Common symptoms affecting your digestive system are burping, bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhea. These symptoms typically pass within a day or a few days in most people; however, in those with “irritable bowel syndrome,” or ‘IBS’ these symptoms do not go away. Those with IBS also experience abdominal pain or sign…

Even though you may eat regularly, you may not ‘go’ regularly or easily. Constipation is problematic when you think of it as the inefficient removal of bodily wastes and toxins, that is, the less regular you go, the more toxic you are inside your body and from a naturopathic perspective; this can be a problem over time…

You have heard of inflammation; perhaps in relation to a broken bone or a sprained ankle – these are short-lived forms of inflammation. However, there are more longer lasting, or ‘chronic’ types of inflammation, where it lingers, along with associated symptoms. In chronic inflammation, your immune system is often unbal…

Food intolerances occur when your body has a reaction, often delayed, to a food or a food additive. In my naturopathic practice many of my patients have food intolerances and do not realize it because the symptoms can be vague and can often come on hours or days after eating the food. This characteristic also makes foo…

Your digestive tract is an interesting place. It is a very long passageway from your mouth to your anus, totaling 30 feet in length. There’s a lot of movement that happens along the way: chomping of teeth to tear and grind your food; the stomach churning and squishing and the intestines, absorbing nutrients and water f…

You may not look down into the toilet bowl very often, although, if you have a baby or toddler, you can’t help but notice and wonder what is happening ‘down there.’ If you do hazard a glance, particularly on a regular basis, there can be a wealth of important information that you can use to understand your state of hea…

First things first: any severe abdominal pain that keeps recurring or is persistent should mean a trip to your primary care doctor for evaluation. Your doctor will rule out things like appendicitis, gall bladder or kidney stones, ulcers, and other serious illnesses. However, perhaps the most common chronic digestive il…