Health Truth Revealed
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” (Deuteronomy 31:19)
Your body’s ability to eliminate toxins and wastes determines your entire state of health. Did you know that every cell, organ, and system in your body is designed to bring in nutrition and fuel to survive, and eliminate waste when it’s done? A majority of this waste eventually ends up in your colon. While discussing the body’s intestinal system is not generally a topic people feel comfortable sharing with others, it’s one that cannot be ignored if you want to remain healthy or restore lost health.
The simple truth is that the human body was not designed to handle an overwhelming assault of fried, processed, packaged, microwaved or genetically modified foods. It also can’t handle large amounts of meat, pasteurized and homogenized dairy products, white flour, refined sugar, hydrogenated fats, soda, candy, cakes, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, pesticides, and a host of other ingestible products. All of these items can have a negative effect on your intestinal system and your health over time.
We have an enemy called the devil who is out to kill us and destroy God’s creation. Our bodies are the battlefields. Satan knows that if he can get you to overload your body with the kinds of substances just mentioned above, that your health will suffer greatly and you will likely die a premature death. It’s very difficult to serve God effectively when your body is in a state of disarray and you feel terrible. Might this be why Moses stressed the importance of choosing life instead of death?
If we were truly choosing life then we would make better choices when it comes to our health. The first step that must be taken to reverse these deadly habits is to become knowledgeable about how the human body functions internally, and understand the negative impact improper eating can have on it over time.
A healthy functioning gastrointestinal system is absolutely critical for good health. If your digestive system is not working perfectly it’s only a matter of time before you go back to the dust of the earth just as the scriptures proclaim. Proper digestion is essential to release the nutrients contained within our foods so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream and nourish the body’s cells with life. Proper elimination of metabolic wastes is also essential to keep the system clean and free of morbid wastes. Any malfunction in the digestive process can ultimately lead to a cellular malfunction, which given enough time, can lead to a complete system malfunction.
The human body is equipped with five major filtering/processing systems and elimination routes that are designed to expel wastes, process nutrients, regulate hormones, and keep the body functioning in a normal, healthy state. They are the gastrointestinal system (colon), liver, kidneys, skin, and lymphatic system. The gastrointestinal system, however, is probably the most important of the five because in many cases, without a healthy gastrointestinal system you are almost guaranteed that the other four bodily systems will be in serious trouble. Although we could spend a great deal of time focusing on each bodily system and its importance to our health, this particular article will focus on the role your intestinal system plays in health, and how you can keep it functioning optimally.
Here Are Some Interesting Facts About Colon Health
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the U.S. Over 50,000 Americans die each year from this type of cancer. In men it ranks third in frequency behind lung and prostate cancer, and third in frequency behind lung and breast cancer in women. Colorectal cancer accounts for about 10% of all new cases of cancer each year and approximately 10% of all cancer deaths.
Experts estimate that over 20% of middle-age and older adults may have one or more colon polyps. Up to one in five Americans (approximately 60 million) has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS accounts for more than 1 out every 10 doctor visits. Some health experts have stated that every American will develop some type of colon disease, polyp, tumor, or colon cancer in their lifetime.
If you suffer from any of the following symptoms for an extended period of time you have reasons to be concerned.
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
• Stools that are smaller in width than usual
• Abdominal gas and discomfort
• Frequent gas pains
• A feeling that the bowel never completely empties
• Unexplained weight loss
• Constant tiredness
• Unexplained anemia
Any one of these symptoms could indicate an intestinal disorder that needs attention. It could also be a sign of cancer.
The Role Of Flora & Intestinal Health
More and more health conscious consumers are becoming aware of the importance of intestinal flora when it comes to digestive health. Intestinal flora are colonies of microscopic bacteria found in both the small and large intestine. Nutritional supplements and foods that support the body’s flora are referred to as probiotics. The word probiotic actually has an interesting meaning. “Pro” means to be in favor of something. “Bio” is a prefix meaning life. When the two are put together into the word probiotic, it means to be in favor of life.
Probiotics are life giving aerobic bacteria that serve as the intestinal system’s clean-up crew. The definition of “aerobic” is anything that pertains to, or is caused by the presence of oxygen. Anything anaerobic either lacks oxygen or causes the destruction of oxygen. With probiotics we are talking about life-giving oxygen producing bacteria.
Everyone knows that oxygen is the most critical element for life. Every cell of the body requires oxygen to survive. Without oxygen we would be dead. Oxygen is also nature’s most effective sterilizer and deodorizer. What few realize is that oxygen generated by probiotics is what keeps your intestinal system disinfected and working properly. Without a healthy supply of flora, your health will spiral quickly downward.
