Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (59 page)

Unfortunately, any chemical we use will show up in our water supply, as ground-water is easily contaminated by runoff. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 1.5
trillion
gallons of pollutants leak into the ground each year, with the highest incidence of contamination by lead, radon, and nitrates (from fertilizers). More than 700 chemicals have been found in tap water, but testing is commonly
done for fewer than 200 of these, and the significance of chemicals in such low concentrations as parts per trillion is often unknown.

Many cities fail to provide good-quality water, and there is much controversy today about chlorination. The level of chlorine needed to kill water-borne bacteria is rising because of increasing bacterial resistance, but chlorine is strongly associated with elevated cancer risks. Inexpensive charcoal filters can remove chlorine and many pollutants from tap water. A pitcher with a simple carbon filter such as Brita or Pur can help purify your drinking water at little cost.

In Europe, bottled water is preferred for its high mineral content. Bottled water isn’t always better than tap water, however, especially if it’s just tap water that’s been filtered. Water from plastic containers may also contain small amounts of plastics that are known to have hormone-disrupting effects. If you regularly buy bottled water, ask the manufacturer for information on water source, type of plastics used, mineral content per glass, and levels of toxic substances. If you rely on local tap water, find out where it originates, how it’s processed, and what’s been added to it, and ask your water department for an analysis. If you have a well, get a water sample tested for bacterial content and pollutants.

12. Respect Your Own Biochemical Uniqueness

The foods that are best for any person are those that agree with that person’s body and unique biochemistry. You will probably need to experiment with your own diet and your family’s diet to find out what works best for all of you specifically and over the long term. Whether it’s the Zone, the blood-type diet, macrobiotics, a vegan diet, Ayurvedic eating, natural hygiene/food combining, or some other well-balanced program, a proper diet ought to make us feel energetic and keep our immune system strong. Our bodies run best on real foods; a natural-foods diet is the ultimate direction in eating for all of us, no matter exactly how we shape it.

Sometimes we are so debilitated, raw, inflamed, or compromised that we have to go back to eating basics and heal deeply before we can eat normally. Imagine what you would eat if you had the flu. If you are typical, you’ll think about broths, ginger ale, flat colas, teas, and water. That’s because your body needs fluids. It also needs a lot of energy to fight whatever bug you’ve caught. So rather than focusing on digesting food, which is also energy demanding, your appetite diminishes so that your body can deal with the infection first. The same is true with healing your body: you’ll do best with simple, restorative foods. (Your mom knew what she was doing when she gave you chicken soup or beef consommé.) In previous chapters, we’ve discussed use of digestive enzymes, umeboshi plums, and other ways to help increase the fire in your belly. In this chapter we’ll be talking about specific foods and specific diets that can accelerate healing.

When working with clients I find myself recommending the same diet over and over for people whose digestive system is weak. You may or may not tolerate or like all of these foods. Eat what you like. Eat what works. This will be different for each person. The ideas here are all for foods that are easy for most people to utilize. They are nourishing foods. When healing, our body thrives on foods that are simple to
digest. You may want to think like a sick person or like a baby when it comes to food. Yes, a baby. I’ve worked with many people who need to puree foods in order to utilize them. You may need to stay on this type of diet for a week or two, or even a couple of months, before your body can handle more. As you get stronger, you’ll begin to want to try new foods and explore. The more success you get, the more adventurous you’ll become.

You’ll find that warm, well-cooked foods are easier to digest than raw and cold foods. You may love salads, but they may not love you at this moment in time. Even if you choose to eat your food at room temperature, it will be more healing if you have cooked it previously. You may want to invest in a slow cooker. With a slow cooker, you simply toss food in and it cooks all day or at night while you are sleeping.

You can also put grains and beans in a slow cooker to let them soak for a few hours before cooking. This releases the phytic acid that binds minerals and makes the food not only more nutritious but easier to digest as well.

You’ll digest and use your foods best if you eat small meals and snacks throughout the day and evening. Eat something every one to three hours.

Your body needs protein to heal. I typically don’t eat any red meat, but after major surgery I probably ate brisket several times a day for the first six weeks. I was like a junky who couldn’t get enough. Red meat is a protein similar to my own muscle protein. My body needed it to heal. The following list offers great ways to get protein into your diet:

Bone broths, vegetable broths, miso broth.

Soups: You can add sea vegetables to add minerals.

Well-cooked meats, such as brisket or stews, or chicken that was boiled.

Bone marrow: You can take beef bones and roast them to eat the marrow. This is very nourishing.

Stews: vegetables plus protein, perhaps some grain or potatoes or yams.

Eggs: poached, soft-boiled. Buy organic eggs, fresh and local if possible.

Dairy: You may or may not thrive on dairy. Try some goat’s milk kefir to begin with. Try some homemade yogurt, either with sheep’s or goat’s milk. If raw (fresh) milk is available in your area, you may want to try drinking some raw
milk or making yogurt or kefir from raw milk. You can also make kefir or yogurt with coconut water, coconut milk, or soy milk.