digestive health Archives

Raw Food For Health

Raw food for health – what are the benefits

The main benefit of raw food for health is that the enzyme content of the food is not destroyed by cooking. There is another benefit, however, and that is that raw food will alkalize the body and put an end to acid waste which can lead to symptoms such as weight gain, joint pain and a host of other health problems. There is always the question, “Should I drink the juice of raw fruits and vegetables? Or eat the whole food?” The answer is, you can do both, although eating the whole fruit adds fiber which makes it harder to digest. Raw food for health will benefit you, however you choose to eat it.

Raw Food Diet Program Review Discussed

Probably today you already know how raw foods are being valued when it comes to body cleanses, retention of energy and especially overall sustainability of detoxification inside your body. Well, enjoying raw food eating is an asset because not most people can eat them for long and some are just eating them for the sake of a program, and then sometimes allowing them to be forced until they don’t enjoy it at all . That’s one I think a disadvantage as pertaining to raw food diet plans on the market. But still, it’s all about the person’s passion of living a healthier lifestyle – whether he like it or not, being healthy requires discipline and it takes time for the results to come. Thus, without paying enough attention to any diet plan, all efforts, money and time are just wasted.

Eating For Energy program helps you to not only lose weight but also stay energetic no matter what age you’re in especially if you’re suffering from long term ailments. This raw food diet program targets to give overall wellness by increasing your energy levels (as the name states) as it focuses on rich fiber and plant-based foods .

Promoting the consumption of raw foods and vegan based diets in the fundamental of Eating for Energy . Yuri then helps you to strictly focus on eating healthy rather than always cheating from calories, fat grams and bad sugars you’ve done previously.

Program Details:

Eating for Energy explains the importance of consuming raw foods high in minerals and essential nutrients . Yuri includes awesome recipes, smoothie and juicing guides as well as amazing teleseminars discussing the benefts of eating raw .

As important as it is to eat right, Yuri explains that it means nothing unless you are being physically active as well . Yuri gives you an awesome guide for pre and post workouts super foods . Additionally, workout foods are the ones who could let you stay hydrated especially under the sun and foods helpful for performance and recovery such as whole food recipes.

Pros and Cons:

Raw food type of diets are now getting much and much popular because it gives away “rapid” results through continuous healthy eating plus ensuring good food combination everyday . Well, Eating For Energy could be best at this as it promotes to focus on eating only legumes and nuts, as well as fruits and vegetables . While Yuri’s definitely an expert with regards to healthy eating, Eating For Energy is one of the must-haves when it comes to environment-friendly diet plans and exercise programs nowadays.

On the other hand, Eating For Energy as I said requires strict raw diet which may also drive others crazy in the long term especially for those who are not purely vegan in their eating lifestyle. This is no doubt a pretty hard practice that you too might learn to adjust from to gain best results . If you previously had a poor diet, there is good chance that you may experience detoxifying side effects as Yuri explains in the book

Conclusions:

Eating For Energy book is no doubt at its best to recommend healthy and proper eating to most dieters around who’ve always been practicing different fad diets which may not emphasize right food combination, timing and kinds of foods to eat. But this would literally require people to have that strict discipline to follow its strict diet schemes from styles of eating to food preparation and maintaining exercise . Some may last in the program on a long term basis but some may not. Well, just one quick reminder: before you even pursue a program, make sure you know you’ll be happy sustaining it and experiencing its best results in the future.

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Learning to Deal With Food Intolerance Symptoms

Do food intolerance symptoms make your life a misery?

Ever heard of the book Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The Complete Guide to Their Identification and Treatment by Jonathan Brostoff M.D. et al? This book, available at most local book stores highlights food intolerance symptoms. This in turn can help the majority of us enjoy our meals without worrying about the unpleasant after effects.

Unknown to most of us, these seemingly insignificant symptoms that we experience after we eat are actually food intolerance symptoms that can be avoided through proper diet and taking the right kind of food supplements.

Food intolerance symptoms are described as the digestive system’s response when a person is unable to digest food or when a certain food irritates the digestive system. One common example is the intolerance to lactose found in dairy products like milk. This is so common that six of my college friends actually had it. And, I could attest to how embarrassing and difficult the after effects of drinking milk are to them.

Aside from countless trips to the bathroom, they are also deprived of enjoying the best desserts because these are mostly dairy-based. This digestive anomaly is usually accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, gas, cramps, bloating and even irritability and nervousness. So you could imagine how difficult my friends’ ordeals are.

