How We Eat

by Christopher Pick, N.D. D.C.N. D.H.H. D.L.I (Inst)
Naturopathic Physician, Clinical & Sports Nutritionist
Member of Health Practitioners Association

“The Chinese do not draw any distinction between food and medicine.”
Lin Yutang (1895-) The Importance of Living, Ch IX, Sect VII.

Excess Sugar

A person on an average UK diet consumes around a 100 lbs of sugar and 10 lbs of food additives annually! It has been calculated that two thirds of this sugar intake is hidden in processed foods. Food manufacturers use many names to hide the sugar content of their food : Sucrose, maltose, lactose, glucose syrup, maltodextrin to name a few. Some jams are 50% sugar, some yogurts can contain as much as twelve teaspoons per serving, some confectionery bars, nine or ten teaspoons Soft drinks are brimming with it. Tomato sauce, breakfast cereals, oven ready meals, bread, soup, mustards, you guessed it, all have sugar in them. This is one of the best, and deserves special mention, toothpaste! Why? At this rate, we will soon see sugar in our toilet paper!

Our bodies do need sugars of the correct type. These are obtained from unrefined carbohydrates. These are all ‘slow release’ sugars, which do not stress the pancreas, and can be correctly utilized in the body. Refined carbohydrates (sugar) and hydrogenated fats, on the other hand, cause excess insulin to be released into the blood, following the initial sugar ‘high’ by a ‘low’, as the excess insulin drives the blood sugar level down. At this point the body craves more sugar, which is a vicious circle from which it is difficult to break free. Eventually, the overproduction of insulin can lead to pancreatic exhaustion, which in turn can lead to diabetes.

A client, aged twenty-one, came to see me to try and discover why he was feeling faint at various times throughout the day. The liter bottle of Coca-Cola poking out of his bag was most evident! While taking notes, I noticed that he was looking extremely pale, suddenly he fell off the chair, having almost passed out. I got him back into the chair and, as needs must, administered the Coca-Cola which raised his blood sugar level. Within minutes he was feeling fine. He was drinking two liters of Coke a day, which was a contributory factor to the severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) he was suffering from. In his book ‘Low blood Sugar’, Martin L. Budd states that “To discuss the diversity of symptoms caused by low blood sugar would take up most of this book”. The more commonly known problems associated with this condition are, heart disease, diabetes, hyperactivity, irritability, obesity, and cold extremities.

Refined sugar has no place in the human body, it is simply empty calories. In addition to the above symptoms, the excess insulin response created by its ingestion, stores excess carbohydrate as body fat, which can, and often does, lead to obesity. For those readers interested in a more technical explanation of the effects of refined sugar consumption, I list the following:

• Places stress on the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, possibly leading to diabetes
• Produces hypoglycemia half an hour after ingestion
• Inhibits protective prostaglandin production
• Depletes B & other vitamins. Depletes the minerals magnesium, potassium, GTF chromium, zinc, etc.
• Raises blood triglycerides (blood fats)
• Raises uric acid levels
• Impairs glucose tolerance levels
• Decreases ‘good’ high density lipoproteins
• Increases serum cholesterol levels
• Increases the production of insulin
• Increases corticosteroids
• Increases adhesiveness & aggregation of blood platelets
• Shortens life

Question: Which country in Europe has the highest consumption of chocolate and the lowest consumption of fruit?

Answer: Yes, Great Britain!

Further reading: “Low Blood Sugar” by Martin L. Budd and Maggie Budd

Note: In an article in the Daily Mail dated January 28 1997 (P.38) it is stated that researchers have found that diabetes (insulin-dependent) is increasing at an alarming rate among children under five years – by more than ten percent a year. In children under fifteen years, cases have doubled in the UK since 1977, leading to 1500 newly diagnosed cases annually.

Hydrogenated Fats

Saturated fats are present in many health-giving foods and are usually balanced with the unsaturated variety; contrary to popular opinion. We do need moderate amounts of (organically fed) animal derived saturated fats as well as the unsaturated fats in our diet. Food producers take unsaturated (cis) fats/oils such as olive, flax, starflower or sunflower, and heat, bleach, and deodorize them, turning them into unhealthy, poisonous trans or *hydrogenated fats. The essential Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids are destroyed, together with most of the beta-carotene, vitamin E and lecithin. Our bodies are unable to use these trans fats for the specialized biological functions that unsaturated and animal derived saturated fats supply. I have read in more than one publication that we should eliminate almost all of the fats from our diet. This is absolute nonsense. The right types of fats are vital for good health.

Note: Many nutritional ‘experts’ writing in newspapers and magazines do not seem to know the difference between the right types of fats (essential fatty acids and animal saturated fat) and the wrong (hydrogenated) fats. Or perhaps it is their sponsor that fogs their thinking? In his book Facts about Fat, John Finnegan states, that the average western person today, consumes 1000 per cent more trans or hydrogenated fats than before. According to statistics it is not unusual for people to consume 50% of their total calories as hydrogenated fat! That is a massive 138 grams of mostly the wrong type of fat, if 2500 calories are consumed daily.

