Diet is derived from Greek word 'diaton' means - " to support
life. "
Cellular life is supported by
- Energy intake
- Elimination of metabolic waste products, and
- Reproduction
Humankind derives energy from food. Our eatables are composed
of complex molecules, after digestion they are converted into
simple molecules.
For our food we are dependent on plants and animals. Plants derive
their energy from solar energy. It indicates that directly or
indirectly we are dependent on solar energy for healthy living.
Our internal environment requires pollution free external environment
to maintain its homeostatic condition. To maintain the natural
property of internal environment and proper functioning of homeostasis
it is essential to eat. Food assists homeostasis by supplying
vitamins, minerals, fibres, and enzymes to assist body in maintaining
balance. Eating natural foods allows the brain chemistry to function
normally.
Intake of food is stimulated and controlled by hunger, satiety,
and appetite. Food is necessary for life.
Ingestion of food, quality and quantitatively depends on hunger
and appetite. Hunger is basic instinct for longing of food. The
type of food that a person preferentially seeks is determined
by appetite. Satiety is opposite of hunger. It means a feeling
of fulfillment in the quest for food. Satiety usually results
from a filling meal, particularly when the person's nutrition
storage depots, the adipose tissue, and the glycogen stores are
already filled.
The degree of hunger or satiety at different times of the day
depends to a great extent on habit. For instance, normally people
have the habit of eating three meals a day, and if they miss one,
they are likely to develop a state of hunger at mealtime despite
completely adequate nutritional stores in their tissues. But in
addition to habit, several other short-term physiological stimuli,
mainly related to the alimentary tract, can alter one's desire
for food several hours at a time.
Intake of food depends on:
- Nutritional Regulation
- Alimentary Regulation
Nutritional Regulation depends on storage of glucose,
aminoacid, and fat metabolism in body. When the nutrient stores
of body fall below normal, the feeding center of hypothalamus
becomes highly active and the person exhibit increased hunger
on the other hand when nutrient are abundant, the person looses
the hunger and develop a state of satiety.
Alimentary Regulation is related mainly with Gastrointestinal
filling and metering of food by head receptors like chewing, salivation,
swallowing and tasting.
As the food passes through the mouth, this head receptor meters
the intake of food and the hypothalamic-feeding center becomes
inhibited. Another factor, which inhibits the center, is stimulation
of vagus nerve, which is stimulated by distension of stomach or
duodenum.
The most common psychogenic factor contribute to food habit is
that healthy eating habits require three meal a day and must be
filling but actually rate of feeding is normally regulated in
proportion to the nutrient stores in body.
Nutritional storage of body is distorted by unhealthy eating
behavior. Food energy homeostasis is controlled by negative feed
back system. The normal homeostasis is high-energy output and
low energy input.
In primitive age and till last hundred years energy spent on
acquiring food and food preparation was greater than energy derived
from food. Our life style changes from hard work to sedentary
life style. Colours, taste, smell of food make us craving for
food without actual need. Our work schedule forces us to eat by
time not by hunger. Food intake motivated by taste smell colour
and time put stress on homeostasis. Sedentary life style leads
to storage of nutrients and overeating.
Once it reaches the set point craving for particular food put
burden on homeostatis. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and diabetes
and all chronic diseases are result of distorted food energy homeostatis.
Hence in such chronic disease it is advised to take medicine for
whole life.
We in naturopathy try to teach people regulate appetite and craving.
People should be educated to eat by hunger, to retain normal food
energy homeostatis.
The natural diet varies according to age, sex, races, climate,
and type of work. Forget about the fad diet and calories. The
base of should be -
- Eat when you are hungry.
- Eat such amount of food that a bit of hunger remains.
- In between two meals there should be margin of at least seven
hours. If you feel hunger in between this, take fruit juices,
fruits, or vegetables soup.
- Your diet should be of high water content, rich in fiber and
nutrients like carbohydrate, protein, and low fat.
Our genes are templates for our cellular function, protein synthesis,
and cellular reproduction.
Genes determine formation of ultimate energy out of what we eat.
Genes are evolved from simpler molecules. The complex chemicals
in our food either exposed them to hard work or less of work or
wrong work. This leads to change in preset order of their templates.
Hence our food should be of molecules that genes could easily
derive.
