Optimizing your digestion - part 2

If you suffer from intestinal bloating, cleansing can do wonders for your vitality too. While some choose more intensive cleansing such as enemas and colonics, something as simple as a good fiber supplement can act as a gentle brush for the intestines and as fuel for the good flora or good bacteria which live in your gut. Many people find that after just a few days of a cleansing supplement, their bellies go down and their energy goes up.

Eating unhealthy and processed food based diets along with the overuse of antibiotics can have the effect of killing off the good bacteria that live in the gut and protect the intestinal walls from “intruders.” As a result, an overgrowth of unwanted bacteria or Candida yeast can occur, and cause damage to the gut lining in many ways. An imbalance in intestinal flora can be assessed using stool tests from specialty laboratories and broad-spectrum probiotic supplements can cover most all of your good flora bases. Sometimes, a deficiency of one particular strain can be identified and replaced with a probiotic supplement. When adding in a probiotic supplement to your protocol, remember to go slow, as adding too much at once can cause excess gas or stomach upset. Going slow with new supplements is a good rule of thumb to follow, in general.

Bonus tip: by the way, sipping herbal & spice teas is a great way to protect your GI tract and immune system from pathogenic bacteria and parasites that may be hanging out in your foods with their anti-microbial essential oils. Many herbs and spices also have a carminative effect (i.e. anti-flatulent properties), which are especially welcome after that big bowl of chili or broccoli topped baked potato with cheese that you had for lunch.

To your GI health!

Optimizing your digestion - part 1

Known as “the seat of health,” the gastrointestinal or GI tract is a complicated system that includes digestive, endocrine, exocrine and immune functions. Our GI tracts are constantly exposed to toxins and “invaders” through the foods we eat, the medicines we take (like antibiotics) as well as the other unwanted critters that make their way through, including bacteria, viruses, yeast and parasites. So it may seem natural that our GI health can easily become compromised and burden us with uncomfortable symptoms once in a while. The truth is, the more common GI complaints like heartburn, reflux, diarrhea, constipation and excess gas are more likely a result of poor diet, bad eating habits and stress which compromise the immune system of the GI and allow problems to develop.

So how can you help keep the GI tract healthy and strong? Well, just like the importance of spring cleaning in any home, our lower gastrointestinal tract occasionally needs cleaning out too, to ensure its health is maintained and we are digesting and absorbing as needed. Colon cleansing is an excellent preventative measure which helps to cleanse the lower gastrointestinal tract of undigested food, expel worms, and inhibit the adhesion of bacteria, fungi and parasites.