One thing I notice when I travel is what people order when they eat at restaurants.  I'm convinced of one thing: Most people don't know how to eat, what to eat and when to eat!

Do you feel bloated after you eat? Are ya popping those antacid tablets like they were candy? Constipated...even feel tired after you eat??

What exactly is indigestion?

Indigestion is basically impaired Gastric function and various unpleasant symptoms (especially abdominal Pain centered in the upper abdomen, rumbling noises and a feeling of fullness or bloating) that occur approximately one to two hours after eating.

Interestingly enough it is estimated that 33% of the population of the Western world are afflicted with Chronic Indigestion. That's a lot of you right now that are sitting out there feeling horrible!

Some common symptoms of digestion issues are:

Constipation can occur as a result of Indigestion. This is such a broad topic I dedicated a whole program to it! Anytime your body is not given the right fuel combination...things are going to get a little out of whack!

Diarrhea. I know no one talks about it. We often say "I must have eaten something bad."  And that CAN come from food poisoning. But not always!

Flatulence.  What can I say? You know who you are. Heartburn can occur as a result of Indigestion.  Some have even rushed to the hospital for fear of a heart attack when it wasn't the heart at all! It was their GUT!

Antacids are a huge culprit when it comes to heartburn. They are too often used for the wrong reason by many people.  Antacids are used to negate the Stomach's Hydrochloric Acid in the belief that excessive Hydrochloric Acid (Hyperchlorhydria) is the underlying cause of Heartburn.  In fact insufficient production of Hydrochloric Acid may be a far more common underlying cause of Heartburn than excessive production of Hydrochloric Acid.  In such cases the use of Pharmaceutical/Commercial Antacids may exacerbate the underlying cause of Heartburn (by further depleting Hydrochloric Acid).

What does all that mean? Stop treating the symptom and start treating the problem!!

Intestinal Cramps (abdominal Pain) can occur as a result of Indigestion.

And even Nausea can occur as a result of Indigestion.

But wait there's more! Here's a quick rundown of more digestive system ailments.....

     
        Appendicitis
        Burping
        Carbohydrate Intolerance
        Celiac Disease
        Cholecystitis
        Colitis
        Crohn's Disease
        Irritable Bowel Syndrome
        Ulcerative Colitis
        Dysentery
        Esophagitis
        Food Poisoning
        Gallstones
        Gastritis
        Gastroenteritis
        Hiatus Hernia
        Hiccups
        Intestinal Parasites
        Intestinal Permeability ("Leaky Gut Syndrome")
        Pancreatitis
        Peptic Ulcers
        Proctitis
        Vomiting
      


Whew! That's just a few of the symptoms related to digestion issues. When I come back we'll look into the causes of indigestion and what you can do to start feeling better...NOW!

The ultimate purpose of Digestion is to break large pieces of Food down into molecules small enough to pass unhindered into the Bloodstream and further into individual Cells throughout the body:

The Digestive System is also responsible for chemically altering substances to allow their utilization by the body (i.e. metabolism) - only Vitamins, Minerals and Water are used by the body in their raw state without alteration.

Sounds simple doesn't it?

Well, when you get that GI track right it will be simple and the GI blue's will be a thing of the past! 

So what can help you get that GI track, tracking?

        Do a cleanse!

        Take digestive enzymes!

Enzymes are Proteins that accelerate the rate of a biological reaction without themselves being used up in the reaction.  Enzymes act as catalysts by binding with the substance involved in the reaction and converting it to another substance.  Enzymes are specific in the type of reaction they catalyze - hence there are many different types of Enzymes.  Actually thousands!  And unfortunately enzyme levels  decline as we age!  And when we are deficient in enzymes we feel older, look older and simply feel pretty yuck, it's a catch 22...OK, enough technical, what do they do for me?

Digestive Enzymes alleviate Heartburn by facilitating the digestion of undigested food in the Stomach that may be causing Heartburn.  Research shows a deficiency of digestive enzymes can be the root cause of heart burn.  Amylase an important digestive enzyme breaks down Polysaccharides,  Cellulase digests Cellulose,  Lipases digest dietary Fats, hey I hear some of you saying give me some of that!  And Proteolytic Enzymes break down Proteins.  And without it, that big steak you just ate sits, and sits, and sits and then you wonder why you don't feel so good!  Well, it's cuz you have an undigested cow in your gut!!!

So what else do enzymes do?  Digestive Enzymes can be very effective in the treatment of Allergies by improving digestion and minimizing the absorption of Antigens in the form of incompletely digested Proteins in foods.  Did ya ever think that perhaps those allergies driving you crazy could be from enzymes?  No, I didn't think you did!  

Enzymes literally affect every bodily function!  Yes, I said every bodily function. 

Pancreatic Enzymes help to reduce acute and chronic Inflammation.  Pancreatic Enzymes help to prevent Intestinal Parasites within the Small Intestine as well as Detrimental Microorganisms.  And here's one for you, Pancreatic Enzymes accelerate the healing of Shingles.

Supplemental Pancreatic Enzymes are often prescribed (even by orthodox medical practitioners) for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis.  Why?... Because they normalize the metabolism of Fatty Acids in Cystic Fibrosis patients).  And listen up - Supplemental Pancreatic Enzymes can cause weight loss in persons afflicted with Obesity (by causing decreased food intake as a result of stimulating endogenous substances that suppress the Appetite).  I put every body on enzymes and even hand them out at the dinner table to any and everyone around me.

Pancreatic Enzymes can even alleviate the Inflammation associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis as well as Tendonitis.   They even reduce the severity and frequency of symptom flare-ups in MS patients.

