Adopting Habits For Gut Health - Part One
I often say that the digestive system is the unsung hero of the body, whose importance is often minimized in comparison to other body systems. This is a curious truth, given the simple reality that your gut has a direct line to the body’s health as a whole. If your gut health is off, your body’s health is off. If your digestive system isn’t operating at its best, no other part of your body can operate at its best. Every organ, tissue, nerve fiber, neurotransmitter, cell, even the tiny mitochondria need not only healthy food choices, but also for the digestive system to be able to break down, absorb and transport the nutrients, and ultimately evacuate waste products efficiently.
Symptoms attributed to compromised gut health may not always be obvious. Symptoms may be G.I. related, but can also present as fatigue, skin issues, headaches, brain fog, muscle aches, joint pain, sleep disruption and many more. This circles back to the simple fact of the gut being an epicenter in the spiderweb of the body – if your gut health is off, your body’s health is off. I am going to break down each stage of the digestive system one at a time in small articles to make it easier to digest (pun intended). I’ll explain why it’s important, what helps, and what interferes, so that you can make changes from an informed perspective. I will conclude this series with an article on the gut microbiome. First, I would like to plant a seed -- that you consider eating for gut health at least one meal per day consistently. Perhaps just be curious and try it for a few weeks. Notice how you feel, if anything changes.
The first stop on the digestion train is your mouth. Every stage of digestion is pH regulated, and your mouth is a more alkaline environment. There is chemical activity and mechanical activity at every digestive stop. In your mouth, the chemical action is your salivary enzymes, namely salivary amylase and lingual lipase. These enzymes begin the breakdown of your starches and your fats. The mechanical action is your chewing. The action of chewing food creates greater surface area for the enzymes to do their work. Chewing also initiates the cephalic phase of digestion—stimulating vagal activity, gastric secretions, pancreatic enzyme release, and digestive readiness before food even reaches the stomach. The ideal consistency one is aiming for with chewing, is soft applesauce. The beauty of this is in how many questions it answers. Assuming that you are eating only whole foods, nothing processed, imagine selecting portions of food based on length of time needed to chew. It doesn’t take long to chew steamed vegetables and avocado to a smooth consistency, but how about red meat? Interestingly chicken would take a little less time than red meat, and fish even less time. Raw vegetables often take longer than cooked, and nuts take longer than vegetables.
This also puts a spotlight on the benefits of mindful eating, and the illusion that we are digesting well when multitasking. Your digestive system is connected to your nervous system. The nervous system moves between parasympathetic and sympathetic in somewhat of a spectrum fashion. If your sympathetic nervous system is more active while eating, your blood flow is redirected away from the digestive tract and toward the heart. The body prioritizes survival and action over digestion. Digestive secretions are reduced, saliva production often decreases, and gastric emptying is altered. Herein lies the gift, the opportunity to downregulate your nervous system (lowering cortisol and stress hormones) and increase nutrient absorption.
Before each meal, take a pause. Slow down, and sit down (preferably not while driving). Slow your breathing down for 1-2 minutes, and bring your attention to something or someone you are grateful for, or a place/memory that brings warm feelings. Engage your senses. Smell your food, really take in the visual of it. Get excited about eating. Put your silverware down between each bite to maintain mindfulness. Pick them back up once you have chewed completely and swallowed. This act alone can significantly reduce symptoms of indigestion, bloating and disrupted hunger/satiety cues.
Your body needs your participation to maximize nutrient absorption and minimize inflammatory responses to foods. To provide additional support, I have included a link to digestive support supplements here. Please reach out with questions you have about digestion and I will endeavor to answer them in upcoming articles.
