Varieties of Indigestion-Part 5

  Greetings! In today’s class, we shall learn about some stomach conditions, the causes, and how, by the grace of God, they can be remedied. “Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to re-establish right conditions in the system.” MH 127

Sour Stomach And Catarrh

An eminent nose and throat specialist has made the following statements:

“Any habit of eating which deranges the stomach, causing increase of mucous, also stimulates the same glands in the nasal mucosa, and thus, if continued, makes a ‘catarrhal condition.’ This chronically inflamed mucous membrane makes a favorable soil for bacterial invasion.”

Therefore, you can see a very direct relation between stomach conditions and catarrhal conditions.

Sour Stomach And Sour “Disposition”

It is impossible to have a sweet disposition over a sour stomach. Why does not the gospel minister investigate their field of human experience in his work of leading mortals to higher levels of Christian living? If he does not know the laws revealed in physiology and the effects of health habits in disposition and character, he will at times be sure to undertake to correct mental and social conditions by religious means while ignoring the cause which is physiological. While following such a course he expects God to ignore His own laws and remove the results of their violation while the violation is continued, unreproved. This the height of inconsistency.

High Acid In The Stomach

The stomach conditions already discussed were those of sour stomach where a meal, or a day’s ration, had fermented. I want now to explain a condition that comes and goes with the fermentation of one meal but rather a chronic state in which the millions of secretory glands which provide the gastric juice have been stimulated so that the gastric juice has too much hydrochloric acid. This acid is the element that digests protein, and if it becomes too strong it attacks the stomach itself which is made of protein, and this irritates and hurts the stomach. It makes one feel very nervous, perhaps giving a burning sensation, something akin to pain, quite distressing. The sensation called heartburn may be present.

This irritation by this excess of acid may continue until a spot becomes sore which, if continued and grows larger, will be called an ulcer. If the ulcer continues long enough it may sometimes become a cancer.These conditions result from many years of wrong living during which the one violating nature’s law cannot be convinced that he is doing wrong or that evil consequences are to follow.That you may see that certain foods cause high acid and others do not, the following table of “total acids” of the stomach from eating certain foods is presented:

“Total Acids” of the Stomach

While it is true that the eating of meat gives immediate relief in cases of hyperacidity yet you can see that is also will increase the future acidity and therefore it is in no sense a remedy.

Normal gastric juice is .2 of 1 per cent hydrochloric acid. This digests protein. An excess of protein food calls for an excess of acid to digest it. When the acid is .3, .4, .5, or possibly .6 of 1 per cent (three times above normal) then we say we have hyperacidity and this excess acid works on the protein of the stomach and attempts to digest it and that produces an ulcer which may become a cancer.

The remedy for this condition is not in taking soda or in resorting to eating meat, but in correcting the living. The most important step is to cease eating the foods or doing the things which cause high acid. Here is the list gathered from the best sources.

Also, reflex irritation from bad teeth, constipation, pyorrhea, appendicitis, and gallstones.

You may say, if I am not to eat those foods there is nothing left. In that case you have been living wholly wrong. God has provided hundred of delicious foods that are wholly fit for man’s consumption. Some of which are in our heavenly recipe section. Taste and see!

The Correction Of High Acid In The Stomach

If you know that you have high acid the first thing to do is at once to totally discontinue every practice which helps to cause it. Then, live as you have been taught in this class but with certain modifications which follow. It is of first importance that you have a highly alkaline diet.

Foods to Use

Practically all of the natural foods may be used except those named above as causes of your condition and excepting strong acid fruits like strawberries and tomatoes; but they must be prepared according to the following directions.

Liquid Foods

Gruels made of entire-grain cereals like whole wheat, whole oats, corn meal, or any whole grain. Wheat and oats are best. For the first few weeks, put them through a colander to remove the coarsest fibers. Use a plant-based milk or cream, but no sugar or honey.

Soft Foods

All thoroughly cooked whole-grain cereals. All kinds of vegetables that contain coarse particles of fibers, after being cooked must be put through a colander to take out the fibers. This makes a puree. This applies to corn, beans, peas, lentils, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, and possibly some others, depending upon the severity of the case. The farther the condition has progressed toward ulcer the more roughage has to be removed. Use plant-based cream and olive oil or soy bean oil in these purees.

Fat Foods

All fat foods are good for acid stomach, and the quantity of them taken depends upon the weight of the patient. If up to weight, he can take more fats and oils by reducing the starchy foods like cereals and potatoes. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, ripe olives, olive oil, soy bean oil, nut oils, vegetable butter, and malted nuts are good.

Fruits

All of the mild fruits—pears, dates, bananas, figs, prunes, peaches, melons, oranges, will probably be all right—possibly every fruit in the list of natural foods can be used except strawberries and tomatoes; but experimenting will reveal any exception an individual must make. Bananas used freely, have been found to be a boon to many cases of high acid in the stomach.

Miscellaneous

Entire-wheat bread made of very finely ground flour, only after it is twenty-four hours old. If this gives trouble, dry it into toast by drying it all the way through. Make sure of one good vegetable meal daily. Drink freely one-half hour before meals. When the stomach hurts, take a glass of water or a sip of soy milk.

Take one or two teaspoons of olive oil before eating. Avoid constipation. Remember your condition has resulted from years of wrong living, and one must not expect to be cured at once. It will require persistent, painstaking care, for which one will be rewarded. 

When the discomfort has entirely disappeared the purees may be discontinued. If the foods then give no distress the individual is well on the way to permanent recovery. But even after, he must very carefully avoid everything in the life of “causes” at the beginning of these rules.

These instructions also apply to cases of modified gastric or duodenal ulcer. However, one of who suspects these conditions should consult a competent physician and have an examination and not experiment ignorantly with special diets. Know that these conditions exist before dieting for them.

If you know someone who may be suffering from any of the conditions discussed in class today, please share this information, and let us know how it goes, in the comment section below! “The only hope of better things is in the education of the people in right principles.” MH 127.

Join us next week!

*Study adapted from Abundant Health, by Julius G. White