There is a lot of information out there about the connection between food and health. Perhaps you have read that sugar can lead to cancer, trans fats can cause a heart attack, and gluten can be the cause of autoimmune disease. You are warned about the pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and toxins in your food. It can get to the point where you are afraid to put anything in your mouth.

I'm not here to dispute or support the accuracy of these claims or to promote any one way of eating. I am here to say that all of this can create a madness that is not healthy. Orthorexic is a term used to describe the unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. I'm all in favor of eating healthy (!), but when it gets to where it is causing you stress or coming from a place of fear, it's time to take a moment and get yourself back in control.

In my first year of school to get my Masters in Holistic Health Education, I veered on the side of being orthorexic. The more I learned about nutrition, the crazier I got. Nuts should be raw and soaked. Produce should be organic. Beef needs to be grass-fed. Chicken can't have hormones or antibiotics. Eggs need to be pastured. I should stay away from soda, trans-fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, coffee, refined foods, canned goods, packaged food, and the list goes on.

I wholeheartedly think that all of the dietary guidelines mentioned above are healthy ways of eating. This is how I eat for the most part (except that I don't soak my nuts). However, there are times when it's out of my control and I just don't worry about it anymore. For example, I don't stress about eating beef that is not grass-fed when I am invited to a friend's house for dinner. Instead, I am grateful for the invitation and for the effort that goes into cooking a meal for me. I don't worry if the greens at the restaurant are not organic. Instead, I enjoy the culinary delights that the chef has created. I don't boycott the "regular" eggs my family buys when I go visit them. Instead, I am thankful for the time we spend together.

There is a lot of information about what is right and what is wrong when it comes to healthy eating, some of which contradicts itself. There is also an element of eating according to the latest fad. In my blog, The Trendy Diet, I talk about how certain food groups have gone in and out of fashion. Carbs were good, then they were bad. Same with fats, soy, and gluten. It is best to go to the source and find out how much is reputable (repeatable) research and how much is marketing hype.

We all have to decide what is right for us. I have friends and clients who strongly support and swear by their vegan diet and yet others who do all things Paleo. There are others who are gluten-free, sugar-free, or dairy-free. We all have our own biochemical individuality which means there is no one right answer for everyone. It's important to remember this so that we don't try to proselytize our way as the right way. Live and let live without judgement. It's about being in tune with your own body and doing what is right for you. A good way to find this out is to do an elimination diet and find out which foods cause problems for your own body.

For me, I do eat meat, but I eat it in small portions and I am particular about eating quality meats (e.g. grass-fed beef, hormone and antibiotic-free chicken). I eat organic for the high pesticide produce (e.g. blueberries, kale) and don't stress as much about buying organic for the low pesticide (e.g. avocado, onions) fruits and veggies. I do buy pastured eggs. I eat gluten because I don't have a sensitivity to it, but I don't eat a lot of it and when I do, I make it good quality like whole grain breads. I eat sugar in the form of fruit and honey, but I try to stay away from foods with high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars. I choose not to eat soy. This is just what works for me. 

Being orthorexic isn't necessarily about what you eat, it's about the stress and importance that you put on it. If it's simply a way of life for you, that's great. However, when it gets in the way of your relationships and your mental happiness, it might be time to consider the toll it's taking on your overall health. A part of health is pleasure. Pleasure can come from enjoying your favorite dessert or sharing a home-cooked special meal with your loved ones. And if it's causing you stress or anxiety, we all know that is not good for your health. If you get it right 80 to 90% of the time, that's excellent. When you are in the 10 to 20% of not eating as healthy as you could, just do so mindfully and without guilt.

The bottom line is this. Yes, read the information that is out there and educate yourself about eating well. I fully believe in the power of food for our health. I've seen amazing changes happen with dozens of clients who have changed their eating habits. It's absolutely important to have a healthy obsession with healthy eating. The problem comes when that obsession turns from healthy to unhealthy. At that point, it's time to gain control back and truly be healthy—in all four quadrants of your life.

Do you have an obsession with healthy eating? If so, is it healthy or unhealthy?

Be sure to get your free 47 page Getting Started Guide: Taking Your First Step on the 4QL Journey by signing up for our newsletter at the top right of this page. It is filled with a 4 quadrant health assessment as well as health tips for each quadrant including 5 Steps to Mindfulness, 12 Tips for Fad-Free Eating, 6 Ways to Closer Connections, and 9 Ideas to Detox Your Home.

Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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We may not talk openly about burping, farting, and pooping, but they are all important signs of what is happening with our digestion and health. Proper digestion is essential for optimal health. Our digestive system is connected to every major organ system and over 60% of our immune system is in the gastrointestinal tract. You may associate common health complaints like gas and burping to improper digestion, but it can also show up as skin irritations, foggy brain, fatigue, anemia, and weakened immune.

Signs of an unhealthy gut include the following:

• poor bowel habits such as constipation and diarrhea
• undigested foods in stools
• bad smelling stool
• feel better if you don't eat
• chronic indigestion after eating
• frequently cold for no reason
• frequent burping, passing gas, or bloated abdomen

We all know that what goes in must come out. From when food enters through your mouth to when it exits your body, your stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, and large intestine all get involved in the processing of it. At any point along the journey, if things are not functioning properly, you may experience digestive issues. There are a variety of reasons you might be experiencing the symptoms above—including food sensitivities, too little stomach acid, not enough digestive enzymes, and low amounts of friendly bacteria.

Below are ten simple ideas for healthy digestion.

