Whilst there is a lot of focus on the importance of the microbiome to gut health (absolutely true), there is much more involved in the digestive process. There are also lots of simple things you can do to help improve your digestion.
Eat mindfully
In order for your digestive system to work as it should, your body needs to be in ‘rest and digest’ mode. If it is in ‘fight or flight’ mode then your body shuts down the digestive process and puts all its efforts into enabling you to ‘run away from the bear’. There is rarely an actual bear these days but all the stresses of daily life can mean that our systems are locked into ‘fight or flight’, especially if we are eating on the run, in the car or at our desks before the next meeting. So take time to stop what you are doing, take some deep breaths, be grateful for your food and slow down so you can enjoy (and digest) your meal. The process of preparing our meals also starts to prepare the digestive system for action.
Chew your food
This might sound obvious but (especially if you are not eating mindfully) sometimes you can just wolf down your food without really realising it. Chewing is a really important part of the digestive process: it is responsible for breaking down the food particles into small pieces so that it can be better managed by the other parts of the digestive system. If you aren’t chewing your food properly then large particles of food may go through the system without being broken down, meaning that the nutrients can’t be extracted from them and larger particles can potentially cause other issues in your gut. The act of chewing also helps produce saliva which contains an enzyme that aids in breaking down food whilst we chew (and continues once the food makes its way to the stomach). Taking the time to really chew your food well will help your digestive system process the food effectively.
Maintain Oral Health
This may seem like a bit of a strange one to include at this point but your mouth is the start of your digestive system. Any bad bacteria (or other bad things) in your mouth will likely be transported down into your digestive tract when you chew and swallow. Use a natural toothpaste (there are many harmful ingredients in commercial toothpastes such as triclosan), ideally one with baking soda that provides an alkaline environment that the bad bacteria don’t like. Avoid using commercial antiseptic mouthwashes as they kill all the good bacteria in your mouth along with the ones that might be causing bad breath. Use a tongue scraper to remove food and help reduce the build up of bad bacteria and fungi.
Increase stomach acids
Stomach acid is a critical part of the digestive process, further breaking down the food particles (along with gastric enzymes) so that the nutrients can be extracted. Production of stomach acid unfortunately decreases as we get older and many of the symptoms that are often thought to be associated with excess stomach acid (stomach pain, heartburn, acid reflux, bloating) are often due to not producing enough stomach acid. Medications that further reduce stomach acid will make it worse.
Many people find that drinking 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon in a little warm water before meals helps to stimulate stomach acid production. Some swear by avoiding drinking liquids 20 -30 mins before and after meal to avoid diluting your stomach acid. It is important to stay hydrated at other times to aid gut motility.
The acidity in your stomach triggers the release of the hormone secretin as the partially digested food is sent to the duodenum or upper small intestine. That process then tells the pancreas to release hormones, enzymes, bicarbonate and bile for the next stage. There is a change from acid to alkaline, which allows the enzymes to digest food and helps bacteria that survived the stomach’s acidic environment to break down further as the food progresses through the gut.
Take Bitter Foods or Digestive Bitters
Bitter foods or Digestive bitters are said to help digestion because of their bitter taste. They stimulate your bitter taste buds, which signal different activities in your digestive system to start, like making more saliva and releasing gastric juices, both of which aid the digestive process.
Start your meal with a salad of bitter vegetables such as endive, radicchio, rocket, dandelion greens, kale and artichokes to stimulate the digestive system.
Digestive Bitters contain a range of herbs known for their bitter profiles and their ability to support digestive health. Most people are only familiar with Angostura bitters that are used in making cocktails or lemon, lime and bitters. However, bitters were a lot more common in the past and seem to be making a come-back, both for cocktails/mocktails and for aiding digestion. They are well worth exploring in my opinion. You take a few drops on your tongue 5-15 mins before meals.
Include Fermented Foods
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, pickled ginger, and water kefir contain organic acids, enzymes and probiotics to assist with proper digestion. These are more targeted to assist the microbiome in your large intestine. You may need to address leaky gut and gut dysbiosis before you are able to tolerate fermented foods but they are wonderful for the digestive system once you can.
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