Aug
Your digestive system consists of:
- Stomach
- Spleen
- Pancreas
- Gallbladder
- Small Intestine
- Large Intestine
The strength of digestion depends on our parents (pre-essence) and what we were fed as children (post-essence). If we come from strong, healthy parents and were fed wholesome food, our digestive fire (digestive enzymes and HCL secretion) will be strong. Enzymes are necessary for every chemical reaction in the body; our organs, tissues, and cells all depend on metabolic enzymes.
There are Two Categories of Enzymes
1. Metabolic enzymes, which are necessary for:
- immune system health
- managing the body’s processes
- repairing the body
- cellular energy
- stimulation of the brain.
2. Digestive enzymes aid in the breakdown of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. There are four categories of food enzymes. Within each category there are numerous enzymes.
- Lipase for fat
- Protease for protein
- Cellulase for cellulose
- Amylase for starch
If you are suffering from poor digestion, take a minute and ask yourself, Am I:
- Eating food, that’s making me feel ill?
- Eating a variety of fermented foods for probiotics?
- Eating whole foods?
- Taking medication daily, which is affecting my microbiome?
- Drinking enough water?
- Drinking out of plastic bottles? Plastic is an endocrine disruptor.
- Under too much pressure at home, at work, in school…?
- Taking care of others who may be ill?
- Raising an ADD/ADHD child?
- Raising an Autistic child?
There are many factors that can cause excessive stress, which in turn can lead to digestive issues. The most common reasons digestion becomes compromised are due to poor nutrition, daily medication intake, eating on the run, eating in a hurry, eating when feeling overwhelmed, and excessive stress. Eating meals under stress can actually add to our stress; therefore, I prepare easy-to-digest meals.
Signs and Symptoms of Digestive Imbalances
| Bloating | Excessive worry |
| Bad breath | Fearful |
| Gas/Bloating/Belching | Irritable |
| Nausea | Anxious |
| Irritable bowel | Moody |
| Inflamed bowel | Tired a lot |
| Colitis | Impatient |
| Crohn’s disease | Easily overwhelmed |
| Skin conditions | Cries easily |
| Joint Pain | Muscle spasms |
| Nervous system disorder | Immune system disorder |
As part of our digestion:
- The gallbladder is essential for fat metabolism by secreting bile that aids in the digestion of fats.
- The gallbladder helps eliminate toxins by carrying them out through bowel movements, which also cleanses the colon.
Did you know toxins pass through the liver, kidneys, and gallbladder for elimination?
The health of the large intestine (colon) depends on how consistent our bowel movements are daily and on the presence of healthy bacteria.
The ideal number of bowel movements per day is 1-3, and the transit time should be 12-18 hours. This is optimal, according to Elizabeth Lipski, M.S., and C.C.N., as outlined in Digestive Wellness.
Healing Your Digestion
Did you know all herbs and food have at least two flavors, and these flavors help assist in digestion and all other bodily functions? The Five Flavors are Bitter, Pungent, Sour, Sweet, and Salty.
Easy-to-digest meals—when life is full and/or stressful—I prepare soups, fresh vegetable juice with a bit of ginger, and protein drinks. Eating easy-to-assimilate meals is an excellent way to ensure you receive high-performing nutrients and avoid depletion during stressful times.
All meals need to be prepared with whole foods, which are organically or locally grown and ethically raised. Whole foods contain constituents (food enzymes, minerals, vitamins, essential nutrients, and flavors) that we need to fuel ourselves, replenish our nutrient reserves, nourish our fluids, and eliminate toxins.
Make sure you are relaxed and calm before a meal
- Before I eat, I check in to see if I am relaxed. If I am not, I take deep breaths until I feel my shoulders, neck, and jaw relax. This also calms the nervous system.
- Before I eat, I quiet my mind of concern/s that are bothering me, but there isn’t anything I can do about them for the time being.
If you are having challenges with your digestion, such as constipation, heartburn, irritated or inflamed bowels, do a home assessment:
| 1. TRANSIT TIME – See what your transit time for bowl movements | Eat a tsp. of white sesame seeds and see how long it takes to pass through your stool. Healthy transit time is 12-18 hours |
| 2. HYDROCHLORIC ACID SECRETION – Is your stomach lining secreting HCL? | Drink half a cup beet juice and see if your urine turns pink or red. The darker the red the less secretion of HCL. |
Food Sensitivity Challenge
| Keep a three-day diet journal and record how you feel before eating and how you feel 10 minutes or so after eating. |
| Take your pulse before eating, then again 10 minutes after. Has it changed? If it has, you are most likely reacting to something you ate. |
| If you suffer from allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, a compromised immune system, and/or headaches, consider a 10-30 day elimination diet. Eliminate the foods from the list below, and after 10-30 days, add one food in at a time for three days. Record how you feel with each food on the elimination list. If you experience a reaction, you can have that food once a week. It takes three days for the protein in the food to become reactive to your body. Eating a rotation diet may be the solution to eating some whole foods you are sensitive to. You can eat those foods once or twice a week; it takes three days in a row for the body to become reactive to the proteins in the food. |
Elimination Diet
- Gluten from bread and grains
- All foods with artificial ingredients and coloring. If you eat a lot of packaged food, please read the book The Pantry Principle by Mira Dessy
- Soy
- Corn
- Meat – Commercial factory-farmed meat, especially beef and pork. *After 10-30 days introduce grass fed and finished meat and if not available grass fed legume finished.
- Nightshades – tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, chili peppers, Gogi berries
- Nuts and Seeds, especially peanuts
- Strawberries, commercial. *After 10-30 days try local organic fresh garden strawberries, most are allergic to the chemicals sprayed on commercial strawberries.
- Eggs, commercial. *After 10-30 days try free range (poultry which forages on the land and is not grain fed) chicken, duck or turkey eggs.
- Dairy, commercial. *After 10-30 days try if possible raw milk from small cows such as Jersey or goats.
- Chocolate
- Sugar
Did you know that if you are suffering from brain fog and moodiness, it could be because of weak digestion? The brain requires healthy digestion to assimilate proteins and fats.
Did you know the brain comprises over 50% fats — up to 70-80% of dry weight? In fact, the body’s highest concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids are in the brain.
Nora Gedagauda’s book, Primal Body-Primal Mind, offers valuable information on brain health. She is a clinical nutritionist and a certified EEG-Neurfeedback practitioner.
The Plant Paradox is a book that shows how lectins (proteins) in whole foods can be toxic to humans, causing inflammation and other health issues. Lectins are found in grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Dr. Steven Gundry has compiled a list of foods with safe lectins and those to avoid.
We often feel we never have enough time to complete everything we need to do in a day, so we cut corners or opt for easy, convenient foods. What we put in our bodies isn’t something to take lightly; the kind of food we eat makes a world of difference to our health! The better we take care of ourselves, the less likely we are to fall apart as we age. We all know that aging is a natural process, but we don’t have to suffer from aches, pain, vision loss, tooth loss, or gum degeneration if we have a strong digestive fire. Even if modern medicine tells us it is normal, it is not; do your research, and you will see.
By understanding your digestive system, you can identify which herbs, foods, and self-care practices will support your healing or maintain healthy digestion.
Eat well, be well!