ÿþ<html> <title>Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods - Article on Intestinal Health, Keeping Your Intestines Healthy</title> <meta name="description" content="Keeping your intestines healthy is a matter of eating raw foods and fibre, avoiding refined sugars and carbohydrates, and knowing how antibiotics affect your intestines."> <meta name="keywords" content="intestine, intestines, intestinal health, healthy, food, right foods, wrong foods, water, exercise, conditions, fibre, bacteria, beneficial bacteria, fermented foods, Kefir, cheese, yogurt, antibiotics, effects of antibiotics, raw foods, colon, colon hydrotherapy, bowel, small intestine, large intestine, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, digestive process, conditions that affect our intestines, Celiac, Crohn's, diverticulitis, leaky gut syndrome, diarrhea, causes, medications, stress, bacteria, viruses, parasites, diseases of the colon, combat diarrhea, B.R.A.T., BRAT diet, diet, eliminate pathogens, eliminate diarrhea-causing pathogens, conditions affecting the intestines, microorganisms, broad-spectrum antibiotics, probiotic, probiotics, vitamin C, zinc, echinacea, honey, aloe vera, oatmeal, fermented milk products, sauerkraut, Candida, hydrotherapy, colon cleansing, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis"> <STYLE> A:visited {text-decoration:none} A:active {text-decoration:none} </head> <center> <table width=800 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <td width=800 valign=top> </td></tr> <tr> <font face="Arial" size=4 color="#E0E0E0"> <a href="index.php"><font color=white>Home</a> | <a href="stores.html"><font color=white>Locate A Store</a> | <a href="wellbeing.html"><font color=white>Wellbeing Information</a> | <a href="recipes.html"><font color=white>Recipes</a> </table> <table width=800 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <td width=800 valign=top> <a href="artsindex.html"><font face="Times New Roman" size=4" color=red> <br> Because our intestines are the only avenue through which our body gets the nutrients it needs, keeping them healthy is of utmost importance. <br> It's such a simple thing to keep your intestines functioning at peak capacity. Eating the right foods, limiting the wrong foods (everything in moderation), drinking plenty of water, and getting plenty of exercise will help your intestines do their job. If we ignore our intestinal health, conditions such as malabsorption and Diverticulosis can occur. <br> Foods such as fibre are your intestine's best friend, next to the beneficial bacteria that comes from fermented foods such as Kefir and extra old cheese. We'll also touch on the effects of antibiotics on intestinal health, the beneficial effects of water and raw foods, the not-so-beneficial effects of sugar and refined carbs, along with an explanation of how therapies such as colon hydrotherapy can help keep your bowel clean as a whistle.<br> <br> <br> <br> In human anatomy, the intestine (or bowel) is the segment of tubular passage of mucous membrane and muscle extending from the stomach to the anus and consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. <br> The small intestine is further subdivided in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. <br> The large intestine is subdivided into the cecum (pronounced <i>see-kum</i>) and colon. <font size=1>1</font><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> On the proactive side of the house, consuming freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 to 5 times per day, can eliminate diarrhea-causing pathogens from your intestines. <br> If you're prone to bouts of diarrhea, taking 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water) before meals is an excellent preventative measure that protects the stomach against viruses that could cause diarrhea. <br> Alternatively, you can mix ½ teaspoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of ginger juice and ¼ teaspoon of powdered pepper and take this 2x per day to make stools less watery and relieve diarrhea. The added bonus?...the vitamin C in the lemons! <br> It's even been shown that puréed cooked carrots can help eliminate any E. coli bacteria in your intestine that could cause diarrhea. <br> For a full explanation of other conditions affecting the intestines such as Celiac Disease, and Crohn's and Colitis, <a href="artsindex.html"><font color=blue><b>CLICK HERE</font></b></a>, or see our Suggested Further Reading section at the end of this article for links to more specific conditions. <br> <b>Do Antibiotics Affect Your Intestinal Flora?</b><br> Bacteria make up most of the microorganisms in the intestines and, as you know, we all have two types of bacteria in our intestines; beneficial and non-beneficial. Beneficial bacteria perform a host of useful functions, including preventing the overgrowth and establishment of harmful, pathogenic (non-beneficial) bacteria. <br> <img src="benny.jpg" align=right hspace=12 vspace=12 border=0><br> <br> <br> <br><br> <br> <img src="plainyogurt.jpg" align=left hspace=20 vspace=12 border=1> <br> Adding more <b>fibre</b> to your diet keeps everything moving through your digestive tract at a faster rate. This helps your body eliminate toxins and unwanted bacteria a lot more regular so they don't start causing problems. Bacteria such as the Candida yeast loves hanging around in your intestines feeding on the toxins and undigested food. More fibre also keeps your colon clean so that mucoid plaque doesn't start building up on your intestinal walls. Mucoid plaque stops your body absorbing nutrients from your food, and is home for bacteria and parasites. <br><br> Eating more <b>raw foods</b> strengthens your digestive system. Raw foods still contain natural enzymes that helps to digest them so your body has less work to do. Sprouting kits are becoming more popular now because raw live sprouts are filled with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and macronutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. Raw foods such as fruit and live sprouts contain lots of fibre as well to keep your colon clean. <br> <img src="badbacteria.jpg" align=right hspace=12 vspace=12 border=0><br> Try and eat less sugar and refined carbohydrates. Sugar has no nutritional benefits at all. It is just a product that is added for flavor, and in reality is just bad for you. Not only does it feed bad bacteria, it will also make you put on weight. Bacteria such as the Candida yeast love to feed on our modern diet that is high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. When the Candida yeast starts feeding and mutating, other health problems can start to arise such as a yeast infection. Foods such as bread and rice are a lot healthier when they're wholegrain because they are easier to digest and contain more fibre. <font size=1>3</font><br> <b>COLON HYDROTHERAPY or COLON CLEANSING</b><br><br> Colon cleansing (also referred to as colon therapy) encompasses a number of alternative medical therapies intended to remove feces and nonspecific toxins that have become stuck in the colon and intestinal tract. Colon cleansing may take the form of colon hydrotherapy (also called a colonic or colonic irrigation) or oral cleansing regimens such as dietary supplements. Some forms of colon hydrotherapy use enemas to inject water, sometimes mixed with herbs or with other liquids, into the colon via the rectum using special equipment. Oral cleaning regimes use dietary fibre, herbs, dietary supplements, or laxatives. <font size=1>4</font>When considering this form of therapy, consult a trained and licensed practitioner and your primary health care provider to see if this type of treatment is right for you. <br><br> <b>Suggested Further Reading</b><br> Leaky Gut Syndrome - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaky_gut_syndrome <br> Irritable Bowel Syndrome - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs/ <br> <br> <b>References:</b><br> 1. Wikipedia.org<br> 2. Dr. David Williams<br> <br> http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Simple-Ways-To-Optimize-Your-Intestinal-Health&id=510222<br> 4. Wikipedia.org<br><br> <br> <br><br> <br> </td></tr> <tr> <img src="dancingbanner.jpg"> <td width=800 height=40 bgcolor="#c62a29"> <b>Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods </b>107, 1601 Dunmore Road SE., Medicine Hat, AB T1A 1Z8 (403) 529-1664 <img src="transpacer.gif" height=20 width=20 ALIGN="absmiddle"> </td></tr> </html>