Digestion Boosters
Digestion is the number one most important factor in health. If we do not have solid digestion, we are unable to properly breakdown food and absorb it into our body for energy. Digestion includes many secretions like hydrochloric acid, saliva and digestive enzymes that contain essential elements to chemically break down food. If these bonds are not broken down into single elements, we are not able utilize the carbs, fats and proteins from our food. If we do not absorb this energy, our body will still feel hungry and trigger us to eat more food than we need, since it is nutrient deficient. This can lead to weight gain and fatigue as we are “overfed and under nourished”.
Additionally, large particles of food that are not absorbed will act as a food source for unfavorable bacteria in the gut and allow this bacteria to multiply. As these bacteria grow larger in numbers and consume more undigested food, they produce gases as a byproduct. These gases cause discomfort with bloating, sharp pains and flatulence as it tries to escape the intestinal tract.
In order to minimize gas, bloating and fatigue, there are many strategies you can use to ensure you are maximizing digestion to get the most out of your food.
Lemon or apple cider vinegar before meals - this helps boost acidity in the stomach to stimulate pepsin, the enzyme that is required to breakdown proteins. Stress, distracted eating and nutrient deficiencies can lead to low HCl (hydrochloric acid) and incomplete protein digestion.
Digestive enzymes - there are many forms of enzymes (bromelain, papain, lactase etc) that support your digestive system. People that eat the same foods over and over can deplete certain enzymes for these foods leading to incomplete digestion of certain foods or food groups (ie dairy). Stress and thyroid issues can also inhibit the release of enzymes from the pancreas. In this case, taking an enzyme supplement can assist your body to breakdown foods. You could also incorporate pineapple (bromalain) and papaya (papain) into your diet before meals to add extra support without supplementation.
Eat in a relaxed state - your body needs to be in a “rest and digest” state for complete digestion and this happens when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. When we eat when we are rushed, distracted or in a state of chronic stress, our sympathetic nervous system is active and shuts down digestion. Taking three deep breathes before meals and making sure to not have distractions like TV, phones or work present at meal times will allow this parasympathetic system to take the lead and boost digestion.
Chew food completely - the smaller the particles of food are going in, the less bonds will have to be broken down by digestive juices. Chewing longer also allows the saliva to pre-digest some carbohydrates before they make it deeper into the digestive tract.
Bitters - bitters can help with enzyme and HCl secretion but are especially important for bile secretion to emulsifies fats for digestion. If you have trouble digesting fats or have liver issues, bitters may be the best option for you! You can also consume lots of bitter foods like dandelion greens, bitter melon and kale to do the same job.
Probiotics - these can be hugely beneficial all over the body. Probiotics not only aid in digestion, but have also been shown to boost mental health and can have an influence on obesity. They help repopulate a gut after antibiotics and are used to out number an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria that contributes to bloating and discomfort.
Fermented foods - just like probiotics, you can repopulate beneficial bacteria with food! Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, yogurt and kefir contain large populations of symbiotic bacteria that makes our guts happy and adds active enzymes to help breakdown food. There is a reason that large protein meals are traditionally paired with fermented foods like sausage and sauerkraut, donair with yogurt and pork and kimchi.
Try these out to see what works best for you. There are many components to digestion and everyone’s body operates differently. But when digestion is on point, we are able to get the proper vitamins and minerals from food to boost energy and make us feel good.
Happy gut = happy life :)