TAO OF
BALANCED DIET:
REGULAR FOOD DIET
FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTY

All human beings need food, enjoy food, and crave food. But most do not know how to consume it―that is, most people do not know how to balance, select, avoid, or prepare food. Health in Taoist terms is synonymous with what you eat, what you metabolize, and how you balance your diet. What you put in your body becomes part of your body. If you put in healthy food, your body becomes healthy. If you put in “garbage,” your body becomes “garbage.” What you metabolize ultimately decides how that food will be used. If your body can digest and absorb what it needs and eliminate what it does not need, your body will be healthy. If your body cannot take what it needs from the food you eat, if it eliminates what it needs, or if it cannot eliminate what is toxic; your body will become weak and unhealthy. (Obesity is one manifestation of all these wrong elements and will be explained in depth below.) Properly balancing one’s diet ensures that the food or combination of foods ingested is healthy and not self-antagonizing or self-poisoning, that the right nutrients are metabolized, and that toxins are expelled. Tao of Balanced Diet and its theories and principles of food consumption were designed to accomplish these goals.

In 1979 the book Secrets of a Thin Body was published on this subject and generated interest in the Theory of Balanced Diet all over the world, as the first and singular informational source on the subject. In Europe alone, particularly in France, it has been received with incredible enthusiasm. In 1987 the book was expanded to the current version, The Tao of Balanced Diet: Secrets of a Thin and Healthy Body.

The reason behind so much enthusiasm is its efficacy, a summation of which has been provided by a practitioner, John:

I. THE RESULTS OF OBESITY

There is no need for anyone to be overweight. Nor is there a need to be underweight. In fact from the point of view of Taoism there is basically no difference between being overweight or underweight. Both reflect a lack of balance in the human being. In Taoism everything in the universe is considered to have its own center, and all parts of the being should be in balance with this center. For human beings weight is one aspect of this balance. Each person has a proper weight depending on his or her height, bone structure, shape, and other factors. If you are over or under your proper weight, you are out of balance; and because a human being is more than just a physical body, weight imbalance indicates that the spiritual and mental bodies are imbalanced also.

Because of the diet and lifestyle in the Western world, obesity is the major weight imbalance in our society. It is present in all degrees, from extreme obesity to “slightly overweight.” You might think that a few extra pounds make no difference. But those few pounds appear different when we realize that for every inch of excess fatty tissue on our bodies, we need an additional four miles of blood vessels to support that tissue. Your heart must then be forced to work harder at pumping blood through that extra four miles of blood vessels. Two inches of excess tissue require eight miles of blood vessels; three inches need twelve miles. Twelve more miles to say the least through which your heart has to pump blood! That is a great deal of extra work for your heart; and that extra strain is going to weaken your heart, eventually causing it to break down.

It is no different than with an automobile. If you load your car too heavily and use it for a long time under the additional strain, the engine will break down. As the heart―your engine―is over­worked, it becomes enlarged. The muscles soften and loosen, no longer having the strength it formerly had. As it deteriorates it becomes more susceptible to germs, viruses, bacteria, and other organisms which can attack the weak muscles of the heart and cause inflammation. When a heart attack occurs, even if not fatal, it results in the “death” of one area of the heart tissue―it is no longer capable of functioning. If conditions continue as they are (and chances are they will) a second heart attack will occur and result in the “death” of another area of the heart. This increases the strain on the still-functioning parts of the heart, which must work even harder to maintain the activity of the circulatory system. Fortunately, from a thousand-year study we know there are herbs which can provide the right type of nutrition to regenerate new heart cells. But there is no reason for you to need them in the first place, because there is no reason to be overweight.

Another result of obesity―besides its resulting coated, clogged and hardened arteries and weakened heart―is high blood pressure. Standard medical procedure is for a doctor to prescribe pills to reduce your blood pressure. They do reduce your blood pressure by opening your arteries and allowing your blood to flow more freely. But your heart will continue to work as hard as ever―undetected by the blood pressure monitor―because the basic cause, fatty-tissue build-up, is unresolved. The pills satisfy the machine, not the body. In addition, blood pressure pills weaken the kidneys. What results when their water-eliminatory function is weakened is water retention, which leads to blocked circulation, which again further weakens the heart and blood vessels, which cause even more high blood pressure. To assist the kidneys, your doctor will prescribe diuretics. Unfortunately, diuretics have the opposite effect which doctors hope for: they further weaken the kidneys, leading to increased water retention and shortage of potassium, which again result in high blood pressure. It becomes a vicious circle, with one “cure” causing another problem, eventually worsening the illness the medicine was supposed to cure. And all of this is taking place in your body, at the expense of your health.

