Best Digestion
Best Digestion
Gut Health
‘Gut health’ refers to the physical state and physiologic function of the many parts of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the health of the microorganisms living in the intestines.
The Importance of Gut Health
The gut’s influence over one’s health cannot be overstated. The trillions of microbes located in the gut manage how someone feels, looks and think. A healthy gut will effortlessly break down food for the body to absorb as nutrients, it contains immune cells that ward off infectious agents like bacteria, viruses and fungi, and it constantly communicates with the brain through nerves and hormones to maintain general health and mood. You are, in truth, more bacteria than human. And researchers are quickly learning just how much it regulates all aspects of our health. When your microbiome is healthy, your health is likely to be quite good. However, many lifestyle behaviours, toxic exposures, and dietary choices can compromise gut health and lead to many downstream health issues.
All Disease Begins in the Gut
Elimination is an important indicator of overall health because healthy elimination generally points to strong digestive fire, which is one of the cornerstones of well-being and longevity. The digestive tract is the very first place that imbalances arise in the body. This being the case, our stools tend to offer very early warning signs that something is amiss physiologically, even if the imbalance is fairly minor at first. If an emerging imbalance is not properly addressed, it will either take root in the digestive tract (as a more serious condition) or spread to other tissues and create disturbances there. If, on the other hand, we can learn to understand and respond to the early indications of discord, our bodies have a remarkable ability to self-correct and heal. It is amazing what we can learn about ourselves just by paying attention to our bowel habits and our stools.
Addressing the Root Cause
It is important to look beyond our symptoms and to identify the primary imbalance(s) behind them. Correcting the underlying cause is a fundamental part of the healing process. This is why each individual’s situation is so important. Two people with the same symptoms might be directed to follow individually nuanced treatment strategies. It all depends on who they are as individuals—their age, their constitution, their imbalances, their diet, their lifestyle, their strengths, and their weaknesses. In other words, it matters how you arrived at this particular moment in time, and that context can help to reveal where it is that you have the greatest capacity to heal—your unique entry point for profound change. There are a number of elegant treatment strategies for every ailment. The key is to find the specific combination of tools that will most powerfully support you and your healing.
Digestion beyond the gut
Health and wellbeing depend upon our ability to digest everything we take in from the environment. This includes not only tangible substances like food and drink, but also our experiences, emotions, and the impressions we take in via our sensory portals, namely our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. Therefore, it is extremely important to prioritise both our physical and mental well-being.
Symptoms
Bad Digestion
Bloating
Abdominal pain
Flatulence
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Vomiting
Heartburn
Feeling of incomplete bowel movements
Normal Digestion
A truly normal & healthy digestion is so painless and effortless, you rarely think about it.
— Regularly eliminating (daily or more)
— Eliminating with ease, painlessly & quickly
— Stool is well-formed (not too soft or too hard)
— Bloating & gas occur infrequently. If it does, it is generally silent and odourless.
— You rarely (if ever) get pain, indigestion, heartburn or an upset stomach
What to do if you're experiencing unpleasant digestive symptoms
There are countless reasons & underlying root causes for a digestive system that is not functioning at its best, therefore it is best to work with a group of doctors and holistic practitioners for bringing your gut health back into equilibrium.
A gastroenterologist will be able to do the testing required to exclude any important pathologies. A holistic and functional practitioner can assist in tracking and understanding the symptoms better and recommending lifestyle & dietary changes, which are so very important in your digestive health
A Comprehensive List of Things to do to Improve Digestion
Diet
Go on an Elimination Diet
The elimination diet is the gold standard for uncovering hidden food intolerances. In order to heal your gut, you need to stop eating foods that continue to damage your gut and increase inflammation, but you can’t know what foods are irritating to your individual gut until you remove all potential irritants for a certain amount of time and slowly reintroduce them one at a time, monitoring your body’s reaction. Sometimes, you might have to avoid a food long term, while other times, simply repairing your gut lining will allow you to incorporate the specific food back into your diet. This will allow you to determine which foods your body loves and which foods your body hates. Note that food triggers might not only appear in the digestive system, you may experience: rashes, a headache, hives, acne, runny nose or brain fog.
Diversity
Diversify your diet! Eating many types of foods will not only give you a wide variety of much-needed nutrients, but it will also help diversify your gut microbes. Avoiding having any one food too often will help heal your gut and keep your immune system balanced.
Incorporate Probiotic-Rich Fermented Foods
Probiotic-rich fermented foods contain live and active cultures that will reinoculate your microbiome with good bacteria. Food rich in probiotics include sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, miso, tempeh, kombucha and yogurt.
