‘Let us go on a road trip, shall we?’ asked the Lord. The immediate thought that came to Science was ‘Would the Lord prefer a BMW X6 or an Audi Q7?’ Two mountain bikes appeared complete with all paraphernalia. Cycling was certainly going to be fun…

If the beginning of this meeting was sounding all romantic and special, the first stop brought Science back to ground reality. The screaming mother and intense doctor were not the only cause for this stress in the labor ward. Even the Lord seemed apprehensive! With the family pacing outside, the absolutely tense father-to-be literally hanging on to his breath, urging his dear wife to ‘breathe’, the professional aura of the nurses that didn’t in any way ease the sense of high drama, and the absolutely concentrated faces of the doctors and aides waiting with anticipation for the little one to arrive – none of this was exactly ‘new’. But nevertheless, Science could feel the awe of creation in the air. When the little angel arrived and screamed, the collective sigh of the entire crew was palpable in the air. The Lord gently tapped on the shoulders of a wonder-stuck science “Shall we leave?” Silently following the Lord, Science began

Science: That was so beautiful! But what was so special to make you come today?

God: O! I am here always. Every child born is special.

Science: Yes Of course! Yet it was lovely watching it! Child birth can never become ‘routine’ I guess.

God: Nothing can ever become routine my child!! I am surprised that humanity still doesn’t realise that every thing is unique, the only one of its kind!

Science: (A little defensively) Of course they know… For instance, it has been scientifically proved that every snowflake is ‘unique’. They know that the electrons are the same and yet each expression of creation is unique. Man does understand that in the entirety of time and space there never has been and never will be anyone like him. In fact developing cloning techniques only reiterated to humanity that while they can create a ‘new’ something, they can never repeat or in that essence clone an existing entity.

God: Hmm… You talk so much about being unique, but does man really understand that the first part of being unique is his body? No one ever has the same body as he does. It is this physical reality that first subscribes to his feeling of uniqueness before any spiritual or intellectual individuality.

Science: Yes Father! Indeed he understands that his physical presence is unique and the only one of its kind!

God: If he does then I am surprised at the way he celebrates it! Let me ask you something my child. You were thinking of these various automobiles for our trip. Do all of them run on petrol?

Science: Not all Father. Some run on Diesel, some on gas.

God: And some like our bike on human energy! What do you think will happen if I use petrol in a diesel car? Would it run?

Science: It certainly won’t. In fact you will be spoiling the whole car…

God: How then does man expect to eat the wrong food and still get energy to live his life?

Science remained silent. They had been cycling on a mountain road for quite a while now. Suddenly out of no where a village appeared. Nestling among the mountains, the village had a peaceful and serene atmosphere. There was no hustle bustle of the city to be seen. Even as Science was beginning to feel relaxed, a car horn startled him off the road. Gently smiling at Science’s expression, the Lord followed the car into the driveway of a posh village house. Everybody here seemed very busy. A young man received the driver of the car with ‘Thank God you are here doctor! Mom is really suffering with a lot of pain!’ Walking and chatting simultaneously, they arrived at the room where the middle aged lady was writhing in pain holding on to her husband’s hand. With professional ease, the doctor began to physically examine the lady’s abdomen region.

God: Do you know what it is?

Science: (looking up from the year old prescription for calcium tablets) It looks like kidney stones!

God: Looks that way! What gave you that impression?

Science: (pointing to the prescription) Looks like she is on the wrong side of fifty. She perhaps showed signs of loss in bone density last year prompting the doctor to prescribe calcium tablets. Now it has resulted in calcification and stones in the kidney!

God: Exactly what has happened! Why do you think he gave her calcium?

Science: Father! Women nearing their menopause age find themselves often undergoing a bone density test to check calcium levels in their body. Very often they self prescribe themselves to calcium tablets hoping to compensate for the bone density loss. However it is never that simple. For instance here, the diet of the lady perhaps had enough calcium that was required for her. However, a lack of the micronutrients were preventing her body from absorbing the same. Now without going into details, following a thumb rule principle, she has taken calcium tablets thereby increasing the volume of calcium available to her body. But the absorption is dependant on the micro-nutrients which she has not addressed at all. So the excess dose of calcium has resulted in Kidney stones. At the same time, a bone density test may also show calcium deficiency!

