A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF YOUR FOOD

[Guest guest]

A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF YOUR FOOD

JoAnn Guest

Jan 09, 2005 12:38 PST

=====================================================================

A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF YOUR FOOD

" That food disagrees with me. "

 

Here's how to settle the argument.

http://www.doctoryourself.com/digestion.html

 

1. Of course you remember the person who went to the doctor and said,

" Doc, it hurts when I do this. " The response, of course, was: " Well

then, don't do that. " If a food always bothers you, just eliminate it.

There is no shortage of choices; eat something else instead. My Dad

used to eat pastrami and always have an upset stomach. So he stopped,

and so did the symptoms.

 

2. Eat when you are really hungry. Digestion is strongest when you

really need to eat. Food tastes better then, too, for " hunger is the

best mustard. "

 

3. Chew your food thoroughly. We know it, we say it, but we do not do

it. Mechanical digestion is nearly as important as chemical digestion.

Your teeth are for cutting and grinding. Since you brush them, and

fill them, and floss them, why not USE them? One of the reasons people

suffer indigestion is they eat too fast. That really means they

swallow too soon. If food goes down in chunks, it will end up in your

colon in chunks. This promotes an overgrowth of certain

flatulence-causing bacteria.

 

4. Eliminating meat from your diet is likely to eliminate distress from

your belly. I know a person who cured his chronic indigestion just by

giving up pork. For another fellow, it was quitting hot dogs that

helped the most. The dead muscles of a dead animal are not a boon to

digestion. Meat contains zero fiber, clogging the pipes and literally

decaying in your digestive tract.

 

5. More fiber may help in general. Roughage helps keep everything

moving and automatically stimulates the digestive process. Salads,

raw vegetables and fruits, well-chewed nuts, whole grains, sprouts, and

legumes (peas, beans and lentils) are, as my Grandfather would say,

" good for what ails you. "

 

6. Eat more rice. While bagels and pizza are particularly " gassy, "

rice is the opposite. Remember that rice cereal is recommended as a

first solid food for babies because it is so easy to digest.

 

7. Yogurt and other cultured dairy products are an easy source of

beneficial acidophilus bacteria (as well as protein and calcium). Such

friendly bacteria digest much of your food for you. Every time you

take an antibiotics, it kills off these good bacteria. That is one of

the big reasons why there is so much indigestion in America. If you

find that dairy products make you stuffy, see Suggestion #1, above.

Alternatively, dilute your yogurt with water. This is called lassi in

India (no relation to the famous Collie). If you don't like less thick

yogurt, just drink a glass or two of water before eating any dairy

product. This really helps. If you wish to completely do without milk

products, you can buy acidophilus capsules at any health food store.

 

8. Try a multiple digestive enzyme supplement to improve digestion and

absorption of foods in general. Such a product will commonly contain

pancrease, papain, hydrochloric acid, ox bile, bromelain, and amylase in

one tablet. Totally vegetarian digestive supplements are also

available. Begin with only one-half of the recommended amount, and

gradually increase as needed to get the most comfortable result. More

will usually be needed for larger meals and higher-protein meals. The

elderly will especially benefit from such supplementation. If a young

person has simple indigestion, see Suggestion #3, above.

 

9. To get bonus digestive enzymes from your food, eat more raw bean

sprouts, and fresh or dried papaya, figs and pineapple. Pineapple

contains bromelain, papaya contains papain. Sprouts and figs contain a

variety of beneficial enzymes. Cooking temperatures destroy enzymes,

so try to eat these (and more of your foods in general) raw whenever

possible.

 

10. Raw vegetable juices are very easy to digest. People with REALLY

troubled tummies often make great improvements with the addition of

carrot, cabbage and other vegetable juices to their diet. Naturopathic

authorities frequently recommend a short period of fasting on vegetable

juices alone.

 

11. Get a medical opinion if indigestion persists. If you are told that

you have an allergy, or are lactose intolerant, ask for the basis of

that diagnosis. Only one in three " lactose intolerant " people really

is. A breath-hydrogen test will confirm it one way or the other. Even

lactose intolerant people may be able to eat cultured dairy products

such as aged cheeses and yogurt. Vegetarianism is always a sensible

option. Many a so-called allergy goes away quite promptly with the

addition of substantial amounts of vitamin C to each meal. Vitamin C

acts as both antitoxin and antihistamine.

 

12. To improve your digestion, don't just sit there, do something! That

something is exercise. Now of course you don't go out and log an entire

forest right after a big meal. However, regular exercise, especially

between meals and at before bed, will make a world of digestive

difference.

 

Some References on Digestion, Assimilation and Cultured Foods:

 

Howell, E. Food Enzymes For Health and Longevity, Omangod Press,1980

 

Liebman, B. " Out of Gas? " Nutrition Action Healthletter, March 1991

 

Ramig, V. B. " Make Your Own Yogurt " Mother Earth News Health, Nutrition

and Fitness, No.11

 

Rowell, D. " What Acidophilus Does " Let's Live Magazine, July 1983

 

Sandine, W. E. " Roles of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in Human

Health " Contemporary Nutrition, 15:1, 1990

 

Savaiano and Levitt " Nutritional and Therapeutic Aspects of Fermented

Dairy Products " Contemporary Nutrition, 9:6, June, 1984

 

Sehnert, K. W. The Garden Within: Acidophilus-Candida Connection,

Burlingame, CA: Health World, 1989

 

Copyright C 2004 and prior years Andrew W. Saul. From the book FIRE

YOUR DOCTOR, available from Andrew Saul, Number 8 Van Buren Street,

Holley, New York 14470.

