Human Body SystemHuman body system is not a mechanical machine. It is not a super computer either. It is neither a living organism nor a combination of separate parts.But as far as we, humans, knew and understood, it is the most intricate, most awesome, most reliable, most adaptive, most complicated, most mis-interpreted, most abused and the most un-used Total System comprising all of these Sub-Systems. And of course it is the most venerable Total System! So, as it is as complicated as the whole globe! What we have so far understood by way of our researches is only a fraction of the fragment. Then to be on the safe spot, we have to adopt what the Total System adopts itself! This Total Human Body System is of course wholly dependent on the fuel called food. The Right Food, at that. The sages have told ages ago that “food is the premier of the whole human body system”. It turns as vulnerable as gossamer if the food is bad. And it also turns vulnerable if the food habit is also bad. Then, what is the right way to eat? What are to be eaten? How are they to be eaten? *Here I'd like to tell you about my favorite diet program that uses a lot of the healthy lower GI foods: Isabel de los Rios' 'The Diet Solution Program'. The Diet Solution Program favours a long term health orientated approach to fat loss, but not offering anyone a quick fix to their weight troubles. It has loads of valuable data and research to support its approach. I personally investigated the program thoroughly and my mum has been using it for a while now. I have to say she got some great results. The nutrition plan is one of the healthiest we have seen, a strong core focus on vegetables, fruits, vitamin dense foods, lean proteins, select dairy produce and a clear approach to not expecting one diet to work for all body types. So give it a try and let me know how you’re doing.*
Just like the norm that no two individuals are made equal, no two eating habits or menu of food are formulated equal. They cannot be equal. Because, the food availability and their variety are extremely regional. They are also mainly climate-oriented. So the food and eating habits are also related to them. Hence it is not wise and possible to follow one formula in the place of another. Keeping this in mind, let us formulate one suitable formula of good eating habit that can be extensively configurable to a particular region. The following points are to be noted first: 01. Human body system is liquid-based and needs lots of edible water. 02. Excretory System is also liquid based. 03. Digestive System cannot digest straight solids. 04. Human body system needs a huge amount of edible solids. 05. Digestive System is extremely selective on foods. 06. Human body system expels un-necessary solids and liquids. 07. Human Body System is synchronized with the climate and environment. 08. Body System is more efficient than ourselves. 09. Body System is its own controller. 10. We consciously have the minimal control over our own Body System. Right from the moment we wake up, we must maintain the liquid level in our body. Taking the climatic conditions of our region, the environment we work and the amount of activity, we must drink from two to five liters of potable water. Every individual body is unique on the quantity. Additives, preservatives and other chemicals used for long storage do pose huge loads on our Excretory System. Likewise, any artificial ‘soft drink’, dumps virtually mounds of chemicals into the blood stream. Fruit juice of any kind is the most welcome to Human Body System. They supply liquid along with Natural Solids. It is wise to divide our liquid-intake in small and temperature related installments all through the day. It is not bad to drink more than needed as our Urinary System will expel the excess quantity. But, taking lesser is dangerous as it will increase the density of urine and lead to chemical deposition in the System. It is quite bad do wash down our food with water without munching them well. If we munch enough, the saliva will mix well with the food and make it swallow-able and obviate the need for liquid during eating. If the food taken is more in solids, take some water after eating to make the food palpable in the stomach. During and after the digestion, the essentials are absorbed into the Body System and thru the Blood, supplied to the cells and tissues for metabolism, while the unwanted things are passed out as waste. Consequently, the cells and muscles discard chemicals, salts and organic compounds in the Blood Stream and into the Excretory System. If the water content of the Blood is too low, the chemical concentration increases the load on the Kidneys. The structure of our Digestive System is such that our food must contain enough water for the Stomach to palpate and grind it well for digestion. Without liquids, a dry food cannot even be swallowed. And the Stomach juices cannot break-down them. Many un-cooked solids cannot be digested by the stomach juices. Cooking the solids adds water to them. Cooking softens the solids for munching and easy digestion. Furthermore, some chemicals and microscopic organisms are also destroyed by cooking. Quantity-wise, the total amount of solids for our daily need is much smaller than the actual consumption. This is because of the presence of unnecessary solids in the foods we eat. So the amount of intake must be proportional to our total need of essential ingredients. Generally, without any measurement, a food menu of grains, pulses, vegetables, sugars, oils, meat, milk products, salt, nuts and water in the approximate ratio of 20:10:10:3:5:10:10:0.1:5:15 will be sufficient for an average adult.
If the physical work is more, increasing the grains, pulses, vegetables and milk products is needed. We humans are more biased on the taste, appearance and smell of food than their nutrient values. Above all we don’t pay any heed to the fact that our Stomach is the sole decisive controller of what is acceptable into Human Body System. The unacceptable are identified right in the mouth and our System tries to expel them then and there. Even if those are swallowed, the Stomach throws them out. Even more than this, the Digestive Track passes them rapidly out. So, instead of being selective on food ourselves, it is the best to rely upon our Digestive System. Rejecting whatever is rejected by the Digestive System is safe. So, the liquor, chemicals beverages, unnatural concoctions and artificial drinks are to be identified avoided. Those which induce vomit, bloating, burping, ulcers, pain, diarrhea and stomach cramps are to be shunned outright. We must believe that our Digestive System has more control over our food intake. Our Digestive System is largely programmed upon the environment and climatic conditions of our region. So, a food menu taken in winter and in frigid region cannot go well in summer and temperate region. The energy requirement is entirely different for each of these four criteria. A person in a frigid region needs more body heat. And so, he is to eat more grains, flour, sugar, oils and lesser liquids. His excretion of waste will be mainly through Urinary System. Skin and perspiration will be minimal. But a person in a tropical region must eat more grains, vegetables, pulses, oils, milk produces and lots of water. He will need more liquids to compensate for the loss of water thru heavy perspiration. If the food content and selection is just right, our Body System will function as a Music-Maestro and the results will be genuinely a well composed Orchestra. Then ‘what, when, which, where, how and why to eat?’ becomes not a Doctor’s prescription; but a Cook’s preparation of food and cooking. Although it seems that our own body parts are well under our control and command, it is on the contrary. We cannot even ‘Order’ our Mouth to swallow what cannot be swallowed. We cannot absorb what we like and love. As we have so far experienced over centuries, the Human Body System is the sole decider of the food intake and the subsequent intake or expulsion is ultimately executed by the Body System only. If we keep these things in mind and follow the ‘Instincts’ of our Body System, then the Oriental Proverb, ‘Food is medicine’ will be the foundation of Healthy Eating. Then, the Contemporary Proverb, ‘Medicine is food’ will be expelled from the Human Society. For Good of course! All of the above guidelines are not ‘Lab Tested” and ‘Dietitian Approved’ Rules of Good Eating Habits! These are neither the Advises of a Great Chef nor the Wise-words of a Buffet Meals Restaurateur! These have been ‘Field Tested’ by Generations of common people over centuries. That is, in short, the Trial and Error method based, Experience Oriented and Well Practiced “Traditional Food and Eating Habits” followed by specific regions and nations. Just like Agricultural Crops, Vegetation, Animals, Birds and Culture, the Food Habits are also the product of Evolution.
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