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Physiology Fundamentals

MANY PEOPLE CAN EXPLAIN HOW A COMPUTER, AUTOMOBILE, OR airplane operates, but when asked about their own body, their most precious vehicle, they often are clueless. How strange that we should invest so much effort in knowing machines and so little in knowing our own bodies. The following paragraphs should establish the basics.

Digestion and assimilation of nutrients is a complex process, and the various organ functions that support these processes also have many aspects to them. The following explanation is pared down for the sake of expediency, yet it is still a good starting point for understanding what is happening both when you eat and while you live.

The Mouth

You have three sets of salivary glands in the mouth that perform two important functions: (1) Secreting saliva that acts as both a lubricant for food and as a trap for bacteria. It is the chewing of food, mixing ample saliva with the nutrients, that helps isolate minor pathogens. This assumes, of course, that your immune system has not been deeply compromised. (2) Secreting a special enzyme called alpha amylase (ptyalin) that breaks down starches.

This is the first place in the body where starches get broken down, so it is important to chew starchy foods well to ease the burden on the rest of the digestive system. Starches, also called complex carbohydrates, need to be turned into sugars initially in the mouth. It is common for people to wash down breads and pastas with liquids, not allowing for this vital sugar breakdown, and this could have counterproductive consequences later in the digestion process. Breads are chewy for a reason; they need lots of saliva and chewing activity to prepare them for the small intestine, efficiently releasing the long-chain sugars.¹ Don’t wash down starches or any nutrients with liquids.

As a result of numerous inquiries in class such as “How many times are we supposed to chew starches before we swallow them?” and replying that there is no number set by the International Board of Mastication, we can assume that grandma’s advice to “chew thirty times before swallowing” is more than sufficient.

The Stomach

Nutrients do not get assimilated in the stomach. The stomach is a type of holding tank for food, preparing it for the small intestine, where about 90% of the nutritive assimilation occurs. The stomach’s job is to create various acids and other chemicals to turn food into a kind of stomach smoothie called chyme (starts with “k” and rhymes with lime). There is a churning in the stomach caused by small muscular contractions (similar to the way a concrete truck mixes cement), rolling food over and mixing it with stomach acids. The stomach has folds in it that expand, somewhat like an accordion, to allow more room for that third helping of lasagna. If one overdoes it, a signal eventually gets sent from the lower part of the stomach saying, “No mas, no mas” [no more, no more], and that “accordion” plays a very mournful version of Lady of Spain, which your body interprets as digestive unhappiness.

There is a bit of a delay from the time when the brain registers being full from the special receptors in the stomach—all the more reason to eat slowly and observe the Three-Quarters Rule: Eat three-fourths as much as you think you want, stopping three-fourths before you want to. This is another reason for not getting too distracted during a meal, so you can pay attention to your body’s signals and stop before it is too late.

The Small Intestine

The stomach terminates into this crucial organ. Here is Digestion Central. The average small intestine is about 20 feet long.² It has lots of little folds that have little finger-like projections on them, which in turn have smaller hair-like projections on them. All of this is for the purpose of creating more surface area in your body for nutrients to get broken down into energy or structure (muscle, fat, and so forth). If your small intestine were just a simple hollow tunnel, it would have a total absorptive surface of about 3.6 ft.² Instead, because of all the folds and projections atop projections, it has a total absorptive surface area of about 2200 ft!² Baseball players tell me that is approximately the size of a standard baseball infield.

The small intestine occupies most of your abdominal region. A plethora of digestive enzymes and juices created by the liver and pancreas are mixed here with chyme, which then get absorbed into your bloodstream.

The Large Intestine

Also known as the colon, the large intestine has no enzymes released in it. Any digestion that occurs here is the result of both small intestine enzymes continuing to work and the activity of bacteria. An important function of the colon is the reabsorption of water and some of the B vitamins. If the colon does not reabsorb water, the result is diarrhea.

This is where the very important fecal material is formed. A bowel movement is composed of approximately 75% water, 5% bacteria, with the remaining 20% fiber, dead cells, and cellular waste products.

