I promise I am still alive.
As my practice continues to grow, I am giving far more time to clients and larger nutritional projects, and less time here. I am so sorry! I have never been one to halfway write something, so when it comes to “popping in” to say hello, it has never been my thing. However, I am going to try it!
If you are a client of mine, you know how much I stress the utmost importance of the proper and optimal functioning of our digestive system. Most of us do not think about food beyond the taste, flavor, and Nutrition Facts, or labels. In fact, many individuals are so far removed from understanding how their digestive systems should function in response to food, they come to expect indigestion, heart burn, reflux, gas, bloat, and constipation as the norm.
I have exciting news for those that do. While those things may seem “normal” in this day and age, those symptoms are all side effects of improper digestion and poor food choices and combinations and can be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.
We are a society of plenty. For most of us, “food” comes to us without struggle. Regardless of whether it is an apple from the market or street vendor, or a burger from a fast food joint or a steakhouse, there is no shortage of “food-like” substances being ingested.
But where does it all go?
Without our food sitting right out in front of us, how easy is it to forget that what goes in, must go… somewhere?
I recently traveled to Sea World in San Antonio, where, behind the scenes, I had the unique pleasure of meeting two snakes, (yes… snakes) Bud, and Mellow. I am not really a fan of snakes per se, but I seem rather brave in comparison to when I meet a spider, however small. Bred in captivity, Mellow was a gorgeous yellow albino python. An albino snake of her color would never had made it in the wild, as she would have no way of blending in with her environment. So in that sense, I was not opposed to her captivity. Her owners were very passionate about her well-being.
What’s my point?
Leave it to me and my family to ask about the digestive process of snakes.
And here is what we learned…
- Mellow is fed every 10-14 days.
- She is fed a football sized “meal” (we will leave it at that) appropriate to what she would eat in the wild.
- After she has “eaten,” she is not brought out and handled for the first two-three days following.
- Why? Because during this phase, she is seeking out a quiet and safe place to allow her food to start to become digested.
- During this time she is “slower,” and agitates easily.
- She has less energy.
- She is not as fast (i.e. she would not be able to quickly make an exit, and therefore could feel threatened).
Get where I am going with this?
Out in the wild, Mellow would not be hunting down new meals, but rather safely resting out of view, to avoid becoming someone else’s meal.
- After this initial phase, Mellow’s food begins to make it’s way to the actual digestive process. Her body will process everything, fur, bones and all. Ick.
How do her caregivers know when she is ready for her next meal?
She poops.
Yes. Snakes poop also.
Call me crazy, it is not often I think about snakes (they are just not my thing) but here is what I want to be on your mind:
How often do you wait until you are actually hungry, before eating?
Do you ever eat and find you become sluggish, and irritable? Perhaps, you get headaches… or feel bloated and gassy.
Our small and large intestine are a winding 25-30 feet long! Food has a long way to travel, and many of us are not only eating 3+ meals a day, but eating foods that are unfit for our consumption and then only visiting the bathroom perhaps once a day, if lucky.
No wonder we have so many problems, and we suck down caffeinated beverages, and rely on other stimulants for energy. Our body has an endless supply of energy zapping, digestive processes to work on!
Forget about gas and bloating, when you learn to enhance digestion many health issues will become non-issues, not to mention your energy will SOAR!
Want to know how? Feel free to email me for a private consultation. Lauren@theglowdetoxdiet.com.
Thanks Sea World, for allowing me to turn an interesting experience, into a digestive friendly blog post.
And for the record, if I were Mellow, I would prefer a different name.
Perhaps, Sunshine.