An intolerance to lactose may be easily avoided by taking an enzyme called “lactase” which will enable the proper digestion of lactose. This enzyme, usually manufactured in the small intestine is not present in those with lactose intolerance. Bear in mind however, milk also contains a protein called casein which can also cause food intolernace symptoms.

Aside from milk, there are also other foods that can trigger food intolerance symptoms. One of these is gluten which is found in wheat and certain other grains. At it’s worst, this can be a very serious disorder called Celiac Disease in which the intestines can suffer severe damage from even the tiniest amount of gluten. Avoidance is the only way to deal with gluten intolerance.

The goal is to decrease histamine levels in the body since it is this that causes food intolerance symptoms. Natural products and digestive enzymes, together with proper diet and nutrition,help the body’s digestive system deal with these symptoms.

It is the hope of most people who suffer food intolerances that there will come a time when they too, can enjoy food without worrying about tummy aches, cramping, nausea and vomiting. Until that day comes, they have to rely on natural supplements so they can enjoy the simple pleasures of eating without food intolerance symptoms!

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Juice Fasting to Improve Digestive Health

Why we should all try juice fasting for a healthy digestion

Juice fasting helps rid the body of toxins and is perfectly safe to do if you’re in good health. Fasting has been used to cure disease for centuries, although water only was allowed in the old days. Abstaining from food is not just a technique for weight loss but to allow the body, particularly the digestive system, to totally purge all waste and stored toxins and to rest from the task of digestion.

Juice fasting is easier to do than a water only fast. Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice can provide your body with vital vitamins and enzymes. Because juices are so easily digested, this type of fast will require only minimal digestion, freeing up energy for bodily healing. For those concerned that fasting will lead to lack of energy and poos health, the opposite is true. The only time fasting can hurt you is if you carry it on for too long and the body has to consume it’s own tissue to survive.

The bountiful effects of juice fasting

Short term fasting has been around for centuries and advocated for not only religious reasons but also for overall health and well being. For instance, iconic leaders such as Jesus all the way down to the father of modern medicine have incorporated fasting as a way to seek spiritual enlightenment and for overall health.

Obviously, the downside is that a fasting diet in today’s world is not really possible.  Most of us spend hours a day working and the idea of not eating when are co-workers are busy feeding their stomachs over lunchtime may not be such a good plan.  Temptations happen and before you know it, the 3 day fast has turned into a 12 hour diet.

This is why a more stripped down model of a fasting diet could be to drop the solid foods and merely consume food items which are very easily digestible and do not tax the digestive system.  In this instance, a 3 day juice fasting diet may do the trick.

The Question is does it work?

Where some people go wrong when they’re starting a fasting program is the fact that they start it all at once. Fasting does have some unwanted side effects, with the vast majority of people complaining about bowel problems. The most effective way to counteract this is to ease into juice fasting by spending the first day or two eating solely uncooked produce and fresh fruits. This might help your body gear up for a few days with no solid foods.

What to drink on a fast? Store bought juices are not advised due to the extra preservatives and sugars in the juice itself. You may even need to water down the juice. Bear in mind, you are implementing this to cleanse your body; any extra stuff other than the juice of the fruit itself will cause more pressure on the digestive system. Drinking juice is just a way to help you manage the hunger pains associated with a fast.

The right juices to take in are the kinds you more than likely aren’t acquainted with. Whereas apple and orange juice may sound nice, you will want to add chlorella, wheatgrass and other green vegetables into the mix. The sweet fruits are meant to make the juice a bit more pleasing. Apple juices may be combined with the veggie juices.

Furthermore, the temporary juice fast will only help with immediate problems. For instance, a 3 day juice fast definitely will help to speed the recuperation of a recent health problem and also is thought to assist to cleanse the body.  In contrast, merely adding two extra days could enhance the immune system too.

For further tips about fasting with juice .

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What are digestive enzymes? Enzymes are small protein substances formed naturally in the body and also in the food we eat. While enzymes perform different functions in the body, we are concerned here with digestive enzymes, why they are scarce today and why we may need digestive enzyme supplements to be able to fully maintain our digestive health and indeed our health in general.

What do digestive enzyme supplements actually do?

Digestive enzymes serve to help digest the food we eat. There are different enzymes for different food groups. For instance, the main three food types are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. These all require a separate type of enzyme to digest our food properly into substances the body can convert into energy.

