Concept of diet in Naturopathy

According to Naturopathic medicine, the accumulation of waste and systemic poisons causes most diseases arising within the human organism. Therefore, food elements must be provided in sufficient quantities to neutralize and eliminate the systemic poisons.

Naturopathy deals with the subject of dietary protocol extensively. 

Naturopathy also aims to reduce foods that cause systemic poison through natural dietary protocol, by increasing fruits and vegetables that can purify the human body. Dietary protocol is both an art and a science. 

The real factors concerned with diet are the proper balance of food, food production, preparation and consumption in accordance with natural requirements.

Proteins, starches, sugars, vitamins, mineral salts and roughages have to be considered in relation to human needs so that good health can be attained.

If people learn to select, combine and balance their food suitable for their age, occupation, climate, it would make a lot of positive impact on their health and resistance to disease.

When we do not eat healthy and also do not get sufficient exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and adequate rest, we neglect the laws of nature. It is not possible to attain and maintain good health. We have to pay the penalties exacted by nature.

 

RAW DIET

Raw fruits and vegetables are the ideal foods, low in calories, but high in nutritive value. They contain the vitamins and minerals required by the body in their natural state, apart from their healing properties.

Raw diet comprises fresh and dry fruits, raw vegetables, nuts, sprouted whole grain cereals and pulses, etc.

MONO DIET

This means using only one kind of food at a meal, and not the same one continuously.

Naturopathy encourages that to remain healthy, the food items must contain 80% alkaline and 20% acidic substance.

The proteins and carbohydrates are acid forming, and the fruits and vegetables are alkaline.

They based this concept upon Ph value of the blood. No single dietary guide for all the sick and as the disease is progressing to cure, naturopaths might need to adjust your diets for specific needs in the body.

Naturopathy believes that food has a significant influence on the mind because everything we eat and drink is transported by the blood which sustains the nervous system.

Therefore, the quality of food has much to do with the quality of the mind.

In Naturopathy, food items are classified based on the acidic or alkaline ash they leave in the body after digestion. The broad classification of these food items are fruit diet, liquid diet, raw diet, acidic and alkaline food, fermented food, eliminative, soothing and constructive food, etc.

Some of these diets prescribed in Naturopathy are defined as:

• Eliminative diet
• Soothing diet
• Constructive diet

Eliminative diet

The dietary items beneficial in the cleansing of the system come under eliminative diet. During the first stage of treatment, eliminative diet pattern is followed, which encourages the detoxification of the body by eliminating the morbid matter and toxins from the system by way of activating the eliminative organs, i.e., kidneys, intestines. The eliminative diet is close to fasting.

Therefore, the food items like citric juices, lemon water, tender coconut water, etc., are generally prescribed as eliminative diet. It is also known as cleansing diet.

Soothing diet

In the second stage of Naturopathy treatment when the body is almost clean and detoxified, the patients are kept on soothing diet for sometime which is slightly filling whereby patients don’t feel as though they are fasting and action is not as vigorous as eliminative diet.

The food items in this phase generally consists of the fruits, salads, boiled/steamed vegetables, sprouts, vegetable soups, butter milk, wheat grass juice, etc.

Constructive diet

In the third phase of treatment when the body is fully detoxified and patient is free of their disease condition(s). The patient is being prescribed constructive diet whereby his/her new blood, lymph and body cells are building up normally. The food items in this phase generally consist of wholesome flour, unpolished rice, pulses, sprouts, curd, etc.

Being alkaline, these diets help in improving health, purifying the body and increasing immunity.

To this end, a proper combination of food is also essential. Moreover, the time and state of mind is equally important while taking food.

Naturopathy physician’s advice and provide naturopathic diet especially to the indoor patients apart from teaching them the importance of diet in health and disease control.

Most of the Naturopathy hospitals have a well-developed kitchen and diet centre with all the requisite equipment and facilities of preparation of cooked and un-cooked food items. The indoor patients are provided wholesome and quality naturopathic diet as per their disease condition and prescription.

They are also advised to follow the diet pattern at their home and be in touch with the

physician for further modifications in the diet schedule, if any, so that the management of the disease could be done properly and effectively.

One cannot expect to have good health by just observing proper diet but neglecting other laws of nature. To build and maintain proper health, it is necessary to observe the following in totality:

• fresh air and sunshine
• deep breathing exercises
• correct posture
• rest
• recreation
• relaxation
• sleep
• right mental attitude
• internal cleanliness
• proper elimination

LIFESTYLE AND DISEASE

Naturopathy believes that the diseases are the manifestation of violation to the laws of nature.

