DrMericle.com

The following was excerpted from the MericleDiet circa 2003-2005.

A few words about the common GI symptoms constipation, heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

I have yet to meet a constipated vegetarian. How many times did I walk in to one of the flouroscopy suites to do a barium enema when the indication was “constipation.” I really wanted to just tell these people to start eating vegetarian. One piece of whole wheat desem bread a day will cure most constipation. I never did do that since radiologists are very easily replaced and the hospital administrator and referring physician would not have thought “well” of that.

Colon cancer and meat ingestion

Colon carcinoma does not occur in vegetarians -period. So what does modern medicine do? First we feed people meat. Meat causes constipation as does colon cancer. So instead of doing something very simple like telling people to not eat meat we spend lots of money doing barium enemas and sigmoidoscopy / colonoscopy to find the tumors that eating meat has caused. Once the cancer is found the patient is started on the “graveyard spiral” of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. That colon cancer does not occur in vegetarians was the opening statement by the narrator of a gastro-intestinal disease conference I was attending in Phoenix back in 1988. Then, that very same narrator, went on to say … ” but, after all, we would all die without our steaks -wouldn’t we.” This same conference went on to recommend flexible sigmoidoscopy for all people over 40 years old in the United States to be paid for by the government (ie you the taxpayer). What can I say?

Heartburn

Most heartburn is related to eating too much of the wrong foods. Eating too often keeps the stomach full of gastric acids and eating too many fatty foods will slow gastric emptying. Heartburn is bad enough when you are not moving but when you are running it is a real killer. The acid gastric juices bouncing up into your throat induce severe esophageal spasm. Heartburn is really painful but it is even worse when you add esophageal spasm. Once again I really got rid of most of my heartburn by reducing how much I ate and never eating before I run. I used to blame salty foods like potato chips but as long as I eat them after running I do not get heartburn.

Nighttime heartburn

If you get heartburn at night then make sure to not eat within at least three to four hours before you go to bed. If you are overweight try just eating as suggested in the MericleDiet. Relegate most of your food intake to no later than six pm or preferably even earlier. Eat only whole vegan organic foods. You will really be amazed at how your weight will drop and how much better you will feel. Your heartburn will really decrease or completely go away. Also, this is one area where the newer acid blockers can really help. To me, though, it is always better to fix the problem rather than treat the symptoms of the problem.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Here again we have a common gastrointestinal complaint that I think is related to eating too much food and too much of the wrong foods. Actually I have not had any symptoms of IBS since I quit meat. I know that a lot of the “wheat” out there is not really good organic freshly milled wheat flour. I learned from Tom, the founder of the Daily Grind Mill in Mason, Michigan, that “you can store grain -but not flour.” Once grain is milled it starts to turn rancid very quickly. Most of the bread baked and eaten here in America is made from partially milled grain that is stored, shipped and then stored again. This is not healthy either for the wheat flour or you. Here again try cutting down on the amount of food you eat and try to eat more from the organic sugar-free vegan MericleDiet. Also try to limit your food ingestion to the early afternoon. Make sure that any wheat you eat is freshly milled.