Burn, Baby, Burn

You've eaten dinner and only a few minutes seems to pass before your enjoyment of the meal turns to disappointing discomfort. The antacids are in your pocket (ahem, Dad... hope you're reading this) and you pop 'em. They look like candy. They don't taste bad. And they help! They really help! It's not like I've never taken a TUMS before, but what I've learned this evening reminds me why nothing should ever be a constant habit, a chronic consumption...

Antacids block acid from forming and they also contain minerals. Don't let the "extra calcium" fool you into thinking that this is a good thing! What makes you think that the calcium is going where it needs to go to do your body good? More likely it's not being processed properly at all and settling into tissues where it can cause a lot of build-up and damage. The stomach absorbs minerals with hydrochloric digestion process, but remember, in taking those antacids, you've limited that production of acid and so you're not actually breaking down and absorbing minerals, nor are you extracting and breaking down proteins, or killing off microbes (bugs). Your body can't accomplish these crucial tasks without hydrochloric acid. This acid also stimulates the pancreas to produce the rest of the needed enzymes for proper digestion of food... why are we stopping all of this from happening?

Right. Heartburn.

It doesn't feel good does it? Burning in the chest, sometimes all the way up to the throat. I bet you've been told it's because you have excess acid, huh? That must be why it's trying to come back up your esophagus! Actually, 90% of heartburn cases are caused by LOW-stomach acid! Without enough acid in your stomach, putrefication takes place (it's as ugly as it sounds), which causes the indigestion, burning sensations, gas, and bloating.

Some things to note: Hydrochloric acid begins to decline at age 30. People over 50 years of age have half the hydrochloric acid than they used to. Obviously, this means we need more, not less. Also, your stomach acid might be low because of H. Pylori, a bug that nestles inside the stomach (50% of people's stomachs, by the way) which causes further putrefication.

A convincing reason to put those antacids on a shelf for emergencies only (we don't want to burn the esophagus away if you are having a rough bout of heartburn!) is that 50-70% of people on antacids are more likely to have heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer in America. Let's not give our heart more distress...



What else can you do? Well, (keep your TUMS nearby, Dad, but consider this) there are a number of things!

* Get tested for H. Pylori. Your doctor can prescribe the test. If you have it, kill it (AFTER healing your digestive tract with Bentonite Clay, or GI Revive, or L-Glutamine). You can kill it without the three antibiotics your doctor would prescribe. Consider oregano, mastic gum, wormwood, and aloe.

* Try a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before meals. Adding the acid will help aid your digestion and you may not have a need for the antacids after eating. I had a friend who would actually take the vinegar when heartburn hit and she would feel better before she had put the cap back on the bottle.

* You can take hydrochloric acid capsules before eating and notice any sensations that occur. If you experience burning, then you have acid in your stomach already. If you don't feel burning, you probably don't and this will help you digest food more comfortably (and properly).

* Gentian - a.k.a. Bitters - this is Chinese medicine. They taste horrible. They are incredibly acidic. And studies have shown them to do wonders for people with heartburn.

* Limit liquids during meals. Why do we drink so much at the dinner table? We should drink throughout the day for hydration but when we're eating we don't want to dilute the acid in our stomach.

Read: Why Stomach Acid is Good for You
by, Jonathon V. Wright, PhD

*** I am not a doctor. Please try what works best for you and do research when and where you can. E-mail me and I'm more than happy to help fine-tune some of these suggestions. ***

NUTS!

Eat raw nuts, "they" say.

"Well, don't eat them raw," my nutrition professor said.

There were gasps of horror and disappointment. I could hear one student complain, "But I just bought all raw nuts!"

Perhaps you haven't heard that raw (organic) nuts are better for you than roasted? Well, often in the process of roasting those glorious almonds you're grabbing at Trader Joe's or even Whole Foods, the nuts are exposed to many chemicals, oils, and excessive amounts of salt followed by high heat, which destroys all of their enzymes. This is the reasoning behind eating raw nuts. See, when a nut is harvested commercially, it is exposed to light, air, and heat. These three components damage the beautiful, desirable essential oils that make nuts such powerful and promising components of a healthy diet.

Now, I am told: don't eat them raw. Buy them raw.

Question marks are on most of the faces in the class at this point.

The answer? Phytates.
Phytates live in the skins of nuts. Soaking in water for a few hours (or overnight) draws these phytates out. Phytates are a natural defense mechanism of nuts and protects them while they are growing, but they are not good defenses for us to digest. When we eat them they inhibit our absorption of many vitamins and minerals (especially calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc). Soaking also increases nuts' vitamin C, B, and carotene content.

I took this information to heart, as I hope you do also, but I was a little disappointed in my "trail mix snack" the next day - it was pretty soggy. I'm still working out the kinks. Soaking nuts overnight (I don't like soaked cashews - they turn purple-ish) leaves them moist and there's not much time in the morning to find a way to cope with this! I have been working out a plan to soak overnight, throw in the dehydrator for an hour (preferably more) and it is working out much better. Another option to remove phytates is roasting the nuts yourself. Spread on a baking sheet and put in the oven for one hour at 225-250 degrees, but be aware that the higher heat will kill the living, valuable enzymes that we're craving. I definitely recommend soaking, followed by dehydrating. Or, if you're so inclined, soak one night, spread out on a pan or rack with ventilation for a day and they should dry considerably. Caution: do not soak large amounts unless you plan on eating them rather quickly. Raw nuts, like any living organism, are prone to turning rancid (read: bad, gross, and yucky) relatively quick. Always eat your soaked, raw, organic nuts within a few days to benefit most from their nutritional qualities.





*** Note: organic is assumed and implied in this article - eating non-organic foods exposes the body to countless pesticides that are harmful and disease-provoking. Always search out the most natural forms of the food you're consuming; demand organic. You're worth it!