The following oils are rich in essential fatty acids and many other nutrients. They have supported the health of many cultures for eons.
Cold pressed and organic:

• Flax oil
• Hemp oil
• Pumpkin seed oil
• Palm and sesame oils
• (Extra Virgin) Olive oil
• Fish & marine oils
• Butter
• Beef and lamb tallow
• Lard
• Chicken, goose and duck fat

The following newfangled fats can cause cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, learning disorders, obesity, sterility, growth problems, low thyroid function and even contribute to osteoporosis:

• All hydrogenated fats/oils
• Soy, corn and safflower oils
• Cottonseed oil
• Canola oil

Low-fat diets are dangerous and should not be entertained – no matter what the media, some hospital dietitians or the latest nutritional gurus try to tell you. Ideally, for optimum health, fat intake should be around 15% of total calorie** intake, daily. No more than 40-50% of this total should be animal derived saturated fat, the remainder obviously, being unsaturated. Based on the above, total fat intake if you consume 2500 calories daily, would be approximately equivalent to three tablespoons of oil (40 grms). I take this amount of certified organic, cold-pressed, ***flax seed oil or a mixed blend oil, daily. (This is in addition to the fats in oily fish, nuts and seeds that I consume throughout the week.) My body-fat level is currently around 9%, which is healthily low.

Note: One tablespoon of oil / fats is approximately 14 grams. A desert spoon is approximately nine grams.

All fats produce 9 calories per gram. If you consume 2500 calories per day, 15% of this amount is 375 calories. Divide this figure by nine and you get 41. This is your approximate required daily fat intake in grams. Organically produced butter in small amounts is far healthier than margarine, no matter what the advertising executives would have us believe. It contains butyric acid that is a good source of energy, particularly for the ‘fast turnover’ cells of the intestines. Although a saturated fat, it is not to be confused with trans or hydrogenated fats.

The Mediterranean diet is justifiably held up to be one of the healthiest in the world. It primarily consists of an abundance of fresh fruit, fresh olives, oily fish and other seafood and whole grains. Likewise, in Japan, where they consume around 15% of calories from unsaturated fats, there is a low incidence of degenerative disease. If you have persistent pimple-like bumps on the upper arms, thighs, or buttocks, you can be pretty sure you have an essential fatty acid (present in unsaturated fats) deficiency. This little recognized condition is called Phrynoderma. Please do not assume that your intake of fatty acids is sufficient, if you do not exhibit signs of phrynoderma.

Further signs of fatty acid deficiency are:

• Excessive thirst
• Dry skin
• Poor wound healing
• Fragile capillaries
• Poor muscle tone
• Hormonal imbalances such as PMT (PMS)
• Low testosterone levels (yes!)
• Sweating for no reason (permeable body membranes)
• Reproductive failure
• Poor sight
• Skin complaints
• Low metabolic rate, etc.

Note: Taking essential fatty acids helps to increase the metabolic rate, leading to weight loss!

Hydrogenation

This is the process that turns polyunsaturates, normally liquid at room temperature, into fats that are solid at room temperature-margarine and shortening. To produce them, manufacturers begin with the cheapest oils-soy, corn, cottonseed or canola, already rancid from the extraction process-and mix them with tiny metal particles-usually nickel oxide. The oil with its nickel catalyst is then subjected to hydrogen gas in a high-pressure, high-temperature reactor. Next, soap-like emulsifiers and starch are squeezed into the mixture to give it a better consistency; the oil is yet again subjected to high temperatures when it is steam-cleaned. This removes its unpleasant odor. Margarine’s natural color, an unappetizing gray, is removed by bleach. Dyes and strong flavors must then be added to make it resemble butter. Finally, the mixture is compressed and packaged in blocks or tubs and sold as a health food. Source: The Weston A Price Foundation.

** This assumes you are not overeating calories. It is estimated that the average female burns approximately 2,000 calories daily, the average man approximately 2,500.

***Taking Flax oil (high in Omega 3s) over a period of more than six months or so may cause an imbalance between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. It would therefore be preferable to use an organic multi-blend oil such as flax & hemp or flax & borage oil. These are commercially available.

Cooking Oils

Add 1 gram of Ascorbyl Palmitate (Oil soluble Vitamin C) to one liter of the oil you use to cook with. This will help to preserve it against oxidization (rancidity). If you have to fry foods, use as low a heat as possible. Frying ‘destroys’ all oils and produces many very toxic substances. Some oils are more easily damaged than others by this cooking method. +Udo Erasmus in his book Fats that Heal Fats that Kill, lists the oils that are least damaged by frying as butter, tropical fats, high oleic sunflower (not regular sunflower), peanut oil, sesame oil, and olive oil.

