-People with sedentary lifestyles need to increase both their fiber intake and exercise in order to     help their digestive processes work more efficiently.

-Fiber rich foods include fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, grains, nuts and lots more.

DEALING WITH DIGESTIVE TRACT PROBLEMS

- The digestive tract is one of the most used and abused systems in our bodies.

- Since the digestive tract is responsible for converting food we eat into nutrients we need for living, it's only natural that it can be the source of a whole host of ailments.

- More often than not, we give our digestive tracts poor materials with which to work.

- Subsequently, diseases of the digestive tract send more people to the hospital than any other group of disorders.

- These disorders include hiatal hernia, heartburn, peptic ulcer disease, lactose intolerance, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis, diverticulitis and more.

- Note this: ‘we are not just what we eat; we are rather what we actually digest and absorb’

- A person can be on a very well-balanced diet and be taking a variety of nutritional supplements, but if he is not adequately absorbing them, then much of the supplements or benefits are simply being wasted.

 (This is how the gastrointestinal tract functions):

- Digestion actually begins with signals from the brain that occur when it decides that the body needs food.

- These signals trigger the digestive tract to begin producing the necessary enzymes and components for digestion.

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR BEATING DIGESTIVE TRACT PROBLEMS

1. ELIMINATE NEGATIVE STRESS AND EMOTIONS BEFORE EATING

- If a person is upset, angry, fearful or has other negative emotions while eating, these negative emotions STIMULATES THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, which in turn

CAUSES DECREASED SECRETION OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID. This causes decreased secretion of pancreatic enzymes, which makes it harder to digest the food.

- Food allergies and sensitivities may be the direct result of negative emotions during eating.

MERIDIAN HEALTH CLOCK 

- Life in such a stressed out, high paced society often forces us to do things that are in direct conflict with healthy lifestyle choices, like eating on the run.

- As a result, our bodies and minds are not adequately prepared to digest our food.

- Then along comes symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, gas and bloating and we wonder why.

- Take time simply to slow down, relax and clear the mind of negative emotions before you eat.

- This is one of the most important things that you can do to start the process of healthy digestive function.

2. CHEWING YOUR FOOD

- The next important step in digestion involves chewing the food.

- Although chewing is an automatic reflex action triggered by the feel of food against the teeth and the inside of the mouth, it is very important that we learn to chew our food thoroughly.

- Each bite should be chewed approximately twenty to thirty times. As you chew, the food becomes mixed with your saliva.

- The saliva contains an enzyme called amylase. Think of enzymes as a pair of chemical scissors that take the long starch molecules in your food and begin to chop them up into smaller pieces called simple sugars.

- Starches are packed full of energy that our bodies need. But in order to get that energy, the starches must be broken apart and the energy released.

- It is the breaking down of starch into simple sugars that allow our bodies to absorb its energy.

- So what happens to food that goes through the system without being properly digested?

- Undigested materials clog the intestines and can have toxic effects on the body, thereby setting the stage for infections, fatigue and degenerative disease.

CC--- Dr. Lucy Umejike (NMD, AFCPNM)