Healthy Tips For Better Live

Charles Stewart Richey

The medical community would have you believe that only drugs can treat and heal acid reflux disease. This is simply not true – there are natural ways to heal this condition. PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors), like Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid and Protonix should only be taken for eight weeks, at most. Doctors are aware of this, but most patients continue to take these drugs on a permanent basis. Unfortunately, there are no studies determining what the long term effects of these drugs are on the human body.

PPI drugs actually shut down the pumps that produce the stomach acid necessary to digest food. You have to wonder how the human body digests and assimilates food properly without stomach acid. How does a body remain healthy without the proper digestion of food? Is this natural?

I used to suffer from acute acid reflux. I was addicted to a PPI drug… that certain “colored pill”. After several years of taking this drug, my condition became worse and I was told to double the dose. I began to feel sluggish and tired. My vision suffered and my blood pressure went off the charts. I realized that these were probably side effects of the PPI drug. I did some research and found that there were hundreds of possible harmful side effects, including: Headache, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, dry mouth, aggravated constipation, enlarged abdomen, back pain, chest pain, anemia, allergic reaction, hypertension, tachycardia, goiter, tinnitus, facial edema, conjunctivitis, vision abnormal, aggravated depression, dizziness, hypertonia, nervousness, cystitis, insomnia, migraine, anorexia, acne, dermatitis, glycosuria, hyperuricemia, hyponatremia, arthritis aggravated, tongue edema, ulcerative stomatitis, impotence, insomnia, to name a few.

I mean, who needs tongue edema, impotence or aggravated constipation? Good God! I knew that I had to stop taking this drug! But when I tried, the acid pumps, which had been shut off for so long, went wild and produced more acid than ever before. I have never suffered so much in my life….even drinking water gave me severe indigestion. My doctor suggested that I get back on the pill. He had no other advice to offer.

I became determined to beat this dreadful condition – beat the curse of the big drug companies! I really had no choice, because medical science, apparently, had no solution for my problem. I began extensive research on the subject and found out some very interesting things.

Acid reflux is big business. It’s a drug company’s dream come true. Millions of Americans suffer from acid reflux. Many millions more experience the pain of heartburn, ranging from once a month to every day. This affliction is the result of the splashing up of fluids from the stomach into the esophagus. These fluids are composed of hydrochloric acid, pepsin and occasionally liver bile. Stomach fluid helps break down the food we eat so that it can be digested. The hydrochloric acid in the stomach fluid helps prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying in the stomach and intestines. Although hydrochloric acid also helps the body absorb vitamins and nutrients, it is a very strong corrosive. The stomach holds this powerful acid in check with a special protective lining. The esophagus, however, does not have this protection. When acid splashes up through the lower esophageal sphincter into the esophagus, we have the problems of heartburn, gerd, or acid reflux. This condition, if left unchecked, can eventually lead to Barrett’s Disease, or cancer of the esophagus.

Of course, I found all this to be quite scary and, since drugs were not the answer for me, I had to find alternative ways to treat this condition. I researched the subject even further and found a plethora of natural things that could heal acid reflux. First of all, I learned that acid reflux is not a disease, but a condition that begins when the esophagus becomes irritated. Let’s say that you are watching an exciting ball game on TV. Someone hands you a bag of corn chips and without thinking, you eat them too fast, without chewing properly. The jagged edges of the chips have caused little lacerations in the esophagus that you’re not even aware of. Later that evening you are invited to a Mexican chili party. The spicy tomato sauce in the chili further irritates those injuries. You wash down the chili with alcohol or soda, making it even worse. Before you know it, you have a full blown case of acid reflux. Until you allow your esophagus to heal, you will continue to suffer from this condition.

I was astounded to find that the esophagus can be healed in about three days. Simply eating foods that are easy to digest, three or four times during the day, and omitting the regular big meals, is the key. I ate fruits like bananas, melon and apples during the day. I snacked on walnuts and almonds. I found that eating slowly in a relaxed atmosphere and chewing food well helped enormously. There are foods and drinks which should obviously be avoided like those which are fried, spicy, or too crunchy. Alcohol and carbonated drinks are a definite no-no. We are all aware of which foods trigger our indigestion. You just have to avoid them for a few days until you are over the hump.

There are many natural herbs and health store items which can assist in this healing process. Slippery elm, Twig tea, aloe vera juice, licorice products and orange peel extract can be of great value, just to mention a few. Removing stress from your life is essential during this period. Yoga and meditation are

worth considering, to ward off the daily angst.