Further reading:

“Know Your Fats – The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol” by Mary Enig PhD.

“Facts About Fat – A Consumer’s Guide to Good Oils” by John Finnegan

Website: The Weston A. Price Foundation. www.westonaprice.org A wonderful site full of useful and truthful information on fats and general nutrition.

Note: + Since Udo Erasmus wrote this book; he and other researchers have found that if flax oil is used continuously for long periods, (it is high in omega 3 fatty acids), it can cause an imbalance of omega 6 fatty acids, that is detrimental to health. Hemp and borage oils are rich in omega 6s, and so a blend of hemp oil provides an excellent blend of 2:1 omega 3s to omega 6s. Flax alone gives a ratio of around 3.5 – 4:1.

Contaminated Protein

Proteins are comprised of many amino acids that are the building blocks of physical matter. Protein is used to build and repair the body and to provide energy to run it. Our bodies can make some amino acids, the others that are termed essential, must be provided in the diet. Proteins are found in many foods, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, soy products and tofu etc. Many of these foods contain a combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The quality of the protein that is ingested will be reflected in the body that it built and the quality of the repair.

In the UK the meats of cattle, chicken, pigs, lamb, fish and the like, provide most of our protein. The majority of these poor creatures are the subject of intensive breeding and feeding methods, reared purely for profit. Not the health of the nation. Whatever drugs, additives, hormones, pesticides and general poisons get into them also get into us. Consequently, they have become extremely low-grade and toxic sources of protein. Our vital basic building blocks that are required to produce a strong, healthy body are contaminated from the very outset.

As I have already stated, our oceans are terribly polluted with various toxins and heavy metals, therefore, so are the fish that feed in them. Seafood in general and the majority of farmed fish can be so polluted, that we should seriously consider if we want to risk our health by their ingestion. It is still possible to purchase organic, protein bearing foods such as meat, fish, nuts and seeds and I recommend that you move heaven and earth to source them! Please see the reference to the Soil Association elsewhere in this work, for a list of organic farmers.

Lack Of Fiber

If I told you that I know of a substance that helped protect against breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, blood clots, diverticulitis, high cholesterol, constipation, gallstones, colon cancer, varicose veins, piles, obesity, estrogen overload and toxic bowel, would you go out and buy it? Of course you would! Well, that substance is fiber. Fiber. is the plant skeleton and is mainly indigestible in the human body. In nature it is found in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, seeds, and nuts, etc. The refining of whole grains and other foods removes most of its fiber. content, as in white bread. Our consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, etc, in Great Britain is desperately short of even the minimum fiber. intake.

In Third World rural communities, around 60 -120 grams of fiber is consumed daily; by contrast a western diet is doing well if it can provide 20 grams! To increase intake by five or six times may seem like a huge task, but it is relatively easy. If you substitute brown bread for white, brown rice for white, etc, eat six or more pieces of fresh fruit daily, have a whole grain meal such as organic oats for breakfast, and fresh vegetables with other meals, you will have gone a long way toward solving the problem.

Average fecal transit time for Third World communities is one to two days; for healthy UK adults three to four days, and for many less healthy it can be two weeks! These extended transit times can lead to a toxic bowel, which can lead to serious health problems (see Chapter Four-Toxic Bowel). Forty-seven per cent of the people that I have tested have this problem. The correct daily intake of fiber will not only guard against this serious condition, but also, in time, alleviate it.

On a high fiber. diet, mainly ‘good’, bacteria such as Acidophillus, reside in the intestines, which displaces the ‘bad’ bacteria. Fiber. also helps to slow down or stop the absorption of carcinogenic (cancer causing) substances. To sum up this chapter, most people are consuming too much of the wrong types of carbohydrate (sugar), too much of the wrong types of fat, too much contaminated protein and too little fiber.! I am grateful to Dr. R. Erdmann for the following chart, which shows how we convert foods into bodies.

Conversion of Food into Protein and or Lipid Structures or Lipid Regulators:

Substrates +	Activators	Make Structures	Make Regulators
Amino acids (Protein)	Vitamins	Muscle and Tissue	Neurotransmitters
Essential fatty acids	Minerals	Cell Membranes	Prostaglandins
	Enzymes	Bones	Hormones
	Fiber	Enzymes	Enzymes

Further reading:

“Don’t Forget Fiber. In Your Diet” by Dr Denis Burkitt

Acid – Alkaline Balance

pH is the measure of acidity and alkalinity. pH 7 is neutral, above this figure is an alkaline measure, below it, is an acid measure. Our blood must be kept at a pH between 7.3 and 7.45. Deviation from this range either way, results in serious illness and ultimately, death. Most people are in a constant state of over-acidity, this allows the opportunity for disease of all types to gain a foothold in the body that in itself creates even more acidity. All drugs, recreational or prescriptive, poor food choices, stress and negative thinking all create acidity. The book cited below has the title Alkalize or Die – this is not overstating the problems caused by over acidity!

