It's been said that “death begins in the colon.”

You might shrug those words off saying, "Not everyone dies from colon cancer or some bowel disease, you know."

True enough. 

But when you consider that your intestinal tract affects EVERY SINGLE CELL in your body (and there are trillions of them), those words take on a new meaning.

And the level of health in your intestinal tract truly does either save your life or kill you.

Here’s why:

Three life-saving jobs

Your intestinal tract has three major life-saving responsibilities:

1- Absorb nutrients

2- Eliminate wastes

3- House the majority of your immune system

Each of those functions affects you from head to toe, and if your intestinal tract is slipping in any of those areas, it’s not a matter of if but merely when will you get sick…and how serious will it be.

Let’s take a closer look at each of those:

Nutrient absorption

The functioning of every cell, tissue and organ in your body is dependent on nutrients. 

So if your intestinal tract is not carrying out that job so well, your body will begin to break down.  Most sicknesses and diseases have nutrient deficiencies as a primary root cause—not just the obvious well-known ones like scurvy, rickets and osteoporosis.

For example, lacking in certain B vitamins and/or essential fatty acids increases your heart disease risk.

Your brain also needs B vitamins and essential fatty acids.

Deficiencies in vitamins C, D and E as well as zinc can impair your immune system functioning.

Lacking antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and lipoic acid can cause free radicals to spiral out of control in your body, setting the stage for cancer, heart disease, stroke and premature aging.

And those are just a drop in the bucket!

Waste elimination

Your BMs are so much more than the unusable portion of your foods!

Your body also eliminates excess cholesterol, old worn out hormones, viruses, harmful bacteria and other toxins through the “escorting services” of your BMs.

So if your intestinal tract is lax in this area, you can get in trouble with things like elevated cholesterol levels, increased risk of hormone-dependent cancers and autointoxication (where viruses and toxins are absorbed into your bloodstream).

Plus having a lengthy bowel transit time (meaning your feces hangs around inside you WAY longer than it should) sets the stage for harmful bacteria overgrowth which can contribute to leaky gut, impair nutrient absorption, weaken your immune functioning and may even trigger flare-ups of diverticulosis and diverticulitis. 

Immune housing

Although your immune system is all over your body, about 70-80 percent of it is housed in your gut.

Your immune system protects you from EVERYTHING--not just colds, infections, flu and viruses, but also cancer!

4 Steps to a healthy gut

Now that you see all that your humble intestinal tract does for you, it’s crucial to make sure yours is in tip-top shape!

Here are 4 very effective steps to YOUR healthy gut:

1- Remove the bad stuff

Remove, reduce and avoid things that can harm your gut environment, such as:

• Foods that you are sensitive or allergic to
• Cigarette smoke
• Soda
• Excessive alcohol (especially beer)
• Refined carbs and sugars
• Processed and fast food
• Antibiotics
• Acid reducing medications
• Regularly lacking sleep
• Stress

2- Support the helpful good guys

This involves replacing and supporting your supply of beneficial intestinal bacteria, and this is done with a full-spectrum probiotic supplement like Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula.

Contrary to what you may think, your friendly intestinal inhabitants are not “permanent residents”—they only “vacation” inside of you for about 12 days.  So it’s crucial to make sure you consistently replenish your supply of troops in your protective intestinal army.

Having a strong population of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome helps prevent gas, bloating and constipation, as well as supporting proper nutrient absorption and strong immune function.

Plus 90 percent of your body’s serotonin is produced in your gut—so if your intestinal tract is not functioning as it should be, you may be at an increased risk of depression.

3- Dietary reinforcement

Reinforcing a healthy intestinal environment means nourishing your microbiome with gut-loving foods like fresh vegetables and fermented foods.

“Fermented foods” includes sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir (a fermented milk drink that tastes like drinkable yogurt), kimchi (Korean fermented cabbage), and kombucha (a tangy tea-based drink).

Note that soy-based products like tempeh and miso are also fermented foods, but I hesitate to recommend soy because most of the soy grown in the US is now genetically modified.

4- Repair the damage

Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been shown to help support intestinal health and counteract inflammation in all areas of the body. 

Omega-3 EFAs are abundant in fatty fish, but since fish is not a regular part of most people’s diets, fish oil supplements like VitalMega-3 are a convenient way to get the Omega-3 EFAs your body so desperately needs.

See what a difference it can make in how you feel when you support strong gut health.

And I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that, “LIFE begins in the colon.”

To your health,

Sherry Brescia