I am not a trained counselor or a doctor, but I pay attention to my body and how it speaks to me.
“Food and liquids entering the mouth break down into chemical components, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, which the body absorbs as nutrients and use for energy to build or repair cells and eliminate waste from the body.”
Digestion begins in the mouth, chewing begins, and thinking of food triggers, the brain’s communication process with the stomach, releasing stomach juices before any food enters the mouth. Therefore, it is essential to wash anything before it goes into the mouth, the hands, fruits, vegetables, etc.
There is good and bad digestive health.
“Good digestive health allows the body to properly break down food and absorb nutrients to keep the body healthy.”
A few symptoms of bad digestive health are not pooping regularly, bloating, fatigue, gas, constipation, and diarrhea, to name a few issues.
We go through drive-throughs three to four times per week. Purchase 90% fried foods (hamburgers, fries, sodas), etc., eat late at night, and never take a moment to think about the effect of the foods we eat and the connection the foods have to digestion, and never understand the importance of pooping regularly.
We feel bloated often and know it’s from the foods ingested into the body that contributes to an unhealthy gut, yet we accept it as normal and buy over-the-counter relief to continue the bad habits.
It is essential to listen to the body and get continued occurrences checked out, for example, feeling bloated often. It could be a stomach infection which could lead to ulcers.
I have had a chronic cough for ten months and was diagnosed with Seasonal Allergies, Reflux, and a form of Asthma and was given different medications for each diagnosis, and to date, the actual cause of my cough has not been diagnosed.
Because I pay close attention to my body, I decided to stop taking the medication, which was not helping because the symptom was being treated and NOT THE CAUSE of the cough. Again, I am not a doctor or specialist.
My lifestyle before the cough consisted of working out three to four days per week (30-40 minutes), eating two cups of vegetables and fruits daily, drinking half a gallon of water, and eating my share of junk foods and fried foods as well.
To understand the cause of my cough, the relationship between food and my digestive health, and the issues of my body, I reevaluated my situation and started journaling (as you know, if you follow me, the importance of journaling everything works.) and tried another approach.
A few of my triggers were sugar, carbonated drinks, beer, sparkling wines, asparagus, beans, some citrus fruits, dairy including cheese, spicy foods, greasy foods, lying down after eating, and some medication, to name a few.
The cough is not 100% gone but for 80% better.
Making a few changes will assist with walking the road toward healthy digestion and releasing regular waste from the body.
- Start journaling daily foods entering into the body to identify the body issues.
- Pay attention to the body’s reaction to those foods.
- We have heard a thousand times to limit processed food and sodas, maybe once per week, but remember, having something once per week could be a trigger, so it may be best to eliminate the triggers.
- Have a fiber fruit and at least two cups of vegetables daily (maybe a daily salad, and cup of something green).
- If you must have bread, try sourdough bread over wheat and white.
- Enjoy two days per week with friends and family to socialize.
- Try deep breathing for at least five minutes daily (a good book, Deep Breath by Osaum Tatsumura).
- Yes, yes, and YES, you must move the body daily (start leisurely walking for 20/minutes three times per week (go to the mall if there is no gym or home equipment), or do 30 sit-ups with 15 squats (hold on to something if you must). Stretch daily (twist the mid-section, pull hands high over the head and google for good digestive stretches).
- Sleep, sleep, and sleep. The body repairs itself daily between 10 pm and 4 am; therefore, it’s important to sleep those hours if you do not have a night job.
I am always here and listening to you and until next time, stay Digestive Healthy.
This information is critical for the mind and body. Thank you so much for taking the time to inform some of us that are not award of our body language. Sometimes I don’t want to hear it but watching you, I know that you do everything that you are giving us advice on, you actually do it. As my cousin I am very proud of you. As a blogger I thank you for the honesty and your journey that you share with the world.