Two week Immune Boost - Survival of the Fittest Part 1: Enzymes
Maybe you can't remember the days when people did not talk about their aches, pains, and problems. Every time I turn around someone is talking about their knee replacement and what a great surgeon they had or the amazing new drug for the pain they have been dealing with for 10 years. Most of my patients tell me they have allergies, need sleep aides, deal with recurring headaches, pain (without ever having an injury), etc. When I visit with friends, the entire conversation centers around doctors visits, medications, and a myriad of nagging health issues.
In general, I have learned to keep my mouth shut in social situations because it seems like people these days have an emotional attachment to misery. Who has the most pain, more meds, more surgeries, the best doctor, etc. is the norm. Of course the other conversation is about sports LOL.
In light of this pandemic, I thought it time for me to open my mouth, to help inform people how nutritional choices can improve their chances of surviving.
Survival of the fittest...that means not only your physical strength but more importantly your immunity... against attackers.
The immunity we have control of as individuals, starts in the "gut" (intestines). I should say it ends in the gut. Several things contribute to the intestinal environment (intestinal flora) or as I will refer to as the "Garden".
Let's get started:
For good health we need good immunity. For good immunity, we need good gut health. For good gut health, we need good digestion. For good digestion, we need plenty of digestive enzymes. For good enzymes....ok other than making good food choices...enzymes are a big key.
So lets talk about enzymes. We have different enzymes to digest/process/emulsify different types of foods. The basic food group to consider are Proteins, Carbohydrates (Carbs) and Fats. If any of these things are not being processed well, we will experience gas, bloating and reflux after we eat from immediately to possibly days. This will eventually lead to bowel issues like loose stool, foul stool, diarrhea, constipation, incomplete bowel movements, etc.
Basically carb digestion/processing starts in the mouth (now you know why you have heard to chew your food well) Protein processing starts in the stomach (stomach acid). The Pancreas does several things but is known for carb digestion. Bile which involves the Gallbladder and Liver emulsify fats. The Liver also metabolizes proteins.
It is commonly known that women are born with just 40 years worth of eggs. So if a woman starts her period at age 13 and has monthly periods, it is predictable that she would go through menopause at age 53. (Other outside circumstances can change this process...birth control, missed periods, hormonal issues etc. however). Enzymes are similar. You are born with a limited number of enzymes to last the length of your life, but if you use all your carbohydrate enzymes up in your first 25 years, by eating only carbs every day for example, most likely you will have digestive issues with carbs after that.
You might notice some older people tend to eat less and less as they age. I believe it is due to low enzymes...Nothing digests well, so they don't care to eat or aren't hungry because the food sits too long in their stomachs. The decline of enzymes is how our bodies decline and that contributes to our ultimate death.
If you want to stay healthy, you need enzymes. (Gas, bloating, reflux after eating and abnormal elimination are NOT healthy digestive signs). The first thing to pay attention to is what category of foods cause gas, bloating or acid reflux...i.e. proteins, carbs, or fats. That will help determine what enzymes to supplement. I have patients that show all three are affected or just one. If, for example, after you eat proteins, you have acid reflux, try a meal without protein and see if you still have the reflux. The same for Fat and then Carbs. Once you have the deficient enzyme, supplement and try again to see if that helps you. If it doesn't, you may have an allergy that needs addressed.
Many fresh uncooked foods have their own enzymes which helps. At a certain point, you may need to supplement enzymes when you eat, to aid digestion.
Note: Many people have developed allergies to otherwise beneficial food like nightshades (peppers, eggplant etc) or cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, so if you have an allergic reaction to certain foods, you should probably avoid them for at least 3 months, then try them in small amounts but never overdo, which is how you usually develop allergies (eating them too often)...everything in moderation as my mother used to say. Allergic reactions can range from gas, bloating to blurred vision, headaches and muscle pain etc. and can show up from 20 min to 2 days later.
Over-eating can also cause digestive issues...meaning eating more than your enzymes can keep up with. In this case you could try cutting portions in half. This is why the popular intermittent diet of 16 hours off, 8 hours on, works so well for people. It gives the body time to build up enzymes for the next meal but also gives the body time to process what it ate so it does not overtax the organs.
Over the years, I have noticed a theme of low stomach enzyme in my A Blood type patients and more recently patients with other blood types who have taken systemic or repeated antibiotics. I had 2 elderly patients in the past with amazing digestion. Neither of them ever had antibiotics (very unusual in my practice), which made me start tracking blood types and antibiotics relating to digestive issues. B, AB and O blood types generally seem to have better protein digestion than A's unless they have had systemic antibiotics. I believe that is why most consistent vegetarian/vegans are usually A blood types and other blood types do not do well on strictly vegetarian diets. There is a good book for "Eat Right for your Blood Type" by Dr Peter J D'Adamo if you are interested.
In my practice, I work with patients with digestive and elimination issues but usually they come in with another issue like inflammation, headaches, chronic pain like fibromyalgia etc and when we clear up the enzyme issue, the pain issue dissolves. That is how important enzymes are!
So, if all your digestive enzymes are working well, the proteins, carbs and fats all get digested/emulsified into a type of gooey liquid and is dumped into the small intestine where all the liquid nutrients from the high quality food you ate gets separated out reabsorbed to nourish the body and the left over waste product is moved along to the large intestine to be "baked" off and excreted. No gas, bloating, reflux, and you will have daily healthy formed, medium brown, non-odorous, comfortable, full, bowel movements without your morning hot coffee or other stimulant....if that does not sound like you.....
Next we will talk about happens if we don't have the enzymes we need, and how it can lead to other health issues.
