The Book of Judgment: (the philosophy of oriental medicine) Vol II

Ohsawa completed this work in 1956 while in Africa, in order to explain Oriental medicine and philosophy to Dr. Albert Schweitzer. All other things being equal, that which contains more water is more yin than that which is drier. Quantitatively, water is the most important compound in our body, but in excess it can reduce our vitality, since this means a dilution of blood (anemia). It lowers our body temperature and our cells become limited in sustenance. Our heart and kidneys become tired, for they are ompelled to overwork. Chemical and industrial refined sugars differ from the natural variety which contains all the minerals, proteins, oils, and vitamins we need to maintain our vitality. Refined sugar completely lacks these elements. Besides, it contains many chemical products that are very detrimental to health. Sugar is the greatest evil that modern industrial civilization has introduced in the macrobiotic countries of the Far East and Africa. It is much more murderous than opium and wars, particularly for those who eat rice as their principle food. For in the body sugar turns into water and CO2; both decrease the amount of yang elements in our blood and increase the proportion of K/Na (potassium/salt). The culinary preparation of food makes this physical and chemical transformation of vegetables into real human compounds easy, thanks to the yang factors (salt, fire, pressure, dehydration). This is why the utilization of fire and the discovery of salt were so important and significant. They made possible the best and the worst of human civilization, which differentiates man from the animals. This unique system of yin and yang functions unceaseingly in our digestive organs; carbohydrates are digested by saliva in the mouth ; protein by secretions produced by the stomach ; and oils and fats in the intestines