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The PATH to Healthy Digestion Why is digestion so important for your overall health and nutrition? Digestion is the process of breaking down particles of food for absorption to support all the functions of the body. It is both a physical and chemical process involving a number of key steps to turn the food we eat into energy and nutrition. With out proper digestion of food individuals can experience heartburn, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea and generally feel low in energy. Malnutrition can also result from lack of healthy digestion leading to other illnesses. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the signs of indigestion and make steps towards supporting a healthy digestive tract. Symptoms of poor digestion: Causes of Indigestion: Indigestion can be caused by disease or ulcers, stress, smoking, drinking alcohol or simply by how you eat and the types of foods you are eating. Eating too much, eating high fat foods, eating too fast, eating too many new foods at once and/or eating under stressful conditions/situations can all contribute to poor digestion. Supporting Healthy Digestion: The following are some key points to follow to avoid future digestive discomfort. Chew your food thoroughly: This is the starting point for digestion. If you skip this part of the eating experience you could risk further indigestion of course the taste! Take time to eat: Rushing food ingestion can cause you to gulp air and create bloating in your system. Take a moment to think about where and how you eat. Is it running for the bus? Driving a car? Working on the computer? Try to develop the habit of sitting down away from distractions to eat. Protecting and supporting the gastrointestinal barrier: The maintenance of this barrier is vital to your health. Alcohol, over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs (called NSAIDs eg. Aspirin) and pathogenic bacteria (eg. Helicobacter pylori) are all culprits in reducing this layer of mucus which can cause lesions in this barrier. Speak with your doctor about your usage. Compounds that can assist the support of this mucus layer are: Support for a healthy small intestinal tract: The following foods can
assist in protecting the intestinal tract barrier: Probiotics: This healthy bacteria can be found in pill form or in foods such as yogurts, kefir and other fermented foods. It can help reintroduce good bacteria in to the colon to crowd out the bad bacteria. Stress Management: Stress can impact health in so many ways. Learning to deal with stress can be a positive way to deal with digestive upset. Practice relaxation techniques such as running, yoga, listening to music or try running freely through a grassy meadow. Schedule time for yourself as you would an appointment. You are definitely worth it! Regularity: Fiber is very important for a healthy digestive tract. Keeping things moving prevents pain in the abdomen, bloating, discomfort and of course waste particles remaining in the body. We need ~25g per day, which means eating lots of whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Try incorporating bran cereal or oatmeal to your breakfast, eat 2-3 fruits per day, add veggies to your lunch and dinner and switch your white breads to whole wheat. Remember to drink lots of water (~6-8 cups of fluids per day). When to call the doctor:
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