Mark Twain had a famous saying: “To eat is human, to digest is divine.” That’s the premise of Dr. Steven Lamm’s new book, “No Guts, No Glory,” which promotes the idea that the key to wellness is how well we digest our food.
The prestigious New York-based internist and “house doctor” for TV’s “The View” is on a mission to get people back in touch with their guts and on the path to better digestion.
“I use the word ‘guts’ instead of stomach because the system of digestion involves every solid and hollow organ from the mouth to the anus,” he tells Newsmax Health. “It’s not just the gastrointestinal tract that does this magnificent work, but the liver and pancreas as well.”
More people visit their health care provider for some sort of gastrointestinal disorder than cancer and heart disease combined. In fact, says Dr. Lamm, the only thing more common than gut distress is the common cold.
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“The biggest factor in determining your overall health is taking care of the precious organ system that helps regulate your metabolism and keeps your immune system strong,” Dr. Lamm says. “Trouble in the gut is not only responsible for stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal maladies and inflammatory bowel disease but it’s also the root cause of obesity, arthritis, cancer, and even mental conditions including depression, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar disorder.”
Go Natural
In his book, Dr. Lamm outlines his “Gut-Smart” eating plan, a three- part holistic solution to problems caused by bad disgestion.
The first step is eating more natural, nutritious foods like raw fruits and vegetables, preferably organic.
“Don’t count calories, count the amount of nutrients you put into your body,” says Dr. Lamm. “We need macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fats, along with micronutrients. Eat as many raw, unprocessed foods as possible because they contain the active enzymes to help the body assimilate the nutrients.”
Particularly enzyme-rich foods include pineapples, mangos, grapes, avocados, raw honey, and unrefined oils. Try to find pesticide-free or organic foods. Avoid refined, high-glycemic foods like white bread, pasta, and pastries, which spike blood sugar and have little fiber.
Detoxify Your Gut
The next step is detoxification and the key player is the liver.
“It’s the largest organ of your body and the master cleanser of all harmful products that enter the system,” says Dr. Lamm, who is a faculty member at the New York University Medical Center. “One of the best ways to help detoxify the liver is by fasting or even modified fasting. Take one day a month and drink only fresh fruit juices. Another way is to eat only raw foods one day a week. Give your liver a break.”
Other detox strategies include adding more natural products to your home, ranging from furniture polish to shampoo, that don’t have a long list of chemical names on the label. Also, if you drink regularly, take a break from alcohol for a few days to allow your liver to detoxify.
Three Supplements for Good Digestion
Step three is restoring gut health with three supplements: enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics.
Dr. Lamm recommends taking broad-spectrum enzyme supplements before eating big meals – especially when you’re dining out and can’t control all the food choices.
Probiotic supplements are filled with beneficial species of active bacteria that help normalize a healthy gut. Many foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and kefir naturally contain good bacteria, but adding a daily probiotic supplement is a great insurance policy for your gut health.
Prebiotics are made of carbohydrate plant fibers and these encourage the good bacteria already living inside of you to thrive. They are naturally found in asparagus, garlic, tomatoes, and whole grains. When choosing a supplement, make sure the prebiotics say on the label that they encourage the growth of the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
“You can exercise, do yoga and do whatever else you think is necessary for wellness, but you cannot be healthy if you have lost the ability to absorb nutrients,” says Dr. Lamm. “Without a healthy gut you cannot be well.”
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