10 Surprising Ways to Improve Digestion
I spent a long time suffering from severe bloating and constipation. I felt like I had tried everything to improve my gut health! I am so thankful that I am now in a state of rarely bloating and having regular bowel movements. Some of the practices that drastically improved my digestion are listed below. Try incorporating some or all of these tips and if they help please come back and leave a comment because I love hearing from you!
Here is a list of 10 surprising ways to improve digestion:
Only talk about your food during mealtimes.
I am sure you may have heard of practicing mindfulness when eating. Being present during mealtimes will shift your nervous system into a parasympathetic state aka rest and digest. When you are at the table eating and going over the events that happened in your day (especially negative ones) your body will react as if the event is currently happening. For example, if you were driving late to work and someone cuts you off or hit your car, and during mealtime, you are expressing how annoyed and irritated you were at that situation; you may instantly start feeling that anger again in your body. Unpleasant conversations could evoke a stress response, which is the last thing you want to happen when you are trying to digest food. When you are eating try to focus on the meal in front of you, the scent, the flavors, and the spices. If you are going to partake in conversations then ensure it is with good company and it’s about celebration and delicious food.
2. Stop drinking cold drinks, only warm or room temperature beverages.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), you should only drink hot/warm/room temperature beverages, including water. This is because your digestive system should always be warm to keep your digestive fire burning. Cold drinks put out the digestive fire. Ayurveda Medicine will also agree with this. In TCM, it also said that hot drinks help liquify your food which will help break it down further. In addition, sticking to hot beverages, like tea, will keep your metabolism going strong.
3. Sip on ginger tea in the morning for strong digestive fire.
Ginger is an accessible and medicinal herb that is great for just about everyone! If you feel like food is just sitting in your digestive tract then ginger tea may help. If you have random periods of constipation or diarrhea then ginger tea may help. If you suffer from chronic cold hands and feet then ginger tea may help. Ginger aids in removing cold from the body, warming up the stomach (hello digestive fire), reducing PMS, improving circulation, improving colonic motility, killing bacteria in the gut, etc! According to TCM, a warm cup of ginger tea will help jumpstart your digestion and “yang” energy.
4. Bless your food or give thanks.
There is a reason why many cultures say a prayer before eating. You can give thanks to whatever higher power you believe in (God/Universe) for the meal you are about to consume. If that is not your thing you can give thanks to the elements that allowed your food to grow healthy (fire, water, soil, wind, sunlight). If that is still not your thing you can give gratitude to the farmers that grew and picked your food, the animal that sacrificed its life for you, and the chef that lovingly cooked your food. When you show love to your food, your food will show love back. This will also raise your vibration and put you in that rest and digest state we spoke about.
5. Eat your largest meal during the day
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, our bodies mirror nature. There is Yin and Yang energy that is in everything. Nighttime is Yin, whereas daytime (aka the sun) is yang. Our digestive fire is at its strongest when the sun is also at its strongest, which is 3 pm. As the sun goes down your body becomes cooler and your digestive fire starts going out to save energy for sleep.
6. Take 5 deep belly breathes before eating
Deep breathing forces your nervous system into a parasympathetic state aka rest and digest. When your nervous system is at “rest and digest” then you may guess, it is digesting. In today’s modern world I see so many people on the go, even when they are not on the go, their mind is. We live in a stressful world, which is also contributing to poor digestive health. Take a moment to pause and take deep breaths before eating so your body can focus on only 1 function: digestion.
7. Take a diluted shot of apple cider vinegar 10 minutes before eating.
Vinegar helps increase stomach acid. You can take a DILUTED shot of apple cider vinegar or eat a starter salad with vinegar dressing. I see so many people who have digestive problems like acid reflux, bloating, gas, etc with low stomach acid. We need stomach acid to break down proteins, mineral and vitamin absorption, and to kill off any bacteria or parasites found in our food. Low stomach acid can contribute to parasites, SIBO, food allergies, acid reflux, heartburn, GERD, and gut dysbiosis. So, 10-15 minutes before a meal, add 2 tsp of ACV in 50ml of water and drink from a straw (to prevent it from damaging your teeth’ enamel).
8. Never eat while watching tv or reading.
Eating while you are distracted is never a good thing. I stressed the importance of being in a parasympathetic state (rest and digest) throughout this entire blog post. The reason being is during this state your brain signals your body to focus on digestion by releasing digestive enzymes and HCI. While you are reading or watching anything on tv will put you in a fight or flight, sympathetic nervous state. While you are eating and digesting your food, it is not the time to be distracted as it can impair with your digestion.
9. Eat with your hands.
According to Ayurveda, the nerve ending of your fingertips can help with digestion. This is because your fingers have millions of nerve endings that relay the message that you are about to eat by the temperature of the food, the texture of the food, and the level of spiciness. When your brain believes it’s about to eat it will start prepping for digestion by telling your digestive system to start releasing HCI and digestive enzymes. It also engages all of your senses and promotes mindful eating.
10. Use lots of herbs and spices in your food and/or chew on some fennel seeds after a meal.
Herbs and spices are not only for taste but also for improving digestion! Different herbs and spices contain different “tastes” bitter, astringent, pungent, and salty. The bitter taste stimulates digestive enzymes and HCI. The pungent taste usually comes from herbs and spices that are considered “carminatives”. Carminative herbs and spices help expel gas. So use them liberally in your cooking! This is why some Indian restaurants offer fennel seeds to chew on after a meal. Fennel seeds are carminatives, so you can either chew some or make tea after a meal.
I hope these tips help with your digestion. If you are struggling with chronic gut issues and find that it is time to work with a gut specialist then book a free discovery call with me. My gut healing program will help relieve food intolerances, painful bloating, embarrassing gas, and uncomfortable acid reflux for good!
Interested in learning more about working with me? click here.
I hope to talk to you soon,
Jade