Heartburn? Don't Blame Your Stomach Acid
Stomach acid. NECESSARY. Without it we could not digest food.
Recently I attended a raw food cooking class. In "cooking" raw foods you are not really cooking them, but allowing them to "cook" in a salt bath, perhaps raw vinegar, or something similar, depending on the type of food and recipe. If I understood the concept correctly, raw food cooking basically means you are breaking down the enzymes in the food to make it easier to digest. Before this class I really just thought raw food enthusiasts were all about eating their vegis raw, and I often wondered how in the world our bodies could break down the nutrients. I had learned from Dr. Russel Blaylock's newsletters a while back, and affirmed by doctors Fuhrman and Mercola - that vegetables have cellular walls that can be difficult to digest, and some actually need to be steamed or lightly cooked to obtain maximum benefit.
If you are eating your carrots completely raw - hard and crunchy - did you know you have to chew until the carrots are "juiced" by your teeth in order for your body to truly gain benefit from the nutrients? This is why Blaylock states it is critical to chew "count of 20" for each bite. I am sure you have heard that number before, and there is a reason for it.
One woman at the class was particularly concerned about the acidity of certain fruits and vegetables and affects on her teeth enamel - to which I say (but not out loud), drink your orange juice with a straw if you are very concerned about that. I wonder if she is just as concerned about chewing meat and how it remains acidic based when ingested? Our raw food chef really did not know what to say to her concern - probably not one he hears often. Several of us in the group suggested she go on line to find a pH chart for fruits and vegetables, which is readily available.
I've been asked why the Bragg's Organic Raw Apple Cider vinegar is allowed in our 30 day elimination diet. Great question, and I had to look into it a bit more to learn of its benefits. It is unpastuerized, and therefore contains the "mother". It has not been exposed to heat, which alters raw foods as well know. When ingested it requires very little production of stomach acid to break it down. The same is true of your citrus fruits. These foods, acidic outside of the body, become alkaline inside the body. The are low acid generating foods. Although Bragg's sits in the bottle in an acidic state, when it settles in your stomach it becomes alkline based. There are 11 essential enzymes needed for breaking down certain types of foods and
your body cannot produce them. They are derived from certain plants, Bragg's ACV can help your stomach grow them - good gut flora is so important. As well, the Arbonne Digestion Plus product, contains, in addition to pro and pre-biotics, these 11 essential enzymes, which makes it a unique three-tiered system for healthy gut.
Gluten and dairy are very hard to digest and require a massive production of stomach acid to try and break these foods down. If you experience heartburn, like I used to two years ago - look at your foods. I used to have some pretty miserable nights - waking up to an awful taste in the back of my throat! I do not miss those days. I gave up drinking milk with meals, and cut back on gluten considerably. I do not miss drinking milk - although growing up on a dairy farm, I thought it would cause me great remorse. Pastuerized milk is so very unehealthy - not at all like the milk we used to drink as kids, fresh from the cooler in the milkhouse! It has been exposed to heat- killing the beneficial enzymes, it is no longer a live, or raw, food - but dead food void of energy.
Some time ago Dr. Joe Mercola published an article that stated the worst foods to eat heated - cheese was one. The article explained what happens to dairy protein when heated - not a pretty sight to picture! I have decided that cheese is meant to enjoy cold or at room temperature - no more grilled cheese sandwiches, or homemade mac and cheese, broccoli cheddar soup, and oh my - lasagna!!
I was popping plenty of Zantac in the "old days", only to learn that antacids are very hard on the stomach and contribute to microscopic holes in your gut lining...which can develop into leaky gut syndrome if used long term. Anti-acid medication is typically THE "remedy" for heartburn, but it does not address the problem, which is why your stomach is surging in acid production in the first place. Simply put - it is struggling to digest certain foods. It can be different foods groups for each person. A person is also likely lacking in a full house of probiotics and prebiotics and enzymes when they experience gut issues of any kind.
I want to emphasize the importance of stomach acid. Pills reduce it, which means the foods your stomach is desperately trying to break down cannot do its job if your acid is reduced. This can either create a build up of foods in your colon (which creates another set of problems), or can induce a greater effort on the part of your body to create even more acid, which is why, I would guess, some prescription antacids don't work for people. We don't want to kill of our natural stomach acid. Perhaps what we do need to do instead is make some life changes, would you agree?
I encourage you to fiigure out which foods are causing the problem and either reduce or eliminate them. There are NO physical side effects, in contrast to side effects of medications. Ask Purely Living Wellness about a 30 Day program that helps you get in tune with your body, that is complete with meal plans and grocery shopping lists, at no extra cost. The plan is a game changer for many who have struggled with long term gut issues. Please contact me to learn more.
