Eating 101 with Luciano Pavarotti

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

~~ Luciano Pavarotti, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Leave it to Pavarotti to extol the virtues of eating. The legendary operatic tenor, who died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 71 in 2007, struggled with his weight throughout his life. His appetite for food was nearly as well-known as his ability to sing beautifully and effortlessly. It may be tempting to just dismiss this quote. Of course, it's something that an avowed glutton would say, right? However, his sentiment actually shows great insight into how we should ideally eat.

Eating nowadays is often just an afterthought. How did your breakfast go today? Did you wolf down an apple while driving to work? Nibble at a muffin and gulp coffee during the morning's meeting? How about lunch? A quick drive-thru meal? Or something eaten at the desk while trying to work on that project before the deadline? And dinner? Something thrown together or even microwaved quickly and quickly devoured while watching the evening news?

Unfortunately, the above scenarios are often the norm, rather than the exception. We don't sit down intentionally, relax, and fully concentrate on eating. Life in the 21st century is often hectic, and it seems like setting aside time to eat mindfully often falls lower and lower on the list of priorities. Yet it can be one of the most delightful experiences to "stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." Just sitting, enjoying good company in a relatively quiet environment, and deliberately savoring each bite of food can make an otherwise frantic day more handleable.

But beyond being merely pleasant, there is a more physiological reason why, when we eat, we should be so single-minded about it. Digestion ideally occurs when the body is at rest - in a state called the parasympathetic state. It's the exact opposite of the sympathetic state we all know as the "fight or flight" state. In fact, I prefer to think of it as the "rest and digest" state.

In a sympathetic state, our body is alert and primed for action of some sort. Breathing becomes deeper and quicker, the heart pounds, and blood is shunted to the muscles to provide oxygen, should we need to fight off that metaphorical saber-toothed tiger or run from danger. Or, to put it in modern terms, we enter this state when someone swerves in front of us and we slam on the brakes at the last minute to avoid an accident, or when our boss yells at us for missing that deadline. The body expends very little energy on digestion at this point, and any digestion that does occur is bound to be less effective. Considering that we derive all of our nutrition from the food that we eat and digest, it behooves us to avoid this sympathetic state.

Conversely, in a parasympathetic state, breathing slows down and becomes shallower, the heart relaxes, and blood becomes concentrated in the core of the body. The stomach is more prone to secreting acid to help digestion, and the liver and pancreas both tend to secrete more of their respective digestive juices, too. The intestines engage in more peristalsis - that is, they churn more effectively, making sure that the contents of the food we ate can be more readily absorbed. This enables us to get the most out of eating, nutritionally speaking.

So how do we most optimally get into this parasympathetic state and eat effectively? Here are some good ideas.

• Tonight, sit down at the dinner table and resist your usual routine of reading the newspaper, watching television, doing homework, or getting into negative emotional discussions. In other words, "stop whatever it is you are doing, and devote your attention to eating." Simply focus on enjoying the experience of nourishing yourself.
• Establish the habit of experiencing genuine gratitude for whatever the food or beverage is before you. Or, in simpler terms, say grace before each meal. Who are we to take for granted the bounty which surrounds us in our uniquely blessed culture? It is essential to feel your gratitude here, not to just think it fleetingly, for thoughts which we attach feeling to become emotions and emotions influence every cell of our being. (A good source of pre-meal blessings is John Robbins’ book May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World.)
• Notice your breathing as you reflect on your good fortune and begin to draw deep slow breaths from low in your abdomen, feeling your stomach relax as it rises and falls with each breath. Notice how this type of deep relaxed breathing feels inside.
• Notice the aroma of your food, and if you do not find it appealing, add your favorite natural herbs and spices to enhance its appeal. Be creative! You owe it to your soul to experience the dozens of delightful and healthful herbal and spice seasonings available in our culture’s diverse marketplace. Whole healthy foods can taste marvelous. Make the time to master this art. You will have no regrets.
• Place a reasonable amount of food on your plate, and if you are still hungry when you are done, wait five minutes. If you are still not satisfied inside on a gut level, you may then eat more.
• Throughout your meal, listen to your stomach – not just your taste buds – and do what it tells you. Notice when you are satisfied or when foods do not agree with you.
• Chew each bite 42 times and swallow it before you place more food in your mouth. Digestion of all food actually begins in the mouth where it is reduced to small enough particles for your digestive enzymes to get at and continue the process. Important salivary enzymes also begin their work here when provided the opportunity as per the above suggestions.
• Drink only pure water with your meals and only as necessary, between swallows of food – not with them. Excessive fluids may dilute valuable digestive enzymes, minimize chewing, and therefore serve to negate salivary digestion. The most disruptive beverages are those which are alkalizing (acid-neutralizing), such as milk, which can interfere with digestion in the stomach. Learn to satisfy your thirst between or before meals to minimize any possibility of interference during the meal.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by traditional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Gentian for Acid Reflux, GERD, and Heartburn

There seems to be a glut of well-known herbs brought to you by the letter G. Among them are garlic, gingko, goldenseal, and ginger (with the lone standout, echinacea, rounding out the top five). While I'm in practice and writing, I'll push for gentian to make it to the top five. (I don't think echinacea is going anywhere, so there won't be an herbal G-5 summit anytime soon.)

