Ah spring, its always a welcomed reprieve from the winter cold, and even though our rainy season usually consists of snow, its nice to know its not going to last and the freshness of green grass and leaves on the trees is just around the corner. Earth day is April 22nd, and it reminds us that we should celebrate this wonderful planet that we live on, and work to keep it healthy and sustainable for future generations. The environment works as a delicate balance of interconnected pieces, one supporting another in the circle of life. That circle of life is what perpetuates life and keeps the balance of the different species and the overall health of the environment. If that balance is disturbed we see many aspects of the environment start to change. This same circle of life and balance of the environment is not exclusive to our environment outside. It also relates to the environment of our own body, and specifically our digestive tract.

The environment of the digestive tract is made up of many different organisms. Recent scientific evidence has reveled that there are more bacterial cells in our digestive tract compared than cells that make up our own body. Collectively there is an average of 2-4 lbs. of bacteria that live in our digestive tract. The digestive bacteria come in many different species, some good, some bad. On average the good bacteria should be about 85%, while the bad bacteria should be 15%. There are also other types of organisms that can live in the digestive tract including yeasts such as candida or parasites.  

When the environment of the digestive tract becomes altered that the body will become sick. Just like any environment there are needs associated with its ability to survive and thrive. The environment must be clean and free of pollutants, there must be the ability to remove waste products and clean the environment, and there must be a re-supply of nourishment for keeping the organisms alive. When everything is in balance the system works. When the system is not in balance problems can develop very quickly.

A normal functioning digestive tract should be easy for you to recognize. You should have one or two bowel movements per day, they should be well formed, not too hard and not too soft, and you should not see anything in the toilet bowl that was eaten more than a day ago. Optimally you should not be able to recognize anything from a previous meal. If your bowels are too fast, too slow, too loose, or you produce gas; these are signs that your environment is not as clean as you would like it.

To keep your environment clean it is important to respect the fundamentals of a balanced system. The system has a starting point, and an ending point. Our digestive tract starts in our mouth and ends at our anus. Everything in between has to work together for break down, absorption, and elimination of everything we put into it. The worst mistake we can make is to put chemicals into our bodies. Chemicals cause many altered physiological reactions to take place that will disrupt the balance of the system. Many of these chemicals come in the form of trans fat, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.  

Once we swallow something it must go into our stomach where there is a very low pH (acidic) to begin the breakdown process. pH balance is vital to a healthy environment in the digestive tract. As people age, or there has been altered chemistry in the body for too long, we loose the ability to keep producing enough acid to digest our food properly. This lack of acid is what causes acid reflux or GERD because food is only partially digested and then starts to putrefy which gives off organic acid vapors that cause irritation to the lining of the esophagus and throat leading to symptoms of pain and burning. A simple tool to help aid in digestion is to drink 2 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar in a quarter glass of water after eating, or twice per day.  

That balanced pH of the stomach is what allows the body to secrete intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is responsible for the absorption of vitamin B12. B12 is very important in many physiological reactions and helps with energy, neurotransmitter formation, and the break down of homocystine just to name a few. The pH of the stomach is what tells the gall bladder to release the bile to neutralize the strong acids leaving from the stomach as it moves into the digestive tract. Bile is essential for the emulsification of the fats that we eat. Fat is where we want to get most of our energy from, not sugars. If you are not digesting your fat well your stool will be very greasy and will have a tendency to float in the toilet.  If the bile flow is very stagnant the stool will turn a pasty gray or white color. Consult your physician immediately if this happens to you. Beets are a wonderful food to help increase bile flow.

As food moves through the digestive tract many of the organisms that live in the digestive tract work on breaking down the food further. Just like in a garden where organisms break down the organic matter to nourish the plants, the bacteria and organisms in the gut work the same way. Many of the bi-products of this breakdown are essential for balanced health. Over 70% of the serotonin in our body is made in the digestive tract. Serotonin is the feel good neurotransmitter and many cases of depression or other mental disorders have been helped considerably by cleaning up the digestive tract. Taking a probiotic supplement can be very beneficial.

Environments are never static. They are constantly affected by many changes. The stronger and more balanced the environment is, the more likely it will be able to adapt and maintain its balance through those changes. The weaker the environment, the less likely it will be able to protect itself from the changes and then the environment will crash and not be viable any longer. Treat your digestive tract with care. Be respectful of its delicate balance, don’t pollute it, and feed it only nourishing foods and it will last for a long and healthy lifetime.