Digestive Path Defects

The whole purpose of digestion is to turn the food we eat into available nutrients and energy so that we can replenish ourselves, replacing old or damaged tissue with new, better functioning, and youthful looking tissue.  As this function is compromised, we age.  By ‘age’ I mean, we look older because we cannot replace and/or nourish skin tissue OR any other tissue (I’ve seen some very old skin on some very young people.).   We lack stamina because we cannot produce the needed energy from our food; we get sick repeatedly because we lack the energy to fund our immune system, etc.  We even need energy to digest our food.  Without good digestive function, we slowly run down and die.  I cannot emphasize this enough!!

An analogy:  When Hurricane Isabel came through here people flocked to the local Lowe’s or hardware store to gather protection materials (beforehand) or repair materials (afterward).   The digestive path IS your body’s Lowe’s or hardware store.  If our body cannot get these protection or repair materials (for reasons outlined below) we are doomed to debility and early demise BECAUSE of our inability to repair ourselves.

Fatigue is the best indicator of poor digestive function.   A crack or depression down the center of the tongue is an outward sign of weakened digestive function.  A coated tongue or chronic plaque buildup on the teeth are signs of inefficient, high residue digestion, usually due to lack of HCl.  Indicators on the face are puppet lines which go from the corners of the mouth down to the sides of the chin which signal small intestine weakness.  Puppet lines from the nose flare to the corners of the mouth are indicators of large intestine dysfunction.  The deeper or more pronounced the lines, the greater the weakness.

 

General Tissue Organization of the Digestive Tube

Digestion begins in the mouth (with complete mastication and liquefaction of food) and

OK this is just a reminder, not a nightmare from high school

proceeds through the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine and finally is eliminated.  The basic components of the digestive tract are a

(1) long muscular tube (like an elastic stocking) with

(2) an internal mucosal lining (that provides needed lubrication, self-repairing mucus, and through which absorption occurs) with

(3) secretion ports along most of its length (to add needed ingredients for efficient digestion) and

(4) contents, your enzyme and microbial engine – if your gut is microbe-friendly.

Each of these elements and their dysfunction is addressed below.    Please consult with Basic Principle # 9 regarding dosages and also the Creative Dosing post for difficult cases.

If you also have specific joint pain consult with the Organ/Muscle Correspondence chart for more clues to see if any of the digestive organs is the underlying cause of that joint pain.

 

Typical Digestive Dysfunctions and How to Rebalance

  1. The digestive/intestinal MUSCLES are supposed to move the food we eat along like squeezing a ball through a sock.  Muscles must contract AND relax to do this.  So what can go wrong?
    1. Contract and remain contracted .. forming an tight narrow tube eventually

      To move this ball along the stocking must expand AND contract. What could go wrong?

      resulting in constipation and blockages.  This type of situation can arise from chronic stress OR chronic laxative use.  To balance your intestines back to better function from this type of situation, do the Magnesium Bowel Cleanse AND do the Abdominal Massage to restore function to that musculature.   If instigated by stress, add Nerve Control (#1242-4) 2B, 2D to relax them.You will feel so much better.

