Gut/Brain/Immune Connection

How many have heard the old saying, you are what you eat?  I am sure most, if not all of you have.  Well I may be one of the first to inform you that this simply is not a true statement.  While it is very important to eat a quality meal plan, based on your Nutritional ID, it is of utmost importance to understand that you are not what you eat; you are truly what you absorb and assimilate.

Strong digestive health is a cornerstone for overall health and vitality.  We are what we eat, digest and metabolize, and if digestive function and intestinal integrity are low, nutrients will not be absorbed, leading to imbalance and deficiency.  Many factors can wear down the health of the gastro-intestinal tract such as improper diet, food sensitivities, pathogens, toxins, stress, improper digestion and assimilation and even eating rapidly or not chewing your food thoroughly.

There is also a strong connection between the GI tract and the immune system, including the mucosal barrier function.  This mucosal barrier is your body’s first layer of defense that acts as the Marines of the immune system.  When GI tissue damage is prevalent, this will weaken the immune system response often leading to food allergies and overall imbalance.

Most think of the GI tract as simply a digestive process but there is much going on within this system as well as the amount of challenges that the GI is regularly exposed to.  This is just a short list of challenges within the gastro-intestinal tract.

• Gluten
• Inflammation
• Infections
• Protozoa
• Parasites
• Amoebas
• Yeast
• Viruses
• Heavy Metals
• Mental/emotional stress
• Milk protein

Due to the fact that we are generally exposed to some if not all of these factors regularly is extremely important to focus on improving the gastro-intestinal system to allow proper absorption and assimilation of the macro and micro nutrients from your food.

Some basic recommendations to improve your GI health are as listed.

• Chew your food thoroughly
• Consume you meal in a peaceful emotional state
• Do not exercise immediately following your meal time
• Take a quality probiotic daily
• Utilize digestive enzymes at every meal
• Focus on a gluten free lifestyle if you determine this to be a challenge
• Do not consume cold beverages during meal time

Following these basic recommendations will initiate your journey toward balancing your gastro-intestinal tract.  For more in depth and comprehensive information on your GI function visit the Depke Wellness store for a video or download on “Improving Your Digestive Health” or explore our Calendar of Events to look for the next Accelerated Learning workshop in an area near you.

Wellness for the World,
Glen Depke