Digestive Health Checklist

What is the most important system in your body? Of course all eleven systems are important as a whole, but if you cannot absorb nutrients then your entire body will begin operating like a city in a brown out. Since your health depends so largely on your ability to absorb nutrients, i.e. energy from the food you consume, then it is imperative that your digestive system is in optimal shape or you will have no energy to burn. And unfortunately, your life light will, if even over a period of time, burn out.

The body operates as an intricate symbiotic organism with all systems supporting and operating in unison with all other systems but all systems require an ample energy source. Too many people who are tired and rundown look for an energy source to rev up their engines a bit. However, they will likely seek energy that delivers a fast boost, such as sugar, carbohydrates, energy drinks that contain exorbitant amounts of caffeine or sugars. Then, the crash ensues!

Fatigue is an American dilemma. Adrenal fatigue is commonplace. Burnout leads to depression, mental illnesses, non-productivity and irrationality. In a nutshell, if you cannot feed your body in the ideal manner then you cannot possibly feed your brain. The brain is the control hard drive of every organ and system in the body because it sends messages, memos if you will, to every organ, telling it what to do when.

So, if the energy, glucose, for your brain comes from the food you eat then it is so important to make sure your digestive system can utilize the nutrients you ingest. What happens if you have a problem with your digestive system? Well, even if you do try to eat a healthy diet and avoid unhealthy snacking, you will still not benefit from the nutrition you offer your body because the nutrients will not be taken up by your intestines or absorbed into your blood stream for delivery to your cells.

In essence, your brain health depends on your gut health and your whole body depends on your brain for directions on what to do to control the homeostasis, (health) of your body. Obesity is an obvious indication of poor diet, but even thin people can be malnourished and suffer from the same fatigue as those who are overweight.

Go through the Checklist below to determine what dietary changes can not only feed your brain but what changes you can make to increase the health of your digestive system.

Digestive Health Checklist

The following checklist is designed with the idea in mind that we do not need to suffer from digestive complaints. Even though years of abuse and poor diet issues have created an often miserable and painful result within the digestive tract, such a dilemma does not have to be permanent. Natural approaches and applications can often speed up the recovery process.
Identify your problems and reactive foods:
☐ Do you suffer from digestive upset?
☐ Are you plagued with diarrhea, constipation, acid indigestion?
☐ Do you experience unexplained stomach pains and aches?
☐ Are gas and bloating a common occurrence?
☐ Do you have a bad reaction to dairy products, grains, and or particular fruits and nuts?
☐ If you are female, do you have unusually painful periods?
☐ Do raw foods seem hard to digest?
☐ Do you suffer from frequent urinary tract infections?
☐ Do you have a white coating on your tongue?

How serious is your problem?
☐ How often are your discomfort events?
☐ Once a week
☐ 2-4 times weekly
☐ Daily
Isolate the cause of your digestive problems!
☐ Do you have weight related problem? Underweight or Overweight?
☐ Have you eaten a large amount of processed foods in your lifetime?
☐ Do you eat wheat pasta frequently?
☐ Do you feel full or congested around your midsection?
☐ Do you consume alcohol and sugar?
 Alcohol and sugars of any sort, even from fruit feed the bad bacteria in your gut.
 Carbohydrates act in much the same way and are often stored as fat in the liver and body.
 Gluten from flour products plug up the intestines and destroy the villi and micro villi that absorb nutrients from the food you eat.

Too many are faced with the threat of IBS, Celiac Disease, Gluten intolerance, and Acid Indigestion to name but a few. If you’re in need of an effective method of treating digestive complaints then this information is most integral to the steps you might consider embracing.
The Degree of Healing will depend on Dietary methods employed!
☐ How often do you consume organically grown products?
☐ Do you regularly ingest fish or flax oils to insure you are getting ample Omega oils in your diet?
☐ Do you take quality multi-vitamins on a daily basis? Nutrition is so important!
☐ Do you regularly take anti-inflammatory supplements such as Turmeric or White Willow Bark to decrease oxidative stress in your body?
☐ Do you supplement your diet with probiotics on a daily basis?
☐ Have you ever done a Candida cleanse to rid your body of Candida albicans? Or have you ever done a colon cleanse?

Positive steps you should to take to correct your digestive problems AND PRESERVE your health.

☐ Take a probiotic supplement everyday
☐ Take a turmeric supplement or blend every day to relieve or prevent oxidative stress.
☐ Add fermented foods to your diet like Kombucha, Kefir, and fermented items like sauerkraut daily.
☐ Avoid gluten at all costs.
☐ Are you committed to avoiding GMO’s?
☐ Eat organic fruits and vegetables instead of chemically grown produce.
☐ Add more greens to your diet.
☐ Use natural sweeteners in place of sugar and avoiding sugar at all costs.

Take a quick look at your tongue in the mirror! Does it have a white coating on it? You may have a fungal infection. Candida albicans are dangerous but, fortunately natural methods do exist that can kill the fungus effectively.

Herbs can help rid you of Candida albicans and yeast fungus. Yeast is a massive problem today and can often go undetected until symptoms become severe.
 Barberry
 Olive leaf extract
 Neem oil
 Black Walnut
 Oil of Oregano
 Pau d’Arco
 Rosemary
 Fenugreek
 Ginger
 Cinnamon
Learn more about the epidemic of Candida and become aware of the risks associated with it. I guarantee you that it is much more dangerous than you have realized. Did you know that candida can interfere with the function of your brain to the extent that it causes Alzheimer’s type symptoms? Furthermore, ADD and ADHD can be improved by treating fungal infections. So, consider how cleaning up and healing your digestive system can improve brain function and ultimately your overall health.

It is undoubtedly worth further investigation. The links below will take you additional links where you can explore the multiple symptoms of yeast overgrowth, a candida diet, and what to avoid.
Eat Well and Be Well!

Learn More:
http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/how-to-kill-candida-fungi-yeast-...
http://www.naturalnews.com/050327_fungal_infections_candida_yeast_natura...
http://www.naturalnews.com/047366_fungus_Candida_fungal_infection.html

This article was prepared for you by:
Lana J Thomas, M.S. Health Psychologist
www.lanajthomas.com
info@lanajthomas.com

Author's Bio: 

Lana J Thomas, M.S,Health Psychologist
35 Years experience with Herbs and herbal applications. Author of Create Your own Herbal Blends with Confidence-
Assistant Manager of Health and Supplements Dept. in a fine store.