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When our gastro intestinal health deteriorates, we can end up feeling sluggish, tired and even depressed. Good digestion depends on proper functioning of all the organs which pay a part in the digestive process. Most people think of the digestive tract as only the intestines. In fact it’s composed of other organs, for example the stomach, liver and pancreas as well as the small and large intestines. Even the mouth and throat form part of this chain of digestion , so let’s look at some simple ways we can improve our gastro intestinal health and start feeling more alive!

Most people by now have heard of “good” and “bad” bacteria or flora when it come to gastro intestinal health, but few understand how critical these bacteria are and what role they play in not just our digestive health, but the health of our immune systems and general health as well. Many specialists believe our immune system is “in our gut” and unless we can get our digestive system working properly, we will never experience peak health.

Both healthy and unhealthy bacteria, such as yeast live in a delicate balance within and around the intestines and are necessary for us to digest our food. Under certain circumstances and conditions the unhealthy flora will multiply and increase in numbers sufficient to overcome the healthy variety. This can lead to our gastro intestinal health taking a hit and from there digestive diseases and uncomfortable symptoms can begin.

As our gastro intestinal health further deteriorates, our intestines become less able to absorb nutrients from our food, further compounding our health problems. We may find ourselves gaining weight even though our diet hasn’t changed. Left untreated, the end result could be unpleasant diseases such as IBS or Irritable Bowel Disease, Colitis and Chron’s Disease. We really need to act before things get to this almost irreversible level.

What causes this multiplication of unhealthy bacteria? It could be as simple as taking an antibiotic to fight off an infection. Antibiotics work to kill the bacteria that have caused the infection, but at the same time they kill our healthy digestive bacteria. If you’re young and otherwise healthy and your diet is good, these healthy bacteria can manage to restore themselves to normal levels without too much harm being done. However if you’re an older individual, or eat a lot of sugar and carbs, you may need some help.

Older people also produce fewer digestive enzymes than younger folk. This means certain foods, especially hard to digest foods like meat, can take longer to digest and pass through the digestive tract more slowly. This can also impact our supply of healthy bacteria. Add to this the reduction of stomach acid through age and it’s no wonder there is an epidemic of gastro intestinal health problems.

So what can we do to protect ourselves and ensure good gastrointestinal health? The first thing is to be proactive even if we think we have no digestive problems as these types of issues may exist for months or years before we start experiencing symptoms. If you find yourself regularly taking laxatives or antacids, then this is the time to act.

Start by improving your diet. Restrict your intake of sugar as much as possible as well as simple carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice, as these are converted into sugar almost as soon as they are eaten. Eat a small amount of meat and legumes and plenty of vegetables. You may experience rapid relief with these changes alone, if not, try restricting food groups such as dairy and/or wheat, as food intolerances will cause poor gastro intestinal health.

To further improve your digestion, take a pro-biotic supplement that contains Lactobacillus Bifidus and Lactobacillus Acidophilus. These strange sounding Latin names are actually good bacteria which will restore a healthy balance of flora quite quickly. You could also consider taking digestive enzymes if you are an older person who has trouble digesting certain foods. Take the opportunity to improve your gastro intestinal health now, before discomfort and diseases take a hold.

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