Beechey Island And Franklin’s Lost Expedition

On the southwest corner of Devon Island in the Canadian Archipelago of Nunavut, lies a small desolate island—the island of Beechey. For more than a hundred years, this windswept and barren island was a favorite landing site for Arctic explorers. Beechey Island’s relatively flat beach allowed for easy landing, while the small hill behind the narrow beach provided the needed shelter. Many crews from Arctic expeditions wintered here over the years.

Beechey Island’s claim to fame lies in its association with one of the most tragic episodes in arctic exploration history—the Franklin expedition.

Illustration of Franklin’s two ships, H.M.S. Erebus and H.M.S. Terror.

The Franklin expedition led by Captain Sir John Franklin, an experienced Royal Navy officer and explorer, set sail from England on 19 May, 1845, with a crew of 24 officers and 110 men aboard two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. Their mission was to find the so-called Northwest Passage—a sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Arctic Ocean—that would allow sea faring traders an easier route to Asia across the North American continent. Finding the Northwest Passage was long seen as a holy grail in navigation, captivating explorers for centuries and leading many to their deaths.

The Franklin expedition was one of the best equipped to tackle the Northwest Passage problem. Both ships were sturdily built, and were outfitted with recent inventions such as the stream engine, and screw propellers and iron rudders that could be retracted into iron wells to protect them from damage. The ship had internal heating for the comfort of the crew, a library with more than a thousand books, and was stocked with three years' worth of tinned food.

Sir John Franklin (1786–1847)

After leaving England, the expedition made a brief stop in Scotland and then sailed to Disko Bay on Greenland’s west coast where the crew wrote what would be their final letters home. As they entered the chilly waters around northern Canada in late July 1845, the ship met two whalers who reported that both crews were in good spirits. That was the last anybody saw of them.

When two years passed and no word was heard from Franklin, the public grew concerned and three search parties were organized. But they returned after a few months with still no trace of the missing sailors. In 1850, another search team consisting of more than a dozen ships went looking for Franklin and his men. They arrived on Beechey Island, where they had their first lead.

On the shores of the island the search party found three graves with engraved headstones identifying the dead as John Torrington, William Braine, and John Hartnell—all crew members of Franklin’s. The trash left behind by the crew on the island indicated that Franklin's men had wintered there in 1845–46.

Photo credit: Robin Galloway/Flickr

Beechey Island soon became an important starting point for subsequent investigations into the disappearance of the Franklin expedition. In 1854, further evidence of the expedition's fate emerged when Inuit eyewitnesses reported seeing a party of 35 to 40 white men die of starvation near the mouth of the Back River. In 1859, a note discovered on King William Island, located 670 km southwest of Beechey Island, clearly mentioned that John Franklin died in 1847 along with twenty three other officers and men.

Over the next 150 years, dozens of expeditions, explorers and scientists tried to piece together what actually happened. We now know that both ships had become icebound, forcing the men to trek across the ice but the cold and huger eventually got the better of them. Some skeletons found on King William Island show blade-cut marks on the bones, strongly suggesting that conditions had become so dire that some crew members resorted to cannibalism.

But what’s puzzling was what killed the three crew members on Beechey Island so early into the expedition.

In the 1980s, Canadian forensic anthropologist Dr. Owen Beattie exhumed the three bodies from Beechey Island and found them to be remarkably well preserved from being buried deep in the permafrost. Autopsies discovered high levels of lead in the men, which may have leached from the tinned food or from the ship’s system for fresh water. Another study in 2016 concluded that the men died of lung disease like pneumonia or tuberculosis exacerbated by malnutrition and overall poor health. 

Today, there are four headstones on Beechey Island. The fourth one was added later, and it belongs to Thomas Morgan, an official investigator who died of scurvy in 1854 searching for the lost crew. There is also a crumbling wooden hut on the island, the Northumberland House, erected by one of the search parties in 1852.

Now a National Historic Site, Beechey Island is a site of pilgrimage for Arctic explorers. Even the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen stopped at the island to pay respect to Franklin at the beginning of his successful voyage through the Northwest Passage in 1903.

Franklin’s lost ships weren’t discovered until 2014, when a Canadian team located the wreck of HMS Erebus in Queen Maud Gulf near King William Island. Two years later, the wreck of the second ship, HMS Terror, was also found south of King William Island. Both ships are said to be in very good condition, with HMS Terror’s condition being described as “pristine”.

