How To Improve Digestion | Digestive Helpers
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How To Improve Digestion | Digestive Helpers
Are you tired of feeling heavy, bloated, or have low energy? You can quickly learn the supplements and different ways that help improve digestion.
There are 4 easy ways to improve digestion and 3 supplements that can help your digestive problems
4 things you can do to improve digestion
- Be mindful when you eat
- Eat before you’re starving
- Don’t drink too much water while eating
- Practice “Hara Hachi Bu”
3 supplements to improve digestion
- Digestive enzymes
- HCL Betane
- Peppermint tea
- Fibre
- DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice
Be mindful
Paying more attention to when/how/what we eat can serve many purposes besides just avoiding digestive discomfort. It’s great if you’re stressed, have high blood pressure, and have other gastrointestinal difficulties.
Eating with a mindful approach includes being present with your food which is noticing the colours, smells, flavours, and textures of the food.
Chewing slowly, getting rid of distractions (phone, tv), and even learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food.
It’s supposed to work on the mind-gut connection, which is incredibly important.
Digestion involves a complex series of hormonal signals between the gut and your nervous system. It takes approximately about 20 minutes to feel full once you’ve started eating. If you’re like most people to eat quickly, the fullness signal may show up after you crush your food.
If you’re eating stressed, either physically or emotionally, it may slow down digestion which can result in gas, bloating, and an uncomfortable feeling in the abdomen. If you’re not digesting well you’re missing out on the full nutritional value of the food.
Eat before you’re starving
Trying to slow down when you’re starving is pretty hard to do!
Try to do your best to avoid that by having “emergency snacks” at your desk, purse, or car. It makes it hard to enjoy and taste your food when your hormones say get the food in as fast as you can.
Don’t Drink Too Much Water While Eating
Having water before you have your meal can help minimize any overeating that you might do. Most people don’t get enough water, so this hits two birds with one stone.
Practice “Hara Hachi Bu”
A Japanese phrase that was made popular from the national geographic article on longevity from the people of Okinawa, Japan.
It’s a principle of eating and you only eat until you’re 80% full.
Your body uses hormones to tell you when you’re full, the hormones just happen to be a little bit slower.
Chew Your Food
Chew, Chew, and keep chewing.
There are a few reasons for this
- You have an enzyme in your mouth to help break down part of your food.
- It decreases the amount your stomach has to work to “mechanically” break down food.
- It makes it easier to digest.
Try a Digestive Enzyme
Give your body a break with a digestive enzyme. Our bodies produce digestive enzymes naturally but there are circumstances that they don’t work as well as they should. These digestive enzymes can help with eating trouble foods, think ice cream, beans, brussel sprouts, or fatty meals.
3 main types of digestive enzymes
- Amylase: breaks down starches and carbs into sugar(energy)
- Proteases: breaks down proteins into amino acids
- Lipases: breaks down fats and oils into glycerol and fatty acids
Some foods that we eat contain naturally digesting enzymes, such as pineapple and papaya.
Other Digestive Helpers
Peppermint
This is our go-to for any digestive upset, we love it as a digestive calm tea.
We find it great for gas and bloating. If you suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, be careful – it might worsen your symptoms.
Fibre
We’re aware this isn’t a sexy option but boy does it help! It’s better as a prevention rather than something to do after an accident. Our favourite is flax seed but psyllium husk is another good option to normalize your poops from constipation, diarrhea, or even IBS.
DGL or Deglycyrrhizinated licorice
Indigestion, acid reflux, or stomach ulcer? DGL might be a fix. It can be soothing and supportive of the tissues of the stomach. Not to be confused with “licorice root” though, which would raise your blood pressure.
Get checked out or make a change.
If a few of these suggestions don’t work, you may need a larger change or to see a health professional for a professional check up.
Chronic digestive symptoms can potentially be caused by more serious problems. Sluggish thyroid, structural problems (hiatal hernia (stomach) or adhesions), food sensitivities, or autoimmune disease.
Watch out for the wrong bugs though, it can also be a hidden problem from yeast overgrowth, parasites, or bacteria.