To your health,
Rita S.
Recently I attended a raw food cooking class. In "cooking" raw foods you are not really cooking them, but allowing them to "cook" in a salt bath, perhaps raw vinegar, or something similar, depending on the type of food and recipe. If I understood the concept correctly, raw food cooking basically means you are breaking down the enzymes in the food to make it easier to digest. Before this class I really just thought raw food enthusiasts were all about eating their vegis raw, and I often wondered how in the world our bodies could break down the nutrients. I had learned from Dr. Russel Blaylock's newsletters a while back, and affirmed by doctors Fuhrman and Mercola - that vegetables have cellular walls that can be difficult to digest, and some actually need to be steamed or lightly cooked to obtain maximum benefit.
If you are eating your carrots completely raw - hard and crunchy - did you know you have to chew until the carrots are "juiced" by your teeth in order for your body to truly gain benefit from the nutrients? This is why Blaylock states it is critical to chew "count of 20" for each bite. I am sure you have heard that number before, and there is a reason for it.
One woman at the class was particularly concerned about the acidity of certain fruits and vegetables and affects on her teeth enamel - to which I say (but not out loud), drink your orange juice with a straw if you are very concerned about that. I wonder if she is just as concerned about chewing meat and how it remains acidic based when ingested? Our raw food chef really did not know what to say to her concern - probably not one he hears often. Several of us in the group suggested she go on line to find a pH chart for fruits and vegetables, which is readily available.
I've been asked why the Bragg's Organic Raw Apple Cider vinegar is allowed in our 30 day elimination diet. Great question, and I had to look into it a bit more to learn of its benefits. It is unpastuerized, and therefore contains the "mother". It has not been exposed to heat, which alters raw foods as well know. When ingested it requires very little production of stomach acid to break it down. The same is true of your citrus fruits. These foods, acidic outside of the body, become alkaline inside the body. The are low acid generating foods. Although Bragg's sits in the bottle in an acidic state, when it settles in your stomach it becomes alkline based. There are 11 essential enzymes needed for breaking down certain types of foods and
your body cannot produce them. They are derived from certain plants, Bragg's ACV can help your stomach grow them - good gut flora is so important. As well, the Arbonne Digestion Plus product, contains, in addition to pro and pre-biotics, these 11 essential enzymes, which makes it a unique three-tiered system for healthy gut.
Gluten and dairy are very hard to digest and require a massive production of stomach acid to try and break these foods down. If you experience heartburn, like I used to two years ago - look at your foods. I used to have some pretty miserable nights - waking up to an awful taste in the back of my throat! I do not miss those days. I gave up drinking milk with meals, and cut back on gluten considerably. I do not miss drinking milk - although growing up on a dairy farm, I thought it would cause me great remorse. Pastuerized milk is so very unehealthy - not at all like the milk we used to drink as kids, fresh from the cooler in the milkhouse! It has been exposed to heat- killing the beneficial enzymes, it is no longer a live, or raw, food - but dead food void of energy.
Some time ago Dr. Joe Mercola published an article that stated the worst foods to eat heated - cheese was one. The article explained what happens to dairy protein when heated - not a pretty sight to picture! I have decided that cheese is meant to enjoy cold or at room temperature - no more grilled cheese sandwiches, or homemade mac and cheese, broccoli cheddar soup, and oh my - lasagna!!
I was popping plenty of Zantac in the "old days", only to learn that antacids are very hard on the stomach and contribute to microscopic holes in your gut lining...which can develop into leaky gut syndrome if used long term. Anti-acid medication is typically THE "remedy" for heartburn, but it does not address the problem, which is why your stomach is surging in acid production in the first place. Simply put - it is struggling to digest certain foods. It can be different foods groups for each person. A person is also likely lacking in a full house of probiotics and prebiotics and enzymes when they experience gut issues of any kind.
I want to emphasize the importance of stomach acid. Pills reduce it, which means the foods your stomach is desperately trying to break down cannot do its job if your acid is reduced. This can either create a build up of foods in your colon (which creates another set of problems), or can induce a greater effort on the part of your body to create even more acid, which is why, I would guess, some prescription antacids don't work for people. We don't want to kill of our natural stomach acid. Perhaps what we do need to do instead is make some life changes, would you agree?
I encourage you to fiigure out which foods are causing the problem and either reduce or eliminate them. There are NO physical side effects, in contrast to side effects of medications. Ask Purely Living Wellness about a 30 Day program that helps you get in tune with your body, that is complete with meal plans and grocery shopping lists, at no extra cost. The plan is a game changer for many who have struggled with long term gut issues. Please contact me to learn more.
To your health,
Rita S.