A sonar image of a shipwreck discovered in Canada’s Arctic is one of two vessels from Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition, which got trapped in the ice in 1846.

Photo credit: Lydia Cassatt/Flickr

Memorial cross made out of discarded food cans at Northumberland House, Beechey Island. Photo credit: Cool Antarctica

The remains of Northumberland House on Beechey Island, littered with barrel hoops and staves. Photo credit: Cool Antarctica

Remains of Northumberland House on the shore of Beechey Island. 

Walking on Sunshine - 5 Yellow Fruits and Vegetables You Need in Your Diet this Spring!

Depending on the season, there are certain foods that tend to catch our eye. When the sun comes out from behind the clouds and the snowy days are far behind us, we begin to see yellow fruits and vegetables appearing everywhere —  think of bananas, mangos, and yellow peppers.

Yellow often represents sunshine, happiness, and radiance, which are adjectives we’d all love to use more often. Yellow fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins and minerals that have the power to reverse damaged skin cells. They also have a phytochemical called bio-flavonoid, sometimes referred to as Vitamin P. Vitamin P helps break down Vitamin C and helps to provide the necessary amounts that the skin needs to replenish itself. These yellow fruits and vegetables also house powerful antioxidants that combat illness and heart problems. Often, people tend to invest in skincare products and creams when they actually just need to eat more yellow food. These yellow fruits and veggies have more retinol properties than any over-the-counter beauty regime.

If you’re ready to improve your skin, diminish wrinkles and improve your overall health, here are 10 yellow fruits and vegetables plus recipes that will do just that!

Fruit:

1. Bananas 

Bananas are one of the more obvious, but favorite yellow fruit there is — they’re sweet, filling and filled with vital potassium. Bananas are a major storehouse of vitamin A, B, C, E as well as zinc, potassium, and magnesium. They also consist of amino acids that help fight allergies. B6 is also present, which is an antioxidant that prevents premature aging and it’s a natural moisturizer! They’re also known to reduce swelling. As you can now see, the benefits of bananas are truly great. It’s even better that they can be eaten in some many delicious recipes. 

2. Mangos 

Mangos are famous for their major storehouses of Vitamin A, which protects the skin from ultraviolet rays from the sun. This yellow fruit tastes so good that people often forget how nutritious they are.  Since they are high in fiber, Vitamin C, and pectin, they help to lower cholesterol. One cup of sliced mangos will provide you with 25% of the needed daily value of Vitamin A, which also promotes good eyesight and prevents dry eyes. This exotic fruit is also rich in antioxidant compounds called carotenoids, which have been said to aid in the battle of cancer. 

3. Lemons 

Lemons have anti-bacterial property; they are also rich in vitamin C and citric acid. When applied or consumed, whether in food or in water, they make the skin softer and brighter. Lemons also contain flavonoids, which are composites that contain antioxidantand cancer-fighting properties. It helps prevent diabetes, constipation, high blood pressure, fever, indigestion, as well as improve the skin, hair, and teeth. 

4. Pineapples 

You may be surprised to learn that pineapples have more going for them than just their sweet, tangy taste. Get ready for a mouthful; Pineapples are a storehouse of several different health benefits due to its wealth of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, thiamin, vitamin B6, and folate, and bromelain, as well as soluble and insoluble fiber. Yeah, wow. Pineapples help to reduce the inflammation that comes with arthritis and speeds up the healing of wounds due to its creation of collagen. 

5. Kiwi 

Green kiwi’s aren’t the only kiwis around. Actually, gold kiwi packs more of a health benefitpunch than you’d think. This tropical fruit has 3x the amount of Vitamin C than other citrus fruits, and it has a great sweet yet sour taste that gets people hooked. The high fiber content helps the metabolism, especially with old age. Gold kiwi also boosts the immune system and reduces fatigue. 

Vegetables:

1. Squash 

The delectable recipes are as equal as the health benefits in yellow squash. Yellow varieties of squash provide tons of health benefits. They’re rich in vitamins A, B6, and C, fiber, phosphorus, and potassium. It’s also rich in manganese, which is a mineral that helps boost bone strength and the body’s ability to process carbs and fat. Did we mention that it’s incredibly tasty in literally everything? 