Digestive Teas
A simple cup of tea has been used across centuries and cultures as the ultimate natural way to aid digestion and improve your gut health. Herbal teas can provide a variety of digestive benefits, including relief from constipation, ulcers, and indigestion. Some of the most effective teas are peppermint, ginger, fennel, liquorice root and dandelion root tea.
If you Eat Fruit, Eat it First Thing in the Morning
Fruit will digest best in the morning, on an empty stomach, as it takes little time to digest compared to other food groups. If eaten after a meal, it may ferment on top of other foods and produce acid and alcohol, which feeds yeast, fungus & bacteria and promotes gas, bloating and other unwanted digestive symptoms.
Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration is critical to both digestion and elimination (low fluid intake is a common cause of constipation). This is because our intestines use water to push out toxins, digested waste and faeces, which in turn, promotes digestive regularity. Bio-individuality is key when it comes to proper hydration; everyone needs different amounts of water depending on their activity level, age, constitution, imbalances, climate and weight.
— Drink water first thing in the morning in order to hydrate your body and get your digestion started. This awakens the digestive system and stimulates peristalsis in the intestines.
— Drink the majority of your water in-between meals, rather than during meals or else it will dilute your digestive enzymes during a meal which are there to help your body digest food.
— Drink lukewarm, warm or room-temperature water throughout the day, as it makes it easier for your body to digest and absorb food and it helps to stimulate digestion.
— Drink high-quality water that is rich in minerals.
Fiber
Fiber is essential for good digestion and a healthy gut. Not only does it help you build up good gut bacteria, it also keeps you regular and having healthy, solid bowel movements. However, it is important to not overdo the fiber, as eating too much fiber too quickly can shock your digestive system and bring on unwanted symptoms, such as bloating, gas and diarrhoea.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Try to eat from all 3 macronutrient groups at each meal (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) so that you feel satisfied and fulfilled at each meal.
Incorporate More Herbs & Spices into your Diet
Herbs and spices can elevate dishes and improve gut health.
— Cumin seeds: helps bile production to aid digestion and absorption.
— Fennel seeds: fights bacteria that cause indigestion.
— Coriander seeds: helps accelerate the digestion process and reverses indigestion.
— Turmeric: has anti-inflammatory properties.
Make sure you're not Deficient in any Nutrients
Nutrient deficiencies can promote an unhealthy digestive system.
— Iron is important for gut health because it helps support healthy gut bacteria.
— Selenium plays a critical role in gut health. It affects the gut flora, and helps modify the inflammatory response in the gut. Selenium deficiency increases inflammation and oxidative stress, and the resulting damage to the lining of the gut can actually contribute to abnormal intestinal permeability (‘leaky gut’).
— Vitamin D deficiency is linked to Inflammatory bowel disease, and Vitamin D supplements show significant promise for treating symptoms. There are several different reasons for that, but one of them is the way vitamin D affects the gut flora.
— Zinc is important for producing digestive enzymes. A recent study found that even a very mild and temporary zinc deficiency can back up the digestive system and reduce enzyme production.
Eat Quality Food
Eat organic & non-GMO food where possible. Pesticides, herbicides and chemicals are added to so many commercially grown products. These chemicals have massive implications for our digestive health. Try and avoid them as they might irritate your digestive tract.
Eat Whole, Real Foods
As one might expect, diet has a profound effect on digestion and elimination. A healthy diet emphasises nutritious, seasonal, whole foods and limits processed foods that can increase inflammation and digestive symptoms.
Avoid Irritants
Various foods can irritate the stomach lining and cause digestive problems. Common irritants are:
— Spicy food (chilli peppers)
— Dairy
— Carbonated drinks
— Alcohol
— High Fibre Foods (broccoli, onions, and cabbage). These foods are extremely healthy, but can cause gas and bloating when eaten in excess.
— Coffee/ caffeine
— Fructose
— Fried foods
— Chocolate
— Artificial sweeteners. Studies show that artificial sweeteners can turn healthy gut microbes into pathogens.
— Gluten
— Processed foods
— Refined grains/flours
— Sugar
— Acidic foods (tomato sauce, citrus fruits)
— High-fat foods
Eat Warm and Cooked Foods
Ideally, your meals are freshly cooked and served warm. Raw foods are packed full of nutrients but they can also be difficult to digest, especially if your digestion is already weak. Cooked foods decrease the amount of work your digestive system needs to do to break down food because some of that has been done for you through the cooking process. As you heal, you will be able to tolerate raw foods better.
