The father of medicine, Hippocrates, reportedly said, “All disease begins in the gut.” If that’s true, do you find it as unbelievable as I do that medical schools traditionally have spent nearly zero time on nutrition? Thankfully, this is turning around and nutrition studies are gaining traction, but academia’s focus on drugs and surgery have made them the foundation of Western medicine for centuries. The cornerstone of Eastern medicine? Good digestion. This chapter explains the physical and mechanical aspects of how your digestive system works. What you should eat will be discussed further in later chapters. The basic needs of your “gut” may sound complicated, confusing, and just a touch embarrassing. But I am not referring to the beer belly you have so lovingly created and tended for so many years. I am referring to the internal workings of your digestive system. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, reportedly said, “All disease begins in the gut.” If that’s true, do you find it as unbelievable as I do that medical schools traditionally have spent nearly zero time on nutrition? Thankfully, this is turning around and nutrition studies are gaining traction, but academia’s focus on drugs and surgery have made them the foundation of Western medicine for centuries. The cornerstone of Eastern medicine? Good digestion. This chapter explains the physical and mechanical aspects of how your digestive system works. What you should eat will be discussed further in later chapters. The basic needs of your “gut” may sound complicated, confusing, and just a touch embarrassing. But I am not referring to the beer belly you have so lovingly created and tended for so many years. I am referring to the internal workings of your digestive system.
