It has been said by many health researchers that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier will be one of the most important things we can do for health in the 21st century. Our gut is home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms — a number our human mind can hardly comprehend. Our gut flora serves so many vital functions including: promoting normal digestive function, providing protection from infection, regulating our metabolism and comprising more than 75% of our immune system!

“Death begins in the colon” ~ Bacteriologist Ilya Mechnikov. Probiotics are the good bacteria that serve the function of ensuring that our colon stays healthy, and are one of the most powerful additions to your diet for superior health. Bacteria are the first line of defense of the immune system. A proper balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract is vital for maintaining good health. In a healthy colon there are between 100 billion and 100 trillion beneficial bacteria per milliliter and these consume the harmful bacteria.

“Death begins in the colon” ~ Bernard Jensen. As dramatic as that sounds, there is definite truth to the idea that the health of your entire body is dependent on the health of your digestive system. Your digestive system is where your body obtains its energy for food, absorbs essential nutrients, and eliminates waste products that would otherwise be toxic to the body. There is a direct correlation between the food you eat, and your digestive health.

Inflammation is often talked about in health circles these days, and with good reason. Inflammation and its contribution to illness should not be overlooked, because it sets the stage for a whole host of common illnesses. In fact, chronic inflammation plays a major role in the development of various neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons, MS and others. Not to mention diabetes and heart disease.

Apples – overall tonic and contain pectin, a fiber that’s good for the digestive tract, supports immunity. Research shows apple can lower Alzheimer’s risk. Apples contain vitamin C, copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, trace minerals. Apricot – rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, B5, copper iron, potassium, fiber.

I get asked this question all the time: do I follow food combining “rules” and are they important? It’s a popular topic, but what really works and what takes food combining a little too far are two different things. There are some “experts” out there who tell people that their digestive issues are due to poor food combining. More often than not, the digestion is compromised due to limited release of HCL, enzymes, bile, poor gut flora, gut inflammation and other issues that are regularly misdiagnosed.

Sweet potatoes are one of the greatest sources of beta-carotene of all vegetables, even higher than carrots. One small sweet potato contains 369% of your daily need of vitamin A! They are also loaded with vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and carbohydrates, and are a good source of fiber, as well as a rare low-fat source of vitamin E. The Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked sweet potatoes as number one in Vitamins A and C, folate, iron, copper calcium, and fiber.

Cleansing, Fasting, Detoxing, Parasite Removal, and Proper Bowel Function: How do they all relate, and why are so many people chronically constipated? If you are having fewer than 1 or 2 bowel movements daily, you are constipated. And it is toxicity, not lack of fiber, that is the primary cause of constipation. Most people assume, or have been told, that lack of fiber causes constipation.

In our Health Mastery Institute’s Health Coaching Certification Program, we spend more than two full courses on the liver, its functions, its importance to a lifetime of health, its disease process and its cleansing process. The liver is critically important for your overall quality of life. Every day we do things that are causing harm to our livers and in many cases we don’t realize it.

The foundation of any health or healing program begins with a full cleansing of the intestinal tract, because it experiences the most abuse on a daily basis, and it impacts every system in the body. The colon is the main channel of elimination in the body. The vast majority of elimination of toxic waste – including large amounts of E. coli bacteria and parasite larvae – occurs through the digestive tract. If that waste is un-eliminated or only partially eliminated, the effects on the body are profound.

Fasting is a process that has been practiced for thousands of years (perhaps even longer). More recently, all three Fathers of Western Medicine, Hippocrates, Galen and Paraclesus (who concluded, nearly 500 years ago, that: “Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within”) practiced and prescribed prolonged fasting.

One of the most frequent questions I get is “What is the difference between juicing and blending?” Some people are uncertain if these methods are the same, or if one is different from the other. Juicing and blending are actually completely different and I believe both can have a role in a living foods diet. However, in terms of nutrient power and efficiency, juices win hands down.