Wellness Tips Your guide for achieving optimal health ... |
In times before chemical agriculture, we would consume live bacteria along with the food we ate. In healthy people there are thousands of species of bacteria that live in our digestive tract from the mouth, throughout the intestines and colon, that help us digest our food, synthesize vitamins like folic acid, vitamin K and biotin, and that are vital to the function of our immune system. Bacteria break down our food into a useable form that can be absorbed through our intestines and utilized by the body. Bacteria clean the walls of the intestine and colon so that waste can be excreted easily and are therefore key to the body's ability to detoxify itself. Exposure to bacteria is critical to building a strong immune system, as the body needs something to fight against in order to build its army. Overuse of antibacterial soaps, pasteurized products and antibiotics has lead to a sicker and more allergic population, as the body has not had the opportunity to build its antibodies.
So, the question becomes - do you have enough bugs in your gut, and are they
the right kind? Were you ever on antibiotics? If so, they killed all
the bacteria in your gut, so if you did not actively replace them, probably not. In today's world of processed, denatured, sugar and chemically laden food that
came from dead soil, most people have a bacteria population in their gut that is
85% "bad" bacteria and only 15% "good" bacteria, and the ratio should be the
other way around. Good bacteria are killed off by the chlorine and
fluoride in the
water we drink, caffeine, birth control pills and other drugs, stress, food
additives, and too many bad
bacteria that compete in the gut for food and a place to live. No wonder so many
people have irritable bowel syndrome or other problems that stem from an
inability to detoxify themselves. Many people are carrying around with
them several pounds of dead, rotting fecal matter in their intestinal tract,
which creates a potential for self-poisoning and disease.
Symptoms of poor quality bacteria in the gut is an inability to lose
weight, carbohydrate cravings, recurrent candida or yeast problems, frequent
constipation or diarrhea, digestion or acid reflux problems, joint pain and
stiffness, frequent colds or flu, skin problems like acne or eczema for example.
So, how do we re-establish good-quality bacteria in our gut? We can start by eating living, whole organic food grown in live soil,
eating more high quality fermented foods, and by filtering our water so we are not drinking chlorine. Most importantly, take a quality probiotic supplement daily in order to repopulate the gut quickly with good bacteria. I like Primal Defense by Garden of Life, and I have just been made aware of
InLiven by MiVitality which also looks really good, although I have not yet personally tried that one. A good probiotic is a detox program, so start slowly in case you have detoxification reactions like not feeling well, headaches,
or a need to be close to the bathroom. If you are reacting, cut your dosage or
skip a day until you feel better. Most people don't react negatively at
all however. Build up your dosage to the recommended levels over time as your body cleans itself out and you feel better and better.
Related tips:
Dealing with health issues
The Hygiene Hypothesis
Worm composting to eat your garbage and feed your garden
Chek, Paul Under the Veil of Deception 2002
Abbott, Phyllis, PhD Bacteria in Control of Life, Death and Evolution? Authorhouse, Bloomington Indiana, 2006.
Online at Bacteria
CD MiVitality Organic & Natural Enterprise Group, 2004.
Copyright 2005-2007 Vreni Gurd
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