I managed to stop taking those harmful and expensive drugs, in favor of natural remedies. I cured my acid reflux condition. I am drug free. You can do it too!

P.S. For Free Reflux Recovery Recipes Click Here

Those of you who are not bone-thin would probably welcome a bit of unexpected weight loss—especially if it meant you doing nothing to change your usual habits. But the truth is that unexplained weight loss can be a warning sign of a serious illness, or of an imbalance in your system.  

If you or someone you know has experienced weight loss recently and can’t find an explanation for it, take a look at some of these common symptoms and see if anything resonates with you. Of course, this list is not comprehensive – it’s always strongly recommended that you visit your doctor to find out more.

Unexplained weight loss could be tied to your mental health. But this is often hard to recognize, because there are no other physical symptoms, like chronic pain or a change in skin coloration. Mental health issues that can lead to excessive weight loss include the following, and can be treated with therapy and/or drugs:

•    Grief

•    Anxiety

•    Depression

•    Anorexia nervosa

Chronic conditions affecting your digestive system can lead to weight loss that cannot otherwise be explained. The following are some symptoms that, when connected with unexplained weight loss, can be a sign of a digestive issue.

•    Diarrhea, constipation or other bowel problems

•    Belching, flatulence, indigestion or heartburn

•    Nausea and/or vomiting

•    Abdominal pain or swelling

These can be signs of:

•    Stomach ulcer

•    Inflammatory bowel disease

•    Chronic liver disease

•    Malabsorption

•    Diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2

•    Hyperhtyroidism

•    Cancer of the stomach, gallbladder, pancreas or liver

•    Gastrointestinal disease

•    Endocrine disorders

The elderly can also suffer from excessive weight loss for a variety of reasons:

•    Ill-fitting dentures

•    Alzheimer’s

•    Dementia

•    Stroke

•    Neglect

•    Difficulty preparing meals

•    Inability to purchase food, whether because of money problems or physical problems

Weight loss can also occur in people of any age because of medications they have been prescribed.  If you’ve recently started medication, or if your doctor has started you on medication, and you’ve experiences weight loss, contact your doctor and let them know.

Tapeworms, which can be contracted from undercooked fish, pork or beef, can cause unexplained weight loss. Symptoms of tapeworms range from none at all to constant hunger but with no weight gain, abdominal pain, digestive problems or worms in stool.

While this information is not meant to scare you, it is important to know that if you’ve been losing weight rapidly without dieting, there might be a serious reason for it. In short, no weight loss is unexplained. See your doctor if things get really weird.

Unfortunately, most people have never heard about pancreas or about pancreatic, digestive enzymes, and are unaware of their importance in digestion, and maintaining health.

Many people know about the role of the pancreas in developing diabetes, but don’t realize that the pancreas and pancreatic enzymes are very important for breaking down food into an absorbable, usable form for the body.

Without proper digestion, good health is impossible. Even the healthy organic diet will be of little value if the pancreas cannot produce the right amount of high-quality digestive enzymes. 

No matter what we eat, we consume mostly proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Enzymes digest all of our food and break it into form of small particles to pass throughout the intestines’ wall into the blood. The consumption of vitamins and minerals also depends upon enzymes, and normal enzymes’ work often needs right amount of vitamins and minerals. Life could not exist without pancreatic enzymes, thus they are essential for life.

The digestive enzymes (such as amylase, lipase, and protease) are released from the pancreatic cells and flow into the pancreatic duct and then to the duodenum (beginning of the small intestine).

Amylase digests carbohydrates; lipase digests fats; and protease digests proteins. Pancreas secretes 1.2-1.5 liters of pancreatic juice daily with the large amounts of minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate, which protects the duodenum by neutralizing the acid that comes from the stomach.

Millions of Americans suffer from a variety of gastro-intestinal disorders including abdominal pain, stomach discomfort, cramps, gas, bloating, heartburn, cravings, malnutrition, alteration in bowel habits, foul-smelling stool, etc. Many of them have pancreatic insufficiency and don’t realize it.  Those suffering from this problem can eat a healthy diet, but the nutrients from the food will not be utilized by the body. Their organisms are literally starving. Without the proper amount of high quality digestive pancreatic enzymes people suffer from a deficiency of essential minerals, trace elements and vitamins. It is turn to serious disturbances in hormonal system too.

Millions of people are continually tired, develop chronic diseases, and age prematurely. In the worse case scenario, they develop pancreatic cancer. People suffer from a hidden pancreatic insufficiency and don’t know that a lack of the digestive enzymes can also increase inflammation, body’s pain and a lack of energy, hindering the body’s ability to heal the wounds and traumas.

The pancreas requires for its function three important things: proper regulation, normal structure and sufficient amount of building materials – nutrients.

1. The pancreas is regulated in two ways: by nervous system and digestive hormones.

Disorders of the nervous system, depression, stress and anxiety, some medications, bad diet and bad food combination,” eating on the go “and many other factors can cause spasms of the pancreatic duct, problems with manufacturing and releasing of digestive hormones (secretin and cholecystokinin).

Smoking, alcohol, drugs, Candida-yeast overgrowth and toxic, aggressive bile suppress the pancreatic cells and keep them from producing the needed amount of quality digestive enzymes.

2. The normal structure of pancreatic gland can be broken by many reasons including toxic substances, inflammation of the pancreas – pancreatitis, infection, parasites, fat deposits, trauma, surgery, cancer, etc.

Spasm or blockage of pancreatic duct by gallbladder’s stones may cause back-up of the pancreatic juices and an increase of pressure inside the pancreatic duct. Digestive enzymes trapped inside the pancreas begin to digest their own pancreatic cells causing congestion, inflammation, pain, cysts and finally the death of pancreatic tissue.

3. Sufficient amount of water, minerals, trace elements and bicarbonates has a crucial impact on quality and quantity of pancreatic digestive enzymes and alkalinity of pancreatic juice. The pancreatic enzymes work only when the pH of the duodenum is slightly on the alkaline side. The food coming from the stomach has been acidified, so the body must also provide enough alkalinity for the enzymes to work.

Many of these problems overlap with each other and can cause many things from hidden pancreatic insufficiency to a complete shut – down of the functions of this vital organ.

A lot of the books and articles about treatment of pancreatic insufficiency focus simply on taking digestive enzymes prepared from plants, funguses or animals as the nutritional supplementation.

There is, however, an additional treatment modality that promotes proper function of the peoples’ own pancreas, even in cases of severe pancreatic insufficiency.

European physicians send their patients with chronic pancreatic disorders to healing mineral spas or sanatoriums.

The most popular European mineral spa for pancreatic insufficiency is the Czech town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). It has been a well-known international healing resort since the 1700s. Patients call the Karlovy Vary mineral water the “healing gift from the earth” or the “miracle mineral water.” People from all over the globe have traveled to Karlovy Vary and stay there for one to six months to drink the Karlovy Vary healing mineral water for various kinds of chronic gastro-intestinal, liver, and metabolic conditions.

From 1764 Karlovy Vary began to produce the salt from the evaporated thermal spring water which made it possible to distribute the Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt all over the world for treatment at home. Czech doctors believe that the water manufactured from the genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt had the same healing actions as at the spring.

Karlovy Vary healing mineral water is the world’s best-studied remedies. Hundreds of clinical texts have been published that document the positive effects of the water on both animals and humans. Most of them were published in Czech, German, Russian, therefore they are unknown by American medical professionals and public.

Researchers have concluded that this water may reduce the symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency by improving the function of the pancreas itself.  Clinical and experimental results found that the water:

Normalizes the produce and release of digestive hormones in the duodenum and naturally regulates the digestive process in the whole gastro-intestinal tract Restores the deficiency of vital minerals and microelements such as magnesium, potassium, sodium, selenium, zinc, etc, and bicarbonates  Promotes secretion and elimination of pancreatic juices  Boosts the activity of pancreatic enzymes in the duodenum  Normalizes the body’s and the pancreas’ acid-alkaline balance for the alkalinity of pancreatic juices  Improves the digestion   Diminish inflammation and swelling of the pancreas

The mineral content of Karlovy Vary mineral water manufactured from the genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt is approximately the same as the mineral content of human plasma. It’s very important that this mineral water, compared with other mineral waters, does not contain toxic heavy metals. Using Karlovy Vary mineral water for pancreatic insufficiency, one needs to follow particular instructions pertaining to temperature, amount of drinking water, frequency and time of consumption.

Despite its popularity among patients in Europe, this therapy is still mainly unknown in the United States. Healing action of Karlovy Vary mineral water manufactured from the genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt makes it beneficial to many different health professionals: medical doctors, naturopathic physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists, nutritionists, colon hydro-therapists and millions of people with pancreatic insufficiency.

 

The information on this article is presented for educational, informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed professional.