1. Chew your food. Chewing your food can really make a difference in the digestive process. Digestion doesn't start in the stomach, it starts in the mouth. Chewing activates the enzymes and prepares your stomach for producing gastric juices, such as pepsin and hydrochloric acid (HCL), to break down proteins. When your food is not chewed, not only do nutrients not get extracted from the food, but also undigested food can produce bacteria in the colon which can lead to bacterial overgrowth, gas, and other symptoms of indigestion. If you are able to see identifiable food in your stool, it is a good sign that you are not chewing your food enough.

2. Don't drink liquids during your meals. It's good to drink a lot of water, right? Yes! But there is an exception... when you are eating. During meals, you do not want to drink a lot of water because it dilutes the HCL in your stomach which impacts digestion and nutrient absorption. Get your fluids in before and after your meal, just not during. Try to keep your water intake to under 6 ounces during your meal.

3. Skip the antacid. Do you reach for the antacid when you experience heartburn because you think you have too much acid in your stomach? If so, you could be making it worse. Much of the time when you suffer acid indigestion, it is actually because you have too little acid, not too much. Taking antacids suppresses the production of hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes (which is exactly the opposite of what you want to be doing to alleviate the problem). As we age, we produce less HCL. Some of the symptoms of not having enough HCL are belching, gas, bloating, feeling of fullness, no taste for meat, stomach aches, and bad breath. To increase your HCL to help the digestion process, you can drink less fluid as mentioned in #2 or try taking a 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water before your meal.

4. Relax at meal time. Stress shuts down digestion. Take a deep breath, take time to eat, and allow your body to properly digest and absorb your food. Don't overeat.

5. Eat whole foods and fermented foods. Once your food has left the stomach, it moves to the small intestine. The pancreas sends in digestive enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to neutralize the stomach acid. If you are low on enzymes, then you can also experience digestion symptoms like gas, bloating and stomach pain. To increase enzymes, eat whole, fresh organic foods. Reduce your intake of sugar, refined flour, trans fats, packaged foods, sodas, and alcohol. Eat fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, and naturally fermented vegetables, such as pickled cucumbers and kimchi. You can also take digestive enzymes like protease, amylase, and lipase.

 6. Increase your friendly bacteria. The last bit of digestion happens in the large intestine. This is where your friendly bacteria live. These bacteria help produce enzymes, manufacture B vitamins, keep you resistant to food poisoning, and keep bad bugs from taking up residence. It is essential to have good bacteria in your colon. You can help this by eating fermented foods, as mentioned above and by taking probiotic supplements (lactobaccilus and bifidus). (Note: Use of antibiotics can kill your friendly bacteria, so if you have been on antibiotics, it is essential to take probiotics).

7. Eat more fiber. Constipation and diarrhea are two indicators that your colon is not working efficiently. Constipation may occur if there is not enough water in the bowel. This may happen when digestion is slowed down or when you don't consume enough fiber. Diarrhea can occur if there is too much water in the bowel. This may happen when food is not digested well. Increase your fiber intake by eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and prunes. If you have constipation, you may want to take a magnesium supplement or add flax seeds to your diet (soaked and ground) which will increase smooth muscle relaxation and hydrate the bowel.

8. Drink water. There are so many reasons for drinking more water and healthy digestion is one of them. The general rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should try to drink 75 ounces of water daily.

9. Remove allergenic foods. It may be helpful to do an elimination diet (removing highly allergenic foods from your diet like gluten, eggs, soy, nuts, dairy) if you are having digestive issues to see if you have any food sensitivities or allergies. Doing the detox program is a good way to get you started on discovering any food sensitivities.

10. Check your poop. How your food is exiting can tell a lot about what is happening with your digestion. You should have one to two good bowel movements a day. Your poop should be solid (not runny), sizable (not drops), medium to dark brown, and not highly aromatic. It should come out easily without straining.

This only covers the surface of digestion and health. In another blog I will talk about "leaky gut" and how it is related to a host of chronic health issues like arthritis, asthma, autoimmune disease, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. I cannot underscore the importance of having a healthy gut for total body health.

Burping, farting, and pooping may not be something you feel entirely comfortable talking about, but these bodily functions are giving you key indications of your health. If you are having issues with digestion and you want help, contact Four Quadrant Living.

Be sure to get your free 47 page Getting Started Guide: Taking Your First Step on the 4QL Journey by signing up for our newsletter at the top right of this page. It is filled with a 4 quadrant health assessment as well as health tips for each quadrant including 5 Steps to Mindfulness, 12 Tips for Fad-Free Eating, 6 Ways to Closer Connections, and 9 Ideas to Detox Your Home.

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Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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So, what does this look like? Basically it means eating real food—opting for fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. A low allergenic diet means removing top allergenic foods like gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts. For a low inflammatory diet, it means avoiding processed foods, trans fats, and high lectin foods. Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins found in plants. High lectin foods include legumes, grains, and nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers). I also recommend removing caffeine, sodas, and sugar from the diet.

Managing blood sugar regulation means eating every few hours and including a protein with all meals and snacks. Eating high antioxidant foods means eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. For those with autoimmune conditions, it is important to buy organic, especially for the high pesticide produce.

There are blood tests that can be done to determine which foods you are sensitive to. Another way is to do a detox diet removing all possible allergenic and inflammatory foods and then reintroduce them one by one to see which ones cause problems. For those with active flare-ups or advanced autoimmune diseases, I recommend doing a detox diet as the first order of business to detoxify the body and calm down the inflammation.

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I am offering a 25% discount to anyone who wants nutritional consulting and health coaching for an autoimmune disease. Just mention this blog.

Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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