Gallstones are another result of obesity. Composed of hard, dried fat―almost like rubber―they are very hard to dissolve. You can also find yourself more susceptible to hypoglycemia or diabetes, both results of a weak pancreas, an organ weakened by obesity.

In China most diseases resulting from obesity are called “diseases of the rich.” So obesity and the diseases and health problems associated with it are results of material success. But these problems are not necessary. It is possible to live in a society such as ours, enjoy its benefits, and still avoid the diseases which its excesses lead to. To do this we must first know exactly what causes excessive weight. Then we must know how to reduce it. The book contains all you need to know about both areas in order to have a healthy, well-balanced body, and the long, vigorous life you deserve. [Because a huge amount of information from the other Pillars of Taoism must also be conveyed by this site, only a part of the book’s information can be excerpted and reproduced here.]

THE EIGHT CAUSES OF WEIGHT PROBLEMS

If the food you eat does not have the proper pH balance―that is, acid-alkaline balance―it can putrefy in your stomach before your body gets a chance to digest and absorb its nutrients. In other words, before you eat it, the harmful organisms in your stomach get it first. They digest it, and leave you their wastes. The wastes include gas―which you will notice through bad breath, belching, flatulence, or stomach pains―and solids, which are of no nutritional value to your body. They do not provide the nutrients your cells need; your cells become weaker as a result; and these waste products―literally poisons―cannot be eliminated, resulting in the cells of your entire body being poisoned. The only way to prevent this type of self-poisoning is through a properly balanced diet, because proper pH balance works as a natural preservative to prevent putrefaction, corruption, and decay of foods in your stomach. (See p. 95-97 for detailed information on pH balancing.)

2. Water Retention

The kidneys are the filters that separate waste water from the blood. So the amount of water filtered out depends on how well your kidneys are functioning. Normal kidneys can filter approximately six cups of water in twenty-four hours. (It is possible for them to filter a larger volume but this requires them to work harder, and the increased strain eventually weakens them.)

So if your kidneys are normal, you can drink six cups of water a day and you will break even. But if you drink more than what your kidneys can handle―and remember: for most people the limit is six cups a day―this water will remain in your body. It will travel back into the blood stream to be eliminated through the skin by perspiration. However, if you have few opportunities to perspire (cold weather, no exercise, etc.), the water will be retained in your skin. As more and more waste water comes to the area of your skin where water is already being retained, the tissue in that area bloats up to receive the incoming water. This “stagnant” water remains, retaining even more wastes and associated toxins. This accumulated waste water―considered as urine―may stay in this area for a day, a month, even a year or more. After a period of time, this water becomes mucous. [If you wish to see externally what is hidden internally within the body try the following experiment: fill a glass with water and leave it undisturbed; if the water evaporates refill it; repeat this process until a green, slimy build-up appears; and you have recreated for all to see the mucous that is within the body. If this could happen with “clean” water, one could only imagine what kind of odious mucous is formed from wastes from bodily, cellullar processes. And if this makes you mentally sick just from looking, it can make you even sicker physically because it has real, poisonous effects. For a complete explanation please refer to Tao of Forgotten Food Diet: Taoist Herbology, Water Dis-eases.] This mucous is still waste water, only it is in a more solid form. You may think you have added fat, but it is simply mucous which is stuck between the tissues. When this gelatinous substance hardens sufficiently, we call it cellulite. Animal fats such as butter and lard are particular components of cellulite formation. You will not get rid of cellulite by exercise or perspiration alone―only “fresh” water is eliminated by perspiration. The only way is by. . . .

For example, an acquaintance-patient of Dr. Chang’s was overweight, yet he ate only one actual meal a day. The rest of the time he drank fruit juices. He had no idea how many gallons of liquids he actually poured into his body. Because he lived on almost nothing but fruit juice, he received almost no nutrients. Because of this lack of nutrition, he was very weak, constantly fainted, had palpitations of the heart, was short of breath, and had gout! (Chinese medicine indicates that gout is a symptom of kidney problems.) He also had high blood pressure. He had these problems for years, but he never made the connection between his symptoms and his “healthful” fruit juice diet.

