TEN TIPS TO BETTER DIGESTION
DRINK WATER: It’s one of the top nutrients for digestion. The stomach needs water for digestion, especially for the health of the mucosal lining, which supports the small intestine bacteria for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. Lack of water in the digestive system can result in ulcers, indigestion, heartburn, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, and constipation.
BOOST STOMACH ACID: Many people have low stomach acid. Heartburn, belching or gas, fatigue, head aches and much more can all be a result of low stomach acid. Gently boost stomach acid by adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to your water or by drinking one tablespoon of raw fermented apple cider vinegar in water each morning.
REDUCE OR ELIMINATE PROCESSED FOODS: These so-called foods are challenging for the digestive system. The body has to supply its own energy and nutrients in order for these products to metabolize, robbing the body of nutrients rather than supplying any. Stick to whole foods as much as possible.
EAT MORE FIBRE: Fibre helps keep your colon healthy. It makes stool soft and bulky, speeds transit time through the colon, dilutes the effects of any toxic compounds and helps to remove bad bacteria from the colon. Make sure you get both soluble fibre, which absorbs toxins and unneeded cholesterol, and insoluble fibre, which hastens elimination.
TAKE TIME FOR GRATITUDE: When you take a few moments before you eat to pause and reflect, either with blessing or gratitude, you are activating the cephalic phase of digestion. Your brain signals saliva to release and stokes your digestive fires. Both are key to proper digestion.
CHEW YOUR FOOD: Chewing thoroughly will help any food digest. We complicate digestion whenever we eat on the run or gulp down our food. Slow down, savour your food and chew it up! (Saliva contains lots of enzymes that aid digestion.)
DON’T OVEREAT: Overeating of any food is taxing on the digestive system and can affect the rate of digestion. It requires the body to expend a lot of energy, adds stress on the system and forces the body to try to use too many nutrients at once. Practice moderation and only eat until you are three-quarters full.
BRING IN DIGESTIVE ENZYMES: You need three categories of enzymes: lipase for fat breakdown, amylases for carbohydrate breakdown, and protease for protein breakdown. The best source of enzymes is from foods that are in their live, raw or sprouted form. Supplementing with digestive enzymes is also an option if digestion is impaired.
ADD IN PROBIOTICS: We need good bacteria to strengthen the immune system, reduce chronic inflammation, help remedy leaky gut, and more. You can introduce probiotics with supplements or with raw fermented foods like sauerkraut or coconut kefir.
EXERCISE: It takes healthy muscle tone all around the abdomen for food to digest properly. Muscle tone to help move food through our digestive tract. Increasing exercise can improve digestion, even if you don’t change what you eat.
* *adapted by Lisa Grant from Andrea Nakayama
