Digestion

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Really, we should be able to digest pretty much any food (anything natural anyway) and eliminate what we don't want getting into our systems, through bowel movements that happen at a minimum once a day, but hopefully more like 2-3. However, lots of people suffer from different symptoms of different types of poor digestion like acid reflux, bloating, constipation, and excessive gas. If you are having poor digestion symptoms, then they are a sign that something is not quite right and worth investigating. Poor digestion has far reaching implications for every part of our body. Many disease states are associated with some form of gastrointestinal disruption. For instance, 95-100% of autistic children have gastrointestinal dysfunctions.

Here are some common potential ways to support your digestive system or get it back on track:

  • Go GMO and pesticide/herbicide free. One survey found 85.2% of those who did this improved or resolved their digestion problems

  • Drink room temperature or warmer water 30 minutes before a meal to help hydrate the bicarbonate layer that buffers the highly necessary acid in your stomach. Then the buffer is hydrated so the stomach is happy to produce acid.

  • Only drink water that is at room temperature or warmer - cold water can put out your digestive fire a.k.a. agni in Ayurveda. When it is low you often have a feeling of heaviness and sluggishness.

  • Don't drink during a meal as this dilutes stomach acid and digestive enzymes and wait for 30 minutes after you finish to drink. An exception to this could be drinking small amounts of a digestive tea like fenugreek tea.

  • Bile, which digests fats, can become congested and when this happens it can also prevent pancreatic enzymes making it into your small intestine too because the bile and pancreatic ducts join together before entering the small intestine. Bile and pancreatic enzymes help neutralise stomach acid in your small intestine, and if they aren't present acid can accumulate and give you acid reflux (and your body may even try to make less stomach acid, which further weakens digestion). Fenugreek Tea and Cinnamon are both good decongestants for bile ducts. Beetroot also helps get bile flowing.

  • Drink lemon juice and apple cider vinegar in hot water 30 minutes before a meal or first thing in the morning

  • Drink Ginger Tea

  • For acid indigestion try cumin seed, coriander seed and fennel seed tea. Put 1tsp of each to 6-8 cups of water and boil for 5-10 minutes, then strain.

  • Eat Ghee and Coconut Oil. They both improve digestive fire and absorption.

  • Those who are naturally thin and skinny (Ectomorphs) tend to have lower digestive enzymes and more sensitive digestion, so you may have more need to employ these or other strategies to help support your digestion.

Some people who get a lot of gas and bloating particularly experience symptoms when they eat foods from the FODMAP group (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides, and Polyols). I have included a list of most of these, just encase this seems to fit you. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) suffers often find avoiding these foods improve symptoms. However, not being able to tolerate these foods is a sign that something else is going wrong. Often it is that you don't have the right bacteria in your microbiome and an overgrowth of the wrong ones and you need to get this investigated with microbiome testing being a great place to start. Many of the foods on this list, like the fruits and vegetables, are actually really good for you and you want them in your diet! Avoiding FODMAPS should be a short-term therapy while treating the underlying cause. The most likely FODMAPs to produce symptoms are gluten containing grains e.g. wheat, rye, and barley, apples and pears, onions, dairy milk and soft cheese, agave, honey, and high fructose corn syrup.

FODMAPs:

  • Milk, Evaporated milk, Yogurt, Ice cream, Custard, Ricotta cheese, Cottage cheese, Mascarpone cheese

  • Apples, Pears, Watermelon, Mangoes, Nectarines, Blackberries, Plums, Dried fruits, Peaches, Fruit juice, Apricots, Cherries, Prunes,

  • Mushrooms, Okra, Broccoli, Artichokes, Asparagus, Brussel sprouts, Cauliflower, Beetroot, Cabbage, Chicory, Garlic, Onions, Radiccio, Shallots, Leeks, Snow peas

  • Agave, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Pancake syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Honey, Coconut Cream and Cream

  • Sherry wine, Port wine

  • Chickpeas, Wheat, Rye, Lentils, Kidney beans

How is your digestion?

What could you do to help support your digestion?

 

Related Articles:

Microbiome
Leaky Gut
Gut Healing
Herbicides and Pesticides
Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMOs)

Good Sources for further information:

Understand Agni - Article from Banyan Botanicals - banyanbotanicals.com/info/blog-the-banyan-insight/details/making-friends-with-fire/

Work with an Ayurveda Practitioner (they really understand digestion) - find a good one in your area


Much Love,

Sophia Englezos