The world is one big huge consuming ball. Truly it is. Something has to be pulled in, plugged in or ingested in order to produce, turn on, or grow in this world.
For instance, I pull in the understanding of health and soon I exit this knowledge into a column of words. My computer plugs in to consume electricity so it can power up and run (so I can write this column). And my drooling pooch needs to ingest that totally conspicuous roast sitting on the table so his canine body can continue to grow and keep alive. So his laser beam eyes tell me, anyway.
The world consumes in every which way possible. Gas in cars. Batteries for cell phones. Air for lungs. Water for hydration. Brie smothered in apricot sauce for empowerment. Chocolate truffle cake layered with brandied cherries for sanity.
But I digress.
All the makings of this world, on a basic raw level, rotate on a platform of change. Simply put, the world is in constant flow of miracles exploding everywhere, and your body performs these miracles every single time for the sake of life.
It all starts with digestion. The basics of human consumption reveal that the wonderful omelet, thick with cheeses and veggies and mouth-watering satisfaction goes through many steps to transform into you.
From the instant you take a mouthful, saliva is secreted–the first step in a series of digestive breakdown. While the teeth continually grind down the fiber from the vegetables and soon break apart the food, amylase and lipase start the enzymatic breakdown of carbohydrates and fats into a mush that swallows down through the esophagus landing in a vat of enzymatic pepsinogen and hydrochloric acid.
As the protein starts to digest with the help of the enzymes, the hydrochloric acid kills off bacteria in the food and creates an optimal pH balance for the gastric enzymes to work. What’s produced is called chyme that soon enters the small intestine where digestive enzymes from the pancreas assist in the further breakdown of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, the fats also getting some help from bile that’s spilled from the gallbladder.
And so the omelet is an omelet no more, but simple compounds of molecules ready for transport into the cells of the body, ready to become into its new form, you. But the process is not quite over yet. The small intestines then pass the remaining waste to the large intestines. Water and salts are absorbed and soon poop is ready to exit.
But let’s get real. We are talking 21st century rush breakfasts on the go, half-hour lunches and over-portioned dinners. Welcome indigestion and poor absorption.
Learn to eat correctly. Chew. Chew. Chew your food until it is in a nice mushy almost liquid form. Stay away from drinking too much water or liquids during a meal. Slow down and enjoy the flavors. If indigestion does occur, stay away from antacids. Eat smaller portions.
If there is too much acid in the stomach, squeeze a fresh lemon in water and drink. The alkalinity of the lemon will neutralize the acid. If indigestion happens because not enough acid is produced to digest the food, mix an equal amount of apple cider vinegar and water, then drink to increase the acidity.
Many times our cooked foods, though deliciously prepared, are void of any natural enzymes, so taking digestive enzymes via capsules with meals can help digestive health.
Keep the good bacteria in the intestines with probiotics, fermented foods and yogurt. Good digestion is the precursor to good health, where nutrients find their way into cells and your body flourishes.
So the next time you look yourself in the mirror, keep in mind you truly are what you eat, the inner and outer structures of your body simply the flip-side of an apple that once dangled from a tree or a stalk of wheat that flourished in fields of gold.
