Conscious Eating Part 3

IN THIS SECTION, I describe how the oxidative system works on the functional level of the individual. In the section immediately following, I explore how the oxidative system works on a biochemical level.

The oxidative system is dominant in approximately 60% of the population. The autonomic system is dominant in 40% of the population.

What is fascinating about this is that the same food or supplement for people who are oxidative system-dominant will have just the opposite effect in a person whose autonomic system is the dominant force. For example, calcium in a sympathetic-dominant person will create more sympathetic dominance imbalance and acidity. In a person whose system is dominated by the oxidation homeostatic mechanism, calcium will cause a slower oxidation and move the system toward alkalinity.

Pota.s.sium and magnesium will alkalinize a person whose autonomic nervous system is dominant and will acidify a person who is oxidative-dominant. As you can see, this completely opposite effect has great clinical significance as far as what one prescribes for people.

Fruits and vegetables in the oxidative-dominant system will cause the blood to move to the acid side. In the ANS-dominant person, fruits and vegetables will cause the blood to move in an alkaline direction.

Protein foods acidify the blood in ANS dominants and alkalinize the blood in oxidative-dominant people.

The startling point here is, it is not the food or nutrient that determines the alkaline or acid effects in the body. It is the dominant system of that person which determines whether a nutrient will react in an acid or alkaline way in the body At the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center I now measure the change in blood pH in response to foods and nutrients in different individuals. It constantly amazes me how the blood pH tests are totally different than what is taught in medical schools and in most of the naturopathic literature. I have had to rewrite my acid-base chapter in this new edition of the book in order to adjust to these exciting new findings.

The research shows that food and nutrients behave differently in people with different dominant metabolic types. This has profound implications. It is the most obvious explanation for why some diets or "miracle" nutrients work well for some people but may actually make other people feel worse.

The implications of metabolic systems is that there is no one human physiology that is the "gold standard" by which to compare everyone else. In practical reality this means that diets, herbs, and nutrients must always be individually prescribed rather than allopathically prescribed in a quasi-democratic, "one for all"-type mentality. Allopathically prescribed recommendations for so-called "right vitamins and minerals to treat different diseases" aren't precise enough for the nutrition of the future that we are working toward developing in the present.

Following general prescriptions may lead you to taking nutrients that are specifically deleterious to your particular metabolic type. In other words, two individuals may have different systems out of balance, yet manifest the same constellation of symptoms. The reverse is true as well: Two individuals may have very similar physiologies, but different symptom patterns.

To rebalance metabolic systems and heal these two different individuals, we must introduce different diets and nutrients. The principle then is: any given disease or symptom complex may arise from virtually opposite biochemical imbalances in different metabolic types.

How the Oxidative System Works.

THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE OXIDATIVE SYSTEM is to convert proteins, fats, starches, and sugars into cellular energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the biological form of energy storage at the cellular level. There are two main biochemical energy cycles at the cellular level that produce ATP. One is called glycolysis and the other is called the citric acid cycle. Glycolysis provides about 33% of the cellular energy. The citric acid cycle, when operating optimally, produces about 66% of the cellular energy. To make each of these cycles work optimally and efficiently, there needs to be an optimal ratio of raw materials coming from sugars, protein, and complex carbohydrates in a person's diet.

Specific vitamins and minerals are needed for the optimal function of these cycles. A slow oxidizer is someone whose glycolysis cycle is working slowly, so he or she needs more carbohydrates in his or her diet to compensate for the slower oxidation and lower production of glucose and its metabolic intermediates such as pyruvate, which indirectly feeds the citric acid cycle. A fast oxidizer is one whose glycolysis cycle is working too rapidly. Too much glucose and its breakdown products are produced and there is an unbalanced amount of pyruvate and other intermediates from the glycolysis in relations.h.i.+p to the acetyl-CoA from the protein and fat metabolism. Either too much or too little glucose and its intermediate breakdown products in relations.h.i.+p to protein and fat catabolism interferes with the proper functioning of the citric acid cycle. To optomize biological energy, or ATP production, the citric acid cycle must work at maximum efficiency (see the diagram). For the citric acid cycle to work optimally, there needs to be the right balance of glycosis and protein and fat catabolism. When there is the correct balance of these, the citric acid cycle has the right fuel mix to function efficiently and produce a maximum amount of ATP.

