Balancing your digestive system

Jo George
MBAc; MSc CHM; BSc (Hons)
Traditional Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner

Fully insured Member of The British Acupuncture Council and Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine.

more info

Recent cutting edge Western research has given Traditional Chinese medicine a new perspective on thousands of years of ancient wisdom. We now know that the origins of many diseases are in the gut and in today’s world we can no longer ignore the effects of superbugs (anti-biotic resistant), toxic foods, and changing lifestyles.

The digestive system in Chinese medicine has always been seen for centuries as a vital key in treating many health disorders, now we have the evidence. The gut is at the centre of the development of complex modern illnesses such as autoimmune diseases, AIDS, chronic allergies, leaky gut syndrome and food sensitivities. Together with digestive imbalances such as IBS, constipation, heartburn, reflux, Crohns Disease, and Celiac Disease, to name a handful.

TCM can help strengthen and heal inflammation in your digestive tract, increase disease resistance along with improving long term health. The goal of treatment is to help to cultivate healthy bacteria, and heal any inflammation in the gut thereby reducing uncomfortable symptoms. The good news is that unlike our inherited genes, which are more or less fixed, we can exert a huge influence over our gut bacteria genetics. We can repair the damage to your gut bacteria.

Whilst Western medicine deals with the cause of disease entities and specific treatments, Traditional Chinese medicine adopts a holistic approach, with the aim of maintaining health by restoring balance of body functions. Jo demonstrates this by using a variety of approaches to rebalance the digestive system including-

• Acupuncture
• Patient education
• Dietary changes
• Chinese herbs
• Nutritional supplements

Tips for a healthy digestion:

• Limit processed foods and supplements containing emulsifiers. Ingredients commonly called lecithin derived from soy (likely GMO), Datem, (found in commercial breads) Calcium propionate, Cmc and polysorbate 80 are creating a host of new absorption problems in our digestive tracts.
• Encourage “playing in the dirt” (i.e. gardening) and playing with your animals (dogs, cats, horses etc.). Our pets spread healthy bacteria which have proven benefits.
• The perfect diet is a lofty goal for many. Make the goal the 80/20 rule. 80% REAL food, 20% less than perfect/real food. This will still improve the balance of health gut flora.
• Avoid prescription antibiotics as much as possible.
• Don’t eat meat fed antibiotics.
• Eat Pre-biotics everyday. Prebiotics enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria and can be found in fermented foods such as kimichi, sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha, miso, and other fermented foods. Add these to your diet to provide a variety of healthy bacteria. A daily sampling of new live bacteria from fermented foods makes your gut community more adaptable.
• Try Coconut Milk Yogurt. Not all yogurts are created equal. Some yogurts, although fortified with probiotics, often contain a lot of sugar and not all micro-organisms survive and thrive during processing.
• Add Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - 4 tablespoons per day, after meals. This heals the GI tract and kills Candida Albicans and other pathogenic fungi, bacteria, and viruses.