DIGESTIVE HEALTH

We've all heard the old adage, "You are what you eat." I'd like to take that a step further to say that you are what you digest. There is so much information available about nutrition, some of it valid and some not. Yet with all the current health information we have access to, the topic of digestion is rarely discussed. In fact you almost never hear about it. Yet, it is so critical to good health. You can be eating the best diet and taking the most expensive supplements and if you are not digesting them effectively, you are no better off and could be headed for serious health problems.

What are the consequences of not digesting your food well? Poor digestion can cause a myriad of health concerns such as muscle cramps, heartburn, bloating, inability to heal, immune problems, chronic pain, mood swings and fatigue, to name a few.

With the obesity problem in this country escalating, many new diet programs have gained popularity. But how do you know which one is right for you? A program may help you lose weight initially, but is it really healthy for you? There are many factors that come into play such as genetics, lifestyle, age, gender and health history. Our comprehensive digestive analysis can determine if your current diet is healthy for you, how effectively you digest it and which organs or systems are stressed by it. This analysis consists of 3 main parts: Signs and Symptoms Survey, Homeostatic Challenge and Comprehensive 24-Hour Urinalysis.

Signs and Symptoms Survey
When accurately completed, this form gives information about many seemingly unrelated indicators that can be related to your current health challenges. For example: Are you aware that chronic shoulder pain can be due to a gall bladder problem or that reproductive problems can be related to fat digestion? This survey can pull together issues about your health status that might otherwise go overlooked.

Homeostatic Challenge.
Each digestive organ shares a common nerve supply with specific muscles. When an organ is stressed there is a contraction in the muscle which shares that organ's nerve supply. The Homeostatic Challenge test is done by evaluating a specific group of muscles while the patient has been fasting and then 45 minutes after the patient has eaten. By performing this physical exam before and after a meal, we find out how stressful digestion is on your body and which organs or systems are adversely affected.

Comprehensive 24-Hour Urinalysis
Testing urine has been a valuable tool for thousands of years. Up until the 1970's, the use of chemical tests for examining urine was a standard part of medical testing. Unfortunately, modern technology has taken precedence over these well established tests. Most procedures performed today are designed to be done quickly and to serve only as a screen for serious diseases. Many of these informative chemical urine tests were discarded when they couldn't be automated. Because they measure the maintenance of normal body processes, these tests are ideal for monitoring health. The 24-Hour Urinalysis helps us determine the price your body is paying to maintain balance with the diet you are consuming. It provides biochemical evidence of which foods your body is having difficulty digesting or assimilating.

This three-fold approach paints a very good picture of how your body is utilizing food. Correcting the imbalances found can be very instrumental in resolving health problems and preventing chronic disease.