Download YOGA BODY NUTRITION The Real Culprit behind Bloating, Belches

Yoga Bo dy Nutrition
The Real Culprit behind Bloating, Belches, Low Energy,
Depression and More
Who would have thought that LOW stomach acid, also know as hypochlorhydria, could
be the root cause of all of these symptoms and disorders:
- Heartburn (often thought to be caused by too much stomach acid!)
– Bloating, belching, flatulence and gas
– Constipation or diarrhea
– Low energy
– Depression
– Acne
– Hair loss in women
– Food allergies
– Dry skin
– Autoimmune disease
What the Multi-Billion dollar antacid industry doesn’t want you to know:
While most people reach for antacids when they’re experiencing indigestion and bloating,
LOW stomach acid may actually be the culprit…. and you may be doing some really
serious damage to your health while taking those antacids.
I’m talking about both over-the-counter ant-acids like Tums and prescription antacids
like Prilosec.
I know you’re probably thinking… Huh? LOW stomach acid?!
When our stomach acid is too low, the proteins in our stomach can start to ferment from
not being broken down properly, and the off-gassing from this process creates pressure in
our stomachs. (Imagine a soda bottle that you shook-up) The pressure in your stomach
then builds up, pushing open the valve at the top of our stomachs, painfully splashing into
your esophagus and causing acid reflux and heartburn.
Not everyone experiences digestive issues when they have hypochlorhydria (low stomach
acid)… if fact, most people don’t even know they have it… which is scary.
The problem with not knowing you have it is that your health can start to slowly decline.
By the time you figure out why, it’s a lot harder to correct the damage that’s been done.
Ana Poirier, CHHC, AADP
http://YogaBodyNutrition.com
Yoga Bo dy Nutrition
I also want to clear up a common misconception. Just because you eat acidic foods like
orange juice, tomatoes, or coffee, it doesn’t mean it’s going to increase your stomach
acid… we’re talking about two completely different types of acid. Stomach acid is
Hydrochloric acid which is produced by the stomach, not found in the foods we eat.
I thought it was important to make a clear distinction because I often have people who
come to me with hypochlorhydria who say “but I don’t understand how I could have low
stomach acid… I eat lots of oranges and tomatoes”.
Somehow the antacid industry has us believing that stomach acid is bad for us. (It may
have something to do with the fact that it’s a billion-dollar industry!)
Stomach acid is actually GOOD for you; believe it or not!
There are 5 main reasons why you don’t want to have too low of stomach
acid:
1. You can become protein malnourished: Hydrochloric acid (HCl) converts pepsinogen
to pepsin… Without stomach acid you can’t breakdown, absorb or utilize protein! Why is
protein important you ask? Because protein is vital for virtually everything in the body:
healthy muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, nails and hair. The body’s
requirement for protein is directly related to good health. Try building muscle when you
don’t have the basic building blocks to make it! This is when some people have a hard
time building or maintaining muscle, have weak nails or unhealthy hair.
2. It causes Depression: The chemicals in our brains which make us happy and content
are made from amino acids, which is what protein is when broken down. Without proper
protein absorption, we can become depressed. I see people in my practice all the time
who suffer from depression unnecessarily because of protein malabsorption. On top of
that, the central nervous system needs protein to function properly; to both send and
receive information.
3. It could be setting you up for disease and illness: Low stomach acid can cause you to
become mineral deficient. When protien is not digested properly, your blood becomes
more acidic as your body tries to bring your blood back to a more alkaline state it can rob
minerals from your body… which is important to know if you don’t want to end up with
osteoporosis and other diseases caused by mineral deficiency.
4. Creates the perfect environment for things to live in your body that you don’t want
there: Our stomach acid is so acidic that if you were holding it in your hand it would
burn a hole in it. (Good thing we have that protective mucus lining in our stomachs!)
Because of this extreme low PH, this means that it can destroy invaders like bacteria,
fungus, parasites, and viruses that try to enter our bodies on our food. In this way, our
stomach acid works as one of our first lines of defense for our immune system; it sterilizes
our food!
Ana Poirier, CHHC, AADP
http://YogaBodyNutrition.com
Yoga Bo dy Nutrition
5. Could be robbing you of energy and vitality: You can eat a perfect diet, but if you can’t
breakdown, absorb and utilize the nutrients it won’t matter! The more vitamins, minerals,
and nutrients we get out of our food, the more energy and vitality we have… it’s as simple
as that.
If we have to use more of our body’s own energy and nutrients to digest our food than the
food has in it, there is a deficit of energy.
Instead, we want to put hi-octane fuel in our tanks by making it as easy for our body to
get all the energy and nutrients out of our food as possible.
Natural aging, a poor diet, the use of certain medications, such as Aspirin for instance,
and past infection from H. pylori bacteria can impair the stomach’s ability to produce
acid.
Think about it… if you use antacids for heartburn relief or indigestion, they’re not a cure
for what is probably causing these problems in the first place. It’s simply a Band-Aid.
Taking pills that further neutralize stomach acid can make your digestion even worse!
You’d be doing more of what may have gotten you into this mess to begin with.
The reasons stomach acid is good for you:
Stomach acid or hydrochloric acid (HCl), is a very powerful digestive agent, and is
absolutely essential for health.
HCl’s important functions include:
- Breaking down proteins into the essential amino acids which your body needs in order
to stay healthy.
– Allows nutrient absorption: Many vitamins and minerals require proper stomach acid
in order to be properly absorbed, including iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and folic acid.
– Preventing disease: the low PH of the stomach acid destroys bad bacteria,
microorganisms, and parasites that may have hitched a ride into your body on your food.
(Yuk!)
As you age, your stomach acid tends to decrease, and a poor diet of processed foods is just
going to add fuel to the fire and lead you to both digestive and immune problems.
Increase your stomach acid, and heal your digestion & your health.
Ana Poirier, CHHC, AADP
http://YogaBodyNutrition.com
Yoga Bo dy Nutrition
Here are four of my favorite ways to balance your stomach acid, and make
sure you’re digesting your food properly… so you avoid painful heart-burn.
1. Add ginger & cilantro to your diet. Some foods will make the problem worse, and other
foods that will make the problem better and encourage healthy stomach acid and aid in
digestion. These are just two of the many foods that will help aid in digestion.
2. Drink all liquids separately from meals. Yep! You read me correctly. Your stomach
acid is a liquid, so by drinking when you eat you are diluting the stomach acid that we
want to keep nice and concentrated and strong. This may take some getting used to, but a
good habit nonetheless.
3. Take a stomach acid test: Simple and inexpensive at-home testing can determine if you
have low stomach acid. Please refer to the HCL Test handout for more information on
how to do this simple and life changing test.
4. Take a digestive enzyme capsule and HCl tablet with every meal to increase digestion.
Taking a supplement capsule designed specifically to help you digest proteins from all
animal and vegetable sources is the fastest way to prevent stomachaches and heartburn
and aid in digestion.
And a Bonus #5 tip is to chew well and eat in as relaxed a state as possible.
Adapted from www.RoseCole.com
Ana Poirier, CHHC, AADP
http://YogaBodyNutrition.com