    2. Cramping.  Digestive cramping can be anything from a ‘tummy ache’ to doubling you over in severe pain.  This usually accompanies mucosal inflammation (below), so those remedies may be appropriate as well.  But I would use Cramp Relief here, 3 w/each meal, reducing with symptoms.  If the cramping happens immediately after meals, there is an upper GI dysfunction and I would highly recommend following the recommendations for #4. below or beginning the Gentle Liver Cleanse.  You’ll never be sorry.  If you do NOT take care of your earth suit, where will you live?
    3. Atrophy (the muscles fail to respond appropriately to stimuli).  This situation must be addressed with all vigor.  Begin with the Abdominal Massage to reactivate and encourage circulation and responsiveness.  Do not take this lightly – the Ab Massage is a MUST and do it all every night – you live one mouth full from a blockage.   Know that unless this is remedied, you can get impacted and a very unhappy diagnosis is around the corner.  Take Balanced B (#1625-4) 3 w/each meal initially to support digestion and Garlic Oil gel caps (#1694-6) 2 w/each meal to improve circulation, encourage peristalsis and balance the lumen.   Add Seasonal Defense (#806-6) 2 w/each meal to improve gastric secretions.  Diverticulitis results from localized intestinal atrophy, so follow also these recommendations.  Oh, and did I mention you need to do the Abdominal Massage?
    4. Gut responds too actively to nerves and stress.  That is, stress puts you in the bathroom.  My favorite for its effectiveness here is the Timed Release Valerian (#721-1) 1B, 1D.  However it will also help to get the stress out of the tissues by doing the Emotional Stress Release exercise regularly or do your Spiritual Disciplines.
    5. If you are certain that the digestive problems are related to the muscles, read that document for more info and help for muscles.
  2. The internal mucosal lining provides lubrication for the food to move along and emollients (mucus) to soothe irritated tissue within itself.  This lining can become inflamed, ulcerated or coated impeding the absorption of nutrients.  (Colitis manifests here as does Crohn’s.)  The result is fatigue and premature aging a.k.a. you will look old, no matter what your age.
    1. The internal lining becomes inflamed BECAUSE there are insufficient mucous secretions to repair damage from the daily wear and tear of digestion and to flush away irritants.  NSAIDS inhibit these secretions.  But of greater significance are anger episodes.  Digestive inflammation is almost always from undigested anger.  This is also supported by German New Medicine.  (Visit the Basic Principles #2 and #3 for an elaboration of how the body attempts to restore balance.)  In these cases the tongue or parts of it will be red.  Mucus-like herbs (called mucilants) are soothing to this lining and are protective.  To improve digestion AND help soothe the lining, I would begin with the Easy Therapeutic Broth.  Then, I find Dr. Christopher’s Formula CLT-X (#1207-7) to be quite reliable.  Take 3 before meals.  Excess mucus in the stool may be a sign of extensive irritation or tissue damage.  Insufficient secretions are manifested by a ‘dry hard stool’.  As the herbs resolve the situation, you can watch your tongue to see your progress.  Finally, as is often the case with inflammatory diseases, a.k.a. painful ones, the body has insufficient amount or production of its own anti-inflammatories.  NSAIDS make this situation worse and can even cause it – but it happens so gradually at first you don’t even realize it.    Read the document on Pain to see how to increase your own anti-inflammatory production.  Everybody’s Fiber (#1336-6) is full of demulcents to soothe the inflammation.
    2. Ulcers come from an inflamed lining that cannot repair, and the damage has extended to where there are nerve endings and you feel a burning pain.  (Often from NSAID use like aspirin, etc.  Even though the advertisers say they won’t hurt your stomach because they are coated, it does NOT mean they will not tear up your small intestine.)   In more serious cases ulcerations manifest in the mucosal lining of the mouth (a.k.a. canker sores).  In this sorry state the ulcerated tissue hosts parasitic activity, which according to German New Medicine appear to clean up and digest dead tissue.   Any dead or dying tissue hosts parasites.  Although many naturopaths like using anti-parasitics, I find that if you increase energy and nourish this tissue back to proper function, then there is no parasite food and their population naturally diminishes (including H.Pylori).  So I would begin with Cabbage Juice then the Easy Therapeutic Broth, then several bottles of CLT-X as recommended in A above (The broth drink was designed to help heal chemo’d guts but stress will do the same kind of damage.).  These mini ulcerations of the intestinal lining create what has been called ‘leaky gut syndrome’, or, in more refined circles it is referred to as intestinal permeability.  This is the beginning of a host of sorrows called ‘auto-immune’ diseases.    Again the tissue in your mouth will show your progress.  The good news is, these tissues repair quickly.  Since stress is what prevented the lining from secreting mucus to protect and heal itself, consider the various stress reduction techniques mentioned in the Address the Stress post.  Concentrated Chinese Mood Elevator (#1035-7) 2B, reducing to 1B, helps to dispel constriction and improve energy.  This concentrated version is easier to absorb for compromised digestive systems and also helps with the anger response.
    3. Un-removed digested food and hardened mucus that coats the intestinal lining are two scenarios that comprise a true digestive path defect, because the mucous lining is supposed to keep the digestive path slippery and clean of such things.  The mouth indicator is excessive ‘furriness’ of the tongue surface.  There is some photographic evidence to indicate that material can stay lodged in the pockets of the colon for years.  I have clients report that medical tests have indicated the same thing regarding their intestines.  For those who feel intuitively this applies to them, or have such a diagnosis, I recommend Small Intestine Detox (#848-2).  Do 3 bottles, taking 4 after breakfast and dinner.  Also look over the Hydrochloric Acid Therapy post.
    4. Hemorrhoids appear to be part of the digestive lining leaving the anal opening.  This can be a connective tissue weakness brought on by straining at stool.  Ya gotta stop that.  The White Oak Bark packet gives relief as does coating a little-finger-sized carved potato coated with White Oak Bark or even Vitamin E and inserted rectally.  Follow the appropriate measures given above so straining is not needed or make an appointment.  FYI this straining will cause bladder and prostrate problems.
  3. Undigested food in stool. Secretion ports line the stomach and intestines and add ingredients to our food to chemically reduce it to absorbable rebuilding materials (So what went wrong?).  Contributions are made by the parotids in the mouth, the stomach lining, the liver, the pancreas, and the intestinal linings.  If any of these are not working (or are inhibited from working by pharmaceuticals), we are investing energy into the digestive process and are not getting a good return.  The result is often fatigue and the presence of recognizable/undigested food in the stool.  The general rebalancers for this condition are Protease Plus (#1841-7) along with Seasonal Defense (#806-6).  Begin with 3 of each at each meal for the 1st bottles and then 2 of each at each meal for the 2nd  bottles and then 1 of each at each meal for the 3rd bottles and then try going without them every other day when half way into the 3rd bottle.  Also with the meals drink a glass of water with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to aid in digestion.  See Basic Principle # 9 regarding intelligent dosing.  However, if you have allergies and/or migraines, that this general rebalancing therapy does not resolve, then consider doing the Gentle Liver Cleanse as these symptoms are indicators of liver congestion.  If you experience acid reflux the info on this website may be helpful.  If undigested food again appears in the stool repeat this therapy.
  4. Anti-biotic/anti-fungal damage. The ‘contents’ of the intestines, also called the

