Wise people associate the gut with wellness or sickness. This is because contrary to common perception that the heart rules the body, it is the gut that is considered the "soul" of the body; and we all know what the soul is, (or whatever you call it.) It is the life-essence of the physical body. It breathes life into the physical body, without it, life is not possible; likewise with the gut, a person could only stay alive and healthy, only when he has a gut that is normal and healthy.

WHAT IS THE GUT?

The gut is the common term used to describe the digestive system of the body.

The human digestive system is made up of complex, interactive processes that exist in symbiotic relationship with each other so that they would be able to process and metabolize the food that we ingest.

This is composed of the mouth, teeth, submandibular/sublingual glands, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gall bladder, small intestines, large intestines and the anal region.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ORGANS INVOLVED?

* Mouth

The mouth is the point of entry of the food that we eat. Without it, food would not be able to enter our body. Could you imagine your food entering a different route? It is also where the partial digestion of carbohydrates occurs with the aid of the teeth, which grinds the food into tiny morsels, and salivary amylase (coming from the submandibular glands) which is an enzyme responsible for the partial digestion of carbohydrates.

Taking proper care of the mouth involves regular brushing and flossing. Throat dryness could be remedied by drinking lots of water and juices.

* Esophagus

This long tube connects the mouth to the stomach where food could be transported. Blockage of the esophagus is rare, but of course, common sense dictates that only swallow the food when it has already been masticated well.

* Stomach

This is where proteins are completely digested because of the presence of pepsinogen. The stomach is acidic because of the presence of hydrochloric acid; that is why one must not miss meals as when the stomach has nothing to digest, the acid content can damage the stomach because nothing is inside to mix with the acid. This may cause certain pathologic conditions, one the most common is hyperacidity. Eating small, frequent meals has been found to be more beneficial than eating three big meals.

* Gall bladder

Bile acids and bile salts are stored here in the form of bilirubin. These substances are responsible for the digestion of lipids (fats). Without

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