Digestive Wellness & Your Health

Digestive Wellness & Your Health
by Tiffanydenise

Digestion is one of those topics that I enjoy discussing most with people. The reason being is that I get to help open their eyes and see the shock and awe when they see how important it is to their overall health! You see, most people have health problems that are directly associated with not only the types of food they eat, but also their ability to digest food properly. It is estimated that 95 million Americans suffer from some form of digestive problem. Now out of all other ailments combined digestive problems are the leading health issue that causes people to miss work.

So what is so important about digestion and why does it carry such heavy weight in our overall wellness?

First let’s get a better understanding of exactly what digestion is. Digestion is the processes involved in the eating, breaking down, absorbing and delivery of food nutrients to various parts of the body for its many functions. It’s a very simple idea actually; whatever we feed our bodies is either digested (via the gastric intestinal track) or absorbed directly into the bloodstream (i.e. topical applications like lotions, perfume, creams, etc). Of course, certain things are safe for our bodies and others are toxic. The most intriguing aspect of digestion & colon health is that they are the end all and be all of our wellness. Why? Well, whatever is digested/absorbed in the body is used to make our bodies work. Therefore, if we consume foods that produce toxicity in the body then we are at risk for various symptoms or ailments associated with those foods. Similarly, if we consume foods that are highly nutritious then our bodies will be much less susceptible to harmful ailments and or dis-ease. See how simple it is; we really are what we eat.

With 95 million Americans dealing with some sort of digestive issue it’s certainly cause for concern. Consider those people in so called underdeveloped countries. Specifically indigenous cultures; they don’t suffer the digestive issues that we as Americans do. Now how could a country that is considered “developed” have so many people who suffer from digestive and other health issues and those in underdeveloped countries don’t? Well, people in these so called underdeveloped countries and in these indigenous cultures are healthier simply because they live off the land and they get plenty of exercise with their daily living routines. We here in our developed country suffer greatly from digestive disorders and other ailments primarily because of our S.A.D. (the Standard American Diet) that is packed full of over processed, nutritionally deficient foods topped with little to no exercise. As a result of this, many an industry has been created around digestive problems alone. Below are some of these common digestive problems:

Gallstones
Peptic Ulcers
Reflux (acid/ gastric)
Indigestion
Heart burn
Constipation
Diarrhea
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Flatulence
Food Allergies
Diverticulitis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Malabsorption Syndrome
Bad Breath
Chron’s Disease
Ulcerative Colitis


How in the world did we get to the point where our digestive wellness has been compromised? Well there are a couple of things that can lead to digestive problems. Some of the key items are:

Improper food combining
Eating nutritionally deficient foods
Stress, lack of sleep
Eating to fast, Eating to late
Drinking liquids with meals
Lack of digestive enzymes needed to break foods down
Insufficient friendly intestinal bacterial that are needed for optimal digestion, immune function
and to combat unfriendly bacteria (i.e. Candida yeast).

Consider this as you begin to understand how digestion works in the body. Everything on every level…communicates. Just as you communicate with your loved ones or friends…the many cells, hormones, nutrients etc. communicate inside the body. Imagine your body as its own universe where there are many beings that work collectively for the overall well being of the organism (YOU). Now imagine that this organism (YOU), by virtue of your brain and the power that it gives you to make decisions and take direct action, are the master of that universe (YOUR BODY). Whatever the organism (YOU) decides goes inside that universe, goes; and the ‘worker bees’ of that universe have to live with your decision no matter what, and then find a way, against all odds in some cases, to make something happen with what you gave it. This is what our bodies do all the time. The body and its billions of ‘workers bees’ are simply living out their own life’s purpose which is to sustain your ability to exist in this physical state. It has been given a program or software to work with that is able to decode messages and translate them and deliver them to the proper areas in order to keep you sustained.

Unfortunately, what ends up happening a lot of the time is that when we give the body certain negative messages (synthetic, processed, empty calories, junk food, excess fried foods, soda, excess processed sugars, drugs, excess alcohol, etc.) the body is at a loss as to what do with the data! The body is actually looking for matching data/communication that coincides with its program or software.

Thankfully, because our bodies are tied to yet a greater source outside of our human understanding, they are able, in the midst of all the miscommunication, to perform to the best of their abilities to decode and process the foods whether they are healthy or not. The body and its ‘worker bees’ do all this in its attempt to keep us functioning well. The downside to this comes when the ‘worker bees’ get stressed and are no longer able to function due to the nutritionally deficient foods we continually feed it. The cells that create the tissues that create the organs of the body eventually, if not handled with care, will either begin to dysfunction or die off prematurely. This is why eating whole foods is so vital; to properly feed our cells.