There is a third type of oxidative system which we call mixed. These people are balanced between a slow and fast oxidizer metabolism and so need a third ratio of protein/carbohydrate/fat.

In practical terms, a slow oxidizer needs a high carbohydrate intake to prime the slow glycolysis rate and a relatively low protein and fat intake to keep a low rate of acetyl-CoA production from fat and protein catabolism.

A fast oxidizer needs a low carbohydrate intake to slow down the glycolysis production and a higher protein and fat intake to increase the acetyl-CoA production. A fast-oxidizer diet is a relatively low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and moderate fat-intake diet. Please note that this high-protein diet is easily achieved with a plant-based, vegetarian diet.

Research with multiple personalities and manic-depressives shows dramatic physiological changes in const.i.tution. Although these are described as const.i.tutional tendencies, major stress physically and emotionally has been known to cause s.h.i.+fts in const.i.tutional tendencies. With prolonged optimal health I have seen people s.h.i.+ft toward more of a mixed oxidizer. They tend to be slanted more toward their original const.i.tution, but are no longer at an extreme pole.

Needs of Fast, Slow, and Mixed Oxidizers Fast Oxidizer: high protein, 50-55%; low carbohydrate, 30-35%; medium fat, 20-25%; tendency to be acid.

Slow Oxidizer: low protein, 30-35%; high carbohydrate, 55-60%; low fat, 10-15%; tendency to be alkaline.

Mixed Oxidizer: medium protein, 40-45%; medium carbohydrate, 40-45%; medium fat, 15-20%; tendency to be optimal pH 7.46.

Physiologic Const.i.tutions, Brain Functioning, and Behavior.

AT THE TREE OF LIFE REJUVENATION CENTER I am presently exploring the impact of diet and nutrients on the brain, behavior, psychological states, and overall well-being. The research of Dr. George Watson (explained in his book, Nutrition and Your Mind) on mental states and the oxidative systems is a landmark in the scientific literature. His work strongly demonstrates the influence of diet on the functioning of the brain. Watson's research with more than three hundred patients showed that some cases of mental illness, including serious psychiatric diagnoses such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia, involved impairment of the nervous system and brain function due to abnormalities in the brain metabolism of these patients. Watson's research showed that the rebalancing of cellular oxidation is key for restoring proper energy function of the brain and nervous system. When proper brain energy metabolism was reestablished, many mental states such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and paranoia faded away.

I am finding the same results in my work. If the brain's cellular metabolism is producing optimal energy, mental and emotional imbalances are more likely to disappear.

Watson found that in order to regulate the rate of cellular oxidation and reestablish metabolic balance, people need an adequate supply of nutrients in a balanced ratio of food fuel proportions, according to whether they are fast or slow oxidizers. We must appreciate that food provides the raw materials the body uses to synthesize cellular enzymes as well as to balance hormones which in turn regulate thyroid, insulin, and glucagon balance, all of which affect the brain metabolism.

The Biochemistry of Brain Function.

GLUCOSE TRANSPORTED IN THE BLOOD is the basic food for all the muscles, organs, brain, and nervous system. When glucose metabolism is impaired, it impacts our mental state. The brain needs the greatest amount of glucose of all the body organs to function efficiently. All energy used by the brain is derived from the process of cellular respiration, which uses glucose as its primary fuel.

Cellular respiration is the process by which complex foods are broken down into more simple substances. These are then oxidized at the cellular level to make energy for the brain and for the body generally. In this process, glucose is transformed by the action of enzymes (biochemical catalysts) into a series of intermediate substances (intermediary metabolites) which drive complex metabolic cycles. It is these cycles which create energy in the form of ATP, the primary energy molecule of the body, as previously mentioned. The energy does not come from glucose directly, but from the interaction of the intermediary metabolites in the glycolysis and citric acid cycles that have been created from the glucose.

To understand how fast- and slow-oxidizing metabolisms profoundly affect functioning, we must appreciate how the body produces ATP from glucose. In these two primary cellular respiration cycles, any interference with the step-by-step breakdown of the glucose to ATP from the incomplete oxidation of glucose intermediates in the brain may result in impaired mental functioning.

