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Drink your solids, Eat your liquids

How does the digestive system work? To explain easily let’s take a look at what happens after we chew and swallow the food.

  • After chewing, food enters the stomach where it’s broken down into liquid. It then transforms into plasma, then blood in the liver, and from there into fat, bone, bone marrow, lymph, semen or ova, and finally into *Sukra* (amrita), which nourishes the brain.
  • The food we eat must be thoroughly chewed for proper absorption. Once it reaches the stomach, digestion begins and the food passes through seven stages before it’s eliminated. Why stress chewing? Because our parents were right—chewing well allows the body to absorb micronutrients and phytochemicals more effectively. Saliva in the mouth starts breaking food down into a paste-like consistency, making it easier to digest. This first stage—mastication—is essential for overall health and begins before the food even reaches the stomach.
  • In the second phase of digestion, stomach acids further break down the ingested food. These acids are incredibly strong. In fact, if stomach acid were placed on a metal plate, it could corrode right through it. This demonstrates the extreme acidity of our stomach. But why doesn’t this acid damage the stomach itself?
  • Acidity and alkalinity are measured on a pH scale from 1 to 14—1 being highly acidic, 14 highly alkaline. The stomach maintains an acidic environment, sometimes reaching a pH of 1, to kill harmful bacteria from food. To protect itself, the stomach produces mucus that coats the lining, preventing the acid from damaging its walls. However, excessive intake of highly acidic foods can compromise this protective barrier over time.
  • Acidity and Alkalinity: The alkalinity of water refers to its capacity to neutralize acids, while acidity refers to its ability to neutralize bases. These properties are linked to water’s buffering capacity—its resistance to pH changes when acids or bases are added. Water with high alkalinity can absorb more acid without a significant drop in pH. Conversely, highly acidic water can absorb more base with minimal pH increase.
  • Acidity is measured by how much base must be added to bring the pH to a specific level. Acidity comes from multiple sources, including dissolved carbon dioxide, metal ions, strong mineral acids (like sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric), and weak organic acids (like acetic acid). In unpolluted water, CO₂ is the main contributor to acidity. Other sources often point to pollution. Measuring acidity by titrating to pH 8.3 gives “phenolphthalein acidity” (or total acidity), while titration to pH 3.7 gives “methyl orange acidity,” which reflects CO₂ and weak acid presence.
  • Why Alkalinity Is Important: In natural, unpolluted waters, alkalinity is more common than acidity. A key indicator of alkalinity is dissolved inorganic carbon—mainly bicarbonate and carbonate ions. These help buffer pH changes and protect aquatic life. Carbonate species can also form harmless complexes with heavy metals, reducing their toxicity. High alkalinity supports photosynthesis and helps maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems. A minimum alkalinity of 20 mg/L (as CaCO₃) is recommended, with 25–400 mg/L generally supporting aquatic life and waterfowl habitats.
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    Simply Sentient is a global network of Dadas, Didis and friends with the purpose of helping people heal and achieve more with their bodies, minds and souls. By promoting a healthy, sentient diet, and yogic habits such as meditation, mantras and yoga asanas, our followers walk towards realizing their true (divine) potential, with benefits for all.

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