Naturopathy – Natural Nutrition for Healthy Living

Food And Natural Nutrition

In this era of scientific inventions much progress has been made in various areas for the benefit of mankind. Unfortunately, much ‘progress’ has also been made towards destruction and harm to the people. The major harmful effects are from newly developed food items of numerous varieties which are available at right from the street to an expensive restaurant. Sellers do not care for the food value and its effect on good health. Their main motto is that it must be very tasty and enjoyable so that it fetches more money for their pocket. Simple food, as was available in olden times is no more, except perhaps, in some poor families.

Food plays one of the most important roles in maintaining good health. “The right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of good health and the wrong kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of disease”,  so said greatest of food scientists. If one has WILL POWER, one should remain on a mono-diet (one food item like papaya, banana, apple, skimmed milk, butter milk etc.) for cleansing purposes as long as one can manage, but not less than 7 days as a cleansing diet cures the disease only up to a degree, depending on its intensity.  Absolutely nothing else is to be taken throughout the day, except mono-diet, as and when one feels hungry. The best is papaya – 4 or 5 times a day. It has a great curative effect. Lot of after has to be taken too.

Unfortunately, dietetics finds no place in the curriculum of medical colleges and no knowledge of the subject is, therefore, acquired by young medicos while pursuing their degrees. It seems that the medical profession of the future will be as ill-informed about these vitally important matters as the present generation of doctors is.

Countless cases are on record, of seemingly miraculous cures effected simply by means of dieting, aided by simple remedial measures such as cold pack, manipulative treatment, sunlight etc. Moreover it is noteworthy that many of the people thus restored to good health had been labeled previously as incurable by orthodox medical men.

Most people blissfully imagine that they can eat whatever they feel like, and as long as no direct bad after-effects are felt, the matter deserves no attention. But in reality, this is only a wrong notion and it beckons the beginning of a trouble. Regularity, punctuality (at a particular time), thorough chewing, feeling of hunger and avoiding hurry, worry, tension and emotion while taking meal are very essential if the body is to derive the maximum benefit from its food intake. Further, water is not to be taken while eating food and 60 minutes thereafter, to aid good digestion.

Proper Diet

Although proper diet is the basis for curing all diseases, proper diet alone is no everything. Other good health building measures such as proper exercise, sleep, deep breathing care of the teeth and skin etc. are to be employed.

A major problem of proper diet among the rich is that an average adult normally eats more than what is necessary for ones good health. In fact, the excess intake of food causes more harm than good. Eating less is, therefore, not only the most effective device through which one can reduce weight but also helps greatly to give one a feeling of wellbeing. It is not the quantity or the richness of the food that one eats which really matters, but how far it is digested and assimilated to offer the required stamina and benefit is all the more important and of key consideration in Naturopathy.

Skimmed milk is an excellent food. It has all the valuable nutrients of whole milk except the fat. A cup whole milk contains about 130 calories as against a cup of skimmed milk which has only about 80 calories; but the nutritive value of both is almost the same. It is also rich in Vitamins A and D). Naturally sweet yoghurt (curds) is better and more nutritious than ghee or milk as it is pre-digested milk. Similarly, buttermilk is highly beneficial. One can take yoghurt liberally if it suits one’s system. Procedure for preparing skimmed milk is: Add some water and boil milk for about 30 minutes, keep it in a fridge when not too hot. After about two hours, remove the cream (Malai). Repeat the same process, if desired.

One should eat a diet rich in roughage and fiber because its bulk would tend to make one eat less fat and carbohydrates compared to the usual highly refined and processed diet which is full of calories and fats. Roughage/fiber is essential for satisfactory evacuation and good bowel movement. This rough age/fiber could be obtained from food items such as whole wheat flour, bran, unpolished rice, sprouts, fruits and vegetables. Half of what is eaten should be in raw form.

Proteins, Carbohydrates, Vitamins, Fats…

Protein is an integral part of our dietary system and is essential for the growth and development of the body. It builds muscles, hair, skin and is a component of enzymes, hormones, hemoglobin, myoglobin etc. Excess protein consumption has dangerous consequences.

>>>Proteins, Carbohydrates, Vitamins