If you want to get started sooner rather than later on the two week immune boost diet, contact me directly: contact@get-relief.com and let me know how you found me.
Patricia J Ahner, AP, LAc, LMT, Esth., Reiki Master | contact@get-relief.com | www.get-relief.com
In general, I have learned to keep my mouth shut in social situations because it seems like people these days have an emotional attachment to misery. Who has the most pain, more meds, more surgeries, the best doctor, etc. is the norm. Of course the other conversation is about sports LOL.
In light of this pandemic, I thought it time for me to open my mouth, to help inform people how nutritional choices can improve their chances of surviving.
Survival of the fittest...that means not only your physical strength but more importantly your immunity... against attackers.
The immunity we have control of as individuals, starts in the "gut" (intestines). I should say it ends in the gut. Several things contribute to the intestinal environment (intestinal flora) or as I will refer to as the "Garden".
Let's get started:
For good health we need good immunity. For good immunity, we need good gut health. For good gut health, we need good digestion. For good digestion, we need plenty of digestive enzymes. For good enzymes....ok other than making good food choices...enzymes are a big key.So lets talk about enzymes. We have different enzymes to digest/process/emulsify different types of foods. The basic food group to consider are Proteins, Carbohydrates (Carbs) and Fats. If any of these things are not being processed well, we will experience gas, bloating and reflux after we eat from immediately to possibly days. This will eventually lead to bowel issues like loose stool, foul stool, diarrhea, constipation, incomplete bowel movements, etc.
Basically carb digestion/processing starts in the mouth (now you know why you have heard to chew your food well) Protein processing starts in the stomach (stomach acid). The Pancreas does several things but is known for carb digestion. Bile which involves the Gallbladder and Liver emulsify fats. The Liver also metabolizes proteins.
It is commonly known that women are born with just 40 years worth of eggs. So if a woman starts her period at age 13 and has monthly periods, it is predictable that she would go through menopause at age 53. (Other outside circumstances can change this process...birth control, missed periods, hormonal issues etc. however). Enzymes are similar. You are born with a limited number of enzymes to last the length of your life, but if you use all your carbohydrate enzymes up in your first 25 years, by eating only carbs every day for example, most likely you will have digestive issues with carbs after that.
You might notice some older people tend to eat less and less as they age. I believe it is due to low enzymes...Nothing digests well, so they don't care to eat or aren't hungry because the food sits too long in their stomachs. The decline of enzymes is how our bodies decline and that contributes to our ultimate death.
If you want to stay healthy, you need enzymes. (Gas, bloating, reflux after eating and abnormal elimination are NOT healthy digestive signs). The first thing to pay attention to is what category of foods cause gas, bloating or acid reflux...i.e. proteins, carbs, or fats. That will help determine what enzymes to supplement. I have patients that show all three are affected or just one. If, for example, after you eat proteins, you have acid reflux, try a meal without protein and see if you still have the reflux. The same for Fat and then Carbs. Once you have the deficient enzyme, supplement and try again to see if that helps you. If it doesn't, you may have an allergy that needs addressed.
Many fresh uncooked foods have their own enzymes which helps. At a certain point, you may need to supplement enzymes when you eat, to aid digestion.
Note: Many people have developed allergies to otherwise beneficial food like nightshades (peppers, eggplant etc) or cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, so if you have an allergic reaction to certain foods, you should probably avoid them for at least 3 months, then try them in small amounts but never overdo, which is how you usually develop allergies (eating them too often)...everything in moderation as my mother used to say. Allergic reactions can range from gas, bloating to blurred vision, headaches and muscle pain etc. and can show up from 20 min to 2 days later.
Over-eating can also cause digestive issues...meaning eating more than your enzymes can keep up with. In this case you could try cutting portions in half. This is why the popular intermittent diet of 16 hours off, 8 hours on, works so well for people. It gives the body time to build up enzymes for the next meal but also gives the body time to process what it ate so it does not overtax the organs.
Over the years, I have noticed a theme of low stomach enzyme in my A Blood type patients and more recently patients with other blood types who have taken systemic or repeated antibiotics. I had 2 elderly patients in the past with amazing digestion. Neither of them ever had antibiotics (very unusual in my practice), which made me start tracking blood types and antibiotics relating to digestive issues. B, AB and O blood types generally seem to have better protein digestion than A's unless they have had systemic antibiotics. I believe that is why most consistent vegetarian/vegans are usually A blood types and other blood types do not do well on strictly vegetarian diets. There is a good book for "Eat Right for your Blood Type" by Dr Peter J D'Adamo if you are interested.
In my practice, I work with patients with digestive and elimination issues but usually they come in with another issue like inflammation, headaches, chronic pain like fibromyalgia etc and when we clear up the enzyme issue, the pain issue dissolves. That is how important enzymes are!
So, if all your digestive enzymes are working well, the proteins, carbs and fats all get digested/emulsified into a type of gooey liquid and is dumped into the small intestine where all the liquid nutrients from the high quality food you ate gets separated out reabsorbed to nourish the body and the left over waste product is moved along to the large intestine to be "baked" off and excreted. No gas, bloating, reflux, and you will have daily healthy formed, medium brown, non-odorous, comfortable, full, bowel movements without your morning hot coffee or other stimulant....if that does not sound like you.....
Next we will talk about happens if we don't have the enzymes we need, and how it can lead to other health issues.
If you want to get started sooner rather than later on the two week immune boost diet, contact me directly: contact@get-relief.com and let me know how you found me.
Patricia J Ahner, AP, LAc, LMT, Esth., Reiki Master | contact@get-relief.com | www.get-relief.com
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