1. CONSTIPATION - The colon is your body's sewage system. If your sewage system backs up, toxins become trapped in your colon. Chronic constipation means these toxins are fermenting and decaying in the colon, often being re-absorbed into the bloodstream, which in turn, pollutes all of our tissues and cells, and sets the stage for chronic disease and illness to follow.

2. POOR DIET - Poor diet includes dead, cooked, devitalized, clogging, low fiber foods, fried foods, junk foods, over-processed foods, etc. As a modern society, we have drifted further and further away from eating raw, organic "good for you" fruits, vegetables and whole grains high in natural fiber, nutrients, and enzymes. We now use processed and pre-prepared foods to fit with our busy lifestyles. Unfortunately these foods do nothing to benefit our health. These foods, unlike live foods (fresh, raw fruits and vegetables), lack the proper enzymes to assist in proper digestion and assimilation, and lack the fiber or bulk to assist in proper elimination. They are also lacking in essential vitamins, minerals and other basic, life giving nutrients. You are what you eat! Eat healthy!!

3. OVER-CONSUMPTION - Overeating puts a tremendous amount of stress on our digestive system. Most people eat too much food, too fast. A meal should be eaten slowly and food chewed thoroughly.Saliva mixed with food in the mouth plays a huge role in foods being digested properly. The body must produce hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile and other digestive factors to process a meal. When we over-eat, the digestive system cannot always meet the demands placed upon it. The stomach bloats as the digestive system goes into turmoil. Foods are not properly broken down and tend to lodge in the lower intestines. Vital nutrients are NOT absorbed. Try to eat smaller meals, with "healthy" snacks in-between meals. If you only eat when you're "starving", you will constantly over-eat and wonder why you feel so heavy, bloated and tired afterwards. Eat light and stay healthy!

4. LACK OF WATER - Water makes up 65 to 75% of the human body. It is second only to oxygen in order of importance to sustain life. Water cleanses the inside of the body as well as the outside. It is instrumental in flushing out wastes and toxins. When our bodies do not receive enough water, toxins tend to stagnate, hindering all digestive and eliminative processes. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day is imperative to good health. By the way, sodas DO NOT COUNT as water intake! Sodas of any kind (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc.) contain high levels of sodium, sweeteners, caffeine, and very bad-for-you chemicals. Over time, sodas can be a big contributor to ill health. Try and limit your soda intake and drink as much water as possible.

5. STRESS - Stress effects every cell and tissue in the human body. Stress breaks down the immune system as well as all of the major organs. Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to get sick when you're under a lot of stress? Stress is TOXIC to our bodies! It robs the body of important vitamins and minerals, and over time, can cause severe acid build-up. Stress hinders proper digestion, absorption and elimination of foods by throwing the digestive system
out of balance. The worst thing a person can do is to eat a meal while experiencing extreme stress. This usually causes indigestion, and nutrients will not be absorbed. Regulate and control the amount of stress in your life, and you will be a healthier and happier person.

6. ANTIBIOTICS - Antibiotics, despite their benefits in fighting certain bacterial infections, have a damaging effect on the intestines. Their prescribed purpose is to eliminate unhealthy bacteria in the body; bacteria that causes illness. However, antibiotics also eliminate the healthy, necessary, good bacteria in our bodies! They strip the colon of ALL intestinal flora... good and bad. After antibiotics are taken, it is usually the bad bacteria that regenerate and multiply quickly, often causing nagging yeast infections and digestive and eliminative upset. Our entire gastrointestinal tract becomes imbalanced, creating problems in the colon and hampering proper digestion. When we are forced to take antibiotics, it is extremely important to supplement our diets with cultured foods that contain live "good" bacteria, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and probiotic supplements. We must replace the good bacteria, for optimum health and proper intestinal function.

7. LACK OF EXERCISE - Exercise strengthens our entire bodies. It stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic system, building muscles, nerves, blood, glands, lungs, heart, brain, mind and mood. Blood is pumped throughout our bodies by the heart, but lymphatic fluid depends solely on exercise to be circulated throughout our lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the human body's sewage system... it is responsible for the removal of cellular and toxic waste. Here is a remarkable fact... there is 3 times more lymphatic fluid in the human body than blood! Physical exercise and movement is the lymphatic system's only "pump", so to speak. If we don't exercise, our lymphatic system becomes sluggish and toxic, effecting our over-all health. Lack of exercise lowers metabolic efficiency, and without circulatory and lymphatic stimulation, the body's natural cleansing systems are weakened. Exercise is extremely important.

8. EATING LATE AT NIGHT - The human body uses sleep to repair, rebuild and restore itself. In essence, our bodies use the sleeping hours to cleanse and detoxify, and to build strength and immunity. When we eat late at night and go to sleep with a full stomach, the body IS NOT at rest. Even though our mental processes are quiet, our physical body is actually quite busy digesting and processing a large amount of food. This inhibits the vital cleansing, building and restorative processes that normally occur while we sleep. We've all had the experience of going to sleep with a full stomach, and waking the next morning feeling tired, exhausted and disoriented, despite 8 hours of sleep. This is because your body, in actuality, did NOT get 8 hours of sleep... more like 3 hours of sleep, after working hard most of the night to digest and process the big meal you ate before bed. Do not eat late at night! Eat an early dinner, and eat light in the evenings.