90% of our food digestion and absorption occurs in the Small Intestine. The Small Intestine main function is absorption of nutrients and minerals from food.
Digestion is a process in which food is broken into smaller pieces, mainly in the mouth and stomach.
Absorption is a process by which the products of digestion are absorbed by the blood to be supplied to the rest of the body. Nutrient molecules are absorbed into the blood or lymph.
During the digestion and absorption our parasympathetic (responsible for muscular contractions that move food along the tract) and sympathetic nervous system (suppresses intestinal movements; influences the mucosal secretion) is involved.
The Small Intestine has three regions - Duodenum, Jejunum and Ileum.
DUODENUM
The first and also the shortest part of the Small Intestine is called Duodenum. It is a C-shape tube where most of the digestion takes place. After a hour or so of our eating, the food is propelled into the Duodenum from our Stomach. It receives partially digested food from the Stomach and prepares the food for absorption of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. It has very intimate relationship with Pancreas. In the Duodenum the food is mixed with digestive juices from the Pancreas and also with bile from the Gall Bladder.
Symptoms of unbalanced Duodeum are: burning pain in the Stomach, heartburn or indigestion, bloating, feeling full even if the Stomach is empty, gas, nausea - these are usually symptoms of Duodenal ulcers. These ulcers are usually caused by bacteria Helicobacter Pylori. Drugs like Ibuprofen or Aspirin can cause Duodenal ulcers. Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, blood in the stool may be symptoms of Crohn's Disesase. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, bloating, gas, loss of appetite may be symptoms of Duodentitis.
Healing foods:
Probiotics = healthy bacteria found in these foods: kefir, yogurt (don't eat if you have a dairy sensitivity), kombucha, pickles, sauerkraut, tofu
Prebiotics = stimulate the growth of good bacteria: asparagus, banana, legumes, chicory root, dandelion root
Anti-inflammatory foods: quality virgin olive oil, spinach, kale, salmon, tuna, sardines, fruits and berries
Omega 3: cold water fish (salmon, tuna....), nuts and seeds oils (flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnut oil), grass-fed butter
Herbs: turmeric
Plants: Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold) - tea from its orange blossoms
Acorus calamus, Agrimonia eupatoria, Centaurium erythraea - tea or tincture
deglycyrrhizinated licorice root extract
JEJUNUM
Jejunum is the middle section of the Small Intestine.
Absorption of sugars, fatty acids and amino acids takes place in Jejunum. In Jejunum smooth muscle contractions are quick. The Jejunum is commonly affected by Celiac disease.
Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity
Celiac disease is usually described as an allergy (sensitivity) to gluten. It is a gluten intolerance. The bodily inflammatory response to gluten damages tissues withing the Small Intestine.
Gluten is a sticky protein found in wheat, barley or rye grains. It can act like a toxin that could damage the lining of the gut. It is not properly broken down in the Small Intestine and it leads to inflammation and other problems in the body. Nowadays we can find gluten everywhere - in flour, soy sauce, dressings, syrups, starches, sugary foods and processed or most packaged foods. Gluten is found also in many beauty and cosmetics products (shampoos, lotions, lip balms, toothpastes, soaps........), household products. It is really difficult to avoid gluten these days, even labels "gluten free" don't garantee that there is no gluten at all.
Symptoms: The list of symtoms is huge, because Celiac disease or gluten intolerance can silently and slowly damage the whole body. The whole immune system can collapse. You can have gluten intolerance without having Celiac disease. You might just "feel tired all the time". Here are a few symptoms: abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, weight loss, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, itchy skin rash, bloating, irregular periods, thinning hair, dull skin. This disease damages also the brain, that's why people might experience brain fog, anxiety, depressions, insomnia, chronic headaches and more.
Children may have discoloration of their teeth thanks to gluten sensitivity.
Healing protocol:
- visit your doctor and ask to be tested, you can take a test to know your deficiency in vitamins an minerals, to be tested for inflammation in your body or take a bone density test; talk to your doctor about gluten
- check and read products labels for "gluten free"
- strict gluten-free diet
There is more info about gluten in my blog called "Bread and cereals for breakfast?"
Leaky Gut Syndrome
When our Small Intestine gets damaged by our poor diet, stress, some medications and toxins, the undigested food particles, gut bacteria, proteins and toxic waste leeks into the bloodstream. The intestine gets damaged by food additives, processed foods, gluten, manomaterials in food or too much sugar and sodium entering our body for digestion. It can cause inflammation, food intolerance that leads to immune system damage and our autoimmunity is in danger.
Leaky gut triggers are also GMO's, antibiotics, too much meat (steaks for example), refined oils, synthetic foods, conventional dairy products and more.
