Healthy Digestion

Healthy digestion is one of those things we don’t think about until we have some issues with it. An unhealthy gut will tax your whole body: your sleep will be affected, you’ll feel no energy, your bowel movements will change,  and your skin will reflect it like a mirror.

You definitely want to avoid MSG and artificial anything in your food!

There are different opinions out there on which diet is healthier: raw vegan, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, paleo, or even bretharian (people who do not eat solid food but draw energy from prana)! But here is my advice for you: before you try on any label find out which Ayurvedic dosha you are and read about blood type diet. These two can make wonderful guidelines and are very well worth trying.

So many people leave their lives suffering from poor digestion and skin problems, when nothing seems to help much. Until they find the culprit and remove it from their diet — WHEAT! Yes, wheat, and it doesn’t matter much if it is bleached or whole grain because it contains high amounts of GLUTEN. And while wheat is the main source of gluten, it is not the only one: oats, barley, and rye contain gluten also. Let’s face it: the use of GMO is harmful for people and animals and, regardless of what they say, is out of control. The reality is that wheat, even organic, is not the same as it was 100 years ago. It contains a much higher amount of gluten today. Interestingly enough, I hear a lot of stories of people with gluten intolerance travelling to Europe, where it is nearly impossible to resist pasties and bread, and they have no gluten allergy there. Why is that? One of the reasons I think is because the use of GMO is banned there. They realized that human lives are more important than profits. And honestly I do not miss gluten a bit now — there are many cook books about gluten free cooking available on the market today that will teach you how to make virtually anything but without gluten.

Fermented foods like kimchee, kefir and kombucha are full of live bacteria that is so important for our digestion.
A good Russian borsch is another great remedy as it contains a handful of veggies that are soothing for your gut: beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage and tomatoes.

A healthy diet that includes a sufficient amount of fiber (legumes and veggies) is essential but of course there are other factors that can affect your digestion. Enzymes is one of them.

When we are born our gut is full of all kinds of enzymes, ready to taste this world. But as we get older, roughly after 27, the enzyme content in our bodies drops. However, it is not the end of the world and can be easily replaced.

Enzymes

Enzymedica enzymes have been proven to be very effective, especially Digest Spectrum.

Psyllium Husks

Psyllium Husks are derived from the seeds of Plantago ovata plant, (genus Plantago), which is a native of India and Pakistan. It has been widely used for intestinal health, hearth and pancreas, as well as weight control.

Oregano Oil

Some people call it a medicinal powerhouse for its wide spectrum of health benefits.

Even USDA admits that oregano oil has such a strong action against germs that it could easily fight Salmonella and E coli. This makes it a great thing to have when dining out. Oregano oil is literally loaded with vital nutrients like magnesium and zinc and vitamins C and E. It is pretty high in iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, and niacin. Oregano oil is also known for antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

Other benefits of oregano oil include: weight loss, immune booster, alleviates sinus infection and colds, helps with yeast and parasitic and urinary tract infections, kills staphylococcus and makes a perfect natural insect repellent.

Some recent studies show that oregano was the most powerful of four essential oils (sage, ginseng, and stevia) at killing all six different cancer types, including cervical, breast, leukemia, lung, and colon cancer.  Scientists were surprised to discover that oregano almost completely depletes cancer cells of their glutathione which is an important antioxidant they need to survive. Without this antioxidant cancer cells become highly vulnerable to oxidation and die very fast.

Ginger

This fragrant root has a long history of use and indeed, it is a powerful medicine.

Ginger is your best bet in alleviating such gastrointestinal disorders like intestinal gas, cramping, vomiting, motion sickness. It is a great boost for the immune system as it is also an anti-inflammatory agent.
Some recent studies show that ginger is capable of inhibiting the growth of human colorectal cancer cells and killing ovarian cancer cells.

Add it to your stir fry or any Indian dish you like, or perhaps make a soothing tea!

Turmeric

Turmeric is invaluable for health of the entire body and mind. Just look at what it can do for you and you will fall in love with it!

Here are some health benefits of turmeric: great anti-inflammatory agent, relieves pain, treats arthritis and joint pain, kills a wide spectrum of cancer (breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer, and skin cancer), strong anti-depressant, reverses type 2 diabetes, heals your gut and supports the growth of probiotics there, a perfect cholesterol reducer, a strong pain killer, can compete with steroids in effectiveness, and helps indigestion.
Doesn’t it make you want to run to a health food store to get some after reading this?

Some doctors recommend taking a CO2 extracted form of turmeric.

One of the recent studies shows that taking turmeric along with black pepper, which contains piperine, improves turmeric absorb-ability in the entire body. Yogic tradition suggests simmering turmeric powder in a small amount of water for at least 8 minutes to activate all of its health benefits.  You can then add it to any dish you like.

Remember to consult your naturopath before taking any herbs as our bodies are unique and require a unique approach.