Digestion and Your Immune System

by Jenny Calla, NTP - May 2011

Digestion is impacted by our fast-paced American culture combined with the standard American diet, also called SAD.  Stress is a huge contributor whether from lifestyle, diet or nutritional deficiencies.  The frequent consumption of soda, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and artificial sweeteners, processed foods and rancid oils can impact our health because these foods rob our body of vital nutrients and enzymes which can lead to the inability to fully digest our food. Weak digestion eventually impacts other systems in the body such as the excretory, endocrine, lymphatic and immune.

Major improvements to the immune system can be achieved by cleaning up your digestive tract. The first step is to clean up your diet. Begin by limiting the consumption of the foods mentioned above and experiment with reducing or eliminating your intake of intolerable foods. The three most common are wheat, corn and soy.  Food intolerances are different than food allergies. Some symptoms of a food intolerance can be abdominal bloating, chronic constipation and disruption of healthy flora in the intestines and bowel. A chief complaint for many of my clients is feeling very full or bloated 1-2 hours after eating.  This is caused by distension in the lower abdomen and is where the small intestine is. Many people notice a reduction in symptoms, and even weight loss, when one or all of these foods are eliminated from the diet. 

In addition to repairing your digestive tract through dietary changes, supplements can speed up the process. Enzymes to assist the stomach, pancreas and liver with digestion will prevent the small intestines from irritation and keep the villi healthy. This helps to correct  flora imbalances in the intestines. Since nearly 80% of our immune system is located in the small intestines, it makes since to support this organ any way we can.

You don’t need expensive, gimmick yogurts to correct your digestive distress. All cultured products add healthy bacteria to our bodies. Plain, whole yogurt does this naturally because it contains a bacterial culture. To make your own digestive aid, combine plain yogurt or kefir with 1 tsp. of ground flax seed meal and fresh or frozen fruit. You’ll save money and get the health benefits.

Women and Healthy Fats

by Jenny Calla, NTP - April 2011

The majority of my clients are women and, those over age 30, seem to desperately need additional healthy fats in their diets. I believe that this has to do with the condition of their digestive system due to stress and the consumption of unhealthy oils. We can get a handle on both of these things if we make time and plan accordingly.

For stress I recommend some alone time scheduled into your calendar. Whether it be a yoga class, a walk on the greenbelt at lunch, a quiet 20 minute bath at night or a meditative cd at bedtime.

Healthy fats can also be easily incorporated into our daily meals. Our bodies require less healthy fats like Omega 3s, when we consciously begin consuming less unhealthy oils. Vegetable oils such as soybean, corn and canola are the biggest culprits because they are cheap and come from genetically modified seed. These oils are rancid when they reach the shelves because of the rigorous processing that is required to extract the oil. Typically, high heat is required or chemical solvents. The only assurance that these oils are not rancid or genetically modified is if you can find the words ‘Organic’ and ‘Cold Pressed’ on their bottles. Good luck with that!

The best way to limit rancid oils in our diet is to limit the amount of meals we eat out, reduce the amount of chips and crackers we consume, eliminate fried food, and stock our kitchens with healthy fats. One of the biggest sources of rancid oil is bottled salad dressings. They are also expensive. My advice is to buy a high quality organic, cold pressed bottle of extra virgin olive oil and learn how to make a simple vinaigrette with raw vinegar or lemon juice.  

Here is a basic recipe from Sally Fallon Morell of the Weston A. Price Foundation. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon cold pressed flax oil – add dried or fresh herbs if desired. Many other recipes can be found online and adapted if other oils are used.

The fats that I encourage my clients to use are butter, unrefined, cold-pressed, extra virgin coconut oil and olive oil. Butter and coconut oil for sautéing and baking; olive oil for finishing. My advice is to spend the money on organic fats to eliminate pesticides and chemicals. Fats feed our hearts, brains, cells, and support our endocrine systems. Healthy fats keep our gallbladders and digestive tracts strong.

Nutrition for a Balanced Body
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