There are a number of different areas in which one can experience difficulties with the digestive process. Many of these can be particular to the individual as a result of food sensitivities/allergies. These can result in many of the symptoms that you mention as well as nausea, fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pains, rashes, anemia, depression, and mental fogginess. It is possible to have an adverse response to various food components that do not appear as rapidly as do classic (IgE-mediated) allergies. These can be the result of specific enzyme deficiencies, toxic response to certain proteins such as the one found in wheat, reaction to synthetic food additives, or many others. If you suspect that this may be the case, you can eliminate the suspected culprit to see if your symptoms improve. A more comprehensive method is to work with a holistic practitioner and use an elimination diet.
Some of these symptoms could be caused by an imbalance of intestinal flora in the gut or by the presence of parasites or bad bacteria, although this usually results in weight loss for most people. An imbalance is the flora is often caused by antibiotics, stress, birth control/hormone pills, eating meat that has been treated with antibiotics, and steroid anti-inflammatories to name a few. This can often lead to an overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract that may lead to many of the same symptoms as food intolerance.
There are a number of things that you can do to fine-tune your digestive process. Please keep in mind that if you do have a food intolerance, the best solution is to eliminate the offending type of food. Some things that may help with digestive health are the following:
• Probiotics- These are the “friendly” bacteria that must reside in the gut for proper digestion. Latero-flora can help to replace some of this bacteria and to encourage the growth of other bacterial colonies. This can also be useful in cases of yeast overgrowth.
• Cleansing- I would suggest a colon cleanse, liver/gallbladder flush, and parasite cleanse as detailed at
www.ghchealth.com/liver-and-gallbladder-flush.html. This can aid in the removal of toxins and parasites from the digestive tract.
• Organic Oil of Oregano- This essential oil has been shown to work against numerous microbes and yeast. Here are a few of the many references regarding the effectiveness in studies. It can also act as a digestive aid by promoting the flow of bile for fat digestion.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... med_docsum
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... med_docsum
• Silver Fuzion- Silver preparations have been used for centuries to aid the bodies resistance to bacterial overgrowth.
Again, it is highly recommended to consult a holistic practitioner such as a chiropractor or naturopath if these symptoms do not quickly subside. He or she should be able to perform any necessary tests, advise on your diet, suggest supplements and other therapies, and also check to make sure that there is no structural problem such as a spinal misalignment that is contributing to the problem.
