It’s the first day of the new semester at the acupuncture school where I teach a nutrition class. As I launch into a review of how the digestive system works, a question comes from the back of the room. “Is it really possible to have good digestion? Doesn’t everybody have some sort of little problem like some bloating or gas or reflux? Is this stuff actually fixable?” For an undetectable moment I am knocked for a loop. I have to take a breath and regroup. Yes, I realize, most people really do think that chronic annoying digestive symptoms are something we just have to live with. After all, this is the most common complaint, other than respiratory infections, for which people visit the doctor. But other than an antacid or a prescription for Prozac, we aren’t given any effective course of treatment. What gives?
Well, what gives is that very few doctors, even gastro-enterologists who are supposedly specialists in this area, know how to repair a malfunctioning digestive system. Most people are completely confused about this. What to eat? What supplements to take? Enzymes, probiotics, herbs? There is so much confusing information it boggles the mind.
So I answered my student with a clear, unequivocal yes! Yes, it is absolutely possible to fix these myriad digestive problems, and it’s not that difficult. So we’re going to spend the first six or so weeks of this class learning just how to do that. Having said that, we settled down to work, and in the back of my mind I decided to include all of you out there in the blog sphere in this series of talks about how to get your digestive system really working well. Stay tuned, I’ll try to keep you right up with the class……
