The Amazing Brenda Watson

I was watching PBS, the Public Broadcasting Channel, on TV the other day when a truly informative program came on as a part of the channel's fund raising effort. A woman named Brenda Watson was talking about the importance of having a healthy digestive system and how that reduced the instances of other chronic health problems. Her program is called H.O.P.E.

On the PBS program Brenda toured the digestive system explaining exactly how it worked. Digestion of starches begin in our mouths when we first start thinking about food and when we chew our food. As our food travels down our throat and esophagus it enters the stomach where hydrochloric acid is produced to break down and digest our food . If we do not produce enough hydrochloric acid a muscle in the esophagus does not close and the churning of the food and acid in our stomach is thrown back up into the esophagus causing symptoms that we call acid reflux and heartburn. The problem is that we treat these symptoms with antacids and if we do this over a long period of time we will create an alkaline stomach incapable of breaking down foods. Instead of treating the symptoms we can correct the problem, Brenda says, by eating some acidic foods like Sauer kraut or pickles or taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day to increase our production of hydrochloric acid. We can even take hydrochloric acid supplements.

After our food has been in our stomachs for several hours it goes into the small intestine. The small intestine has a mucous lining. The tiniest particles of digested food get through this lining and into our blood stream. Larger particles of food that are not broken down enough in the small intestine to enter the blood stream then go into the large intestine to be eliminated eventually as a bowel movement.

She said so much more about the importance of the health of the mucous lining in the small intestine and the importance of probiotics in keeping the good bacteria in the intestines a majority over the bad bacteria. Please go to amazon.com and get her book. Amazon has an in house search at the top of their page. Click on Health, Mind and Body and type in Brenda Watson and all of her books will come up.

As mentioned earlier, her program is called H.O.P.E.

H is for high fiber
O is for omega 3 fatty acids
P is for probiotics
E is for digestive enzymes

Here are some excerpts from her website:

On the importance of a high fiber diet:

"Because the majority of Americans consume less than half of the doctor-recommended 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day, taking a dietary fiber supplement is often incredibly beneficial. In addition to its role in disease prevention and healthy weight management, fiber can also help support healthy bowel elimination. To understand how, let’s look at the two different types of fiber. Soluble fiber (found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains) dissolves and breaks down in water, acting like a sponge and soaking up toxins as it passes through your gastrointestinal tract. Insoluble fiber (found in dried beans, whole grains and seeds) is not water soluble. Instead, it passes through your gastrointestinal tract almost intact, sweeping away toxins in the bowel as it encounters them. For these reasons, you should look for a supplement that contains a blend of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber is also a powerful weight loss tool. Consumed daily, fiber can help manage your hunger and slow down the rate at which your body converts carbohydrates into sugar. In addition, fiber helps eliminate calories from the foods you eat by blocking the absorption of calories and leading those calories out of the body."

On the importance of omega 3 fatty acids in our diet:
"A daily oil supplement may also promote healthy bowel function. Essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats help keep the mucous membranes in the digestive tract moist and lubricated, which in turn helps ease elimination. Though not considered essential (as the body can produce limited amounts on its own) Omega-9 fats are also beneficial.

Indeed, recent studies have shown that in addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, Omega-3 oils help nourish the active tissues in the body, including those in the brain, heart, eyes and kidneys. Such oils—found predominantly in cold-water fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines and salmon—have been shown also to support healthy immune, circulatory and nervous system function, as well as a healthy metabolism and hormone balance. Yet, despite a growing database of evidence confirming their countless benefits, conventional medicine is still quick to dismiss the use of Omega-3s as a reliable treatment.

This is what Brenda had to say about probiotics:

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in your intestines, and only recently have scientists begun to discover their incredible benefits. Among the many functions they perform, these helpful bacteria support healthy immune function by effectively crowding out harmful pathogens (disease-causing organisms) in the digestive tract. Probiotics also help maintain healthy colon cells and promote bowel regularity.

Probiotics Help You To:

• Maintain healthy colon cells*

• Promote healthy immunity*

• Promote regularity*

• Promote detoxification of intestinal toxins*

• Manufacture digestive enzymes which help you digest food*
• Make use of nutrients, such as fiber, that would otherwise pass through the body undigested*
• Create an unfriendly environment for potentially harmful bacteria and yeast* "

On the importance of digestive enzymes in our diet:

"What are Enzymes? Enzymes are protein-based substances that are essential for every function in the human body including good digestion. In the digestive system, enzymes are the key to breaking down the foods we eat into the nutrients that feed our bodies. Enzymes break down foods by breaking apart the bonds that hold the nutrients together. Once the bonds are broken, tiny molecules can pass into the bloodstream where they are used as energy. If you do not have enough enzymes, the digestion of your food suffers, along with your digestive and overall health. Getting enough enzymes is one of the most important parts of the H.O.P.E. Formula.

Where do I Get Enzymes? Your body produces enzymes and, normally, enzymes are present in raw foods to assist with digestion. However, many foods are depleted of their natural enzymes through cooking and processing and, as we age, our enzyme production decreases. Without the essential enzymes needed for proper digestion, the body may not be able to efficiently break down those foods into the absorbable nutrients we all need to receive the benefit of the food we eat.

Plant enzymes are the best choice for indigestion or as a preventive measure to ensure complete digestion. It is important to get a supplement that has the 3 different enzymes that break down starches, dairy products and protein."

I would truly like to see all our cute kids and their parents have maximum health and I implore you to go to Brenda's website and to do a google search on Brenda Watson and read everything she has written about the digestive system and its importance in maintaining our over all health and avoiding chronic disease. A good place to get started is her pdf Getting Started Guide.

Originally posted on 8-6-08