[Editor’s Note: The information about pH Balance, Acid versus Alkaline, is written in the absence of understanding of Metabolic Typing. It presumes that everyone is Autonomic Dominant. The information below is backwards for all Oxidizer Dominant people.]

Foods, that have been metabolized by the body, leave either an acid or alkaline residue called ash. Broadly, protein and refined sugars are acid ash forming, while all other foods are alkaline ash forming. The majority of people on a western diet consume eighty per cent acid forming foods and twenty per cent alkaline forming. The ratio should be the reverse. Due to this fact, excess life-threatening acidity builds up in the body. There are several internal mechanisms for dealing with this excess acid, these are called buffers. The buffering systems use the acid binding minerals, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, manganese and sodium to try and naturalize or alkalize this acidity. These minerals, which are also needed for many other vital functions (such as calcium to regulate bone density) are consequently, seriously depleted when the body is continually in an over-acid state.

If your urine has a strong smell, particularly in the morning, you can reasonably assume that you have an over-acid system. The smell is usually one of ammonium. It appears that the body gears up production of this highly alkaline substance in a last effort to control the acidity. Lemon and other citrus fruits, although very acidic, are alkaline forming once they have been metabolized Drinking the juice of half a fresh lemon added to warm water, twice a day for one to two weeks, will help the body return to the correct acid – alkaline balance, but thereafter the correct ratios of food must be eaten. To maintain the correct acid – alkaline balance eat eighty percent of your diet from the following alkaline food sheet. The remaining twenty percent of the diet should be acid forming foods. Any foods not listed on the sheet should be presumed to be acid forming. Note: Tissue acidity has nothing whatsoever to do with an excess of or a lack of stomach acid.

Further reading:

“Alkalize or Die” by Dr Theodore A. Baroody, Jr.

Alkaline Forming Foods

This information was written and published without the understanding of the differences between dominances. The table below is tru for people dominnant with Autonomic (regulatory) system. It is inverted for people whose dominant metabolic system is the Oxidative (energy producing) system.

ALKALIZING FOODS			ACIDIFYING FOODS
VEGETABLES Garlic Asparagus Fermented Veggies Watercress Beets Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chard Chlorella Collard Greens Cucumber Eggplant Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Mustard Greens Dulce Dandelions Edible Flowers Onions Parsnips (high glycemic) Peas Peppers Pumpkin Rutabaga Sea Veggies Spirulina Sprouts Squashes Alfalfa Barley Grass Wheat Grass Wild Greens Nightshade Veggies	FRUITS Apple Apricot Avocado Banana (high glycemic) Cantaloupe Cherries Currants Dates/Figs Grapes Grapefruit Lime Honeydew Melon Nectarine Orange Lemon Peach Pear Pineapple All Berries Tangerine Tomato Tropical Fruits WatermelonPROTEIN Eggs Whey Protein Powder Cottage Cheese Chicken Breast Yogurt Almonds Chestnuts Tofu (fermented) Flax Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Tempeh (fermented) Squash Seeds Sunflower Seeds Millet Sprouted Seeds Nuts	OTHER Apple Cider Vinegar Bee Pollen Lecithin Granules Probiotic Cultures Green Juices Veggies Juices Fresh Fruit Juice Organic Milk (unpasteurized) Mineral Water Structured Water Green Tea Herbal Tea Dandelion Tea Ginseng Tea Banchi Tea KombuchaSWEETENERS SteviaSEASONINGS Cinnamon Curry Ginger Mustard Chili Pepper Sea Salt Miso Tamari All HerbsORIENTAL VEGGIES Maitake Daikon Dandelion Root Shitake Kombu Reishi Nori Umeboshi Wakame Sea Veggies	FATS & OILS Avocado Oil Canola Oil Corn Oil Hemp Seed Oil Flax Oil Lard Olive Oil Safflower Oil Sesame Oil Sunflower OilFRUITS CranberriesGRAINS Rice Cakes Wheat Cakes Amaranth Barley Buckwheat Corn Oats (rolled) Quinoi Rice (all) Rye Spelt Kamut Wheat Hemp Seed FlourDAIRY Cheese, Cow Cheese, Goat Cheese, Processed Cheese, Sheep Milk Butter	NUTS & BUTTERS Cashews Brazil Nuts Peanuts Peanut Butter Pecans Tahini WalnutsANIMAL PROTEIN Beef Carp Clams Fish Lamb Lobster Mussels Oyster Pork Rabbit Salmon Shrimp Scallops Tuna Turkey VenisonPASTA (WHITE) Noodles Macaroni SpaghettiOTHER Distilled Vinegar Wheat Germ Potatoes	DRUGS & CHEMICALS Chemicals Drugs, Medicinal Drugs, Psychedelic Pesticides HerbicidesALCOHOL Beer Spirits Hard Liquor WineBEANS & LEGUMES Black Beans Chick Peas Green Peas Kidney Beans Lentils Lima Beans Pinto Beans Red Beans Soy Beans Soy Milk White Beans Rice Milk Almond Milk

Digestion and Absorption

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are”
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) La Physioblogie du Goult, “Fundamental Truths” (tr. by R.E. Anderson)

Indigestion, n. A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind.
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) The Devil’s dictionary.

