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Food Combining - Help Your Digestive System Do Its Job Easier

Digestive problems are very common. Heartburn, gas, and other digestive and bowel problems affect almost everyone. These problems are not only annoying to have, but they are also signs of poor digestion and eating habits. You can avoid these problems by chewing your food properly and using a food combining principle that will allow your body to digest the food easier.

Food combining is simply eating the right types of food together that make it easy for your body to digest it. Of course, eating a large variety of food is healthy for us to do, but it's not good for our digestive system to sit down and try to digest it all at one meal. We are under the impression that we have to have one of every food group on our plate at every meal and that's simply not true. In fact, it's not good for us.

Our digestive system has one of the most important jobs of our body. When you eat food according to what will be easiest to digest you are doing your digestive system a huge favor by allowing it to do its job properly.

For example, digesting proteins and starches have different digestive requirements. So if you eat them in one meal it becomes hard for your body to digest either one of them well. Proteins require an acid environment to digest properly while starches require an alkaline environment. You digestive system can accommodate both environments at one time, but it obviously cannot create both at the same time!

Fruit has very special requirements and should always be eaten by itself. Fruit is one of those lovely foods that quickly passes through your digestive system on its own. But if you eat fruit with starchy foods or with protein the fruit cannot just pass on through the digestive track like it should, as it gets mixed up with other food that doesn't have that privilege. The sugar will then ferment in your stomach and bring about bloating and gas.

Melons are even quicker at going through the digestive process and should be either eaten alone or with other melons. This will avoid sugar fermentation in the stomach.

Here are the basic rules for food combining:

1. Vegetables with starches are fine
2. Vegetables with proteins are fine
3. Protein and starch are a no-no - Think meat and potatoes!
4. Fruit is always eaten alone or with other fruit
5. Acid fruits with nuts and seeds are okay
6. Acid fruits with sweet fruits are okay
7. Melons are eaten alone

We have been living on the wrong food combinations for a while now thinking that they are normal. For instance, burger and fries are consumed daily by millions of people, but this combination of food is making their digestive systems work harder than they should, and they are possibly causing digestive problems just from that meal. Now pile on 3 meals a day like that, eaten every single day.

So the next time you sit down to eat, give your digestive system a break. Take it into consideration and make its job easier. Your body and health will thank you!

About the Author

For more tips on eating right for optimal health visit Kari's website at Alternative Health Ideas.

What type of a drug test does readers digest have?

So just to be obvious, I smoke. I stopped just over two weeks ago because I am looking for new jobs. I had a really good interview with readers digest and I am worried about a hair test. Does anyone know what type of a drug test readers digest company does?

I wouldn't be too worried. They legally can't say for sure that you will be drug tested so you may not even be subjected to the test. Also, if it's been 2 weeks already then by the time you get a callback and would need to maybe have the test, the pot may be out of your system (it usually takes about a month). The best thing you can do is just not smoke weed until you find out.

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5 Secrets of Excellent Digestion

Digestion is an important process and key to excellent health. Good digestion can help speed metabolism while poor digestion causes a sluggish metabolism and weight gain. You can help your body to strengthen this process with a little effort.

These tips are called secrets because they are not what you would normally read about to help you strengthen your own digestion. Many people want to sell plant and other kinds of enzymes. While some of these may help, using them for your entire life can prove inconvenient and expensive. Try these secret tips to help your body manufacture more of its own enzymes, which will naturally lead to excellent digestion.

Tip 1 - Don't overeat. Overeating is a main cause of digestive problems. The body can only digest a certain amount of protein at one time. What isn't digested gets stored as waste and creates toxins. In addition, your body can only digest a few types of food in one sitting. Too many different types food will require more enzymes than your body can produce at one time. This will lead to digestive problems.

Tip 2 - Always chew your food until it is completely dissolved. This really sounds easier than it is. Most of us eat on the run, only partially chewing our food. This can cause heartburn, stomach upset and bloating, among other things. Paying attention to chewing your food can have numerous health benefits.

Digestion starts in the mouth. In fact, chewing is the first stage of digestion. Most people think if you don't finish chewing your food, it will just take longer to digest in the stomach. This is not true. If you don't complete the chewing process - your stomach enzymes cannot do their job. This makes it almost impossible for the intestinal enzymes to break down the food when it finally gets there.

Your teeth must break down the food into a substance that your stomach and intestinal enzymes can then break down. Add to this the fact that your saliva is full of digestive enzymes. These enzymes start the digestion of starches. One step must be completed before the other steps can work.

There are other benefits of thoroughly chewing your food. People who take time to eat have less risk of heartburn than those who eat too fast. And - studies prove that extended chewing actually strengthens the immune system! So slow down, chew your food and enjoy.

Tip 3 - Relax before eating. This might sound like a new-age thing, but there is scientific evidence that relaxing helps strengthen digestion. Studies in Japan show that the saliva of a relaxed person is thinner and full of enzymes. This makes for stronger digestion.

The same studies show that saliva of a stressed or hurried person is thick and devoid of enzymes. This may be one reason why stress can interfere with digestive health.

Tip 4 - You can strengthen your natural digestion and help your body produce more of its own natural digestive enzymes. How can you do this without taking external enzymes?

Eat according to digestive cycles. Your body has natural, circadian rhythms like the sleeping cycle and hormonal cycle. Digestion is also a rhythm, or cycle, that is stronger at some points of the day than others. Here's how it works...

The morning is your body's natural cleansing, or flushing time. This is when your liver is supposed to dump toxins and fat for release. This should stimulate your intestines and colon to work. To work with this part of the cycle, eat fruits which are natural cleansers of the body.

Mid-day is the time when your digestive enzymes peak and are at their strongest. This is the best time to eat raw vegetables which are more difficult for most people to digest. Eating a large, raw vegetable salad with protein will strengthen your natural enzymes over a short period of time. As your body begins to expect your daily salad, it gets more enzymes ready to digest the raw veggies. Be sure to chew your salad well.

Evening is when your natural digestive enzymes are slowing down. To strengthen digestion, start your meal with a small, green salad. This will get your enzymes revving. Then complete your meal with steamed veggies and a protein serving. This is an easier food combination for your body to digest. It will not interfere with your natural enzymes, but work with them.

Tip 5 - Eat yogurt for the good bacteria. Good bacteria must thrive throughout your digestive system. It keeps the bad bacteria and other pathogens in check, which in turn strengthens not only your digestion, but your immune system as well. Be sure to eat yogurt that lists the available probiotics on the label.

It might seem like a difficult cycle when trying to correct poor digestion. You need proteins and raw veggies to add enzymes and to stimulate and create your own enzymes. But it might be difficult to break down these proteins and raw veggies if your digestion is out of whack. Try these simple tips for starters.

If you are taking digestive enzymes and prefer not to, don't just stop taking them, wean off slowly to ensure balance. The key to any natural healing process is slow, steady and consistent. Working like this can help you take control of your health.

About the Author

Cindy is a Certifited Nutritional Counselor. Learn more about digestive health and how a body cleanse might help.

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