You are what you digest and absorb

You’ve probably heard it said “You are what you eat”. However, it’s far more accurate to say “You are what you digest and absorb”.

Good digestion is fundamental to good health, and even such common problems as chronic heartburn and gas can have harmful effects on virtually every cell in your body. Quick fixes such as over-the-counter and prescription medications don't address the real causes of the problems; they only mask symptoms.

Digestive problems can wreak havoc in the entire body, leading to allergies, arthritis, autoimmune disease, rashes, acne, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, autism, dementia, cancer, and more.

Having a healthy gut means more than simply being free of symptoms like bloating or heartburn. It is absolutely essential to your health and is connected to everything in your body.

You’re not over-weight, you’re over-acid

An overly acidic internal environment is likely the reason for the excess pounds you are carrying around. The body creates fat cells to carry acids away from your vital organs to try to protect them.

Your fat is actually saving your life and that's why your body doesn't want to let it go.

Weight problems can also result from yeast and fungus interfering with the digestion of food, which creates more acid.
The nutritional deficiencies created can actually trigger your body to pack on extra pounds, in part because you are always hungry.

Your body won't let go of the fat no matter how much you exercise, no matter how much you eat right, if you do not create an environment that is more alkaline.

Start where you are

Changing your diet can be stressful, so this guide is not about completely changing the food you eat. It’s about starting where you are and making a few easy changes now, while working up to the more challenging.

Digestive problems affect millions of people around the world. Digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, heartburn/acid reflux, ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, gas/flatulence, nausea, belching, bloating...

Poor digestive health affects your overall well-being and means your body cannot get the nutrients it needs for strong immunity and brain health. This means you may experience more symptoms of fatigue, illness, memory issues or depression.

 

Eat To Nourish Your Body (Eat to Live, not Live to Eat)

The purpose of food is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly–
a simple concept, but hard to grasp in our fast-paced society. Rarely do people eat food with the intention of nourishing their body.

Instead, most people just grab something quick and convenient to make the hungry feeling go away, or they binge on junk food out of habit, boredom, as a "reward," or as a way to distract themselves from negative feelings.

Eating for any of those reasons can lead to poor food choices, poor eating habits, and ultimately, poor digestion. The first step in improving the health of your digestive system is to improve the quality of the food that you put in your body. The more natural and unprocessed your food is the better digested it will be.

Consider these two things when choosing what you eat:

1. How closely does it resemble it’s natural form?

     ie. How closely does a frozen waffle resemble a grain of wheat?

2. How long has it been since it was alive?

      What is it’s shelf life; how long can it sit on the counter in your kitchen before it “goes bad”.

Slow Down, Sit Down and Chew

In today's busy world, few people take the time to really enjoy the foods they eat. Instead, it is common to either skip breakfast or grab something quick while running out the door, eat lunch on the run, and pop a convenient prepackaged dinner in the microwave.

Digestion begins in your mouth. In fact, improperly chewed food can set the stage for a poorly digested meal throughout your entire digestive tract. That means hours of potential abdominal pain or low energy. Chew your food as much as possible before swallowing and the rest of your digestive tract will thank you.

Chewing your food thoroughly begins the digestive process, breaking food into smaller particles and mixing it with saliva and digestive enzymes. The smaller the particles of food swallowed, the better broken down it will be in the stomach and the more surface area for nutrient absorption will be available in the small intestines.

If you really want to get the most out of your food, not only do you have to make good food choices, but you have to be able to break down and effectively absorb the nutrients from your food. It doesn't make sense to invest extra time and money into preparing quality food, if you eat it quickly and forget to chew it.

The simple fact is that slowing down helps you digest better because to digest well, your body needs to be in parasympathetic (also called “rest and digest”) nervous system mode. This means you have to feel rested and calm. Unfortunately, if you rush around in an over-busy life, your body tends to stay in sympathetic (also called “fight or flight”) nervous system mode. This means that your ability to digest is impaired.

If you eat on the run or when you are stressed, your body is simply unable to digest. Do this too often and you begin to damage your digestive health and overall well-being. Giving your food your full attention can literally change your whole experience with eating. You may find that you feel satisfied earlier and eat less, that you enjoy your food more and that you are able to focus on chewing your food thoroughly. Each of these benefits lead to better digestion.

Supplements

Most of us could use a little boost to help our digestion along. Whether from the natural aging process or from poor digestive health, your body can benefit from digestive aids, such as:

• Food enzymes, known as “Digestive Enzymes” in most health food stores, are essential whenever we eat anything that has been processed or heated above 118 °F. When raw foods are processed or heated in any way, they may lose 100% of their enzymes activity and up to 85% of their vitamin content.

• Hydrochloric acid (HCL) – HCL is the first substance in the stomach that breaks down food. Without it, food becomes
a mass of poorly digested acid waste residues that the stomach, or any part of the digestive tract, is not equipped to
deal with.
     • HCL kills and digests harmful bacteria & parasites that enter our body by way of food.
     • Eight essential amino acids, two vitamins and fifteen minerals require HCL for absorption.
     • HCL production usually starts to decline after age 40, although it's not uncommon in younger people.

