DIY Health #6

Imagine the first stages as a food processor in your kitchen. The food gets chopped up and mixed with enzymes and bile to form a gooey paste called chyme. Now, this chyme embarks on a long journey down 20 to 25 feet of the small intestine. The food/enzyme/bile mixture mixes and churns as it goes, releasing and absorbing tiny protein fragments (amino acids and peptides). About 90% of the protein is absorbed into the body as it passes through the small intestine. Similarly, simple starches are broken down into sugars that are mostly absorbed in the small intestine, and fats are emulsified by the bile allowing 95% of the fats to be absorbed here too.

The small intestine should have almost no bacteria. The stomach acid kills any bacteria in food. This is our first line of defense against bacterial food poisoning and water-borne parasites. But as you move down the small intestine, the number of bacteria increases. It’s about 100 times more concentrated at the end than at the beginning. But when you enter the colon, the concentration jumps to 100,000 times stronger than the end of the small intestine. By the time the food paste reaches the colon, most of the fat, protein, minerals, and starches have already been absorbed into the body. What’s left is mostly fiber that our enzymes can’t break down. We only make 17 enzymes for digesting foods. But the bacteria in our gut can make over 260 enzymes – different enzymes made by different bacteria. Our colon normally contains at least 500 different types of bacteria.

Hey, have you ever wondered how to keep our small intestines healthy? Well, it all starts with what we eat. Imagine if we swallowed a bunch of broken glass – that would be a total disaster for our intestines! The lining of our intestines is just one cell thick along with a protective mucus layer on the inside. But between each cell are tiny doorways called tight junctions that open and close to let nutrients into our bodies. These tight junctions are super important for our health, and when they don’t work properly, we get leaky gut syndrome. One of the worst things we can eat is a common ingredient in our food supply called polysorbate 80. It melts those doorways, allowing all sorts of poisons to pass straight into our bloodstream. Polysorbates are found in processed foods like baked goods, ice cream, canned vegetables, dairy products, sauces, and dressings. They’re used to keep fats spread evenly in food, which makes it look and taste better. In fact, lab researchers often give mice one dose of polysorbate to induce gut inflammation and study gut diseases. Another common emulsifier called carboxymethylcellulose produces similar effects.   

The health of your small intestine is closely linked to the types of bacteria present. Just like there are good and bad guys, the balance of these bacteria in your gut depends on what you eat. The good bacteria thrive on soluble fibers and polyphenols, while the bad ones prefer sugar, rancid fats, trans fats, and poorly digested proteins. Even the type of fats we consume beyond the rancid/trans fat issue plays a role. Gram-negative bacteria, like salmonella and E coli, have tiny tentacle arms called lipopolysaccharides. These arms break off and mix with saturated fat, which carries them across the gut wall and into the body. When the immune system detects these tentacles, it mistakenly believes that the negative bacteria have invaded the body and it triggers a super-activated immune response. The entire body goes into red alert and enters inflammation mode.

Saturated fats can loosen the tight junctions and cause leakage into our bodies. This is a problem for me since I love butter, which is mostly saturated fats. On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats, like those found in seed and vegetable oils, can be problematic when they’re heated or exposed to oxygen. These fats can become rancid and even form trans fats during cooking. Back when I was in school, I used to buy expensive seed oils in small dark glass bottles from the refrigerated section of the health food store. In this form, these oils are actually healthy – they’re part of the essential oils our bodies need. But they’re fragile and need to be kept cool and away from light or oxygen. That’s not the way we usually get these oils in our diet these days. They’re usually found dripping off of deep-fried foods. In this form, they’re not so good for us. The only oils I find to be safe to cook with are monounsaturated oils like avocado oil and to a lesser extent olive oil. So, if you like potato chips, there are brands that cook the chips in avocado oil – definitely safer for your gut.

I mentioned that the gut loves fiber and polyphenols. What does that look like? One of the best fibers the good bacteria love is inulin. It’s found in jicama, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, garlic, asparagus, leeks, bananas, and some foods that no one eats. Other good high-soluble fiber foods that the good guys like to eat are flax meal, oats, barley, apples, pears, citrus, konjac root (used to make zero-carb noodles), Aloe vera, okra, psyllium, beans, lentils, and peas. Pectin is a soluble fiber I use regularly to make my refrigerator jam with. The good guy gut bacteria eat the fibers and produce the energy source butyrate. This is the main source of energy for the cells of the gut. It powers the gut cells and helps them heal.

Have you ever heard of hyaluronic acid? It’s a type of fiber that’s similar to soluble fiber, but it’s not something most people think about. It’s actually an animal-based fiber that can be absorbed by the body. It’s like a sponge that holds water in the joints and skin, which helps to keep them lubricated and supple. You can find it in bone broth and the skin of animals and birds.

Have you ever wondered what gives plants their vibrant colors? Well, it’s all thanks to these amazing molecules called polyphenols! Green tea, blackberries, blueberries, raw cocoa, and dark chocolate are all packed with these lovely compounds. But guess what? Cloves and dried peppermint are actually the top polyphenol powerhouses! These magical foods are like superheroes that fight inflammation and free radicals, which can help keep our brains sharp, our hearts healthy, and our blood sugar in check. Some evidence suggests they might even help us fight cancer! I make sure to include a variety of polyphenol-rich foods in my daily diet. These compounds have a special way of talking to our gut microbiome, and it’s fascinating how they can influence our overall well-being.

Here’s the sixth step in our self-care journey towards better health: fueling our gut with the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones. Highly processed foods are definitely not our friends. Think fried foods, soda pop, processed dairy like ice cream, baked goods that can sit on a shelf, breakfast cereals, excess saturated fats, processed seed oils, fast food, and basically the all-American diet is not great for us. Instead, we should focus on eating foods that look like real foods, provided by nature. That’s what our gut truly craves.

Take care,

David

Ellen

Engaging “What Is” to Receive Guidance

    The purpose of fear is to drive us to engage God.

To let go of the fear (failure to engage & accept reality)

There are two general steps.

a. Let go of the story or any judgments, negative meanings, or blame surrounding the issue. (To let go of something requires that it be replaced. I replace my story with seeking the gift in the story, a higher tone.)

b. Create a relationship of confidence and trust with any human (including self) or being like Spirit that is in control of the issue.

Examples:

A. Fear of the unknown with no control. (like cancer)

a. Let go of stories, historical experiences, or judgments.

b. Create a feeling relationship with Spirit of trust and confidence, to use as a foundation for requesting constant guidance. The relationship starts with the belief that connection is possible.

I have created a feeling relationship with Spirit by trusting and having confidence in Spirit’s agenda for our existence to move us into fulfilling our potential and co-creation with Him. My feeling relationship with Spirit was also supported by understanding and trusting the process of using my free will to choose my actions until I reach a position that feels right to me and Spirit.

Here is a quick way to remember the process:

Stop – Games & Judgment

Look – Look & Feel “What is”

Listen – Listen to Spirit’s guidance