FOOD COMBINING
The following guidelines for combining foods come from the medical
tantras and the teaching of macrobiotics in which I have counseled people
over the years.
The transcontinental and international shipment of foods has
created opportunities to eat foods from different climates and cultures.
This may appeal to our gourmet palates, but it puts stress on our
bodies. Regional cuisines arose out of necessity. However, while
learning to use what food sources were available in the immediate
environment, people developed an understanding that such practices also
helped in promoting good health. Every indigenous culture has daily,
festive, and medicinal cuisines. To utilize such foods out of context,
that is out of season in different climates, in the wrong circumstances,
or mixed with inappropriate foods creates digestive instability and
threatens health. In the future this will be exacerbated by proposed
genetic engineering practices whereby, for example, carrots may be
infused with banana DNA to make them grow larger and sweeter. Indeed,
combining food on the genetic level will make the literature on the
benefits and actions of foods on the body virtually meaningless.
Still, while the marketplace drives the food industry in this
precarious direction, there is a growing number of people who want
quality organic foods grown in their regions. As regards combining
foods, it is advised to eat *regionally* and *in season*. Such foods
reflect the influences of the climate and thus help the body in adapting
to the climate. It is advisable to know what type of climate you live in
(temperate, arctic, mountain, tropical, and so forth), learn which foods
grow in that region, and select such foods from local sources or from
places where the climate and seasonal patterns are the same.
The following general rules for combining foods will help in the
proper assimilation of what you eat.
1. Grains plus legumes, seeds, or nuts create *whole proteins*.
However, people usually use equal amounts or more of legumes,
seeds, or nuts to grain. At any meal, when grain is offered,
protein-rich foods should be about one-half or less of the size
of the grain portion.
2. Avoid eating animal and vegetable protein-rich foods together.
Combinations such as meat plus beans, nuts, or seeds, such as a
hamburger plus baked beans, are difficult to digest. Your body
has enzymes designed to break down animal *or* vegetable proteins
at any one time. If eaten together, your body does not know
which enzymes to add to the stomach, so it will send in none.
The result is putrification and gas.
3. When eating meat, reduce your quantity of grain and eat more
vegetables.
4. Eat melon-type fruit by themselves. Melon is the
fastest-digesting food there is. If eaten as a dessert or with a
meal, your body will choose to digest it and leave everything
else to be digested in a much less efficient manner. Melons can
be eaten as a snack or an appetizer about twenty minutes before a
meal. Using melon as an appetizer is particularly useful for
TrIPA-types.
5. Fruit as dessert is best in cooked or stewed form (compote,
applesauce, fruit crumbles or cobblers). Especially if having a
meal with legumes as the main protein, wait approximately twenty
minutes for dessert. Avoid raw fruit as dessert, instead, eat
raw fruit as a snack by itself or as an appetizer.
There are also more specific food combinations that are generally
not advised. These are:
* Curds or yogurt mixed with new wine
* Fish and milk or milk products (e.g., British-style poaching)
* Milk and walnuts (and other nuts) cooked together
* Fruit juice and milk (e.g., juice and cereal with milk at
breakfast)
* Eggs and fish (e.g., tuna salads with mayonnaise)
* Yogurt and peas and molasses
* Mushrooms and mustard
* Chicken and yogurt or curds (although the spices of tandoori
style are useful here)
* Honey and oil
* Peaches combined with other fruits
It is also said that if one food discolors another in the process
of cooking, such a combination is toxic. (This does not apply to dye
effects of beets or purple cabbage.)
Another form of food combination to avoid is eating meals too
close together so that a previous meal is not fully digested. The second
chapter of the *Gyud-Zhi* says, "The quantity of food taken in the
morning should be such that one is able to digest it by the afternoon,
and the quantity taken in the evening such that one can digest it before
dawn." Food taken at the right time in the right quantities will
strengthen pho thut, or digestive fire, and help to prevent disease. If
you feel full or heavy with food or you have no immediate urge to eat,
wait.
Although Amadea Morningstar's _The Ayurvedic Cookbook_ avoids
combinations mentioned above, it does combine LUNG, TrIPA, and BEKAN
foods. Knowing how to use spices and understanding what quantity or
proportion works best, the author is able to provide a wide range of
culinary opportunities that will not conflict with the dietary regimens
listed above.
