Weisman Roanne - 4 Weeks to Healthy Digestion

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Figures I.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 5.1, 6.1, and 8.1 by Scott Leighton; Figures 4.1 and 4.2 by Michael Linkinhoker; Figure 7.1 by Christopher Bing

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Some people have an iron stomach and can eat or drink anything without a problem. You probably know a few of these people! That exceptional group not withstanding, most of us do react to what we eat or drink. For some, indigestion happens only rarely, as a result of overindulging in the wrong kinds of food or drink choices, while for othersand you may be in this categorydigestion problems happen much more often.

You are probably interested in this book because you have a sensitive stomach: a gastrointestinal (GI) system that reacts strongly to what you put into it.Thisiscalled visceral hyperalgesia, which simply means that you have chronic GI distress. Symptoms of your distress might include diarrhea, constipation, heartburn (also called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD), dyspepsia (recurrent abdominal pain), bloating, or gas.

The problem with such chronic GI distress is that its what is called a functional disorder, which means that there is nothing structurally wrong with your digestion system. There is also no disease present that can be cured. You and your doctor may be frustrated because there is usually no one thing you can dono pill to take, no operation to undergothat will make the problem go away. So, how do you cope?

Living with a sensitive gut takes understanding, a positive attitude, and a commonsense approach to managing your temperamental digestion. The understanding and the commonsense approach will, I hope, come from this book. Your positive attitude may come from the fact that while your digestion problems are both real and difficult, they are not life threatening. Moreover, as you will see as you read further, they do not have to be a burden or interfere with your daily activities.

The focus of this bookas well as of the Four-Week Plan for Healthy Digestionis first and foremost on healthy nutrition. As the saying goes, you are what you eat. I would expand that concept to digestion: your digestion depends on what and even how you eat. Every digestion problem discussed in this book is closely tied not only to everything that goes into your mouthincluding foods, beverages, medications, vitamins, supplements, snacks, and even that after-dinner mintbut also to your method of eating. For example, do you inhale your food without taking the time to chew it fully? Do you eat in an atmosphere of stress? These habits are not conducive to digestive health. By contrast, calm, slow mealtimes and chewing every bite thoroughly both help to improve your digestion.

The key to a healthy, comfortable digestion is mindfulness about what you eat and how you eat, as well as close attention to your symptoms. To help you, I have included a Food and Symptom Log in , Communicating with Your Doctor, offers suggestions on how to do this.

The first chapter describes the Four-Week Plan in general terms. Chapters on specific symptoms follow, and you can pick and choose the sections that apply to you. In those chapters, you will find more detailed guidance about using the Four-Week Plan, including which foods to avoid or include, as well as any specific lifestyle changes has some delicious and digestion-friendly recipes, organized according to symptom.

In more than forty-five years of practicing, teaching, and writing about gastrointestinal medicine, I have seen thousands of patients with complaints just like the ones that you may be enduring: painful and uncomfortable digestive problems that interfere with daily life. In caring for these patients, I have come to two important realizations: