DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS & IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) 

More than thirty percent of adults in the USA take over the counter drugs, or prescription pills, for digestive problems and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The associated pain can cause intense discomfort. But there is a system of eating, known as 'Food Combining' that will alleviate digestive problems and IBS.

Digestive problems are an uncomfortable topic for discussion. In fact, many people have trouble talking to their doctor about their concerns. Others suffer in silent embarrassment, worry and discomfort over the rumbling and gurgling – cramps, bloating, gas, constipation, flatulence or diarrhea.

The fact is that if your digestive tract isn’t operating efficiently, you have more to worry about than just your colon. When you carry around too few friendly bacteria and an overabundance of the bad stuff, your body doesn’t make use of all the nutrients you’re feeding it.

Bad digestion and digestive problems have become a serious health issue and includes:

• Infectious diarrhea

• Intestinal infection caused by the Clostridium difficile bacterium

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease)

• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterial infection which causes ulcers and chronic stomach inflammation

• Leaky gut (a compromised intestinal wall that allows undigested foods and toxins to pass into the bloodstream, triggering an inappropriate immune system response)

• Lactose intolerance

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common disorders a physician encounters in everyday practice. IBS is a common condition that affects one in five adult Americans from late teens to early 40’s, the majority of whom are women.

IBS is, in essence, a combination of abdominal discomfort or pain and changes in bowel habits.

IBS symptoms include:

• Abdominal cramping

• Bloating

• Gas

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

The exact cause of IBS is unknown. The inner walls of the intestine are lined with layers of muscle that contract and relax as they move food from your stomach, through your intestinal tract to the rectum. Under normal conditions, these muscles contract and relax in a smooth, synchronized pattern.

But with IBS, the contractions may be stronger and last longer than normal, forcing your food through the intestines too quickly. This results in gas, bloating and diarrhea.

In some cases, the contractions are weaker and quicker. In these cases, the passage of food slows and the stools become hard and dry, making it difficult to expel them from the colon.

In most cases, learning to manage stress, eating proper foods in the right order, and making lifestyle changes will successfully control IBS and other digestive problems.

What we eat and how we eat can make all the difference. To maintain a healthy digestive system, avoid processed foods such as:

• boxed meals (macaroni and cheese, hamburger and tuna ‘helpers,’ etc.)

• chips and other high-calorie snack foods

• foods made with refined white flour (white breads, pastas, rice)

• frozen dinners

• high-fat canned foods (spaghetti, for example)

• packaged cakes and cookies

• processed meats (sausage, hot dogs, bologna and other packaged lunch meats)
  
  
• sodium-laden canned foods

• sugared cereals

If you’re planning to wean yourself from convenience foods, start by eliminating processed meats. They’re the worst of the worst and are thought to increase your risk of certain types of cancers.

A non-traditional therapy that complements fiber supplementation is probiotics. Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that reside in our intestines.

In contrast to the pesticide effect of processed foods and sugar on the state of your health, fermented foods act as 'natural fertilizers' providing nutrients and promoting growth of healthy bacteria in your digestive tract.

What many people find frustrating is that even if they eat what most health professionals consider to be healthy, they continue to experience digestive problems. And they just continue to suffer.

However, there is a simple eating system that is designed to dramatically reduce the acid pH measure in a person’s body – not just in the stomach. This is done by increasing the ratio of alkaline forming foods eaten, and by combining foods in a way that radically decreases the amount of acid digestive juices in the stomach and small intestines.

This system of curing digestive problems is based on the science of food combining, which was first introduced into the USA in 1911 by Dr. William Hay, a New York surgeon. He used it to cure his Bright’s Disease, a kidney disease which was often fatal at that time.

A basic knowledge of Junior High chemistry is all it takes to see the logic behind this science: Mixing foods that require alkaline digestive enzymes with foods that require acid digestive enzymes slows, and can even stop, the digestive process. Mixing these foods can delay digestion by as much as 10 hours and more, and is incredibly bad for the body. It is possible to alleviate IBS and other digestive problems by using food combining principles, so allowing the body to absorb nutrients from foods effectively.

You may, using food combining, be able to eat beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, venison and any other type of meat. Broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers and other veggies that can create havoc suddenly may not!

Many people suffer when they eat fruit. This can be avoided when you use the principles of food combining.

These simple eating principles can also help those who suffer from Diverticulitis or Crohn’s disease. During the initial stages while the digestive tract is cleansed one may experience some loose stools. Also, due to the detoxing, one might get a runny nose or some other cold-like symptoms at first. That is normal and nothing to worry about. The great news is that the new method of eating can cure digestive problems

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