How well are your kidneys functioning? You can determine that by following these guidelines. . . .

If your physician diagnoses your weight problem as water retention, unfortunately the standard medical cure for water retention is diuretic pills. I call these “beat-your-tired-horse” pills. Why? Because your horse (your kidneys) is already “tired”―that is why you are retaining water―and taking these pills makes your “horse” run even harder. Overnight you may lose 10 pounds. But the problem is that when you take these pills, you have to drink more water to wash them down. In fact your doctor will tell you to drink great quantities of water in order to lubricate and “flush out” your kidneys. So you end up taking in (and eventually retaining) as much or more water than you eliminate. And during the process, you work your kidneys even harder, making them weaker and less capable of functioning properly. Ultimately, overworking your kidneys this way will cause kidney disease or even total failure. We live in a “drinking country.” Most people have a high daily intake of liquids, so it is not surprising that we also have a high incidence of kidney disease. But now that you know better, you can escape the norm and stay healthy by decreasing the amount of liquids you drink.

3. Accumulation of Fat

Fats are related to the pancreas and liver functions as well as the gallbladder function. The liver is the main organ of the body for filtering out solid wastes. Since the poisons and toxins in our bodies are in solid form, we need lubrication to carry them out. Fats provide this lubrication, so it is necessary for us to eat fat.

The problem occurs when the fat is absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the liver. If the amount of fat is excessive, or the structure of the fat is such that it cannot be easily broken down by the body, it will clog the liver tissues, blocking part of the liver’s proper functions. Since the liver’s function has been partially blocked, more of the waste cannot be filtered out. This eventually leads to poisoning of the brain and nerve cells by toxins in the blood stream, leading to disorders we call nervous and mental problems―just some of the many detrimental effects of a poorly functioning liver.

Fats can also accumulate in certain parts of the body which are seldom exercised, such as the stomach, hips, or inner organs. When this happens a person begins to accumulate more and more fat. As a result it becomes harder to breathe, and breathing may become quite short and shallow. Fat accumulation also affects the heart, causing palpitations (rapid and irregular heartbeat), fibrillation (uneven contraction of the heart), or skipping pulse. Skipping pulse occurs when the heart muscles are loaded down with fat, or when the blood is too thick to flow smoothly. All of these problems are caused by accumulated fats.

Since we do need fats in our diet, what kind should we eat? Animal fat is the most difficult for our livers to deal with. This is particularly true of beef fat, including butter, because it cannot be metabolized by our bodies. Few people realize that margarine is even worse. In the process of making margarine its molecular structure is completely altered, making its new chemical structure (now called transfatty acids) very strong and very difficult for the body temperature to break down.

The best type of fat to use is. . . .

In case you have no choice and must consume more fat (animal and vegetable) than necessary, you can alleviate problems by drinking (see p. 38). Even cholesterol can be managed (lowering the bad while elevating the good) at very little expense.

4. Nerves

Allergies result when the nerve endings cannot tolerate a particular food, or substance in a food. If you are allergic to some type of food, you cannot digest it. If you cannot digest it, it becomes “poisonous” to you. This toxic (to you) food then adds to your weight problem. (See Weight Cause #1―Self-Poisoning.) Also, foods that you crave are poisonous to you, so you should be especially cautious.

Another aspect of nerves as a cause of obesity are eating habits resulting from nervousness. One type is the person who has become lazy. He or she just sits and thinks about things that need to be done. Of course, they never do it. They then become guilty about not doing what is needed to be done and become even more nervous. So they get no exercise, and eat continually to try to forget their guilt about their inactivity. It is a vicious circle. The worse they feel, the more they eat, the harder it is to do anything, and the worse they feel. The only solution is. . . .

5. Sexual Dissatisfaction

With women, sexual satisfaction depends on the man. Despite all the theories (and validity) of women’s liberation, a woman’s real sexual satisfaction physiologically relies on the man. According to Taoist theory, there are nine stages through which a woman must pass to reach a true climax. If a man cannot bring a woman through these stages, she will not be satisfied. (She will not be able to bring herself through these stages either.) And the more unsatisfied she is, the more nervous she becomes. The more nervous she is, the more she eats.