A healthy intestinal system contains hundreds of different strains of friendly aerobic bacteria such as acidophilus, bifidus, plantarum, and bulgaricus to name a few, which release an abundance of nascent oxygen (hydrogen peroxide) to keep the intestinal system clean and anaerobic bacteria in check. In addition, flora supports the body’s immune system by thwarting off harmful bacteria and it supports the immune system’s front line defenders, such as your T-cells and natural killer cells. The whole battle of good and bad bacteria that determines health or sickness takes place primarily in your intestinal system. This is why proper digestion, waste removal, and flora balance is so critical when it comes to staying healthy or restoring lost health. Another function of flora is to synthesize certain nutrients such as vitamin K, biotin, and pantothentic acid. Flora can also produce almost all the B vitamins, including niacin, B6, B12, and folic acid, as well as make one B vitamin into another.
According to renowned health expert Dr. Robert O. Young in his book The pH Miracle: “In a healthy, balanced human digestive system, you’d expect to find three to four pounds of probiotics. Unfortunately, I estimate that most people have less than 25% of the normal amount. Eating animal products and processed foods, ingesting chemicals, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, overeating, and excess stress of all types disrupt and weaken the probiotic colonies and compromise digestion. That, in turn, allows the overgrowth of symptom-causing microforms and all the problems that come along for the ride.”
If you’re like many, you’ve probably overindulged in far too many foods you know you shouldn’t have eaten. Over time, if not eliminated from the body, these foods can impact the colon and eventually ferment, putrefy, and stick to your colon wall like Plaster of Paris. There is only so much abuse your body can handle before it eventually becomes intoxicated and shuts down. One of the first signs of your health going down hill begins with gastrointestinal problems, which by the way are the number one complaint to doctors. If intestinal waste is not fully excreted from the body, over time it can wreak havoc on your health and negatively impact your flora, by causing it to literally suffocate from the overload. Once the body’s aerobic bacteria starts dying off, anaerobic bacteria will get the upper hand and things will start to deteriorate rapidly. It’s like knocking over a domino.
Flora’s Worst Enemy – ANTIOBIOTICS!
In light of the fact that the word probiotic means to be in favor of life, antibiotic has the exact opposite meaning. “Anti” means to be against. In other words, antibiotics are counterproductive to life itself. The main problem with antibiotics is that they cannot distinguish between good aerobic bacteria and unwanted anaerobic bacteria. Antibiotics kill off everything. Excessive use of antibiotics will literally destroy your health and wipe out your immune system.
If life and health are important to you, then you will do everything possible to avoid antibiotics, unless they are absolutely necessary to overcome a stubborn infection or keep you alive during a health crisis. If you’ve ever subjected your body to antibiotics it is imperative that you do an intestinal detox and take a round of probiotics. Many of the health problems people are enduring today can be directly attributed to the overuse of antibiotics. Sadly, in their lack of understanding on how the human body functions, doctors are prescribing antibiotics like they’re candy. How many people run to the doctor at the sign of the first sniffle to get on a cycle of antibiotics, thinking it will do their body good? We need to question medical intervention a little further before putting things into our body that can potentially harm it. There are plenty of safe, natural alternatives that can do wonders for the body without harming your body’s delicate bacterial balance.
When the body’s intestinal flora diminishes or dies off and the intestinal system is impacted with excess wastes and sludge, you’re more than likely on a slow, steady, downward trend toward serious health complications. As the intestinal system continues to degenerate, unwanted metabolic wastes can be absorbed through the colon wall and into the bloodstream flooding the body with free radicals and carcinogens. At this point, it’s now up to the kidneys, liver and lymphatic system to filter out this mess. But these vital systems can only handle so much abuse before they become overwhelmed and exhibit signs of trouble. Additionally, since many people live sedentary lives, they sweat very little thus denying themselves another powerful waste eliminator. In essence, a malfunctioning intestinal system can eventually lead to a complete system malfunction if not corrected.
Beware Of Parasites & Other Microorganisms
Another often overlooked problem with a colon that is impacted with putrefying, fermenting wastes and inadequate healthy flora is that it can become a breeding ground for unwanted microorganisms, such as parasites, viruses, fungus, flukes, and of course, anaerobic bacteria. These microorganisms fester in this mess as a source of food because your body didn’t do the job.
