We have four hundred to five hundred types of bacteria living in our intestinal tract. Some of these are good bacteria and some of these are bad bacteria. When we eat properly the ratio of good to bad bacteria remains around 85% good to 15% bad.
Most Americans don't have nearly enough of the good bacteria. Now let's discuss what you can do to to improve your good gut flora.
I. Add probiotics to your daily diet and supplement regime -
Probiotics not only make it harder for the bad bacteria to overtake the good bacteria, which helps strengthen out immunity, they also improve many digestive functions. Some of the benefits of probiotics are;
• Contain high amounts of aerobic bacteria which compete with e.coli and staphylococcus auerus, two food poisoning agents
• Yogurt/Kefir both contain high amounts of biotin a B Complex vitamin
• Miso, tamari, tempe all contain vitamins A, B-complex and K.
• Probiotics contain high amounts of health building enzymes
• Act as anti-carcinogens and have powerful anti-tumor effects
• Help digest and absorb certain types of carbohydrates
• Help control high cholesterol
• Protects against pollution and radiation damage
• Help produce vitamin K and the B Vitamins and promote mineral absorption
• Aid metabolism and the breakdown of toxins
• Starve out bad bacteria and bring you body into balance for proper nutrient absorption and elimination of wastes.
• Help prevent allergies by training your immune system to distinguish between pathogens and friendly or non-harmful antigens.
• Help to enhance bowel function by improving peristalsis and increasing transit time
• Help keep female hormones in balance. 60 percent of the circulating female hormones such as estrogen are excreted into the GI tract in the bile.
Probiotics are found in the following (naturally fermented) foods:
Yogurt
Sauerkraut
Pickles
Kefir (made from either cow, goat, soy milk & also from green coconuts)
Tofu
Miso
Tamari
Lassi (a fermented dairy drink)
Chinese green tea
I always recommend using a supplement in addition to eating probiotic rich foods. If you supplement you want to make sure the supplement includes at least five different strains of the following and has at least 5 Billion of each strain per day.
• Bifidobacterium lactis: a friendly bacteria often found in yogurt that is known to help stimulate immune responses.
• Lactobacillus acidophilus: guards the health of your entire digestive tract.
• Bifidobacterium longum: keeps your digestive system running smoothly, and helps enhance your immune system.
• Bifidobacterium bifidum: helps promote a healthy balance of flora in your intestine.* This organism is especially helpful for enhancing immune response.*
• Lactobacillus casei: works with other helpful organisms, and helps to encourage the growth of other "good" bacteria.
• Lactobacillus plantarum: helps to ensure that the nutrients in vitamins and supplements are getting to your cells.
II. FOS = fructooligosaccharides are a fiber-like substance which feeds the bifidobacteria in the intestines. FOS are prebiotics and are also found in food. These work with probiotics and have been found to be important in that they produce short chained fatty acids essential for cell maintenance and repair. Many supplements now contain FOS in their formulations.
Here are some foods containing FOS;
Jerusalem artichoke, onions, chicory, garlic, leeks, fruit (especially banana), soybeans, peas, legumes, eggplant, burdock root, asparagus, sugar maple, Chinese chive and rye and whole wheat (small amounts).
III. Get plenty of Enzymes –
Enzymes work with probiotics to improve our resistance to pathogens.
• Enzymes are essential for life.
• Enzymes occur in all living things; all plants and animals.
• Researches have identified more than 3,000 enzymes in the human body.
• Enzymes are catalysts. Catalysts are substances that initiate a chemical reaction, enabling a substance to proceed under different conditions such as a lower temperature.
• Enzymes are very specific. Each enzyme promotes just one type of chemical reaction.
• Our bodies require enzymes in order to function, repair injury and to fight off pathogens. Our ability to fight off disease is directly related to strength and number of enzymes in our bodies.
Benefits of enzymes
• Essential for proper digestion of nutrients from foods
• Increases nutrient absorption
• Improves immunity and the bodies own ability to fight off pathogens
• Aids in detoxification
• Aids in weight loss and management
• Helps re-build and repair cells, tissues and maintain homeostasis
• Works with probiotics to restore proper friendly bacteria to unfriendly bacteria ratios important for immune health.
How enzymes work-
Enzymes make our digestive system work. No matter what we consume it’s protein, fat or carbohydrate. The body requires enzymes to convert these foods into nutrients our bodies need though the digestive process. They also transport nutrients, carry away toxic wastes, purify the blood, deliver hormones, balance cholesterol and triglycerides, nourish the brain, build protein into muscle and feed and fortify the endocrine system.
Metabolic enzymes occur naturally in the body and act as catalysts enabling us to see hear, feel, move and think. Metabolic Enzymes speed up the chemical reaction within the cells for detoxification and energy production.
Another type of enzymes comes from food. Food enzymes come from the food we eat. All fruit and vegetables come equipped with their own enzymes needed to digest them. The foods with the highest food enzymes are mango, papaya, banana, pineapple and avocado, but all raw fruits and vegetables ad sea vegetables contain live enzymes. Lemons, limes and grapefruits are also high in digestive enzymes.
The three main types of enzymes are;
Proteases are enzymes which decompose protein. Protein is made up of amino acids. Each protein enzyme works on only a specific amino acid.
Lipases decompose fats. The lipid family includes triglycerides (fats & oils), phospholipids (lecithin) and sterols (cholesterol).
Amylases decompose carbohydrates such as sucrose, lactose, fructose, starches, as well as several other sources of carbohydrates.
Foods that are rich in enzymes and aid digestion:
All fresh fruits and vegetables contain enzymes!
Apples
Carrots
Grapes
Lemons/limes
Grapefruit
Onions
Garlic
Sprouted raw seeds and nuts
Raw honey
Pineapple
Papaya
Guava
Figs
Ginger root
Kiwi
Asparagus
Barley
Wheat
Rice bran
Sea Vegetables (Nori & dulse)
Green beans
Tomatoes
Oranges
Raw honey
Spinach
Sprouts
Watermelon
IV. Enzyme supplements
Taking enzyme supplements may be beneficial in helping you restore your body’s ability to repair itself. This is especially true for those who have not eaten properly, have undergone surgery, are under digestive distress, or are suffering from chronic health conditions. There are many high quality supplements available today. Look for a supplement which contains proteases, lipases and amylases. There are also special enzyme formulations that target specific health conditions such as allergies, inflammation, cognition etc....
Conclusion:
Moving toward a diet that is based on fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouted nuts, seeds, naturally fermented foods and whole grains help restore the proper balance of good to bad bacteria. Current research advocates eating 70 -80% raw foods with the remaining 20-30% in cooked form. Most Americans are far from this.
The immune systems job is to repair and restore. To do this each cell transformation requires many steps which can only happen when enzymes are available. Eating a diet rich in whole fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, naturally fermented foods and high quality protein sources ensures our body will have what it needs to maintain a strong immune system naturally. Both enzymes and probiotics help improve transit time which lessens accumulation of wastes in the GI tract. This in turn reduces the risk of chronic disease.
Links –
www.sayingnotovaccines.com
www.theflucase.com
http://www.healingcrow.com/index.html
http://www.wildfermentation.com
Books –
Enzymes and Enzyme Therapy by Dr. Anthony J. Cichoke
Micro Miracles by Ellen W. Cutler, D.C.
Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care, Dr. Bernard Jensen
Note: colonics are used by many people to help eliminate built up waste material in the colon. If you are considering colonics be sure who ever you go to has been trained properly. You can also give yourself a colonic by purchasing a “colema” board and supplies and do it yourself at: home. www.bernardjensen.com
No comments:
Post a Comment