Your Health, Your Vitality, Your Choice

Some Dis -Eases of the Gastrointestinal System and Natural Treatments which may help. “One must attend in medical practice not primarily to plausible theories but to experience combined with reason.” Hippocrates. I have chosen to cover the Gastro - Intestinal system with the addition of the Liver, Gall and Pancreas first, because - as I see it- it is the most essential. Of course every body system is essential, but let me elaborate: Whatever we decide to do in life, whatever projects we take on, it is always essential to get the basis of them in place first. The basis is the foundation on which we can build a successful enterprise whatever the task. Common sense dictates to me that the ground work required to achieve a healthy happy life entails the following: • Mastering the art of eating appropriate foods that actually nurture the body rather than challenge it. • Repairing the gastrointestinal system so that the appropriate foods can be digested and absorbed thereby enabling the nutrients to arrive at the cells. • Avoiding as many sources of contaminants as possible. When we have that set of circumstances in place we can rest assured that the innate intelligence of the body will take care of everything else; it knows exactly where each nutrient needs to go. All that is required is the correct fuel. It follows then, that when the correct nutritional intake is in place and the nutrients are absorbed as they should be, the body will be functioning as a whole, naturally, as it was always meant to. That includes the brain: we will actually be able to think clearly! And recognise situations and things for what they really are. Equitable, Just and Happy thoughts produce happy biochemical responses in the brain. These happy molecules send healthy messages cascading down to the whole system, affecting health and wellbeing. Food allergies and nutritional deficiencies have all been implicated in the following conditions: Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Autism Spectrum Disorders and indeed most other diseases. Could we make disease a thing of the past through due diligence? As I see it, we need to lay the foundations, start at the beginning, the ABC’s so to speak, of creating a healthy enjoyable life. Therefore, the obvious place to start is with the Gastrointestinal Tract. But wait... I can’t help getting ahead of myself here and reaching XYZ.... I must remind you: no matter how sick you feel, adopt the habit of creatively visualising the healthy outcome you desire. Meditate on happy memories; a time far removed from any disease state you are experiencing, thereby reminding your whole system of the body chemistry it produces when you are happy, you may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome. A meditative state reaching ‘Alpha Waves’ (8 to 12 pulses per second) or ‘Theta Waves’ (4 to 7 pulses per second) allows you to make changes in your state of health and indeed your life via your visualisation. The state of calm and pure intention sends messages to your brain where it is transformed into neurochemicals; that function sets up reactions which then manifest as mental, emotional and physical responses. **** Malabsorption : a culprit in malnutrition: Allergies to the foods we consume can be responsible for a never-ending list of health problems. This has been spoken of at length earlier in the text. Elimination of suspect foods can be enough to effect a change for the better. Cow’s milk and its products, wheat, barley, oats and rye (the grains containing gluten), are often involved, but absolutely any food stuff can be the culprit for we are all so different in our personal biological makeup. When I did my training as a Medical Herbalist we were taught to ask the patient what their favourite food was. Invariably it would be the one causing digestive and other upsets. The Candida connection also (with all the foods that encourage its proliferation) needs to be considered. The whole digestive system will be affected by foods that are causing allergic reactions and intolerances. The digestive process is compromised and the nutrition, badly needed by the cells and tissues, is rendered unavailable. Sorting out food intolerances is well worth the effort and such a move can lead to a much healthier life. If you haven’t read this book in its entirety, I suggest you do to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to enjoy your life and not become a victim of circumstance. Eliminate the suspect foods one at a time until you have removed all your suspects. If you eliminate them all at once; you will suffer withdrawal symptoms (usually bad headaches) which are not pleasant. Even eliminating one suspect can cause withdrawal symptoms e.g. coffee withdrawals can be quite harsh, so cut it down slowly, not all at once. If you get a really bad headache while in the middle of cutting out coffee or tea, have a half a cup and the headache will usually subside. Give yourself around three months to ascertain if your condition has improved by the elimination process. If at that stage you wish to try any of the foods again, then try one at a time and in a small amount; otherwise you may have a very uncomfortable reaction. This attention to detail will show you which food or foods are problematic. If you do have a bad experience with a challenging food you then know it is best not to put it on your menu again. Ensure you are eating a well balanced diet with as much organic, unprocessed foods as possible. See Lifestyle & Food Choices Chart (refer to index.) Things that may help to restore the integrity of the digestive system: Slippery Elm Bark powder and Probiotic Protocol (refer to index.) Digestive enzymes: vegetable enzymes with meals and Pancreatin enzymes in between meals, this will ensure any undigested particles are taken care of. 2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a small glass of warm water around meal times can also be of assistance and particularly with the absorption of calcium. An herbal mixture to aid with soothing and repairing the lining of the intestines can be made from 1:2 liquid extracts of: In equal parts: Echinacea. Marshmallow Root(1:5). Chamomile. Agrimony. Meadowsweet. Total: 200ml. (Meadowsweet contains salicylates.) Adult Dosage: Start slowly and work up to 2 ½ to 5ml in water three times daily after meals.