How To Have Great Digestion Part One

By Natasha Ryan, ND, Regional Wellness Manager

Knowles Apothecary Wellness

. http://www.knowleswellness.com/

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How To Have Great Digestion Part One

“Happiness is having a full bank account, a good cook and great digestion.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau

Leave it to an 18th century philosopher to get to the essence of that elusive thing that we call happiness. How fascinating that of all the words he could have used in his quote about happiness, he mentions the state of ones digestion. If you have ever suffered from bouts of indigestion-gas, GERD, constipation, diarrhea, then you know how unpleasant these things can be and how they can affect your state of being.

It is well known in holistic medicine circles that good health starts in the gut. If that is the case, how does one obtain the best digestion and therefore the best health possible? The following suggestions will help you get on the road to good health by improving the state of your digestion.

1. Choose your foods wisely.

You've undoubtedly heard the expression “you are what you eat.” That being said, what have you been recently a double cheese burger, a chocolate chip cookie, a piece of fruit, a tall glass of water? The cells of your body use the raw materials provided by the foods that you eat to create the energy necessary to live. Making good choices can be a challenge at times, but try your best to choose whole foods like fruits, vegetables and lean protein a minimum of 80% of the time. You will be amazed how great you feel.

2. Chew your food completely.

How long does it take you to eat a meal? Are you one of those people who “woofs down” their food in five minutes or less or do you take your time to actually chew? Our fast paced society has created some poor eating habits and eating too quickly is one of them. The digestive process begins in the mouth where salivary amylase, one of many digestive enzymes starts the process of breaking down the carbohydrates in your meal. If the food that you eat is not properly chewed and coated with the enzymes in your mouth, it makes the rest of the digestive process even more difficult. This is why it is very important to make an effort to chew your food thoroughly. Whenever you take a bite, put your fork down and be present with the food in your mouth. It is said that you should chew one bite of food at least 25 times before swallowing.

3. Use digestive enzymes

As mentioned earlier, the physical breakdown of food begins in the mouth. Your saliva is filled with enzymes which are special proteins that cause a chemical reaction to move faster thereby allowing food to be broken down in hours instead if days, months or years. There are three main types of enzymes proteases, which break down protein, amylases, which break down carbohydrates and lipases which break down fats. Sometimes our bodies are not able to create the amount of enzymes necessary to digest foods completely. This could be due to poor chewing methods, genetics, or stress. Stress is pervasive in our society and it is one of the leading causes of indigestion. These are just some of the reasons why it may be helpful to use supplemental digestive enzymes. When choosing a digestive enzyme supplement it is important to make sure that the capsule that the enzymes are contained in is enteric coated. This will ensure that when the capsule hits the stomach, the acid will not be able to get to the enzymes, which will only start to do their job once in the small intestines.

These are just some of the suggestions to come. Stay tuned for part two of The Secret To Great Health and Happiness.