As an example, let's take the case of a deficiency in the vitamin niacin. Niacin partic.i.p.ates in the enzymatic breakdown of sugar at several places in the energy production cycles. A deficiency of niacin slows down brain metabolism and therefore affects the creation of energy for brain function. It is well known that a niacin deficiency may result in pellagra. Pellagra has a variety of mental symptoms a.s.sociated with it, including depression and anxiety. Niacin is also needed for tryptophan metabolism. Niacin deficiency has been implicated in some forms of schizophrenia. As we can see, deficiencies of these and other vitamins and minerals, as well as pH imbalances, may profoundly alter brain functioning and therefore the normal functioning of brain activities.

Although glucose metabolism is primary in brain metabolism, the adequate utilization of protein and fat breakdown products in the citric acid cycle significantly affects the amount of ATP that is available for brain metabolism. There needs to be a proper mix of the intermediate metabolites from both glucose metabolism and fat and protein metabolic breakdown for the citric acid cycle to produce the optimal amount of energy for proper functioning.

To summarize, a person with a slow oxidative metabolism processes glucose too slowly in the glycolysis cycle and therefore does not create the proper fuel mix with the catabolic products of fat and protein metabolism. The result of this poor mix is a slow-down of the production of energy in the cells. Adverse psychological effects of this include doc.u.mented cases of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

As I pointed out before, slow oxidizers do best on a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, moderately low in protein, and low in fat. The high amounts of carbohydrate supply more glucose to drive the slow oxidizer system to increase glycolysis function. The low-fat and -protein part of the diet minimizes the amount of fat and protein metabolites in the system, so less acetyl-CoA is produced. For a slow oxidizer the glycolysis needs to be primed with a high-carbohydrate diet, and the acetyl-CoA needs to be minimized with a low protein and fat input.

Fast oxidizers are people whose metabolism burns glucose quickly and have too much activity in the glycolysis cycle. In this case there is an imbalance with the metabolites of the fat and protein metabolism, which is insufficient to match the excess of metabolites such as pyruvate from the glycolysis cycle. To get the correct mix, fast oxidizers need to eat more protein and fat to produce more acetyl-CoA to keep up with the high glycolysis metabolism. Following this understanding, one can see that for fast oxidizers the traditional vegetarian diet of low fat, low protein, and high complex carbohydrate diminishes their energy production. Consequently there is a significant disruption of the energy production in the nervous system. Severe personality changes can manifest, such as social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, tendency to violence, and even paranoid delusions. I have seen this happen in fast oxidizers who have tried to convert to the high-complex-carbohydrate, low-fat and -protein style of traditional vegetarian diets. Fast oxidizers do best on variations of the "Zone" diet, preferably plant-based as I mentioned before, which is a relatively high-protein, moderate-carbohydrate, and moderate-fat diet. The ratio is approximately 50-55% protein, 30-35% carbohydrate, and 20-25% fat. For frustrated fast oxidizers who are struggling to be vegetarian because they are sticking to the traditional vegetarian approach of a low-protein, low-fat, high-complex-carbohydrate diet, this information has been a tremendous boon. Literally overnight they transformed from low-energy vegetarians to high-energy "successful" vegetarians. Once this information gets out and people become conscious eaters who break away from the narrow dietary teaching of the orthodox vegetarian community and attune to their own physiologic const.i.tutions, there will be many more healthy and happy vegetarians. The pathway for many more people to become successful vegetarians will be opened.

Slow oxidizers do relatively poorly on the Sears Zone Diet type of approach because they need a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates to prime the slow glucose metabolism. Both poles of the oxidative metabolism can be corrected using a vegetarian diet. I have helped a variety of fast-oxidizer people become vegetarian with an individually prescribed set of nutrients and a specific high-protein, modest-fat, and modest-complex-carbohydrate diet.

It is important for fast oxidizers to minimize foods that are high on what is called the "glycemic index." The glycemic index is the rate at which a food is converted into glucose. There seem to be several published variations of the glycemic index so I am not going to give numbers to the foods and share my version of the glycemic list. Common high-glycemic foods are puffed rice, rice cakes, cornflakes, sugar, wheat bread, and baked potatoes. These foods are best avoided or used minimally by fast oxidizers.

The middle-level glycemic foods include: carrots, brown rice, corn, bananas, all bran, kidney beans, raisins, spaghetti, and pinto beans.

