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Believe it or not symptoms are a wonderful thing.  I would even go so far as saying that even pain is very useful.  Symptoms and pain are the only way the body can communicate that something is wrong.  The challenge, of course, is to learn what your body is trying to tell you so you can correct the problem.  Once corrected, the symptoms and pain are no longer necessary.  Suppose you are walking along the beach and you cut your foot on a sharp stone or piece of glass.  Imagine that you could feel not pain.  Your feet are wet with the surf.  Soon you become weak and faint due to loss of blood.  If you could not feel pain, you would not be compelled to stop and evaluate your health.  On the other hand, suppose that you have a large thorn embedded in your foot and you feel excruciating pain.  But rather than taking off your shoe and investigating, your medical doctor gives you a drug to relieve the pain.  You report to your doctor that as long as you take the drugs, your foot feels better.  But as soon as the drug wears off the pain comes right back.  And so a new, longer lasting medication is prescribed.  Eventually as you show signs of infection (fever, inflammation, etc.) a strong antibiotic is prescribed.  This analogy may sound far-fetched and ridiculous, but it may not be.  Too often, injury, illness and disease are viewed and treated as symptoms, which need to be resolved, with little thought as to what is going wrong with the body.  High blood pressure is a classic example.  High Blood Pressure is not a disease. It is a symptom.  But medicine treats high blood pressure as a disease and routinely prescribes drugs with the sole purpose of alleviating the symptom with little attention paid to what is causing the high blood pressure. 

Another symptom, which has been elevated to the status of a disease, is INDIGESTION, now often referred to a GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease.  For those of us who understand the etiology (what causes it) of indigestion or GERD, it is no mystery.  And the cause is NOT too much acid in the stomach.  If food is not digested properly, it ferments in the stomach and upper intestines, producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and organic acids.  These acids do not help digestion, but cause gas, bloating and burning.  Undigested food and bacteria in the gut can produce toxins that can damage the lining of the stomach and intestines leading to a leaky gut syndrome.  A leaky gut is one in which food is not digested or broken down into small enough particles before passing from the small intestine to the blood stream.  Because the food particles are not fully digested and larger than they should be, these food particles punch holes through the gut wall in the attempt to be absorbed.  Because foods are not digested adequately, over a period of time, the small intestine becomes more permeable or leaky.  As a result, particles of undigested food, that would normally be eliminated in the feces pass through these tiny holes or rips in the intestinal lining and get absorbed into the system, causing severe digestive distress.  The acid combined with gas and bloating can irritate the sphincter or valve between the stomach and the throat, pushing acid up the esophagus.  This can create the classic feeling of heartburn, but also cause wheezing, asthma and hoarseness. It is often referred to as a hiatal hernia. An internet search of gerd.com sponsored by the American gastroenterologic Association, boldly proclaims that there is no cure for this condition.  It must be monitored by drugs such as antacids, or pepcid, nexium, etc.  Between you and me, the website besides being downright depressing in its pessimism seems to be an advertisement for the drug industry.  No cure! Give me a break.  I can at least acknowledge, there is no cure with drugs!  

Listen, if you are suffering from GERD, heartburn, indigestion, gastric reflux, or whatever else you want to call it, you need to first understand what is going on.  I won’t try to sugar-coat this, I'll just tell it to you straight.  The problem of indigestion or GERD is caused by succumbing to our crazy fast-paced, fatty, sugary, nutrient poor, sedentary lifestyle.  When a person eats poorly – meaning your food choices include processed foods (whether it’s fruit loops or soybeans chemically manipulated to become cheese purchased at the healthfood store), refined foods (sugars, sweets, breads, crackers, pastries – made with white flour) and generally unhealthy choices on a regular basis, the stress of this diet stresses and wears down the digestive tract.  Abnormal intestinal flora such as candida which can be caused by antibiotic use, regular alcohol, coffee or soda pop consumption, food allergies, chemical or drug consumption or parasites can all lead and contribute to these problems with your digestive tract.  And finally there are many psychological factors that can contribute such as anxiety, worry, stress or disappointment.  Typically by the time someone is suffering from GERD, they are pretty out of shape, over weight, eating poorly and stressed out.

• Digestion Aid Formula  

(Western Botanicals) – 1 to 2 dropperfuls taken 3 times daily will calm your indigestion as well as assist with the healing process.

• Apple Cider Vinegar  

We like Braggs or Spectrum brands.  Take 1 Tablespoon diluted or straight three times daily.  This is for quick relief as well as healing.  Another product that has worked very well because of the apple cider vinegar base is Western Botanicals’ Joint Relief formula, 1 Tbs 2 to 3 times daily.  I recommend this particularly if you have any joint pain in addition to indigestion.

• Cayenne Pepper 

This sounds like treating fire with fire and having everything burn up.  But surprisingly, cayenne has a long history of soothing and healing the digestive tract.  It is particularly useful for ulcers.  If taking apple cider vinegar aggravates your stomach, then you may be dealing with an ulcer and cayenne should be tried.  Begin with small amounts, either in capsules (start with 1⁄2 capsule – just open it up and take some out) or a small amount of powder mixed in water.

• Digestive Enzymes   

Take two or three with each meal.

• Probiotics   

1 capsule daily, in addition to foods high in natural bacteria such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and sourdough.  The good bacteria found in probiotic capsules or soil organism capsules are a powerful tool in restoring good digestion and a proper functioning digestive tract.

• Colon Cleanse 

if your bowels do not move at least twice daily.  Consider following our Colon Cleanse Program for a few weeks for a gentle but powerful cleanse.  This can really boost your energy and vitality.

• Colon Comfort 

if you suffer from an irritable bowel.

• Cinnamon 

1⁄4 teaspoon mixed with a glass of warm water is very soothing.  Cinnamon taken like this twice daily can also stop diarrhea.  In fact, many of the tasty kitchen spices are good for digestion such as peppermint, ginger, fennel, anise, etc.

• Avoid beans, caffeine, carbonated beverages, citrus juices, fried and fatty foods, pasta, peppers, potato chips and snack foods, red meat, refined carbohydrates (sugars), dairy products, junk foods and processed foods.

• Adopt a healthy diet of whole natural foods, such as our Health Building Diet.
  
• Chew your food thoroughly.
  
• Don’t eat when upset.
  
• Exercise regularly – stretch daily.
  
• Address your emotional health.  Adopt a healthier mental outlook.
   

~ Dr. Kyle D. Christensen D.C. ~