Digestion – How you eat is just as important as what you eat.

More research is coming out all the time linking, well, most diseases with the health of the gut. Some of them are: depression, anxiety, arthritis, allergies, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, diabetes, all auto-immune diseases and of course any problem with digestion. So if health begins in the gut, promoting optimal digestive health is of primary importance in achieving overall well-being.

There are three main aspects to consider when assessing/addressing the health of a person’s gut: the microbiome (beneficial and “bad” microorganisms that can live in our gut), food intolerances, and digestive ability. All of these factors are unique to each of us, but consider this: if you don’t properly digest the food you’re eating, you won’t absorb sufficient nutrients no matter how fantastic your diet is! Below are some tools that can help improve digestion.

• Eat in a calm, peaceful atmosphere. When we’re feeling stressed, our digestion does not function properly and our ability to know if we are hungry or full can also be disrupted. Being relaxed activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which increases our production of digestive enzymes and peristalsis (movement of the gut).
• Take 6 deep breaths before eating to help calm your nervous system.
• Eat with the intention to nourish yourself. Studies show that we absorb more nutrients when we enjoy the food we eat. So, pay attention to the act of eating and what it is you are eating. Savour the taste of your food and consider how the food you are eating is nourishing your body. This intentionality can also help a person make more conscious choices about what they put into their bodies.
• Eat without distractions, such as watching TV, texting or even reading. This will foster intentional eating.
• Chew your food thoroughly (until it’s liquid). The action of chewing and salivation are important first steps in the digestive process. When we eat slower, we absorb more nutrients and tend to eat less.
• Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied (versus “full”). We can only digest so much food at one time. If we overfill ourselves, the excess food we don’t digest can instead feed unwanted yeast or encourage bacterial overgrowth.
• Avoid food intolerances. Food allergies interfere with digestion, damage the gut lining, cause generalized inflammation and can be the cause of almost any unpleasant symptom!
• Optimize your intestinal microbiome. Although there are individual differences, generally a diet that is composed of “real” food, organic, non-GMO, some fermented foods and mostly vegetables is what supports the health-promoting microbes in the gut. Playing in the dirt and having a dog are also shown to improve our microbiome!

If you want to gain a better understanding of your gut health, I offer a variety of tests that provide concrete information. The three tests I find most useful are:

Food Allergy testing: http://meridianvalleylab.com/E-95  Most people benefit from this test, even if they are not having digestive issues.

Stool testing: https://www.doctorsdata.com/comprehensive-stool-analysis-w-parasitology-x3/  This test assesses your body’s ability to digest, the microorganisms that live in your gut (parasites, yeast, “bad” and beneficial  bacteria), inflammation in the gut and the status of your gut’s immune system.

Bacterial overgrowth:  https://www.gdx.net/product/bacterial-overgrowth-of-the-small-intestine-sibo-test  Small intestine bacterial overgrowth is a more recently discovered condition that can affect  up to 75% of people with IBS. Most common symptoms are gas, bloating and brain fog.