Foods that have the lowest glycemic index include: yams, oatmeal, orange juice, rye bread, navy beans, apples, yogurt, peaches, plums, fructose, soybeans, and peanuts. Vegetables are also generally low on the glycemic index. Foods low on the glycemic index are the healthiest for fast oxidizers.

Foods high in purines are helpful to fast oxidizers. Purines are found in proteins that contain high amounts of nucleoproteins. Purines contain adenine, which is an important part of the intermediary metabolism for the production of acetyl-CoA from fat and protein. Some high-protein, high-purine vegetarian foods are chlorella, brewer's yeast, and bee pollen. Good vegetarian protein and fat foods are raw nuts and seeds as well as avocado.

The glucose metabolism of slow oxidizers improves with specific vitamins and minerals that speed up the breakdown of glucose to pyruvate. These help bring the brain metabolism back to a normal rate. A different set of vitamins and minerals will slow down the overactive glucose metabolism of fast oxidizers, and thereby bring them back to a normal metabolic pattern. Once one understands these patterns, it is possible to select the correct diet, vitamins, and minerals to either slow down or speed up the metabolism as needed.

Pota.s.sium, magnesium, chromium, B1, B2, and B6 stimulate the glycolysis cycle and thus help the slow oxidizer become more efficient. Calcium, iodine, boron, vitamin A, B3, and B12 slow down the rate of glycolysis and thus help the fast oxidizer become more efficient. For example, if we try to give a high-pota.s.sium diet to a fast oxidizer, we will make them more metabolically out of balance.

The reverse is also true: if one gives vitamins and minerals that slow glucose metabolism to a slow oxidizer, one may make their condition even worse. Through a properly prescribed diet and vitamin and mineral supplementation as well as other lifestyle changes it is possible to s.h.i.+ft the metabolism of a slow or fast oxidizer back to a more balanced mid-range rate. One can s.h.i.+ft the balance of the homeostatic mechanism so that a slow oxidizer moves more into balance.

One way of determining the optimal mineral and dietary pattern based on metabolic type is to observe the blood pH. Slow oxidizers naturally have a more alkaline blood pH, and fast oxidizers have a more acid blood pH. A properly prescribed diet will bring the blood pH back within optimal range.

Direct clinical observation shows that for people whose oxidation system is the dominant system, protein and fat intake will alkalinize the blood, and fruit and vegetables will acidify the blood. This may be different than what you have read or been taught in natural health circles. We may be concerned that fruits and vegetables make oxidative-dominant people more acid, but for oxidative-dominant/slow oxidizers who have a tendency to be more alkaline const.i.tutionally, fruits and vegetables are helpful because their acid direction balances the alkaline tendencies of the slow oxidizer. Therefore, slow oxidizers need lots of carbohydrates to keep their pH balanced. For fast oxidizers, who tend to be acid in their pH, eating lots of carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables would make them more acidic. They do best by eating more protein, which for an oxidizer-dominant person is alkalinizing. This makes perfect sense if we keep in mind that fast oxidizers need more protein and fat to make their citric acid cycle work optimally as well. The key is bringing the blood pH to an optimal level of 7.46. This is where the brain cellular metabolism works best. The ideal is not to be too acid or alkaline, and to eat foods based on your const.i.tution. These foods will automatically balance your acid/base tendencies.

Research shows that if a person is ANS-dominant rather than oxidative-dominant, the metabolic relations.h.i.+ps reverse, and fruits and vegetables alkalinize the blood while protein and fats acidify the blood. In this case the dominant polarity is between parasympathetic- and sympathetic-dominant rather than slow or fast oxidizer. This has tremendous implications for vegetarians, vegans, and raw-fooders.

At the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, people come for a three-day a.s.sessment to determine which physiologic system is dominant. A major part of this testing involves drawing blood two hours after each meal to determine how a person responds physiologically to different types of foods. Once a pattern develops, I am able to determine what system is dominant, and in that system, which subsystem is dominant. This allows me to determine the best diet and nutrients for my clients. I also use a questionnaire and glucose tolerance pattern to a.s.sess whether a person is a slow or fast oxidizer. A gentle rolling curve for the three-hour glucose tolerance test in which there is not a rapid drop back to the fasting glucose level suggests a slow oxidizer. A curve with a large and rapid spike or a drop in blood glucose suggests a fast oxidizer. The following is a self-a.s.sessment questionnaire based on the physiological characteristics of fast and slow oxidizers.

