Hi there! Are you bloated? Experiencing acid reflux? Is your energy lower than you’d like? Are you struggling to get your weight where it feels most comfortable for you? These things begin in the gut, and happily, they can be corrected there, too. Sometimes it seems like nothing makes these chronic symptoms go away entirely but we’re here to tell you they can! The tough part is, it requires a lot of focus and effort on your part, and probably not in the way you’ve been focusing and efforting. Of course, the best thing to do to get to the bottom of what’s causing your indigestion, is come in for a Nutrition Response Testing assessment and get yourself on a program of Designed Clinical Nutrition! There are a few things we’ll say to most people, though, so here’s a quick run-down to help you get started:
Keep a food journal daily. We can hear you groaning at this suggestion, but it really does help you know what you’re eating. Most of us do far too much of our dining on the go, or while working, or while watching something. Eating like that is a surefire way to develop some indigestion, because it’s easy to make non-nutritious choices, to eat too fast, and to eat too much. Keeping track of what you put in your mouth all day will force you to slow down and think about what you’re eating. Try it for a few weeks and see how it effects your diet!
Slow down. In the same vein of daily food logging, we want you to slow down just a little. First, whenever possible, sit down to eat and make that the one thing you’re doing. No reading, scrolling through social media, chatting on the phone, or watching something. Before you dig in, take a look at your plate. How does it look to you? Are you several colors there? How does it smell? When you do dig in, chew you food. Chewing is an extremely important part of digestion, it releases key enzymes that enable you to make real use of the nutrients your ingesting. Finally, put your fork/spoon/chop sticks down between bites. Just for a couple seconds. None of this takes a long time, but it all contributes a lot to how well you digest your food.
Drink water 15 minutes before or after your meal, but not during. We want you to drink plenty of water! But, drinking water with your food can increase the Ph of your stomach, and you want that stomach acidic so it can do its thing. Most people think that acid reflux is the result of too much acid in the gut, which is why people reach for antacids, but in fact, it’s caused by not enough acid in there, and when you take an antacid, you’re compounding the issue. It may alleviate the burning, but it will prolong the symptom overall.
Avoid sugars. Sugar is bad. Don’t eat it. Sugars are added to pretty much everything these days, including things most consider savory food, so it’s tough to avoid. The bad news is, it’s highly addictive, and it destroys digestion and inflames the brain and most of the body. Avoid sugar, avoid sugar, avoid sugar. Sorry to be such a buzzkill, but trust us, as you wean yourself from sweets, you’ll feel much better overall, and you won’t crave it, either. We promise!
These are just a few things that can contribute to healthy digestion, but they’re a good start. Give them a try and see how you feel. Here’s to your health!