Our digestive system is an intricate operation where the ‘worker bees’ each have a job to do for a specific reason. These ‘worker bees’ are needed to break food down at various stages of the digestion cycle in order for the nutrients to be utilized by the body. Here is another reason why it’s important to consume a whole foods diet. The body needs nutrients, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates in order to function properly. The body needs these components in amounts that promote the balance and wellbeing of the individual. When we eat foods that are nutritionally deficient, pre-packaged and processed on a regular basis we send a message to the body that is not in alignment with being well.

Many people take for granted that combining food properly is critical for proper digestion. Most of us are so accustomed to eating simple carbs (i.e. white bread, fries) with meat (i.e. burgers) and then adding to that cheese, vegetables, sugars & liquids (condiments, soda), a dessert (ice cream or an apple pie). Yes I have just described a typical fast food meal—I know. This is a common occurrence but, there are so many more examples. Let’s just take the case of the typical fast food meal: different foods take a different amount of time to digest in the body so combining foods that have various amounts of times for digestion can leave the worker bees stressed and unable to complete all the task given to it. This can result in bloating, gas, indigestion etc. It can also result in putrefied fecal matter built up in the colon that as we all know causes a myriad of health problems. Yes it sounds nasty but this is serious. Your digestive system can cause serious problems if not treated right so don’t take it for granted.

Just think of it this way; when the colon is clogged and not clean then neither is the bloodstream. If the blood stream is clogged then the cells are not getting optimum nutrition to thrive which means our brains aren’t getting the proper nutrition it needs to regulate the functions of the body. This means, we are clogged mentally and physically and some would say spiritually. As the old saying goes, “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Whew!...yes colon health is associated with total wellness.

In addition to improper food combining, and eating an abundance of nutritionally deficient foods many of us also lack the enzymes needed to assist in breaking our foods down. While the body produces its own set of enzymes there are other enzymes that are critical to proper digestion and overall health that only comes from the plant world. However, they can’t be obtained from overcooked vegetables or fruits. Enzymes exist in raw vegetables and fruits and as soon as heat comes into contact with the vegetable or fruit the enzymes begin to die. To avoid killing off the enzymes lightly steaming vegetables or fruits is ideal if not eaten raw. Still since most of us don’t consume adequate servings of fruits and vegetables we can get assistance from taking digestive enzymes supplements. Papaya happens to be a very popular digestive enzyme supplement.

Our digestion is further impaired if we have stress of any kind including lack of sleep. The body’s natural reaction will be to first handle the stress that you are dealing with so needed energy doesn’t go toward digestion instead it goes to making sure your stress levels are down. Added to that still is the issue of sleep, people who don’t get enough sleep will most likely have digestion problems and slow moving metabolism (a major obstacle in losing weight) – lack of sleep is stressful on the body, and stress impairs digestion. Wow, you see how these things are all connected? It’s truly amazing!

In regards to drinking while eating, consider this example: say you have built a camp fire; what would happen if you suddenly poured water over that energy producing mechanism? The fire goes out and you have what; smoke or gas as the by-product. The same thing happens when we eat and drink at the same time. The body has enough work to do to break down the various food types you have just eaten – and now you decide to drink a liquid (water or worse something that contains sugar) what do you think is gonna happen!!! The ‘worker bees’ are gonna just say, “You know what? I give up, I’m tired and I can’t keep up with you!!!!” So now you’ll just have to deal with the gas, bloating, acid reflux, indigestion, and tiredness. Imagine years and years and years of this….


Eating too fast usually results in food that hasn’t been broken down properly in its initial stage of digestion leaving bigger molecules of food to be broken down when the food enters the stomach. Also, eating too late impairs digestion. The body needs a good 2 to 3 hours before sleep time to begin and get into the digestion process. If you eat too late you will most likely have a hard time sleeping soundly through the night and you may have a hard time getting up in the morning. So do your body a favor, give it the time it needs to begin digesting your meals before you go to sleep at night. It will make for a much happier sleep time.

Finally, we could all benefit from more bacteria!!! Friendly bacteria that is… Our GI track contains billions if not trillions of bacteria that are actually there to aid us in not only digestion but also in the upkeep of our immune systems and to ward off and defend us against unfriendly bad bacteria that can lead to various yeast problems or dis-eased states. However our S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) has lead to a decline in these friendly bacteria and we suffer because of it. Luckily we can purchase these friendly bacteria in the form of Pro-biotics that are just what the name suggest they are pro life. The two most common forms of pro-biotics are, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus. They assist our bodies in producing more of the friendly bacteria that already resides inside each of us. Care should be taken in selecting the proper pro-biotic so please, do your due diligence, before deciding on a pro-biotic that will work for you. People with compromised health conditions must exercise caution here and should consult a qualified health professional before taking a pro-biotic supplement.

So I always say give your body what it needs in order for it to do what it needs to do for you! Otherwise the body will eventually rebel and you will pay the cost in sickness, disease, premature aging and early death.

As always, wellness is a choice you either make or don’t make for yourself. Be well people until next week, this is Tiffanydenise signing off-