WOW attendees learn how to restore digestive health

"An Integrative Approach to Restoring Digestive Health" was the subject of the Woman of Wellness (WOW) program presented by Hui-Wen Annie Dai, D.O. on Nov. 5. Hosted by the Fallbrook Healthcare District, the program was held in the community room of Fallbrook Library.

Dai said that there are many symptoms of gastrointestinal dysfunction: abdominal pain, food allergy and sensitivity, gastritis, esophagitis, colitis, diverticulitis, constipation or diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, belching, bloating, and flatulence.

The causes of these symptoms are related to digestion and absorption she explained. Digestive problems result from not eating mindfully and consciously, a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach (caused by overuse of H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors), the eating of carbohydrates that are not digestible (known as FODMAPS), a lack of digestive enzymes which can lead to lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance or celiac disease, and a lack of fiber.

Each symptom is a piece of the puzzle, Dai said, "You can't fix just one part." One problem leads to another; too much bad bacteria causes the stomach to not work right while people who have celiac disease cannot absorb iron and become anemic. Any kind of inflammation also affects the body's immune system.

According to Dai, when people have a "gut feeling" about something, that is an accurate description as the nervous system does affect the stomach. The vagus nerve travels from the brain to the abdomen and controls digestion so, relaxing while eating also helps with gastrointestinal problems. When the body is nervous, she explained, the stomach cannot digest food; the body freezes in fight or flight mode. So, people need to concentrate on eating at mealtime, allowing time for digestion.

Dai prescribes the "5 R Program" for people with gastrointestinal problems: remove, replace, reinoculate/repopulate, repair, and rebalance.

It is important to remove high processed/nutrition depleted foods as well as poor quality fats/oils from one's diet, she said. For some people, their digestive problems can be prevented by avoiding FODMAPS – foods that contain excess fructose (in fruits and sweeteners), lactose (in milk and cheese), fructans (in vegetables, cereals, fruits), galactans (in legumes) and polyols (in fruits, vegetables, sweeteners) – which their stomachs cannot digest/break down.

She recommended eliminating foods that are a problem. Food allergy testing can now be done with a blood test to identify the foods that are causing an individual's problems so they can avoid them.

Any infections present in the stomach also need to be treated and removed. Stool testing is done to look for the bad bacteria that cause infections. There are trillions of bacteria in the stomach, of which Dai said, "the more diversity you have, the better off you are."

"Would you give your child a pile of sugar cubes?" Dai asked while showing a picture indicating how much sugar is in a variety of drinks by the number of sugar cubes stacked in front of each can or bottle. There are 19.25 teaspoons of sugar in a 20-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew; even Gatorade's 20 ounce bottle has 8.5 teaspoons of sugar in it.

So, it is important to look at labels, Dai said, to see if a food or drink is healthy, and look at the serving size too. Better nutrition is key to improving the health of one's stomach.

"Get rid of what you don't need, (sugars, stress), and get what you need (whole food, sleep, and relaxation)," Dai said. The next step involves replacing processed and refined foods, especially processed red meat and soda, with whole foods – whole grains, vegetables, fruits and protein. "Eat like a rainbow," she suggested, referring to bright colored fruits and vegetables.

Using digestive enzymes can also help, not only with the breaking down of food but also with the subsequent absorption of the nutrients in those foods.

Probiotics reinoculate or repopulate the stomach with good bacteria. Besides using probiotic supplements, one can add fermented foods, sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi to one's diet and take prebiotics to aid in the establishment of the beneficial bacteria.

To repair the gastrointestinal tract, there are healing supplements that contain L-glutamine, an amino acid; zinc carnosine for refluz; betaine HCL; vitamins B and C; and adaptogens, herbs including Asian ginseng that are for people under stress, to support their adrenal glands.

Stress management is important in rebalancing one's system. Dai said that means "slowing down, relaxing, enjoying life by taking it easy, going outside and supporting each other". Being part of a community also helps individuals to overcome physical and mental stress by staying in touch and being there for each other.

It is also important for people to overcome their fear whether it is a fear of losing something, such as their favorite food, a fear of having to make changes, or a fear of not getting the desired outcome from those changes in diet or lifestyle. She said, "Change your thought process, change your mind, change your actions; it is our mind set. When you believe you can do it, you can do it."

To illustrate her point, she told the story of Roger Bannister who was the first man to run a mile under four minutes. He visualized himself doing it and once he did it, then more people did it.

In answering questions from the audience, Dai said the low dose melatonin helps a person to sleep better which improves digestion. All B vitamins are important prebiotics which help bacteria to grow and can be found in whole grains and vegetables. Coconut oil is good in small quantities and calcium rich foods are more important than calcium supplements.

There will be no WOW program in December, so the next one will be on Jan. 7, 2016 with Sandra Buckingham talking about the health benefits of yoga.