The most common causes of gastrointestinal problems are low fiber diet, lack of exercise and taking antacid medications containing calcium carbonate or aluminum.

Naturally there are other factors that feed your gastrointestinal problems as well. Living in a high stress environment, eating dairy products and taking antidepressants, narcotics and even iron pills can keep your gastrointestinal problems aflame.

It never ceases to amaze me how many complications and symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems and disorders, which have common causes.

It seems modern medicine over looks some of the most obvious things just because they assume you need a different drug for every different symptom.

Did you know that by balancing your internal environment that your cells live in can eliminate the risk of almost every disease known?

It’s true. For example the bacteria Helicobacter pylori can’t thrive in healthy tissue . . .

Helicobacter pylori is found in gastritis and ulcerations as well as other gastrointestinal problems, but that’s not the only bacteria that thrives in an unhealthy environment . . . all harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites crave the same environment.

If you suffer from gastrointestinal problems you may want to look at the health of your cells rather than just attacking the bugs.

Imagine if you didn’t need a different drug for each bug.

Truth is you don’t and if your gastrointestinal problem isn’t just a case of poor food mixing or simple overindulgence, then you probably caught a bug.

Whatever gastrointestinal problem is bugging you; if it’s a flu bug or maybe a case of salmonella or even E. coli . . . perhaps it’s a cold virus or a nasty case of Candida albicans (yeast infection). No matter what you call it, it is causing your particular gastrointestinal problem because the cellular health inside your gut has been weakened.

These bugs only attack weakened cells.

A weakened cell is a cell that has lost its vital energy, it’s dropped its shields which invites invaders like bacteria, viruses and parasites to attack.

A natural solution to your gastrointestinal problem is to focus on removing whatever conditions the bad bugs thrive in and replace it with a healthy condition that only good bugs need to grow.

Did you know last week the FDA finally released the very first report revealing the amount of antimicrobial drugs sold and distributed for use in food animals?

The massive total for 2009 is 28.8 million pounds . . . plus more than 7 million pounds of anti-biotics were used on humans in the same time frame.

Those anti-biotics kill both the good bugs and the bad bugs. Sad thing is . . . the bad bugs mutate and build-up resistance to these drugs.

The good bugs are the probiotics and homeostatic soil organisms your gastrointestinal system needs to stay healthy.

It should be no surprise then if I told you millions of people with gastrointestinal problems are suffering from anti-biotic over-kill.

Remove the cause of your gastrointestinal problem before you start experimenting with more drugs. The information is out there, you simply have to want to know the truth and it will reveal itself to you.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate

P.S. Food for thought: Anti-biotic means anti-life, where as pro-biotic is for life.

Heartburn is a common complaint in today’s fast-paced, fast food world.? The feeling of burning in your upper stomach, perhaps in your throat…the tightness in your chest or even trouble swallowing…all can be symptoms of heartburn. When the acid pumps in your stomach are overactive, it starts to erode the esophagus, which is responsible for keeping acid down in the stomach. Esophagitis can occur, where there are tiny fissures (or tears) in the lining of the esophagus, and other more serious ailments can be caused if this condition is left untreated for a long period of time. Treatments for heartburn vary widely, from homeopathic remedies to prescription medication and even surgery, so first of all, see your doctor if your heartburn persists for more than a few weeks.

If your doctor okays, it you can try lifestyle changes first, including switching your diet away from fatty meals and acid-producers, such as alcohol and coffee. Maintaining a healthy weight is another way to combat heartburn naturally, so limiting fatty foods might have two benefits in your lifestyle. Other tricks include eating smaller, more frequent meals, and even elevating your head a couple of inches when you sleep can help keep acid down in your stomach where it belongs. Other specific food culprits that you might want to avoid include chocolate, tomato and tomato-based products, citrus fruits, fried foods, and pepper. Also, try staying hydrated. Eight glasses of water a day is not only good for your whole body, but it can help your body naturally dilute strong stomach acid and give your esophagus a break.

Other treatments for heartburn include over-the-counter medications, including Pepcid and Zantac. These work by decreasing the amount of stomach acid produced and are effective remedies against gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD), where acid from the stomach actually makes it past the esophagus into the throat. Other OTC remedies include antacids, which neutralize stomach acid. Brands include Tagamet and TUMS.? However, these medications are not meant as a permanent solution and should not be taken for more than two weeks, unless otherwise advised by your physician.

Prescription treatments for heartburn can include proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which stop the release of acid in the stomach; this class is frequently prescribed as well for GERD sufferers. Another class of prescription medication is a promotilty agent, which helps patients who have slowed emptying of their stomach.? These medicineshelp hasten digestion, and are often effective against sufferers of GERD.? Prescription medications can often be pricey, and sometimes taking a pill every day for the rest of your life is not the most appealing option.

In that case, there are a number of natural methods for combating this problem on your own. Homeopathic treatments for heartburn include lifestyle changes, as mentioned above, and supplements like calcium carbonate to quell acid, and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), which can be found in a natural foods or supplements store. This latter product has inflammatory properties, and lines the stomach, intestines and esophagus, forming a barrier between tissue and acid. Fresh ginger can help some sufferers, which you grind up and add to foods or drinks like herbal tea. Chamomile tea is another good one to try, along with licorice root.

For further treatment ideas, the Reflux Remedy Report contains a host of natural ideas.? Visit their Web site at www.refluxremedy.com.