Slow Oxidizer Profile.

1. Do you eat to live? Yes No 2. Can you go a long time without eating? Yes No 3. Is it easy for you to skip meals and maintain energy and a sense of well-being? Yes No 4. Are you generally not concerned at all with eating? Yes No 5. Does a high-carbohydrate diet with fruits, vegetables, and sweets satisfy and sustain you emotionally and energetically? Yes No 6. Do you have a minimal appet.i.te for lunch? Yes No 7. Do you have a minimal appet.i.te for dinner? Yes No 8. Do you love sweets (white sugar foods or dried fruits) and need something sweet with a meal to feel satisfied? Yes No 9. Does eating before bedtime worsen sleep? Yes No 10. Does eating fatty foods like lots of seeds, avocados, and nut b.u.t.ters make you feel lethargic? Yes No 11. Does eating a meal high in tofu, chlorella, spirulina, nuts, seeds, beans, or flesh food, if you are not a vegetarian, drop your energy afterward? Yes No 12. Does eating sweets (sugar foods or dried fruits), grains, or fruits restore lasting energy and give a sense of well-being? Yes No 13. Does apple or orange juice alone energize and satisfy you for a long time? Yes No 14. Do you handle juice or water fasts without many headaches, extreme hunger, nausea, or shakiness? Yes No 15. Does a high-carbohydrate, low-protein, low-fat vegetarian meal like a salad, grains, vegetables, or just fruits make you generally feel well, satisfied, and energized? Yes No 16. If you could eat anything you want (what you like, not what you think is good for you) at a buffet, would you sample all the salads and leave room for the desserts? Yes No 17. If you feel low-energy, does eating sweets or fruits restore lasting energy? Yes No 18. Are you not particularly fond of potatoes? Yes No 19. Do you have a sense of sustained well-being after eating sweet foods? Yes No 20. Do foods taste too salty? Yes No 21. Does eating red meat decrease energy and well-being? If you are a vegetarian, can you remember when you used to eat red meat if it decreased energy and well-being? Yes No 22. Do you get sleepy or lethargic eating a high-protein, high-fat meal such as one high in seeds, nuts, tofu, spirulina, beans, or chlorella? Yes No 23. Do you not particularly care for sour foods such as lemons? Yes No 24. Do you rarely want snacks? Yes No 25. Is it easy for you to go more than four hours without food? Yes No 26. Is the traditional low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet easy and natural for you? Yes No 27. Do you feel good and energetically sustained after eating grains to which you are not allergic? Yes No 28. Has your general health and well-being improved since becoming vegetarian or minimizing high-protein foods? Yes No 29. Did you grow up having any aversions to flesh foods? Yes No 30. Did you grow up having any aversions to fatty foods? Yes No.

Fast Oxidizer Profile.

1. Do you have a strong appet.i.te for breakfast? Yes No 2. Do you have a strong appet.i.te for lunch? Yes No 3. Do you have a strong appet.i.te for dinner? Yes No 4. Do you need to snack frequently? Yes No 5. Does a high-carbohydrate diet with fruits/ vegetables/sweets make you feel worse or not satisfy you? Yes No 6. Do you feel satisfied after a high-protein meal like tofu, beans, spirulina, nut, seeds, or chlorella? Yes No 7. Do you feel better after a high-protein meal? Yes No 8. Do you crave flesh foods? Yes No 9. Does a high-protein meal give you a sense of increased energy and well-being? Yes No 10. Does going four hours without food make you feel jittery or weak? Yes No 11. Do you need to snack often to feel okay? Yes No 12. Do you live to eat? Yes No 13. Do you prefer fatty foods over sweets? Yes No 14. Does eating sweets throw you out of balance? Yes No 15. Does eating sweets deplete your energy within an hour? Yes No 16. Does eating before sleep help with sleep? Yes No 17. Does eating before sleep help you to sleep through the night? Yes No 18. Does having orange or apple juice alone make you feel light-headed or hungry? Yes No 19. Does eating a high-protein or fatty meal such as lots of seeds and nuts restore lasting energy and a feeling of well-being? Yes No 20. Do you like to eat potatoes? Yes No 21. If you are vegetarian, can you remember if eating red meat used to give you energy? Yes No 22. Does eating fruit, pastries, or candy make you feel worse? Yes No 23. Is it hard for you to fast on juice or water? Yes No 24. Do you really not care for sweet desserts, but may enjoy something fatty or salty? Yes No 25. Do you feel worse after eating grain? Yes No 26. Do you like sour foods? Yes No 27. Do sweet foods seem too sweet? Yes No 28. Do you get a quick lift and then a sudden drop of energy from sweet foods? Yes No 29. If you skip meals, does it cause you to be weak, jittery, low-energy, and unbalanced? Yes No 30. Do you love or crave salty foods? Yes No If your scores for slow or fast oxidizer are about the same, then you fit more into the mixed metabolism that requires a diet neither high nor low in carbohydrates, protein, or fat such as 40% protein, 40% carbohydrate, and 20% fat. The general diet for slow oxidizers is approximately 55% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 15% fat. The general diet for fast oxidizers is approximately 50-55% protein, 30-35% carbohydrate, and 20-25% fat. These are just starting points. Even though we may be in a certain general category, there is a continuum. As we learn more about what works best for us, we can fine-tune the diet percentages.

