Gastrointestinal function and ecology are critical to your longevity health. Gastrointestinal health is longevity health. The undigested food in your digestive system often becomes the breeding ground for the development of potentially harmful bacteria that live in your bowl, and thus influences your health and well-being.

Your gastrointestinal tract is composed of your mouth and teeth, your esophagus and stomach, your small and large intestines. These digestive organs, together with your liver, kidneys, and pancreas, not only digest your food but also assimilate nutrients from what you eat and drink. Therefore, your gastrointestinal tract plays a pivotal role in your overall health and wellness. There is absolute truth in the statement: “Death begins at the colon.” Your gastrointestinal health immunizes you from many diseases and disorders that are enemies to your longevity health.

To optimize your gastrointestinal health, you must not overstress your gastrointestinal tract.<!–more–>

Avoid eating refined and processed foods and sugar. Any food item in the supermarket that comes in a can, box or carton is most probably processed. All processed foods are loaded with chemicals, and all refined foods are deprived of nutrients that may benefit your gastrointestinal health.

Do not unduly stress your gastrointestinal tract by overeating or failing to chew your food adequately.

Drinking water or any liquid during a meal tends to dilute your digestive juices, and thus weakens the digestive process in the gastrointestinal tract.

Excess alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine also impair your gastrointestinal function.

Use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs is also damaging to your gastrointestinal tract. Remember, all pharmaceutical drugs are chemicals, and as such, they are toxic to your body system, including your gastrointestinal tract.

Lack of fiber and inadequate enzymes in your diet may also be contributing factors to an unhealthy gastrointestinal tract. Get your fiber from beans, vegetables, and fruits, such as apples; a regular raw diet provides you with enzymes to assist your digestion.

Your gastrointestinal health is essentially a reflection of your lifestyle.

To optimize your gastrointestinal function, you need to re-balance your diet and change your lifestyle. To change your lifestyle is more challenging than re-balancing your diet. Your gastrointestinal tract, like the rest of your body, also needs a break every now and then in order to recuperate. Fasting for internal cleansing is the best option, especially for the gastrointestinal tract. However, if you think a water fast is too much for you, consider a juice fast – that is, you drink only juices from fresh vegetables or fruits for one or two days to cleanse your body system. Fasting for internal cleansing for gastrointestinal health is a must for longevity health.

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Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher. He has published several books and many websites on health, healing, depression, eating disorders, and golf. For more information on longevity health, and also get your FREE copy of the 143-page e-book “All-Round Weight Loss” by Stephen Lau, go to: http://www.longevityforyou.com/li.html

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_903051_23.html

(ARA) – Worried about your grocery tab? Rising food prices are a significant cause of concern for 73 percent of consumers, according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. For almost half of them, those prices have caused a hardship.

Tightening the food budget needn’t mean sacrificing flavor or health, however. In fact, by stocking up on nutritious staples and an array of seasonings, it’s possible to become more frugal while enhancing your family’s meals. Some suggestions:

Season those staples.
Not only are basic, natural foods — like whole grains and beans — inexpensive, they’re versatile. Take rice, for example: Flavor with basil, garlic and ginger and serve as a bed for in-season veggies, or sprinkle with curry powder for an instant stir-fry. Use it as the basis of a casserole, seasoned liberally with marjoram or gently with cayenne. Toss in a little rice — along with a pinch of cumin — to add body to your cup of soup or stew. Or stir up some aromatic rice pudding, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Treat other grains, beans and even seasonal produce, similarly — and make the most of your staples by spicing each dish distinctively.

Of course, you can also use spices to enhance your standard fare, turning yet another omelet or whole-grain pasta dish into something special. Ready-to-add seasoning blends of spices offer an easy route to give the meal some pizzazz.

Buy in bulk.
Buying food items in quantity allows you to purchase at the very best prices. Buy exactly the amount you want of each bulk item at your natural food store, or, for convenience, shop online. Frontier Natural Products Co-op’s Web site, www.frontiercoop.com offers a wide array of bulk items, including herbs and spices; baking ingredients like cocoa, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder and active dry yeast; and other cooking ingredients like tapioca, grains, teas and dried vegetables.

Rely on local, seasonal produce.
Growing your own is ideal, or you may want to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which will enable you to harvest fresh produce while supporting your local farmer. And of course you’ll want to schedule a regular trip to the farmer’s market to pick up what’s in season — to serve fresh or to put up for later months. Shopping for seasonal produce will provide the freshest and most economical buys at your local food store.

* Look for more frugal substitutions.

Replacing soda and other expensive drinks with homemade iced tea, for example, can provide savings as well as increased nourishment. Vary the tea — green, herbal, black — as well as the sweetener, if desired. And be sure to try your hand at developing your own custom blends; try a variety of teas, or mix tea with lemonade or juice.

Enjoy the taste and aroma of this delicious, economical tea:

Spiced Green Apple Tea
(Eight servings)

Ingredients:

1 quart apple juice
1 quart green tea
1 cup Frontier Cider Mate

Directions:

Combine juice and Frontier Cider Mate in a pot. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add green tea and strain.

For more cost-saving ideas, visit www.frontiercoop.com/eatwellforless.

Courtesy of ARAcontent