These conferences are rich in information - but also rich in disputes, as scientists continue to disagree about what is the best therapy for what. As I sat there taking it all in, I realised again why an untrained person would find this vast amount of sometimes conflicting information quite overwhelming. No wonder people tell me that they often feel confused about the 'right' thing to do.
Lets go back to basics.
For most conditions there are a handful of universal health practices that will make a difference. Today I'd like to tell you (again, probably!) about the importance of protein in your diet. Not just once a day, but at every meal.
Why every meal?
Because the presence of protein in your stomach stimulates the formation of gastrin, a hormone that brings on more gastric secretions and the right motility (movement) further down your gastrointestinal tract. It also stimulates growth of the mucosal cells that line your stomach and produce digestive enzymes. In short, eating protein regularly will help keep your stomach working well.
Stress and aging diminishes the amount of digestive enzymes you produce.
That's why many people, particularly those who suffer from burping or reflux, or who feel food just 'sits' in their stomach for hours, will benefit from taking digestive enzymes, at least for a few months until their stomach lining heals. (Note: do not self prescribe digestive enzymes if you have a stomach or duodenal ulcer).
Now you know, its time to plan your meals:
Enjoy a protein based breakfast, but remember to enjoy some protein with your lunch and dinner as well. Animal protein is ideal: A variety of eggs, fish, chicken, meat. Your portion sizes don't have to be huge, around 80g of meat/fish or an egg will be enough to stimulate your stomach gastrin. An ideal between-meal snack would be fresh fruit with a handful of raw nuts, or a celery stick filled with nut butter.
I'll pass on some more gems of nutrition information from the conference in the coming days and weeks. Anything in particular you'd like me to write about? Feel free to add your comment below.
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