by Dr. Andrew Lipton
Narberth Family Medicine
Get Nutrients to Your Body with Proper Digestion
Optimal health begins with breathing deeply and proper hydration, and continues with consumption of proper macro nutrients. As the saying goes “we are what we eat” or for the more computer technical; a great program will perform poorly if not given the correct data. And for those not technically savvy “crap in equals crap out.” If we want our bodies to perform well and not get sick and injured, we need to deliver the best nutrients possible. Unfortunately, we are inundated with nutrient poor options. I like the saying that goes “if it wasn’t around for your grandparents to eat it’s probably not good for you to eat.”
What is a nutrient dense food?
Nutrient dense foods are those foods that are alive with color and water and will spoil if left out. Any food that does not spoil is a sign of poor nutrition; even the bacteria won’t eat it. Hence the “French fry.” In general, Nutrient rich foods are around the outside of the supermarket. Nutrient poor foods are in boxes cans and wrappers in the middle of the supermarket.
The food quality of even the fruits and veggies has decreased exponentially over the last 50 years. This is due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Buy organic and locally grown whenever possible to increase the nutrient density of your food. Or even better, grow your own!
Indigestion
Indigestion is a broad term that encompasses heart burn, reflux, esophagitis, gastritis, colitis, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. It is rampant with poor quality food but can even happen with nutrient dense food.
As much as drug companies would like you to believe, indigestion is not a Tums or Pepcid deficiency. The digestion process is enzyme dependent. Nutrient rich and alive foods have enzymes naturally present and are less likely to cause indigestion. Once a food is cooked or processed the enzymes are either killed or removed.
Enzymes
The three macronutrients are fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The three main enzyme groups are Lipases, Proteases and Carbohydrases. There are literally thousands of enzymes for specific nutrient digestion. For instance, the carbohydrase for digesting milk sugar, lactose, is called lactase, and without it in the body, milk products containing lactose cannot be digested. This ailment is commonly referred to as Lactose Intolerance and produces gas bloating and “indigestion”. It is simply treated by avoiding milk products or by taking the enzyme Lactase with the consumption of any milk product. Some enzymes are made by the body, but then, are stopped being produced by the body. In the case of milk, this is a natural development of aging, as milk is designed for nursing children, not adults.
Narberth Family Medicine offers a wide range of natural enzymes and digestion aides. To find out if one of these products are right for you, call or email me.
Dr. Lipton has taken advanced training in OMT and is Board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of NeuroMusculoSkeletal Medicine.
Dr. Lipton completed his residency in Family Medicine at Suburban General Hospital, Norristown, Pennsylvania and is Board Certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Lipton was trained in Chelation Therapy by the American College for Advancement in Medicine, a group of physicians dedicated to being open to new alternatives in medicine. Dr. Lipton is also Board certified by the American Board of Chelation Therapy.