4 easy ways to boost your digestion naturally
Wanna be super healthy? Well, you've come to the right place! Digestion is where it allll starts. If you can get your digestion in tip top shape, it may just have a massive flow on effect on every aspect of your wellbeing, from your skin to your mental health.
Digestive symptoms like bloating and distension, constipation, diarrhea and acid reflux are such a Debbie downer.
Not only will good digestion help you steer clear of frustrating digestive symptoms, it also means that you're actually absorbing the nutrients in your food. That means you're fuelling your body for optimal health.
Those good digestion feels! #happydance
While it's super important to get to the root cause of any of these symptoms to get your body into balance for life, these digestion-boosting tips are quick and easy, and may be just what you need to get your digestion back on track.
Take the time to chill out before eating.
To make sure we're actually going to digest our food, we need to make sure we're in a parasympathetic or 'rest and digest' state. Yep, that means no more eating on the run. Sit down, take some deep breaths before your pick up your fork and relax.
Chew your food.
Your mum has probably been harping on about this since you were a little tike, but she was onto something.
The breakdown of carbohydrates actually begins in the mouth, with salivary amylase (an enzyme in your saliva), which starts the breakdown of starch long before the food hits your stomach. This, coupled with the fact that food that is properly moistened and chewed before swallowing is much easier to digest, means that simply chewing 20-30 times per mouthful is a gamechanger for your digestion.
Use some digestive support.
If you are having trouble digesting protein, suffer from acid reflux, nutrient deficiencies or any number of health conditions, you may have low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria).
To combat this, you can start by taking apple cider vinegar (ACV) before meals. Be sure to find a quality ACV with 'the mother', like this one*. Start with around 1 tablespoon of ACV with meals, diluted with the same amount of water.
If you feel like you need more support, you may benefit from hydrochloric acid or other targeted digestive support. It's best to do this under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.
Get a squatty potty*.
I've been talking about this a lot lately, much to the dismay of my boyfriend and housemates (sorry guys).
A squatty potty (or any simple step stool you can get your hands on) mirrors our natural defacation position, allowing for easy breezy elimination. Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself and see!