The following stages describe the complete cycle which will allow for total satisfaction.

For a woman to be completely satisfied, a man must carry her through all nine of these stages. Most men carry women only through the fourth stage, then roll over and go to sleep. Many men, even women, mistake the vaginal spasm at Level Four for a complete orgasm. But as you can see, that is not even half of a complete orgasm. Unfortunately, most sex manuals support the former view, because the observable responses at the fourth level are considered as the total orgasm. So the woman is trapped halfway: she cannot “go to heaven” or “go down to earth.” Even masturbation cannot give her the full psychological experience of the last four stages. So she sleeps fitfully all night. At daybreak her partner wakes her up and asks her to do something. She tells him to do it himself, because she has a headache. They both start the day angry and feel irritable all day long. Through no fault on either part, a wedge is driven deeper and deeper between the couple as time passes. Finally they break up. Meanwhile she is filled with nervous tension and overeats. And she ends up with a weight problem as well. [The solution to these problems may be found in The Tao of Sexology: Sexual Wisdom and Methods.]

6. Overeating and Overdrinking

These neurotic manifestations can result from psychological programming in childhood. Most adults when they were children were encouraged―or even told―to eat “more” or drink “more” by their parents, because their parents loved them and wanted them to grow “big and strong.” The beliefs and opinions of the parents gradually sunk into the child’s subconscious. As the child grew up, he felt guilty when he did not eat or consume enough. So he developed an unconscious habit to eat, eat, eat, or drink, drink, drink. The result: obesity.

7. Five Morphological Types

According to Taoist theory, there are five basic morphological types―Metal, Earth, Wood, Water and Fire―of human beings. The five morphological types (based on the Five-Element Theory which is explained in The Tao of Healing Art: Healing Methods) and their characteristics are. . . .

8. Health Problems

Heart disease, thyroid dysfunction, pancreas disorder, adrenal and thymus gland disorders―all can lead to obesity. These problems and diseases must be treated first before any attempt can be made to reduce weight.

Also, cortisone, aspirin, and other drugs used to relieve the pain of rheumatism, bronchitis, and asthma can lead to obesity. In fact obesity is a common side-effect of the use of these drugs. In the first place drugs such as aspirin are acidic in themselves. Secondly, they cause the stomach to secrete more acid. Because the sensation of hunger occurs when the stomach acids have dissolved all the food in the stomach; the more acid, the more hunger. The more hunger, the more a person eats in an attempt to satisfy this hunger. And gradually the eating itself becomes a habit.

Note: Cortisone and other drugs used to treat these disorders can ruin the kidneys and other organs by causing them to lose their ability to function properly. If the function of the kidneys decreases, water will be retained and the process leading to an overweight condition begins again.

II. THE TAOIST SEVEN WAYS OF WEIGHT LOSS

An outline of the seven sensible and extremely easy methods follows:

1. DISCIPLINE. Explains which and how defined eating schedules lessen hunger and binging and weight gain.

2. SUPPLEMENTAL HERBAL FORMULAS. Certain health problems require herbal nutrition correction, so that normal metabolism can take place and nutrition utilized, instead of accumulating around the girth. For a complete explanation of herbal nutrition, please go to Tao of Forgotten Food Diet: Taoist Herbology.

3. INTERNAL EXERCISES FOR VIGOR, HEALTH, AND THINNESS. Explains seven easy, no-cost, effective exercises that work not only externally (to beautify the shape), but also internally (to aid digestion, metabolism, and correct organ dysfunctions that lead to obesity). For the specific exercises, please see the Table of Contents below. One exercise included in the list is the Stomach Rubbing Exercise, described in detail in Tao of Revitalization: Exercises for Self-Healing, which can be put to use immediately.

4. PERSPIRATION. Explains in detail the no-cost yet effective cellulite removal process, which also protects the user from the toxins released during the process.

5. ACUPRESSURE. Explains simple, no-cost acupressure techniques for reducing the appetite, nervousness, stress and tension.

6. CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR. Learn from your doctor what underlying health problems may be plaguing you, so you can take the appropriate measures to correct the situation and then start losing weight.