Symptoms: food allergies and sensitivities, inflammation, skin disorders (acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriaris.....), digestive problems, bloating, weight gain, Thyroid inbalance, joint pain, headaches, fatigue. If symptoms are ignored and left unbalanced, the more and deeper imbalance can occur such as IBS, arthritis, chronic fatigue, depressions and anxiety, type 1 diabetes or autoimmune illness. Leaky gut syndrome can cause malabsorption of important vitamins and nutrients like zinc, iron or vitamin B12.
Leaky gut affects the whole body. It can affect the brain (depression, anxiety, brain fog, headaches, autism, ADD, ADHD); skin (exzema and other skin disorders); Thyroid (Hashimotos, Hypothyroidism); Colon (constipation, diarrhea, IBD); adrenals (chronic fatigue); joints (arthritis, fibromalgia).
Healing techniques: - Remove inflamatory food triggers (mentioned above)
- Nourish gut with good nutrients
- Treat specific organs (using energy medicine and massage)
- Rebalance gut with healthy food
Healthy food: probiotics, prebiotics, bone broth (collagen), phytochemicals, fermeted vegetables, avocados, ghee butter, omega 3- fats, fruits, coconut oil, blueberries (reduce inflammation, easy to digest), squash and butternut squash
Herbs and Nutrients: L-Glutamine (crucial amino acid; heals and repairs Small Intestine)
Arabinogalactan, Marshmallow root, Deglycyrrhizinated licorice
root, Slippery Elm, Aloe Vera, Turmeric, Curcumin
- Lot of these herbs and nutrients were used by our ancestors centuries ago before we became slaves of the pharmaceutical industry and its poisons and synthetic toxic drugs that have permanent affect in our bodies (addictions, belief that we need them, take the pill quickly so we can go back to work to earn money and forget quickly how we feel inside of our body....)
ILEUM
The last part of the Small Intestine is called Ileum. Ileum absorbs mainly vitamin B12 and bile acids. It joins the large intestine at the ileocecal junction. This is where we can find ileocecal valve in the lower abdomen, above the apendix.
Ileocecal valve
Ileocecal valve is a muscle valve that separates the Small Intestine from the Large Intestine. It works as a gate that allows digested food to pass into the Large Intestine. It is a pathway of the intestinal transit. Approximately 2 litres of fluid enters the colon daily through here. This valve controls the flow of discarded waste, chemicals and hormones from the Small Intestine into the Large Intestine. When this 'gate' is stuck, food has to go back into the Small Intestine (it works like a backed up kitchen sink drain). When this pathway is blocked, the energy is blocked, our digestion is disturbed and toxins are absorbed directly into the body.
The Ileocecal valve is a muscle valve that opens and closes rhytmically. We have to be sure that the 'gate' is opening and closing properly and that there is no stucked food -energy that would create disharmony, inbalance and illnesses. Heart problems, blood pressure problems, lower back pain, gastrointestinal problems, exzema, and even bronchitis or migraines can be caused by our Ileocecal valve not working properly.
Ileocecal valve doesn't like too much raw foods (raw celery, carrots, ...), too much alcohol, and caffeinated drinks, too much spicy foods (paprika, cayene pepper,hot peppers....) and mostly roughage foods such as popcorn, potato chips, pretzels or whole grains.
Healing protocol:
Try not to have spicy foods and roughage-type foods for one week, eliminate alcohol, caffeine and cocoa products.
Massage the valve gently upwards to the ribs; it is beneficial to massage also the Houston valve on the left side to have balance on the both side of the body
enjoy your chosen food (color, smell, texture etc.)
try to cook at home or eat at organic restaurants
when you eat, sit and take your time (don't eat standing or in a hurry)
chew very well
when you eat, be surrouned with friendly positive people
limit stress; stress kills the good microbes in the gut, gut is connected to the brain because the microbes and bacterias communicate to each other in their chemical language
avoid gluten and unhealthy processed foods with addictives and colorants and other "carbage"
eat according to seasons, food in season
be relaxed (for example don't eat while driving)
have a healthy breakfast, big lunch and small dinner - finish eating around 6 pm - the body struggles to digest after the sun goes down
don't forget about drinking water (never too cold and add lemon and a few drops of apple cider vinegar into your water in the morning)
breathe in the belly, meditate, allow yourself to love your body and mind
have regular massages, practice self massage, exercise, move your body daily
make good choice of healthy alkaline food
support your local farmer, buy locally and organic (bio)
Only you have the keys to open the doorway to your health by choosing the healthy nourishing foods and methods how to take care of your gut and whole body ; or to open the door to more sufferings and illnesses. You are the director of your life, you make your choices. You can start to change your life and make healthy choices right now.
Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said : "All Diseases Begin in the Gut"
To read more about the Small Intestine, please visit martinatrenier.com- articles- "The body's alchemist factory " article
connect with me via facebook : "unconditional space in uzes, france"
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