 

 

 

Andrew Saul, PhD

--

 

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This page is not in any way offered as prescription,

diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical

condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program

necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no

one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain

it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health

decision.

Neither the author nor the webmaster has authorized the use of their

names or the use of any material contained within in connection with the

sale, promotion or advertising of any product or apparatus. Single-copy

reproduction for individual, non-commercial use is permitted providing

no alterations of content are made, and credit is given.

 

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. Learn more.

 

 

[Guest guest]

JoAnn Guest wrote:

 

>

> A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF YOUR FOOD

> JoAnn Guest

> Jan 09, 2005 12:38 PST

> =====================================================================

> A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF YOUR FOOD

> " That food disagrees with me. "

>

> Here's how to settle the argument.

> http://www.doctoryourself.com/digestion.html

>

>

>

> 4. Eliminating meat from your diet is likely to eliminate distress from

> your belly. I know a person who cured his chronic indigestion just by

> giving up pork. For another fellow, it was quitting hot dogs that

> helped the most. The dead muscles of a dead animal are not a boon to

> digestion. Meat contains zero fiber, clogging the pipes and literally

> decaying in your digestive tract.

>

Dear JoAnn

As always your posts are so informative,this one was no exception.

Lately however, i have come across many who are warning me not to give

up meat-it seems that over a period of severals years(even decades) the

vitamin b12 does become deficient in a vegitarian diet with dire

consequences.

Not far from where i live is a naturapath who has been vegitarian for

many years and has promoted that for his patients - now he has changed

his mind, i know of several other cases very similar.

It seems this info has come to me from various sources in the last year,

as i am not a big meat eater and would prefer to do without it.

I've read about active vs inactive sources of this vitamin and other

things on the web to do with a vegitarian and vegan diets,but now i feel

not certain about this course - do you have any further info? I,ve been

told the liver stores vitamin b12 and the problems don't appear for up

to and even over 20 years- but then are extremely difficult to reverse.

kindly kim

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

I read that you should determine what is best for you.

Vegetarian food may be the right for the one but not the other. There is

also information available how to find out which food is best for you.

But I don't have this information right now.

 

Randolf

 

 

, kim walcott

<search_gnosis> wrote:

>

> JoAnn Guest wrote:

>

> >

> > A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF

YOUR FOOD

> > JoAnn Guest

> > Jan 09, 2005 12:38 PST

> >

==============================================

=======================

> > A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF

YOUR FOOD

> > " That food disagrees with me. "

> >

> > Here's how to settle the argument.

> > http://www.doctoryourself.com/digestion.html

> >

> >

> >

> > 4. Eliminating meat from your diet is likely to eliminate distress from

> > your belly. I know a person who cured his chronic indigestion just by

> > giving up pork. For another fellow, it was quitting hot dogs that

> > helped the most. The dead muscles of a dead animal are not a

boon to

> > digestion. Meat contains zero fiber, clogging the pipes and literally

> > decaying in your digestive tract.

> >

> Dear JoAnn

> As always your posts are so informative,this one was no exception.

> Lately however, i have come across many who are warning me not to

give

> up meat-it seems that over a period of severals years(even decades)

the

> vitamin b12 does become deficient in a vegitarian diet with dire

> consequences.

> Not far from where i live is a naturapath who has been vegitarian for

> many years and has promoted that for his patients - now he has

changed

> his mind, i know of several other cases very similar.

> It seems this info has come to me from various sources in the last

year,

> as i am not a big meat eater and would prefer to do without it.

> I've read about active vs inactive sources of this vitamin and other

> things on the web to do with a vegitarian and vegan diets,but now i

feel

> not certain about this course - do you have any further info? I,ve been

> told the liver stores vitamin b12 and the problems don't appear for up

> to and even over 20 years- but then are extremely difficult to reverse.

> kindly kim

[Guest guest]

, kim walcott

<search_gnosis> wrote:

 

=====================================================================

> > A DOZEN WAYS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF YOUR FOOD

> > http://www.doctoryourself.com/digestion.html

 

Dear JoAnn

As always your posts are so informative,this one was no exception.

Lately however, i have come across many who are warning me not to

giveup meat-it seems that over a period of severals years(even

decades) the vitamin b12 does become deficient in a vegitarian

diet...

 

I've read about active vs inactive sources of this vitamin and other

things on the web to do with a vegitarian and vegan diets,but now i

feelnot certain about this course - do you have any further info?

I,ve been told the liver stores vitamin b12 and the problems don't

appear for up to and even over 20 years- but then are extremely

difficult to reverse.

kindly, kim

 

Hi Kim!