God: This is exactly what I said by saying man doesn’t appreciate the fact that he is a biochemical individual. Every person’s biochemistry is unique. How can he resort to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ type of diet and supplement? You not only look different from the outside, you also function differently from the inside. I am surprised that he treats his body like a mathematical calculator – counting his calorie intake and expenditure as if he were preparing a profit and loss account!! Food has to be eaten to optimise his genetic potential and suppress any genetic weakness. It is meant to give energy to his body – not the reverse of needing to rest after a meal to digest the same!!

Science: Very true Father! Very often man doesn’t realise that all those ‘junk’ foods are actually causing him more in terms of nutritional value to even digest. They cannot really be considered as food at all! Most of the time he eats ‘dead’ food – food that is dead in terms of nutritive value. Preserved food, fast foods, left overs, dehydrated food, packaged food – all these are dead.

God: My dear! It takes life to give life! After all every cell in the human body is replaced with the help of the food they eat! How can he hope to have a healthy body if it is ‘crap’ that he actually eats? He has to understand that one man’s food can be another man’s poison. He has to eat food that will suit his biochemistry. The influence of the nutrients he consumes on the various body systems has a direct bearing on his health and wellness.

Science: Wish he would listen to me Father!

God: I wish he would listen to his body! His body never lies! It is his mind that often does! Haven’t you explained to man about the various systems that help operate the body?

Science: I have Father! Man is well aware that the body functions with the help of the autonomic nervous system, the muscular system, the digestive system, the circulatory system, the excretory system – to name just a few. Only the right balance and co-ordination between these systems will maintain homeostasis.

God: Have you told him that the human body is a flawless system that automatically compensates deficiencies to keep the person alive?

Science: Yes Father! In fact, to revisit our understanding of calcium deficiency, let me tell you the process the body follows. A person with calcium deficiency may still show enough calcium in his blood stream. This is because the body compensates for the lack of calcium by ‘robbing’ it from the teeth and bones. If the calcium in the blood becomes too deficient a person can even die. So figuratively the body will ‘rob Peter to save Paul’.

God: All the more reason my child, for man to understand his own unique body chemistry and adapt to the right food for his overall well being. He has to understand his metabolic type or his body’s style of functioning which is defined by the imbalances that exist within his fundamental control mechanisms. He has to learn to talk to his body, take inputs from the reactions of his body to various food, and listen to his body’s needs. For instance, do you know what happens when something triggers the body’s immune system?

Science: Well! If man eats something his body is not ready to accept, it triggers the immune system to fight against it as if it were an infection. This causes a leaky gut. In response to a leaky gut, the body releases immunoglobulin. These immune soldiers go to fight against the food particle as they see them as invaders. The immunoglobulin causes inflammation of the gut. The undigested food sneaks into the liver causing immune system to fatigue and overload.  Now the immune system is compromised with fungal infection. The adrenal glands get stressed and release cortisol which is anti-inflammatory in nature. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and whole body functions become catabolic or tissue destructive. Instead of eating to give energy to the body, the food has become poisonous to the whole system – and all because man never realised that his biochemistry does not accept this item as edible food!

God: Exactly! If only he can learn to listen to his body, understand what food gives him energy and what actually causes him to lose energy, he can choose to eat wisely. My design of the human body is immaculate. It takes a mere nine months to build in the womb. And it takes man a whole lifetime to destroy. It is my design for mankind to be happy, healthy and fit. I wonder how many of them are ready to accept this gift with responsibility!

Written by Gita Krishna Raj  |  Published in infinithoughts in December 2010

When Science met God… |  Segment Four: The dance of a trillion cells 

Chapter One: Biochemical Individual