Rates of this “silent” disease are increasing

If you are an adult living in America chances are good you are or soon will be hosting this sneaky, silent disease that lies dormant, but can eventually rear its ugly head and leave you flat on your back (or on the operating table).

See what your risks are and how you can help prevent it from taking hold of you.

Rates of this “silent” disease are increasing
About one out of 10 people over the age of 40 and half of the population over 60 have diverticulosis—the presence of little pea-sized pouches protruding out of the intestinal wall.

These pouches (called diverticula) are “silent” meaning they usually don’t cause symptoms—that’s why many people with diverticulosis don’t even know they have it.

Things change dramatically, however, if one or more of the diverticula become infected--known as diverticulitis.

Then you are facing intense abdominal pain along with possibly fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea,  constipation and rectal bleeding, and are quite likely unable to function.

A disturbing trend
Although diverticulosis is common nowadays, that wasn’t always the case.  As a matter of fact, prior to 1917 it was unheard of.

“So what changed?” you may ask.

Our DIETS, that’s what.

Diverticulosis started “popping up” a few years after the world was introduced to processed foods in 1915. 

As we became increasingly reliant on these “so-called food stuffs” and shifted away from real whole foods, our digestion started going out the window because processed foods are very difficult to digest and lack natural fiber.

Poor digestion + lack of fiber = CONSTIPATION.

Straining to have a bowel movement when you’re constipated is the #1 leading contributing factor to diverticulosis—because having to exert serious pressure whenever Nature calls can eventually blow out the intestinal wall.

Also playing a role are obesity (which now describes one out of three of us), stress and irregular eating habits (skipping meals, then binging or overeating).

Diverticulitis is growing too!
Not only are a good number of us hosts to diverticulosis, but diverticulitis (infections in the pouches) is on the rise too.

The overall incidence of diverticulitis, with or without hospitalization, has increased by 50 percent since the year 2000, according to researcher Dr. Adil E. Bharucha of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Plus the disease is being seen in younger and younger people, which should be no surprise since poor diets and obesity rates in kids are skyrocketing too.

Better ingredients = Better digestion
The good news here is that you can help turn your digestive health around, even if you’re already suffering from diverticulosis or diverticulitis. 
It’s never too late to start to feel better!

It’s just a matter of improving your digestion and supporting a healthier intestinal environment.

Here’s how you can make a huge difference:

Eat actual foods & make your body’s job easier
Stay away from processed and fast foods, as well as refined carbohydrates.  Foods like these invite constipation and throw off your intestinal flora balance to boot.  Stick to real foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy, eggs and (occasional) whole grains.

Strive to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables and eat a tossed salad every day. 

It’s also important to structure your meals so they are less taxing on your GI tract by pairing foods together that your system can break down more efficiently.

When you make your body’s digestive job easier, the end result (your BMs) can go along a lot easier too!

The Great Taste No Pain health system can guide you on exactly how to do this.

In Great Taste No Pain, I show you exactly what foods to pair with others (and what combinations to avoid) to help encourage better digestion. 

I also spell out the physiological reasons why eating a typical modern diet is so detrimental to your health, and why eating certain foods together can make ALL the difference in the world for you. 

Give that intestinal tract a healthy boost
The average person who eats a typical modern diet is seriously challenging their friendly gut flora.  Poor digestion and a high concentration of refined carbs creates an intestinal environment that favors harmful bacteria—and your army of helpful bacteria suffers.

And if you add in the possibilities of stress, medication use, exposure to environmental toxins or past or present use of antibiotics (which all harm your gut flora too), chances are great most people have some degree of harmful bacteria overgrowth (dysbiosis).

Not only can this hamper your digestion and immune system functioning, but having a large amount of harmful bacteria festering in your intestinal tract is a great way to invite a diverticulitis attack (if you’ve already got diverticulosis).

That's why an effective probiotic supplement like Super Shield is so helpful for the vast majority of people.

Super Shield pays attention to both of your intestines--it contains certain species of bacteria that inhabit the small intestine (lactobacillus) and others that live in your colon (Bifidobacteria).  So you're covered from one end of the intestinal tract to the other!

Probiotics also help your intestinal flora rebound from antibiotic use, which is a common treatment for diverticulitis. 

A little change can make a huge difference!
It can make a dramatic difference in how you feel when you take just a few simple steps to help your body accomplish what Nature intended it to!

A whole new world of feeling good, having more energy and saying goodbye to digestive problems can soon become your reality!

See what a difference it can make for you—you’ll never regret it.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

Is having this disease considered normal?

It’s a strange and unsettling phenomenon in our society today that we’ve come to accept various diseases and conditions as, well, normal!

Acid reflux is a good example.  I think it’s definitely the norm and not the exception that most people at least occasionally have heartburn, and a good number of those have it every day.

Allergies are another.  The vast majority of people that approach me at conferences or email me talk about some kind of allergy, whether food or environmental.

Another biggie is a condition that affects about out one out of 10 people over the age of 40 and at least 50 percent of the population age 60 and over.

It’s diverticulosis.

In case you somehow have not heard of it, diverticulosis is characterized by the presence of little pea-sized pouches (called diverticula) protruding out of your colon. 

These little protrusions usually don’t cause symptoms—that’s why many people with diverticulosis don’t even know they have it, and typically find out through a routine colonoscopy.

Things change dramatically, however, if one or more of your diverticula become infected, also known as diverticulitis.  Then you’re doubled over with extreme abdominal pain, along with having a fever, chills and vomiting.

Let’s take a look at why diverticulosis has (sadly) become “normal” for at least half the population over 60, as well as talk about ways that you can help make sure that version of “normal” is NOT normal for you.

The creation of a new disease

Although diverticulosis is relatively common nowadays, that wasn’t always the case.  As a matter of fact, prior to 1917 it didn’t exist.

So what happened to create this disease that you stand a one in two chance of someday suffering from?

Well, that’s a pretty easy question to answer. 

The primary force behind this rise and explosion in diverticulosis (and its infected “cousin” diverticulitis) is made up of these three things that create a domino effect:

1. Our shift away from real foods and into relying more and more on processed foods (which began around 1915)
2. The poor digestion that resulted from eating this way and
3. The eventual impact on the colon from the poor digestion

Here’s the scoop on each of those:

Our shift from food to “Edible manufactured food-like stuff”

Prior to about 1915 food used to mean meats, poultry, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy and eggs. 

Now although those things still do exist (but are becoming increasingly adulterated), sadly they make up a smaller and smaller portion of what’s actually on our plates.

Instead now we are relying more and more on processed foods (aka “food-like stuff”) which are not only devoid of most or all of the naturally occurring nutrients in the real food ingredients they started out with, but they’re also very difficult for your body to digest.

Note that similar statements can be made about fast food, and heaven knows that the lines aren’t getting any shorter at McDonald’s, KFC and Taco Bell so we’re getting our share of those too.

In addition, instead of simpler meals like our grandparents enjoyed, we now sit down to smorgasbords made up of every kind of food on the planet (especially at all-you-can-eat buffets) which leads to digestive fireworks down below.

So is it any wonder that so many people have digestive problems today?

Poor digestion—problems north and south

When your digestion is ruined, it can show itself in a number of ways.

When you have overproduction of acid in your stomach that comes sliding up into your throat, it’s called acid reflux or GERD.  (I call it “trouble up north.”)

When your foods aren’t broken down like they should be as they try to make their way through the intestinal tract, that can manifest itself as IBS, gas, bloating and constipation.  (This I call “trouble down south.”)

And if poor digestion and constipation continue long enough, eventually that can encourage weakening in the colon wall, diverticula can begin to form and voila¢—diverticulosis (and possibly diverticulitis) has made YOU its new home.

