We have over one hundred trillion bacteria living in our digestive system. We need these bacteria to be healthy.

People with inflammatory bowel diseases have lower numbers of friendly bacteria, so increasing probiotics is essential to healing intestinal inflammation. If you can stop inflammation early, you'll be able to repair your gut, increase absorption of nutrients, and overcome many health challenges.

Lacto-fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria that assist in immune defense and the digestion of food. Eat a selection of them daily to help replenish your gut. (i.e. yogurt, sourkraut, miso, cheese, etc.)

Major Culprits That Damage
The Gastrointestinal Lining

• A low-fiber, high-sugar diet of processed foods that causes the wrong bacteria and yeast to grow in your gut
  
• Excess consumption of acidic foods, such as coffee, alcohol, white vinegar, soft drinks, citrus fruits, and tomatoes, as well as very spicy foods, especially when eaten in combination with sugar and other refined carbohydrates
• Eating or drinking very hot foods or drinks that literally burn your gut lining
• Overuse of medications that damage the gut or block normal digestive function; for example, acid blockers (Prilosec, Nexium, etc.), anti-inflammatory medication (Aspirin, Advil, and Aleve), antibiotics, steroids, hormones (oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and in vitro fertilization–supporting drugs) and antihistamines
• Undetected gluten intolerance; celiac disease; or low-grade allergies to foods such as dairy, eggs, corn, soy, or nuts
• Unbalanced gut flora, with inadequate amounts of beneficial bacteria relative to pathogenic bacteria, yeasts, and fungi
• Toxins such as heavy metals (especially mercury that has leached from dental amalgams) and those produced from molds or intestinal pathogens
• Lack of adequate digestive enzyme function, which can result from using acid-blocking medication, having a poor diet, inadequately chewing food, overeating, or being deficient in zinc
• Stress, which can alter intestinal nerve activity, cause a leaky gut, and change the normal bacteria in the gut
• Intestinal parasites, such as worms, amoebas, Giardia spp., etc.

©2011 by Daniluk Consulting. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher,
Hay House Inc. www. hayhouse. com.

This article was adapted with permission from the book:

Meals That Heal Inflammation: Embrace Healthy Living and Eliminate Pain, One Meal at at Time
by Julie Daniluk R. H. N.

If you’re one of the millions of people who have been affected by allergies, diabetes, skin disorders, heart disease, arthritis, or any other condition ending in “-itis,” then you know firsthand what havoc inflammation can cause. In Meals That Heal Inflammation, television personality and registered holistic nutritionist Julie Daniluk shows you how to conquer these health conditions with foods that will make you feel fantastic.

Click Here For More Info or to Order This Book.

About the Author

Julie Daniluk, R.H.N., is a leading nutritionist and the co-host of Healthy Gourmet, a reality cooking show that airs on OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network) in Canada. Julie has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, The Right Fit, and The Marilyn Denis Show. For 12 years, she was the cooperative owner and the Chief In-Store Nutritionist for one of Canada’s largest health-food stores, The Big Carrot Natural Food Market in Toronto.