Amylase is an enzyme that converts carbohydrates into glucose. Amylase is found in different parts of the body, but the process starts in the mouth. Chewing a carbohydrate food such as bread starts the process of digestion through the saliva. Papain is the enzyme that helps digest protein and Lipase aids fat digestion.

The problem with enzymes is that today’s diet with all it’s processed junk tends to be low in enzymes. Because processed food is usually de-natured, it doesn’t contain the enzymes required for it’s own digestion. Even nutritious foods lose the majority their enzymes when cooked.

The foods richest in enzymes are raw foods. The trouble is not everyone has the desire to eat a raw food diet, nor is it even safe to do so under certain circumstances. Cooking makes foods safer to eat as it kills most bacteria that cause stomach infections and also makes some foods more digestible. But cooking food kills enzymes, so how do we solve this dilemma?

Who needs digestive enzyme supplements?

Those of us who are young enough to be producing abundant enzymes in our body via the pancreas and endocrine system, can get by well enough. However age slows down the production of enzymes, as it seems to do with everything, and lack of enzymes in the body, coupled with lack of enzymes in our food supply means potential digestive problems and an inability to absorb essential nutrients from our food. We can be eating a nutritious diet and still be starving for nutrition as our digestive system can’t extract the goodness from our foods.

This is where digestive enzyme supplements can help. If you’re having problems digesting food, or even if you’re not, digestive enzyme supplements can help your digestive system break down and absorb all the nutrients in your food. This means you’ll need less food to obtain maximum nutrition and you may find yourself losing weight as the body adjusts to a new eating schedule.

Remember to always chew your food well to stimulate enzyme production and include as many raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables in your diet as possible. These tips combined with digestive enzyme supplements, will ensure maximal digestion and nutrition and you’ll be feeling more energetic in no time!

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Lactose Intolerance – Causes and Symptoms

Did you know that today millions of people across the globe suffer from lactose intolerance?

Lactose is the sugar found naturally in dairy products. It consists of two simple sugars; glucose and galactose. Usually, the body produces the enzyme lactase, which breaks the link between the two simple sugars so that they are absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolized. People who have lactose intolerance are unable to produce this enzyme, resulting in the lactose fermenting in their intestines.

The symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain or cramps, constipation and vomiting, although most people with this disorder suffer only one or two of these symptoms. The symptoms can start as early as fifteen minutes after eating food containing lactose, however usually they occur several hours after or even the next day. Depending on the amount of lactose absorbed and the severity of the intolerance, they can last up to several days.

Lactose is the sugar found naturally in dairy products. It consists of two simple sugars: glucose and galactose. Usually, the body produces the enzyme lactase, which breaks the link between the two simple sugars so that they are absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolized. People who have lactose intolerance are unable to produce this enzyme, resulting in the lactose fermenting in their intestines. It can be diagnosed through a blood, breath or stool test.

People with a lactase deficiency can still enjoy dairy products in moderation. Foods such as sour cream and yogurt are manufactured using bacteria witch renders them more digestible. Other dairy products such as cheeses do contain a small amount of lactose, but can usually be well tolerated by simply taking a lactase supplement.

Are there any other types of lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is also due to ethnic lifestyles and appears in groups or people that typically don’t consume dairy products as a normal part of their diet. While the production of lactase decreases for most people as they get older, this decline is often greater for children in the above social groups These people can lose nearly all their ability to produce lactase during the first few years of their lives. This explains why almost all Asians and Native Americans are unable to digest dairy foods.

Lactose intolerance can also be due to certain gastrointestinal disorders or intestinal parasites. Usually this type of lactose intolerance is temporary and will disappear when the condition is healed. People with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease or celiac disease may often find they are intolerant to lactose.

If you have a serious lactose intolerance, you should bear in mind that lactose is often used as a food additive and can be found in some processed food such as bread, cereal, processed meats, salad dressings and even coffee whiteners.

People with lactose intolerance should make sure they are getting enough calcium which is found mainly in dairy products. Fortunately there are many non-dairy sources of calcium including dark green vegetables like broccoli, and fish such as salmon and sardines with edible bones.

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Do you have trouble digesting food?

Many people have trouble digesting food, so much so that sales of digestive remedies have soared in the last few years. The problem is these remedies are only a short term fix and unless the problem is solved at the grass roots level, you will continue to suffer from indigestion with all its discomfort and negative health effects.