Incorporate Gut-Healthy Foods
Incorporating more gut-healthy foods can help repair the gut and promote homeostasis. Foods to include:
— Bone broth. Bone broth brims with collagen and minerals that can soothe and repair a damaged gut.
— Lemon water (with the pulp). Lemons contain ample amounts of phytonutrients, vitamin C, and prebiotic fiber which are all needed for supporting gut health. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to lower inflammation in the gut and boost the immune system. It also works as a natural antimicrobial to bring balance to the bacteria in the microbiome. Lemons are also high in a type of fiber called pectin. This is good for your gut bugs as it helps to promote healthy gut bacteria balance and it encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria like bifidobacterium.
— Apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered form). Research has shown that vinegar can mildly lower the growth of gram-negative bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. These bacterial colonies are higher in bacterial endotoxins called lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Higher LPS levels are implicated with a whole slew of inflammatory health problems as well as leaky gut syndrome. ACV has also been shown to have anti-yeast, anti-fungal, and antiviral benefits which are all helpful in supporting the microbiome and immune balance. Another potential benefit of apple cider vinegar is its ability to ease indigestion, acid reflux and heartburn.
— Ginger. Ginger has been used for thousands of years to soothe stomach problems due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps to alleviate heartburn and acid reflux as well as stimulate the production of stomach acid. Try adding ginger to more recipes or cut-up fresh ginger root to make a gut-soothing tea to sip on.
Diet-Related
Mindful Mealtimes
Mindful eating is the practice of paying attention to all aspects of your food and the process of eating, such as texture, temperature and taste. It’s easy to eat too much, too quickly if you’re not paying attention, which can lead to bloating, gas and indigestion. Before having a meal, make sure you are calm, mindful and present with your food. Try and eat with no distractions. It may be helpful to take a few breathers before each meal to give presence to the moment.
Intermitting Fasting
Going on an extended period of time without eating gives your digestion a much-needed break. The benefits of Intermittent fasting depend on the type of fast you are following, its duration, your gender and the food you choose to eat. While following intermittent fasting, many people have seen improvements in insulin resistance, focus, digestion, immune system, cholesterol levels, cognitive function and overall gut health. It favourably influences the balance of beneficial gut flora by giving your body a break from constant digestion & living in sync with your internal body clock (circadian rhythm). Fasting is not for everyone, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have an eating disorder. If you are planning to follow intermittent fasting, you should consult a registered dietitian to help you with it.
Only Eat When you are Hungry
Appetite is an important precursor to nourishment. Hunger is a natural indication that the body is ready to eat and that the digestive fire is strong enough to digest a meal, so it is best to eat only when you are hungry. Sometimes we might think that we are hungry, however, it could also be that we are bored, stressed or dehydrated. Real hunger comes with a natural feeling of lightness and clarity, a pleasant anticipation of eating, and is satisfied by food. Tune into the signals your body is really giving you and listen to your hunger cues carefully. For good practice, wait approximately three hours between meals.
Eat with the Sun
Your digestive fire will be at its best when the sun is at its highest. This influences the capacity to digest food, and our capacity to extract nutrients from food. Ayurveda encourages us to eat our primary meal in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its peak. Avoid eating or opt for something light before sunrise or after sunset (of course, this is only true for places that get a good amount of sun every day).
Chew your Food Properly
Digestion starts in the mouth. Your teeth break down the food into smaller pieces (mechanical digestion) so that the enzymes in your digestive tract are better able to break it down. When you chew your food thoroughly, your stomach has to do less work to turn the solid food into the liquid mixture that enters your small intestine. Chewing produces saliva, and the longer you chew, the more saliva is made. Saliva helps start the digestive process in your mouth by breaking down some of the carbs and fats in your meal. In your stomach, saliva acts as a fluid, which is mixed with solid food so that it smoothly passes into your intestines. Chewing your food thoroughly ensures that you have plenty of saliva for digestion. This may help prevent symptoms such as indigestion and heartburn. Plus, chewing your food properly has been linked to increased nutrient absorption.
Eat Slowly
When you’re not paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues, it’s easy to overeat and experience gas, bloating and indigestion. It takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your stomach is full, as it takes time for hormones released by your stomach in response to food to reach your brain. Therefore, taking the time to eat slowly and pay attention to how full you’re getting is one way to prevent common digestive problems.
Eat Dinner on the Earlier Side
Late night eating and then lying down to sleep can lead to heartburn and indigestion. Your body needs time to digest, and gravity helps keep the food you eat moving in the right direction. Try waiting three to four hours after eating before going to bed, to give the food time to move from your stomach to your small intestine.
