[ Excerpt from The Science of Yoga, page 384 ]
The physical body becomes intoxicated ceaselessly throughout the duration of life. One of the main causes of premature ageing is the accumulation of poisons (toxins) in the body.
Although every living cell produces toxins of some kind, there is an even more dangerous source of pollution, which comes from the poisons that filter through the walls of the intestines, systemically polluting the entire body. Even those who are not constipated or who believe that they are not, still have a permanent, accumulated source of this 'self-pollution' in their intestines.
Though this state is true for nearly everyone in this modern day and age, it is perhaps more notably the single biggest fall-out from a meat-based diet. Meat, which takes much longer than other substances to break down, invariably begins to putrefy before it can be fully digested and eliminated, which creates an extremely toxic intestinal environment.
The evacuation, even regularly, of the intestines doesn’t exclude the possibility that the mucous membrane, the internal surface of the intestines, may be covered by a 'shell' of sediment, which becomes incrusted there gradually over time and is never removed. This inhibits digestion by interfering with the effective absorption of our food through the walls of the intestines.
As a result, undigested or improperly digested food remains within the intestines rotting and fermenting further, creating a toxic environment that spreads through the body via the absorption process. This permanent irritation of the intestinal mucosa (mucous membrane) lies at the origins of many forms of cancer, with intestinal cancer itself being among the most common forms of cancer today.
Some illnesses that may be directly charged to this 'self-pollution' are: cirrhosis, rheumatism, dysentery, rhinitis, arthritis, neurosis, psychoses, heart disease, skin disease and rashes, foul breath, insomnia, sciatica, anaemia, genital infections, haemorrhoids, gall stones, depression, enlargement of the liver and spleen, etc, etc. It should be noted as well that, among other factors, a sedentary lifestyle promotes this self-polluting process.
For most everyone today, those who eat meat and those who don't, the body needs to eliminate a lot of toxins. Some Signs and Symptoms of a Toxic Intestinal Environment:
- Foul breath
- Disturbed sleep
- Rashes and pimples
- Unpleasant body and sweat odour
- Dull complexion
- Cloudy eyes and vision
- Chronic headaches
- Persistent eye and nose diseases
- Heart dysfunction
- Anaemia
- Rheumatism
- Abdomen and G.I. tract problems
- Gaseousness
- Menstrual irregularities
- Diseases related to the reproductive organs
- Frequent urethra and kidney infections in women
- Depressed immune system
- Metabolic disorders
- Obesity or underweight
As Dr. Swami Gitananda used to say to many of his patients, "You're not sick. You're TOXIC!"
[Continued...]
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