The Forgotten Key to Weight Loss: Improve Your Digestion

Simple practices from traditional health and Tai Chi training that help the body eliminate waste and restore balance.

Improving your health by losing weight is a goal many people have. I’ve been in the Martial Arts, Tai Chi, Qigong health exercise field now for over 40 years. I’ve seen all the diets come and go and then return again. I personally don’t put much stock in diets or dietary restrictions of any type.

There are only three things I have seen that really work for losing weight.

• Decreasing the number of calories – simply eating less.
• Increasing use of calories – moving more.
• The forgotten, unknown way – improving digestion.

Having a weak digestion and elimination system can happen to both slender and larger people. Slender people with poor digestion can find it hard to absorb enough nutrition from the food they eat. Other people may have the capacity to absorb enough nutrition but have problems with elimination. When you have issues with either your bladder system or intestines these problems can have serious effects.

When the famous early actor, John Wayne died it was reported that he had 45 pounds of undigested matter in his intestines. I apologize for mentioning it. But there it is. The fact that you can gain weight from chronic poor digestion is a thing. It is something we should be aware of. If your bowels are not functioning fully you can have an enormous build up of wastes and toxins that can lead to all sorts of problems. If this continues too long one result is having part or all of one’s intestines removed and in unfortunate cases ending up needing a colostomy bag.

Helpful steps you can take to improve elimination and digestion:

Hydration and magnesium. For elimination to occur you need water in your intestines. If you don’t have enough water in your intestines all sorts of problems begin because you cannot move the waste if your intestines are too dry. Magnesium is required for water transport in the body. If you drink lots of water but are deficient in magnesium you will not facilitate the movement of water across cellular membranes and instead will simply pass the water to your bladder to be eliminated via urination.

Movement of Tai Chi

Movement of any type is incredibly helpful. So is maintaining hydration and electrolytes particularly magnesium to facilitate water transport to the intestines. Practicing your Tai Chi and Qigong regularly gives you a huge advantage because the movements of Tai Chi, in particular, are incredibly focused on hip movement and slow careful weight shifting that effectively stimulates the pelvic region including the colon, intestines, and bladder.

Digestive enzymes

Digestive enzymes taken in capsules or tablets can be a great easy way to have a huge positive impact on your digestive system. I first learned about digestive enzymes in the early 1990s and they have been beneficial to me and many others that I know. We get digestive enzymes from certain foods and our body manufactures them. Digestive enzymes help to break down different types of foods. Some work on fats, some on proteins, some on carbohydrates. Often each enzyme has multiple benefits and actions within your body. If you cannot digest dairy you can take enzymes to break it down.

This is incredibly effective and easy. I have seen multiple cases of people taking enzymes for a brief period intensely and then their body stores some and remembers or learns how to make them and they eventually become no longer needed. If you feel like your intestines and elimination are impacted, taking digestive enzymes with every meal and in generous dosages can have an immediate positive effect. When conditions improve then ease off and stop. If your tummy is on the larger and rounder side you might consider doing a digestive enzyme intensive therapy program for a few weeks and take large quantities to help break things down. This has worked for many of my students to help rebuild digestive power and clear out buildup. I recommend getting a digestive enzyme mix that contains many types of different enzymes, not just one, or a couple. Get a multi spectrum digestive enzyme with 20+ ingredients and take them by the handful with every meal.

Bioflora

If you have had antibiotics, as we all have, your intestinal digestive power has been affected by the loss of beneficial microorganisms that assist digestion. This bioflora helps to break down and process your food. It is incredibly important to proper digestion that these helpful micro organisms are healthy and in sufficient numbers. Taking antibiotics destroys these digestion helpers. If you have lots of strong antibiotics to save your life your bioflora could be completely wrecked.

Rebuild them by taking Acidophilus. These cultures are little digestive helpers. The most effective way is to take them in the morning and have oatmeal with raisins, prunes, plums, or other fruit. and lots of water. The oatmeal and raisins prune plums are ideal food for new bioflora. My personal experience is that taking multiple capsules works much better than a single one. If you are the bigger, rounder type I would suggest eating them by the handful for a few weeks, especially if you have recently had strong antibiotics. My students have reported good success with these tactics. It takes a couple of weeks for the effects to fully manifest in improved digestion and overall health.

Purgatives

Purgatives are an ancient form of medicine. The goal is to cause the elimination of the toxins by increased bowel movements. The increased bowel movement is caused by taking a combination of strong herbs causing the intestines to wake up and get to work. Often these formulas include a number of peppers or minor stimulants that the body reacts to and attempts to expel. In the case of some people who have had a reduced digestive capacity for years and their elimination process could be severely challenged there can be a real back up like John Wayne and you need powerful medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has an entire branch or field devoted to these types of herbal treatments. For this program the wisest course of action is to get a personal acupuncturist who has had prior experience using these formulas. You can also order them online.

For some students of mine completing a course of treatment with purgatives has been life changing. Not all of these were large people. One of my students who derived great benefits appeared quite fit externally, but internally had terrible digestion. These programs can be effective quickly and they can also be fairly dramatic too! More than one student has reported that when the purgatives did kick in other family members were forced to flee the house because of the odor and complained loudly! Life changing for the whole family! Getting a good acupuncturist is a good idea for this one. Removing blockage and stagnate build up swiftly is a great first step to rebuilding healthy digestion and elimination. You might also look slimmer, weigh less, feel better and be lighter. Exercise will also be easier after this step is taken if you need it.

Well, I do admit this isn’t the sexiest or most enjoyable topic. But improving your digestion and elimination is honestly a great way to lose weight and improve your health if you need it.