5 tips to improve your digestion (beyond what’s on your plate)
You might already be aware that, in order to have an optimal digestion, it is important to consume a diet of organically grown whole foods. You might also know the importance of choosing healthy cooking methods, and balancing your portions from each food group. However, there are many people who still experience digestive problems, even when following these recommendations. This is because what we eat is not everything when it comes to optimal digestion.
Digestion is a complex ecosystem that is influenced not only by food, but also by the environment and the habits we follow when eating, as well as our emotions and thoughts.
You may be eating the healthiest foods in the world, but it's not just what's on your plate that determines the quality of your digestion.
Based on principles from different sources, including the science of food energetics, Ayurveda, integrative nutrition and my own experience, here are 5 simple recommendations so you can optimize your digestion beyond what is on your plate.
1. Avoid drinking with food.
Whenever I visit a restaurant, I am always asked what I want to drink with my food. There are waiters who are surprised that I'm not going to drink anything! Combining food with soft drinks, juices, alcoholic beverages, and even cold water, is quite normalized in our culture. But is it doing us any good?
Perhaps you have already heard that you shouldn’t drink while eating. But it is important to understand why. As a general rule, yes, we want to avoid drinking liquids with food, and this is because:
We want to preserve the composition of the gastric juices.
Different food groups require different enzymes for digestion. That’s why gastric juices are a dynamic substance, a complex mixture that the digestive system formulates based on what enters the stomach. Therefore, once the mixture of gastric juices is created and ready to process the food, we do not want to dilute it for anything in the world! Our optimal digestion and nutrient absorption depend on it.
We want to avoid any digestive incompatibility between the food ingredients and the beverage ingredients.
Digestive compatibility–combining foods that the digestive system can successfully process when digested at the same time–starts with the combination of foods you have on your plate. The ingredients of drinks and foods (even “healthy” ones) are often incompatible with each other, and this hinders the digestive process.
So I recommend avoiding drinks with food, even if they are "healthy" (smoothies or fresh juices). If you still need to drink something with food, drink up to 4 ounces (half a cup) of warm or room temperature water or a botanical infusion.
2. Allow yourself a sensorial experience, and chew abundantly.
Your digestive system formulates the composition of gastric juices based on each thing you are going to eat. That's why it needs to register what you're about to eat before it reaches your stomach. And how does it do this? Through the senses (smell, sight, taste), but especially chewing.
When you take the time to observe, smell, taste, and even touch your food, you are carrying out an essential part of digestion. Not only are you supporting the stomach in registering what you're about to consume, but by chewing, you're breaking down food, so the stomach can effectively do its part. The key is chewing until the food has a smooth homogeneous consistency. So when you chew, do so with intention, knowing that your nutrition depends on it.
3. Dessert, yes… 2 hours after eating.
Whether it's dessert or a drink you want to consume, the high concentration of sugars usually found in these foods alters the digestive process if they are combined in the stomach with your meals. You could be subjecting your digestion to unnecessary effort, which can affect your energy levels, causing sleepiness or fatigue after eating.
If you want to consume a dessert or drink, have it at least 2 hours after eating. And allow at least 2 hours before the next food intake. As a general guideline, this provides an adequate window of time for food to pass from the stomach to the duodenum. This way, the ingredients of the dessert or drink have their own digestive cycle, apart from the food. But it is important to know and observe your body, since the time it takes to process food in the stomach could take up to 4 hours depending on the type and quantity of food, as well as your metabolism, among other factors.
But this is not a green light to eat dessert every day! Eat desserts sporadically. Remember that the delicate microbiotic balance of the intestine is vital for optimal digestion, and refined sugars are disruptors of this balance.
4. Eat fresh, for greater energy and vitality.
Not only do we rely on food as matter, but we are also fed by its vitality. The freshness and quality of your food impacts how energized you are throughout the day. It is recommended that you consume your foods as fresh as possible, ideally within 2 days of when it was first cooked.
Every time you reheat food, it loses vitality. If reheating is necessary, try to reheat the food only once, just when you are about to eat it. If you have a large portion of the meal prepared, reheat only the amount you are going to consume. This practice also helps preserve nutrients in the food.
In fresh foods, vital energy, minerals, vitamins and enzymes are more present and radiant; this promotes digestion and assimilation. The fresher the food, the less likely you are to end up with toxins and fermentation in the gut, which means less gas and bloating. The transformation in how you feel can be radical and expansive the more you practice this.
5. Eat with the sun.
Yes, with the sun. It sounds mystical, but the purpose is to eat when the digestive fire is at its highest, and this is during the day. Our metabolism varies throughout the day, and this is what is known as the circadian rhythm. This is a rhythm the cells of your body have, like an internal clock, which is regulated by sunlight. The cell cycle has 3 phases; elimination, ingestion and regeneration. When we eat with the sun, we are aligning our food intake with the phase when the cells of the body are ingesting.
Although there are many “formulas” out there, each person should experiment with what times work best for them. I personally practice consuming solid foods between 9am-6pm–that’s what works best for me. If I need to consume something later or earlier, I usually have fruit or a smoothie.
Eating with the sun also helps us regulate our sleep cycles, and to have a more restful sleep. If we eat our last meal before sunset, we can go to sleep having already digested our meal. This allows your body to focus on cellular regeneration while you're sleeping, so you can enjoy increased energy during the day, as well as increased longevity generally.
Try these recommendations and see how you feel! Exploring is key to designing a lifestyle that supports the expression of your full potential. And if you have any further questions about any of this, we’d love to chat. Reach out to us at bienestar@amapachana.com!
This content is for informational purposes only, and should not be taken as professional medical advice. If you are experiencing digestive or other health problems, always consult with your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before trying a new healthcare regimen.