And amazingly Supplemental Enzymes (in large doses) may inhibit the growth of tumors involved in Cancer (it is speculated that Pancreatic Enzymes mortalize otherwise immortal Cells which are Cancer Cells.

Protease digests protein.   Acidity is created through the digestion of protein.  Therefore a protease deficiency results in an alkaline excess in the blood.  This alkaline environment can cause anxiety and insomnia.  Can you imagine, not sleeping because of a lack in enzymes.......In addition, since protein is required to carry protein-bound calcium in the blood, a protease deficiency lays the foundation for arthritis,  Osteoperosis and other calcium deficient diseases.

Because protein is converted to glucose upon demand, inadequate protein digestion leads to hypoglycemia, resulting in moodiness, mood swings and irritability.

Protease also has an ability to digest unwanted debris in the blood including certain bacteria and viruses.  Therefore, protease deficient people are immune compromised, making them susceptible to bacterial, viral and yeast infections and a general decrease in immunity.

Amylase digests carbohydrates along with dead white blood cells (pus).  When you are low in amylase you are a candidate for abscesses (inflamed areas with pus but not bacteria).  Amylase is also involved anti-inflamatory reactions such as those caused by the release of histamine and similar responses.

An amylase deficiency can result in skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema, hives, allergic reactions to bee and bug stings, atopic dermatitis and all types of herpes.  Asthma and emphysema may also be exacerbated by an amylase deficiency.

Since lipase digests fat and fat-soluble vitamins, and balances fatty acids, lipase deficient people can be expected to have a tendency towards high cholesterol, high triglycerides, difficulty losing weight and diabetes.

The future outcome of these tendencies is heart disease, which kills one out of two Americans.  Lipase deficient people also have decreased cell permeability, meaning nutrients cannot get in and the waste cannot get out.  When that's the case, it can result in everything from vertigo to Meniere's Disease (which is dizziness aggravated by movement such as walking or driving).

Hey get some enzymes, you'll lose fat, have no pain, sleep better, and absolutely feel better and break down that undigested cow!

What else will help you and your GI track?

What about a probiotic?  The word biotic from the Greek means life.  So an anti-biotic is anti life. It kills off everything.  The good, the bad and the ugly bacteria!  But when you really need an anti-biotic, you really need it, it can save your life!  But what about that good bacteria?  What is it, and what does it do?  First of all you must know it's called a pro-biotic that is pro-life, gee that sounds a whole lot better than anti-life, and pro-life probiotics are a whole lot more than what people think, most people only think of good bacteria as acidophilus.  And acidophilus is good, but there's more.  Some people only think of good bacteria as yogurt and still there's more!  Saying all that to say, today on Alternative health we're going to dive into the world of good bacteria and find out where it comes from and what vital role it plays in your health!

One of the simple most beneficial products of good bacteria is yogurt, so eat it, bathe in eat and rub it all over you!  And now let's talk about how it actually works.    Beneficial Bacteria are a group of (primitive) microorganisms that lack a distinct nuclear membrane and have a cell wall of unique composition.

Beneficial Bacteria comprise approximately 90% of Digestive Tract Bacteria in healthy persons.  Various species of Beneficial Bacteria as well as various species of potentially Detrimental Bacteria populate the Colon.  The total number of species of Bacteria in the Colon is  approximately 400.  It is estimated that Bacteria account for 30% to 50% of the volume of the contents of the colon.
 
Beneficial Bacteria enhance the general health of the Digestive System.
It strengthens the Immune System functions of the Intestines as well as alleviating some of the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (especially Instestinal Cramps (abdominal pain) and Flatulence).

Optimal levels of Beneficial Bacteria in the Gatrointestinal Tract helps to prevent Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome.  Bacteria are a useful treatment for Ulcerative Colitis, causing remissions in many patients.  Beneficial Bacteria help to treat Urinary Tract Infections.

Along with enhancing the function of the Immune System of the Intestines.  As well as aiding the body in the digestion and break down of carbohydrates.
 
Beneficial Bacteria reside in the body's Intestines and can endogenously manufacture some Vitamins including, like Biotin, Choline, Folic Acid, Inositol, PABA, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin K.

Now while we now know how valuable good bacteria is, why don't we have enough, what depletes it?

Excessive quantities of Detrimental Bacteria within the Digestive Tract can "crowd out" Beneficial Bacteria.  So basically the bad causes the good to move out.  Excessive consumption of Chlorine destroys Beneficial Bacteria.  Pharmaceutical Antibiotics destroy the body's Beneficial Bacteria - as a side effect of their primary purpose of killing Detrimental Bacteria,  Remember anti-body anti-life, ya know I just don't want anything that's anti- my body...Tetracycline (when ingested orally) destroys the body's Beneficial Bacteria. It's used in a lot a acne situations these days.  Long-term usage of Goldenseal can destroy the body's endogenous Beneficial Bacteria in the Digestive Tract.  My rule on Goldenseal is only use as an antibody, never more than 2 weeks at a time.  And here's a shocker, Long-term (e.g. more than one month) daily use of Grapefruit Seed Extract may interfere with the body's balance of Beneficial Bacteria.  

Excessive consumption of raw Garlic destroys the body's endogenous Beneficial Bacteria in the Digestive Tract. So all you Italians could be in trouble.  And the number of Beneficial Bacteria in the Gastrointestinal Tract declines in tandem with the progression of the Aging Process. 

Excessive Stress causes the depletion of Beneficial Bacteria in the Gastrointestinal Tract.  Well hey, there goes half of America with little to no good bacteria...

So what's the fix?

It's simple, it's easy!  Go get a good probiotic today and while you're there, get some really good digestive enzymes!