Our bowel is one of the most vital organs in determining good health.
Our bowel is one of the most vital organs in determining good health. The finger-like intestinal villi, whose job is to absorb nutrients, increases the surface area of the intestinal wall to 400m². These villi may often become inflamed because of inappropriate diet, junk or toxic foods, drug and alcohol abuse, insufficient physical exercise, anxiety and stress, all of which result in an impaired ability of the villi to absorb nutrients and a change in the delicate balance of “friendly” bacteria in our gut. We house more than 400 different types of bacteria busy producing vitamins and immunoglobulins to protect our inner environment.
The vagus nerve connects the brain with the intestine exchanging information, controlling its motions… and emotions. It has recently been discovered that our bowel has a kind of autonomous “brain” which produces serotonin – also called the hormone of happiness – and which may respond to emotional impulses independently from the central brain. A sentence like “gut instinct” is not only an emotional feeling - as most people think - but may come from a real neurological impulse.
Often in my practice I hear the sentence: “I feel bloated”. This may be caused by a change in the intestine’s bacterial balance or excessive growth of the candida fungus which normally lives in there quietly and happily.
Keep your diet very simple, avoiding mixing too many foods together. Avoid, or at least reduce your intake of sugar and yeast – by reading food labels you will find both yeast and sugar contained in most food. Always start your main meal with a fresh green salad, do some yoga to relax and balance your inner body too and you will become more aware of your body and your emotions. Organic Aloe Vera juice together with mallow, camomile and peppermint tea are powerful healing and anti-inflammatory remedies which will help this condition. Finally, to boost your intestine flora take “probiotics”, preferably 8 billion per capsule. (MicroFlor 32).