To Digest or Not to Digest

How the food we eat affects our health

By Janelle Deeds CNC, NE, Nutritional Consultant, Functional Endocrinology Specialist

What's the first step in the digestive process? Believe it or not, it happens before you even taste your food. Just by smelling what’s cooking or thinking about how wonderful that ripe strawberry is going to be, you start salivating — and the digestive process begins, preparing for that first delicious bite.

While many people enjoy food for gourmet pleasures or eat to support emotional states, food is our fuel. This is a very important fact. It does not mean that we should not enjoy the foods that we eat, but that we should realize the foods we choose to eat every day significantly impacts our health. Nutrients give our body’s cells the energy and substances they need to function. So what we consume as fuel/food can make our bodies function healthily with ease or unhealthily in a state of dis-ease. It is that simple.

The foods that we eat must be broken down (digested) into smaller pieces the body can absorb and use. During the process of absorption, nutrients that come from the food (including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals) pass through the cell walls in the intestines and into the bloodstream. The blood works to distribute these nutrients to the rest of the body.

Digestion is a complex process that involves mixing food with digestive juices, moving it through the digestive tract, and breaking down large molecules of food into smaller easier to absorb molecules for the body. It all begins in the mouth where saliva is produced, when you chew and swallow and is completed in the small intestine where digestive enzymes should be plentiful.

The average American does not chew their food well enough. Many of us get so involved in conversation, eat under an agitated/emotional state, or eating on the run that the result is undigested food passes through the digestive tract creating a disturbance in the metabolic processes. This disturbance can provide an opportunity for microorganisms to find a comfortable home in the gastrointestinal tract as well as result in a depletion of essential enzymes that are needed for absorption.

Research from the Digestive Disorders Foundation suggests that only 2% of people worry most about digestive diseases compared with other illnesses, even though digestive diseases account for one in eight deaths.

Notably, digestive disorders include serious diseases such as colon cancer, liver disease, Crohn’s disease and other stomach and intestinal diseases like ulcers, irritable bowels syndrome etc.. Something as simple as gas, belching and bloating are all indicators that your digestion may be impaired. Other symptoms might include stomach aches, acid reflux or feeling full all the time.

A young woman came in complaining of stomach aches, fullness when she woke up, weight gain and tiredness. Through a review of her eating habits we found that a majority of her foods were processed (fast foods, lunch meats, pastries, prepackaged “instant” foods) containing very little usable nutrients and when she did eat any whole foods, she found that they passed through her system slowly (constipation) and sometimes there were little pieces of food in her stool. This is a classic case of impaired digestion. To support her recovery process, we at HealthWalk recommended that she begin by adding whole food choices into her diet. The next step was to have her blend one meal a day (breakfast smoothie) and focus on chewing during the remaining meals.

Through Vital Hematology she was able to see that she had parasites in her system. It was recommended that she take HealthWalk’s ReVoxil™, a powerful formulation of natural antimicrobial ingredients which assists in the removal of parasites and other microorganisms and a digestive enzyme with each meals to support her body’s ability to break down the foods. She also took HealthWalk’s super probotic, BioNue™ to replenish the good bacteria in her intestinal track. Within a week, she noticed that she no longer had the fullness in the mornings, her aches had subsided and she was regaining energy. In other words, she was now able to use the foods that she was eating as fuel!

Healthy food choices such as vegetables, fruits, raw nuts, and whole grains offer generous amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Herbs and spices provide fantastic flavor to any dish as well as have healing benefits. Ginger and turmeric are both anti-inflammatory as well as delicious and peppermint tea is soothing and supports digestion when there is discomfort after eating.

Early detection is a key to restoring health. At HealthWalk we offer a variety of ways to assess the digestive system and to support your return to vibrant health. Vital Hematology, Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, Galvanic Skin Response and Gastro Intestinal lab review are all important tools that may help you regain the joy of eating and the vitality and energy in your life.

References:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3899439.stm
http://health.nih.gov/search.asp/5