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Hompes Method Practitioner Training Level II Digestive System - Overview

Welcome!

• Welcome to the first lesson proper of Hompes Method Level II Training.

• It’s a truly a blessing to have you on the programme.

• It is my goal to make this programme a fantastic and rewarding learning experience for you.

The Digestive System

• We’ll dive right in and get started on the digestive system.

• Optimising digestion is such an important area of work, that we’ll need eight full lessons to do it justice.

• Plus, of course, “Digestion” is one of the Seven Areas of Health in its own right.

What We’ll Cover

• In the forthcoming eight lessons in the Digestive Health module, we will cover:

– The importance of the digestive system in overall health.

– How to communicate its importance with clients.

– How and why the digestive system becomes dysfunctional.

– How to use functional lab tests to pinpoint the causes of dysfunction.

– How to fix the dysfunction.

Special Note on Diagrams

• All the diagrams used in the Hompes Method Level II training programme are taken from websites that are legally in the public domain and are not copyrighted.

• Be assured that you may use them to educate your clients without the risk copyright infringement, unless stated otherwise.

Why Start with Digestion?

• The rationale is simply this:

– If a your client’s digestive system is dysfunctional, it’s virtually impossible for the rest of his or her body to function properly.

Definitions – “Digestive Tract”

– Mouth

– Pharynx

– Oesophagus

– Stomach

– Small Intestine

– Large Intestine

– Anus

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/bleeding/

Definitions

• Digestive tract segments can be broken down even further.

– For example, the small intestine can be dissected into three parts - duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

• We shall dissect as we progress through the eight lessons!

Definitions – “Digestive System”

• Add the ancillary digestive organs:

– Tongue

– Pharynx

– Pancreas

– Liver

– Gallbladder

http://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/digestive/regions/

Importance of the Digestive System

• It’s an interface between the external and internal environments - from the nostrils and mouth right down to the anus, it’s in contact with stuff that enters the body from the outside.

• It’s like a nightclub doorman or bouncer – it’s designed to allow good stuff into your body, and prevent bad stuff from getting in.

Roles of the Digestive System

• Digests food and extracts nutrients to supply the body with building blocks and fuel for energy production.

• Acts as an organ of detoxification.

• Houses a vast array of microorganisms, the roles of which are still being discovered.

• Neutralizes invaders – dust, mold, parasites, bacteria, fungi.

• Communicates with the central nervous system and brain.

• Produces neurotransmitters and hormones.

• Is closely associated with the senses (smell & taste, early warning system - “gut feeling”.)

Digestion and “Global” Health

• The digestive system neutralises “bad stuff” whist allowing “good stuff” into the body.

• It stands to reason that digestive dysfunction can lead to trouble elsewhere in the body

• Put simply, too much bad stuff will enter, and not enough good stuff will get in.

Digestion and “Global” Health

• Too much BAD STUFF gets into the body:

– Bad bugs

– Bad toxins (from food and bugs)

– Food antigens

– Pollen

– Dust

• Not Enough GOOD STUFF gets in:

– Amino acids

– Fats and oils

– Sugars

– Vitamins

– Minerals

– Cofactors

Digestion and “Global” Health

• Any and every symptom in the Seven Areas of Health can develop as a result of this simple equation.

• Too much bad stuff and inadequate good stuff leads to immune responses, inflammation and oxidative stress…

…all because the gut has become dysfunctional.

Olympic Rings Health Analogy

Digestion & Hormones

• Digestive processes are controlled by nerves and hormones (neuroendocrine).

– Gastrin, ghrelin, secretin, cholesystokinin, etc.

• The digestive system influences hormone production (thyroid, adrenal, etc.)

• Digestion provides the building blocks for hormones and hormone pathways.

Digestion & Detoxification

• Blood from the digestive system drains straight into the liver for additional filtering.

• Digestion is a detoxification process in and of itself (think “poop!”)

Digestion & Immune

• Depending on which textbook you read, or which expert you listen to, anywhere between 60-80% of the immune system is housed in the digestive system, so any “immune disorder” requires a thorough investigation of the gut.

Digestion & Neurology

• The gut is known as “The Second Brain” since Dr. Michael Gershon’s book of the same name. It has a complex neurological network that we don’t yet fully understand, but it’s thought that 90% of the nerve signals travel from the gut to the brain, and only 10% in the other direction.

• Does gut control brain, or does brain control gut?

Digestion & “Global” Health

• Bottom Line:

– The digestive, hormonal, detoxification, immune and neurological systems are all entangled.

