5 Easy Steps For Better Digestion
If you frequently experience bloating, gas, upset stomach, indigestion, heartburn, or acid reflux after meals, then your digestion is likely compromised.
Before you run towards the over the counter medications or even to the supplement shelf at the store, there are 5 simple steps you can do to give your body the best chance at digesting things properly:
Take 3 deep breaths before eating: So many of us are in a rush. Rushing here and there and food becomes a chore rather than a pleasure. Many people just grab what they can easily, stuff it down, or take it on the go. This does NOT send the signal to your brain and body that digestion needs to take place. In order to properly digest food, you need to be in a parasympathetic state-aka a state of relaxation. Taking the time to sit down, chill out, and eat sends the proper signals to the brain to tell the body to release digestive juices. You need adequate digestive juices to break everything down and feel good after eating!
Put your fork down between bites: This is a little trick that helps those fast eaters out there. It’s still one I use to this day when I feel I’m rushing through a meal. I’m a fast eater and have to consciously slow down. Putting the fork down between bites really allows me to completely chew the food I have already in my mouth and swallow before loading up another bite!
Chew until the food is absolute mush: Aiming for 32-40 chews per bite is a good goal, but who wants to count while they eat? A better goal is to make sure that your bites are a reasonable size and chewed until absolute mush before sending it down the pipeline. This allows the salivary enzymes to kick it and start to break the food down before it gets to the stomach-aiding in better digestion.
Drink a teaspoon of ACV diluted in water before a meal: If you’d like a little assistance, apple cider vinegar is a wonderful addition before any meal. I like to start with a teaspoon diluted in a couple ounces of water and work your way up to a tablespoon or two. It stimulates your own digestive juices to kick into gear and the added acidity helps to break foods down further. If you find this triggers acid reflux, then that is a sign your gastric mucosal tissue is inflamed and needs some soothing before trying to increase stomach acid levels.
Take a walk after your meal: Research shows that taking a 15 minute walk 60-90 minutes after eating aids in digestion. When you walk, it increases something called peristalsis, which is the construction and relaxation of the intestines that moves food through your digestive tract. This increase helps to move food through more quickly and efficiently.
These simple habits provide big results and they are the first steps in improving any digestive or GI issue. If your issues persist beyond implementing these steps, then it’s time to do a deeper dive into what’s going on! My20-Week Nutritional Therapy Program helps you identify the root cause of your digestive or GI issue and brings your body back into balance with the proper lab testing, diet, lifestyle, and natural therapies. If you’re ready to learn more about this approach, book a complimentary discovery call with me to discuss what’s best for you.