The key to understanding these ratios is not how much to eat or how many total calories we consume, but rather the approximate ratio of high protein, high complex carbohydrate, and fatty foods on your plate. I have taken this approach because, in my experience, most people find it easier and more practical to work with this ratio awareness than to worry or obsess about total calories or the amount of calories in each food. The ratios I recommend for these foods, depending on what type of oxidizer you are, are meant to be starting points. Over time, you will generally begin to fine-tune these ratios for your optimal personal health. For example, if you are a fast oxidizer, you need approximately 50% of your intake at an average meal to be in the form of high-protein foods. As a vegetarian you may want to make some of your protein intake per meal be a high-protein concentrated food such as spirulina or chlorella. Your lunch may be a green drink containing these high-protein concentrates and salad with some avocado, nuts, or seeds. The ratios at this meal are approximate, as they will be at all your meals. As you practice this awareness of the ratios you find the optimal amounts of the different foods that make you feel most energized, emotionally balanced, with the best sustained energy. Your total protein intake, depending on how much you eat per meal, can be as little as 20 grams or up to 70 grams per day, yet still allow you to keep the ratio for a fast oxidizer diet. A point I want to emphasize in this example is that a fast oxidizer diet does not mean you should consume excess amounts of protein (which is unhealthy), but rather consume a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat according to your const.i.tutional type.

Autonomic Nervous System Dominance.

THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (ANS) is the other common dominant system, accounting for about 40% or more of all individuals. The ANS is the involuntary part of the nervous system. The voluntary part of the nervous system-the cerebrospinal system-is the other part.

The ANS has two divisions called the parasympathetic and sympathetic system. They work synergistically in the regulation of all the involuntary processes of the body such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, elimination, rate of cellular activity, immune system function, sweat secretion, etc. The sympathetic system (fight or flight) stimulates these various functions, and the parasympathetic system slows the functions. In some systems of the body their roles are reversed, such as with the digestive system, which the parasympathetic activates and the sympathetic slows. The sympathetic system tends to regulate catabolic or energy-using processes in the body. The parasympathetic system regulates the anabolic or energy-conserving processes in the body. The organs a.s.sociated with and activated by the sympathetic system are the left brain, anterior pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal medulla, kidneys, bladder, uterus, prostate, gonads, skeletal system, cardiovascular system, and neuromuscular system. It is thought that the sympathetic system is responsible for the regulation of calcium metabolism.

The parasympathetic system is a.s.sociated with the right brain, posterior pituitary, thymus, tonsils, parotid, lungs, adrenal cortex, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, intestines, appendix, bone marrow, digestive system, immune system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, and excretory system. Protein, carbohydrate, and fat metabolism are strongly influenced by the parasympathetic system.

A sympathetically dominated system tends to be more acidic, and the parasympathetic tends to produce a more alkaline environment.

