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DIGESTIVE AIDS
FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Our bodies are truly magnificent creations. Every time we consume food, our digestive systems work to maximize the benefits from the nutrients it can extract. When food enters the stomach, special digestive aids or enzymes are secreted to break down the food before passing it to the small intestine. Once there, further separation results in food nutrients being forwarded to the blood supply and lymph system to be transported to our tissues. What does not go to the blood is forwarded to the colon to be eliminated. We have gone from an age when the digestive system only had to process natural foods to the age of synthetic foods, toxic food by-products, and chemical additives. Today our systems are repeatedly exposed to ingredients that cause cancer, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart disease. The problem is that the foods of today do not contain the same beneficial nutrients that were in the foods consumed a century ago. In Chapter 6 I discuss how modern agricultural and manufacturing methods have produced gains in production efficiency at the expense of food quality. The gains in efficiency are offset by the loss of the bran and germ from our wheat, which results in reduced vitamin E and less fiber. Most of the fiber in wheat and oats is in the bran covering and it is no longer in the flour! Increasing shelf life usually means decreasing food value and fiber content. Sugar, which has no fiber, went from consumption of 12 to 15 pounds per year in 1900 to over 140 pounds per year for every person in the United States by the year 2000. Today, it is hard to find a nutritious grain cereal without sugar as a major ingredient. In Chapter 6 I discuss how these changes have affected our digestive systems. Certain types of food products, like highly processed oils, are harder to digest and also interfere with the efficient assimilation of nutrients. As fiber was increasingly taken out of our diet and therefore not available to absorb bulk and fluid waste material in our system, proper elimination became more difficult and infrequent. In addition, there was an increase in transit time for the waste material in the colon. Recent clinical research has found a direct link between the length of time that waste remains in the gastrointestinal system and cancer, atherosclerosis, and heart disease. Less serious but very common among overweight people are the many complaints related to indigestion, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn and bloating.
EFFICIENT DIGESTION AND BECOMING REGULAR
Efficient digestion and elimination are important in the EverTrim system. While I initially took digestive aids to settle my stomach, I discovered that some of these natural nutrients also helped me lose weight. Certain herbs that are routinely consumed for the relief of digestion also have another benefit - they help certain biologically active lipids to be effective for a longer period of time. In addition, some of these same nutrients also appear to have a positive affect on the body's thermoregulatory system. In Chapters 6 and 10 I discuss foods and nutrients that will help you improve the efficiency of your digestive system.
MINERALS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
ACID-ALKALINE BALANCE AND WEIGHT LOSS
ENERGY NUTRIENTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
OMEGA OILS AND FATTY ACIDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
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