2. Yellow Peppers 

Did you know that technically, yellow peppers are a fruit but we eat them and they taste like a vegetable? Let’s just continue rolling with it. Mainly made up of water, this bright veggie/fruit is hydrating with a small amount of fat. Yellow peppers are a great source of fiber and antioxidants. They also have folate, which is a substance that supports red blood cell functions. Like other yellow foods, they have loads of vitamin C. 

3. Potatoes 

Potatoes aren’t only comfort food, but they’re also very, very good for you. Of course, when they’re prepared with vegan recipes they’re even better. One of the best things about potatoes is how filling they are without being high in fat or calories. They’re also full of nutrients including vitamins C and B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, manganese, and phosphorus. Phosphorus is essential for the body to function, as it helps structure cell membranes. 

4. Pumpkin 

A single cup of cooked pumpkin has more than 200% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A is great for the body as it keeps vision sharp and clear. It also contains lots of vitamin C, which we now know boosts your immune system and wards off colds, as well as bad skin. Yellow Pumpkin is stuffed with phytoestrogens, which is helpful for stopping hypertension! It’s also a much-overlooked source of fiber, which aids in weight loss. It’s also quite delicious. 

5. Beans 

These yellow legumes contain a whole lotta cancer-fighting, natural plant chemicals, included isoflavones and phytosterols. Both which block cholesterol absorption which reduces levels. They can help control PMS, reduce cancer, give you all the vitamin K you’ll need to keep your joint movements fluid. They can also replace other popular beans in a variety of meals. 

7 Evidence-Based Reasons to Eat More Asparagus

Asparagus, officially known as Asparagus officinalis, is a member of the lily family. This popular vegetable comes in a variety of colors, including green, white and purple. It’s used in dishes around the world, including frittatas, pastas and stir-fries.

Asparagus is low in calories and packed with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This article uncovers seven health benefits of asparagus, all supported by science.

1. MANY NUTRIENTS BUT FEW CALORIES

Asparagus is low in calories but boasts an impressive nutrient profile. In fact, just half a cup (90 grams) of cooked asparagus contains (1):

• Calories: 20
• Protein: 2.2 grams
• Fat: 0.2 grams
• Fiber: 1.8 grams
• Vitamin C: 12 percent of the RDI
• Vitamin A: 18 percent of the RDI
• Vitamin K: 57 percent of the RDI
• Folate: 34 percent of the RDI
• Potassium: 6 percent of the RDI
• Phosphorous: 5 percent of the RDI
• Vitamin E: 7 percent of the RDI

Asparagus also possesses small amounts of other micronutrients, including iron, zinc and riboflavin. It’s an excellent source of vitamin K, an essential nutrient involved in blood clotting and bone health (2).

In addition, asparagus is high in folate, a nutrient that is vital for a healthy pregnancy and many important processes in the body, including cell growth and DNA formation (3).

2. GOOD SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

Antioxidants are compounds that help protect your cells from the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress contributes to aging, chronic inflammation and many diseases, including cancer (4, 5).

Asparagus, like other green vegetables, is high in antioxidants. These include vitamin E, vitamin C and glutathione, as well as various flavonoids and polyphenols (6, 7).

Asparagus is particularly high in the flavonoids quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol (8, 9).

These substances have been found to have blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticancer effects in a number of human, test-tube and animal studies (10, 11, 12, 13).

What’s more, purple asparagus contains powerful pigments called anthocyanins, which give the vegetable its vibrant color and have antioxidant effects in the body (14).

In fact, increasing anthocyanin intake has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and heart disease (15, 16, 17). 

Eating asparagus along with other fruits and vegetables can provide your body with a range of antioxidants to promote good health.

3. CAN IMPROVE DIGESTIVE HEALTH

Dietary fiber is essential for good digestive health. Just half a cup of asparagus contains 1.8 grams of fiber, which is 7 percent of your daily needs.

Studies suggest that a diet high in fiber-rich fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes (18, 19, 20).

Asparagus is particularly high in insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to stool and supports regular bowel movements.

It also contains a small amount of soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. Soluble fiber feeds the friendly bacteria in the gut, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus (21).

Increasing the number of these beneficial bacteria plays a role in strengthening the immune system and producing essential nutrients like vitamins B12 and K2 (22, 23, 24).

Eating asparagus as part of a fiber-rich diet is an excellent way to help meet your fiber needs and keep your digestive system healthy.