FOOD QUALITY AND SPECIAL FOOD GROUPS
When Ayurveda was developed and the medical tantras written, food was
unadulterated. Thus the effects of foods in various states and
preparations were known. Beyond the specific recommendations for
constitutional types and specific health conditions, people were
discourages from eating food that was burnt, rotten, or in any way
spoiled. Such rules obviously still apply.
Food should be as fresh as possible. Of leftovers, Dr. Yeshe
Donden says,
Leftovers after many days will overpower the digestive fires of
the stomach. In general, it is said that after twenty-four hours
any food is stale. Even in a refrigerator, the cold causes it to
come into this class.
Such food will increase BEKAN, thus mucus and congestion,
creating tiredness. Basically it is devitalized. Consequently, other
than filling the stomach, it has little benefit. This, no doubt, also
applies to overly processed foods and prepared frozen meals. Of
freezing, Dr. Donden says that only raw meat is not harmful after being
frozen.
Food selection based on quality and freshness has become
increasingly complex in modern times. What is most commonly available in
the marketplace of the modern world bears little resemblance to foods
available eighty, let alone hundreds to thousands of years ago.
The abuse of fertilizers, pesticides, and hybridization have
created grains, fruits, and vegetables that are low in nutritional value.
Demineralized, overplanted soil also leaves fruits and vegetables weak
and demineralized. Even that which is called "fresh" has often been
preserved by chemicals (such as sulfur dioxide), petroleum-based waxes,
or through gamma radiation. Such practices have arisen not because of
their nutritional benefits but because of economics.
Most domesticated animals to be used for meat supplies are
treated inhumanely. Poor living conditions, chemicalized food sources,
and antibiotics used to either stave off infection or to bloat the
animals for more mass create animals that are weak and diseased. In the
case of dairy products, it is not an uncommon practice to have small
computer chips placed underneath the cows' skin to monitor hormone
levels. When the levels drop (as would naturally be the case when
mothers stop nursing their young), the cows are given additional hormones
to increase milk production. This often leads to teat infections, which
in turn are taken care of by antibiotics. Residues of these antibiotics
remain in the milk and may be the cause of colic and other problems
commonly experienced by young children fed cow milk. In _Diet for a New
America_, John Robbins talks about such issues, not only from a
nutritional standpoint but also from a moral point of view. In fact, he
states the greatest travesty of the current time may be the inhumanity we
show other species of life. Stephen Gagne's _Energetics of Foods_ and
Annemarie Colbin's _Food and Healing_ also discuss these issues (see
Bibliography). Not long ago, I heard from news reports that if the most
recent liver transplant from a baboon to a human is successful, the
market for available livers will increase and baboons will be bred for
their organs. Another example of this exploitation attitude is the
slaughtering of black bears in China, solely for the purpose of removing
bile from the gallbladders -- bile being renowned for its medicinal
properties and even recognized in Tibetan pharmacopeia. At the same
time, there are vegetable alternatives such as saffron, which is
recommended by Tibetan doctors to create similar effects. As we become
more sensitive to the interdependence of species in maintaining global
harmony, it behooves us to search for effective alternatives to the
unnecessary slaughter of another species, which may have short-term
benefits for the few but will inevitably create more suffering for the
many.
When I first met Tibetans who were just settling in the United
States, they found it almost incomprehensible that any government would
allow its food supply to become poisoned. Starry-eyed with the abundance
of America, their assumption was that if a food was in one of those
amazing supermarkets it must be good. No doubt this is equally true of
the average consumer who is not taught nutritional principles or does not
have access to information about how the food industry has come to be
driven by profit rather than health considerations.
A good example of this situation occurred while I was working
with a Tibetan doctor. One Tibetan treatment that is periodically used
to renutrify a person who is weak is milk enemas. The doctor had decided
to administer such an enema to a friend and asked me to go to the
supermarket to get a carton of milk. However, after I explained the
homogenization process, whereby fat molecules are reduced to the size of
water molecules in order to enhance shelf life but with questionable
repercussions to health, he decided that maybe it wasn't such a good idea
after all.
Thus when putting the nutritional recommendations into practice,
you should not only adhere to the quantity of the suggested regimen but
you should also pay attention to quality. Meats that are organically
grown are recommended. Dairy products should be chosen with equal
scrutiny and should be consumed in accordance with Ayurvedic principles.
