enter our digestive tract. No digestive system is capable of completely breaking down such foods. Further, there are some foods (such as legumes) in which the dominant substance is not so obvious. These products are problematic in and of themselves. Legumes are remarkable in that they contain two dominant substances - protein and starch. Therefore, they are so difficult to digest by the human body. Legumes are indigestible when raw and are potentially toxic due to their high acid content. Boiled, they tend to settle in the stomach and tend to cause flatulence. (Peppermint may reduce the symptoms of flatulence, but will not eliminate them completely.)

The chart illustrates the five dominant nutrients in steak, avocado, rice, banana, lemon.

Table 1.1. shows the percentage of protein and starch in legumes.

The ratio of protein and starch is more favorable in cereal crops. However, both cereals and legumes are agricultural products, they were not included in the simple diet of ancient man. And only thanks to the gradual development of agriculture, these crops were introduced into human nutrition, and since then for more than 10 thousand years they have been the most important products, mainly because of their availability and cheapness.

Table 1.1

Percentage of nutrients in legumes

In each case, there are two dominant substances, and in soybeans there are even three. For this reason, legumes are always difficult to digest during digestion, whether they are eaten alone or not. Although there are tricks to facilitate digestion, they require so much energy that the end result of the metabolic process is not so high.

Interesting fact: many ancient civilizations sought to find medicinal herbs that could stimulate digestion. Herbs have been widely used to help with constipation or diarrhea (diarrhea), flatulence or colic. at least to the ancient Egyptians. Similar traditions existed among the Indians of South and Central America before the discovery of Columbus. The conclusion is sadly obvious: in the following centuries, mankind ate malnourished, and only now began to think and study healthy nutrition.

Other nutrients
Many nutrition books often mention water and fiber.

Water is an important component of the human internal environment, it performs many functions in the body. However, water does not directly affect digestion. Foods rich in water (fruits, vegetables, milk) are easy to digest compared to the so-called. concentrated foods (nuts, seeds, cereals, cheese, sausage). But the amount of nutrients in watery foods, of course, is much less. Brazil nuts are a concentrated product. It has a very favorable ratio of proteins, fats, sugars and starches and is easily absorbed by the body.

Table 1.2

Percentage of nutrients in cereals

Starch is the dominant substance, but the protein content is also high. This can hinder digestion. Chestnut also contains a large amount of starch, but the ratio of protein and starch in it is different: 34% protein versus 412% starch (1:12). The higher the B:Cr ratio, the better the product is absorbed by the body.

One hundred grams (3.5 ounces) of Brazil nuts are equal in calories to five kilograms of papaya (i.e. fifty times more). Watery foods are easier to digest because they contain few nutrients. In this case, the body spends much less energy on metabolism.

Water has a beneficial effect on digestion (regulates the acid-base balance), but not on the compatibility of foods. Although this does not apply to all watery products. For example, meat and fish also contain a lot of water.

The same applies to fiber, which is not digested in the digestive tract. Fiber is usually sticky to the touch and swells in the presence of liquids. We call cellulose a number of vegetable fibers, cellulose, pectin, etc. They are inert in the stomach and small intestine, however, when they reach the large intestine, they swell to such an extent that they cover the entire cross-section of the intestine and, thanks to their ability to stick together, contribute to the process of defecation. Exactly fiber is best for bowel movements, so fiber-rich foods should be included in the diet. However, fiber does not affect the compatibility of products at all.

Culinary processing
Culinary processing продуктов может изменить проportions питательных веществ в них. Sometimes this helps absorption, and sometimes processing makes the product less digestible. Rice has a protein to starch ratio of 1:10. When cooked, it absorbs a large amount of water, as a result, the ratio of proteins to starch becomes 1:12, which is more favorable.

In bread, the ratio of protein to starch remains unchanged. But starch in its pure form (potato, corn, rice, etc.), when added to food, changes this ratio very much. Therefore, industrial products often have an unfavorable ratio of nutrients.

Raw food is easier to digest than processed food. But this fact may not affect the compatibility of products. Cooked food, when used in the right combination, gives excellent results, and raw foods, poorly combined, can lead to indigestion. In addition, cooked foods may be so low in nutrients that the body cannot absorb them. Such food simply passes through the alimentary canal and is not involved in the process of digestion.

