1. Digestive enzymes: When you eat a meal, various enzymes help break the food into individual nutrients – fiber, fat, and protein – that your body needs.

As you grow older, though, you produce fewer digestive enzymes. Many patients report feeling bloated and uncomfortable after eating – a key symptom that they are low on digestive enzymes.

The three most important digestive enzymes are lipase, which helps digest fat, amylase, which targets carbohydrates, and protease, for protein.

These and other enzymes help make digestion more efficient. And that means you are more likely to absorb the healthy substances in your food and supplements.

There are lots of different digestive enzyme formulas on the market. I suggest trying several different ones to see which works best for you.

2. Betaine, hydrochloric acid (HCI), and pepsin: The body produces hydrochloric acid (HCI), which in turn helps create a substance known as pepsin.

Pepsin makes it easier to digest protein. But aging reduces the amount of pepsin you produce, so supplements are recommended. I suggest taking one pepsin supplement with each meal. (Note: Individuals with stomach or duodenal ulcers should not take these supplements.)

In addition to improving digestion, betaine has also been shown to be important in fighting inflammation, one of the most health-damaging – and common – conditions, implicated in everything from heart disease and cancer to accelerated aging.

3. Probiotics: These beneficial bacteria are turning out to be one of the most important elements in health. Here are just a few of the good things we get from probiotics:

• Healthy digestion and elimination
• Help with weight management
• Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Strong immune system
• Fewer allergies
• Better mood and brain functions
• Increased longevity
• Reduced likelihood of cancer

Probiotics are part of a normal, healthy digestive tract. But the Standard American Diet (SAD) and the practice of overusing antibiotics have killed off probiotic populations in millions of people.

If you’re thinking you’ll just eat some yogurt and the problem will be solved, I have bad news. While probiotics are in many fermented foods, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, and buttermilk, there’s no way to tell how many probiotics these foods contain.

Remember, too, that supermarket yogurt contains lots of sugar and very few probiotics. That’s why supplements are the best way to make sure you’re getting the correct dosage. I recommend products containing a blend of different types of organisms, with at least 10 billion probiotics per dose.

4. Green foods: Here’s another way the Standard American Diet (SAD) has harmed your digestive and overall health – by promoting acidosis. When acidosis is allowed to run rampant, it attacks the body’s tissues and organs, causing inflammation, lesions, and hardening of organ tissues, among other things.

Eating prepared and processed foods while living a stressful, sedentary lifestyle in our polluted environment makes acidosis a very real threat.

Unfortunately, conventional medicine rarely considers acidosis, even though it can weaken the immune system, hasten the aging process, and soften your teeth and bones.

It’s easy to find out if you’re overly acidic. Simply purchase some pH testing strips at the local pharmacy and follow the instructions provided. Combatting acidosis is fairly simple; just eat more fruits and veggies, especially greens.

Nearly all fruits and vegetables – except tomatoes, cranberries, and blueberries – are alkaline (the opposite of acidic), so they’re ideal for correcting the condition. Greens supplements are also available, for those who find eating right to be a real challenge.

If your digestion is a bit off these days, over-the-counter and prescription antacids might mask the symptoms, but they are not going to solve the problem.

To get the most from your food and nutrients, look into the natural solutions listed here. Your stomach will feel better, and your overall health will get a big boost in the right direction.

Thrive in Health & Wellness,

Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.

Kale and White Bean Stew
Serves 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

With fall on the horizon, this simple stew is a nutritious way to celebrate the change of seasons. Feel free to add your favorite fresh or dried herbs to the stew. My family especially likes it with basil, oregano, and a little rosemary. And save the leftovers. This is one dish that is more flavorful reheated the next day.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons organic, extra-virgin olive oil
1 purple onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
Freshly ground pepper
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, juice reserved
½ pound small red potatoes, washed and diced
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into small bits
Celtic, sea, or Lite salt
½ cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
Directions:

1. In a large pan over medium het, warm olive oil. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
2. Turn heat up to medium-high and add tomatoes with the juice. Stir while cooking for about 3 minutes. The mixture should be starting to brown.
3. Add 6 cups of water, potatoes, and beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
4. Stir in kale, and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and lightly sprinkle with Asiago cheese before serving.

Blast hurts 2 at Guam Hilton; brief evacuation
Published: September 26, 2013 Updated 15 hours ago

HAGATNA, GUAM — An explosion at a Guam resort on Thursday night hurt two people and led to a four-hour evacuation of about 650 guests.

Guam police Sgt. Elizabeth Flickinger said early Friday local time that a single explosion struck near an outdoor bar at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa in the popular tourist area of Tumon Bay.

Two people were taken to a hospital with “minor superficial wounds and burning,” treated and released, Flickinger said.

Hospital officials referred questions to police.

Flickinger said FBI officials are assessing the cause of the blast. Homeland Security and Civil Defense officials for the territory were also at the scene.

“There was the odor of gas in the air,” Flickinger said.

Hotel spokeswoman Crystal Sablan said all guests in all buildings were evacuated, then allowed to return after being given an all-clear by authorities.

Flickinger said the entire hotel was searched for bombs by canine units, then cleared.

About four hours after the blast, hotel guests milled about in its lobby while yellow caution tape cordoned off the entrance to the Tree Bar. Some guests went up and down in the hotel’s elevators, and a small cafe in the hotel was open. Tour agents in aloha shirts waited for guests to arrive.

Ayaka Mita, an intern for the hotel who helped communicate with Japanese tourists who didn’t speak English, said she was telling guests who asked about the situation “that the alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate.”

The blast happened near a koi pond near the hotel’s Tree Bar, which overlooks the hotel’s gardens and features fire dancers as nightly entertainment. The hotel has been undergoing recent construction.

An explosion at a Guam resort on Thursday night hurt two people and led to a four-hour evacuation of about 650 guests.

Guam police Sgt. Elizabeth Flickinger said early Friday local time that a single explosion struck near an outdoor bar at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa in the popular tourist area of Tumon Bay.

Two people were taken to a hospital with “minor superficial wounds and burning,” treated and released, Flickinger said.

Hospital officials referred questions to police.

Flickinger said FBI officials are assessing the cause of the blast. Homeland Security and Civil Defense officials for the territory were also at the scene.

“There was the odor of gas in the air,” Flickinger said.

Hotel spokeswoman Crystal Sablan said all guests in all buildings were evacuated, then allowed to return after being given an all-clear by authorities.

Flickinger said the entire hotel was searched for bombs by canine units, then cleared.

About four hours after the blast, hotel guests milled about in its lobby while yellow caution tape cordoned off the entrance to the Tree Bar. Some guests went up and down in the hotel’s elevators, and a small cafe in the hotel was open. Tour agents in aloha shirts waited for guests to arrive.

Ayaka Mita, an intern for the hotel who helped communicate with Japanese tourists who didn’t speak English, said she was telling guests who asked about the situation “that the alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate.”

The blast happened near a koi pond near the hotel’s Tree Bar, which overlooks the hotel’s gardens and features fire dancers as nightly entertainment. The hotel has been undergoing recent construction.