A good digestion turneth all to health.
George Herbert (1593-1633) The Temple, “The Church Porch”

When belly with bad pains doth swell, it matters nought what else goes well.
Saadi (Muslih-ud-Din) (1184 -1291) Gulistan,III.9 (tr. by E. Arnold)

This is my favorite subject! Health and the lack of it, must have primary ‘starting points’. The ‘exterior’ starting points are foods, water and air, the ‘interior’ are digestion and absorption. These factors are obviously totally interdependent. On countless occasions, my clients have stated that their health problems can’t be food related, as they eat only organic and free-range foods. They had not considered that the bodily mechanisms for the utilization of these foods (including supplements) may not be working correctly. It must be stressed, that those who have changed to a healthy diet after many years on a standard western diet, can and frequently do still have many health problems. In many cases, this change is too little and too late. The body requires a full program of treatment, as outlined in The 24 Seven Health Plan.

My Mother always told my sister and me to chew our food properly. When, as kids do, we asked why, she would say, just do as you are told! I have never asked if she knew why we should do this, but she was absolutely correct. Digestion does begin in the mouth. An enzyme called ptyalin, is secreted in the saliva as we chew. This substance breaks down carbohydrates, preparing them for further digestion in the stomach and intestines. The digestive system is designed to ‘split’ food apart and liquidate it, the chewing process plays a very important part in this. Food that is ‘dog bolted’ down creates a great deal of stress on the remaining digestive processes.

Once food gets to the stomach, Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and other substances take on the next phase of digestion. The body manufactures HCl from substances such as mineral salts that it should have ‘in store’. (Ninety percent of the people I have tested have a shortage of minerals present in the body!) An overgrowth of Candida Albicans can damage the parietal cells in the stomach that produce HCl, lead can bind with HCl to render it unavailable for digestion. The correct quantities of HCl are required to kill off the micro organisms that are ingested with foods. Does it surprise you that ninety-seven per cent of those I have tested, have digestive problems? Bloating, gas and wind are listed on the BANCA (Body Absorption & Nutritional Characteristics Analysis urine screen) symptoms tick list, in thirty-seven per cent of cases! This is the highest percentage recorded, from a list of over seventy!

Bloating, gas and wind are caused by the incomplete digestion and the fermentation of food in the gut. Supplementing with digestive enzymes and/or HCl, together with eating enzyme rich raw vegetables alleviates this problem in ninety-nine percent of cases. However, this is short term symptomatic treatment. In the endeavor to ‘fix’ the problem, I investigate what may be affecting the ability of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes and/or bicarbonate; and why there may be a lack of stomach acid.

Symptoms of a lack of stomach acid are exactly the same as that of excess. It is my view that a large percentage of the population actually has a shortage of HCl, rather than excess. Here, we have a tremendous problem, as acid suppressing drugs are one of the most prescribed in the western world, they are further compounding an existing and serious problem. I have on countless occasions, weaned people off these types of drugs and substituted betaine HCl & or Himalayan Crystal Salt, in the short term, as part of The 24 Seven Health Plan.

Warning: Some individuals do suffer with excess gastric acidity. Never take yourself off an acid suppressing drug. Consult a professional health practitioner.

Note: A lack of stomach acid will hinder the absorption of vitamin B12 and folic acid. A shortage of this vital substance is precursor to a multitude of health problems.

The stomach contents (fully digested or not) empty into the intestines after a period of time. Obviously, due to the action of HCl, this partially or fully digested food, called chyme, is very acidic. In the first couple of inches of the intestines, the chyme needs to be acidic, for the absorption of certain minerals. Thereafter, it must be alkalized with bicarbonate and supplied with the correct quantity of digestive enzymes by the pancreas, for further digestion and absorption to take place. If there are inadequate amounts of bile released by the gall bladder, the fat content of the food is not correctly digested or absorbed either. As I have said under the heading ‘The Bile Connection’ in chapter three, a further problem can be caused, by the undigested fats coating the carbohydrate and protein content of the foods. In this instance the enzymes that normally work on these foods cannot break through the fat barrier. If the body is in an over acid state, (which is common) pancreatic enzymes and alkalizing bicarbonate may be in very short supply. Under these conditions, the chyme will pass on through the remainder of the intestines in an acid state, making any further absorption of nutrients, very difficult. Also, the acidic chyme may cause or aggravate duodenal ulcers. In short, we have foods that are virtually devoid of nutrients and a digestive system that is so ‘shot’ that it can’t process what precious little are there!