When starches go partially digested, because of poor food combining or excess fiber consumption, for example, there is a stimulation of excess bacterial gas (a.k.a. flatulence), which could facilitate cramping and abdominal distention. As a result of poorly digested sugars becoming food for the colon’s bacteria, a very undesirable condition in the colon could manifest with symptoms as diverse as chronic fatigue, headaches, blurry vision, and skin problems.

You’ve Gotta Move

Having a healthy daily elimination is crucial to good health. No matter what supplements you take, how much you exercise, how long you watch your favorite yoga tapes, if you are not having a daily elimination, you are not healthy. Twice a day is even more efficient. A healthy BM should be well formed and in one piece, not in “marbles” or small fragments. There should not be any intense, offensive odor, as that may indicate a toxic environment of the colon’s rectal columns. It is important to achieve the proper balance of healthy intestinal bacteria. Any chronic imbalances in this area could lead to other problems, the least of which is a very malodorous elimination. Of course, it is not going to smell like gardenias, but it should not make the hallway smoke detector activate either. You get the picture.

The Liver

Your liver is located on the right side of your body, behind your rib cage. This is the largest visceral organ in the body, weighing an average of 3–3.5 lbs. Some textbooks and clinical manuals attribute over two hundred functions to the liver. It is an extremely important organ, being the prime blood cleanser in the body. All toxins get filtered out in the liver, even medications, which the liver often sees as a foreign substance and tries to eradicate. This is why you have to keep taking a medication every 2 or 4 hours: your liver is getting rid of it for you.

Here is a short list of the many things your amazing liver does daily:

• Stores iron, just in case you need some extra that the blood does not have an abundance of. This is why eating the liver of animals is considered a rich dietary source of iron. Be very cautious—remember that the liver is filtering out toxins in the blood and all toxic materials that an animal ingests will also be stored in the liver. If you are going to eat organ meats, be very selective and know your source. If in doubt, leave it out.

• Stores fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. When your body needs extra, the liver has the supply. Recall that anything in excess the body likes to store.

• Helps regulate cholesterol levels and other blood fats.

• Stabilizes blood sugar levels. Working with the pancreas, blood sugar (glucose, via the hormone glucagon) and insulin levels are regulated by the liver.

• Manufactures bile (approximately one liter daily), which your body needs to break down fats. The liver’s little neighbor to the south, the gall bladder, will store and concentrate the bile, which will be released as needed in the small intestine. You can still function without a gall bladder, but you will have to alter your intake of dietary fats and support your endocrine system with the right nutrients. Good dietary choices, food combining, and antioxidant support are key in this case.

The Pancreas

On the left side of your body, behind your stomach, lies your pancreas. It is an elongated, cigar-shaped organ approximately six inches in length with a nodular surface. This organ has two major jobs: (1) To produce a very alkaline substance called pancreatic juice, which is very rich in digestive enzymes. These enzymes break down fats, proteins, and starches. The amylase, the starch-specific enzyme, is almost identical to the amylase found in the saliva. In effect, when your mouth starts watering, so does your pancreas. (2) To secrete insulin, a hormone that keeps blood sugar levels regulated, and glucagon, a hormone that keeps blood sugar levels from being too deficient. It is a kind of yin-yang of the body (one of many)—when one goes down, the other rises, and vice-versa. Diabetics who take insulin shots cannot produce their own insulin in the pancreas, and their blood sugar levels can easily become excessive. When you eat a lot of refined sugar, your pancreas produces significant amounts of insulin to keep you in balance. At some point, the pancreas can “burn out” and lose its natural insulin or glucagon functioning. Some scientists think this is what may be happening in certain cases of adult-onset diabetes, where there is a strong dietary influence.

There is a lot more to the body, of course, but this is just a basic survey of the significant organs involved in digestion. It is good to be mindful of all the processes involved in turning food into your health—all the more reason to choose quality nutrients, take your time, chew well, think positive thoughts, and observe the Three-Quarters Rule.