It's imperative to keep your digestive system in the best possible shape and health because we need a healthy functioning digestive system in order to eliminate toxins. Digestive imbalances and irritable bowel conditions are caused by diets rich in animal products, such as meat, eggs and dairy. Sugar, processed foods, and other highly refined foods all aggravate the condition, as does dehydration, stress, overeating, and a lack of exercise.
When the digestive system is overly strained in this way we face what is known as "auto-intoxication". This basically means we're being poisoned by the putrid waste that's built up in our intestines.
When the large intestine is congested with stagnant waste the poisons start to back up into the body and pollute the body's tissues. Toxins that reach the nervous system will cause us to feel irritable and depressed, toxins in the heart area cause weakness, toxins in the stomach will make us bloated, and if the poison reaches our lungs we'll experience bad breath.
There are many ways you can support your digestive system including following our recommended gut health supporting protocols.
1. Eat slowly and chew your food well. You should chew each mouthful of food up to thirty-five times before swallowing. The act of chewing breaks down food into smaller particles and allows for easier digestion.
2. Food Combine - Food combining makes it easier for the digestive system to assimilate and break down food, making food combining a great way to ease the strain on your digestive organs. The principle of food combining is that eating protein and starch for the same meal causes incomplete digestion and results in poor assimilation of nutrients. Proteins and starches are digested differently. Proteins are broken down by gastric acids in the stomach, and meat is broken down by hydrochloric acid. Starches, however, such as bread, potatoes, and cereals, are broken down by alkaline juices in the mouth. Starch is digested faster than protein so if a meal contains both starch and protein the process of digestion is slowed. When you add an extra dose of self-care into your life by adopting a food-combining approach, or at the very least, increase the amount of food-combining meals you eat, you can expect your digestion to improve tremendously, you'll sleep better, and you'll have a lot more energy!
3. Aim to ensure that at least fifty per cent of your daily food intake consists of fruits and vegetables. These should be eaten in their raw and living state, and if not raw, then only very lightly steamed. High-fibre foods move quickly and efficiently through the digestive tract and in doing so, they minimise the absorption of toxins and discourage the growth of unfriendly bacteria.
4. Avoid junk food at all costs! Denatured and devitalised foods place a huge strain on your digestive system, will drain your energy, and causes all sorts of health problems.
5. Incorporate regular cleansing programs into your health and wellness regime. If you can, aim for three to four cleanses per year. Each cleanse should be a minimum of thirty days, however, four to six weeks is optimum. You'll be so pleased you've invested naturopathic nutritional healing into your life for optimal gut health. Check out our nutritional healing program.
6. The ratio of bacteria in your gut should be eighty per cent friendly bacteria (probiotic) and twenty per cent harmful bacteria (pathogenic). However, due to our lifestyles, that ratio is often reversed which can lead to imbalances and illness. Drinking a daily blend of super-greens will help to bolster your immune system and give your digestive system a boost. Chlorophyll-rich parsley, barley grass, spinach, and broccoli will help in the detoxification of your digestive system, and plant-based enzymes and probiotics will enhance the absorption of nutrients and provide good bacteria for a healthy gut.
7. Have a course of colonic hydrotherapy treatments to cleanse and purify your colon. Ideally, you should have a maintenance treatment every quarter and or use a home enema kit.
If you'd like any further information on achieving a healthy functioning bowel and digestive system reach out to us and we'll be happy to help!
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