The body digests, transforms food, nutrients into blood into structure into function, into health or disease. Digestion is a fire, acids and enzymes, that burns, cooks protein, fat, water, sugar, etc. It also heats, warms the body. Digestion determines weight gain and loss. Strong digestion burns excess fat, protein, sugar, water, etc. Weak digestion burns, metabolizes less fat, cholesterol, sugar, water, etc. More fat, cholesterol tends to collect in the blood (high cholesterol), arteries (arteriosclerosis), liver (cirrhosis), thighs, waist, etc. Weak digestion burns, metabolizes less sugar. More tends to collect in the blood (hyperglycemia), which in turn overworks the liver and pancreas (two organs that regulate blood sugar) weakening all their functions, including digestion. Weak digestion burns, metabolizes less water. More tends to collect in the stools (loose, diarrhea), stomach (gurgling), respiratory system (mucous, phlegm, snoring); ears (childhood inner ear infection, loss of hearing); thighs (cellulite), breasts (lump, cyst, fibroid), ankles, arms, (edema) and or reproductive organs (discharges). Digestion, digestive organs are built, fueled and cleansed by food, nutrients, blood. Protein and fat build and fuel. Water, minerals, sugar, etc. reduce, cleanse, cool and moisten. The correct amount of building and cleansing foods, nutrients produces the correct amount of digestion. The incorrect amounts, in the extreme, weaken digestion. There are two incorrect amounts. 1. Low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate diets, in excess, tend to weaken, dilute digestion, acids and enzymes, reducing the burning of excess water, fat, etc. Women tend to eat more cleansing, cooling, moistening foods (fruit, vegetables, raw, cooked, juices, shakes, cold drinks, sugar, milk, yogurt and cottage cheese) than building, warming, drying; which is why, they tend to suffer from excess water weight (edema, cellulite). The body balances fire and water. Too much water extinguishes the fire. The cure, remedy is the reverse: Eat MORE fire, protein and fat, cooked foods, vegetables, grains, spices (cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, etc.) and LESS water, raw, cold, moist, salads, tropical and citrus fruits; juices, cold drinks, milk, yogurt and cottage cheese. Chocolate is warming. Check with your doctor before making any changes. When fire, digestion decreases, water, edema increases. 2. High protein and high fat diets, in excess, thicken the blood, arteries, veins, liver, abdomen, thighs, etc. All blood passes in and out of the liver. The liver stores, cleanses (removes excess fat and protein) and distributes the blood. It also produces bile (emulsifier) that aids in the digestion of fat. High protein and high fat diets, meat eggs, cheese, fried foods, etc. in excess tend to clog the liver reducing its ability to cleanse, remove excess protein and fat. Less protein and fat are digested, taken out of the bloodstream. More protein and fat, cholesterol (sticky, hard nutrients) are released into the blood, arteries, veins, liver, heart, thighs, abdomen, etc. Excess fatty weight is generally more common among men. Men tend to eat more building, meat, eggs, cheese, oil, alcohol, coffee, tobacco, etc. than cleansing. Excess protein, fat and cholesterol tend to accumulate and harden in the blood, arteries, veins, heart, liver, brain, etc. Excess fatty weight in general is easy but laborious, takes time, months to health, dissolve. If you do not build it, it will deteriorate, dissolve. The secret is eating LESS. less protein and fat, animal food (no more than once a day), skipping meals, especially dinner, eating more fruits (apples), vegetables (cabbage), raw and cooked, grains, beans, etc. Bitter herbs (golden seal, gentian, aloe vera, etc.) and lecithin may also help reduce excess fat, cholesterol. Check with your doctor before making any changes. Excess weight has other causes: drugs, trauma, injury, etc. Most excess weight is caused by poor diet, too building, hot or too cleansing, cold. You can lose weight easily if If you know the building up and breaking down nature of the body, food, herbs, gender, climate, etc. For more information about the way of eating, please visit http://www.hotandcoldhealth.net.