Raw foods such as sprouts or vegetables are full of digestive enzymes that go to work when food hits the stomach. These supplement those normally produced by the pancreas. Cooking foods above about 118F kills their enzymes. We need to eat our vegetables raw as often as possible, to get the full benefit of their enzymes digestive abilities. In my practice, I use a broad -spectrum vegetable-based digestive enzyme complex, which works both in the stomach and the small intestines. Digestive enzymes also perform many other functions within the body, such as dissolving foreign proteins, bacteria and pus in the bloodstream. They help to liquefy the lymphatic fluid, assist the clearing of a toxic bowel, assist in clearing the lungs of encrusted matter and help to control asthma, to name a few.

I received a letter from a client who utilized a telephone consultation. She had suffered from endometriosis, candida, pelvic infection, chronic kidney infection, fits, fatigue, muscle weakness, nausea, bloated stomach, and backache and in her words ‘a fuzzy head’ and ‘bloody miserable’! She had been bed ridden for some time. Over the years she had been placed on many different types of drugs including HRT, and ended up having a brain scan, which was negative. After listening to her problems and symptoms, I advised her on her diet, which had been atrocious. As she was very short of money, I had to get her to detoxify her system using lemon juice, rather than an herbal preparation. Supplements also had to be kept to a minimum, HCl & protease, broad-spectrum plant based digestive enzymes, Healthbase (a powerful multi-vitamin & mineral supplement) and organic flax seed oil.

To paraphrase her letter: ‘I was out of bed in a week and feeling normal for the first time in six years. I am annoyed that nobody had looked at my eating habits, it was so simple. I am once again a mother to my children and a wife to my husband’. Yes, it can be simple! The morning before I give a nutritional seminar, I make an extra cup of porridge oats that is so thick it appears to have the density of mercury! This I use to demonstrate the potency or digesting ability of digestive enzymes, as part of my presentation. During the day the porridge sets in the cup and it will not fall out if inverted! I sprinkle the contents of three or four enzymes on to this mix and stir them in, within thirty seconds the porridge is returned to a liquid state! This is exactly what the body is trying to achieve with food – to liquidate it.

As well as digestive enzymes, there are thousands of metabolic enzymes that run our bodily systems. Without them, we would not be alive; nothing would work including vitamins, the correct name for which is co-vitamins. Enzyme therapy has been around since the nineteen twenties, yet it has been largely ignored. As I write this paragraph an item on the news has said that our government has knowledge of certain brands of baby milk that are polluted with chemicals that have been linked to infertility. They will not name the brands. This is utterly reprehensible. Profit before human life, once again. I say it again, we are told that a modern diet provides all the nutrients that we need. Are the people who are responsible for regurgitating this utter nonsense devoid of the powers of sight, reason and the ability to read, or are they just plain stupid? Maybe they have an ax to grind? Another strong statement, but look at the facts.

I have a friend who is ex-military and in his early fifties. He was relatively fit but on the decline, health-wise. After a meal with him one evening, he had to lie down at full stretch for some time. He told me that he suffered severe abdominal pain after eating and had not slept a full night for many years due to this condition. I explained what I thought his problem might be, but he was not convinced. I nagged him for weeks to take a BANCA test, to no avail. In desperation I gave him a tub of digestive enzymes and made him promise faithfully, to take them. The first evening that he did so, he had no pain whatsoever and had his first full night”s sleep in over seven years! He subsequently took the test and was given the appropriate treatment and advice. This individual is now a healthy convert and passes the message on, which is often the case. A great result.

Another friend has a wire-haired terrier bitch that, at the age of ten months was given three months to live by a Veterinarian. The animal was losing weight, due to severe malabsorption problems. We placed the animal on a regimen of digestive enzymes with every meal (three small, daily) for two months. Within a week she started to gain weight and is alive and well, two years later. It is time the public was made more aware of the benefits of vegetable derived digestive enzyme supplementation. Such supplements are available from various companies (see listing at the end of the book) but, as far as I know, they are not available in the High Street. In my view, they are arguably, one of the most important supplements we can all take. (My belief is that now and in the foreseeable future, we have no option but to take food supplements or suffer the consequences).

A word here about calcium, osteoporosis and HCl. Osteoporosis or brittle bone disease is another condition that has reached epidemic proportions. The deposit of calcium in the bones is ultimately governed by a hormonal response. In the first instance, calcium intake, either through food or supplementation, must be acted upon by sufficient HCl in the stomach. Here it must be converted to calcium chloride. It then must be converted to calcium stearate in the intestines and thereafter combine with the correct quantities of bile, for absorption into the blood stream. The hormonal response then deposits it into the bones and exercise helps to ‘fix’ it there. Bearing in mind that we know that stomach acid suppressants are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs and that dietary calcium is often woefully low, we have a recipe that encourages rampant osteoporosis. A high protein diet (bodybuilders beware), excess phosphorous (found in carbonated drinks) caffeine and alcohol all cause an increased urinary and fecal calcium loss. In experimental animals, fluoride is found to inhibit the enzyme phosphatase, which is critically important for the assimilation of calcium and other minerals.