Ice-cold milk, cheese, and ice cream are considered heavy, cold, and
mucus-forming. However, warm milk, yogurt, and cheeses cooked into
vegetables and with spices can be enjoyed according to constitution and
condition without the physical side effects often attributed to dairy
products.
Select organic grains and legumes as the staples of the diet.
Vegetables and fruits should also be organic. However, since these
cannot be stored like grains and legumes, and their availability is more
sporadic, fresh fruits and vegetables from the supermarkets can be used.
To nullify the effects of fertilizers and pesticides, Dr. Hazel
Parcells, a well-known and respected American naturopath recommends the
following procedures. These methods have been tested and confirmed as
effective by the Sierra States University School of Nutrition.
_Food Cleansing Formula One_ is a formula for foods that have been
irradiated. To find out if your foods have been irradiated, you will
have to speak to the produce, meat, and dairy (for eggs) supervisors of
your local markets.
Add one tablespoon of baking soda to every gallon of water used.
Soak the irradiated products in this formula for the times listed in the
chart below. Then soak them in fresh cold water for an addditional ten
minutes to eliminate the soda taste.
_Food Cleansing Formula Two_ is for foods that you know are not
organically grown. As most markets like to advertise that products are
organic, it is reasonable to assume that anything not labeled this way is
not organic.
Add one-half teaspoon of plain, old-fashioned chlorine bleach
(e.g., Clorox) to every gallon of cold water used. This will not affect
the taste of your foods, nor will it cause damage in any way. After the
prescribed amount of time soaked in the formula, place the foods in cold
water and soak them for an additional ten minutes. The soaking time for
this formula and Formula One are as follows:
Leafy Vegetables .......... 10-15 minutes
Root Vegetables ........... 15-30 minutes
Thin-skinned Berries ...... 10-15 minutes
Heavy-skinned Fruits ...... 15-30 minutes
Eggs ...................... 20-30 minutes
Meat per pound (thawed) ... 5-10 minutes
Of such methods, Dr. Parcells says that they will make vegetables
and fruits crisper and taste better as well as increase their shelf life.
They will also eliminate the toxic residues within the animal foods
mentioned.
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS: Water and Air
At the beginning of this chapter, the story was told of how warm water
was the medicine used for the first illness of mankind: indigestion.
Indeed, even in modern times, the importance of ample water as part of
daily liquid intake is acknowledged in conventional and alternative
health circles alike. However, what quality of water is necessary to
derive health benefits is widely debated.
According to medical and Buddhist tantric literature, there
exists a pure water of almost unworldly nature. It has eight special
qualities; it is (1) extremely cool, (2) fresh, (3) tasty, (4) soft, (5)
clear, (6) free from impurity, (7) soothing to the stomach, and (8)
clears the throat. Waters of the Ganges and other holy water sources
such as the Chalice Well of Glastonbury are considered to be such waters.
All other waters are compared to these.
The *Gyud-Zhi* classifies water as being beneficial according to
the following order:
1. Rain water
2. Melted snow water
3. River water
4. Spring water
5. Well water
6. Sea water
7. Forest water
Of the most beneficial water, rain water, the text reads
...although rain water is vitalizing, refreshing,
pleasing to the stomach, thin, satisfying, stimulating to
the intellect, of indistinct taste, savory, light, cool
and nectar-like, touched by the sun, moon, and wind while
falling, its wholesomeness or unwholesomeness depends largely
upon the time and place.
To test the purity of such, the text goes on,
[The rain water is to] be collected in a bowl and mixed
with unstained rice pap. If the mixture does not become
discolored or putrid, the rain water is wholesome.
Following the 1991 Gulf War, it was reported that several months
after the igniting of the oil fields of Kuwait, the snow was a blackish
color in the Himalayas. Thus even in the purest of areas of the world,
it is neither the time nor place to find water of pure quality. Acid
rain is a documented problem throughout the world. Where there is no
modern-day sanitary awareness or practices, microorganisms that lead to
severe gastrointestinal distress abound. And in areas where water souces
are monitored, petro-chemical and chlorine levels create other kinds of
physiological distress.
