Death Begins In the Colon

In our Enlightened Homemakers Forum this past week, we discussed the stomach. We discussed the role it plays in our health and why we must take care of it, why we need to nurture the stomach so that all else is right with our bodies. This is a topic that leads to utter frustration on my part. The frustration for me lies with the medical community. I watch so many talk shows about Autism and almost everyone talks about shots. Its all about the shots. Yes, that may be a small part of it, but why oh why do they not talk about the stomach? Why can't Dr.s outside of homeopaths ever talk about the role of the stomach? Why is it that I, a little homemaker who didn't get a medical degree, gets it ... crystal clear. It just makes sense. If it didn't matter what we eat, we wouldn't need a food pyramid or the FDA. (both are corrupt anyways). We could drink pop all day and munch on Snickers for lunch. We all know that isn't the case. But, I just don't get why the Dr.'s aren't getting educated on what feeds the brain. Why there is a big connection on what we eat and how we feel.

There is a vicious cycle that can occur in the stomach. It happens frequently, it is happening more and more. You see, the stomach was made by our Creator to deliver nutrients, to filter the garbage , to feed our minds and to give us energy. However, when we damage this system, all else goes haywire. The system fails. It is then critical that this is fixed or the body will suffer greatly.

The cycle begins with an injury to the small intestinal surface. This can occur with the overuse of antibiotics, poor diets and the overuse of drugs such as antacids. Once this happens, the necessary linings in the stomach and the intestines are not in place. This leads to malabsorbtion of nutrients. If the body doesn't' absorb what we are eating, even if good, the body is then malnourished. The proper nutrients won't get to the brain and other parts of the body and the body will then deteriorate. Whatever then the body does not digest, will in turn harm the body. Food that sits create toxins. Toxins are bad. Toxins affect everything. Bacteria will grow in the intestines and the stomach and the by products of the bacteria will grow, ie yeast and mucus. Research is showing the amazing correlation between yeast and bacterial growth and health. The problem is, it is hard to get the lining back in place. You have to be proactive. You have to allow the body to heal by removing offending foods and using probiotics, anti fungal and anti bacterial drugs. It takes time and diligence but it can be done.

What I can't emphasize enough is the importance on making sure that the stomach is working as it should. First, listen to your body. As I have said before, the poop tells the story. You should be going at least once per day. If you or your children are not regular, there is something amis. Same goes with diarrhea. Too much is also not good. Many of the times this means that your body isn't digesting food right. You want the food out within 24 hrs or the toxins will build up. Can you imagine leaving a piece of steak out for 72 hours. It would smell horribly and would be full of bacteria. Imagine that in your stomach. You want the food byproducts gone. Many times this means you need to get more fiber, more fresh food, less processed. It gums up the system.
If you or your children have stomach aches on a regular basis, listen. That is not normal. Many pediatricians tell moms that kids just have stomach aches. NOT. There is no normal reason to suffer from regular stomach aches. Start by removing dairy, a huge cause of stomach aches. Lactic acid not digested builds up toxins and sits in the gut. Remember, whatever the body does not digest does harm. Other common offenders are corn, soy and wheat.

If you think you have a stomach issue or you or your children are already facing serious issues like Chrons, Celiac disease, colitis, etc. I would highly recommend a book called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall. She is amazing. She gives you instructions on how you can cure the system, even these diseases if you are diligent. Cure, not just help. The diet is difficult, I did it with my son, but so worth it.

I am continually monitoring the digestive systems in our family. A common question around here is "did you poop today." I know, a little intrusive , a little gross. But, I know that if my child is tooting a lot and especially smelly, he needs a fruit shake. Clean out the pipes. I don't give antibiotics. There is a time and a place for those but only in emergencies. It is so hard on the stomach. I make sure we are eating a diet high in fiber. Very little white flour, very little milk. My husband and I went on a three week body cleanse. We do this on occasion to show the body who is boss. We eat very little meat and very little carbs. We take psyllium husk and Bentonite in the morning before we eat, 1 T. of each in water. Same thing at night. I ate mostly fruits and veggies breakfast and lunch then a normal dinner with my kids but light. I felt great. At the end of week three, I ate some junk, white flour and sugar and meat. I felt horrible. While I don't intend to stop eating offending food altogether, we have decided to step it up a bit and eat better. This means less meat, maybe every other day, all whole grains (almost always there anyways), very little sugar. Eating less meat has made me realize how much energy the body takes to process meat. There is wise council we , as members of the LDS faith get from the Words Of Wisdom in our scriptures to eat meat sparingly. Somehow we overlook that. Me included. I get it now. I am going to do better.

By going through the process to heal my sons stomach who has autism, I am amazed at what a difference it has made in his life (and mine). When we started with his diet by day 3 we noticed an amazing difference. He was happy. Can you imagine being in constant pain but can't tell anyone. You would be angry and crazy too. Poor little guys. Our children shouldn't have stomach aches, have little energy and walk around in a fog. Eat healthy. Cook healthy. It is so important. As far as the damage of shots, we know they are hard on the system but the really damaging part is giving shots when the stomach is messed up. Then, the stomach which is meant to filter can't do it's part. Damage is done.

Please be proactive. I hear too many horror stories. It can all be prevented.It can be fixed. Death begins in the colon.

****for more reading about autism and the gut, please read Terri Hirnings blog. As always, very informative.