Eliminate gas, bloating, and heartburn for good with these simple steps

by PF Louis 

(NaturalNews) Gas can be part of a normal digestive process. In that case, the small amount of gas is absorbed into the bloodstream and exhaled. When excess gas accumulates, there can be problems.

Gas that accumulates excessively in the large intestine is released as flatulence. A little is not unusual. But excessive flatulence indicates a large bacterial overgrowth or colony that is overwhelming the normal intestinal flora balance of 80/20 probiotic or friendly bacteria to pathogenic bacteria and their waste.

Excess gas trapped in the small intestine has nowhere to go, so it causes bloating, stomach discomfort or pain, or cramps. This small intestine overgrowth of bad bacteria over good bacteria can lead to Candida. It can also indicate there is some fermentation occurring from undigested or partially digested food.

This is most common among heavy meat eaters, according to Arnold Ehret, author of the original Mucusless Diet Healing System first published several decades ago.

Following the 80/20 principle

Donna Gates, author of The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity recommends maintaining the 80/20 intestinal flora balance by consuming probiotic supplements and/or fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kim-chi, miso, and homemade kefirs. 

Donna also transfers the 80/20 ideal intestinal flora ratio to various food balancing recommendations. The first involves quantity. You should eat enough to fill your stomach to 80 percent capacity while leaving 20 percent empty.

You've overeaten if you go beyond that, and that results in poor digestion and gas. Learn your body's signal for letting you know you've eaten enough. It may take some trial and error since most of us have been conditioned to fill up.

Another 80/20 rule is to ensure 80 percent of your meal is greens or other vegetables while the remaining 20 percent of that plate goes to the complete proteins of meat, fish, eggs, or in lieu of animal products, grains. Grains and proteins should not be combined, according to Gates.

Most nutritional experts also advise against mixing fruit with carbohydrates and proteins. Fruit or fruit juice should be consumed alone.

This last recommendation helps maintain the 80/20 ratio of alkaline yielding to acid yielding foods. None of these should be processed foods. Whole organic foods are optimum, while at least avoiding the "dirty dozen" of heavily sprayed non-organic produce is a must. (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/)

Although Donna Gates discourages drinking fluids with meals, a little water spiked with lemon or lime adds to your alkaline yielding consumption. Apple cider vinegar in water adds to your stomach acid production but converts to yielding alkaline in your blood.

Note: Some citrus foods categorized as acidic wind up yielding alkalinity into your bloodstream as they are metabolized by your pH buffering system. Other foods categorized as acidic, like coffee and meat, wind up yielding acidic no matter what.

Enter the enzymes

Enzymes are vital to food digestion and nutrient absorption. Chewing slowly and more produces enzymes in the saliva. Eating is not the right time to indulge in stressful thinking or conversation either. Stress reduces enzyme production and alkalinity.

Raw, unprocessed foods have their own enzymes within them. But most of the time cooked foods are eaten. Steaming veggies helps maintain some enzyme content, but a big healthy salad is the easiest way to have raw veggies.

Juicing veggies with a slow speed masticating juicer provides a plethora of nutrients with enzymes fully intact. But most of us will need a full spectrum digestive enzyme to supplement our meals.

A nice stroll after eating also helps your digestion. You may also want to look into food combining. (Source below, Food combining)