Building a Healthy
Digestive System- Part 3
by Mary Louise;Town Jaqua, Health Minister 3-4-14Eating is more than an opportunity to socialize,
entertain the tastebuds or exercise the jaw.
Eating is all about nourishing the body. It
is no surprise then that how well we eat and
digest our food is reflected in the quality of
our health!
Allowing for the importance of the digestive
system in supporting the body's wellbeing,
Building a Healthy Digestive System- Part 1
of this series explored the mechanics of the
digestion process in order to better understand
how to care for the body. In Building a Healthy
Digestive System- Part 2 signs, symptoms,
and causes of an unhealthy digestive system
were presented, citing the potentially serious
consequences that stem from an ailing gut.
With this groundwork laid and continuing with
the final segment of this series, it is now time
to learn how to construct a healthy digestive
system!Building basics
Every contruction project requires raw materials
in order to realize the finished product. Building
a healthy digestive system is no exception.
Naturally-found, raw materials provide a solid
foundation for digestive health. This strategy
is expressed through two, basic lifestyle
elements:
1. DIET
Living foods- fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts,
and whole grains eaten in their natural, raw
state best nourish the body, because they
contain live vitamins, minerals, antioxidants,
phytonutrients, oxygen, distilled water, and
more. Living foods also alkalize the body,
keeping body cells at a healthy pH. See
'Body Chemistry (Part 1): Acid vs. Alkaline;
'Body Chemistry (Part 2): Acid vs. Alkaline
The vital content of living foods supports
the cellular life of the living body.
See Why Live Food?
Fermented foods- cultured vegetables
and fruit add good bacteria to the gut which
aids the digestive process. Without the
proper balance of good and bad bacteria,
the body cannot properly digest or assimilate
food. Pharmaceutical drugs, especially
antibiotics, destroy good bacteria in the gut.
Thus good bacteria must be re-introduced
into the intestinal tract in order for the body
to digest and assimilate food properly.
See Fermented Foods'
Coconut Oil- is one of the healthiest foods
on earth. It has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial,
anti-viral properties that especially nourish
and protect the digestive tract. Read more
about the health benefits of coconut at
'COCONUT for Health!'
Pure water- clean, pure water initiates the
digestive process, irrigates the digestive tract
and helps flush out toxins from the body. A
clean gut operates more efficiently than a
gut with waste build-up. Distilled water helps
detox the body but should not be used on
an extended basis without remineralizing it.
Spring water is considered the cleanest/best
water source, since it originates deep within
the earth and surfaces naturally.
Oxygen- the body's nutrient need is 96%
oxygen. Living foods have a high oxygen
content and therefore provide this important
nutrient to body cells. Without oxygen cells
suffocate, mutate, and die.
2. EXERCISE
The body was designed for action: to move
in ways that are both practical and aesthetic.
Whether walking, running, jumping, stretching,
reaching, etc., the body loves to move and
express itself. This is a natural part of being.
Moving the body exercises cells, tissues,
and organs for the express purpose of
keeping them fit. Physical movement keeps
body fluids moving, nerve endings active,
increases oxygen intake and distributes it
throughout the body, increases circulation
and more. These actions revitalize the entire
body, including the digestive tract. Aerobic
exercise such as rebounding and walking
enhances digestive performance by improving
the muscular action of the intestinal tract which
helps the assimilation process. Exercise can
also alleviate and/or eliminate pain in the
inestines and restore peristolisis. More
information on the value of exercise is
posted at 'Exercising for LIFE!'
Supplementing for healthy digestion
Depending upon the body's condition,
additional support through supplementation
may be needed in order to build a healthy
digestive system. Common supplements
for this purpose include:1. Hydrochloric acid- as the body ages,
it often does not produce enough stomach
acid in order to digest food. Studies prove
that after the age of 40, production of HCL
decreases. Without maintaining the proper
level of HCL, food cannot be digested. To
boost HCL levels, eat more dark, leafy
greens and/or supplement with Betain.
2. Digestive enzymes- due to poor diet,
most people do not have enough enzymes
to digest food. A predominantly cooked
diet kills enzymatic activity in food. Living
foods naturally contain enzymes that aid
digestion. Those over the age of 40 as
well as those who eat cooked food should
consider digestive enzyme supplementation.
See product information here.
3. Probiotic- an inferior diet often causes
imbalances in the gut's bacteria, i.e. too
much bad and not enough good bacteria.
For healthy digestion, there must be a
proper balance of good and bad bacteria.
Supplementing with a probiotic (pro-life)
will add life-giving, good bacteria to the
intestinal tract which enhances the digestive
process. See product information here.
4. Curcumin- the active ingredient in the
spice turmeric. It is an antioxidant, natural
anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and more.
Curcumin is derived from the turmeric plant
and has many health benefits associated
with digestion. Learn more about curcumin
here.Cleansing the intestinal tract
Maintenance is a necessary facet of life.
For the sake of performance, machines
need cleaning, houses need cleansing, and
cars need tune-ups. Likewise the body needs
cleansing, too! While cleansing the outside
of the body is a common practice, cleansing
the inside is equally if not more important.
Ridding the body of accummulated poisons
that are lodged in the gut or elsewhere can
greatly improve digestion. Cleaning out dead
fecal matter or infestations of parasites in the
intestines restores the integrity of the gut,
thus improving the digestive process.
