Digestive Health

Of the ten leading causes of death in the United States, four, including the top three, are associated with dietary excess: coronary heart disease, some types of cancer, stroke, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Together these account for nearly two-thirds of the deaths occurring each year in the United States. Our physical bodies are ultimately composed of the food that we consume. Today, American's are part of a massive, uncontrolled food science experiment.

Questions to ponder:

What happens when, for more than three generations, people are fed highly processed foods that lack nutrients and fiber and are loaded with chemicals?

What happens when you put these same people under high levels of stress in sedentary jobs with poor air and water quality?

Is it a coincidence that men's sperm counts have declined 50% since 1980 worldwide and Americans are more obese than ever before?

Is it a coincidence that 20% of our children have behavior and learning problems and that children and adults have rapidly increasing rates of allergies, asthma, and chronic ear infections?

Is it a coincidence that our immune systems are breaking down or that diabetes and heart disease have risen dramatically over the past century?

Americans are the most overfed and undernourished people in the world. When you add up the calories that we consume each day from high calorie, nutrient poor foods, nearly half of our caloric intake comes from nutritionally depleted foods. This is partly the reason why the Standard American Diet is abbreviated as "SAD." SAD is a major obstacle to health and wellness in Oregon and in the United States.

What Makes for Healthy Digestion?

Eating - Food choices related to lifestyle, personal values, and cultural customs.

Digestion - Occurs in the stomach and small intestine and requires cooperation between the liver and pancreas. Proper levels of hydrochloric acid and intestinal bacteria are critical for full digestive capacity.

Absorption - Occurs when food is taken through the intestinal lining into the bloodstream and through the portal vein to the liver, where it is filtered. From the blood stream it passes to the cells. Until food is absorbed, it is essentially outside the body - in a tube going through it.

Assimilation - The process by which fuel and nutrients enter the cells.

Elimination - Of waste products through the kidneys, bowels, lymph system, and skin.

At GGHC we understand the science behind these facts and have expertise in identifying the underlying cause of your symptoms. Often, this exploration leads us to your digestive function. This is fundamental to health recovery and optimal wellness.

Good nutrition through diet, supplements, and healthy lifestyle choices will be the foundation for your treatment plan. Our Naturopathic doctors and nutritionist can work together with you to help you live a longer, healthier life.