Women, due to their differing hormonal responses, can be more at risk than men for getting osteoporosis. It is not uncommon for some women to exhibit signs of this disease in their twenties! Hormonal Replacement Therapy is touted as a significant help in reducing the risk factors for this disease. The truth is, that it may put the condition ‘on hold’ for up to five years, but after that period, the risk is the same as that for women who are not on HRT. Calcium is also required, not only for strong bones and teeth, but also to keep the heart beating regularly, it aids impulse transmission in the nervous system, helps to metabolize iron, has a calming influence, generally, and therefore helps to alleviate insomnia. There are literally dozens of disease related to a lack of calcium.

You may recall in the chapter on Acid – Alkaline Balance, that I explained that if our systems’ are over-acid, which is very common, calcium is used by the body as a buffer to counter this acidity, as it is alkaline forming. If the circulating blood calcium is used up, more will be taken from the bones to replenish the supply. This can be another step on the road to osteoporosis. Calcium supplementation should be in the form of an amino acid chelate, the citrate and carbonate forms are the least effective. Ideally, calcium should be combined with magnesium and Vitamin D for the correct utilization In many instances, calcium taken in tablet form is more often than not, totally ineffective, as these can pass through the body intact! This is because, with a shortage of HCl, the digestive system cannot break down the various binders and fillers that constitute a significant proportion of these tablets. Therefore, use capsules if possible.

I repeat, sixty-four percent of the people I have tested have a calcium deficiency. Such are the complexities of the interactions of substances and nutrients, that the following conditions are linked to an *HCl deficiency: acne, allergies, anemia, bronchial asthma, depression, dermatitis, diabetes, eczema, gallbladder disease, infection, irritable bowel syndrome, lupus, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, gum disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, seborrheic dermatitis, urticaria (chronic). Note: Stomach acid test. If you suffer pain when you eat or if you get a burning pain in the gullet on or after eating, try taking a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. If the pain subsides you probably have too little stomach acid. If the pain gets worse, you are probably producing too much stomach acid (Rare).

*Source: Nutritional Influences on Illness – A Sourcebook of Clinical Research. Melvyn R. Werbach MD. Thorsons.

Herewith is an overview of the digestive process:

Normal Digestive Process	Abnormal Digestive Process
Anabolic Saliva pH = 6.8-7.4	Anabolic Saliva pH = 4.5-6.4
Salivary ptyalin active because food well chewed	Salivary ptyalin inactive because food not chewed
Chief cells – secrete pepsin	Chief cells – too acidic & toxic
Parietal cells – secrete HCL	Parietal cells too acidic & toxic
Normal gastric activity	Low gastric activity
Normal enzyme activity	Low enzyme activity
Release of secretin	No release of secretin
Flow of pancreatic fluid & bicarbonate	Poor flow of pancreatic fluid No bicarbonate
Liver produces alkaline bile	Liver produces inadequate amounts of alkaline bile
Cholecystokin releases more enzymes	Cholecystokin not released & stimulated due to gastric hypoacidity
Gall bladder releases alkaline bile	Gall bladder releases little or no bile
Normal absorption & assimilation in intestines	Faulty assimilation
Normal ileo-cecal valve function	Poor ileo-cecal valve function
Normal bowel population of ‘friendly bacteria’	Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, Candida, etc.

Description of function:

Ptyalin	A powerful digestive enzyme
HCl	Hydrochloric acid
Pepsin	Stomach enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins by splitting them into peptones
Secretin	A hormone secreted from the small intestine (duodenum) when acidified food leaves the stomach. It stimulates the secretion of relatively enzyme-free alkaline juice from the pancreas
Cholecystokin	A hormone which stimulates the release of bile into the duodenum

Note:

I do not use the animal derived enzyme, Pancreatin. Neither do I use the enzyme Pepsin, in my products. It is commonly found encapsulated with HCl and is usually obtained from swine (pig) mucosa! Supplement retailers don’t put that on their labels, I can tell you.

Vegetarians and Vegans – look out for S.O.D. (Super Oxide Dismutase) that is used as an antioxidant, it is also an animal derived product. Nobody is in a hurry to tell you that either!

Further reading:

“Food Enzymes for Health & Longevity” by Dr Edward Howell
A brilliant book! Technical in some parts.

“Food Enzymes – Missing Link To Radiant Health” by Humbart Santillo. Easier read.