Periodic cleansing of the intestines, liver,
gall bladder, and kidneys is known to greatly
enhance overall performance of the body.
Learn about cleansing the body here.
See product information here.Tips to maximize healthy digestion
Practical tips for improving digestion are
simple and often reflect common sense or
good manners, that, when applied, pay
great dividends.
- Relax- take a series of deep breaths
before eating- Eat with a positive attitude. Happy,
restful, productive emotions facilitate
the digestive process. Negative attitudes
such as hatred, anger, and resentment
hinder digestion, unsettling the stomach
and constricting the intestinal tract. Thus
avoid eating when emotionally distraught.- Avoid eating when the digestive tract
does not feel well. It is better to resolve
stomach or gut discomfort by resting and
drinking copious amounts of purified water,
adding freshly-squeezed lemon, if possible.
This will flush out toxins, alkalize the system,
and free up the body's energy so that it
can heal itself.- Eat only when hungry. Eating in
harmony with body cycles and needs
optimizes the digestive process. Food
eaten when the body is not hungry is
undigestible and unassimilable. Snacking
throughout the day ('grazing') or eating
late at night before bed stresses the
digestive system, rendering food
undigestible and leaving it to rot in the gut.
Allow at least 4 hours between meals.- Practice good food combining- different
foods require different digestive juices to
process, therefore do not eat fruit with
vegetables. Eat less dense foods before
eating denser foods and cooked foods
after living foods. See "Food Combining'- Eat in a pleasant environment. Eating
in a friendly, restful surrounding encourages
healthy digestion. Set an eye-appealing
table, play restful music, and avoid TV,
computer or cell phone interference.
Constructive conversation enhances
good digestion.- Sit tall in a straight-back chair
with feet flat on the floor/ground.
Sitting is a restful postition that naturally
optimizes the digestive system. Standing
while eating or eating 'on the run' hinders
the production/flow of digestive juices
which compromises the digestive process
and ultimately causes food to rot in the gut.- Take small bites. Digestive juices
secreted in the mouth can break down
smaller bites of food better than larger
ones. Therefore avoid stuffing the mouth.- Chew food well. A mouthful of food
should be chewed at least twenty to
fifty times before swallowing. Well-
chewed food alleviates stress on the
stomach, since the stomach relies
on the teeth to pulverize food. Chew
and swallow one mouthful at a time.
Overloading the mouth with multiple
bites compromises the ability of
digestive juices in the mouth to begin
breaking down food.- Eat with the mouth closed. Prevent
possible choking by not talking when
the mouth is full.- Eat slowly. Allow the digestive process
to run its natural course. Hastily gulping
down a meal or snack stresses digestion
and compromises the body's ability to
process food.- Avoid drinking with meals. Actions
of digestive juices and enzymes are
compromised by the addition of fluids
into the stomach. Drinking a tall glass
of water at least one half hour before
eating, however, aids the digestive
process by increasing production and
secretion of digestive juices. Allow
at least an hour after eating before
drinking again.In conclusion
While a healthy digestive system is not the
"end-all" in life, it can be the beginning of
a new life for many people. Allowing for the
many ailments that Americans suffer,
possessing a healthy digestive system can
be the difference between life and death.
Investing in one's wellbeing should be a
personal priority, for without quality of life,
living can be miserable. Sickness, pain,
disease, and death are all too common.
Sadly, most of the world's ills stem from
poor digestion, a system that has failed to
meet the needs of the body.In Hosea 4:6, YHVH Almighty says, "My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"
and this is glaringly true. Facing the contagion
of heart burn, acid reflux, stomach ulcers,
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chron's Disease,
cancer, diabetes, and much more, who would
have thought that most of our ills originate in
our guts? Truly America is gut sick, in need of
restoration in terms of redefining what
constitutes a healthy diet and lifestyle.It is said that we are what we eat, while others
retort that we are what we assimilate. Either way,
Americans need to be gut serious about their
gut health by taking drastic measures, if
necessary, to restore their digestive health.
As proven in this series Building a Healthy
Digestive System, these measures need not
be painful, expensive, or include dangerous
medical modalities. Building a healthy digestive
system is a simple process that involves natural
means. Given the right raw ingredients, the
body proves to respond favorably. It knows how
to take care of itself. The body's self-healing
ability to heal is fact not fiction. Therefore step
into action by applying the right tools and raw
materials as recommended by YHVH Almighty
Himself. Build a healthy digestive system His
way, and discover a new you!And YHVH said, Behold, I have given you every herb
bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Genesis 1:29
_______________________________
References and further reading:
Dr. Jensen's Guide to Better Bowel Care-
Dr. Bernard Jensen
Digestive Tune-Up- Dr. John A. McDougall, MD
Healthy Digestion the Natural Way- D. Lindsey BerksonArticles by Dr. Mark Sircus:
Oxygen is a Nutritional Drug
Hemoglobin’s Oxygen Carrying Capacity Magnesium
Breathlessness – The Lack of Oxygen____________
http://www.innerbody.com/image/digeov.html
http://www.immunesystemetc.com/digestion.html
http://afibbers.org/resources/digestivewellness.pdf
