I have been spending a lot of time researching the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and all of the amazing roles that it plays in the health of our whole body. Our GI tract starts in our mouth and ends at our rectum. So even the health of your mouth affects the way food is absorbed and assimulated for energy.

Rebecca Wood quotes in her book “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia,” “No one has done an exact nose count, but your GI tract provides room and board to more enzymes, fungi, and bacteria (100 trillion) than there are people in the world. By the pound, that adds up to three and half pounds of intestinal flora in the healthy adult intestine. The questions : Are these critters doing their job of assimilating food and maintaining your vitality, or are they wreaking havoc?

If you’re in robust health, then your numerous colonies of various microorganisms dwell in a balanced, harmonious environment, If, however, you’ve taken antibiotics, which kill both the good and the bad bacteria, then the odds are that one or more communities of microorganisms is growing out of control. this creates a toxic internal environment.

To rebuild your population of digestive partners, use a quality fermented food daily (you may also wish to use a probiotic supplement). Living fermented foods repopulate the digestive system with healthful microorganisms essential to proper digestion; they thereby strengthen the immune system and inhibit cancer, bowel disease, and pathogens. They also aid in the digestion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates and the assimilation of vitamins.”