The body, digest, transforms food, nutrients into blood into structure into function, into health or disease. The correct amount of structure and function produces health, the incorrect, disease.
There are only two kinds of foods, nutrients, building and cleansing. Building nutrients, food, protein, fat, oil, meat, eggs, cheese, etc. build and fuel all structure and function. Cleansing nutrients, foods, water, minerals, sugar, fruit, vegetables, grains, etc. reduce, cleanse, cool and moisten.
The correct combination of building and cleansing produces and maintains the correct amount of structure and function where the body mind can thrive.
The incorrect combination, amounts, in the extreme, worsen, sicken the body mind via too much (overbuilt) or too little (under built, over cleansed) structure and function.
The heart is a thick, muscular organ that is located in the chest, left center between the lungs. It is divided into left and right sides by a septum. Each side has four chambers, two upper, atrium, auricles and two lower, ventricles.
De-oxygenated blood flows via the Superior Vena Cava (major vein leading from the upper half of the body) into the heart into the right atrium into the right ventricle and out to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
Inside the lungs, deoxygenated blood is cleansed of wastes, freshly oxygenated and sent back via the pulmonary vein to the heart into the left atrium into the left ventricle and out the aorta into its many branches, arteries, veins and capillaries that transverse the body, head to toe.
Blood irrigates, builds, fuels and cleanses all structure, function. Protein and fat are thick, sticky, hard nutrients that build and fuel.
In excess, too much protein and fat (includes cholesterol) tends to thicken the blood (high cholesterol), arteries( arteriosclerosis), veins (high blood pressure), liver (cirrhosis), thighs, abdomen, skin, warts, psoriasis, joints, gout, blood, tumors, cancer, etc.
Blood flows in and out of the liver. The liver stores, cleanses (filters, removes excess protein, fat, cholesterol) and releases the blood. Too much protein and fat tends to clog the liver, reducing its ability to cleanse.
Less protein and fat are removed, cleansed. More stays, collects in the blood, arteries, veins, etc. which in turn stagnates, reduces the flow of blood. The first body parts to suffer are the extremities, arms, legs and head.
Poor circulation reduces blood flow to the arms, legs, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments producing the following symptoms: dryness and inflammation (blood is moistening, cooling), numbness, weakness and or shaking (blood builds and holds), fixed pain and or coldness (blood is warming).
Poor, reduced circulation of blood to the head, in the extreme, tends to produce the following blood deficiency symptoms: pale complexion and or tongue (blood is red), poor memory (blood fuels function), dizziness (blood fuels function, lack of holding), insomnia, etc.
Poor circulation can also be caused by blood deficiency. Blood deficiency, anemia has several causes: anemic diet, hemorrhage, menstruation, drugs, surgery, etc.
Anemic diets, low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate, salads, fruit, grains, pasta, etc. tend to thin the blood. Protein and fat are thick and sticky. Water, sugar, minerals, etc. do not build, but instead dissolve, cleanse.
Anemic diets, in the extreme, tend to thin the blood, which in turn, thins, reduces the heart, arteries, veins, brain, bones, muscles, skin, hair, nails, etc.
The body builds up (hot) and breaks down (cold). The correct amount produces the correct amount of structure and function where the body min can thrive. The incorrect worsens, sickens the the body mind via too much, overbuilt or too little, under built. Most men tend to be overbuilt, hot, and most women, under built, cold (due largely to menstruation and diet).
The correct way of eating, per meal is very simple and universal:
1/3 protein and fat
1/3 grain
1/3 cooked vegetables (3-5), fruit
spices, soup and or tea
For more information on the way of eating, how to manipulate the four food groups, spices, diagnosing and curing disease please visit www.hotandcoldhealth.net.
Richard Heft, Acupuncture Physician (FL 1992-2002); owner, operator Food and Thought, health food store, Hollywood, FL (1984-2001); Hot and Cold Health, web: http://www.hotandcoldhealth.net