Digestion and Holistic Healthcare

From a holistic perspective, it's not that you are what you eat, but that you are what you assimilate. Food passing through your system undigested does not do you any good, but actually causes harm. Bloating, gas, and/or constipation can be an indicator of poor digestion. Let's look at other digestive issues.

Roughly a third of all people over 65 suffer from atrophic gastritis, a condition that without noticeable symptoms, interferes with the absorption of vitamin B12 and very likely other nutrients and minerals as well. It's important to remember that such digestive and malabsorption disorders begin years before any type of symptoms appear and often go unnoticed for years or are misdiagnosed.

It's important to pay close attention to your digestion. You need to make sure that you are actually extracting nutrition from your food. However, after you have exhausted that food of its benefit, it's important to successfully eliminate its byproducts so that you do not have unhealthy build up of toxins in your system.


How do you maintain healthy digestion?
- A holistic approach ...

A holistic approach is best when it comes to your digestion. You should follow basic holistic guidelines for enabling healthy digestion.

• Chew your food slowly and thoroughly. Take time to enjoy your food
• Eat sitting down. Focus your energy on the process at hand - digesting your food
  
• Don't consume too much liquid while eating as this dilutes your natural stomach acids
  
• Finish dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime
• Always include breakfast as a daily meal
• Eat at regular intervals
• Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet
  
• Incorporate daily exercise into your day
• Get sufficient sleep

But what if I already have digestive problems?

If you are already suffering from the effects of a poor digestive system. First incorporate the holistic lifestyle changes listed above for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Then consider nutritional supplements such as probiotics. Probiotics contain beneficial bacteria that are normally found in the intestinal system. These bacteria break down food and can help re-balance and maintain a normal digestion process. Other digestive aids such as pepsin, betaine hydrochloride can also be helpful.


Remember, digestion is all about absorption and assimilation. Even the best diet and nutritional supplements won't do any good if you have poor digestion. Take care of your digestive system and it will take care of you.

For additional information about alternative medicine and other nutrition facts:

Naturopathic-Medicine.net

To learn how to optimize nutrition and learn about holistic health:

SC Certified Natural Health Professionals : http://www.sc-cnhp.org

For high quality, all-natural, herbal nutritional supplements:

http://www.herbsexpress.com

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Insulin Resistance - The Silent Killer

Insulin resistance, or the body's inability to properly use insulin to burn blood sugar, has become a silent epidemic. It has been labeled Syndrome X. Insulin resistance can be a precursor to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and a host of other diseases. Signs of insulin resistance can be obesity ( belly fat ), high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels.

To prevent syndrome X, consider these healthy lifestyle choices:

1. Avoid refined carbohydrates. These are foods that are generally white in color, e.g., white bread, cereals, cakes, pasta, ice cream.
2. Increase your protein intake in your diet. Limit red meat as it would have a tendency to aggravate further accompanying symptoms. Healthy choices would include fish and poultry.
   
3. Exercise daily. Walking, swimming, or cycling are all great choices.
   
4. Include dietary nutritional supplements that assist in metabolizing blood sugar and insulin, i.e., vitamins E and C, zinc, chromium, silymarin, and alpha lipoic acid.

To find out more about diet and nutrition, visit

Herbal Nutrition Systems

To find out more about natural methods of health and healing with alternative medicine, visit

Naturopathic-Medicine.net

To find out about natural health education, visit
Certified Natural Health Professionals - SC Chapter



Technorati tags : nutrition, holistic, certified natural health professionals, alternative medicine, fat, insulin resistance, heart disease, diabetes

Let Them Eat Cake, Nutritionally

Here in the US, we just celebrated a major holiday, July 4th. For many of us this meant not only a day off from work to celebrate our nation's birth, but also a time to gather with friends and relatives for the annual 4th of July Cookout.

Traditional meals for the annual 4th day cookout typically include barbecued chicken, beef, and/or pork, potato salad or pasta salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, grilled vegetable kabobs, hot dogs, and dessert. ( My experience is primarily of the southern cookout, so mileage may vary across the country; but these foods represent a typical holiday feast. ) Desserts vary greatly. This may include ice cream, custards, fruit pies, and/or fresh fruit such as berries, watermelon or canteloupe. But often times, combined with any of these other choices is cake.

For those choosing cake instead of fresh fruit, even the type of cake selected for the meal can make a big difference. For example, an average slice of devil's food cake ( approximately 2.5 ounces with icing ) contains 234 calories, 8.5 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein. However, a 2 ounce slice of angel food cake contains only 137 calories, zero grams of fat and 3 grams of protein. The angel food cake could be combined with fresh fruit for added flare and flavor. While this would add more calories, the fresh fruit would also add antioxidants, vitamins, and enzymes.

If choosing a traditional meal for the annual cookout, careful choices in ingredients and preparation can help make the meal healthier. The types of meats, dairy, and oils or fats selected can make a big difference in the overall caloric and fat intake. Adding fresh fruits and vegetables not only adds great flavor but adds a healthy component to the meal as well. Hopefully these are ideas you can integrate into your next holiday feast.

To find out more about herbs, diet, and nutrition, visit

Herbal Nutrition Systems

To find out more about natural methods of health and healing with alternative medicine, visit

Naturopathic-Medicine.net

To find out about natural health education, visit
Certified Natural Health Professionals - SC Chapter


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Spring Cleaning - Time for Natural Detox

It's spring and time for spring cleaning. ...Not just for your house but for your body systems as well. We are constantly bombarded by external toxins and create our own just through the basic metabolic process. These toxins build up over time and affect our health and wellness. In order to restore your holistic well-being, detoxification should be used to clean your internal house, so to speak. Detoxing helps the body to cleanse itself and heal. We can naturally detox in various ways: nutrition, herbal medicine, enzyme supplementation, hydrotherapy, and exercise. Let's briefly look at each of these methods.


By applying a targeted approach to our basic diet, we can minimize the impact of toxins with nutrition. By avoiding the problem foods that trigger toxic reactions, we can improve elimination and aid digestion. Foods such as unrefined sugars, dairy, wheat gluten, and meats which more often than not contain harmful amounts of hormones and antibiotics should be avoided or minimized. Adding lots of fresh fruit and vegetables provides the fiber necessary in the diet and adds loads of antioxidants and vitamins as well.


Herbal medicine can be used to supplement nutrition as it can help the organs cope with the detox process. Dandelion helps the kidney and bladder and is a great toning and cleansing herb. The herb milk thistle is particularly great in helping the liver cope with toxic stress and helping to eliminate toxins. Various herbs as well can be used as a gentle herbal laxative to cleanse the colon and small intestine.


Enzymes aid digestion. They are produced naturally by the body. But as we age, we do not produce the necessary amounts needed for proper digestion. They can be found naturally in raw fruits and vegetables or may be purchased in supplement form. Supplementing your diet with enzymes between meals can be especially helpful during a detox.


Drink plenty of water during a detox. This is very important. The water is necessary to dilute the toxins, hydrate the cells and organs, and assist with elimination. However, hydrotherapy can assist in external ways as well. Soaking detox baths containing epsom salts or baking soda can do wonders as they help draw heavy metals from the skin and support the kidneys. Be sure to soak at least 20 minutes in a warm bath and scrub with a natural fiber gently on the skin.


Heavy exercise make you sweat and sweating helps to eliminate toxins. Not only does this help with detox, but the act of exercise itself speeds up metabolism and releases toxins. It helps to oxygenate the body and mind and helps improve blood flow -- both of which move toxins out of the body.


By implementing these simple strategies, you will be well on your way to a healthy spring cleaning and natural spring detox.



To find out more about herbal support for detox, visit

Herbal Nutrition Systems

To find out more about natural methods of health and healing with alternative medicine, visit

Naturopathic-Medicine.net

To find out about natural health education, visit

Certified Natural Health Professionals - SC Chapter

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