    Kefir cultured milk teeming with beneficial microbes which improve energy extraction from food.

    ‘lumen’, contains over 400 kinds of microbes which bio-remediate, detoxify and produce so many substances (including vitamins), that it can almost be considered as an organ in itself.    The inefficiency of this ‘organ’ is indicated by the bloating of the abdomen and a coating or thrush in the mouth.  To rebalance the gut take several bottles of Energ-V (#875-8) 3B 3D.  Also realize that antibiotics derange the delicate balance of helpful micro-organisms, disabling their detoxification effort and usually resulting in many symptoms in those who cannot bounce back from the insult.  Probiotic 11 (#1510-1) contains many (11) of the important strains of beneficial microbes found in the gut.  If you have been the victim of inappropriate or over-use of antibiotics or anti-fungals, it would be prudent to attempt to restore some of what has been imbalanced.   The deficient lumen of a pregnant mom is also implicated in the tendency of her baby to develop autism due to the lack of important vitamin-making good bacteria that baby needs.  To restock, eat all kinds of non-pasteurized cultured foods (see recipes, kefir, homemade sauerkraut, consult with the book Nourishing Traditions) as well as taking Probiotic 11 (#1510-1).  If you do experience chronic infections consult that link.

 

 Miscellaneous Topics, Cleansing

 Doing ‘a cleanse’.   My clients will sometimes ask about doing ‘a cleanse’.  I understand this is also a common question asked in health food stores as well as promoted on radio shows.  Generally doing ‘a cleanse’ is a good idea BUT the state of your gut should be considered (see below) and there are certain disqualifiers or do’s-and-don’ts.  And in my humble-but-experienced opinion, the intelligent body will cleanse itself if it has enough energy to do so.  To this end I only help raise a person’s energy and let their body determine what to do.

  1. Fatigue disqualifies you from cleansing.  Detoxing is a regular function of the body and it will cleanse itself if it has energy and ingredients.  No sense to give it ingredients if it doesn’t have the energy.  Put your money elsewhere.  Nourish your body and when it has what it needs it will do what it has to do.  Often the above recommendations that address the digestive path will result in increased energy.
  2. Don’t take your cleansing herbs at bedtime.  Take them in the morning.  Daytime is cleansing time which requires activity, nighttime is building which does better with inactivity.
  3. General recommendations by type of defect.  NOTE:  IF you regularly experience any of the digestive path defects above, put your money/time to resolving these first before doing a cleanse.
Defect Type (from above)
Cautions
Recommendations(B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
1. A. Open and relax bowel FIRST using above recommendations. Tiao He Cleanse (#4092-2) 1 pkt B, 1 pkt ; Urinary Maintenance (#2884-4) 4D
1. B. NO cathartics like Cascara or Senna. Follow above recommendations first. When cramping subsides… Garlic Oil gel caps (#1694-6) 3B, Yellow Dock Capsules (#760-1) 4B
1. C. NO fiber. Follow above recommendations first and when bowel movements are happening, then begin… Burdock Capsules (#140-2) 6B, Olive Leaf Extract Capsules (#204-7) 3B
1. D. Follow above recommendations first and when bowel movements are happening, then begin……….. Everybody’s Fiber (#1336-6) 2 tsp in water or juice B
2. A. NO psyllium-based fiber. Follow above recommendations w/ CLT-X first. Everybody’s Fiber (#1336-6) 2 tsp in water or juice B (This is very soothing for inflammation in the GI)
2. B. NO psyllium-based fiber. Follow above recommendations w/ CLT-X first. Cramp Relief (#1124-9) 3 B
2. C.  Follow above recommendations Small Intestine Detox (#848-2). As in 2C. above
3 When no recognizable food appears in stool, begin this gentle cleanse. Garlic Oil gel caps (#1694-6) 3B, Yellow Dock Capsules (#760-1) 4B
4 When energy has returned and is sufficient for daily activities, this fiber will wonderfully rebalance the lumen…….. Everybody’s Fiber (#1336-6) 2 tsp in water or juice B