7. NUTRITION AND DIET. Introduces the concept explained at the beginning of this page and prepares the reader to utilize techniques that will maximize metabolism of the right combination of foods.

The third part of the book explains techniques such as the diet-balancing method called Five Tastes Theory. With the thoroughly practicable yet simple Five Tastes theory, balancing the diet becomes extremely easy and enjoyable. The theory establishes within the mind an immediately recallable and applicable framework for judging one’s food. So as soon as the food comes within eyesight, one is able to determine whether or not it is balanced and healthy and apply easy, corrective techniques.

The fifth part of the book also provides recipes that have been described by previous readers as more than just meals; they are treats. A balanced meal is more gratifying than any meal eaten at a famous restaurant or any other type of meal. The meals are also “healing injections.” After eating a meal, a person feels alive, as if the meal itself is alive and emitting and transferring life. Every meal is a dose of “delicious medicine.”

The techniques, theories, and recipes demonstrate a non-restrictive approach to weight control. There is no calorie-counting or abstinence from sugar (unrefined) and salt which are essential ingredients of balanced meals and, therefore, play important roles in health and weight control. Tao of Balanced Diet is ideal weight through maximum satisfaction.

III. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
THE TAO OF BALANCED DIET: SECRETS OF A
THIN AND HEALTHY BODY

PREFACE

PART I

1. TAOISM
   1. The Tao of Philosophy
   2. The Tao of Revitalization
   3. The Tao of Balanced Diet
   4. The Tao of Forgotten Food Diet
   5. The Tao of Healing Art
   6. The Tao of Sexology
   7. The Tao of Mastery
   8. The Tao of Success
2. OBESITY
   1. The Eight Causes of Weight Problems
   2. Self-Poisoning
   3. Water Retention
   4. Accumulation of Fat
   5. Nerves
   6. Sexual Dissatisfaction
   7. Overeating and Overdrinking
   8. Five Morphological Types
   9. Health Problems

PART II: THE TAOIST SEVEN WAYS OF WEIGHT LOSS

1. Discipline
2. Supplemental Herbal Formulas
   1. Detoxifying Tea BP-404
   2. Reducing Tea WD-307
   3. Water Tea WD-302
   4. Regeneration Tea WD-301
3. Internal Exercises for Vigor, Health, and Thinness
   1. The Deer Exercise
      1. The Male Deer Exercise
      2. The Female Deer Exercise
   2. The Crane Exercise
      1. Solar Plexus Exercise
      2. Stomach Rubbing Exercise
   3. The Turtle Exercise
   4. Weight Reduction Exercise
4. Perspiration
5. Acupressure
   1. Acupuncture
6. Consult with Your Doctor
7. Nutrition and Diet

PART III

1. TAOIST THEORIES OF HEALTH AND PHYSIOLOGY
   1. The Five-Element Theory
   2. The Five Tastes
   3. Energy Level of Food
   4. Energy Balance of Food
   5. Seasonal Concept of Eating
   6. Forgotten Foods
   7. pH Balance of Food
   8. Nutritional Balance

PART IV

1. HOW TO USE THE GIVEN INFORMATION
2. DIETART DO’S AND DON’TS
   1. Body Signals
   2. Cholesterol
   3. Chrysanthemum Flowers
   4. Cravings
   5. Diversity
   6. Eating Schedule
   7. Fasting
   8. Fiber
   9. Fats
   10. Food Combinations
   11. Fruits
   12. Illness
   13. Liquid Intake
   14. Margarine
   15. Meat
   16. Natural Foods
   17. Shellfish
   18. Skin Mushroom
   19. Tofu
   20. Toxic Foods
   21. Vegetables
   22. Water or Liquid with Meals
   23. White and Brown Rice
   24. Whole Foods

