The GI tract runs from your mouth all the way to your anus.  It is essentially a very long and windy tube through which food is broken apart, digested, and the nutrients absorbed into your system.

The process begins as chewed food is mixed with saliva in the mouth.  It travels down the esophagus to the stomach after it is swallowed.  The stomach makes hydrochloric acid and enzymes which break down the food. If the stomach’s sphincter isn't working just right, one gets the acidic stomach contents refluxing back into the esophagus. This is what is referred to as Reflux Disease or more commonly known as heartburn.

Digestion continues to the small intestine where the liver makes bile that helps with fat digestion.  The pancreas makes strong enzymes which break down the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.  The nutrients from the broken down food are absorbed into the body.  The small intestine also contains helpful bacteria which aid the digestion of certain vitamins.

The remaining undigested food enters the large intestine also known as the colon. The colon is normally inhabited by a large number of bacteria. The colon’s main function is to dry out the remaining food mixture to form stool.  It does this by reabsorbing water.  At this point, most of the carbohydrates, fats and protein have been digested and the nutrients extracted. What remains is undigested and indigestible food, which includes fiber that is excreted from the body.

There are a number of GI Tract or ‘gut’ disorders causing the bowel to not work properly.  Most of us (including most doctors) do not recognize or know that digestive problems wreak havoc in the entire body, leading to allergies, arthritis, autoimmune disease, rashes, acne, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, autism, dementia, cancer, and more.

So having a healthy gut means more than simply being free of annoyances like bloating or heartburn! It is absolutely central to your health. It is connected everything that happens in your body.

To heal GI Tract gut you simply need to:

• Eat whole unprocessed foods. Make sure to include plenty of fiber from foods like vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
• Eliminate food intolerances. If you think you have food sensitivities, try an elimination diet. Cut out gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, soy, and eggs for a week or two and see how your gut feels and what happens to your other symptoms.
• Treat any infections or overgrowth of bugs – Parasites, small bowel bacteria, and yeasts can all inhibit proper gut function. You must treat these infections if you want to heal.
• Replenish your digestive enzymes. When you don’t have enough digestive enzymes in your gut, you can’t properly covert the foods you eat into the raw materials necessary to run your body and brain. Take broad-spectrum digestive enzymes with your food to solve the problem.
• Rebuild your supply of friendly bacteria. Take probiotic supplements. They will help you rebuild the healthy bacteria so essential to good gut health.
• Get good fat. Take extra omega-3 supplements, which help cool inflammation in the gut.