When you have trouble digesting food, some of the food you eat will pass through the intestinal tract undigested. Not only can this cause bloating and discomfort, but you will be missing out on a lot of the nutrients from the food itself. This means that you can eat a healthy diet but still be malnourished in some areas. This can lead to health problems and weight gain as the body strives to meet its nutritional needs.

What are the reasons people have trouble digesting food? There are several.

One of the most common and easy to fix is poor eating habits. This is partly caused by out rushed lifestyle. People rush through their meals, often doing something else like driving the car or talking on the phone at the same time. Eating should not be a hurried process. It’s essential to chew your food properly to give the digestive enzymes in your mouth a chance to deliver the first stage of digestion.

Eating too fast and talking while eating can lead to swallowing a lot of air, which will have to come out somewhere! Before it does, however, it will bubble around in your digestive tract causing you both discomfort and embarrassment. The message is chew, chew, chew!

Drinking with a meal can also cause a lot of trouble digesting food as the stomach acids become diluted and less able to break down foods in the stomach. Yes, you have to drink water, but do it in between meals. There is also the theory that certain foods don’t combine well together in one meal, due to different digestive requirements. The rule of thumb is that vegetables can be eaten with protein and carbohydrates, but protein (meat) and carbohydrates don’t make good partners! Meat is particularly hard to digest whereas fruit digests very quickly. Never eat fruit straight after a meal or it will ferment.

There is a fungus called Candida which lives in most peoples intestines. This is normally quite benevolent if your diet is good and you have a normal digestion. However as soon as the balance of bacteria in the gut gets out of balance, Candida can multiply with some unpleasant side effects including trouble digesting food because it can interfere with digestive enzyme production. Candida can also cause acid reflux and reduce stomach acid production.

There are some diseases that may also cause digestive problems. Among these are Crohn’s disease, Diverticulitis, and Ulcerative Colitis. Fortunately these are less common, but if you are having a lot of digestive problems and pain, it would be a good idea to visit your doctor jus to rule these out.

To conclude, if you’re having trouble digesting food, improve your eating habits, eat slowly, avoid stress and take a good probiotic formula. Just those few changes will have you feeling better in a very short time.

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How Can I Have a Healthy Digestive System?

A healthy digestive system means a healthy immune system

Health experts are now saying that a healthy digestive system may be the most important health issue of our times. If our digestive systems are not functioning well, we can’t absorb vital nutrients from our foods and therefore may be prone to ill health and a variety of diseases.

So why have our digestive systems deteriorated so much in recent years? Chemicals and pollution in our environment may be partially to blame, but the main culprit is the lack of fiber in the foods we eat.

For several years now we have been learning about how a diet high in fiber has many health benefits.  So what is it about fiber that is so beneficial to your health and what does it do to promote a healthy digestive system?

To quote the American Dietetic Association, “A healthy adult needs 20g-35g of fiber per day”. However many of us only consume half of that. This is a leading cause of digestive problems and also contributes to the ever increasing problem of obesity. Research is uncovering proof that fiber is crucial for a healthy digestive system and for prevention of many serious diseases.

So what exactly is fiber? There are two types. Insoluble fiber is the indigestible part of edible plants. It is usually found in various parts of the plant such as the walls of the plant cells as well as the seeds. Due to the over-processing of foods much of the fiber has been lost and our foods are now causing digestive problems and  general poor health.

The second type of fiber – soluble fiber is the type that dissolves in water.  As it dissolves it forms a gel like substance which creates bulk. When insoluble fiber passes through the small intestine it can absorb toxins and chemicals from your intestine and eliminate it from your body.

A healthy digestive system can also be helped by eating probiotics or taking a probiotic supplement. Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain beneficial bacteria. Certain types of yogurt, for example, contain probiotics in sufficient quantities to have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

In addition to aiding in digestion and improving the immune system, probiotics are also thought to help prevent constipation, reduce the occurrence of insomnia and may help to reduce stress-related ailments.

Glyconutrients are tiny sugar molecules which are also very beneficial to a healthy digestive system  and the health of your entire body. They not only aid in digestion but actually help to repair your digestive system as well as  strengthening your immune system.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as professional medical advice. The information contained on this page should not be used in place of a medical consultation. However the author does recommend a healthy digestive system as being paramount to health.

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