TOXIC TUMMY

How can we, as a nation, expect to be dis-ease and stress free, when most of us don't seem to be aware that there is a MASSIVE correlation between what we put into our mouths on a daily basis (and so absorb) and the state of our health??

Gillian Mckeith, who I think (despite what people say about her) has done a lot of good for health awareness, promoted the saying You Are What You Eat - and an even better saying is You Are What You Absorb. Every morsel that passes your lips has to go all the way through the digestive system for the body to use for energy, and to keep us ticking over. Is it any wonder that so many of us spend a lot of time in a lacklustre state because our bodies are desperately trying to extract some nutrients from foods that don't contain any, and never have.

Many of the processed foods on the supermarket shelves are "anti-nutrients" and it takes more energy for the body to digest it than it gets out of the food itself in a lot of cases. These foods may include breakfast cereals (some of which contain several spoonfuls of sugar for every bowl eaten- see earlier blog on the subject),processed chocolate and confectionery, refined carbohydrate products such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, pizza, chicken nuggets, cheap processed meats, alcohol, sausage rolls, pork pies, crisps, sweetened and salted nuts, ready meals,chips etc. etc..............

One of the reasons that these foods are so poor in nutrition is that they are refined to the extent that they lack a decent amount of fibre, and we need fibre/roughage to keep a healthy digestive system. Fibre helps the peristalsis action (like waves) of the gut to keep foods moving through our systems and keep us regular! Refined foods contain little roughage and so can get 'stuck' to the colon walls where they accumulate over time. The longer this goes on and the more C.R.A.P foods that are ingested mean trouble as they are effectively toxins sitting inside us. This build up can also prevent any goodness eaten from being properly absorbed and utilised.

Toxins are then absorbed back into the bloodstream where they have the potential to create havoc in the form of minor to major health issues. Refined foods are a large cause of problems such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) which affect millions of people in the UK and is one of the biggest reasons we visit our GPs. In most cases it can be controlled by a change of diet.

So, what we really need is a diet rich in vegetables (particularly green ones) and fruits and good quality meat and fish,nuts and seeds,oils and some complex carbohydrates that still contain roughage - and plenty of water to keep us hydrated and to help move things along! Stagnation of any kind in the gut is a bad thing - and often the cause of sleepiness, headaches, unexplained bouts of illness, lethargy and many,many more health problems.

Over 70% of our immune system is housed in our gut, so if we clog it up with C.R.A.P foods is it any wonder we get sick?!

Do yours a big favour and make 80% of what you consume really great, fresh nutritious foods. You'll reap the rewards for years to come. Who really wants to add to the drain on the NHS? I for one want to have health and vitality to enjoy my life to the full.

In Health and Happiness,

RX