I recently saw a survey which reported that as many as 74 percent of Americans suffer from digestive misery at least occasionally, and at least 25 percent of us suffer from some form of “GI fireworks” on a regular basis!
Now the begging question here is: What’s going on?
Why are we so gassy, bloated, always belching and burping, and the leaders of the free world in heartburn, constipation and diarrhea?
Well, there are several good reasons.
And the great news is, once you know the underlying causes of YOUR digestive woes, you can take the right measures to turn things around…
So you’ll start feeling a whole lot better…FAST!
Here are 8 of the most common causes of messed up digestion—see how many apply to you:
8 Causes of Your Digestive Misery
Medications
Digestive problems are a side effect of many commonly used drugs.
For example, antibiotics destroy your gut microbiome and cause gas and bloating, antidepressants trigger nausea and other digestive problems, blood pressure drugs can lead to constipation and anti-inflammatories cause ulcers and GI bleeding.
Even digestive drugs cause digestive problems! Common side effects of acid reducers like Nexium are bloating, constipation and indigestion.
How’s that for a kicker?
If you are on any medications that are causing you to suffer from digestive problems, it’s time to talk to your doctor about alternatives, lowering doses, or possibly even getting off them altogether.
For example, a full-spectrum probiotic formula like Super Shield can help support strong immune function so you can help reduce your risk of needing antibiotics to begin with.
And fish oil formulas like our pure, pharmaceutical-grade VitalMega-3 can help ease inflammation, lower blood pressure and even support brain and mental health.
Safely and naturally!
Stress
Digestion is a parasympathetic process, meaning your body must be in a relaxed, non-stressed state for it to be carried out properly. Eating when you’re relaxed also encourages you to eat slower, which means that your body will recognize satiety before you overeat.
But if you instead eat when your sympathetic nervous system is in gear (such as when you're working, driving, emotionally upset, rushing, etc.) that can have a huge negative impact on your digestion.
Be sure that your meal times are as relaxing and stress-free as possible, and strive to keep your overall stress level low. Get help if you need it, and keep in mind that regular exercise (with your doctor’s OK) is the #1 stress reliever (plus it also encourages better digestion too!).
Glutamine deficiency
Glutamine is an amino acid that is known for maintaining the health of your intestinal tract, supporting a healthy pH in your body, and helping your body produce glutathione, a key antioxidant.
Glutamine is found in foods like cabbage, beets, beef, chicken, fish, beans and dairy products.
Vitamin B6 deficiency
Vitamin B6 is crucial for your body to properly break down sugars and starches…and poor digestion of these can lead to gas, bloating and harmful bacteria overgrowth.
Food sources of B6 include spinach, bell peppers, garlic, tuna, cauliflower, bananas, broccoli, celery, asparagus, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and leafy greens.
To help ensure that you consistently have health-supporting levels of all B vitamins as well as other crucial nutrients, a top-quality multi-vitamin and mineral formula like Super Core is just what you need!
Super Core’s complete blend of vitamins and minerals covers all your bases in terms of essential nutrients.
Plus Super Core goes WAY beyond other multi formulas and provides a blend of natural, herbal antioxidants and anti-inflammatories!
Omega-3 EFA deficiency
Bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are characterized by marked inflammation.
But many sufferers have gotten relief by helping to reduce inflammation with Nature’s anti-inflammatory--Omega-3 essential fatty acids.
This is yet another way that an outstanding fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 can benefit your digestive tract!
Imbalanced gut microbiome
The friendly bacteria in your gut microbiome help to break down starches and fiber—and without their help, you are far more prone to gas, bloating and constipation!
Unfortunately many people’s gut bacteria populations have taken a harmful hit from things like lacking sleep, medications, stress, and diets high in refined carbs and soda…and are they ever paying the price!
But probiotic supplementation with a multi-strain formula like Super Shield can be remarkably helpful here as well, to repopulate your supply of these crucial microbes, and keep things running smoothly.
As a matter of fact, one of our most favorite Super Shield customers lovingly refers to it as “Pooper Shield.”
I guess that says it all!
Enzyme deficiency
Because of our typical modern hard-to-digest diets (with their high concentrations of fast food, processed food and complex meals) many people have diminished their body's ability to produce adequate enzymes for digestion.
Plus our enzyme making ability decreases as we age.
If you feel you may be lacking in enzymes, a complete enzyme supplement like Digestizol Max can pinch-hit where your body might need help.
Digestizol Max’s blend of 15 plant-based enzymes can help your body tackle whatever you eat, plus its calming herbal formula can help soothe a stressed GI tract.
A poor diet
Nothing can ruin your digestion (and counteract the effects of supplements you take too!) faster and easier than a poor diet.
If you ever want hopes of being free of GI problems you MUST eat real foods that are natural sources of nutrients and fiber.
What foods you pair together in your meals also makes a huge difference!
By combining complementary foods in your meals, you make your GI tract’s job MUCH easier, and can set the stage for comfortable, complete digestion.
This is the basis of my Great Taste No Pain program.
Great Taste No Pain shows you how to structure delicious meals featuring yummy, good-for-you foods that are a snap for your system to break down.
Now don’t worry! You’ll still be able to eat foods you love. You just need to be sure to pair them with the right other foods to keep your digestion humming along.
I dare say that you may see a difference in as soon as your very first meal! I sure did, and this is exactly what ended my IBS for good 26 years ago.
When you look at what might be causing your digestive misery and turn it around, you can start to feel better—fast!
Do it now!
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
Your articles are fabulous BUT you always say don’t use processed goods then push your processed products. I am 61 still surf, swim, ride, SUP etc. I never get sick and never use probiotics etc etc. HYPOCRITICAL OR WHAT.
Hello Maria,
We recommend trying to mix in other veggies in different ways. For example maybe use some of her favorite fruits and some spinach in a smoothie for her where she may not be able to taste certain vegetables. Sherry has suggested the following prunes, kiwi, oranges, oatmeal, spinach, beans ( kidney, black, cannellini, garbanzo, pinto, green, etc. ), plain yogurt with raw honey to sweeten, purple grape juice and a lot of water to soften the stool. We do recommend starting her on a probiotic supplement. You may find children’s probiotics at your local health food store either chewable or capsule. We hope this helps!
Hello Janet! Thank you for reaching out to us. We applaud your decision to see a naturalist and seek holistic treatments where possible. It is crucial to nourish your gut and taking probiotics is a wonderful way to do so. We do recommend them to you if you don’t take them already. Super Shield is our probiotic and you can learn all about it here:
https://www.holisticblends.com/collections/supplements/products/super-shield
For any medications you’re taking, we recommend that you see if gas/bloating is a side effect and see if spacing them apart from one another can help alleviate the noise. Your prescribing physicians should be able to help, or even your pharmacist. If the naturalist instructed you to take them, he or she should be able to address it.
We hope this helps!
Hello Connie,
Yes the Super Core is a rather large vitamin however you may use a pill cutter or crusher to make it easier for you to ingest. We will also absolutely pass along your suggestion in the meantime. Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Have a wonderful day!
Cory
Hello Shona! Thank you for reaching out to us. You can read all about how to help constipation at the link that follows:
https://www.holisticblends.com/blogs/holistic-blends-blog/put-constipation-behind-you-for-good
When you combine your meals for better digestion, you can put constipation behind you!