4. HELPS SUPPORT A HEALTHY PREGNANCY

Asparagus is an excellent source of folate, also known as vitamin B9. Just half a cup of asparagus provides adults with 34 percent of their daily folate needs and pregnant women with 22 percent of their daily needs (1).

Folate is an essential nutrient that helps form red blood cells and produce DNA for healthy growth and development. It’s especially important during the early stages of pregnancy to ensure the healthy development of the baby.

Getting enough folate from sources like asparagus, green leafy vegetables and fruit can protect against neural tube defects, including spina bifida (25, 26).

Neural tube defects can lead to a range of complications, ranging from learning difficulties to lack of bowel and bladder control to physical disabilities (27, 28).

In fact, adequate folate is so vital during pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy that folate supplements are recommended to ensure women meet their requirements.

5. HELPS LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure affects more than 1.3 billion people worldwide and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke (29).

Research suggests that increasing potassium intake while reducing salt intake is an effective way to lower high blood pressure (30, 31).

Potassium lowers blood pressure in two ways: by relaxing the walls of blood vessels and excreting excess salt through urine (32). Asparagus is a good source of potassium, providing 6 percent of your daily requirement in a half-cup serving.

What’s more, research in rats with high blood pressure suggests that asparagus may have other blood pressure-lowering properties. In one study, rats were fed either a diet with 5 percent asparagus or a standard diet without asparagus.

After 10 weeks, the rats on the asparagus diet had 17 percent lower blood pressure than the rats on the standard diet (33). Researchers believed this effect was due to an active compound in asparagus that causes blood vessels to dilate.

However, human studies are needed to determine whether this active compound has the same effect in humans.

In any case, eating more potassium-rich vegetables, such as asparagus, is a great way to help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

6. CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

Currently, no studies have tested the effects of asparagus on weight loss. However, it has a number of properties that could potentially help you lose weight.

First, it’s very low in calories, with only 20 calories in half a cup. This means you can eat a lot of asparagus without taking in a lot of calories. Furthermore, it’s about 94 percent water. Research suggests that consuming low-calorie, water-rich foods is associated with weight loss (34, 35).

Asparagus is also rich in fiber, which has been linked to lower body weight and weight loss (36, 37).

7. EASY TO ADD TO YOUR DIET

In addition to being nutritious, asparagus is delicious and easy to incorporate into your diet.

It can be cooked in a variety of ways, including boiling, grilling, steaming, roasting and sautéing. You can also purchase canned asparagus, which is precooked and ready to eat.

Asparagus can be used in a number of dishes like salads, stir-fries, frittatas, omelets and pastas, and it makes an excellent side dish.

Furthermore, it’s extremely affordable and widely available at most grocery stores. When shopping for fresh asparagus, look for firm stems and tight, closed tips.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Asparagus is a nutritious and tasty addition to any diet. It’s low in calories and a great source of nutrients, including fiber, folate and vitamins A, C and K.

Additionally, eating asparagus has a number of potential health benefits, including weight loss, improved digestion, healthy pregnancy outcomes and lower blood pressure.

Plus, it’s inexpensive, easy to prepare and makes a delicious addition to a number of recipes.

Top 10 Foods to Eat for Healthy Eyes

While most people think of the foods they eat if they are suffering from digestive issues, few people consider how the foods they eat can keep their eyes and vision healthy for life. But the right foods can make a difference between strong and healthy eyes or a tendency toward eye disorders later in life.

Here are my top 10 picks for healthy eyes and eyesight:

APRICOTS

When it comes to eye health you’ll want to indulge in a handful of fresh or dried apricots. These mostly-overlooked nutritional powerhouses contain a wide variety of nutrients needed for healthy eyesight, including: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, rutin and zeaxanthin—the latter of which has been found to prevent age-related macular degeneration. Be sure to choose unsulphured varieties of dried aprictos.

BLACKBERRIES

Nutrients like alpha-carotene and anthocyanins give blackberries their gorgeous color but also help to protect the eyes against harmful free radicals. The nutrient rutin improves eye health and helps strengthen blood vessels to the eyes. 

BLUEBERRIES

Not just delicious, these nutritional superfoods are demonstrating their ability to protect the eyes against free radical damage. In research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the compounds that give them their delightful color, anthocyanins, are showing their ability to help protect against age-related macular degeneration.

BROCCOLI

Now there’s more reason than ever to eat your broccoli, thanks to their rich source of eye-protecting nutrients that include: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, rutin and zeaxanthin.

