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Page 1 News Article 1982 By Joseph W. Duggan, B.Sc. Provided by Life Synergy Inc (780)717-9633 From the earliest recorded origins of holistic medicine over 5,000 years ago in ancient India, Ayurvedic doctors of that time and the present have considered poor digestion and an unhealthy colon to be the cause of many of man.s most common ailments. These ancient Indian physicians evolved very advanced methods of detoxifying the body even in those early days. In more recent times, from the 1800.s to the present, Nature Cure Physicians, Chiropractors and Naturopathic doctors have also looked to the colon for the cause of many health disorders. Health researchers of the past forty years have validated ancient healing practices utilized by Hippocrates, Pythagoras, and other great physicians of old that considered a pure diet and cleanliness to be the foundation of good health. Nutritionists studying native peoples have discovered that their diet of whole, natural foods prevents the onset of a wide range of civilized man.s health problems. Although pollution of our air, water and food is extremely relevant to the onset of many health disorders, most recent research in nutrition, centers around improper eating habits. The heart of these findings indicate that the high fat, meat, dairy, sugar, and low fibre content of the western diet results in poor digestion and assimilation which leads to inadequate elimination and a buildup of toxicity within the body. As Dr. Herbert Shelton said in Fasting for Renewal of Life, .Food and nutrition are not synonymous. You are not nourished by the food you eat, but in proportion to the amount you digest and assimilate.. In fact, the toxicity caused by the food you don.t digest and assimilate literally poisons you. Our bodies have a very efficient digestive system for extracting nutrients from the food we eat. It is so resilient that we can somehow survive many years of tremendous abuse, impossible food combinations, and in many cases, a lack of water on which the whole system depends. Many people today do not understand how their digestion works, which is understandable, but many more do not know what, or how, to eat, nor the importance of drinking sufficient water. To understand the basics, one must first tour and understand the system. The Digestive System Digestion begins in the mouth where food must be chewed until it is in very small bits so that the maximum amount of surface area is exposed to the digestive juices, giving them a chance to break the food down into amino acids, fatty acids, and sugars. It is important to have your teeth in good shape so that food is properly chewed as many digestive problems stem from poor mastication. While chewing is taking place, saliva is mixed with the food and begins to break down the carbohydrates into simple starches. This very fluid mass then passes down the esophagus into the stomach where, depending on the amount and constituents, it will stay for 1 . 4 hours. In the stomach it is churned and mixed with digestive juices. If the food is carbohydrate in nature the juices will be more alkaline, if it is protein in nature, the juices will be very acidic. A major problem in digestion can occur in the stomach. If incorrect combinations of food are eaten, the stomach has a difficult time breaking it down into its constituents. Therefore, certain food combinations are recommended. For instance, fruit is best eaten alone, proteins (meats, eggs, fish, etc.) are best combined with non-starchy vegetables and salad items or carbohydrates (grains, breads, starchy vegetables, etc.) are best combined with any vegetables or salad items. It is highly recommended that carbohydrate and protein is not eaten together, for example your typical hamburger. The reasoning behind these recommendations is that fruit requires alkaline digestive juice and digests very quickly when eaten alone, but causes indigestion when eaten with other foods. Carbohydrates require a very similar alkaline process, but proteins require a very acidic digestive juice. When both processes are required for proper digestion at the same time, neither one is efficiently executed. The result is indigestion, bloating, gas, prolonged digestion, etc. When food is well combined it breaks down quickly and remains in the stomach until it is turned into a semi-liquid, chyme, and passes into the small intestine. There the third stage of digestion occurs as it passes through the duodenum of the small intestine and is mixed with secretions from the liver and pancreas. Problems in digestion can also occur here, for instance if there is liver congestion, or a blockage of the bile duct by gall stones, bile acids cannot pass into the duodenum in sufficient quantities to emulsify the fats and fatty acids will remain undigested in the feces. This will cause the feces to float and may give it a grayish color. If there is weak pancreatic function due to excessive demands, digestive enzymes will not be produced in sufficient quantity. If food has not been chewed properly in the mouth, the enzymes that are produced will not be able to break down the large pieces of food. Protein not broken down completely to amino acids can cause allergies when they enter the blood stream and if left undigested in the intestines, it will putrefy and cause a strong body odor or be broken down by E. Coli in the colon which produce sulfur-like gases. In any case, if complete breakdown of the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates does not occur, diarrhea, gas and loose stools with indigested food in them result. In most cases, however, this very fluid mass passes along the rest of the duodenum, is mixed with the glandular digestive secretions and moves into the jejunum and ileum sections of the small intestine where most of the assimilation of nutrients occurs. |
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