Digestion - Your Bodies Most Important Function

Have you ever wondered why there are so many commercials on television and radio touting drugs that will take care of indigestion, heartburn, ulcers, etc? It's because digestion is so abused by most of the population. Do you have digestion problems? There are things you can do to achieve optimum digestion, drug free.

Digestion is the most important function in the body. If you don't digest your food, you can't absorb the proper nutrition to repair and build new cells. Think of your body as a brand new car, all shiny polished and new with every new option and feature available. If there is a kink in the gas hose, the car will not win any races, and will probably just put-put along, just surviving instead of thriving. If you give the car the wrong kind of gas, again, it will not get good mileage and break down more often. The same is true for your digestion; mistreat it and you will not be able to achieve your health goals.

There are many reasons for digestive disorders. Here are the major factors:

Hiatel Hernias
The most common contributor (70-80%) to digestive disorders I see with my customers is the Hiatel Hernia (See drawing). This is when part of the stomach muscle moves into the upper cavity between the diaphragm muscles. This can be a little bit, or a lot depending on the person. This is the "kink" in the gas hose. This can cause, stomach upset, gas, chest pain, heartburn, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, or no symptoms at all other than an illness that isn't going away because proper nutrients are getting absorbed. Discover Magazine reported that over 50% of the population in the U.S. has hiatel hernias.

Every person I have ever worked with who has a major illness has had a Hiatel Hernia.

Causes of Hiatel Hernias
Stress: In Chinese medicine, every organ has an emotion associated with it: Kidney is Fear, Liver is Anger, and Stomach is worry. There is a lot of stress in the world right now, and it isn't surprising people have Hiatel Hernias.

Bras: There is an acupuncture point under the left breast. When this point is stimulated, it initiates the stomach to be agitated and move where it shouldn't be. Wire bras and tight clothes can cause this as well. If the body doesn't have room for the organs, they often moved to unnatural positions, accommodating the clothing we wear. Pregnant women often get Hiatel Hernias as the baby often kicks and pushes the stomach. There is just so much room in there and the baby, in its effort to get comfortable, moves organs around.

Eating Too Fast/Not Chewing Your Food: Before I talk about the proper way to eat your food, you need to have an understanding of your stomach's purpose in the digestive system. Your stomach is as big as your fist. It stretches, but it is naturally as big as your fist. Our stomach also tells you when it is full. It is amazing how we have "unlearned" this over the years. When your stomach is full, it pushes on your diaphragm wall and causes your body to "sigh." If you listen to the sigh, you will be listening to what your stomach says, instead of the cook at the restaurant who filled your plate.

To keep your stomach happy, you need to eat slowly and chew your food. Many people must think that they have teeth in their stomach because they inhale their food without chewing properly. It isn't possible for your stomach to digest large pieces of food, very often this undigested food is just passed into the small and large intestine and is sitting there rotting in the intestines instead of being digested properly. This can often attract harmful bacteria, virus, and parasites.

Poor Food Choices: Many people should not eat dairy, wheat or other foods that often cause the stomach to be in distress. It is best to talk to a health professional to see what food you should be avoiding.

In addition, many people buy into the billions of dollars of advertising and purchase fast food made by a cook who slaps it around, often with a bad attitude. The energy from that food then is transferred to the person who eats it. Have you paid attention to what your mood is after you eat fast food? You might be surprised if you are paying attention. Cooking food that is organic and prepared with a positive attitude is not only more appetizing, but also more nutritious, less stressful and easier to digest.

The only way the stomach can communicate with us is to cause us pain - or to move to cause us a problem to make us stop these bad habits. Are you listening to your stomach? What is is telling you?

Fixing The Hiatel Hernia
Many Chiropractors can fix these a few different ways. I recommend seeing a chiropractor who is a Palmer Graduate who knows Applied Kinesiology and Cranial Sacral techniques. They are taught how to fix these easily and effectively. When choosing a chiropractor, make sure you find one you feel comfortable with and who has the proper credentials.

When your Hiatel Hernia is repaired by the chiropractor, there is something you can do each day to help keep your stomach in place in addition to eating correctly, etc. Drink a large glass of water each morning on an empty stomach, then jump off of a step or stool. The weight of the water will help to pull your stomach back to the correct place.

For more information on Hiatel Hernias - there is a video tape available from Dr. Jack Ritchason.

Illeoceccal Valve/Valve of Houston
In addition to the Hiatel Hernia, there are 2 other intestinal valves that cause indigestion when they do not function properly.

The Illeoceccal Valve (a one way valve between the small and large intestine) and the Valve of Houston (a one way valve between the large intestine and the rectum). If your stomach is not in its natural place, it can cause the valves to not close properly as well, preventing you from absorbing nutrients in the small intestine and instead absorbing toxins from the large intestine.

A chiropractor can also make sure these valves are working properly for you, helping you to absorb nutrients better.

Enzymes
Another important part of digestion is Enzymes. When you are born, your parents give you a "bank" of enzymes based on their nutritional practices. Some people have more in their "bank" than others from which to pull. Every time we eat, our body uses enzymes to digest our food, and to pull toxins out of our bodies.

Only raw food contains enzymes. There are many raw food diets, which often help people put enzymes back into their body. Unfortunately most diets contain cooked or dead food; hence the expression "cooked to death." When vegetables are crisp, it is because there is an enzyme holding the molecules together, making the vegetables snap when you break them apart. When they are wilted, they no longer have enzymes.

When you eat food, it is like burning a fire. Your body needs enzymes to digest your food and break it down, but just like a fire that produces toxins, your body produces toxins from the food-especially if the food is toxic as most non-organic food on the market can be. Your body needs enzymes to help carry these toxins out of your body.

Your liver and pancreas produce enzymes. Once we hit approximately 35 years in age, our body genetically makes some assumptions that we are not as active, and don't eat as much. This, of course, is not true for most people, and we need to put enzymes back into our bodies.

Enzymes can be purchased in bottles and there are different types. When looking at a bottle, the enzymes end in the suffix "ase." For Example, there is Lactase for digesting milk products. Some enzymes are stronger than others, some help reduce acid, some help to stimulate digestion. It is best to consult a health professional to make sure that you find the best enzymes for you. In most cases, it is best to take these with meals, helping you digest your food.

Often taking enzymes can not only improve your digestion, but can also help your body eliminate your bowels more effectively as well.

So, now after seeing those media commercials, don't run for the drug, help your body naturally. It has an amazing ability to heal itself given the right environment!