By Kristy A. Harvell, DC
Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner
2 Part of Digestion:
Part 1: How our body takes in food and converts it into usable nutrition by the body for fuel and energy
Part 2: How our body eliminates toxins and waste.
Symptoms are a Check Engine Light:
Your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right: Food sensitivities/allergies, reflux, Chron’s, Colitis, Diverticulitis, IBS, Celiac, Heartburn, Gas and Bloating
Medical model: numb it, suppress it, remove it. ex: Milk of Magnesia, Tums, Prilosec, Remicade, MiraLax
Wellness model: find the underlying cause and restore function. ASK WHY?
Why is Digestion Important?
Nutritional deficiencies: calcium and other minerals
Demineralization of bone: osteoporosis, osteopenia, spontaneous hip and jaw fractures
Decreased longevity
Yeast, fungus and bacterial overgrowth due to pH imbalance in the gut
Autoimmune disorders
Obesity or inability to lose weight, metabolism imbalance
Chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, insomnia, muscle and joint pain, inflammation and stiffness
Mood, anxiety, depression
Elevated cholesterol
Hormone imbalances
Diabetes and insulin desensitization
The Real Solution:
What is Your Diet Like? Rather than focusing on fad diets and the latest health book making medical claims, focus on what our ancestors ate before diseases such as cancer, diabetes or food sensitivities ever existed. Avoid a diet of highly processed food. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store. Read labels and avoid foods with long ingredient lists or names that you cannot pronounce. Get variety and eat seasonally and locally. Eat organic when possible. Get fiber from fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes.
Do You Get Enough Water? Our bodies are 2/3 water and we lose a lot of that through our skin and respiration every day. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example: if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to consume at least 75 ounces of water. Hydration Test: pinch the skin on the top of your hand, if it stays peaked, you are dehydrated. What color is your pee? It should be clear!
Get Your Nervous System balanced: This is an indicator of how well your nervous system works. Can you adapt to changes in temperature easily? If you get startled can you react and then recover quickly or do you stay revved up? Sympathetic nervous system = fight or flight. Parasympathetic nervous system = rest, digest and repair. Can you fight off the common cold or do you stay sick for a lengthened period?
Whole Food Supplements: Gut repair, microflora balance, detox, blood sugar, acidity
Do You Smell? Bad breath and body odor can be a sign of dysfunction.
Get Moving!
If you want to learn more about this topic, you can check nutrition courses for all levels adapted to your needs.