Acid-base balance
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Professor Ragnar Berg (1875-1956) published the results of his research, in which he divided all foods into two main groups: "concentrated" and "non-concentrated". Obviously, high-calorie foods are in one group, and low-calorie foods are in the other. But Professor Berg distinguished them according to a different principle: according to his classification, one group included products containing metallic elements, the other - non-metallic.

Food products with a high proportion of non-metallic elements (sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine are acid-forming, that is, they are responsible for the formation of acids during the metabolic process. Foods that reduce acidity and are therefore alkaline (basic) contain metals (potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, and calcium.) They tend to be high in water and low in protein. lots of protein and little water. Non-metallic elements are usually found in protein.

Acid-base balance существенно влияет на пищеварение. Normally, the pH of human blood is in the range from 7.3 to 7.5, that is, human blood is slightly alkaline, the neutral pH level is 7.0. Professor Vincent, founder of the diagnostic method known as "bio-electronics", is of the opinion that, ideally, blood should have a neutral pH.

To maintain a constant pH value, the body uses three main mechanisms: the blood (a complex of "buffer" substances in it), the lungs (carbon dioxide is removed during breathing) and the kidneys (filtering acids and alkalis and removing them from the body). Blood buffers neutralize excess acids and prevent acidosis. If these three mechanisms did not work, we would have to eat 80-90% alkaline foods and only 10-20% acid-forming foods. (In conventional diets, this ratio is 55:45).

If there were no mechanisms for regulating pH, then 80-90% of the products would have to be alkaline, and only 10-20% acid-forming.

In a normal diet, the ratio of alkalis and acids is 55:45 (%).

Acid-base balance организма, таким образом, оказывает значительное влияние на метаболизм и пищеварение. As we discussed above, watery foods are easy to digest. The low nutrient content of such foods matches the ideal balance between metallic and non-metallic elements.

If we eat too many acid-forming (concentrated) foods, the digestive process can be difficult, even if the foods are otherwise well compatible.

Meat, fish, cheese, bread, cereals, nuts (and seeds, grains, fruit pips), milk (and whole milk products such as skim milk, yogurt, buttermilk) are all alkaline foods.

Some scientists believe that there are neutral products in which metallic and non-metallic elements coexist and neutralize each other. Such combinations do not exist in nature, although it is possible to develop unusual food products (edible oils and sugar) that contain neither metallic nor non-metallic elements. Soft drinks contain only water and sugar, but flavoring agents are added to them. color

The Danish nutritionist Nolfi, and other experts who were not familiar with the theory of separate nutrition, but carefully studied the effect of food on the acid-base balance, came to the same conclusion: the acid-base balance has a huge impact on the digestion process, on metabolism and, as a result,, on human health.

Interestingly, Dr. Hay, unlike Shelton, studied this issue in depth. However, it was Shelton who recommended eating large amounts of (alkaline) vegetables in combination with foods from (acid-forming) cereals. Probably, subconsciously, he sought to find a diet that regulates the acid-base balance.

To avoid misunderstanding, it should be emphasized once again that sour and acid-forming food are not the same thing. Sour foods taste sour or sweet, while acid-forming foods can taste anything.

Note that although meat and fish contain a lot of water (about 75% by volume), they are acid-forming. The water content in them decreases after smoking or drying. Acid-base balance зависит не столько от воды, сколько от соотношения металлических и неметаллических элементов.

Milk is an alkaline product, but concentrated dairy products (hard and semi-hard cheeses, pressed cottage cheese) are acid-forming. The protein content in milk is 3.3%. in pressed cottage cheese - from 12 to 18%, in hard cheese (cheddar, cheshire, emmental) and semi-hard (edam, gouda, salute port) - from 25 to 28%.

Cooking can change the acid-base balance, but this effect is so insignificant that it can be neglected.

Separate nutrition is extremely important, but the author is not going to claim that it plays the biggest role in a healthy diet. The issues of separate nutrition and acid-base balance represent two separate theories, and both of them support each other.

In addition, there are many other nutritional factors that have a beneficial effect on the digestion process (thorough chewing, frequent meals, relaxation while eating, focusing on food, etc.) There are also negative factors: stress and mental tension, emotional disorders and physical ailments.

Possible product combinations
The one who buys a padlock with a five-figure code, relies