And what about those antacids? Contrary to popular belief, too much stomach acid is not always the cause of indigestion and other digestive complaints. In fact, most digestive symptoms occur due to lack of stomach acid.

Gas, bloating, indigestion, "acid reflux," burning, diarrhea, and constipation are all signs that the digestive system is in need of repair. And rather than fix the problem, by making better food choices or improving digestive habits, it is common to pop an antacid to make the symptoms go away.

Last year Americans spent $7 billion on antacids. That's crazy because what happens when we take antacids is that we neutralize hydrochloric acid, a substance that is critical for proper digestion. Stomach acid helps us assimilate protein–the building block for every single cell in the body. And if protein is not fully digested, it will putrefy in the gut and cause a heavy, bloated feeling after eating, not to mention acid reflux.

Stomach acid is also essential for the absorption of important nutrients like calcium, iron, and B vitamins. A deficiency in B vitamins alone can cause symptoms like anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Stomach acid also serves as our first line of defense if we ingest anything in our food that doesn't belong there–like bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
(Ask me for the very simple test to see if you have low HCL production or Hypochlorhydria)

• Enzyme-rich foods are a great aid to digestion.

Raw Food - Add some raw vegetables to every meal. Raw foods are easy to digest and they provide the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Add sprouts to your meals or salads to add fresh and vital nutrients to your diet. Besides being a good source of protein, raw sprouts are living foods that are full of pure vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll. Some sprouts also contain essential amino acids. Mix sprouts in salads, wraps, and sandwiches or add to rice or potato dishes.

Fermented foods and drinks, prized in just about every culture worldwide, are our ancestor’s secret for digestive health and immunity. Whether you choose to add ½ cup of cultured vegetables or 2 oz. of your favorite probiotic liquid, this simple act can help your body digest the food you are eating.

Learn to make “cultured” veggies or raw sauerkraut. There are recipes in Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, or “Google” for it. Four ounces taken in the morning and before bed in the evening can go a long way to helping solve digestive problems.

If you can’t find time to make your own lacto-fermented foods, you can find them at Durango Natural Foods & Nature’s Oasis. They carry two brands: Turtle Lake and Rejuevenative Foods).

Follow the Principles of Food Combining and Limit Portion Sizes

Food combining creates less stress on your digestive tract, giving you more energy for other things. Another benefit of food combining is that it helps your body fully digest and assimilate.

Different foods use different enzymes for digestion, so when you combine your foods properly, these enzymes are more effective. Following is a very simplified version of the principles of food combining:

Avoid these combinations:

• Meat and starch (potatoes, rice, corn, bread, pasta)

• Fruit and anything else

• Foods with different digestion times.

Do combine:

• Vegetables with everything but fruit.

Limit Portions

Portions are way out of control in our "supersized" society. This is because the processed foods of today are so empty that no matter how much of them people eat their body is still starving for nutrients and never feels completely satisfied. This explains the intense food cravings that many people experience, cravings that lead to uncontrollable binges.

One serious problem with bingeing is the tremendous stress it puts on the entire digestive system–and the rest of the body for that matter. The human stomach has a limited capacity for digestion. Overeating decreases the effectiveness of hydrochloric acid and enzymes, not to mention that the foods most people choose to binge on are processed, nutrient-depleted, junk foods containing high levels of processed vegetable oils.

Not only do these foods totally lack any nutritional value, they also rob the body of vitamins, minerals and precious enzymes. One of the first things people notice when eating a diet of nutrient-dense foods is that they don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied, and the uncontrollable cravings go away.

Limit Liquids With Meals; Don’t Wash Down Your Food (especially with really cold drinks)

Most of the taste buds in this country have been programmed to enjoy certain foods, especially the denatured ones, with their liquid counterparts, like coffee and a donut, pizza and an ice cold cola, or cookies and a tall glass of milk.
And, a fast-food meal would be incomplete without the “Super-Size” soft drink to wash it all down with. The problem is that drinking all that liquid with meals interferes with the whole digestive process, not to mention all the other problems created by the ingredients in the soft drink.

Even if you make conscious decisions about the foods you eat, just drinking too much water with your meals can adversely affect your ability to digest your food and absorb it’s nutrients. Drinking too much liquid with meals dilutes the concentration of hydrochloric acid and enzymes needed for proper digestion.

So to get the most out of the foods you eat, it is best to avoid drinking lots of liquids 20-30 minutes before and after your meals. (If you take supplements or any other pills with food, try to use no more than 4-6 ounces of water to swallow them.)

In Conclusion

The problem is that it's hard to find the time to prepare nourishing meals and eat them in a calm and peaceful environment. However, if we don’t make the time now, we’ll spend more and more time being sick and tired.

If you’re not ready to overhaul your diet, just start with these simple steps and, as your energy improves and you see improvements in your health, you’ll have the enthusiam and motivation to make bigger changes. You deserve to feel your best and it can be challenging to feel good when you experience the fatigue and pain of poor digestion.

Your body is designed to heal and there is no greater act of self-care than taking the time to nourish and support your best health.