Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (4 page)

Immune/Inflammation (
Chapter 9
):
We then move into the role of the immune system and inflammation in the gut, specifically how to recognize it and heal it.

Enteric Nervous System (
Chapter 10
):
The gut has more nerve endings than the spine and more neurotransmitters than the brain. Here we look at the role of neurotransmitters, stress, and their role in digestive health.

Finally in this section, functional laboratory testing and self-tests are also discussed. If you read only one section, read
Part II
.

In
Part III
, you will find the specifics about bringing your body back into balance: food, the elimination diet, restorative foods, everything you’d like to know about food sensitivities, managing stress, acid-alkaline balance, and detoxification and cleansing programs.

Part IV
offers specific healing methods for a wide number of digestive health conditions. We begin with the mouth and traverse the entire digestive tract, discussing each organ in turn. Here you’ll get specific ideas about what to do about heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, bad breath, and so much more. And finally in
Part V
, we explore systemic illnesses that have digestive components. Specific research is discussed along with specific healing modalities and functional lab tests.

Throughout the book are exercises and questionnaires designed to increase your self-awareness of mind and body; this awareness will help you shop more wisely, breathe more deeply, relax more fully, and live more freely. Even though we may not be aware of it, we all practice medical self-care. When we get a headache, we take an aspirin, lie down, or go for a walk. If we have indigestion, we take an antacid, eat an umeboshi plum, or drink ginger tea. We know when we’re too sick to go to work. Most of the time, we make our own assessment and treatment plan, expecting that the problem will pass with time. When these plans fail, we seek professional help. This book will expose you to more plans, new ideas, and the tools to be your own health expert. Just as one tool won’t work for every job, not all of these tools will work for you. But some will, and even the failures may give you useful information.

Digestive Wellness
is about taking control of your lifestyle to increase your chances of getting healthier and more vibrant each year. It’s informative and practical, and it puts you in the driver’s seat. Since the first edition, many thousands of people have been helped from its pages. I hope that you and your loved ones will be among them.

Date: __________

PART 1

This questionnaire will help you assess your lifestyle and digestive status. It is not meant as a replacement for a physician’s care. The answers will help you focus your attention on specific areas of need.

MEDICATIONS CURRENTLY USED

Circle any of the following medications you are taking. Add to this list any other medications that you take.

FOOD, NUTRITION, AND LIFESTYLE

Circle if you eat, drink, or use:

Circle if you:

Diet often

Do not exercise regularly

Are under excessive stress

Are exposed to chemicals at work

Are exposed to cigarette smoke

How often do you cook meals from scratch? __________

How often do you eat meals at home? __________

How often do you eat meals out? __________

INTERPRETATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE PART 1

Medications

Medications are good indicators that your body is in some sort of imbalance.

Medications have drug/nutrient interactions. Some nutrient needs may be increased, some decreased; some nutrients may block absorption or usefulness of the drug. You may want to read a book, ask your pharmacist, or look online for drug-nutrient interactions to see if there are specific nutrients or herbs that you
should
or
should not
be taking with your medications.

Foods, Drinks, Tobacco

Candy, alcohol, sweets, and soft drinks: These “empty-calorie foods” contain few nutrients; however, nutrients are needed to metabolize them, and they replace healthy foods in our diets. These foods have a detrimental effect on most digestive problems; for instance, simple sugars feed yeasts, bacteria, and parasites.

Cigarettes and chewing tobacco: Make sure to take a good antioxidant supplement and lots of vitamin C to compensate for the stress the tobacco causes. Tobacco has a negative effect on the digestive system, it ages you, and it increases your risk of lung cancer.