- “DIGESTION” is a simple term for a complicated sequence of events that involves numerous systems working together to ensure the proper utilization of nutrients and the efficient disposal of waste products.
- What the heck is an enzyme?
1. Digestion starts in the mouth, when we chew our food. This begins an enzyme reaction – think of an enzyme as the gas that fuels our digestive car.
**Most people are deficient in enzymes because we don’t take the time to properly chew our food**
We have an opening to the stomach Pyloric Orifice that opens a little or a lot based on how much we chew – acid reflux occurs because we are lacking in Amylase provided by that chewing the pyloric opening gets weak and allows acid to creep upwards.
Amylase – Present in human saliva, begins to break down starches into sugar
2. Consider your stomach a “Bota bag” 
A vessel that will carry liquids, without a resin to coat it the fluids can pass through the bag, this “permeability” as food enters the stomach…
Lipase – an enzyme for the absorption and digestion kicks in as we swallow to start a chemical breakdown of food this turns on the stomach Acids (Hylauronic Acid)
3. Cellulase – turns on the friendly bacteria in our stomach (Probiotics)
4. As we digest our food, cellulase turns into 3 different types of essential sugars:
Sugar, Amino Acids and Proteins – these are called “Triglycerides”
- When you eat a meal consider your stomach a greasy plate
5. Gallbladder – the gallbladder contains green bile, let’s call this the dish soap that washes the fats to be able to pass through to the liver. These washed fats are called “cholesterol”
**When we drink cold or room temperature fluids during the meal the grease begins to clump. This may result in elevated cholesterol, changes in blood pressure or gallbladder congestion**
These cold or room temperature drinks are the resin that blocks the food from passing into the body generating heat also called “calories”
6. Protease – is the enzyme or energy that carries the amino acids (blood fuel for nutrients) and proteins (tissue fuel) into the body.
7. When drinking cold fluids you coat the stomach with fat blocking the essential sugars from going into the body. This causes the “blood sugar” to become low. During low blood sugar you may feel aching and fatigue because part of those essential sugars are the proteins that move your muscles. You may feel forgetful, shaky and anxious because parts of those sugars are the amino acids that carry the nutrients to your brain, things like Vitamin B’s.
8. When these sugars are stored in the stomach for too long this is where that cellulose turns into cellulite (those chunky thighs or that wonderful muffin top!)
9. Once the body gets enough heat in the stomach to scrub the grease off of the stomach lining you get a food surge…this causes a spike or elevation in blood sugar. When we continue to store our food in this manner we teach the liver to become insulin (sugar) resistant, in simple terms the liver learns how to digest without the proper nutrients this is called Type II diabetes
10. After we eat a meal our food digests through 16 feet of intestines and then dumps out the 4 feet of colon (bowel movement), this movement is called Peristalsis (a small muscle contraction). When we drink cold or room temperature fluids it would be like putting ice on a muscle – no contractions. This is why so many people have Irritable Bowel and Colon Cancer. The food leaving through the intestines is also carrying toxic waste, without peristalsis you are breading toxins that can generate cancer cells.
PERFECT WAY TO ASSURE GOOD DIGESTION AND SO SIMPLE
Ideally, at the end of the meal drink something hot, tea of course is a good choice but 1/4 cup of hot water with 1 tablespoon lemon juice is excellent as well.
Lemon – God’s Super Food
In herbal medicine my mantra is “Like Cures Like”, so when you drink warm water and lemon juice. The warm water opens the pyloric orifice because lemon stimulates the Amylase. (This is also why lemon makes your mouth pucker)
The Citric Acid from the lemon and the Hylauronic Acid in the stomach turn Alkaline (Natural Alkaline comes from eating the proper amounts of fruits and veggies)
The result:
- No more acid indigestion
- The lemon causes a pucker effect on the pyloric opening, no more acid reflux
- Did you know that cancer can’t grow in an alkaline environment? Best cancer prevention in the world
- Even better the warm water creates more peristalsis – better bowels
Free Radicals, Cancer and Antioxidants (Two other terms you may not understand)
Free Radical: This is a cell that has improperly digested as noted above it has an uneven number of molecules. Our bodies cannot make new cells to send them to the body with an uneven number of molecules it makes this a Toxin
Cancer: When we have an abundance of free radicals they can then meet and combine, let’s say an uneven cell has 3 molecules, when a 3 + 3 combines, now it has 6 molecules (an even number). At this point the body can make new cells that are unnatural to the body this is called Cancer.
Antioxidant: (**Adding oxygen to the body to remove toxins** A simple term for a molecule of oxygen, this has 1 molecule. By adding 1 molecule to a free radical now your body can get rid of this toxin through sweat, urine or bowel movements.
- Water: H20 – Pretty simple every time you drink water you give the body access to 2 – Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen to work on those free radicals
- Green Vegetables and Fruit: Plants too grow by enzymes they all are high in cellulase, lipase and protease, they are also high in oxygen
GOOD CARB BAD CARB
Carbohydrate: Any of a group of organic compounds that includes sugars, starches, celluloses.
Bad Carb: These are the things that grease the lining of the stomach, Oil is one example. Other’s are man made foods…the chemical composition confuses the body because they have an uneven number of molecules when manufactured, this includes any food additive, Aspartame (fake sugar) and MSG (taste enhancers) are examples. As a rule of thumb if your food needs heat to melt like chocolate then it will be a bad carb.
Good Carb: Any food that carries natural oxygen, fruits and veggies are good examples. Meat is a good source of protein and considered a good carb. If it will dissolve in water then it is a good carb.