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

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Two-thirds of American adults are medically overweight or obese, and the incidence of medically significant obesity is rising rapidly, especially in children and teenagers. Unless this epidemic is brought under control, earlier appearance of diabetes and heart disease is expected to get worse.

“People who feel stressed, as many do in the midst of a financial recession, may turn to food for comfort and start to overindulge,” says Dr. Leonard Mastbaum, fellow of the American College of Endocrinology (FACE), senior medical advisor with OPTIFAST, a medically monitored weight loss program that focuses on changing patients’ lifestyles and how they interact with food.

Emotionally based overeating, or using food to satisfy negative feelings not related to hunger, is a frequent threat to maintaining good, healthy eating habits. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it accounts for 75 percent of overeating.

“The problem is that this behavior does not resolve the underlying problem and is often followed by feelings of shame or guilt, and a decrease in feelings of self-worth,” adds Dr. Jamy Ard, assistant professor of nutrition sciences and medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and medical director with OPTIFAST. “This process may lead to repetitive overeating and the onset of a downward spiral — resulting in significant weight gain.”

The current recession is not easing the situation. In a recent survey of 1,000 Americans, 25 percent responded that they were more likely to turn to high-calorie comfort foods because of the economic situation. Washington University in St. Louis has also reported strong evidence that economic uncertainty can cause significant weight gain.

The good news is that emotional (non-hunger) eating can be controlled with some effort. Mastbaum and Ard suggest the following steps:

* Take note of when you’re eating, but aren’t actually hungry.

Clues include eating a short time after a meal, or while doing activities such as reading or watching TV, sudden cravings for a particular food and feelings of guilt or self-deprecation after eating.

* Learn what triggers emotional eating for you.

Keep a diary and record when and what you eat and what you are experiencing or feeling at the time (boredom, anger, frustration, etc.), take note of how hungry you are at the time by rating your hunger on a scale of one to 10. Study the diary to try to determine your triggers and what foods you turn to at these times. Some studies suggest that chewy and crunchy foods are more commonly consumed during periods of stress, frustration or anger, while creamy foods are often used to combat feelings of loneliness or depression. Make eating a solitary activity rather than eating while taking part in another activity.

* Make a list of non-eating activities that you enjoy, to help alleviate your emotional eating triggers.

Physical activity can boost your mood. Keep a list of activities you enjoy with you at all times. This activity or exercise could make you feel better and will provide you with alternatives when you feel the urge to eat inappropriately.

* Recognize when you’re lapsing and eating on a non-hunger basis. Try to learn what triggers your own inappropriate eating.

Some clues: emotional “hunger” comes on suddenly, is associated with a craving for a specific food and is followed by feelings of guilt or shame.

* Get to the root of your feelings and take action to change them.

Much of the financial stress that stems from the recession may feel like it’s out of your control. Try to find actionable steps you can take to feel more in charge—it will help you feel like you’re making progress and, ultimately, less overwhelmed.

Overcoming emotional overeating is crucial to the success of any diet or weight loss plan. It’s also an important part of maintaining a healthy weight, but even the most dedicated dieters struggle with it.

The longer emotional eating is a challenge, the more weight gain and negative health effects are likely to occur. For those who battle significant weight problems and need to lose more than 50 pounds, Mastbaum recommends calling on a support team of professionals like those with the OPTIFAST Program to help you take control of your eating behaviors and achieve your weight loss goals.

For more information on OPTIFAST or to find a clinic near you, log on to www.OPTIFAST.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

“You can easily improve overall heart health with a few, simple lifestyle choices,” says dietician Keri Glassman. “One in four Americans does not get enough exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With obesity on the rise, especially among children, routine daily exercise is a great place to start.  When combined with a healthier diet, particularly one with reduced sodium, you’ll lower the risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension.”

True, there are factors that you don’t have control over when it comes to heart health, including age, race, gender and family history. However, by monitoring controllable risk factors such as weight, diet and exercise, you can proactively take the necessary steps to limit the threats and improve your overall well-being.

Here are five easy tips to get your ticker in tip-top shape:

Heart smart staples
Stock up on whole grains, lean proteins rich in omega-3s, and a colorful array of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies are not only low in fat and calories, they are also a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Also, omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, tuna, walnuts, soybeans, brussel sprouts and flax seeds, can help lower blood fats called triglycerides, which are harmful to your heart. A diet high in soluble fiber and low in saturated fats along with increased fruits and vegetables may help decrease cholesterol and blood pressure.

Shake the salt habit
Sodium is one of the biggest contributors to heart disease and hypertension; and, as a general rule, you should not exceed 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day. Buyer beware: high amounts of sodium lurk in many of the everyday foods you love, including soups, breads and even beverages. Help stay within your daily sodium recommendation and opt for the low salt or reduced sodium options of your favorite foods, when available.

Many choices, such as Del Monte’s 50 percent Less Salt Vegetables, are a convenient way to reduce salt while maintaining delicious flavor. Look for heart smart options in the grocery store.  Products such as Del Monte’s 50 percent Less Salt Whole Kernel Corn and Sweet Peas display the American Heart Association heart-check mark on the label as they meet the Association’s food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people older than age 2.

Other low-sodium options readily available at the supermarket include Pepperidge Farms reduced-sodium breads, lower sodium soups from Campbell’s and Progresso, and Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop popcorn. For great ways on switching out those high sodium foods with lower salt versions, visit delmonte.com/solutions/recipeTools.aspx for delicious recipes.

Your heart will gleam with lycopene
Tomatoes contain lycopene, a leading ingredient in reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies indicate that canned tomato products may be even better than their fresh counterparts,  so go ahead and use that can of spaghetti sauce. In fact, research finds that lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body once processed into juice, sauce, paste and ketchup.

Get moving
Statistics show that 1.3 million people will have a new or recurrent heart attack in 2009 according to the American Heart Association, and one major contributor is a lack of daily exercise. Tired of your old routine or going to the gym? Sign up for a fun salsa, ballroom or meringue dance class at a local community center. You’ll get your blood moving, heart pumping and have fun with friends and others while you’re doing it.

Snuff out the smoke
Quitting smoking is an important and necessary life change to dramatically lowering your risk of a heart attack. Smokers have more than twice the risk of suffering a heart attack as non-smokers and are more likely to die from a heart-related illness.

For more heart-healthy tips visit http://delmonte.com/solutions or the American Heart Association at www.heartcheckmark.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent