If you are an adult in the US, chances are good that you may have a quiet, sneaky disease lurking inside of you and you have no clue that there’s a problem.

This disease often doesn’t cause symptoms.  But lo and behold, when it does, there will be no doubt in your mind that something is seriously wrong.

I’m talking about diverticular disease.  

Diverticular disease is the umbrella term used to describe the conditions diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

Here’s the scoop on both of those, and how you can help prevent your number from coming up in the diverticular disease lottery.

Rates of diverticulosis are exploding!

Diverticulosis is the presence of little pea-sized pouches (called diverticula) that protrude out from your intestinal wall. 

They look like this:

It’s estimated that about 35 percent of people under the age of 50 and nearly 60 percent of the population over 60 years old have diverticulosis. 

These diverticula pouches are “silent”—meaning they usually don’t cause symptoms.  That’s why most people with diverticulosis don’t even know they have it.  Many are shocked to find out they have the condition when they go for a routine colonoscopy.

Things may change dramatically, however, if your innocent little diverticula become infected—a condition known as diverticulitis.  Then your world comes crashing down.

With diverticulitis you are likely facing intense abdominal pain along with fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and rectal bleeding, and are likely unable to function.

It used to be unheard of!

Although diverticulosis is rather common nowadays, that wasn’t always the case.  As a matter of fact, prior to 1917 it was virtually unheard of!

“So what changed?” you may ask.

Our diets, that’s what.

Cases of diverticulosis started popping up a few years after the world was introduced to processed foods in 1915. 

As we became increasingly reliant on these foods and shifted away from wholesome real foods, our digestion started going out the window because processed foods are VERY difficult to digest, and they lack natural fiber.

Difficult digestion + lack of fiber = CONSTIPATION.

Straining to have a bowel movement when you’re constipated is a significant contributing factor to diverticulosis—because having to exert serious pressure whenever Nature calls can eventually weaken the intestinal wall.

Also playing a role are these factors:

• Overweight and obesity—which now describes nearly 70 percent of us
• Stress—and who isn’t stressed these days?
• Poor eating habits—skipping meals, then binging or overeating
• Lack of exercise—and we’ve got no shortage of “I can’t exercise because_____” excuse-makers
• Prescription drug use—especially opiates, steroids and NSAIDS—and these are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs

So is it any wonder our intestinal walls are blowing out?

Diverticulitis is increasing too!

Not only are a good number of us hosts to diverticulosis, but diverticulitis (infections in the diverticula pouches) is on the rise too.

The overall incidence of diverticulitis, with or without hospitalization, has increased by over 50 percent over the last 23 years.

Plus the disease is being seen in younger and younger people, which should be no surprise since poor diets and obesity rates in kids are skyrocketing too.

Once you’ve crossed into the land of diverticulitis, things look less and less rosy. 

The typical treatment options are antibiotics (which disrupt your microbiome, eventually making the situation even worse—not better); partial bowel resection (cutting out the diseased portions of your intestines); or full bowel resection with a colostomy (which might not be reversible, leaving you irrigating and pooping into a bag for the rest of your life).

Better ingredients = Better digestion

The good news here is that you can help turn your digestive health around, even if you’re already suffering from diverticulosis or diverticulitis. 

It’s never too late to start to feel better!

Here are the best steps you can take:

Eat actual “foods” & make your body’s job easier

Please, please do your body a favor and stay away from processed and fast foods, as well as refined carbohydrates and sugars.  Foods like this invite constipation, feed harmful yeasts in your gut and throw off your microbiome balance. 

Stick to real foods like fresh fruits, vegetables (other than corn and potatoes), meats, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and good healthy fats like olive oil, real butter (never, EVER margarine), avocado and coconut oil.

It’s also important to structure your meals so they are less taxing on your GI tract by pairing foods together that your system can break down more efficiently.  When you make your body’s digestive job easier, the end result (your BMs) can go along a lot easier too!

My Great Taste No Pain health system will show you everything you need to know!

Great Taste No Pain teaches you what foods “play nice” together in your system, and what combinations to avoid.  So you can help pave the way for easy, breezy digestion and regular BMs!

Support and rebuild your friendly gut inhabitants

The average person who eats a typical modern diet is seriously destroying their friendly gut flora.  Poor digestion and a high concentration of refined carbs creates an intestinal environment that favors harmful bacteria—and your microbiome’s army of helpful bacteria suffers.

And if you add in the possibilities of stress, medication use, exposure to environmental toxins or past or present use of antibiotics (which ALL harm your gut bacteria), chances are great most people have some degree of harmful bacteria overgrowth (dysbiosis).

Not only can this hamper your digestion and immune system functioning, but having a large population of harmful bacteria festering in your intestinal tract is a perfect way to trigger a diverticulitis attack.

That's why an outstanding potent probiotic supplement like Super Shield PLUS is so helpful for so many people.

Super Shield PLUS is a 20 billion CFU, 15-strain powerhouse formula that helps repair even the most distressed microbiome environment and assists in bringing your intestinal bacteria to a more healthful balance. 

Get some sweating going on

Lacking exercise is a major factor in diverticulosis, so here is yet another reason to get sweating.

Even brisk walking is beneficial, and practically anyone can do that!

No more excuses!  Get going now.

Explore natural anti-inflammatory options

As you saw above, the drugs that most commonly contribute to diverticulosis are anti-inflammatories and pain relievers!

If you find yourself taking these drugs on more than an occasional basis, it’s time to talk to your doctor about natural alternatives like fish oil.

The Omega-3 fats in fish oil have been proven to help reduce pain and inflammation, as well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, among other things.

And our VitalMega-3 fish oil formula has been helping reduce inflammation for our clients since 2009! 

I personally take it every night to help keep inflammation low from my MMA sparring and running!

A few simple changes can make a big difference

It can make a dramatic difference in how you feel when you take just a few simple steps to help your body accomplish digestion and counteract factors that impact your health!

A whole new world of feeling good, having more energy and saying goodbye to diverticulosis and diverticulitis can soon become your reality!

See what a difference it can make for you—you’ll never regret it.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia