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.
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