April 2008 Dr Bob Chrisitano

Trophology - The Science of Food Combining

Western physicians advise everyone to take "a little of everything at every meal", jumbling together such ingredients as meat, milk, starch, fat and sugar. Such consumption of food is no different than pouring gas, oil, alcohol and sugar into the gas tank of your car. These will not burn efficiently, will provide little power, and will quickly clog up the engine so badly that the entire system grinds to a halt. Trophology, is a term which you and no doubt your doctor have probably never heard of before. Modern medical training in the West, especially in America, is notoriously deficient in nutritional science, although there are a few enlightened nutritional scientists in America and Europe today who, despite sneers from their peers in the medical establishment, are making great medical strides through the science of trophology.

We all learned in high school chemistry: acid/alkaline, or 'ph'. We all know that if we did an equal measure of alkaline to an equal measure of acid, the resulting chemical solution is as neutral as plain water. That's the principal behind for bicarbonate (a strong alkaline) to relieve 'acid' indigestion. It is an established fact in Western medicine that, in order to efficiently digest any animal protein, the stomach must secret pepsin. But it is also a well known fact that pepsin can function only in a highly acidic medium, which must be maintained for several hours for complete digestion of protein. It is an equally established fact of science that when we chew a piece of bread or potato or any other starch/carbohydrate, ptylin and other alkaline juices are immediately secreted into the food by the salva in the mouth. When swallowed, the alkalized starches require an alkaline medium in the stomach in order to complete their digestion. Anyone should be able to figure out what happens when you ingest protein and starch together. Acid and alkaline juices are secreted simultaneously in response to the incoming protein and starch, promptly neutralizing one another and leaving a weak, watery solution in the stomach that digests neither protein nor starch properly. Instead, the proteins putrify and the starches ferment giving way to constant presence of bacteria in the digestive tract.

This putrification and fermentation are the primary cause of all sorts of digestive distress, including gas, heartburn, cramps, bloating, constipation, foul stools, bleeding piles, colitis, and so forth. Many so-called 'allergies' are also the direct result of improper food combinations: the blood stream picks up toxins from the putrified, fermented mess as it passes slowly through the intestines, and these toxins in turn causes rashes, hives, headaches, nausea and other symptoms commonly branded as 'allergies'. The final fact of the matter is this: when you immobilize your stomach and impair digestive functions by consuming foods in indiscriminate combinations, the bacteria in your alimentary canal have a field day. They get all the nutrients and thrive, while you get all the wastes and suffer.

According to a recent survey, the average American male today carries about 5 pounds of undigested, putrified red meat in his gut. Leave 5 pounds of meat in a dark, warm, moist place for a few days and see for yourself the results of putrifaction. The severely septic condition of the human intestinal tract is unique in nature, yet Western physicians take it for granted and even insist that it is harmless to the rest of the system. In fact, however, in order to protect itself from the chronic toxic irritation of improperly combined meals, the colon secretes large quantities of mucus to entrap toxic particles before they damage the colon's sensitive lining. When this occurs at every meal, every day, every week, throughout the year - as is quite typical in modern Western diets - the colon ends up secreting a constant stream of mucus, which accumulates and get impacted in the folds of the colon. This results in a narrowing of the passage through the colon and a seeping of toxins into the bloodstream. When the impacting of toxic mucus in the colon reaches a critical pressure, it causes a pocket to balloon outward through the colon lining, causing a condition called diverticulosis. Colitis and cancer are the next stages of colon deterioration caused by these conditions.

Protein and starch:
Do not mix. For example: meat and potatoes, hamburger and fries, eggs and toast.
Rule: eat concentrated proteins separate from starches.

Protein and protein:
Rule: Eat only 1 type of protein at a single meal. A void combinations such as meat and eggs, meat and milk, fish and cheese.

Starch and acid:
Rule: Eat starches and acids at separate meals. For example, if you eat toast or cereal for breakfast, skip the orange juice as well as eggs. If you're eating a starch-based meal of noodles or rice, avoid vinegar as well as concentrated protein.

Protein and fat: Fat inhibits the excretion of gastric juice. For two or three hours after the ingestion of fat, the concentration of hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach is sharply decreased. This delays digestion of any proteins taken together with fat. That is why fatty meats such as bacon and marbled steaks, or lean meats fried in fat, sit so heavily in the stomach for hours after eating them.
Rule: Eat concentrated fats and proteins at separate meals. When you cannot avoid mixing them, eat plenty of raw vegetables to assist in their digestion.

I know this is a lot to "digest", but if you can try some of these principles you will definitely feel better.

Dr. Robert Michael Christiano (Dr. Bob) received his Doctorate as a Naturopathic Physician, his certification as a Nutritional Consultant as well as his certification as a Natural Health Professional from Trinity College of Natural Health. For more information visit his website: www.newwavewellness.com.