CONSTIPATION
Constipation in an obese individual could probably be due to large amounts of fat occupying the abdominal cavity thus mechanically interfering with the work of the large intestine. But the scientific and direct cause of constipation is sluggishness of the muscles in the walls of the large intestine, or colon. Food entering the colon from the small intestine is in liquid form. It contains much of the liquids drunk during the day about 600 ml and some 750 ml of digestive juices which have poured into the digestive tract in the form of bile and gastric, pancreatic and intestinal juices. If this large amount of liquid were to be lost, one would be forced to drink water continuously, for the body needs large amounts of water in order to carry on its work.
The purpose of large intestines is to conserve liquids. Water is reabsorbed into the blood from the colon. Normally the waste material stays in the large intestine or colon for about twenty-four hours. The contractions of the circular muscles in the wall of the colon that occur during this time push the contents towards rectum, or lower part of the large intestine. If these muscular contractions are infrequent or weak, the waste material remains in the colon longer than it should.
Since the purpose of the large intestine is to conserve water, the longer the waste material remains there, the more water is reabsorbed into the blood ; the result is a hard, relatively dry stool. Such stools may mechanically injure the delicate tissues at the onus, causing, haemorrhoids (piles). People believe that the fatigue, headaches, uneasy feeling and general discomfort in constipation are caused by toxins absorbed into blood from the waste material. Research has shown this belief not to be true. When an evacuation takes place, these feelings disappear almost immediately. If they were actually caused by toxins absorbed into the blood, the discomfort would not disappear so rapidly.
In one experiment, a group of subjects were given enemas to make sure no waste materials remained in the rectums. Then their rectums were packed with sterile cotton. Certainly no toxins were absorbed from the clean cotton, yet the subjects felt uncomfortable, sluggish , and developed headaches. As soon as the cotton was removed, all symptoms immediately disappeared. This experiment shows that the symptoms believed to be caused by toxins are actually caused by pressure on the nerves of the rectum. Many laxative manufacturers have led the public to believe that the dangers of constipation are far more serious than they actually are. The commonest cause of constipation is eating devitalized “foodless” foods, devoid of natural fibre. It’s now well-known that the best way to treat or prevent constipation is to increase your intake of fibre rich food suggested in The Balanced-Nutrient Diet. Adequate fibre in the colon holds water and keeps the stool light, soft and bulky for easy elimination.
Portions of your stool will actually float when your diet is rich in fibre. A certain amount of bulky material in the intestines is a necessary stimulus of normal bowel activity. Also important is the consistency (fluidity) of the material. High bulk-high residue diets are often prescribed for correction of chronic constipation. Some case of chronic constipation may require medical attention.
Bulk -diets for constipation stress on fruits, high residue vegetables and liquids such as :
“Fruits” : Oranges, grapefruit, bananas, peaches, pears.
‘Vegetables’ : Leafy vegetables, string beans, cabbage , carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, okra (lady finger), pumpkin etc.
‘Liquids ‘ : Clear soups, vegetables juices, plenty of drinking water.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
High blood pressure is a problem of middle age and elderly people. The incidence of high blood pressure increases with the increase in the weight above desired ideal weight. High blood pressure results when the walls of the blood vessels became smaller than normal. The effect is same as if a large water – pipe were replaced by a small one but the amount of water passing, through it was kept the same. The outward pressure of the water against the walls of the water -pipe is much greater if a small pipe is used. In a like manner the wall of the blood vessel is greater if the blood vessels decrease in size. There are many influences which can cause the blood vessels to decrease in diameter. In cases of obesity, the blood vessels are smaller because large amounts of fat are deposited around them that they are squeezed together.
Lack of calcium, of vitamin D, or vitamin B 1 and B 6 leading to nervousness and irritability often cause the tissues in the walls of the blood vessels to contract. Since vitamins of the B family are so intimately related to mental health, people suffering from high blood pressure should take generous amount of them, by eating, generous amounts of natural wholesome foods included in The Balanced -Nutrient Diet.
Aside from keeping, the nutritional regime, it is important to observe carefully certain food habits. Eating large quantities of food at any time causes the blood pressure to be increased, particularly the vessels surrounding the digestive organs. The person afflicted with high blood pressure should avoid large meals and try to be calm and relaxed at all times. If the blood pressure is particularly high, no more than one or two glasses of liquid should be drunk at one time, as liquid passes into blood it increases the blood volume, thereby increasing the pressure against the walls of the blood vessels. In persons who have high blood pressure and retention of water in the tissues ( oedema) doctors often prescribe low-salts diets. Low sodium (salt) intake tends to reduce the high blood pressure of many persons who have sustained high blood pressure.
No one should start on a low-sodium (salt) diet without medical advice, as sodium and chlorine are essential to life.