It is a necessity of the times that the water we ingest requires
special attention. Certified pure, bottled water or some form of in-home
purification system is advisable. The three most common systems for
purification are distillation, use of a carbon filter, and reverse
osmosis. In virtually every major city in the modern world, it is
possible to find sources for such purification systems. Experts on these
different systems espouse theirs as the best choice; and readers are
encouraged to do their own research of the various systems before making
a selection. Although such practices are not mentioned in the tantras,
in order to have water available that possesses the qualities of water
mentioned in the tantras purification seems necessary.
Obviously, the quality of water and air influences everything
that grows. Although in-home purification of both is possible, we cannot
monitor the water and air that our plants are grown in. And although we
can choose not to drink water other than that which comes from our homes
or is bottled, unless we wear a gas mask we have to breathe the air that
surrounds us.
As the oxygen level on the planet diminishes with increasing
carbon monoxide and ozone depletion, the oxygen level in plants and
animals also diminishes. With such diminished levels of this element,
our food supplies are not as life-giving as in the past; and since oxygen
is important to our bodily health, this profoundly affects our vitality
and immunity. In the Chinese medical classic _Yellow Emperor's Classic
of Internal Medicine_, the relationship between breathing and digestion
is emphasized. According to this text, there are subtle energy channels
from the lungs to the stomach that allow *chi*, or life force, to
stimulate digestion in the stomach. If the lungs are blocked or if there
is coughing or breathing is affected, the stomach is equally affected.
In the literature of India's Hatha Yoga tradition (much of which was
incorporated into Buddhist practice, particularly in retreat situations),
it is even said that if the right sinus is blocked, resulting in labored
or uneven breathing, one should refrain from eating.
Although we can probably only affect the overall quality of air
through political and/or economic means, we can follow a few simple rules
when utilizing the air and oxygen available. These rules pertain to
eating and proper assimilation:
1. Eat fresh foods rather than old or processed foods.
2. Do not eat on the run.
3. Chew well.
4. Be relaxed and breathe calmly while eating.
5. Eat in a well-ventilated space whenever possible.
Other considerations are to get appropriate exercise and select
clothes of natural fibers that allow the pores of your body to breathe.
This is especially important for undergarments.
SUPPLEMENTATION: Vitamins, Herbs, and Super Foods
Although supplementation to food was once considered to be necessary only
for the infirm, weak, or diseased, given our current biological
condition, the state of our food supply, and the conditions in which we
live today, such supplementation seems to be essential to proper
nutrition. It must be understood that when we speak of supplements we
are distinguishing them from medicines. As an adjunet to sound
nutrition, supplements are preventive rather than curative in nature.
Although supplements can help restore body balance so that the body is no
longer a host to disease, to rely solely upon supplementation for cure of
medical symptoms is to run the risk of overestimating their benefits.
When suffering from a disease condition, it is always best to use your
preventive health-care knowledge along with sound medical information and
guidance.
When selecting herbs and vitamins, principles of Tibetan
pharmacology are useful. In Tibetan medicine, constitution and daily
condition are always considered when it comes to the selection of herbs
and nutritive substances. To ensure that these will be metabolized in
the body and create the desired effect, Tibetan doctors utilize Chinese
principles for creating herbal remedies. Never is a single herb
prescribed alone. All herbs are considered to have side effects when
used alone, and both in Tibetan and Indian Ayurveda as well as Chinese
herbology, side effects are considered signs of inappropriate medicine.
Rather, herbs are combined; in Tibetan medicine, a minimum of five are
usually considered best. Such compounds consist of the main herb, the
one you are trying to get to a certain part of the body to create an
effect; herbs to alert the body to changes; herbs to clean the pathways
of the body for the main herb to get to its final destination; and herbs
to act as carriers for the main herb(s). The point is to prepare the
body to accept the disired substance for maximum assimilation and
utilization, with no side effects. Some of the more progressive Western
herbologists practice herbology with such an understanding. However, a
good deal of popular herbology extols the virtues of this herb and that
herb without taking such subtleties into account. To some extent, it is
the progressive researchers into vitamin supplementation and therapy who
have grasped principles comparable to those of Tibetans and Orientals
more than herbalists have. For proper absorption and utilization,
vitamins and minerals are chelated, are micellinized, given more
digestible coatings. Some are even time-released.
