Keeping a Healthy Digestive Tract

Let me first begin by reminding you what happens to food once it passes your lips and enters your mouth. After chewing and swallowing your food it travels down to your stomach followed by a short trip into your small intestine. After the body absorbs the needed nutrients, whatever is left over ends up in your colon and latervexpelled as a bowel movement.

After suffering from ANOREXIA NERVOSA (an eating disorder in which you feel you’re fat even though you may be dying of malnutrition), I discovered that although I had always taken very good care of my teeth, some damage was done in the interior part. Fortunately, this interior damage occurred on only one back molar which resulted many years later in a root canal. It could have been much worse…much, much worse.

The reason I say this, is in order to have good digestion you must maintain healthy strong teeth so you can chew your food properly. You must make sure you get enough minerals in your daily diet because these minerals in your daily eating will keep your teeth healthy both inside and out.

You can usually tell a person’s eating habits throughout his years by simply looking at his teeth.

*****

The finer your food is ground, the less work your digestive juices have to do…the flow is natural and uninterrupted.

*****

Drinking water during your meal in order to wash down your food actually destroys the healthy flow of gastric juice – especially if the water contains ice. Drink cool water a few minutes before a meal and wait at least half hour following a meal.

*****

Although many of you may not realize this (especially some meat eaters) humans fall in the class FRUGIVORA. This is the family of Primates which survive mainly on leaves, nuts and fruits. Our bodies are not made for heavy meat fat proteins. If too much heavy meat protein is eaten at one meal, the only way the human body can release the excess animal protein is through your kidneys. This puts an extremely heavy burden on your kidneys as well as other organs of elimination. Fat from meat is hard for the body to break down and therefore HYPERACIDITY or acid reflex occurs and or heartburn. The drug companies are making a killing on acid reflex medications. If people only knew that by simply eliminating or reducing their intake of animal fat and proteins daily and eating natural whole foods this problem would become extinct.

Try it. Your acids will return to their normal flow once again instead of rising up into your throat.

*****

You should have at least one bowel movement daily…three is recommended. A diet rich in animal fats and proteins can lead to colon problems and even colon cancer. Choose light and fresh whole foods. Try to eat some sort raw fruits and vegetables daily or try drinking your fruits and vegetables. I like eating the fresh fruits and vegetables that flow with the changing seasons.

*****

Drinking dark sodas such as Pepsi or Coke can lead to kidney, bladder and urinary tract infections and bigger problems down the road. Stick to purified water and fruit juices or even cold herbal teas (especially green tea which is a known cleanser and anti oxidant). If you do like a soda now and again, choose light colored ones such as 7up, Sprite or even Ginger Ale. My favorite is Cream Soda.

*****

Since I spoke a lot about meat in this section, I just wanted to let you readers know that I believe the foods you choose to consume is a very personal matter. I was a vegetarian for a couple of years as well as a to vegan for several months back in college days; and yes, my body felt great (I was also younger) and there were personal reasons why I chose such a path at that particular time in my life.

I was never a big meat eater to begin with and understand that raising and feeding the beast we consume takes up a lot more land, time and money then growing vegetables – that’s the environmental reason. Spiritually, we are all part of a living planet and none of us have been given the right to terminate life nor should we ask others to do the job for us simply for our consumption. And finally, the health reason being that our bodies simply to not contain the proper organs to fully eliminate meat proteins and fats without causing damage of one kind or another.

But yes, that being said, I have to admit after clearly understanding the ways of vegetarianism, I still enjoy a good 32 ounce prime rib cut a couple of times a year. My main protein comes from fish and I do not eat pork.

Moderation is certainly the way, in my opinion. Whatever eating habits you choose, let it be healthy and beneficial to both your body and mind and may it lead you to a long and healthy life. These are individual choices that must never be judged!