“The Calcium Bible – Healthy Bones for a Healthy Body” by Patricia Hausman

Obesity

Millions of words have been written on the subject of weight loss. Obesity is not only a major health problem, (increased risk of heart attack and breast cancer, etc) but it is also has a huge impact on our self – image. Obesity has many causes, in some instances it can be caused by an underactive thyroid gland. This condition however, can in turn, be significantly affected by dietary factors and chemical toxicity. In my view the major cause of obesity is the over-consumption of hydrogenated fats and particularly, empty carbohydrates, i.e. there is a serious lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements in them, causing a forgotten condition named pica. Many pregnant women exhibit this condition. For instance, they tend to get powerful cravings for amazing food combinations (they can’t explain why), others will nibble coal (my mother did this when she was carrying me) or literally eat soil!

The body in its innate wisdom knows what it lacks and it also knows where to find it, the iron content in coal, or the minerals in soil are examples. The majority of people are exhibiting pica, continuously. The body constantly demands food to fulfill a need (for nutrients) that will never be met, therefore the hormone that turn off appetite never cuts in. Excess carbohydrates are stored as fat – the rest of the story is well known! In many instances, clients undertaking my nutritional supplementation program, have called to ask if any of the products they are taking contain appetite suppressants, as they feel less hungry. The answer is no – pica is banished! In my view pica is responsible for the majority of the cases of obesity for those on a western-style diet. If you get all the required nutrients you will not feel constantly hungry and therefore it is almost impossible to over eat and become obese.

I stated that the chlorine and fluoride, which are present in our water supply, can fool the thyroid into believing it has sufficient iodine with which to work. Both of these substances can occupy the cell receptor sites in the thyroid that are meant for iodine. The thyroid sets the rate at which we use foods for energy and iodine is vital for its correct functioning. Using the best water filters and fluoride free toothpaste will significantly reduce the amounts of fluoride and chlorine that is ingested. [We make available the very affordable Precious Prills by Twilight America that improve water quality dramatically.] As I have stated in chapter two, excess insulin will tend to store more carbohydrate as fat, than that of a normal insulin response. Insulin can build up in the bloodstream if quality proteins, Vitamin B2 and Pantothenic acid (B5), particularly, are under-supplied. These nutrients are required to deactivate the insulin. As stressed adrenals will tend to use most of the available vitamin B5, there can be little or none to use for other purposes.

A successful weight reduction program must include a detoxification regimen and significant overall dietary adjustments, together with food supplementation (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, enzymes etc) support. The 24 Seven Health Plan alone, outlined in this book will automatically bring varying degrees of weight loss in the majority of people. It is not appropriate to go into the subject of dieting for weight loss, in depth here. However, I will tell you that if vitamin B5 is undersupplied fats will burn at only half their normal rate. Further, stored fat can’t be converted to energy without adequate vitamin B6. *Rats deficient in B6 utilize protein and fat so poorly that they become grossly obese.
*Kotake, Y., Vitaminol. 1, 73, 1955.

All of the above lifestyle and dietary factors will affect individuals to differing degrees. Those that could kill some people will barely influence a decreasing minority of others. Unfortunately, we have little idea of our genetic strengths and weaknesses. We have to assume the worst, as an insurance policy. It is my belief, that as a race, we are becoming genetically weaker with each passing year. My fear is for the babies being born today, to nutritionally compromised mothers. These offspring get a poor nutritional start in the world, and the diet they will consume will do nothing whatsoever to improve their situation. We must make every effort to halt this landslide; the answer is in our hands.

I recently took a call from a fifty-year old female client who has been on The 24 Seven Health Plan for about six months. She came to me with many problems, both physical and emotional. Depression, poor memory, lank dull hair, dry skin, cracked brittle nails, bloating, gas, wind, constipation and weight gain. Today, all these problems have been overcome. She is particularly pleased that her hair, skin and nails have improved beyond recognition. “The best they have been for thirty years”! The particular reason for her call was a question. “I feel so good, I keep running up to my husband and throwing my arms around him, I just feel so happy. Has the ‘Plan’ made me feel like this?” I answered that when we are nutritionally healthy, our bodies and minds will respond in the most positive manner. The joy of just ‘being’ has been long forgotten by most of us.

Obesity & Excess Hydrogenated Fats

There are many different genes that are involved in promoting or inhibiting breast cancer. Body fat contains an enzyme that makes estrogen from cholesterol, the more body fat we have, the more of that enzyme we will have and the higher the levels of blood estrogen As I have already stated, breast cancer is primarily estrogen dependent. Excessive amounts of this hormone can activate latent breast cancer cells. The immune system can normally deal with ‘normal’ amounts of cancerous cells, it is the overload situation which is the problem. Native Asian women have very low body fat and low blood estrogen levels, they also have much less breast cancer than Asian women who live in western countries and are on a standard western diet! Hydrogenated and excessive saturated fats stored as body fat, interfere with the use of oxygen by our cells and are toxic to them, whereas unsaturated fatty acids in their natural state increase cellular oxygen use, slow down tumor growth and help to decrease the spread of tumor cells, etc.