healthy stomach

Nancy has seen incredible changes when people go from boxed and canned foods to fresh, organic whole foods as part of the Body Ecology program.Incorporate a healthy mix of raw and cooked foods - raw foods have their own enzymes which are especially important when your body is healing and may be low on enzymes in general.

Digestion of carbohydrates (starches, sugars) starts in your mouth with saliva and enzymes. The enzymes not only help break down your food, they also attack bacteria. Most people dont chew thoroughly, which makes digestion of food much harder when it reaches your stomach. Chewing is stage one of proper digestion.

Stage two of good digestion happens in stomach and it is your stomachs job is to temporarily hold food and begin to break it down. Stomach acid is important for in this stage of digestion and while it does not actually digest the food, it triggers the enzyme pepsin to break down proteins. The stomach acid also destroys pathogenic bacteria and parasites, eggs and larvae.

your food moves from your stomach to your small intestine, where 90% of nutrients are absorbed. Your pancrease produces digestive enzymes so that you can digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It relies on the gallbladder and liver for the bile necessary for the digestive process to take place. LivAmend can be useful at this stage of digestion also because it increases bile flow from the liver and gallbladder. Bile is necessary for healthy peristaltic movement and healthy elimination.Taking digestive enzymes with each meal , like Assist SI and Assist Dairy and Protein can help your body digest foods. They improve your bodys ability to extract nutrients from the foods you eat. The enzyme, pancreatin, available in our Assist SI, is an excellent enzyme for this stage of digestion. All these enzymes help you avoid the gas, bloating and other digestive discomforts that often result when your body lacks the digestive enzymes necessary to break down and assimilate your foods.

Your intestines (small and large) are the home of your inner ecosystem, where the friendly microflora (bacteria and yeast) live. The microflora help you digest and assimilate foods and keep your immunity strong. Most peoples inner ecosystems are imbalanced, which can lead to leaky gut, an overabundance of pathogenic bacteria and yeast (like candida) and illness. Probiotic-rich fermented foods and drinks add healthy microflora to your intestines, bringing your inner ecosystem back into balance.Including probiotic-rich fermented foods, like cultured vegetables and probiotic liquids has been key to transforming peoples health, in Nancys experience. Nancy always recommends organic, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother. An excellent prebiotic, it feeds healthy microflora and aids your digestion. Try it in salad dressings in place of regular vinegar.

Nancy has noticed that many people who first come into her healing center drink a lot of soda and coffee. Some even start their day with these acid-producing beverages and changing this habit can really bring about positive changes in your digestive health. Soda and coffee dehydrate your body, which can also sap your energy. Drinking filtered water, organic herbal teas and probiotic liquids provide energy and hydration. Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine both say that cold drinks slow your digestive fire or your chi (energy). Since life and healing require energy, focus on room temperature water and beverages or warm tea.

The Body Ecology program goes a long way to helping your body cleanse and detoxify. At Cleansing Waters, Nancy and her team provide a variety of other detoxification services, an important one being colon hydrotherapy. Donna Gates is a huge proponent of colon hydrotherapy as a way to support your cleansing and detoxification. Pay attention to your stool - bowel movements should occur at least once per day and ideally after each complete meal. If you are not eliminating frequently enough, toxins will be accumulating in your colon and also throughout your entire body...right down to each individual cell. Your entire body will look and feel toxic!Cleanse your colon - everyone could use a colon cleanse. Colon hydrotherapy (colonics) is an ideal choice because 10 gallons of water are used to hydrate your colon, softening up hardened fecal matter and sweeping it gently out of your body. This actually allows your whole body to detoxify. Releasing toxins from your colon allows your liver to release more toxins, not to mention all of the cells in your body.

For all the effort youve put into toning itand for all the cupcakes youve given up to maintain ityour midsection should be as rock-hard as a diamond and just as much fun to show off. So why does it seem like your quest for a sexy stomach always hits a bump...right about belly-button level? Youre not alone in feeling frustrated: Sixty-two percent of women say the body part theyre most self-conscious about is their belly. But dont give up hopejust change your thinking. Turns out, some of the old food advice youve been following for years may actually be working against you, says Alan Aragon, a nutritionist in Westlake Village, California. The latest research is full of new culinary strategies for shrinking your stomach (and slimming down all over). After wading through the data to answer your most common questions, Aragon presents his core counsel.

Contrary to what youve heard, the five-small-meals-a-day mantra doesnt work for everyone. The new thinking? Youll eat healthiest if you eat your waymeaning, if you prefer substantial meals fewer times a day, theres no reason to force yourself to do the opposite, says Aragon. But while the number of meals doesnt matter, their size does. According to Purdue University researchers, the biggest problem with our noshing behavior is that snacks have become meals, and meals have become feasts. In the past 30 years, snack sizes have increased from 360 calories to a whopping 580! When you consider that the average woman snacks twice during each workday, youre looking at almost 500 extra calories a day. In just two weeks, these oversize bitesno matter how healthy they arecan contribute to an extra pound of fat. The takeaway: However many times you eat, always make sure that youre keeping an eye on your portions.

Its been scientifically proven: Eating fat helps you become slim, says Aragon. In fact, the Institute of Medicine recommends that fatty foods make up 20 to 35 percent of your total calories. This, of course, isnt an invitation to head over to the nearest fast-food joint. You have to include the right fatsprimarily monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) like nuts, avocados, and healthy oilsand stay away from processed foods that contain trans fats, such as baked goods. A report in the British Journal of Nutrition found that a MUFA-rich diet helped people lose small amounts of weight and body fat even when they didnt change their calorie intake. Whats more, dieters who took a high-fat approach needed 25 fewer days to lose 10 pounds than those who used a high-carb approach, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Universityand that was on a diet of 30 percent fat! So go ahead and indulge (in moderation) in fatty foods that are good for your body, including beef (top round and sirloin), pork, eggs (yolks too), and reduced-fat sour cream and cheese.