Symptoms Throughout the Body are Resolved by Treating the Gut

“These are not miracle cures, but common results that occur when you normalize gut function and flora through improved diet, increased fiber intake, daily probiotic supplementation, enzyme therapy, the use of nutrients that repair the gut lining, and the direct treatment of bad bugs in the gut with herbs or medication.”   This quote from the article in the Huffington Post: 5 Steps to Kill Hidden Bugs in Your Gut That Make You Sick by Mark Hyman, MD, explains how most dis-orders in the body originate in the gut.  And when the gut is not at it’s optimal state the body is suseptible to all kinds of bugs, micro-organisms and disease.  When one’s gut is normalized symptoms like headaches, acid reflux, inflamed joints, colitus et al, are relieved and disappear.

I have first hand experience with my own body and this concept a few years ago. At that time I suffered with all kinds of maladies, including many of those discussed in Dr. Hyman’s article.  I embarked on a nutritional cleansing and replenishing program and within weeks my symptoms disappeared never to return.  I also released 50 pounds and have kept it off for over 3 years – something I had all but given up of hope of doing!  I was hooked on this stuff!

Dr. Hyman goes on to explain: “…having a healthy gut means more to you than just not being annoyed by a little bloating or heartburn! It is central to your entire health. It is connected to everything that happens in your body. That’s why I almost always start helping people treat chronic health problems by fixing their gut.”

I think it is like making sure your house foundation is strong first before painting walls.   A healthy gut is the foundation for every system in the body.

So how do you promote a healthy gut?  Limit and eliminate processed foods, eat fiber-rich whole food diet with plenty of vegetables, beans, nuts, grains. Limit sugars, food chemicals, bad fat and increase probiotics.  Avoid antibiotics and other drugs whenever possible.

Most people know what to eat and what to avoid, but many people like me found eating right every day not always practical.  I found an convenient, easy whole food advantage that was actually less expensive than eating healthy the old-school way.  I have my food delivered to my door and I save about $200 a month which does not include the time I saved and the money spent on fresh fruits and vegetables that went bad before I got around to eating them!   I admit it, I am not perfect when it comes to this, but I have found a great solution and today enjoy vibrant health and look much younger than my age.

Each of us know our body better than anybody else.  It makes good sense to follow that ancient advice “We are what we eat” and make sure we have addressed the foundation of good health — our gut — before jumping to a pharmaceutical “solution”.   Another great resource about the benefits of a healthy gut is Dr. Becky Natrajan’s book 

Study – Fasting Causes Enzyme to Switch Off Production of Fat, Cholesterol – Isagenix Health

Study – Fasting Causes Enzyme to Switch Off Production of Fat, Cholesterol – Isagenix Health.

Study – Fasting Causes Enzyme to Switch Off Production of Fat, CholesterolJuly 9, 2010 by Isagenix Nutritional Sciences
A new report reviews fasting as a new approach for healthy weight loss.

Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have found that fasting causes an enzyme (SIRT1) to shut down production of fat and cholesterol, which could open up the scientific field to studying new approaches for lowering weight and improving lipid profiles.

Fasting has been previously known to suppress proteins called SREBPs, which are responsible for controlling fat synthesis and storage, but the mechanism was not well understood. The researchers reported that after a series of experiments in worms, fruitflies and mice they found that fasting acts directly on SIRT1, one of a family of sirtuin enzymes, thereby down-regulating these SREBPs.

Sirtuin enzymes have become an active area of research since early 2000s because of findings that stimulation of sirtuin activity—via calorie restriction, intermittent fasting and compounds such as resveratrol—protected mice fed a high-calorie diet against weight gain, and increased the lifespan in nematode worms, fruitflies, fish and rodents.

Geneticists and medical researchers are only just beginning to understand how genes encode sirtuin enzymes, how the enzymes influence energy metabolism, and investigating various drugs as possible candidates to stimulate SIRT1.

Fasting and Cleanse Days

The study may potentially offer new insights into the science behind Isagenix products and systems. ”The biological mechanism by which fasting turns off the proteins that stimulate fat and cholesterol synthesis may explain partially our success with our two weight-loss programs, where we incorporate one to two days per week of Cleanse Days, which we’ve shown successfully produce healthy weight loss in adults,” says Susie Rockway, Ph.D., director of Isagenix Research and Science.

Dr. Rockway adds, “Similarly, the new study is interesting as it could have other implications because it offers support to intermittent fasting, or Cleanse Days, as a potential alternative to caloric restriction for stimulating SIRT1.”

In late April, Dr. Rockway presented the results of two pilot studies—a nine-day study and 28-day study—both of which found Isagenix products and Cleanse Days supported adults with healthy weight loss, maintaining healthy lipid profiles. The studies also found subjects felt better about their weight, health and energy levels.

Cleanse Days— days of limited food calories and water complemented by the botanical-based detox drink, Cleanse for Life—are a component of the Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning System, a nutritional program developed by the company to help customers achieve their health goals with cleansing and detoxification, replenishing with proper diet and nutrition, and controlling caloric intake.

Reference: Walker AK, Yang F, Jiang K et al. Conserved role of SIRT1 orthologs in fasting-dependent inhibition of the lipid/cholesterol regulator SREBP. Genes Dev 2010;24:1403-17.

Hunger or thirst?

Is that feeling in your gut hunger or thirst? It could be both, but before you eat, try drinking a glass of pure water first. Dehydration can feel like hunger.

A great many people are living unintentional, but chronically dehydrated. Since the body is largely composed of water and every cell in the body uses H2O for cell function, when the body is dehydrated it is not able to release waste and take in nutrients.

This results in less than optimal cell function and manifesting a variety of symptoms or disorders.

People that are dehydrated don’t think as clearly, feel fatigue, get headaches, suffer from excess stomach acid and many other maladies.

So, drink water every day — lots of it.

A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So a 200 pound person would drink around 100 ounces of water a day.

A couple of tips to enhance your wellness with water are:

1. First thing upon arising… drink at least 8 ounces of water. During sleep our bodies breathe more deeply and moisture is lost through respiration. If you live in a dry climate or cold winters with dry air and indoor heat, you will need to drink even more water to maintain adequate hydration.

Sip water all day – a little at a time is more effective, so that the cells have a chance to absorb it. When the cells are dehydrated and you drink a lot of water at one time, it tends to run right out of the body without being absorbed, similar to how a heavy rain runs of dry cracked ground. The drip drip drip of a slow “all day soaker” rain absorbs deeply.

2. Before eating every meal, drink a glass of water 10-20 minutes prior to eating. This aids in digestion by hydrating the Gastro-Intestinal track, and the body won’t be struggling to extract water it needs out of the food you consume. (This will also free up energy you can use elsewhere!)

And you will tend to consume less calories since you will feel fuller. Eating fresh or slightly cooked vegetables daily is an excellent way to stay hydrated. The roughage material of the plants helps the body stay hydrated and improves digestion and elimination.

3. Adequate hydration is key to regular and easy daily eliminations of waste. Both urine — which should be light yellow to clear when properly hydrated, and bowl movements. Less time in the loo is more time for you!

So, right now, go drink some water!