 

As you can see, I did not write the article however since I agree

with Dr. Saul I will try to defend his position. There are so many

conflicting ideas regarding B-12 surfacing, that I agree, it is

difficult for anyone not well versed in the subject to know just

what to do. Most of the medical doctors haven¡¦t a clue about

supplements so I certainly wouldn¡¦t take their advice.

My opinion is that many of these so called experts (and I¡¦m

certainly not debasing your practitioner in any way ļ) have been so

busy researching other things that they haven¡¦t taken the time to

really study up on the foods which contain B-12 and aren¡¦t that

knowledgeable about the wide variety of plant foods that have these

amino acids and proteins available for our benefit.

I was always told that as well. I know differently now, so these

scare tactics do not phase me in the least. I eat for my health

concerns and prognosis. Due to some previous heart and

cardiovascular problems I eat very little meat (and the majority of

it, actually all of it, comes from an organic or free range source).

 

Most of my current protein intake is derived from more healthy

alaskan salmon, organic eggs and water packed sardines. Eggs

(organic only) actually are the best source of animal protein due to

the fact that they contain additional lecithin in each egg to help

metabolize any existing fat and cholesterol.

I usually eat three or sometimes even four each day with meals. I

believe the advertisements which say that the cholesterol in eggs is

harmful and are the basis for high cholesterol and heart disease are

quite humorous in the light of the fact that meats (especially red

meats contain so much more cholesterol and so many more grams of

harmful fats- saturated fats. Even if you choose the leaner portions

there is no comparison between organic eggs and meat.

 

I¡¦ve found that animal proteins are linked to so many of the more

serious diseases that I try to minimize my consumption to minimal

amounts once or twice weekly. The only animal protein that I consume

daily is organic yogurt, organic eggs and cold water fish. I believe

as we age that is really all we need to keep our B-12 intake at

optimum levels.

Animal proteins (even organic or free range) are high is

environmental pollutants and free radicals that damage our heart and

other organs.

 

These animals are subject to the same toxins as we are since they

are high on the food chain. Sardines are low on the food chain and

are a good source of nucleic acids, the aminos and many B-vitamins.

 

On another note¡K I realize this is not a hot topic among

vegetarians, however I believe it is food for thought anyway.

Since they do not consume animal proteins (meats or fish) many of

them consume a lot of dairy, cheese, milk, refined sugar, chocolate,

coffee, etc¡K

 

Refined sugar, even minimal amounts (vegetarians do not as a rule

limit their sweet intake) " deplete " our bodily stores of B vitamins

on a daily basis and needless to say this does not improve their ¡§B-

12¡¨ status!

 

So, whenever we hear that vegetarians are low in B vitamins we must

take all this into consideration and not attribute this entirely to

their lack of meats/animal proteins.

 

These diets are not all that healthy if they follow the typical

vegetarian regimen (and they usually do). They tend to take

advantage¡¨ of all these other malicious food cravings in order to

avoid feeling deprived¡¨ (just my opinion).

So whether a vegetarian is lacking in B-12 or not would depend

entirely on the individual and how well they have educated

themselves from a nutritional standpoint.

 

You can eat vegetarian and still maintain optimal B-12, however

this would depend entirely on how well- disciplined you are in your

dietary choices.

 

The fact is that we need just a few micrograms of B-12, and a

five-year supply is stored in the average human liver. That

fact alone negates the scare tactics of those who criticize

the pure vegan diet.

 

In 1996, Victor Herbert determined that B-12 deficiency is

rare among vegans, even though most do not take supplemental

B-12. His landmark work was published in the American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 59(suppl), pp. 1213S-

1222S. Herbert wrote:

 

" To a great extent, B-12 is recycled from liver bile in the

digestive system...The enterohepatic circulation of vitamin

B-12 is very important in vitamin B-12 economy and

homeostasis...

bodies reabsorb 3-5 mcg of bile vitamin B-12.

 

Because of this, an efficient enterohepatic circulation

keeps the adult vegan, who eats very little vitamin B-12,

from developing B-12 deficiency disease... "

 

Despite real science, the B-12 myth continues.

 

B-12 (is produced by bacterial action)

 

B-12 stores in the human body for five years. Do you think

it's stored in the bloodstream? Yet, many doctors run

routine blood tests and end up prescribing one snake oil after another.

I challenge the lack of wisdom that fails to recognize that

B-12 is manufactured by bacterial action, and it's everywhere.

 

Should you buy organic carrots grown in real soil, the

B-12 will be uptaken into the body of the carrot.

For non-organic, those little hairs at the bottom of the carrot

(containing dirt) contain lots of B-12. Try not to wash them off.

After cleaning, leave the carrot out for about 20 minutes.

More B-12 will be produced.

 

Picture this.

A USDA inspector slices through a sample of carrot

In order to assay levels of B-12. He or she dips the sample in

alcohol,to preserve its so-called integrity

and eliminate extraneous variables,

and in doing so, kills the B-12.

 

Buy the organic fruits and vegetables and eat magic live foods

containing the colors green and orange, red and yellow.

 

Skip the vegan junk food (most health food stores are

prime examples of this) and you'll do just fine. "

 

Kind Regards, JoAnn