How to Overcome Indigestion and Acid Reflux

Next to pain killers, cholesterol drugs, and antibiotics, heartburn / indigestion / reflux medications are the most popular prescription drug in America. The reason digestive health drugs are down to #4 on the list is that they are the #1 selling over the counter drug (even more than tylenol, advil, etc)!

Listen to what I just said…

Digestive Aid Drugs Are The Highest Selling Category of Drugs in the US!

Frankly, I find this fact to be saddening, and here’s an anecdote that should make it clear why I feel this way.

You eat food, your body says WHOA, this food is hard to digest. So, your body being an intelligent machine turns up the acid to help break the food down. When the food passes through your gut, the acid is still there. So what’s your doctor do? He / she prescribes you a drug that turns off the acid pumps in your stomach.

Now you eat again, but before hand you take your handy dandy purple pill. The acid producers in your stomach are shut off, but the food is still not properly digested. Interesting, I wonder what happens to all of that undigested food?

I’ll tell you, and show you. However, before you look at the picture below, I warn you, it’s disgusting! Undigested food builds up in your colon, clogging the organs whose primary purpose is to eliminate food and bodily waste! YUCK! So your doctor has covered up your acid “problem” only to leave you with this one:

Click Here To See The Pictures

Too Much Acid Isn’t The Problem, But Too Little Could Be

There are several conditions in your digestive problem which could be causing your indigestion / reflux problems. Contrary to the prescription drug crowds popular opinion, having too much acid in your stomach isn’t likely to be one of them, but, not having enough could be!

Here’s a few easy tests to see if your body isn’t producing enough acid to break down your food for digestion within the intestines. Soon after you eat do you:

1. feel gassy
2. burp frequently
3. feel bloated

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, it is likely that your stomach is actually not producing enough gastric acid. The good news is there a very safe and effective supplement for fixing this problem.

The name of the supplement is Hydrochloric Acid. Having proper levels of HCL is critical for proper digestion, and not having enough of it causes your entire digestive system to malfunction. If the chyme (food, hcl, and water) reaching the small intestine from your stomach does not have enough HCL and fluid, the pancreas will not be stimulated enough to excrete the digestive enzymes and sodium bicarbonate necessary to digest your food!

Sodium Bicarbonate is important because it neutralizes the chyme, which enables the rest of the intestine to do its job.

By adding HCL to your diet, the pancreas will be stimulated properly, which will balance the PH of the chyme, and likely reduce your digestive problems.

How to Take HCL Supplements to Overcome Digestion and Reflux

Note: If you have a peptic ulcer, DO NOT take this supplement

HCL supplements are taken in increasing dosages until symptoms of excess acid occur. Excess acid will cause a distinct burning sensation in your stomach (not your throat). At the next meal, you will reduce your dosage by 1 capsule just until you do not get the burning in your stomach.

Here’s what a typical dosage schedule would look like

• Meal 1: Take 1 capsule 30 to 45 minutes after you’ve eaten a complete meal which includes protein, fats and carbs.
• Meal 2: Take 2 capsules 30 to 45 minutes after you’ve eaten a complete meal.
• Meal 3: Take 3 capsules 30 to 45 minutes after you’ve eaten a complete meal.
• Meal 4: Take 4 capsules 30 to 45 minutes after you’ve eaten a complete meal.
• Meal 5 & Subsequent Meals: Keep increasing HCl until you get a burning feeling in your stomach, and then take one less capsule the next meal and stay on that dose until you get a burning feeling again, and so on. You should never surpass 6 grams of HCL in any one meal.

Tips on HCL Use

• When you reach the excess acid state, mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with 1/2 cup of bottled water, and sip it slowly until the burning subsides
• If you experience a stomach ache, or nausea, drink some water, and be sure to drink more water with your next meal
• If you forget to take your HCL as prescribed, you can still take them up to 2 hours after your meal
• Small snacks may require little to no HCL supplementation
• As your digestive health improves, you should be able to lower your HCL use until it is no longer needed.

Heal Your Digestive System With Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics

Low stomach acid is usually an indication of an imbalance of bacteria in your intestines. This can lead to candida yeast overgrowth which causes all kinds of digestive and health issues.

The primary causes of flora imbalance in humans are:

1. Cooking foods, particularly vegetables and fruits which contain live digestive enzymes
2. Use of antibiotics which indiscriminately kill the healthful bacteria in your digestive system

Along with eating more uncooked vegetables and fruits, significant benefits can be had by supplementing with digestive enzymes, probiotics, and proper intake of dietary fiber!

How Digestive Enzyme Supplementation Helps You Overcome Acid Reflux

Cooked and processed foods lack the live enzymes which help breakdown the food we eat. The human digestive system wasn’t designed to handle this barrage of “dead food.” Continual intake of dead food places additional work on the pancreas and other systems to produce digestive enzymes.

In order to compensate for this extra workload, the body will begin utilizing metabolic enzymes, whose function is to build and repair cells and tissues. Metabolic enzymes are critical in keeping your immune system healthy.

Subsequently, continued depletion of digestive and metabolic enzymes creates an environment rife with degenerative disease.

There are 6 naturally occurring digestive enzymes that are necessary for proper digestion:

1. Protease – digests proteins
2. Amylase – digests carbohydrates
3. Lipase – digests fats
4. Cellulase – digests fiber
5. Sucrase – digests sugar
6. Lactase – digests dairy

An imbalance or lack of these enzymes can lead to all sorts of degenerative diseases such as:

anxiety, depression, cancer, skin problems, high blood pressure, liver disease, gas, bloating, asthma, insomnia, myocardial infarction, osteoporosis, etc.

How To Take Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics

For basic detoxification, use 1 packet first thing in the morning 30 minutes before eating. By taking them on an empty stomach, the enzymes have a chance to absorb into your blood stream, and clean up protein and fat deposits.  Then sprinkle 1 packet on your largest solid meal. By using the enzymes with food, you will help your body digest and utilize the nutrients in the food, while properly eliminating waste.

For optimal daily use, sprinkle 1 packet on each solid meal, and take 1 packet first thing in the morning 30 minutes before eating.

If you are using Power Packs, take them first thing in the morning 30 minutes before eating, and skip the morning digest plus packet.

Get Arbonne Essentials Digestion Plus

Simply go to our online store, click on Arbonne Essentials – Daily Essentials on the right hand side, and add it to your shopping cart. You must enter our Arbonne ID: 18838345 to order.     -$49.99