Folks, I can’t tell you how excited I am that in just a few days my new PBS special, The Road to Perfect Health, will begin airing nationwide. It’s been such a long but rewarding journey to bring all the elements of this new show together, and I’m so happy to finally be able to share the message of vibrant health with audiences all across America.

So many people in our lives are suffering—waking up every day with problems like poor digestion, fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, joint pain and so much more—but it doesn’t have to be that way. The secret to a healthy body begins with a healthy digestive system, and the information in The Road to Perfect Health will teach you all about what’s going on inside your gut and why it’s so important to keep your digestive system running smoothly.

Join me and together we’ll look at the trillions of good bacteria living inside your gut that help your body absorb nutrients, defend against toxins, fight off illness and disease, and yes, even help with problems like constipation, irritable bowel and other digestive issues. Those good-for-you bacteria are called probiotics, and they’re the key to a strong Gut Protection System—or GPS for short!

Just like the GPS in your car, all those good bacteria in your gut help keep you on the path to better health. But what happens when your GPS isn’t working right? You can get lost, and just like getting lost on the road, we sometimes lose our way on the road to better health and end up stuck in a rut of illness and poor digestion.

I hope you’ll tune this month and through December to learn the secret to rebuilding your health from the inside out. It’s time to balance your gut and heal your body!

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Okay, so maybe it isn’t a headline you expect to see very often, but lately things are changing, and I say they’re definitely changing for the better. More and more people are becoming aware of the vast numbers of microscopic bacteria living inside their bodies, and a whole new field of science has emerged to study the literally trillions of microorganisms that grow and thrive inside us—helping us do everything from digesting our food to boosting our immune defenses and protecting us against illness and disease.

To help you get an idea of just how important these bacteria are, consider this: In the human body there are 10 times more microbial cells than human cells. Just think about that for a second—it means that roughly 90% of our genetic makeup is microbial. Whoa! I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty amazing that something we can’t even see can be such an important part of who we are.

In the gut especially, there are about 100 trillion bacterial cells. Some are good, some are bad, and some are neutral, but the key is making sure you always have more good than bad (somewhere around 80% to 20%), because the good guys—called probiotics—help to nourish and protect not just your digestive tract, but your whole body.

In just the last few years scientists have made some pretty amazing discoveries about the role of probiotics in human health, and studies show that taking a daily probiotic supplement can help with digestive conditions such as irritable bowel, diarrhea and constipation, as well as aid in vitamin production, weight loss, mental health, and of course building up our immune defenses by crowding out harmful, disease-causing bacteria.

So the next time you hear someone talk about bacteria, resist the urge to cringe and remember the good guys! Probiotics literally means “for life,” and no wonder. I heard this great quote the other day by Dr. Jeffrey Gordon at the Center for Genome Sciences at Washington University, and it really sums it up: “Most people have this view of our encounters with microbes from the perspective of disease. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Most of our interactions with microbes are beneficial and are healthy.” Like I said, hooray for bacteria!

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Doing what I do, I have a lot of folks come to me with problems like heartburn, constipation, gas and bloating—things that make you think right off the bat, “That’s a digestive issue.” But what about problems like fatigue or weight gain? Even allergies, joint pain or skin problems? What a lot of people don’t realize is that all of these things are connected, and they all come back to your gut.

I have a new book coming out called The Road to Perfect Health, and in it I talk about the vast numbers of bacteria in your body, especially in your digestive tract (which is where roughly 80 percent of your natural defenses are found). And when a healthy digestive balance is upset because of things like poor diet, stress or other factors, the result can be not only poor digestion, but a total breakdown in health.

If you’ve been having persistent health problems that you and your doctor just can’t seem to figure out no matter what you try, it may be time to look at what’s going on in your gut. And to do that, there are two absolutely essential tests that I recommend starting with. One is called a comprehensive stool analysis (CDSA or CSAP) and it’s really pretty remarkable. It evaluates your poop (now don’t cringe, this is important!) and looks at things like how you are digesting your food, as well as your levels of good and bad bacteria, whether pathogenic organisms such as C. difficile are present, what your yeast levels are, and if there are parasites in the gut.