CARROTS

No discussion on foods for eye health would be complete without mentioning carrots. Thanks to being a rich source in nutrients like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, carrots should be a regular part of your diet. Other orange-colored foods like mangoes, peaches, pumpkins, squash and sweet potatoes are also rich in these nutrients.

CHIA AND FLAX SEEDS

Rich in Omega 3s and vitamin E, these nutrients help to reduce inflammation and free radicals which are precursors to eye conditions. 

GRAPEFRUIT

One of the few foods high in a little-known nutrient known as naringin that helps with a wide variety of eye disorders, grapefruit is an excellent addition to your diet. Grapefruit also contains the nutrient rutin, although you will need to eat some of the white pith surrounding the fruit (not the skin) to get more rutin in your diet. High in vitamin C, grapefruit also helps to protect your eyes from damaging free radicals.

GREEN TEA

Research in the medical journal Current Eye Research found that one of green tea’s medicinal compounds known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has a profound eye-protecting ability. It even helped prevent cataract formation.

LEAFY GREENS

When it comes to eye health, few foods can compare to leafy greens like collards, kale and spinach. That’s because they contain a wide variety of eye-protecting and eye-healing nutrients, some of which include: alpha-carotene, alpha lipoic acid, beta-carotene, lutein, lutein and zeaxanthin.

NUTS

High in vitamin E and a source of the eye-healing nutrient rutin, nuts like raw, unsalted Brazil nuts, cashews and walnuts can be an excellent addition to your diet. Vitamin E helps to protect the eyes against harmful free radicals.

Prunes Are an Essential Part of a Bone Protective Diet

“We are in an epidemic of osteoporosis. There can be no doubt about that.” Ten million Americans have it, and one in three older women will get it. “We urgently need public health strategies to maintain bone health throughout the life cycle and to prevent osteoporosis in later life.” Might fruits and vegetables be the unexpected natural answer to the question of osteoporosis prevention?

Evidence from a variety of studies “strongly points to a positive link between fruit and vegetable consumption and indexes of bone health,” such as bone mineral density, and the “size of the effect in the older women [is] impressive: doubling the fruit intake” is associated with a 5 percent higher spine mineralization. The same relationship exists with young women, too. And, eating lots of fruit in childhood may protect bones throughout life—something that was not found for milk intake, as I’ve explored before.

Bone health isn’t just about calcium. There are several key nutrients found in vegetables, fruits, and beans that are associated with better bone mineral density, but does that translate into lower hip fracture risk? The Singapore Chinese Health Study found that a “diet rich in plant-based foods, namely vegetables, fruit, and legumes such as soy, may reduce the risk of hip fracture.” But, why? 

“The underlying mechanism in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO) is an imbalance between bone resorption [disappearance] and formation,” and oxidative stress may play a role in this balance.

There are two types of bone cells: “the bone-forming osteoblasts and the bone-dismantling osteoclasts.” Osteoblasts are continually laying down new bone, while osteoclasts chisel away old bone, using free radicals as the molecular chisel to chip away our bone. Too many free radicals in our system, though, may lead to excessive bone breakdown. Antioxidant defenses appear “markedly decreased in osteoporotic women,” and “elderly osteoporotic women had consistently lower levels of all natural antioxidants tested than controls.”

“Because excessive [free radicals] may contribute to bone loss, it is important to elucidate the potential role antioxidant-rich fruits play in mitigating bone loss that leads to the development of osteoporosis.” The thought is that fruits up-regulate the bone building cells, and down-regulate the bone-eating cells, tipping the balance towards greater bone mass. So, let’s put a fruit to the test. Which one do we pick? Dried plums were chosenbecause they have among the highest antioxidant ranking among commonly consumed fruits and vegetables—and because the researchers received a grant from the California Dried Plum Board.

When you think of prunes, you think of bowels, not bones, but, over a decade ago, researchers at Oklahoma State tried giving a dozen prunes a day to a group of postmenopausal women, using a dozen dried apple rings as a control. After three months, only the subjects who consumed the prunes had significant elevations in an enzyme marker of bone formation, although prunes didn’t seem to affect markers of bone breakdown. So, prunes may help more with building bones than preventing bone loss. However, the reverse was found with almonds, so maybe a little prune-and-almond trail mix is in order.

