Diet Center / The Low Stress Diet

The Low Stress Diet

A DIET DIFFERS FROM A MENU. A Menu is simply a list of foods to eat, whereas a Diet is a METHOD OF EATING. The LOW STRESS DIET tells you HOW TO SELECT YOUR FOODS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

A DIET DIFFERS FROM A MENU. A Menu is simply a list of foods to eat, whereas a Diet is a METHOD OF EATING. The LOW STRESS DIET tells you HOW TO SELECT YOUR FOODS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

The Low Stress Diet is based upon the principle of MODERATION. “Moderation” is a word which means something different to everyone. But, careful reading of the information which follows will leave no doubt about its exact meaning insofar as our discussion is concerned.

The PURPOSE of the Low Stress Diet is to remove IMPOSED STRESSES on the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND THE METABOLISM OF THE BODY by eliminating EXCESSES FROM THE DIET. It does this by taking into consideration:

The Four Basic Qualifications for Food

• First: THE QUALITY OF FOODS EATEN
• Second: THE QUANTITY OF FOODS EATEN
• Third: THE NUTRITIONAL CONCENTRATION OF FOODS EATEN
• Fourth: THE DIGESTIBILITY OF FOODS EATEN

Definition of Dietary Excess

An excess is defined as that food or amount of food which exceeds the body’s ability to handle it efficiently, or any food additive or other substance foreign to the body.

The Effects of Dietary Excesses are Threefold

I- SYSTEMIC OVERLOAD:

When more food is taken into the body than can be efficiently utilized to serve its purposes, this excess of food may be digested (made assimilable) and absorbed into the bloodstream. Here it must be handled in one way or another and this can place a stress upon what are known as “THE INTERMEDIATE PROCESSES” - the fat, carbohydrate and protein metabolizing systems. It also places a stress upon the GLANDULAR SYSTEM because one of the primary functions of the glands is to regulate the internal environment.

Various diseases are aggravated by such overloading, for example, diabetes (carbohydrates), hardening of the arteries (synthetic fats), gout (rich foods), and other diseases which are merely “suspected,” but the most commonly recognized of all is OBESITY.

The point to be made is that IN NO CASE CAN SYSTEMIC OVERLOAD BE CONSIDERED DESIRABLE.

II - DIGESTIVE OVERLOAD

When there is a deficiency of digestive enzymes and more food is taken into the body than can be broken down into simpler substances and absorbed (digested), we may only conclude that this excess is carried in the intestinal tract as UNDIGESTED FOOD. Such undigested food particles are FOCI OF TOXIC END­PRODUCTS BY BACTERIAL ACTION. The fat particles may RANCIDIFY, the carbohydrates FERMENT and the proteins PUTREFY. Some of the toxic end products (POISONS) we can mention are histamine (a factor in allergy), guanidine (a factor in arthritis and other diseases), peroxides and organic acids which may interfere with the “friendly bacteria” normal to the healthy intestinal environment. WHEN THESE TOXIC END PRODUCTS ARE FOUND IN THEINTESTINAL TRACT, WE HAVE A CONDITION KNOWN AS INTESTINAL TOXEMIA, certainly a condition to be avoided.

III - FOREIGN SUBSTANCES

When we take into our body substances which are FOREIGN TO IT, THE DEFENSE MECHANISMS are called into play to RID THE BODY OF THESE SUBSTANCES. The defense mechanisms of the en­docrine system may be overloaded by these foreign substances. The number of ways in which these foreign substances can find their way into the human system is almost endless. We will mention but a few of them: drugs, smog, substances in water supply, industrial poisons, food preservatives, and many others. But, probably, the most important avenue of contamination is FROM OUR EVERYDAY FOODS. IN OUR MODERN ENVIRONMENT WE CAN PROBABLY NEVER ELIMINATE THESE FOREIGN SUBSTANCES ENTIRELY, BUT THE LOW STRESS DIET IS DESIGNED TO BRING THIS CONTAMINATION TO A MINIMUM.