You are what you eat, according to the old adage. But, I think ‘you are what you digest’.
After all, what you eat and digest will become the building blocks of every cell in your body.
Digestion
Digestion begins in the mouth. The act of chewing stimulates the secretion of digestive juices, both in the mouth and in the digestive tract. The saliva in the mouth contains an enzyme called amylase that starts the digestion of starchy foods like pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread. Your mother may have told you to "chew your food well"-she was right. Foods need time to mingle with this enzyme to be properly broken down. If you gulp your food down quickly you are missing a vital stage of the digestion process.
Once you swallow, the food travels down a tube known as the esophagus to the stomach. The stomach secretes a powerful acid that starts the digestion of protein foods like meat, fish, legumes, dairy products, nuts and seeds.
After food leaves the stomach, it passes into the small intestine, where other digestive enzymes help break it down further. The pancreas secretes many enzymes into the small intestine to aid in the digestive process. The gall bladder secretes bile-a digestive juice produced by the liver-into the small intestines to assist with fat digestion. Nutrients are absorbed through the lining of the small intestine.
Then, the remaining food is passed down to the large intestine. At this point, the waste matter is mostly liquid. The water passes through the wall of the large intestine to be absorbed by the body. The remaining waste product of the food is then eliminated.
The food molecules that are absorbed through the intestinal walls are transferred to the liver by the bloodstream. There, some food molecules are broken down further while others are converted into fuel that can be stored by the body.
Causes of Poor Digestion:
a) Failure to chew food properly or eating too quickly. The digestive system depends on food being properly chewed, inadequate chewing may result in indigestion or other uncomfortable symptoms later.
b) Drinking large amounts of fluids with meals dilutes the digestive secretions thereby reducing their efficiency. When food has been adequately broken down by the acid in the stomach, the stomach becomes slightly less acidic. This is a signal the body uses to inform the stomach that its job is done. Drinking with meals can improperly "trick" the stomach into "thinking" it has finished digestion because the fluids dilute the acid. This makes the stomach dump the food prematurely into the small intestines.
c) Eating large and/or complex meals. The digestive system was not designed for many of the large, heavy and complex meals we eat today. Proteins require an acid and carbohydrates (starches) require an alkaline for digestion, mixing the two can neutralize the digestive juices required for each resulting in an inadequate digestion.
d) Emotional or mental stress impairs the function of the digestive system. That is why it is best not to eat when you are upset.
e) Late meals. The digestive processes lessen in the later part of the day, by eating late the body does not adequately digest meals. Some of the main problems with eating late include: weight gain or indigestion.
f) Low stomach acid and/or digestive secretions-as we age, we tend to produce fewer digestive enzymes and less hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Resulting in improper digestion or digestive problems, along with other health concerns such as allergies, flatulence, weight gain, and nutrient deficiencies.
g) Overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the intestines impedes the healthy flora that is needed in the intestines to ensure proper nutrient absorption from food.
Tips to Improve Your Digestion:
The overall health results of making a few changes to how, when, and what you eat will help you. Not only will you have less indigestion, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, or other digestive difficulties, you'll also find other negative symptoms improve. The reason is simple: you'll absorb more nutrients from your food and fewer waste products into your bloodstream.
1. Take time to chew your food.
2. Don't drink with meals. If you have supplements to take with meals, drink a small amount of water.
3. Simplify your meals. Do not eat protein foods (like meat) with carbohydrates (like bread) at the same meal.
4. Don't eat when you are stressed. If you are always stressed, learn some stress-management techniques.
5. Eat prior to 7:00 PM. That gives your body time to digest food before bedtime. No late-night snacks is much better for your health.
6. There are two ways to improve the amount of your digestive enzymes. Supplement with a wide range of enzymes. For example, lipase helps fat digestion, protease helps protein digestion, amylase assists with carbohydrate digestion, lactase assists with digestion of dairy sugars, cellulase and hemicellulase assist with breaking down plant fibre. Ideally, you should get all of these enzymes in a supplement. If needed, take a digestive enzyme product with each meal.
The other way to get more enzymes and to aid digestion is to eat raw foods with every meal. Raw foods contain enzymes that are destroyed by cooking, canning, processing, or pasteurizing food. Raw foods help lessen the toll on your digestive enzymes. I recommend eating a small salad daily. Vary the types and ingredients to get a wide range of nutrients and enzymes.
7. To help replenish healthy intestinal flora supplement with a probiotic formula that contains lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidus. By regulating intestinal flora, you will also regulate bowel movements.
By improving your digestion, you'll improve your overall health and benefit in the form of fewer problems with digestion, greater energy, and weight normalization.
Murielle L. DuBois, ND, RHN
Naturopath and Registered Holistic Nutritionist