– A challenge in the digestive system has the potential to trigger and catalyse symptoms in any and every other tissue or organ or system in the body via its relationship with these other systems.

Causes of Digestive Dysfunction

• Many factors can influence digestive function.

• Two people might have the same digestive symptoms, but the respective causes of those symptoms may be completely different in each person.

Causes of Digestive Dysfunction

• Mental, emotional and spiritual stress is a major factor and will be covered in detail during the programme. Specific skills are required to help people in this area.

• So let’s begin with some common and easily modifiable causes…

Good Stuff vs. Bad Stuff

Bad Food

• In most people, bad food is the primary cause of poor digestive health:

– Gluten

– Processed food, including sugar

– Soy

– Polyunsaturated oils

– Cow’s milk (some people)

– Raw vegetables (some people)

– Alcohol

Bad Bugs

• The bad bugs can get in during an acute episode such as a food poisoning, but more often than not, they’re more insidious and work their way in because people’s vitality drops.

• Bad foods, chronic exposure to bad toxins and poor lifestyle choices lead to immune depletion, which allows the bad bugs to have a party.

Bad Toxins

• Toxins in food and water can directly irritate the gut lining, alter neurological function and evoke immune responses in the gut.

• Chronic detoxification overload can affect the liver’s ability to manufacture bile, which can then really begin to affect the digestive process.

• We can put medical drugs into this category. The use of antibiotics and NSAIDS such as aspirin can directly harm the digestive system.

Good Food

• Nutrient dense, whole food nourishes the gut directly, and also from the inside-out.

• It feeds the digestive cells and good bacteria and provides nutrients to enable the gut to function effectively.

Good Bugs

• We have more good bugs in our gut than cells in our body. We’re more bug than human! Depletion in good bugs due to stress, antibiotics and other factors can create significant digestive dysfunction.

Good Nutrients

• Remember, the digestive system requires essentially the same nutrients as all other systems. Thus, chronic nutritional deficiencies (that also lead to hormonal depletion) can have a direct impact on gut function.

Good Digestive Factors

• Bad foods, bad bugs and bad toxins, nutritional depletion and hormonal imbalance can also affect the production and secretion of important digestive factors:

– Stomach acid

– Pancreatic enzymes

– Bile

Lifestyle Habits

• Stress in all forms

• Eating on the go

• Excessively large meals

• Inadequate chewing

• Eating standing up

• Poor eating routine / circadian rhythm

• Inadequate rest

Common Digestive Symptoms

• Mouth ulcers

• White coated tongue

• Sore throat

• Bad breath

• Belching / burping

• Heartburn

• Acid reflux

• Stomach pain

• Bloating

• Abdominal pain

• Flatulence

• Constipation

• Loose stools

• Diarrhea

Medical Attitudes

• It’s astonishing to me that western medicine views many of these symptoms as being somehow “normal”.

• They’re so common that even patients consider them normal in many cases!

Medical Attitudes

• No association tends to be made between the digestive system and other areas of the body.

• Only integrated physicians and naturopaths even vaguely understand the Olympic Rings concept.

Medical Attitudes

• Ignoring chronic digestive symptoms – however mild they may be – can be dangerous and may lead to complex and serious problems that may spill over and affect any or every tissue in the body.

More Serious Digestive Conditions

• Ulcers (can perforate, bleed and be very dangerous)

• Barrett’s oesophagitis

• Achlorrhydria

• Atrophic gastritis

• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

• Inflammatory bowel disease (colitis, Crohn’s)

• Diverticular disease

• Obstructive disorders

• Cancer

• Coeliac disease (can affect any or every tissue)

With Respect…

• Much of the time, these symptoms and disorders can be attributed to an excess of bad stuff being in the body combined with inadequate levels of good stuff.

Our Opportunity

• Because the medical system deals with digestive health in such an ad-hoc fashion, we have an amazing opportunity to help a lot of people.

• Rather than be critical of the medical model, we should be thankful for it .

Digestive System Overview - Summary

• The digestive system is an interface between internal and external environments.

• It allows good stuff in, and keeps bad stuff out.

• It is an organ of detoxification.

• It is innervated by a complex neural network and houses a vast immune army.

• It is inherently linked to all other systems of the body.

Digestive System Overview - Summary

• It can be compromised by bad foods, bad bugs, andbad toxins.

• It can be compromised by a lack of good food, goodbugs and good nutrients / hormones.

• It can be compromised by eating habits and stress.

• Using nutrition and lifestyle coaching combined withfunctional medicine, we can help people remove thebad and replace the good.

Homework

Thanks so much for consuming this lesson. There is no “homework” this week, but it will start in earnest from

next week!