Dr. Clinton Sexton  

Part #2 Nutrition

(Part A)

Welcome to Part 2 of the Women’s Digestion Solutions health series. This is Part 2 of the 5-part series and I will discuss the importance of nutrition for digestive health. In Part 1 explained the importance of Diet.

What is a nutrient…really?

What is a “nutrient” anyway? Nutrients are substances that MUST supplied by your food or nutritional supplements so that your body can function properly and be healthy. They are not just a good idea, they are NOT OPTIONAL, they are a MUST, if you want your body to work properly. Examples of nutrients include:

• Calcium

• Zinc

• B vitamins

• Potassium

• Magnesium

• Iron

• Selenium

• Etc.

If you are not getting sufficient nutrients, you simply cannot be healthy; it is that simple. Everyone has different nutrient requirements based on genetics, lifestyle, diet, etc. Again, you MUST have all the nutrients your body needs and in the proper quantity. This can be difficult to achieve with food alone, many times, dietary supplements are required.

Do I Need Supplements?

What is a dietary supplement? These are vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, etc. that you take in liquid, tablet, powder or capsule form in most cases. They are called supplements because they “supplement” or “support” your nutrient requirements that may not be met the foods you eat. You may not like the idea of having to take supplements but for many people it is necessary, if health is the goal. I believe dietary supplements have become necessary for most women for several reasons including:

• Our farming soils have become deficient in nutrients leading to less nutritious foods.

• Most people do not have a well-balanced diet. It can be difficult to eat well with a busy lifestyle.

• Most people do not eat enough vegetables and eat the same 3 or 4 all of the time.

• Most people who eat meats are not eating organic and grass-fed or pastured meats.

• We are all exposed to much higher levels of toxins due to our environment and need to support our detoxification systems.

• Increased stress leads to an increased need for specific nutrients.

• Due to our genetics, we all have different nutrient needs.

• We are all unique and have different nutrient requirements. You might need 3x as much vitamin C or B6 than someone else does. If your body is not getting what is needs, it cannot work properly.

Nutrients VS Drugs?

What is the difference between a nutrient and a drug? Nutrients are REQUIRED by the body to work properly. Drugs are NOT REQUIRED by the human body to work properly. Nutrients support normal, biological processes required to maintain health and life; they work with your body. Drugs do not support natural biological process and in fact disrupt normal function. This may sound a bit harsh, but it is true. I will explain how this works.

If a drug has the capacity to produce a side-effect, then it is essentially “creating” a new disease process. This his how drugs work, they alter normal body function in an effort to create a desired outcome…eradication of symptoms. Any side-effect or potential side-effect for a drug is basically a new dysfunction created in your body. Even simple drugs carry potential side-effects and just because you don’t notice a side-effect it does not mean the drug has not altered normal biological function in your body.

In some cases, drugs are necessary; for example, if your thyroid has been destroyed by an autoimmune disease, then you would need to take thyroid medication. Or if your ovaries have been removed you might require some level of hormone replacement. But you will notice that in both cases, a substance…a hormone (something normally produced by the body) is being provided because the organ that would normally produce it has been destroyed or removed. However, most drugs today are not replacing something the body needs, and they are interfering with normal body function. If you would like more information on this topic, go to www.napervilleintegratedwellnesss.com

Bottom line: nutrients support normal function and health and drugs do not.

Take a few moments and “digest” what you have just read.

You are going to know so much about your digestive tract by the time you are done with this series!!!

Health and Happiness,

Dr. Sexton

If you would like more information about women’s digestion, functional medicine or Dr. Sexton contact our Naperville office or go to www.napervilleintegratedwelness.com

Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources and organizations.

This approach to healthcare is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Why is this? The FDA enforces its position that these words can only be used with drugs. This approach does not use drugs.