Proper digestion is absolutely critical for good health. Your body requires efficient elimination of wastes to maintain well-being and energy levels. Indigestion is the most common physiological disorder in humans and as you might guess, antacids are the number one over-the-counter remedy purchased in the United States.

We must start listening to what our bodies are telling us and stop masking the symptoms with drugstore chemicals. Indigestion underlies most disease because digestive discomfort is a sign of microform overgrowth and a toxic environment within your body.

Poor digestion also results in an acidic bloodstream. We also cannot be fully nourished if we are not digesting our food properly. Chronic indigestion by itself can be deadly, gradually slowing down intestinal function which, if left unchecked, can lead to serious conditions like Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and even colon cancer.

There are three stages to the digestive process and all must be in good working order for good health, but there are commonly problems at each step along the way. First, there is indigestion, which begins in the mouth and goes on down to the stomach and into the small intestines. Next, there is reduced absorption, which takes place in the small intestines. Lastly, there is lower bowel constipation, which can show up as diarrhea, infrequent bowel movements, bloating, or foul gas.

Digestion actually begins when you start chewing your food. Saliva is used to break down the food. Once the food reaches the stomach, stomach acid continues the breakdown process. From the stomach, the digested food moves into the small intestines - humans have up to twenty-seven feet of small intestines - which is where nutrients are absorbed for use in the body. The final location is the colon, or large intestine, where water and some minerals are absorbed. Whatever your body cannot use and has not absorbed, you excrete as waste.

Your digestive system is a very efficient system when it is running well. But unfortunately, we commonly abuse our digestive system with low-quality food that is void of essential nutrients. The overly stressful lifestyles that many people live, also has its negative effects on the digestive system.

To restore your digestive system and ultimately your overall health, you must develop a proper nutrient rich diet. Many believe supplements can effectively restore digestive health, but without the proper nutritional changes to your diet, they will just pass right through you with little or no effect.

By changing to a healthy nutritional diet, and adding the proper supplements, you will begin improving your overall health, which will help you lose weight by cleaning out your intestines and balancing your pH and controlling microform overgrowth.

As the pH of your blood and tissues normalizes, and the intestines are cleansed, nutrient absorption and waste elimination will too, and you will be on your way to complete and radiant health.

To really discover how to improve your digestive system and your overall health and develop that effortless energy you thought was lost as a child, check out the authors resource box to this article.