A perfect analogy of what can happen internally is if you were to leave a pile of dirty dishes in the sink with food crumbs and debris lying around your house for an extended period of time. What do you think would happen? Your home will be invaded with cockroaches, ants, and other microscopic scavengers. Similar things take place in the human body when unwanted wastes and debris are lying around for extended periods of time without being properly eliminated. It’s time we started putting the same kind of focus on internal cleanliness as we do on external cleanliness.
Over the last decade many alternative doctors and nutritionists have been treating parasitic problems in humans, and have linked them directly to a vast array of ailments. Some health researchers estimate that over 90% of the population has parasites residing in their body. Usually we only associate harmful microorganisms with third world countries where the water and food is not always safe. Better think again! Health endangering scavengers could be feeding on, and breeding in, your impacted metabolic waste.
Mucus Doesn’t Only Come From Your Lungs & Nose
To compound the intestinal assault, harmful heavy metals and toxins consumed from your diet force the body into another serious protective reaction. The body will create a mucus film that goes from the tongue straight throughout the intestines in order to stop toxins from making their way into the bloodstream. People with a thick mucus coating on their intestines usually have a noticeable white film on their tongues. As more and more toxins come into the body, more mucus will be produced. Over time, this mucus film can become thicker and harder, and eventually wreak havoc within the intestines.
When digestion isn’t working properly, and food and wastes aren’t being eliminated, you run the risk of autointoxication, a $10 word for self-poisoning. This condition can literally starve the cells in your body by blocking them from receiving their nutrition, eventually causing severe malnutrition. All the supplements in the world will do nothing for your body if the intestinal system is in a state of disarray. Constipation, irregular bowel movements, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, gas, nutritional deficiencies, and other intestinal related problems are in many cases the result of an intestinal system that has been overloaded and is heading for a complete breakdown.
The good news is that there are many things that you can do to reverse this trend and get back on track to health and wellness. Remember – it’s not God’s will that we suffer from all manner of physical ailments. It’s His will that we walk in health all the days of our life.
Things You Must Do To Detoxify & Support Your Intestinal System
Hopefully by now you understand why it is so crucial to address intestinal health. Here are a few things that can be done to clean out excess wastes, rebuild your system, and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system.
1. Start taking probiotics: There are many good probiotic supplements on the market to choose from that can help rebuild your intestinal flora. It is important to first do a cleanse of the intestinal system in order to get the bowels working more consistently if you’re constipated, and to get rid of excess waste so there is fertile ground for the probiotics to colonize.
2. Start taking digestive enzymes after each meal: Most people are severely enzyme deficient and aren’t adequately breaking their food down that they eat, causing digestive problems and malnourishment. The best way to get enzymes into the body is to start eating more raw organic fruits and vegetables that contain an abundance of life-giving enzymes. Almost all cooked foods and packaged foods are devoid of enzymes. This puts unwanted stress on the body because it has to use its bank of enzyme reserves to break the food down. In addition, it is important to take a high quality full spectrum enzyme supplement after each meal that helps break down protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Enzyme supplements assist the body in breaking food down more effectively so partially digested foods don’t get stuck in the intestinal system causing weight gain. This is a big reason why people have constipation and intestinal build-up, especially those consuming high meat diets where the food didn’t fully break down.
3. Start eating fermented foods: There are some very beneficial fermented foods such as sauerkraut, organically cultured yogurt, cheese, Kefer, sourdough bread, pickles, Tempeh, and Miso to name a few that can help the body tremendously with digestion. Fermentation is a process that activates the enzymes in food and allows bacteria, yeasts and molds to “predigest” which helps break down the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Fermentation dates back thousands of years and was used to extend the life of food and to enhance flavor. It can do amazing things for your overall digestive health. Researchers believe that the longevity of many in the Far East can be attributed to a lot of the fermented foods they eat regularly. Only recently have more in the West taken a closer look at how fermented foods support the intestinal system and the body’s overall health. In some cases certain foods cannot release their nutritional properties unless they are fermented. Soybeans are a great example of this. The only way you should eat soybeans is in a fermented state. Any other form will not be beneficial and could actually be dangerous.
4. Learn more about eating foods in proper combination: Improper food combinations can be linked to many diseases. This is an area where few people know what to do yet it could have a profound impact on your health. For example, you shouldn’t consume proteins and starches at the same time. Fruit should be eaten separately from all other food. Fruits and vegetables should not be eaten together. There’s a statement about melons that you’ve probably heard before: “Eat it alone or leave it alone.” There are some excellent books on the market that can help you in this department. You should visit a health food store or do some research online to help you in this area as it is vitally important if you want your body to be in balance and functioning at a high state of health.