Whether you take prescribed supplements or ones that you think
are good for you, to be beneficial they need to comply with the
conditions discussed above; they must be in keeping with your rang-zhin,
your present physical and mental condition; be of good quality and easily
and efficiently absorbed; and be taken in a timely, appropriate manner
and in keeping with a sound nutritional program.
It is not always possible to adhere to such criteria. Perhaps we
do not know of a good herbalist, naturopath, or Ayurvedic or Chinese
health practitioner. And of the over-the-counter type supplements, all
claim to be better than others. How can you confidently select the best
and most effective ones?
What follows is an excellent Tibetan medical means of testing
which supplements are best for you. This test is very simple and can be
done in your own home. It was shown to me during a Tibetan medicine
program under the guidance of Dr. Lopsang Rapgay.
Tibetan Urine Testing for Supplements and Medicines
This technique will only work with substances that are in powder form,
including foods, herbs, vitamins, and medicines, be they allopathic,
herbal, and so forth. It will not work with gelatin capsules, oils, or
liquids.
Upon rising, use a clean jar to collect the midstream of your
first morning urine, dispensing with the first and last parts of your
urine, which have the largest amount of toxins and waste products. The
midstream urine has semimetabolized substances from foods, vitamins, and
so forth and is considered the cleanest. For a woman, it is best that
this test is not done during menstruation.
To do this test you will need the following:
1. a small pot for heating the urine
2. shallow white or unpatterned clean bowls in which the urine
will be poured
3. a mortar and pestle, useful for substances that need crushing
(Powders will, of course, not need further crushing.)
Procedure:
1. Take each supplement to be tested and crush with the pestle in
the mortar if necessary. If in capsule form, open and remove the
gelatin capsule. Do each supplement or substance separately and
place the powder on a piece of clean paper in front of one of the
bowls. Be sure to label the powder so that you know which
substance you are testing in a given bowl. Wash the mortar and
pestle in between substances to avoid contamination due to
mixing.
2. Pour the urine from your jar into the pot and heat it slowly on
the stove until it just begins to steam -- a bit higher than body
temperature.
3. Using one bowl for each substance to be tested, pour the urine
from the pot into the bowls so that it is about three-fourths of
an inch deep. This means that you can only test as many
supplements and medicines as the amount of your urine supply will
accommodate.
4. Take a pinch of the substance before one bowl and drop it into
the center of the urine in the bowl.
5. Observe the rate of dispersion and whether part of the powder
sinks or not.
A supplement or substance is good for your body if, when you drop
the powder on the surface of the urine, it spreads rapidly across the
entire sample and none of it sinks.
A supplement or substance is not useful for your body if, when
you drop it on the surface of the urine, it sits in the middle without
spreading and/or starts to sink.
A supplement or substance is neither good nor bad if it spreads
slowly, does not spread out over the whole sample but stays more
contained, and then some of it sinks. In this case such a substance may
be good at some times and not at other times. It deserves retesting at a
later date, but at present it is doing little to benefit your body.
There are also cases in which some of the powder spreads very
fast and part of it sinks. This indicates that you may need to take each
one of the mixture's ingredients and test it seperately.
6. Repeat this test for each powder in front of each bowl.
Since results of this test are dependent on your current state of
health more than your rang-zhin, it is best to test supplements and
medicines about every three weeks to see how your body is handling them
if you are planning on taking them for a prolonged period of time. It is
possible that as your condition changes, substances you are taking are no
longer needed and to continue taking them may have adverse effects. It
is also possible that your needs will change in accordance with changes
in seasons, climates, and other conditions. Hence, the usefulness of
this test.
This is a good method to use at home when pulse diagnosis cannot
be done. To my mind, it is more objective than kinesiology, although
with oil-based substances, gel capsules, and liquids, kinesiology may be
the next best low-tech or home method to employ.
Such a method also eliminates our subjective desires to see
certain substances work better than others. Sometimes we think that
natural or herbal substances are superior to processed, allopathic
medicines. I have seen many clients shocked to find our that their
allopathic medicines were better for them than some of their herbal
supplements. The body knows what it needs, and its natural intelligence
is generally more accepting than our mental concepts.
..
...
[ to be continued ]
Health for Life:
Secrets of Tibetan Ayurveda
by Robert Sachs
First Edition, 1995
Clear Light Publishers
823 Don Diego
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
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