Going with your gut

I’ve coped with a sensitive digestive system for most of my life, and the more I talk with people about food and health, the more I realize I’m not alone. Heartburn, acid reflux, gas, stomach aches, irregularity -- most people experience one or more of these symptoms as a matter of daily living. It can be annoying, or downright debilitating.

How did our digestive systems become so touchy?

Part of the reason is simple: we’re eating foods that the human body was never designed to handle. For most of our evolutionary history, humans subsisted on roots, berries, nuts, and occasionally fish or game. Ten thousand years ago -- a blink of the eye in evolutionary terms -- agriculture was developed, and we began eating grains and drinking milk. Today, wheat and dairy are two of the most common food intolerances, a likely sign that human biology still hasn’t fully adapted to that change.

Fifty or so years ago, processed foods arrived on the scene. No one’s body was prepared to deal with chemically altered substances like hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, but luckily, these foods were only an occasional part of most people’s diets.

Not so anymore: in the past decade or two, processed food has begun to comprise the bulk of what we eat. And it’s no coincidence that our digestive troubles have increased correspondingly.

Other causes of poor digestion are harder to pin down. In my discussions with clients and in my personal experience, I’ve witnessed a strong emotional component. People often tell me that they can eat a particular food with no difficulty in some situations, but encounter problems in others. That makes sense: when you’re under stress, your body devotes fewer resources to digestion, so you’re more likely to experience gastrointestinal upset. And yes, that can happen even if you’re stressed on a level below the surface of your awareness.

In that way, your digestion functions as a warning sign that something about a situation is bothering you. There’s a reason they call it “gut instinct.” Your guts often sense something is wrong before you do. Lately, I’ve come to think of my chronic stomach aches as a blessing, not a curse. A way of understanding that goes beyond my conscious mind. A sixth sense, if you will.

The next time you experience digestive upset, try giving your body the benefit of the doubt. Assuming you’ve eaten unprocessed, real food that doesn’t ordinarily cause you problems, ask yourself: what’s really going on here?

Dear readers: Due to a change in my work schedule, I'll be posting a couple of times a week, instead of daily, from now on. (Gainful employment = a blogger's worst enemy!) Have a great weekend, and see you again soon!