Healthy Eating for a Healthy Body
 by: Cheryl Haining

What Goes On Inside Your digestive System

Your well-being depends on what you eat, when you eat, how you eat, fluid intake and how well your food is absorbed. We absorb everything we need to sustain life through our lungs, digestive system and skin. A robust digestive system is central to our well-being, tirelessly extracting the fuel and nutrients we need from the food we eat. It is vital that we are aware of protecting our digestive system.

We ingest many negative things that upset out well-being. Junk food, inadequate or poor quality fluids, pollution, alcohol, tobacco and other smoke and stress, all effect the efficiency of the digestive system. When our digestive system is not functioning at it's best, the rest of the body suffers. Nearly all the nutrients we need come from the food and drink we consume. Some things that affect the digestive system and our health are

• Poor diet that is lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables and/or has excess intake of sugar ad saturated fats
• Eating when stressed or angry
• Irregular eating, missed meals
• Eating just before going to bed
• Eating too fast, not chewing foods
• Lack of fibre (you need 20 - 35 gms per day)
• Lack of 'good' bacteria in the gut
• Lack of gastric juices in the stomach
• Lack of digestive enzymes
• Drinking less than 2 litres of water a day

This is now explained in more detail

Junk food, processed foods, refined sugars and flour products are more difficult to digest and do not supply good nutrition to the body. Make sure that natural whole foods and fresh products provide most of your daily food intake. These help your digestive system to work as it should.

When you are under pressure the chemicals in your body change. This effects the digestive system. Food is not properly digested and you absorb fewer nutrients. Try to be relaxed when you sit down to eat. Concentrate on what you are doing and enjoy the food you are eating.

Water helps rid the body of waste. Kidneys cannot function efficiently without adequate water. When they do not work to capacity, some of the load is dumped onto the liver. When the liver has to do some of the kidney's work it cannot do it's own energizing function. Lack of water can also result in constipation. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced.

The digestive system cannot function without sufficient fibre. Chitosan fibre complex is an amazing dietary fibre, blended with Fenugreek to assist with the maintenance of regularity. Another amazing benefit of Chitosan is its ability to absorb fats. When we are eating more fatty foods, it is a MUST as a dietary supplement. A herbal aloe beverage helps soothe the digestive system and assist the natural self cleansing action of the body. Visit www.uloseweight.net for more information on these amazing products.

Colourful foods have no preservatives or added colour. They provide plenty of vitamins, mineral, antioxidants, fibre, water and trace elements. (All necessary for good nutrition.) They look appetizing and have a high water content. They have a firm texture which means we need to chew them well. This aids the digestive system. These foods are quickly and easily processed by the body, meaning less work for the digestive system. They are natural, that is, not processed and pre-packaged with extra chemicals. Look for different coloured vegetables and fruits when you shop. Experiment with ones you have never tasted. Visit a market for more variety and fresher foods. Eat at least one from each group every day.

To ensure you maintain your digestive system energy levels, keep stress to a minimum, concentrate on eating a wide variety of natural colourful foods, drink plenty of water, consider adding supplements to your diet. This will protect your digestive system and help you to maintain good health and avoid colon cancer.