The CDSA will also show you whether you have Leaky Gut Syndrome or inflammation in your digestive system, and it will show you how well your gut immunity is working, along with important gut health markers such as pH, blood, short-chain fatty acids and even how well your pancreas is functioning. These are all extremely important aspects of gut health that together can help you get to the bottom of what is going on in the rest of your body. Again, I can’t stress enough how connected your overall health is to what’s going on in your gut!

The other test is a gluten sensitivity test. Why gluten sensitivity? Because wheat gluten is a major (if not the worst) food irritant to the digestive system, and it is in a huge number of products on the market today—not just bread. Seriously folks, more than 40 percent of Americans are gluten sensitive and most don’t even know it, and 2 million of those have a serious autoimmune disorder called celiac disease, which causes the body to try to attack gluten in the system. And because even a lot of GI doctors don’t understand the difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, most will either label you as having celiac or nothing, which can be extremely frustrating when you don’t feel well and are trying to figure out what’s wrong (read more about this here).The bottom line is that people are having all these problems which could lead to bigger problems later on, and the reality is those problems can be helped.

Both of these tests are non-invasive and can be done right at home (visit www.labtestingdirect.com and www.enterolab.com for more information). Then, all you have to do is send the tests to the lab for analysis (prepaid envelopes are provided) and hopefully take the first step toward getting your health back on track. If they seem expensive, think about it this way: how much money do you spend each week or each month on frivolous things you really don’t need? Isn’t your health a hundred times more important than a $4 latte every morning? And even if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost right away, you may be eligible for reimbursement, so I beg you—make this investment in your health. It’s worth it to get to the root of your problems and start enjoying the vibrant health and energy you deserve!!

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Do you know what heartburn, constipation, weight gain, high cholesterol and fatigue have in common? What about things like allergies, arthritis and even chronic disease? Well, you might be surprised to hear it, but ALL of these things are related…and guess why? Because they ALL start in the gut. Want to know more?

Join me on October 13^th at Sunflower Farmers Market in Scottsdale for a free digestive health lecture. I’m going to be talking about the link between a properly functioning digestive system and a healthy body, including how our increasingly toxic world is taking a serious toll on the natural defenses found in our gut. We’ll also talk about the natural supplements that are essential for helping you look and feel your best every day, so mark your calendar!

WHEN: Wednesday, October 13^th  7:00-9:00 p.m.

WHERE: Sunflower Farmers Market, 4402 N. Miller Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251

RSVP: 480-941-6001

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When your digestive system is out of balance, your health can suffer. And I’m not just talking about typical tummy issues like gas and bloating, constipation and irritable bowel, but all kinds of problems like fatigue, weight gain, skin problems and even anxiety. That’s right folks—everything is linked to your gut!

Want to know more? Join me on September 23^rd at Health Foods Unlimited in Centerville, Ohio for a free digestive health lecture. I’m going to be talking about the link between a properly functioning digestive system and a healthy body—including the natural supplements that are essential for helping you look and feel your best every day. Plus, if you’re one of the first 50 people to attend, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of my book Gut Solutions. See you there!

WHEN:

6:30-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 23^rd

WHERE:

Health Foods Unlimited

2250 Miamisburg Centerville Road

Centerville, OH 45459

RSVP: 937-433-5100

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A lot, actually! Just recently scientists at the University of California discovered a difference in brain structure between people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and those who showed no IBS symptoms.

What they found was that those with IBS actually had less gray matter in the areas of the brain that controlled things like thinking, reasoning and evaluating. Pretty interesting stuff, I thought, and it just goes to prove that the gut and the brain are more connected than we might think.

Experts call this relationship between our digestive system and the brain our gut-brain connection, and it’s been linked to everything from migraine headaches to autism. It’s not surprising though, when you consider that more than 70 percent of your body’s natural defenses are found in your gut. To put this in perspective, it helps to remember that there are only about 10 trillion cells in your entire body, but roughly 100 trillion bacteria cells in your gut. Talk about running the show!

Results of the UCLA study are also helping scientists to better understand IBS, a debilitating disorder with symptoms that include abdominal pain and cramping, along with severe diarrhea or constipation. At one time doctors thought IBS was a psychological disorder, but thanks to studies like this one they’re starting to change their tune—and it’s about time. I see and talk to people every day with IBS, and let me tell you, it’s real!

