This column is the first in a series on how to heal your gastrointestinal tract to improve your health and change your life. To begin, science is in its infancy of discovery about how the gastrointestinal system contributes to your health. One important discovery has been the relationship between your diet and your immune system. In short, dysfunction of digestion can impair your immune system which can lead to disease.
For simplicity I will refer to the gastrointestinal system as the gut. The anatomy begins with the esophagus and ends with the colon. The food that we eat passes through the system and if that food is of poor quality, it can cause stress to the system. The reason is because digestion requires a tremendous amount of energy. The old saying you are what you eat turns out to be very true.
In my own life, I had a recent experience of colitis. This was initiated because of my poor diet over the New Year holidays. The colitis required antibiotics which changed the normal bacterial flora of my intestinal tract and complicated my recovery.
Because of this experience I was forced to take a hard look at the effects of my diet on my health. I discovered personally that my efforts in mind and body stress reduction techniques such as yoga and meditation were not enough to keep me healthy.
I used to think I could eat anything and be healthy, but that attitude is arrogant. Changing my diet to improve my health required humility. I had to realize that my diet finally caught up with me. If I continued down the road of eating processed and junk food, I eventually could lose my colon to surgery.
Inspired to learn more I discovered a book that has changed my life and can change yours. The book is called, “Clean Gut,” by Alejandro Junger, MD. The focus of the book is the role diet plays in the development of disease.
The book explains that contemporary Western medicine focuses on pharmacology and surgery for the resolution of ailments. Junger argues that if we ate the right foods we can halt the progression and onset of many diseases. According to Junger, diet is the key to long-lasting health. He teaches that food can be good medicine or toxic waste depending on your decisions of what you eat.
In Eastern medicine there is a saying, “Life ends in the colon.” Your colon is like a garbage disposal system. If the colon becomes compromised, waste accumulates. The stagnant waste collections, ferments and leaches into the body causing numerous illnesses including coronary artery disease, diabetes, depression, chronic fatigue and even back pain.
The good news is you can reverse the process of gastrointestinal dysfunction. You can heal yourself literally from inside out. Eating right can cure gut dysfunction in several ways. First is to focus on foods that are easy for your system to digest. Next is to replenish the good bacteria your body needs. And last is to reintroduce foods slowly back into your normal diet so you can monitor for adverse reactions.
Allergies and adverse reactions to food are common phenomena. Allergic response to food is, however, variable. Not everyone is sensitive to dairy product, but some people are. The same holds true for gluten which is a component of wheat. The Clean Gut program is designed for you to find out for yourself which foods are a problem for you. After you acquire this knowledge, you will know what foods to avoid for optimum health.
In my next column, I will take a closer, more detailed look at gastrointestinal dysfunction and the food recommendations I have discovered to be beneficial. This information can change your life, your health and your happiness.
Matthew McQuaid, DPM is a board certified foot surgeon practicing in Lakeport. He has a particular interest in Mind/Body medicine and its impact on healing. He is an award winning author and teacher. For more information please call (707) 263-3727 and visit www.drmcquaid.com.