Eat the Right Quantity
We are all different, with different stomach sizes and metabolic speeds. Listen to your body and eat only to the point when you feel satisfied. Don't overstuff your stomach! When we eat more food than our stomach can accommodate, we cannot properly break the food down. Ayurveda recommends that we leave one-third of our stomach empty to allow space for our body to easily digest our meals. For optimal digestion, fill the stomach with 1/3 food, and 1/3 water, leaving 1/3 empty. Ideally, we would never eat to full satiation.
Never Eat when you are Angry, Anxious, Stressed or Emotional
When we are angry or stressed, the body reacts by activating the sympathetic nervous system (stress response) and as a result, the digestive process shuts down. This makes it difficult for the body to digest the food and absorb the nutrients, which will most likely end up in food indigestion. You want to be in a relaxed state before meals to improve nutrient uptake and digestion. Another reason to avoid eating during stress is because you are more prone to overeating. Our gut and brain communicate with each other all the time. But when we are angry, the communication is blocked. So, the brain does not get the signal from the gut when the stomach is full. Furthermore, our intestine barrier, which prevents the gut bacteria from entering the bloodstream gets weak. Due to this, bacteria enters the bloodstream and leads to various health complications like autoimmune conditions, diarrhoea and colitis.
Take a few Deep Breaths Before Eating
Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), which stimulates digestion and enacts peristalsis.
Lifestyle
Manage Stress
Stress has a significant impact on your gut health as stress hormones directly affect your digestion. Chronic stress can suppress the immune system, decrease blood and oxygen flow to the intestines, and contribute to gut lining permeability. Making time to de-stress through pressure-relieving activities like can make a huge difference in your stress levels and in turn, your gut health. Remember, de-stressing looks different for everyone! Find ways to unwind a priority by making one or more lifestyle modifications.
Focus on Releasing Negative Emotions
You may get heartburn when you’re under stress, lose your appetite when you feel sad, or become nauseated before a big exam. There is an intimate relationship between our brain and our gut, and our digestion responds to the thoughts and emotions we have. A growing body of research is finding that the stress associated with unprocessed negative emotions can inhibit the natural digestive process and lead to chronic digestive issues. This can lead to nutrient malabsorption, inflammation and food sensitivities. By learning how to manage stress and release emotional turbulence, you can help your digestive tract work naturally and efficiently.
Avoid Smoking
The effects of cigarette smoking on intestinal disorders include changes in intestinal irrigation and microbiome, increases in permeability of the mucosa, and impaired mucosal immune responses. Exposure to cigarette smoke also elevates the intestinal pH, which possibly benefits some bacteria, enabling them to thrive and cause intestinal microbiota dysbiosis.
Exercise
Exercise is great for all areas of your health, including digestive health. Regular exercise gets all of your digestive organs moving and helps food travel through the digestive system by increasing blood flow and stimulating the bowels. It can also increase beneficial bacteria in your gut and overall bacterial diversity. Plus, exercise is a great de-stressor.
Improve your Bathroom Posture
Bathroom posture and posture when sitting or standing can affect your digestive health. It is important to have good posture so digestive organs can work optimally. It might be helpful to adopt a more natural squatting position when going number 2.
Routine
Nature likes cycles and regularity, and our bodies do too. Physiologically, our bodies are highly adapted to having a sense of routine. Regularity in our schedules fosters regularity in our bowels. Be consistent with your daily routine - work toward getting up and going to sleep at about the same time, try carving out a consistent time to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, and consider setting aside a few minutes for a bowel movement each morning. These simple steps give our nervous systems a sense of normalcy, quiet the stress response, and support our bodies in carrying out routine physiological functions.
Sleep
Don’t skimp on sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to maintaining optimal gut health. When we sleep, we enter the rest and digest state. Remember, the basis of good health is our ability to digest food as well as emotions. Giving your body time to rest will ensure that your digestive and nervous systems have time to recharge for the next day. Ayurveda also recommends sleeping on your left side if possible. This employs gravity to naturally encourage food waste to move from your small intestine to your large intestine and finally to your colon, where it will be ready to be eliminated when you wake up.
Eliminate Daily
Healthy elimination is key for a healthy gut. It is important to eliminate at least once a day (preferably each morning). The shape and consistency of a bowel movement is also important; a bowel movement should be soft, brown or golden brown, cohesively formed and easy to pass.