Colonics.  These are very beneficial to group 1.C. and can be a life-saver for these people.  Keep in mind, however, that a colonic only cleanses the large intestine (or colon).  And those in the 1.C. group do well to follow the above recommendations.  Also, AFTER a colonic, I recommend the following supplements to encourage proper function throughout the entire small and large intestine.  Seasonal Defense (#806-6)  2B 2L 2D and Yellow Dock Capsules (#760-1) 2B 2L 2D.  Do 1 bottle of each.

Caution:  For those in 2B. I would discourage doing a colonic until the ulceration has resolved.  The colonic may trigger an uncomfortable immune response.

Finally you can use GNM and Dr Hamer’s findings to identify the kinds of shocks or stressors that may be contributing to your digestive imbalances.

 

 

14 Responses to Digestive Path Defects

  1. Candy says:

    Hi Pat,
    I am a client of yours but I haven’t visited you in a while. I love your website and get much help from your articles and suggestions. I began using Loclo daily for constipation for 2 years. Lately due to the cost, I switched to psyllium husks and it doesn’t work like the Loclo. I would like to get to the root of the problem, but I don’t know if my problem is A. Contracted … or C. Atrophy. I am using the Magnesium Bowel Cleanse and getting good results. Does that mean I have the A. Contracted … problem? If so, I will continue with that protocol. (You started me on the Loclo but I don’t know if your intention was for me to stay on it forever).
    Thank you for your time,
    Candy

    • PatBlockND says:

      Hey Candy,
      A contracted bowel is often the result of laxative overuse OR stress. I’d continue with the Mg Cleanse but also begin the Abdominal massage for all the good that will do for you. Commit to it for a month and then scale back to the problem areas. Many are able to normalize bowel function with just this cheap remedy.
      Pat

  2. Candy says:

    Thanks Pat. I guess the contracted sounds better than the atrophied. I will give the abdominal massage a try.

  3. Carolyn Pierce says:

    Hi Pat,
    My husband seems to be having problems with bloating after eating. He also has a problem sleeping at night because he is always having to get up to use the bathroom. When he tries to go to the bathroom it takes him a while to finally go. He has had all the test for prostate and everything checks out fine. I know he does not drink enough water.
    Any suggestions? Carolyn Pierce

  4. Carolyn Pierce says:

    Thank You Pat for your response on my husbands ab problems. We both want to have a consult with you. Work schedules are very demanding. We live in Jacksonville, NC; so it would have to be when we are able to take some time off to make the trip.
    God Bless You for all your help
    Carolyn Pierce

  5. Ken says:

    Hi Pat. Small intestine bacterial overload (SIBO) has been suggested as an issue for me. I think a lot of people are getting diagnosed with this. I don’t see this addressed directly on you’re website. Do you have an opinion as to its cause and treatment?

  6. Emily says:

    Hello,

    Amazing website! I have a question about bloating. I can gain 6″+ in a matter of hours in my abdomen around and below my belly button after eating, well, pretty much anything. It could be something as small as an apple or banana. I haven’t taken antibiotics in a few years and I don’t have undigested food in my stool or anything that seems abnormal there, but it is painful. Do you have any thoughts or articles that you could direct me to?

    Thank you,
    Emily

    • PatBlockND says:

      Hey Emily,
      First I would recommend that you commit to the Blood Type Diet for one month. When I suggest this to my clients they report a reduction in that bloating with foods. The weight gain is usually from water from the inflammation that the foods introduce.
      After about two weeks on the diet begin the abdominal massage. Without having any other data about your health condition this is where I would begin. But these two interventions will give you data as to possible causes and remediations.
      Pat

  7. Bekah says:

    My son will be 2 in Jan. He always has recognizable/undigested food in his bowels which has always been odd to me. He always seems tired/fatigued… other people comment on it. He sleeps 12 hrs a night and takes a 2-3 hr nap during the day so I know he gets enough sleep. Is he too young to start the Protease plus and seasonal defense regimen with him to see if that helps? Btw, he had an antibiotic at 4mo old before I knew better. Maybe this is where the problems started.

    • PatBlockND says:

      Hey Bekah,
      First step is to stop possible causes of the problem. To this end, eliminate both raw foods and inflammatory foods (see blood type diet). If this doesn’t make an improvement in 3 weeks you can try sprinkling a little enzymes on his food (which will need to be eaten right away as the enzymes will start to break the food own).
      Pat

  8. Jordan says:

    Pat, Any recommendations if I suspect I am dealing with appendicitis?

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