Tips to Improve your Digestion
Updated: May 31, 2021
#thewellnessequation #nutrition #nutritionist #guthealth #tipstoimproveyourdigestion #stopbloating #nomoregas #digestivehealth
Embarrassed by frequent bathroom trips? Bloated? Full of gas? Let me help get your gut back on track so you can live again!
I do believe everything starts with digestion. It is important because it helps break down food into nutrients which the body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair. Vitamins and minerals are used in every process in our body, yet we tend to take our digestive system for granted. Even some nutrients are produced in the body that require good digestion.
The main time we think about our digestive system and what it is capable of is when things start to go wrong...
- When we experience pain
- When we are stuck in the bathroom all the time
- When we cannot go to the bathroom
- When we look pregnant all the time
- When inflammation occurs and we start looking for answers.
Check out these quick tips on ways to improve your digestion right now.
Digestion starts in the mouth. As a society we are always in a rush! We are eating on the run, in front of the TV, in front of the computer while we work, and in our cars. This sets the stage for two failures. You are in a rush and the goal is to get adequate food in your mouth. You do not chew well, and you are stressed while eating (we will talk more about this later).
Don't drink with meals -
Your stomach is one place in your body that is meant to be acidic. And with the influences of our lifestyle, and getting older our stomach acid is decreasing. A lot of people that experience Acid Reflux / GERD generally have a low stomach acid problem, not high stomach acid. When we consume lots of liquids with meals we are diluting that stomach acid further preventing a full breakdown in food, causing our other organs to work harder.
Stress -
Stress plays a huge part in digestion. When you are stressed it hinders your digestion or shuts it down. Have you ever heard of your adrenals? They are small glands on top of your kidneys that secrete a hormone to regulate your stress. When you are stressed, your body goes to "fight or flight" stage and moves all the blood from your digestive system to your "perceived threat" hindering or stopping digestion.
Eat Real, Nutrient Dense Food -
Processed food, refined carbohydrates, sugar, and additives all cause inflammation in your body which will hinder your digestive system. These foods are also void in nutrients. They do not contain nutrients, but need to have nutrients to digest them creating a nutrient void.
By eating a sturdy diet of whole nutrient dense (mostly plants) you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to support a healthy digestive system. You are also giving your body lots of antioxidants to help fight inflammation.
Fiber -
Eat lots of fiber! Most of us do not eat enough fiber. When you don't have enough fiber in your body you aren't eliminating (AKA pooping) properly. If you aren't eliminating properly it slows down your digestive system and risks the possibility of your body re-absorbing toxins and hormones that you wanted to excrete.
Fiber is important for everyone. Some fibers bulk your stools for people with chronic diarrhea, and also soften your stools for people with chronic constipation.
For more information about fiber, check out our blog post "What you need to know about fiber!"
Lots of room temperature water -
This is another one most of us don't get. We need to drink lots of water throughout the day. We need to drink at least half of our body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water a day.
This helps get rid of unwanted toxins, helps with constipation, hydration and every function of our body.
Cold water shocks our digestive systems. Also, remember to drink away from meals unless you need to take some supplements/medications.
Exercise -
Exercise helps move food through your digestion.
One study actually showed an increase in bowel movement by 30% for those who who did moderate exercise.
Dairy -
Food sensitivities are so hard to detect. Dairy is the biggest culprit for food sensitivities and gastrointestinal distress. Dairy causes a lot of inflammation in your body,
There are two proteins in milk that you could be sensitive too. There is Lactose and Casein, and from the food sensitivity tests I've seen, most people are sensitive to both. So if you just consume "lactose" free milk, it still isn't improving the digestion as you still could be (and probably are) reacting to the casein in the milk.
Even if you choose organic grass fed milk the milk still contains dozens of hormones (naturally occurring) that will have an effect on our hormone balance and gut health.
If you think about it, we are the only species that drinks another species milk.... The molecular structure of cow's milk is larger than "mother's milk" or breast milk and we aren't equipped to digest it. Cows have two stomachs to break down food. We have one.
Food Sensitivities -
If you have one food sensitivity such as dairy, there are probably others.
Food sensitivities can cause so many issues in your body and aren't just linked to digestive distress.
These are a few symptoms that Food Sensitivities can present themselves as:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Inflammatory conditions, arthritis
Migraines, headaches
Asthma, respiratory
Bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea
Tiredness, not feeling well
Rashes, eczema
Obesity
There are two ways you can detect food sensitivities in your body.
Food Journal - write down everything you eat and how you are feeling. Note that sometimes these are hard to pin point so it might take a while to connect the dots. Food sensitivities can take up to a week to present themselves.
Food Sensitivity Test - A food sensitivity test is a great easy way to detect food sensitivities easily. With a simple prick of your finger (that is done by you) you can test up to 200 different antigens. E-mail me at info@thewellnessequation.ca to find out more.
Ditch Unfavorable Habits! -
Sorry, I have to nit pick on some of your bad habits.
Coffee - although it tastes good, and some people think that it helps them go to the bathroom, it is actually triggering your "stress" response and your body shuts down digestion and dumps your bowels in response to the "perceived" threat of the coffee.
Smoking - Increases the risk of acid reflux, and gastrointestinal disorders such as IBD, ulcers, and cancers.
Alcohol - When drunk in large amounts it can reduce the amount of digestive enzymes that are released from your pancreas into your digestive tract. If can also impact your ability to absorb nutrients.
Eating late - Your body needs some time to clean up, and digest the remaining food from the day.
Eating needs gravity to some extent to help with digestion. Sometimes when you eat and then lay down, the contents in your stomach might rise up and cause indigestion or heartburn.
For more information about fiber, check out our blog post "What you need to know about fiber!"
When these tips aren't enough -
Sometimes our digestive issues are more complex than chewing your food. There are several other issues that it could be that we may need to take a more in depth look at.
Digestive issues are the number one thing that I see in my practice. These are just some other ways/things that could affect your digestion that would need to be dealt with on a one on one basis. Although the above will help get you started in improving your digestions, sometimes it is a little more complex.
These are a few other things that could be affecting your digest:
- Yeast overgrowth
- Small intestinal bacteria overgrowth
- Insufficient hydrochloric acid
- Unfavourable balance of good and bad bacteria
- Inflammation in your intestinal tract
- Food sensitivities
- Low Enzymes
- Low Bile
- Overburden/Toxicity
If you are suffering from digestive issues and its impacting your life, let me help you get back on track!
Click here to let me help you get back on track!