Re: From Dr. Rammohan "Ram" Rao

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circular
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Re: Re: From Dr. Rammohan "Ram" Rao

Post by circular »

Plumster wrote:Circular, I've read that natural sea salt is helpful for stomach acid.

Also, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before a meal helps both with stomach acid and lowers glucose levels following a meal.
Thanks Plumster. As you may see in my last post, I don't know at present whether I have low stomach acid, and I haven't suspected it. I don't really experience much reflux anymore (due to low or high stomach acid). I did for a time a long while back, but now I only get a mild case very occasionally if I eat too many cooked tomatoes (which is rare, since I avoid nightshades), I eat too many onions or too much garlic (I can still eat healthy amounts), or I eat too much of something really watery like soup. Interestingly, if that does happen, I find that chewing gum for a while takes care of it. Maybe that's a sign that I'm not chewing my food enough and there's something about that process that optimizes the esophageal and related functioning???

I've usually avoided the lemon water and apple cider vinegar in water for detox or any other reason because it seems to me that it would be hard on my teeth, which a dentist told me are, in my case, soft to begin with.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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floramaria
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Re: Re: From Dr. Rammohan "Ram" Rao

Post by floramaria »

circular wrote:
I know what you mean about the largest salads taking so long to eat. I also confess that I invariably eat while doing something on the computer, because the time it takes to eat the salad is a lot of time off my to-do list if I eat like I ought to and simply sit and eat mindfully. I see that Dr. Rao recommends chewing each bite 30 times.

I've also heard that enzymes and HCL decrease as we age. I've heard as well that raw foods retain their enzymes while cooking can destroy at least some of them. Interestingly, my foray into cooking my vegetables, which was intended to decrease the bloating from the large and variety filled raw salads, made my elimination worse. I can't attribute this to anything in particular, but one possibility is that I was destroying the enzymes in the food itself that are needed to help digest it, if enzymes assist with elimination as well as nutrient absorption.

Here's an overview by Dr. Amy Myers about digestive enzymes that suggests some of the variables at play. One of her points that may apply to me is that bloating can be caused by food entering the large colon that hasn't been digested well enough. (I've always just thought the fiber is what does it, and if I want to eat a lot of fiber I just have to deal with the bloating.)

She also suggests taking just one capsule of HCL, and if you feel any burning (as I did in the past) then you don't need it. Perhaps I should run the test now that I'm older. If you can take seven and not feel any burning, then I would guess you are really low in natural HCL. The burning I had with one pill (dosage?) was very uncomfortable.
Hi circ, I am writing this as I slowly chew my way through a bowl of salad! Trying for 30 chews minimum per bite. I think Dr Rao is right that this is very important, as it is the first step in digestion. My mother used to tell me to Fletcherize my food by chewing it more.

In the late 19th century, Horace Fletcher, an American health-food faddist once dubbed as "The Great Masticator," came up with a method for chewing food named (aptly), "Fletcherizing," which required a person to chew his or her food thirty-two times for each bite, or once for every tooth the person had.

I think my mom’s goal was 50 chews per bite.
I have usually only been taking one capsule of HCl. That was Tincup taking seven, and we all know that Tincup is a superhuman bio hacker! Since I read his post I have tried experimenting with more, like today before my big salad, taking two. Two is my max so far. I added the extra because with this meal I am taking my mineral supplement, and I am concerned that nutrient metals tested low.
I looked at the Ann Myers article. And there is it is again: HCl decreases with age. While looking for something else, I came across this in The End Of Alzheimer’s Program in a section on root causes of GI Dysfunction (pg132):

A major contributing factor to many GI issues is the lack of adequate stomach acid. Most adults experience a decrease in hydrochloride acid as they age, and others may develop this with chronic stress or hypothyroidism.

While I don’t think I have chronic stress, I do check the boxes on age and hypothyroidism.
Best wishes from~
Aspiring Great Masticator
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
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