Modern science acknowledges that lifestyle is one substantial reason for diseases.

 

Lifestyle diseases include metabolic syndrome and cancer. There are considerable epidemiological evidences suggesting appropriate lifestyle changes which includes exercise and dietary modification which may lower the risk for these diseases.

To get rid of disease and to improve vitality, one has to follow the laws of nature in terms of exercise, rest, diet, etc and follow the Yogic way of life to manage the lifestyle related disorders effectively.

In a review article, Shruti Agnihotri et al. (2016) emphasized that regular practice of Yoga promotes strength, endurance, flexibility, and facilitates characteristics of friendliness, compassion, and greater self-control while cultivating a sense of calmness and well-being.

In another study, Shruti Agnihotri et al. (2016) made it known that the Yogic intervention decreased the use of rescue meditation. Overall, the study shows that Yoga can be practiced as an adjuvant for better outcome of asthma.

Yoga and Naturopathy are drugless systems of healing which improves the functioning of the entire body system by correcting the lifestyle.

General rules

There are some golden rules to be followed by the persons who want to be healthy, some of which are listed below:

1. In order to ensure the full benefits of mouth digestion, the starchy foods should be thoroughly masticated and mixed with saliva.
2. The drinking water must be at natural temperature as it comes from well or hydrant.
3. Food and drink should never be taken hot or icy cold. This habit may, in time, ruin the best stomach and the finest set of teeth.
4. Do not eat when overtired or emotionally excited.
5. Do not eat the heavy meal of the day between working hours.
6. White Bread and pastry should be avoided altogether or used very sparingly. Bread and other cereal products should be prepared from whole meal only.
7. Green vegetables are most beneficial when eaten raw with a dressing of lemon juice.
8. Fruits and vegetables in organic form are very rich in mineral salts, and therefore the addition of inorganic mineral table salt is not only superfluous but positively harmful.
9. After the vegetables are thoroughly washed and prepared, place them in the cooking vessel, adding only enough boiling water to keep them away from burning, cover the vessel with the lid, and let them steam slowly in their own juices. The leafy vegetables (spinach, beet tops, etc.) contain enough water for their own steaming. If placed in a vessel over a slow fire enough juice will gather in a few moments to prevent burning.
10. Cook all vegetables only as long as is required to make them soft enough for easy mastication. Do not pour away the water in which vegetables have thus been cooked. Use whatever is left for the making of soups and sauces.

These are just a few of the many important rules which if strictly followed, will soon improve the digestion and ensure better elimination from free movement of the bowels.

Foods to be avoided

To get optimum health and prevention from disease, Naturopathy advice to avoid the following health harming and disease developing items:

• Tobacco in the form of Zarda, Khaini, Bidi,Cigarette, Cigar and Pan masalas.
• Coffee, Tea, Chocolate and Cold drinks.
• Over use of salt.
• Alcohol and drugs.
• White sugar, fine flour, maida and its products, like bread, biscuit, sweets, namkeen, puri and ice-cream, etc.
• All processed, refined, tinned, preserved and chemically prepared factory foods.
• All foods kept overnight and stinking foods.
• Egg, meat, fish, fried food, polished rice, condiments and pickles, etc.
• All garden and farm products with pesticides and disinfectants.

Foods to be taken

Similarly, Naturopathy advises for edible food items which are necessary for maintenance and improvement of physical and mental health:

1. Vegetables – All green fresh vegetables such as Scent leave, Bitter leaves, Ugu leaves, Water leaves, Cabbage, Turnip, Beet, Carrot, Cucumber, Spinach, Radish, Tomato, Peppers, Onions etc.
2. Cereals – Unpolished rice, Wheat flour with bran.
3. Sweets – Honey, Date powder.
4. Sprouts: Wheat, Alfalfa, Ground nut, etc.
5. Dry fruits – Date, Fig, Raisin and Currant.
6. Fresh fruits – All seasonal fresh and ripe fruits like Guava, Pear, Apple, Banana, Papaya, Agbalumo, Orange, etc.
7. Juice – Fresh juice of Pineapple, Orange, Carrot, etc.
8. Soup -Vegetable soup, pepper soup
9. Liquid – Lemon water, Coconut water, Coconut milk, Tiger nut milk, Butter milk, etc.

The above dietary guidelines might not be suitable for everyone, mostly those with certain chronic diseases.

Always consult with your doctor before you follow any of the above nutritional procedures.