Gentian (with the taxonomic name Gentiana lutea) is one of the best herbs to support digestion. It enhances the body's natural actions, and doesn't work against them. In the act of digestion, the body normally secretes saliva in the mouth to begin digestion of carbohydrates (and to a lesser extent, proteins). Hydrochloric acid is then secreted in the stomach to further break down proteins. The body also secretes various digestive enzymes from the gall bladder (and by extension, the liver) and the pancreas to further assist in digestion of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. And finally, the stomach and intestines engage in peristalsis, or rhythmic movement, to ensure that every last bit of food comes in contact with digestive juices and has the best opportunity to be assimilated into the body. Gentian increases the body's secretion of digestive juices, and to some extent, also increases peristalsis. Having said this, it does not increase the risk of diarrhea unless you overdose. There is also a theory that when taken after meals, gentian actually (harmlessly) decreases peristalsis.

Millions of people deal not only with the scourge of heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), but also with chronic consumption of acid blockers and proton-pump inhibitors and the many potential diseases that could also be caused by them. Regular use of gentian could go a long way in decreasing the incidence and severity of these conditions and even decrease the need for acid blockers.

Gentian has a cold nature, which often complements people who have a hot constitution - for example, those who are often angry, have a red complexion, or who generally have a "hot temper." How is this? Well, gentian is an exceedingly bitter herb (which probably explains why it isn't terribly popular). Imagine eating something bitter. Did you shiver a bit in revulsion? That's the cold energy of gentian, and indeed, of most bitter herbs. (In comparison, guess what energy herbs like cayenne, cinnamon, and garlic have!)

Gentian's very bitter nature also makes it a great digestive herb. Again, imagine eating something bitter. What's your first response? To spit it out, right? That's the body trying to protect itself from something it construes as potentially poisonous. But if you end up swallowing this potentially harmful substance, the body wants to destroy it as much as possible. This is where secretion of the body's digestive juices and increased peristalsis comes into play. Gentian, of course, is not poisonous - at least, in doses of 5-30 drops of the tincture at a time. (As with everything, including water, the dose determines whether a substance is helpful or harmful.)

The best way to take gentian is different from how most other herbal preparations are taken. Usually, people pop capsules, drink tea, or squirt a dropperful or two of a tincture in the mouth, then wash it down with water. But with gentian, the most beneficial action is seen when you taste it. So the dose, again, is 5-30 drops of a tincture, in about 4-8 ounces of water. Sip the water slowly about 10 minutes before eating to stimulate digestion. You may also use the same dose after eating if you feel that typical "brick in your stomach" feeling that doesn't go away easily. It also can help in cases of mild nausea after a meal. Of course, if you just can't handle the taste of gentian, you can take capsules that do a reasonable job of stimulating digestion as well.

Disclaimer: Gentian is not always the best herb to reach for in severe cases of GERD. Sometimes, there is so much inflammation in the esophagus that stimulating more acid in the stomach could be harmful. Here, herbs and nutrition to soothe the esophagus and decrease inflammation may be necessary before using gentian. Food sensitivities may also play a part in GERD, so if you are dealing with GERD that doesn't seem to respond to different therapies, this may be an avenue to explore. Finally, although not necessarily harmful, the acid-producing properties of gentian temporarily counteract the antacid properties of acid blockers and proton-pump inhibitors, potentially making them less effective. In any case, GERD is a potentially serious issue that should be managed by a health care professional well-versed in supporting the body's natural healing processes.
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Gentian (Gentiana lutea)
Part used: root
Dose: 5-30 drops in water, sipped 10 minutes before a meal
Indications: weak digestion, low appetite, heartburn, acid reflux, mild cases of GERD, mild nausea after meals, general debility.
Contraindications: advanced cases of GERD, Barrett's esophagus, esophageal or stomach cancer.
Combines well with: ginger root (to increase appetite); skullcap root (to enhance overall digestion and relaxation during meals).
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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addresssed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!