Sympathetic-dominant individuals tend to be taller and thinner than parasympathetic. They tend to have more defined musculature and muscle tone, large bones, dry skin and hair, and they are more left-brained with excellent concentration and rapid mental processes. They have large pupils. They have some trouble expressing their emotions, yet they are excitable and can get angry easily. There is a tendency for anxiety and irritability. They are personality type A and highly motivated, goal-oriented people. They are not necessarily socially easy-going people. When they are out of balance they tend to get acidosis, dry skin, constipation, dry eyes, indigestion, heartburn, insomnia, hypertension, irritability, sweet cravings, emotional instability, tachycardia, tendency to infection, and decreased appet.i.te.

Parasympathetic-dominant people tend to have broad shoulders and narrow hips, poor muscle definition and tone, and are stronger than average with good endurance. They tend to have smaller pupils, moist skin, clear skin, and are often overweight with trouble losing weight. They tend to be more emotional, intuitive, and creative.

People who are parasympathetic-dominant make friends easily and are outgoing and friendly. They are slow to anger and are emotionally stable with good ability to express their feelings. They often need extra sleep and they sleep better when they eat before going to bed. Parasympathetics have a tendency to enjoy meats, fats, and salty food.

When the parasympathetic dominance is out of balance, such people may get too alkaline, with oily hair, diarrhea, excessive appet.i.te, lethargy, apathy, low motivation, decreased s.e.x drive, allergies, hay fever, low blood sugar, heart irregularities, chronic fatigue, poor concentration, and depression.

As with the oxidative system, there is the mixed or balanced ANS dominance for those who have metabolic balance that is not predominantly parasympathetic or sympathetic. They have strong characteristics from both.

Although a particular ANS dominance is strongly determined by genetic tendencies, the ANS is also influenced by emotional traumas and nutritional imbalances. When these are cleared up, it is possible to bring the ANS more closely into balance. Like the oxidative system, the ANS has a primary const.i.tutional and functional quality. Rebalancing the functional quality can positively change or tone down how the physiologic const.i.tutional dominance operates. The point is that our diets and lifestyles can impact the degree of dominance and bring our systems closer to balance.

Another interesting biological indicator is circadian rhythms. This is the daily or twenty-four-hour cycle of all our biological systems. A person's protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratios for any meal are also influenced by the daily rhythm. In the process of fine-tuning the metabolic systems of individuals, I have found, for myself and others, that the optimal carbohydrate, protein, and fat ratios slightly vary with the time of day. The key here is to observe what diet gives optimal energy and emotional balance, and minimizes food cravings.

At first I used the const.i.tutional and pH balancing approach with people who primarily have psychological problems such as depression and anxiety, and energy-depletion disturbances such as chronic fatigue and fatigue in general. I have also seen excellent results in people who have difficulty becoming vegetarian and who, on a diet that is suited to their const.i.tutions, are now able to be healthy vegetarians. Presently I am using this approach for creating optimal diets in the rejuvenation process, as well as for support in the healing of chronic disease.

It is wonderful to see the changes that happen. Sometimes they happen within only a day, and sometimes these s.h.i.+fts take a few months to manifest. In the process of finding the best diet, we automatically find what I call the N (optimal nutrition) zone. In the N zone, nutrient and food intake creates the proper mix which optimizes the pH as well as the hormone ratios like that of insulin and glucagon. I am theorizing that because everyone has individualized responses, there is a specific optimal N zone for each person. Through a subjective evaluation we are able to tell when this dietary optimal zone is reached. We will feel: 1) energized, 2) emotionally well-balanced, and 3) satisfied after each meal. This type of evaluation requires that we remain conscious enough to make a clear determination.

Foods for Your Metabolic/Autonomic Const.i.tution.

FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF FOODS THAT ARE MOST APPROPRIATE for your const.i.tutional type. The ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fats refer primarily to ratio by volume of food; however, it is also important to account for the ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and/or fats in a particular food. For example, nuts and seeds contain approximately 20% protein and 80% fat, making it impossible to follow the ratio guidelines given when nuts and seeds are eaten as the singular source of protein. In order to balance the ratio of protein to fat it is necessary to add a supplemental concentrated protein source such as chlorella, spirulina, Klamath Lake blue-green algae, bee pollen, or brewer's yeast. These are also high-purine foods which enhance the metabolic production of energy for fast oxidizers and parasympathetics. A tablespoon of any one of these with your meal will help to balance the ratio of fat to protein when nuts and seeds are consumed as a significant part of the meal.

