THE HEALTHY CHANNEL: John Appleton
Tummy troubles as I see it
The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
- Marcel Proust
Each year tummy troubles send thousands of us to the doctor and little has changed in terms of treatment options since I set out 12 years ago to discover what was behind the major gastric problems that had plagued me for 30 years. Most of us have come to accept that the ‘quick fix’ comes in the form of an antacid a ‘proton pump inhibitor’ or some other form of medication. After all what else is out there that might ease the pain and discomfort?
When it comes to many digestive tract issues, we can focus purely on treating symptoms or we can look more closely at causes and think in terms of healing. Medical thinking is that diet has little to do with the problem but my own experience suggests that it has everything to do with it. Whether it be excessive ‘wind’ constipation, bloating, indigestion, IBS or heartburn caused by ‘reflux’ there are a number of simple nutritional solutions that I found to be very helpful when it came to taming my tummy troubles.
As a first step try going totally Gluten free – one doesn’t have to be a Celiac to be sensitive to gluten (latin - glue) and I suspect many New Zealanders are suffering without making the gluten connection. Removing gluten from my diet made a huge difference and I can’t believe I was never told about this by my doctors at the time. For more information on life without gluten - www.drrodneyford.com Dr Ford is a Christchurch Pediatrician who has become a specialist in issues relating to gluten.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms and what you hope to achieve, try removing Dairy – Caffeine – Alcohol and Sugar from the diet. It’s not easy to do this but I was willing to do anything in the quest for a life without pain. I used to love my coffee and a beer or glass of wine after work and I had grown up drinking lots of milk. Nancy Appleton (no relation) in her very informative book ‘Lick the Sugar Habit’ lists 108 ways in which sugar can ‘ruin our health’. Surprisingly once I had made the ‘break’ and started feeling really good I have never had the urge to revert back to my old ways.
I drink at least 3 litres of filtered water every day. Water has a significant positive impact on improving intestinal motility (dehydration and constipation go hand in hand). I drink two large glasses of ‘tepid’ water on waking in the morning (with the juice of a lemon squeezed into it). Additional ‘tummy tamers’ which are part of my programme include a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar in a small glass of warm water prior to main meals. This helps kick start the digestive process. A refreshing mug of ginger tea after meals is something I never miss. I make it with fresh ginger (chopped small). Some years ago when I read ‘Ginger Common Spice and Wonder Drug”, author Paul Schulick left me in no doubt that ginger has a huge role to play in digestive health.
Having to deal with very painful peptic ulcers was perhaps my greatest challenge but the protocol I embraced was surprisingly simple. The key to it was 300 mls of freshly made Cabbage juice (organic) with Carrot juice to improve the taste (twice daily). A teaspoon of Slippery Elm powder stirred into a glass of warm water after meals and prior to bed was the other key plank. I also used a supplement ‘GastroMend-HP’ which is based on Deglycyrrhizinated Liquorice - Mastic Gum – Vitamin U (Methylmethioninesulfonium) which is the active ingredient in Cabbage Juice) and Zinc Carnosine.
What I discovered may not be the total answer for everyone but it could well be a very good starting point for many.
Contact: John Appleton, Email: appletonassoc@xtra.co.nz
Telephone 489-9362, Online: www.johnappleton.co.nz
One big happy family
