Our office will be helping you to set realistic goals that will be helping you to naturally ease into renewed levels of health and vitality. If you have any specific questions regarding your recommended program, please let us know. We will be happy to be of assistance.

We are looking forward to the opportunity of working with you and are honored to be a part of your healing process.

Yours in health,

A NATURAL HEALTH CLINIC, INC

Dr. Linda L. Hadley, N.D., D.Sc., Ph.D.

  Gastrointestinal System - A Brief Overview    5

In order to achieve these healthy changes, it can be very helpful to take a closer look at how your body is designed and how it functions. Understanding some of the profound and miraculous changes that occur within your body can help you to deepen your overall understanding of your health and your unique health care needs. These understandings can also help you to better comprehend particular treatment protocols recommended. Research has proven that patients who take an active role in their health care get positive results much more quickly and easily.

Your gastrointestinal tract is a very important part of your body. It is responsible for harnessing energy that enables you to grow, to heal, to restore, and to live. Its many functions include digesting foods, absorbing nutrients, assimilating nutrients, and transporting waste products through and out of your body. The integrity of your gastrointestinal system plays a primary role in maintaining and sustaining your body. If any of the vital functions of your GI system are limited or imbalanced in any way, the rest of your body is also compromised. Without the necessary components and nutrients derived from food and its digestion and absorption, health and vitality would not be possible.

There are many factors that can compromise an individual’s gastro-intestinal functioning. These include but are not limited to: poor diet, certain medications, food allergies, stress, and lack of breast-milk as an infant. Other factors can include lack of exercise, genetics, certain disease processes, inadequate enzymatic activity, chronic exposure to environmental toxins, and poor water.

The actual process of digestion begins in your mouth. As food is eaten, your teeth and jaws grind the food into smaller fragments. This process is called mastication. While the food is being chewed, it is mixed with digestive enzymes secreted by your salivary glands. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down starches in the foods that you eat. Starches include such foods as grains, breads, and cereals. As you chew or masticate, the larger bites of food become smaller fragments that are more easily broken down by the enzymes. It is for this reason that taking time to chew your food slowly and thoroughly is vital. Swallowing large chunks of food puts more stress on your stomach and other areas of the GI system that must work over-time which wastes energy to break down the food.

The food then moves down a long tube called the esophagus. Sometimes called the "food pipe," the esophagus has wave-like contractions called peristalsis that propel the food toward the stomach. No digestion takes place in the esophagus.

The food then moves into the stomach. Strong contractions by the stomach churn the food. Cells in the walls of the stomach begins secreting digestive enzymes. These enzymes are called hydrochloric acid (HCI), pepsin, and protease. These substances are responsible for breaking down the food into even smaller fragments. The pH of the digestive enzymes are very acidic (1.0 - 3.0). The reason these enzymes are so acidic is to break down complex proteins, such as red meat, chicken and fish, into substances called amino acids. These amino acids can then be absorbed more easily into your bloodstream. The type of foods that you eat and the integrity of your digestive enzymes determines how long the food remains in your stomach. A piece of fruit, for example, is very easy to digest and may remain in your stomach for only 20-30 minutes. A steak, on the other hand, is a very complex food and may remain in your stomach for several hours. It takes a lot more time, energy, and enzymes for your stomach to break down complex foods.

The food, now called "chyme", then moves out of the stomach and enters the portion of the small intestine called the duodenum. There are three major parts of the small intestine; the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. The first portion of the small intestine, the duodenum, is perhaps the most important part of the small intestine. Within this area many vital absorption processes occur.

Once the acidic "chyme" moves into the duodenum, cells in the walls of the duodenum begin to secrete a mucosy substance designed to alkalinize the pH of the "chyme". The delicate walls of the small intestine, unlike the stronger walls of the stomach, cannot tolerate acidic enzymes and substances. To protect itself, it secretes the mucus that within a brief period of time raises the pH. It is important to note that stress can inhibit the release of this alkalinizing substance. When this occurs frequently, burning, pain, and ulcerations can occur in this area. As the process of alkalinizing the "chyme" is occurring, enzymes from the pancreas and liver are also being secreted.

The pancreatic enzymes include amylase, protease, lipase, etc. These are responsible for breaking down complex foods, including fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into their basic elements. The liver produces bile that is stored in your gall bladder. The gall bladder secretes the bile into the small intestine. The bile has a detergent-type action that breaks down the fats into small fat globules to aid in fat digestion. Bile assists in the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, F, and K and helps to assimilate calcium. Bile also converts beta-carotene to vitamin A. It promotes intestinal peristalsis as well, which helps to prevent constipation.

As the food particles move through the jejunum and ileum, absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals occurs. This absorption process takes place through the walls of the small intestine. Molecules flow through the cell walls and enter the blood stream. Once in the bloodstream, they travel by way of the hepatic portal system to the liver. In the liver nutrients including iron and vitamins A, B12, and D are extracted from the bloodstream and stored for later use. The liver also plays a vital role in fat metabolism, in the synthesis of fatty acids from amino acids and sugars, in the production of lipoproteins, cholesterol, and phospholipids, and in the oxidation of fat to produce energy.

Excess food is converted to fat in the liver, which is then sent to the fatty tissues of the body for storage. The liver also acts as a detoxifier, regulates protein metabolism, and combines toxic substances including metabolic waste, insecticide residues, alcohol, drugs, and chemicals with other sub-stances that are less toxic. These substances are then excreted from the kidneys.

The waste products of the digestive and absorption processes then move into the large intestine. Depending upon the nature of the waste products and the length of time the waste products remain in the large intestine, very little absorption occurs. The primary functions of the large intestine include transport and removal of waste products through the rectum and reabsorption of water.

  Cleansing & Acid Elimination Program - Dietary Guidelines For Phase I    5

The following nutritional guidelines will be helping your body to cleanse away toxins and release acids from your connective tissue. During this time it is important to relieve stress and strain on your digestive system. This will enable it to cleanse and rebuild its vitality and integrity. When your digestive functions optimally, it will be able to digest and absorb the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will enhance your overall health and well-being. A stronger digestive system will also support your body in its abilities to release unwanted waste products, acids, and toxins. It is very important to follow these guidelines carefully. The length of time that you will remain on "Phase I" will depend upon the results of your diagnostic tests (or your reports to DOC).

The foods that you will be preparing and eating during "Phase I" are healthy, basic, and easy to digest. Ninety (90) percent of your diet during "Phase I" will consist of cooked grains, steamed vegetables, and fruit. The remaining ten (10) percent of your dietary intake will consist of small portions of animal protein (fish, chicken, and turkey). If you are presently a vegetarian, then (10) percent of your intake will consist of tofu, vegetables, grain-based meat substitutes, and mild legumes.

Many processed foods contain additives, preservatives, and toxic residues that are difficult for your body to process. Many components of these "dead" foods cannot be broken down by your body, and instead, build up toxic levels in your tissues. This can create excessive acidity that can interfere with the nutrient and mineral balance of your cells and create congestion in your lymphatic system.

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether the food that you are about to ingest will be offering you life and health or if eating it will be creating more stress and dis-ease in your body. Most of the foods that you eat should not need a label. These foods are whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. If the labels on the remaining foods that you eat list contents that you cannot pronounce or include toxic contents such as: artificial colors, additives and chemical preservatives, it is wise to avoid them. Your body will thank you.

Next to air that you breathe, water is the substance most essential for sustaining life. Water should be distilled or spring bottled in nature (unless you have been counseled to drink alkaline electrolyzed reduced water). The tap water in most communities is filled with so many chemicals and additives, that it is not considered healthy for the human body. It is best to avoid drinking tap water.

If your drinking water which comes from a well or spring, it is wise to have the water tested. Some wells and springs can produce very healthy water. Many, however, have become contaminated by chemicals in the soil from farming practices (fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides), floods, or industrial waste run-offs affect the water as well.

It is also wise to drink your water at room temperature. Cold water can diminish the production of digestive enzymes in your mouth and alter the pH of your saliva. These factors can interfere with proper digestion.

During "Phase I", it is important to eat only vegetables that are steamed, baked, or cooked. Steaming vegetables until they are tender yet still brightly colored (3-10 minutes) enables them to retain high level of nutrients. In comparison, when vegetables are cooked in water, a great deal of their nutrient value is lost into the water. Steamed vegetables are very easy for your body to digest. Raw vegetables, including salads, although filled with nutrients and vitality, can be difficult for a compromised digestive system to breakdown and digest.

Eating raw vegetables can often create gas and bloating conditions. Once your system has become cleansed, strengthened, and revitalized, raw vegetables can be reintroduced slowly during the "maintenance phase or Phase II" of your program. As you digestive mucosa and enzymes become normalized, digesting these healthy foods will become much easier. A cooking guide for steaming vegetables is included in this information below.

When steaming your vegetables, it is best to use glass or stainless steel cookware. Avoid using Teflon or coated cookware. Often the substances used to coat these pans can contaminate the foods. It is also wise to avoid using a microwave. Many studies have indicated that the microwave process, although convenient, breaks vital chemical bonds in foods. The electro-magnetic radiation that leaks from most microwave ovens during cooking can also be harmful to the body.

When available, it is best to eat grains that are certified organic. Some healthy grains include brown rice (short, medium, or long grain, wild rice, and basmati), millet, amaranth, oats, buckwheat, barley, teff, and quinoa. Different types of grains can be combined while cooking. Be creative! A cooking guide for grains is included in this information below.

If you are presently a vegetarian, small portions of tofu or bean curd, vegetable or grain-based meat substitutes and easy-to-digest legumes such as lentils and split peas may be consumed several times each week.