Digestive Problems can be so troublesome and can affect our everyday lives as digestion is directly affected by eating and we eat everyday !! It can be chronic and continue for years. It’s important to realise what is the cause of poor digestion, if we know the cause, we can then get ahead to help prevent the symptoms .
What causes poor digestion?
Eating quickly - chewing not ‘hoovering up’ your food is imperative to good digestion,
remember we need to start that digestive process with chewing.
High levels of stress - if you are stressed , your body will automatically respond by releasing cortisol which slows digestive juices and stomach acid being released, these are required to digest and breakdown food in the stomach and digestive tract.
Old Age - over 65 years of age - production of hydrochloric acid decreases as you age
Medications - Long term use of a common medication that reduces stomach acid
Nutrient deficiency - zinc specifically is required for digestion but also decreases with poor digestion. While many other nutrients can become depleted due to malabsorption.
Infections - Helicobactor Pylori (common bacterial infection in the stomach which causes heartburn)
Stress is the most common factor I see with my clients. They may not even realise they are stressed but it can have a huge impact on the digestive process. When they implement some of the tips mentioned below, the indigestion symptoms are greatly reduced.
What to do?
Chew your food - your stomach doesn’t have teeth, if you are a fast eater;
- put your fork down between each bite
- count to 5 while chewing each bite.
Go for a short walk (10mins) before you eat, this (especially if working from
home) lowers stress
Try a bitters salad before food, mustard cress, chicory, rocket
A small glass of lemon juice with water or a teaspoon of cider vinegar in water before or during food
Use cider vinegar in salad dressings with olive oil.
Avoid large drinks with food - a small glass of water is preferable.
Avoid tea and coffee with meals - can deplete nutrient absorption especially
Vit C and zinc. I was told this in Home Economics class when I was 12 and I’ve never forgotten it !
Increase fibre, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds
Decrease refined sugars/processed foods, all white bread, rice, pasta, change them to brown.
Exercise - a daily 30mins walk
Meditation
Introduce probiotic fermented vegetables to your diet, sauerkraut, kimchi, live
yogurt, kefir, miso.
Avoiding Trigger foods - dairy, gluten, soya, eggs & corn are common culprits
Herbal Teas - ginger, fennel, peppermint, dandelion root, cinnamon,
cardamon. (Ginger being especially helpful if bloated).
Homemade Digestive Drink
This is an easy digestive bitters tea that can be made if you have dandelions growing somewhere (who doesn’t?).
I take the root, scrub clean and blend in a food processor or a nutri bullet not to a powder but a chunky crumble texture.
Then lay on a baking tray and dry out in an oven at the lowest temperature for an hour at least until it is completely dry.
Store in an airtight jar.
I mix a teaspoon of it in a tea with some cinnamon, fresh ginger and a lemon slice (it is bitter, so for the fainthearted like me, adding a teaspoon of honey may be needed for sweetness).
Dandelion root tea with ginger and lemon