Does your digestive system give you grief every day?
When it comes to restoring gut balance, many factors should be investigated. After all the digestive system is an intricate blend of many smaller moving parts.
Digestion begins in the mouth, moving to the oesophagus, which then descends into the smaller intestines and finally into the larger intestines. In addition, communication takes place with the liver and kidneys as foods get filtered and processed. Finally, digestion has taken place. That is of course, a terribly brief encounter of how foods move through our bodies following ingestion.
A multitude of tiny, but beneficial mechanisms are also taking place. We have the roles of the digestive and salivary enzymes, helping to break down our food.
Then, there are stomach acids, beneficial bacteria and a host of necessary pathways required to ensure that your digestion is as efficient as it should be. However, for many individuals this is not often the case.
What causes poor digestion?
Seemingly minor factors can tip the scales at any moment in time. For example, it may be that you have consumed a particularly fatty meal, maybe indulged in too many sugary foods or drinks. Perhaps you have been on a never-ending course of antibiotics. Some prescribed medications can subsequently create digestive upsets – nausea, constipation and ongoing discomfort.
For some, it is the long term stress being endured that takes its toll on the gut. Furthermore, digestive enzymes, which assist your body to break down foods, naturally decrease as we age.
Taking good care of your gut is critical, in order to establish and maintain a healthy digestive system. Remember, you require your essential nutrients from your foods. If digestion is hampered, then we see problems with poor nutrient absorption, deficiencies and illness creeping in.
Ways you can enhance the digestive process:
• Chew your food properly. Gulping foods and swallowing mouthfuls of food to quickly, requires extra work form an already over taxed gut.
• Ensure you are well hydrated with quality filtered water. Dehydration draws fluid from the cells to try and cope with food breakdown. Aim however, to drink away from meal times. Another key point, is that drinking fluids with foods, dilutes your digestive enzymes.
• Take time to eat your meals. Sit down and especially don’t rush.
• Try drinking digestive teas, which enhance digestion – peppermint, chamomile.
• Speak to your naturopath or healthcare practitioner about a good quality probiotic. Many varieties are available, so it’s best to see which one is best suited to your needs.
Try My 7 Step Gut Healing Protocol
- Remove Common Irritants First
- Reduce ultra-processed foods
- Eliminate refined sugars
- Limit alcohol
- Remove artificial sweeteners
- Trial removing gluten and/or dairy
- Reduce inflammatory seed oils
- Increase Whole, Anti-Inflammatory Foods
- Dark leafy greens
- Colourful vegetables
- Berries
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Oily fish
- Feed the Good Bacteria
- Asparagus
- Green bananas
- Cooked and cooled potatoes or rice
- Legumes (if tolerated)
- Add Fermented Foods
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Coconut yoghurt
- Kefir
- Miso
- Support the Gut Lining
- Bone broth
- Slow-cooked meats
- Zinc-rich foods
- Omega-3
- Regulate Blood Sugar
- Protein at every meal
- Fibre-rich carbohydrates
- No naked carbs
- Balanced meals
- Improve Digestive Function
- Eat slowly
- Chew thoroughly
- Avoid large meals late at night
- Avoid drinking excessive fluids with meals
If you still feel you would like more guidance and support, feel free to get in touch. There is simply so much that we can do to get you feeling well again. Functional testing is a necessary option when it comes to seeking out the underlying root causes. A multitude of gut health tests are readily available.
In conclusion….
Test, don’t guess! Digestion is crucial to the rest of your overall health.
