Good Digestion - How to have healthier digestion naturally.

We humans have almost 30 feet of intestines to digest our food- about 22 feet of small intestines, and about 6 feet of colon (large intestine). This system (along with our teeth) is basically designed by nature to eat 90% plant, rather than animal, foods. The animal foods should ideally be seafood, not meat, poultry, or dairy. Or you can eat 100% vegetarian food.. Our intestines are generally in terrible shape for lots of reasons. 90% of our immunity comes from our digestive system. ­­­­­­­It has been wisely said that, "good health begins in our intestines", and that really is true. If we cannot digest our food properly we will never be healthy or live very long. We simply cannot have good health without strong digestion. Americans suffer from endless intestinal problems, including flatulence, bloating, hemorrhoids, nausea, acid reflux, dyspepsia, ulcers, gall stones, diarrhea, Crohn's Disease, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), colitis, and outright cancer. An entire field of medicine- gastroenterology- has been devoted to this. IBS is the most common of these, and about one fifth of Americans have some symptoms of IBS. Gluten intolerance is an urban myth; read the Gluten Free Insanity and Wheat Baloney articles. The older you get the more prevalent these conditions are. It is important to also read the Colon Health article for more information.

How can we have strong healthy intestines? Our DIET is responsible for most of our problems. We eat twice the calories we need, only 1% whole grains, five times the fat we need (and the wrong kinds of fats), twice the protein we need, and 160 pounds of various sugars we don't need at all. Ironically though, we are deficient in many vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients like fiber, sterols and lignans. Overfed and undernourished. We drink God-knows-how- much coffee, regular tea, beer, wine, liquor, soft drinks, and milk (see the article Milk Kills). Add to this the countless billions of dollars of toxic prescription drugs, as well as the countless billions of dollars of over-the-counter drugs (see  the article Most Medicated Nation). Our digestive organs are overworked and toxified. How can we possibly have healthy digestion with a diet like this? Eat only macrobiotic food. Eat two meals a day. Fast one day a week. Don’t eat out much. Don’t cheat. Take proven supplements. Don't take Rx drugs. Balance your hormones. Drop any bad habits like coffee. Exercise. Lose weight if needed. Read Seven Steps to Natural Health.

What kinds of foods should we eat for good digestion? Whole grains are your basic, staple food. Whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, barley, corn, whole grain hot and cold cereals, whole wheat pasta, and whole grain breads are our primary foods. Beans of all kinds are a wonderful low-fat, high protein food full of nutrition. Most any green or yellow vegetable (except Nightshades such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) are a good choice. Local (not tropical) fruits in moderation (10%) add variety to your diet. Seafood in moderation (10%) if you want. Good soups and salads. Whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruit, and seafood should be the basis of your daily fare. Seafood is optional, or you can choose to be a vegetarian.

You're never going to be healthy if you have a coffee, tea, or alcohol habit. An occasional cup of coffee, wine, or beer is certainly reasonable. Drink herbal teas instead of Lipton or Earl Grey that contain caffeine and tannins. Drink WATER with your meals; nothing beats a good glass of water. Distilled alcohol has been the bane of most civilizations, and should be avoided.

What can you do as far as supplements go? If you are under 40, take the eight Supplements for Younger People, and add glutamine and sulforaphane. If you are over 40, take all 17 proven Supplements Over 40, plus the hormones you need. Specifically, take a good brand of refrigerated acidophilus with at least eight strains, and  6 billion units or more. Buy it refrigerated, and keep it refrigerated. Take this faithfully for the rest of your life. Take one in the AM and one in the PM for a year if your intestines are weak. 50,000 IU high dose acidophilus is now available. Use this temporarily if your digestion is weak. Take 750 mg of FOS (fructooligosaccharides) with your acidophilus. Take this twice a day for a year. This is an indigestible sugar that feeds the good bacteria. There is a lot of good published science on FOS. Take a tablespoon of the inexpensive bulk amino acid L-glutamine for a year. Surgeons now use this after intestinal surgery, because it is so effective. This also spikes (not raises) your human growth hormone when taken as suggested here. Read the Endogenous article to learn about temporary supplements you can take include good old aloe vera (200:1 extract) and slippery elm. Take two capsules of each for six months. Stop if you get a laxative effect. Sodium butyrate 600 mg daily and lecithin 1,200 mg daily are also good for six months.

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Again, if you have any digestive issue take acidophilus, FOS, and glutamine  twice a day for a year as your central supplements. Add 1 tablespoon of bulk glutamine powder daily. Take aloe vera and slippery elm for six months.

What about enemas? Avoid them, as the colon is self cleaning, and enemas wash out the good bacteria. Anyone who would even suggest a coffee enema is obviously demented. Enemas seem to be more of an anally oriented sexual fetish than a health practice. Read the article Enemas are Not a Health Practice.

Keep your digestive system strong by eating better foods, eating less calories (two meals a day), take proven supplements, balance your hormones, avoid Rx drugs, drop any bad habits, lose weight, exercise, and fast one day a week on water. This gives your digestive system a rest 52 times a year. Weekly fasting is vital here. You can also do the TMG program for six months (read Rejuvenate Your Liver). The liver is integral to good digestion. As always, diet and lifestyle means healthy digestions. Diet and lifestyle cure disease. Diet and lifestyle equals health and long life. Good health begins in your intestines. Read the article Colon Health as well. If you have any digestive issue, or are over 40, get a colonoscopy. This is great diagnostics, and a major scientific breakthrough. Polyps are epidemic, are pre-cancerous, and will be safely removed during the procedure.                                                    

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