Better digestion = better intestinal health

The good news here is that you can help turn your digestive health around, even if you’re already suffering from diverticulosis or diverticulitis.

 

It’s never too late to start to feel better and create a new version of “normal” for YOU!

When you take safe, natural measures to help your digestion to be accomplished more thoroughly and efficiently, you can see a dramatic difference in how you feel.

Here are the most significant steps you can take toward better digestive (and overall!) health:

1- Give your innards a break

This is far and away step number one and where you MUST start—it’s NOT optional.

If you want a snowball’s chance in you-know-where of having good digestion, it’s vital that you do away with the complex, hard-to-digest meals, processed “food-like stuff,” fast food and soda and instead eat delicious, nutritious real foods in combinations that are much easier for your system to break down.

When you do this, you will likely be astonished at how quickly your body may begin to respond.

Some people have even noticed a difference with the very first meal!

And if you don't know where to start, I'll help you with the Great Taste No Pain health system.

In the Great Taste No Pain plan instructions, I spell out the physiological reasons why eating a typical modern diet is so detrimental to your health, and why eating certain foods together can make ALL the difference in the world for you.  It’s all based on basic chemistry and how your body responds with enzymes to different foods.

When your body can break down your foods more easily and efficiently, digestive problems can quickly subside.

Plus Great Taste No Pain really delivers on the “great taste” promise.  You’ll get a collections of recipes full of ideas for preparing good-for-you foods that taste positively spectacular—as a matter of fact, chances are excellent that you’ll soon lose your taste for the processed junk and fast food as you grow to appreciate how yummy real foods taste.

Now, if you have gluten challenges on top of everything else, no worries.  Great Taste No Gluten is for you.

You'll get the same food pairing information as in Great Taste No Pain, along with a collection of delicious gluten free creations and gluten free substitution guides.

2- Address any enzyme problems

Having a long history of digestive problems means that you may have been expending way more enzymes trying to accomplish digestion than Nature ever intended you to…and your body may have trouble making enough for your needs at this point.

If you suspect that your body may be challenged with low enzyme production (this is especially true if Tums have become your 5^th food group or you’ve been popping purple pills for a long time), or if you just want to help conserve your body’s enzyme-producing capability, then enzyme supplementation can be a big help.

And a great quality digestive enzyme supplement is Digestizol Max.

Digestizol Max is loaded with 14 natural, plant-derived enzymes (so it's even OK for vegetarians) that will give your body a boost in breaking down any kind of food you can eat.

Plus its herbal formula can help soothe an inflamed digestive tract.

3- Restore your intestinal flora balance

The average person who eats a typical modern diet is very likely walking around with seriously imbalanced gut flora.

You see, poor digestion creates an environment which favors harmful bacteria, which in turn also increases your chances of a diverticulitis attack if you’ve already got diverticulosis!

And if you add in the possibilities of stress, medication use, exposure to environmental toxins or past or present use of antibiotics (ALL of which harm your gut flora too), chances are great MOST people have or are close to having harmful bacteria overgrowth (aka dysbiosis).

Not only can this perpetuate digestive problems, but it can mean your immune system functioning is hampered.

That's why an effective probiotic supplement like Super Shield is so helpful for the vast majority of people.

Super Shield pays attention to both of your intestines--it contains certain bacteria that inhabit the small intestine (lactobacillus) and others that live in your colon (Bifidobacteria).  So you're covered from one end of that long intestinal tract to the other!

And less gas, bloating and constipation could soon be a reality for YOU…as well as helping to prevent diverticulitis attacks.

It’s also very effective in helping your intestinal flora rebuild from antibiotic use, which happens to be a common treatment for diverticulitis. 

A little can go a long way!

It can make a dramatic difference in how you feel when you take just a few simple steps to help to encourage better digestion!

A whole new world of feeling good, having more energy and saying goodbye to digestive problems can soon become your “normal.”

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

PS:  Always be sure to let your doctor or healthcare provider know what supplements you are taking.