Avoid Antibiotics
Antibiotics are most commonly known in medicine, but they are often given to animals in the production of conventional meat/fish/poultry and dairy. Antibiotics can wipe out our healthy gut flora, which can lead to dysbiosis. Antibiotic use affects our gut microbiome for long periods of time after use and new non-desirable bacteria can colonize the gut. This is why it’s so important to limit antibiotic use to only when necessary.
Regularly Detoxify your Intestine from Pathogens and Toxins
It is very important to eliminate any potential pathogens and microbes (fungi, parasites, viruses, and bacterial infections) that might be causing your digestive symptoms.
Supplements
There are a handful of gut-healing supplements that can help speed healing and make a big difference in digestive symptoms.
High Quality Probiotic
Dysbiosis (an unbalanced gut microbiome) is one of the main reasons for unwanted digestive symptoms. Therefore, introducing a high quality probiotic to your life may have considerable results on your digestive health.
Prebiotic
Prebiotics are a source of food for your gut’s healthy bacteria. They promote the increase of friendly bacteria in the gut, help with various digestive problems, and even boost your immune system.
Digestive Bitters
Digestive bitters are herbs that have a bitter taste that can assist with digestion and breaking down foods. Digestive bitters are taken with meals and work to stimulate the production of digestive enzymes that help break down food and make the digestion process easier on your gut. Some key digestive bitters are burdock root, bitter melon and dandelion.
Slippery Elm
This natural botanical works as a demulcent to reduce inflammation in the gut. It causes reflux stimulation of nerve endings in the gastrointestinal tract leading to increased mucus secretion. The increased mucus production protects the gastrointestinal tract against ulcers and excess acidity. It also contains antioxidants that help relieve inflammatory bowel conditions.
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down the food you eat into smaller pieces that are easier for your body to absorb, utilize, and turn into energy. Many people have food intolerances where they lack the enzymes to break down specific proteins or don’t make enough digestive enzymes which can slow digestion and lead to uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, cramping, and gas. While digestive enzymes aren’t the go-to solution for those with specific intolerances, they can be helpful to have on hand for when you come in contact with a food you weren’t expecting to eat or if you need a little help with enzyme production.
L-Glutamine
Essential amino acids must be obtained from diet whereas nonessential amino acids are synthesized by your cells. L-glutamine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid because your body uses so much during times of intense physical stress. L-glutamine is essential for maintaining the health and growth of enterocytes in your gut since it is the preferred fuel source of these cells. There are many studies that support L-glutamine’s ability to improve gut permeability, intestinal barrier function, gut mucosal structure, reduce inflammatory bowel disease symptoms (including ulcerative colitis) and increase healthy microbes (bidifobacterium).
Colostrum
The lactoferrin in colostrum works as a prebiotic to feed good bacteria and fuel its growth. It also promotes cell growth in the intestines to repair a damaged gut.
Collagen
Collagen makes up structures throughout your body, including your digestive tract. You naturally make collagen, but most people aren’t giving their bodies enough amino acid building blocks to produce enough collagen protein.
Turkey Tail
This adaptogenic mushroom works wonders against gut overgrowths like SIBO and candida overgrowth.
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice
Licorice root has beneficial effects on gut health as it soothes and heals the gut lining and eases digestive trouble.
Marshmallow Root
This root supports the repair of a damaged gut lining by coating the stomach to protect it against increased inflammation.
Zinc Carnosine
Preliminary studies show that zinc carnosine enhances gut integrity—your stomach’s ability to maintain a strong intestinal lining.
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is an antispasmodic and smooth muscle relaxant, which can relax and soothe the colon.
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium is a bulk-forming laxative. This means it soaks up water in the gut and makes bowel movements much easier and can help promote regularity without increasing flatulence.
Aloe Vera Extract
Helps restore the mucosal lining and soothes the colon.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal adsorbs toxins, carrying them out of the digestive system.
Butyrate
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced by bacteria in the gut that can support gut health. The “superpower” qualities of butyrate include maintaining gut barrier function, suppressing inflammation in the gut and improving leaky gut syndrome. Butyrate is not just helpful for gut health, though; it’s also key for regulating blood sugar, helping to improve insulin sensitivity and allowing sugar to be used where it is needed.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral in the body that is essential to good health. It is involved in over 300 cellular processes, including those responsible for protein synthesis and ATP utilisation. When it comes to gut health, magnesium (particularly magnesium citrate) has a laxative effect and can help people have better bowel movements (especially those suffering from constipation). This is because magnesium is responsible for relaxing the muscles in the intestine and also attracts water in the intestine and therefore can loosen the stool.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.