PART V

1. RECIPES FOR WEIGHT CONTROL AND FULL NUTRITION
   1. The Four Principles of a Healthful Meal
   2. General Comments
   3. Sample Daily Diet Plan for 100 Day Diet
   4. Broth Base for All Dishes
      1. Chicken
      2. Bone
      3. Fish
   5. Soups
      1. Seaweed
      2. Fish
      3. Hot and Sour
      4. Corn and Chicken
      5. Tofu and Spinach
   6. Salad Dressings
      1. Spicy Oil with Lemon
      2. Oil and Vinegar with Soy
      3. Spicy Vinegar and Oil
      4. Cucumber/Lemon Yogurt
      5. Blue Cheese
      6. Egg and Oil
      7. Sour Cream with Spices
   7. Egg and Breakfast Dishes
      1. Fried Rice with Egg
      2. Fish with Egg
      3. Mushrooms and Eggs
      4. Bamboo Beef and Eggs
      5. Chicken Breakfast
      6. Toast with Cheese
      7. Spinach and Egg Puff
      8. Meat and Egg Pie
      9. Egg Roll with Fish
   8. Lunch Dishes
      1. Barbecue-Flavored Cha Shao
      2. Rice with Meat
      3. Spaghetti
      4. Curry Pie
      5. Living Salad
   9. Dinner Meat Dishes
      1. Barbecue-Flavored Beef Shank
      2. Spicy Chicken
      3. Sweet and Sour Pork Loin
      4. Steamed Salmon
      5. Coconut Chicken
      6. Sweet and Sour Shrimp
      7. Tofu and Oyster
      8. Family Style Tofu
      9. Wine Vinegar Chicken
      10. Roast in Peanut Butter Sauce
      11. Beef Tripe
      12. Barbecue-Flavored Tongue
   10. Dinner Vegetable Dishes
       1. String Bean Saute
       2. Soybean Dish
       3. Eggplant with Mushrooms
       4. Tofu Salad
       5. Cucumber Salad
       6. Cauliflower in Milk
       7. Asparagus in Milk
       8. Silver and Gold Mushrooms
       9. Plain Rice
       10. Rice Soup
   11. Desserts and Beverages
       1. Peaches with Almonds
       2. Orange Pudding
       3. Banana Cream Pudding
       4. Almond Pudding
       5. Bean Pudding
       6. Silver Skin Mushroom Soup Dessert
       7. Apple Honey Tea

PART VI: WEIGHT LOSS TESTIMONIALS

INDEX

IV. TAO OF BALANCED DIET: SECRETS OF A THIN AND HEALTHY BODY TESTIMONIALS

M.W.S.F.:
Finally some practical information on how to lose weight . . . I wish I’d had this book years earlier. . . .

Mme. Marthe W., France:
I have read many medical works, but this is the first book I can truly testify as to its results.

Uno Mismo, Argentina:
This is an excellent book. It provides excellent results.

Jana B.:
In my later teen years I began putting on more and more weight. I felt too heavy and bloated all the time. I was very negative toward my body and I was searching for ways to become thin.

I tried diet after diet, I went on the U.S. Ski Team diet, the Stewardess diet, Dr. Atkins’, the Scarsdale, plus many more bizarre patterns of eating and at times I went to the extreme of no food intake at all. I drank diet sodas, ate diet bread, and put diet dressing on my salad. It was a constant battle! Depression and failure became a way of life for me. At times my weight would drop, but I would look sick and feel weak, and in days the weight would be back on.

My preoccupation with food and weight began to run my life. After almost five years of torturing my body I was introduced to Dr. Chang’s principles of food and diet. My body was weak but the plan began to strengthen me. I started feeling so much better. No more than a year ago I made the decision to put trust in the food principles of Dr. Chang. I began faithfully eating three meals a day, taking herbs, and lowering my fluid intake. Soon the extra weight was coming off. I have now lost over fifteen pounds and feelings of deprivation and failure no longer control me. I am stronger both physically and emotionally.

Mr. Derudder:
This is my medical history: last year I had a heart attack and had bypass surgery, yet my cholesterol level still remains high at 280 Pt. I lived in fear of another heart attack. Then a friend of mine introduced Dr. Chang’s weight loss method. After getting on the diet and exercise program, the chest pain and pressure, dry coughs, and irregular heart beats completely disappeared. I can’t wait to tell everybody about this.

Ann H.:
I used to weigh 240 pounds. Whenever I looked in the mirror I was tempted to commit suicide. One day I heard about Dr. Chang’s weight loss method. That method included a way to remove cellulite, and I thought it was exceptional in that it offered a way to remove cellulite permanently. So I religiously followed Dr. Chang’s instructions. And in three months I was down to 160 pounds. I know I still have a few more pounds of water to eliminate! but I’m still working on it. Thank you.

