Imbalanced Digestive System

“As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself.” Adelle Davis

The digestive system is the root of health. The common philosophy amongst most natural health practitioners is that you are only as healthy as your digestive system is. This is because without proper nutrients no cell, organ, gland or system can do its job properly. It takes strong digestion to break down the essential fats, minerals, proteins and other substances critical for a healthy functioning body. Most people have limited knowledge about digestion and many are unknowingly ruining their digestion on a daily basis. This can lead to serious health consequences. We need to improve digestion because no matter what you eat, but if you are not able to digest food, it really doesn’t matter if you eat good food; you will get sick and gain weight.

In Chinese medicine, there is a focus on what are known as the 5 Elements: Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire. These five elements are used to explain how the body progresses from one state into another. The Earth element, or our digestive force, is the foundation of the Five Element system. According to Dr. Jing, in order to have a healthy body, it is essential to first take care of digestive function. To improve digestive function, it is essential to strengthen the Earth element. Besides weak digestion, people with a weak Earth Element often overwork, worry, crave sweets, and have a proclivity to gain weight.