Nutritionally Speaking:

Stress-Less Digestion and Spring Cleaning

By Yaakov Levine

So, you have enjoyed your winter, maybe put on a few pounds and want to feel more energetic, more vital. There are lawns to mow, gardens to till, attics and garages to clean! Do you wonder where all of your energy has gone? You may have heard from a friend or relative about a “spring cleanse” they may be doing to regain their energy after a long winter. Do you wonder if you could benefit? In this column I will share some useful “spring cleansing” information, but first let’s explore how to de-stress digestion.

Digestion is a north to south process. The sight and smell of food triggers the beginning of the digestive processes. My suggestion is to consider your eating habits. Before you even think about what you eat think about how you eat. Do you stop all of your multi-tasking to eat? Do you sit at the table, maybe say grace or just stop for a minute to acknowledge where your food comes from? Do you take the time to chew your foods, or maybe have some relaxed conversation with your dining partners? Do you eat on the go, gulping down your food, thinking about various tasks, talking on the phone, instant messaging….maybe arguing with someone? After your meal do you experience indigestion, and maybe need to chew an antacid? Many people that have digestion issues are eating when their nervous system is stressed. There can be great benefit from slowing down and taking the time to enjoy your meals in a peaceful manner.

When you are in a sympathetic (stressed) mode, instead of supporting digestive function, your body is in “fight or flight” mode. At this time your body’s systems are getting ready to fight off the attacking bear, or getting you ready to run like the dickens to get to safety. In this sympathetic mode digestion basically shuts down, and your body’s systems focus on survival, using stored energy and adrenaline. If you eat when your digestive systems are working in the parasympathetic (non-stressed) mode your body can focus on the task at hand, complete digestion. If you are eating in a time when your body is more focused on escape and survival the critical digestive process will not function properly and you may experience indigestion. When food is not digested properly fats rancidify, proteins putrefy, and carbohydrates ferment. No wonder you may be experiencing gas and upset stomach.

Eating a healthy, organic, nutrient dense diet including pasture raised meat and poultry, healthy fats, a variety of different colored organic veggies, and whole grains in as stress-free mode as possible will go a long way towards your feeling more vital and energetic. As I stressed in my past column, always include plenty of clean, fresh water throughout the day.

But you want more energy and vitality don’t you? Noted physician and author Elson Haas MD who has a busy clinical practice in CA suggests that you do a cleanse for a number of reasons. He suggests that we “cleanse/detoxify to rest or heal our overloaded digestive organs and allow them to catch up on past work and get current. At the same time we are inspired to cleanse our external life as well, cleaning our rooms, sorting thru the piles on our desks, and clarifying our personal priorities”.

In his book The New Detox Diet, Dr. Haas thoroughly explores the why’s and how’s of cleansing and detoxifying our bodies, and has helped me understand when to do what type of cleanse. Dr. Haas offers many options to support our body’s detoxification processes. For the spring he suggests the Master Cleanse, originally developed by Dr. Stanley Burroughs. This is a simple cleanse program (which I am doing as I write this) consisting of fresh squeezed lemon juice, grade B maple syrup, cayenne powder, and fresh good quality water.

The recipe is as follows:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (organic if available)

1-2 tablespoons pure (grade B) maple syrup

1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 ounces spring or filtered water.

Mix and drink 8-12 glasses throughout the day, eat nothing else with this except for water, laxative herb tea, and peppermint, chamomile or green tea. Keep the mixture in a glass container or make it fresh each time. This a great cleanse to do for 3-10 days, or even just one day a week. The lemon juice supplies vitamins and minerals, the maple syrup supplies energy from simple sugars, and many minerals. The cayenne helps with energy, and while hot, helps to heal mucous membranes in our digestive tract. The laxative teas (such as Smooth Move from Traditional Medicinals) help avoid constipation since the Master Cleanse provides only small amounts of fiber. Dr. Haas suggests that after the cleanse it is best to eat steamed veggies, grains such as brown rice, and broth to ease our systems into digesting solid foods.

Note: If you are being treated by a physician, always check with them before starting any cleansing diets.

When I cleanse I have the opportunity to update my diet, improve my general lifestyle, and experience the spiritual. What other changes can I make? Am I taking time to relax, and enjoy my healthy meals, or am I often eating on the go, eating as I perform other tasks either at work or home? Am I chewing my foods thoroughly, enjoying their aromas, starting the “north to south” digestive process? Do I have a balance of healthy proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in my diet? Is my life cluttered with to much stuff? During this spring season of renewal and growth around me, I will enjoy this cleansing of my inner and outer life and offer you the same opportunity.

There are numerous sources for information regarding digestion and cleansing, for a reading list contact me at nutritionallyspeaking@gmail.com .