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My weekly “Renew You” Challenge: In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty comfortable talking about poop. Most of the people I work with are, too—in fact it’s kind of a running joke! But I think it’s safe to say that for the rest of society, the subject of poop has a MAJOR taboo.  Even the editor’s letter in a recent issue of a popular parents’ magazine had a hard time mentioning constipation, and I thought, “Really?? These are parents! Haven’t they seen pretty much everything when it comes to their kids’ bodily functions?” 

My point is, we need to get more comfortable talking about what’s happening on the inside—in our guts. Why? Because a healthy gut is the foundation for a healthy body, since it’s where the majority of your body’s natural defenses are found.

So where’s the best place to start? With your family, of course! After all, you share just about everything else with them, right? And this is important. Think about it, do you even know how often your spouse poops? How about your kids? And if you do, do you know if they’re healthy poops? Are they too loose? Not frequent enough? All of these things can have a big impact on overall health.

So yes, it can be a touchy subject, but it’s an important one folks. Ignoring our digestive symptoms because they’re hard to talk about can lead to chronic illness down the line. So I say get over it—and let’s talk poop!

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Hey, guess what? Feeling good is good for you! A recent study found a connection between positive emotions and a lowered risk of coronary heart disease—pretty neat, huh? Specifically, they studied something called “positive affect,” which is basically just another way of saying that someone is experiencing positive emotions, and what they found was that increased positive emotions actually decreases your risk of developing heart disease by 22%… wow!

But before you roll your eyes and say, “Oh, now you expect me to be chipper and pleasant all day?” let’s not get carried away. Positive affect doesn’t mean you can’t have a slump here and there. Let’s face it, everyone has their down days. But overall, if you’re able to experience emotions like joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment more often than negative emotions, you’re already on the right track to a healthier heart.

When it comes to good health, we simply can’t ignore the impact that our emotions have on our bodies…even the gut! When you experience emotions like anger, anxiety or stress, healthy digestion slows down, and that can lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation and other problems. I bet a lot of you are nodding your heads, right? Of course! We’ve all paid the price of negative emotions at one time or another, which is why it’s so important to turn that frown upside-down. And the next time you’re feeling upbeat, remember: your heart is getting the benefits!

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We all know how uncomfortable constipation can be, so imagine what it must feel like for little kids…ugh! That’s why a recent study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology caught my eye.

The study suggests that a combination of two things may be involved in higher incidences of constipation in children: 1. introducing gluten in the first year of life, and 2. an allergy to cow’s milk.

This is not surprising when you consider that the digestive tracts of infants are still very sensitive, especially in the first months of life. Not only that, but their immune systems are weaker, which means they are more susceptible to pretty much everything.

So the bottom line? When it comes to little tummies, it’s better to wait on the gluten and cow’s milk until they are more ready to handle it. And yes, some children may eat it and be fine (or appear fine), but I say better safe than sorry! There are plenty of substitutes for gluten and cow’s milk these days, even for infants.

All this is important because childhood constipation has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adults, so if your child has chronic constipation, be sure to take a look at his or her diet. Other dietary factors to think about are fiber intake (since fiber helps promote regular bowel movements) and intestinal balance. In babies who are not breast fed, who were delivered by cesarean section, or who have been treated with antibiotics, there is a greater risk for an altered intestinal flora balance, so a daily probiotic supplement may be helpful in these situations.

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One of the best parts of my job is being able to connect with people just like you and talk about how a healthy gut can literally change your life—so I’m really excited about inviting folks to attend a live taping of my newest PBS special on Saturday, June 26^th in Tampa!

The Road to Perfect Health with Brenda Watson will help you understand why a balanced digestive system is the key to achieving the vibrant, lasting health. We’ll explore how so many health problems — from depression, arthritis, heartburn and diabetes to parasites, allergies, skin problems and many more – can all be connected back to an unhealthy, out-of-balanced gut. So bring your friends and family and don’t miss this incredibly informative, eye-opening experience! But hurry—seating is limited, so be sure to RSVP soon.

What: The Road to Perfect Health with Brenda Watson Taping

When: Saturday, June 26^th, 2010

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Where: 1300 North Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607

RSVP: Call Jerry @ (727) 450-1061 or e-mail jadams@brendawatson.com

 Attire: Business casual; no jeans or t-shirts please.

Refreshments: Food and beverages will be provided.

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