Autonomic and Bio-oxidative Types for Dietary Eating Patterns Acid/Alkaline Tendency Diet Type Sympathetic acid blood high-carbohydrate diet Slow Oxidizer alkaline blood high-carbohydrate diet Fast Oxidizer acid blood high-protein diet Parasympathetic alkaline blood high-protein diet I believe that the oxidative and autonomic systems are the two most important systems in terms of dominance. The chart above helps to explain the relations.h.i.+ps between slow and fast oxidizer and sympathetic and parasympathetic. The other systems I have listed also play a role in the fine-tuning. The Ayurvedic and acid-base considerations are discussed in other chapters.

Catabolic-Anabolic System.

THE CATABOLIC-ANABOLIC SYSTEM developed by Dr. Emanuel Revici again makes the point of how individualized our responses are to different medicines and even different phases of the disease process. His work is especially significant in the treatment of cancer because the physiology of cancer changes with the different stages of the disease.

Dr. Revici found a law of organization that he thought applied to all matter. He found that organisms appear as morphologically and functionally identifiable organizations composed of an electropositive part and a secondary electronegative part held by the princ.i.p.al part. He saw two forces manifesting in nature: electrostatic and quantum. The electrostatic force is characterized by positive and negative charges with a tendency to balance each other and create annihilation. The second force, quantum, works toward the prevention of annihilation by creating and maintaining form. The electrostatic forces are related to entropy or loss of organization, and the quantum forces are related to the enhancing of order and thus to negentropy In the body, the forces of catabolism are related to the electrostatic forces, and the anabolic or growth forces are a.s.sociated with the quantum forces. In his view, all of biology can be understood as the play of these two forces represented as catabolic and anabolic within each level of the biological hierarchy.

In Revici's understanding of pathology, the pathological forces can appear as either catabolic or anabolic. This is a key concept because once we understand that diseases can manifest either catabolically or anabolically, it means two progressive stages in the same disease or two different diseases may respond differently to the same medicine or nutrient. Therefore, to deliver proper treatment, one must understand the level of hierarchy in the biological system where the pathology is taking place, and then whether it is catabolic or anabolic. With this diagnostic information, one can supply the proper balancing and healign medicine. Revici was able to cla.s.sify many medicines according to catabolic or anabolic and thus use them appropriately for healign a catabolic or anabolic stage of a disease.

He found an anabolic quality for the positively charged alcohols, anines, and amides and a catabolic quality for the negatively charged acids, aldehydes, and ketones. He separated vitamins into a catabolic group that included A, D, B6, and B12 and an anabolic group including B1, B2, K, E, B3, B5, nicotinamide, and folic acid. He also categorized lipids as polar or non-polar, with the forces of the non-polar group being predominant. He found that in the treatment of neoplastic diseases, conjugated fatty acids were helpful for anabolic conditions, and unsaponifiable lipidic fractions of organs helped for catabolic conditions. He developed many lipid fractions to work against the catabolic or anabolic forces of the different stages of neoplasm.

What Dr. Revici found was a dualistic concept as a general pattern in physiopathology, including such mechanisms as slow and fast heart rate, polyuria (excessive urination) and oliguria (minimal urination), and diarrhea and constipation. He studied lipids as an important factor in the regulation of body processes. He separated lipids into two fundamental groups. He found that people were either anabolic or catabolic at one point in time.

A person who is anabolic tends to have less selective cellular membrane permeability. The more anabolic they become, the tighter the membrane becomes in a way that keeps nutrients out and toxins in the cells. The cells tend to have a more anaerobic metabolism and build-up of lactic acid. As the cells become more acidic, the other buffer systems, especially the extracellular fluids, become more alkaline to buffer the acidic cells. In these people, the urine becomes alkaline. They need to decrease their essential fatty acids and increase their saturated fat intake. They do better with a high-complex-carbohydrate diet that is moderately high in saturated lipids.

Those people who tend to be catabolic have an excessive membrane permeability which allows their nutrients and toxins to move in and out of the cells in a disorganized way. Their cells become too alkaline, and to compensate, their extra-cellular buffer systems become more acid and hence the urine becomes more acidic. They have a more aerobic metabolism. The best diet for these people involves minimizing saturated fats and increasing essential fatty acids. They need a high-protein, moderately high-fat, and low-carbohydrate diet.