Why Better Digestion Can Lead To More Energy, Some Simple Tips To Get You There

As part of a promotion, Dr. Mark Stengler created some videos to help you get familiar with his work. A lot of you wrote in and said that you didn't want to watch videos, didn't like the promotional aspect and just wanted the information. So we are creating some blog posts to summarize his suggestions, which we think are pretty common sense. Many people are familiar with these ideas and tools, but for many others this is new or something that you have heard about but not put into practice.

The reality is, most people don't have a complete grasp of many simple tools available to them to improve their health and energy. The simple reason is that these tools are not emphasized by most doctors. But as you dig in, you'll find that these tools have been part of healing for thousands of years across many different cultures.

A core suggestion by Dr. Stengler is to improve your digestion. If you do this, you will likely have more energy and better health. This is an important point because digestion is really not something that is emphasized by US medicine. Yet 60% our the bodies immune function is a "function" of digestive processes!

That is a big deal. When your immune system is off, you can experience all sorts of symptoms.

1. The first suggestion Dr. Stengler has is to mix up your sources of grains with the objective of reducing your gluten. You are probably hearing this all over the place, and see "gluten free" options in the supermarkets.

A key reason for this is that a lot of people have a hard time digesting it. Quinoa is an excellent grain to rotate in, and this simple shift can increase your energy and take a lot of burden off your digestive system.

2. Good bacteria help keep a healthy digestive system. Antibiotics do a number on your "intenstinal flora" and you need to help build them back up after any round of antibiotics. This is common knowledge to many, but is new to a lot of us. A lot of fermented foods help to build up your good bacteria.

Another good suggestion here is to take a probiotic supplement.In our house we just started keeping a good probiotic in our fridge. The people at our local Whole Foods recommended a brand called "Mega Flora." If you are not near a Whole Foods or health store you can learn more about them on Amazon.

3. Omega 3 fatty acids. This is something that all hear a lot about. What is important is they they help reduce inflammation in the whole body, as well as help support the digestive system. A family member of ours has been struggling with skin inflammation, and a doctor strongly suggested fish oil capsules which are high in both DHA and EPA. The doctor said the capsules were a much more potent source than simply eating fish, and this is important if you are really struggling with inflammation.

We now keep an Omega 3 Supplement called 'Whole Mega" from New Chapter in our cupboard. New Chapter is one of the highest quality makers of supplements out there because everything they make is whole food based, nothing synthetic. You'll pay more, but you'll likely find the extra price worth it.

If you are a Dr. Fuhrman fan, his company makes a plant based, liquid Omega-3 supplement. His pages are pretty informative and further outline the health benefits of Omega-3.

4. Reduce packaged foods as much as you can. This is an obvious point, but I bet that most of us are not aware of the extra load that junk food can put on our digestive system. If you are on the verge of a binge, this extra bit of self-awareness can help to muster enough "why" to head it off. Maybe...

5. Reduce chronic stress. A very interesting point that Dr. Stengler made was that stress shifts blood flow away from your digestive system towards your muscles and this slows down your digestive system. Stress reduction can really help. This suggestion makes a lot of sense, especially in light of the feedback people have given us over using hypnosis in the weight loss process. There are some who have religious objections to that, and we respect this. But pretty much everyone else who has tried this has given us positive feedback. Our own experience is that any form of hypnosis can be highly relaxing. 

6. Reduce your tap water. The chlorine in tap water helps kill "good bacteria." It could be that a simple addition of a good water filter or making sure to get a fresh cartridge for your existing one, could help your support your digestive system.

7. Find ways to naturally detox on a consistent basis. Dr. Stengler suggests that you don't treat detox as a one time event. You want to find ways of detoxing on a regular basis, which will help to support your digestive system. Here are some ideas he outlines:

• Green supplements. Some of these greens have powerful natural detox effects.
• Fresh vegetable juice with a little bit of fruit. The body is trying to detox constantly, and these food will help support this.
• Focus on giving your liver a break. Liver has to detoxify everything. Anything you do to improve liver detoxification, your mood, energy and health will improve.
• Milk Thistle is an excellent herb to help the liver function. There are several studies which have back this assertion up. This is one.
• Saunas help to accelerate detoxification through the skin. Many people have access to Saunas but don't use them.

Related PEERtrainer Article: What Is The Best Way To Cleanse Or Detox?

Which one of these tips has helped you in your life? Please leave a comment below or leave a note on our Facebook Wall. We love hearing from you! 

Comments

[nadra]

Thanks for such a nice Post. I really enjoyed and learned a lot from it. I will wait for content from your Side. Thanks for sharing your valuable Views.

[Ruthe]

Thanks again -- do you have an article on here with a "simple" detoxing routine? My husband has been suffering from digestion problems, and I would like to help him out.

[Carolyn Landry]

Great article, thanks for putting it out there. I did watch the video and enjoy those but having everything written down is good.