The line, “We are what we eat”, continues to stay true.  We have better health when we eat a better, healthy diet.  We compromise our health when we eat an unhealthy diet.  The foods we consume that are the least digested cause the most harm.  Proteins are easy to digest as well as fats.  Simple carbohydrates, found in most fruits and vegetables, are easy to digest and cause little complications.  Starch (grains, potatoes, corn, yams) is the most difficult to digest and, in most cases, when left undigested becomes food for the harmful bacteria in our intestinal tract.  With an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, people complain of immune problems, autoimmune conditions, cramping and pain, gas, bloating, and acid reflux, Crohn’s disease, colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and IBS.  It’s a wise choice to eliminate starch from the diet to give the best possible recovery and healing process.

The American diet is 50 to 70% carbohydrates and the majority of the carbohydrates are from starch.  Americans consume large quantities of bread, crackers, cookies, pies, cakes, pasta, cereals, pizza, and everything else made from grain.  For best results, eliminate all grain from the diet, not just gluten free but all grain.  And think about this – that in most cases, the first food babies are started on after breast milk is cereal (grain).  We also want to eliminate the starch from potatoes, corn, soy, and yes, yams.  Over the life of mankind (humans), grains have been consumed for a very short period of time in relationship to the three million years man (humans) has been on this earth.  Our digestive tract is not designed to break down starch.  With all the over-the-counter and prescription drugs to treat digestive problems, a change of diet would be the most cost effective and simple treatment.

Recovery can be fast, but long-term recovery might take one to two years.  While many people are now starting to take probiotics, a friendly form of bacteria, it would be also more helpful not only to increase the good bacteria but eliminate the bad bacteria.  If we do not eliminate the cause of the harmful, bad bacteria in the intestinal tract, adding the friendly bacteria may not have the desired effect we may want.  Carbohydrates, primarily starch, is the food for the harmful bacteria.  Why feed the harmful bacteria while trying to add the good, friendly bacteria?