John C.:
This is my third order, fifth book. . . . I gave my tao of balanced diet to my Dr. as gift. He is on your program. . . . I use the book daily as a nutritional guide and the recipes are great. Lost over Eighty Pounds so far. Results are amazing. Tremendous Results for my life. Backed up by improvements in thyroid, liver, and kidney blood work. I no longer have a liver dysfunction. In fact my enzymes are above the healthy mark and regeneration seems to have occurred. Truly Remarkable weight loss. My BMI was 49, on my way to gastric bypass. Its now 36 and I have very low body fat. Tao of a balanced diet has been the instrument that allowed me to achieve this past impossible goal. WOW. Thank You so Much........

Dan F.:
Thank you for being so precise in your knowledge of the Tao of a balanced diet. I have been practicing these dishes with great awareness and have felt the foods working to better my health both mentally and physically.

Dr. Chang’s Observations:

THE IMPORTANCE OF STOMACH ACID BALANCE

Human beings along with many other living organisms have been given a self-defense mechanism that is unparalleled in practicality and sensibleness. This is the stomach, whose secretion of hydrochloric acid serves as the first lethal barrier against huge numbers of microbes introduced into the body with every bite and swallow of food and drink. If the stomach's production of acid is inadequate, these microbes have a good chance of getting into the intestines, where, in a rich environment of nutrients and rotting wastes, they easily establish colonies and then multiply and spread throughout the body. Microbes may even start within the stomach itself! Normally the stomach is the least-populated area of the digestive tract due to its extremely acidic environment. However, in people with hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) all sorts of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria and fungi can grow and spread on the stomach wall and then wreak havoc with all bodily functions.

The stomach naturally has the ability to adjust the amount acid to be secreted for breaking down food while at the same time killing microbes. Unfortunately, due to abuse or many other factors the stomach often malfunctions by either producing too much or too little acid. This malfunction causes not only immediate discomfort but also latent disease.

Regarding the correction of this kind of situation, there are two schools of thought:

1) Resecure the lack of stomach function by supplying the stomach with acidic or alkalic foods or chemical substances when the stomach is thought (or diagnosed) to be too low or too high in acid. When this method is followed, the stomach can indeed get relief immediately. But this leads people to believe that this is a smart technique and a solution to the acid problem. People do not realize that if they continue applying this over-simplified, formulistic approach without correcting their diet or behaviour, they will cause tremendous harm:

A. If applied correctly, the stomach gradually gets used to relying on outside help and slowly loses its original ability to detect and produce the proper amount of acid for different necessities.

B. If applied incorrectly, the stomach's function is ruined. In formulistic mode of thinking we dump in acid/alkali in no matter form whenever we think that the stomach needs acid/alkali. But what if the stomach was in the middle of adjusting its acid content when we interfered with the wrong solution? How can we know what the stomach needs or how much it needs? What will happen if the stomach has just finished overproducing acid as a natural response to a large food intake and is just about lower acid production when its owner rushed a huge dose of alkali into the stomach. The stomach will have to increase acid production again to maintain the level of acid needed for digestion during a period when it is supposed to rest. Everything is confused and off-kilter. What if this kind of interference goes on incessantly, confusing the stomach's function day and night? The stomach's condition will quickly deteriorate and its owner will pay with serious problems arising in various parts of the body.

2) Maintain the stomach's strength through exercise and diet so that it will always be capable of keeping up with the needs of the body, even when eating all kinds of different foods--hot or cold, soft or hard, easy or hard to digest, acidic or alkalic, etc. If the stomach is always strong and capable of adjusting to immediately changing situations, that is, always secreting the right amount of acid when needed; we will always be completely free of stomach troubles, even acid/alkaline trouble. More importantly we won't have to follow and constantly monitor the actual amount of acid in the stomach--which actually nobody is able to do accurately.

From my experience those with stomach malfunctions, however severe, can recover normality initially with herbal nutrition, then gradually with exercise and diet change. Only herbal formula #604 (the acidity combination) can easily meet this challenge without any side-effects. Formula #604 is specially designed for strengthening the stomach's own function, for the purpose of helping the stomach constantly operate under any circumstance, while also helping correct any other stomach disorder.

End of this Chapter

© Copyright Since 2004 Tao Longevity LLC