With this bump in bone formation indices, one might expect that if they did a longer study, we would actually see an impact on bone mineral density. And nine years later, just such a study was done: 12 months on dried plums versus apples. Both dried fruit regimens appeared to have “bone-protective effects,” though the prunes seemed to work better in the arm bone and spine.

So, the dried plum marketing board wants everyone to know that dried plums are “the most effective fruit in both preventing and reversing bone loss,” but only two fruits have ever been tested: plums and apples. If this pans out for other plants, though, “a ‘fruit and vegetables’ approach may provide a very sensible (and natural) alternative therapy for osteoporosis treatment, one that is likely to have numerous additional health-related benefits.” All we have to do is convince people to actually do it.

Top 9 Natural Remedies for Bad Digestion

Strong and healthy digestion is fundamental to great health. That’s because the building blocks of every cell, tissue, organ, gland, bone and other components of your body come from nutrients found in your food. If you don’t eat healthy foods or your body isn’t adequately able to break them down into their nutritional components like amino acids, sugars, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients you’ll lack the building blocks needed to build and restore a healthy body.

When you consider that your cells regularly die off and are replaced with healthy new cells, you’ll want to give your digestion a boost to ensure your body can create healthy new cells for a strong and healthy body. Here are some of my preferred ways to build digestion.

EAT MORE FERMENTED FOODS

Whether you choose kimchi (a Korean condiment), yogurt or vegan yogurt, sauerkraut, fermented pickles or some other type of fermented foods with live cultures you’ll give your gut a boost. By boosting the beneficial microbes in your gut you’ll improve your body’s ability to extract nutrients from food. Most people don’t realize that the bulk of the nutrients you eat are extracted from your food in your intestines. You need plentiful amounts of beneficial microbes that help to digest the food you eat.

Be sure the foods you choose contain “live cultures” or state “unpasteurized” on the label. Pasteurization kills all the beneficial microbes in food and won’t help your digestion. 

SUPPLEMENT WITH A FULL-SPECTRUM ENZYME FORMULA

Most people’s digestive enzymes begin to wane as they get older or eat foods that require high amounts of digestive enzymes. To replenish, take an enzyme supplement that contains protease to digest proteins, lipase to digest fats, amylase to digest carbohydrates, and cellulase and hemicellulase to digest fiber. Be sure the product you choose is free of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

DRINK SOME APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Add a tablespoon of unfiltered, unpasteurized, organic apple cider vinegar to a half cup of water and drink about 10 minutes prior to eating. This will help boost your body’s ability to digest foods. Avoid apple cider vinegar if you have a stomach ulcer.

EAT MORE PLANT-BASED FOODS

Contrary to popular belief, animal products are difficult to digest, require more hydrochloric acid and enzymes to break down, and lack the water and fiber needed to keep food moving through your digestive tract. Conversely, plant-based foods are high in water and fiber, and when eaten raw (such as raw fruits and vegetables) contain all the enzymes they need to digest themselves without using your own stores.

CHEW YOUR FOOD

Most people think digestion begins in the stomach but it doesn’t. It actually begins in the mouth where a substance called ptyalin in your saliva begins to break down carbohydrates—starches and sugars. By chewing your food well it will leave your mouth already predigested.

SIP SOME PEPPERMINT TEA

Peppermint tea has been a popular digestive aid for many years, probably because it works. It aids digestion, and helps alleviate nausea and digestive upset. Add one teaspoon of peppermint leaves per cup of boiled water and let steep for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively, use prepackaged peppermint tea bags and allow to steep for at least 10 minutes.

DRINK ELECAMPANE TEA

While the herb elecampane is most known for its respiratory benefits, it also helps a sluggish digestive system. Use one teaspoon of herb per cup of water and allow to steep for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively use one half teaspoon of elecampane tincture (alcohol extract) three times daily.

MAKE A GINGER DECOCTION

Ginger is a well-known remedy for nausea, which is a common symptom of indigestion. Coarsely chop a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger and add to a pot with 1 quart (or 1 liter) of pure water. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups daily. You can add a small amount of the herbal sweetener stevia if you’d like.

SUPPLEMENT WITH PROBIOTICS

Take a supplement that contains a wide range of probiotic strains. Ideally, it would contain: L. acidophilus, L. brevis, L. bulgaricus, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus, L. salivarius, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. lactis, and B. longum. L. stands for Lactobacillus and B. stands for Bifidobacteria.