Why is Digestive Health so Important?
Your digestive health is foundational to your overall well-being. Think of it as the engine that keeps ALL your organ systems and functions running smoothly. The nutrients you get from food are transformed into the hormones, neurotransmitters, and cells your body needs to function at its best.
Have you heard of the phrase, “you aren’t what you eat, you are what you assimilate and digest?” It couldn’t be closer to the truth. This is why it’s essential to support and optimise your digestion in every that you can.
Common Signs of Poor Digestion & Nutrient Absorption
• Nutrient Deficiencies: Low levels of iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other nutrients may indicate either low dietary intake or absorption issues.
• Digestive Symptoms: Symptoms like low appetite, nausea, bloating, gas, and stomach pain.
• Abnormal Bowel Movements: The “perfect poop” should be 1-2 pieces, banana-shaped and easy to pass, occurring 1-3 times daily. Undigested food in stool, greasy or floating stools, unusual colours, or painful, hard stools can be a sign that something is off.
So What’s Really Going On?
There are a variety of causes that may be contributing to digestive issues such as bloating, and here’s the most common:
🌱 Stress: The “rest and digest” state is necessary for optimal digestion. Stress shifts the body into “fight or flight” mode, reducing digestive function. Eating on the go or while stressed inhibits proper digestion, and can be a huge cause of bloating.
🌱 Eating Quickly and Inadequate Chewing: Digestion starts with seeing and smelling food, which triggers saliva and enzyme release. Rushing meals skips this step, as well as not properly chewing your food. Your food should ideally be “mush” by the time it hits your stomach to support optimal digestion, not swallowed in chunks.
🌱 Low Stomach Acid: Stress and other health conditions can decrease stomach acid, hindering protein breakdown and causing bloating and indigestion.
🌱 Fatty Liver or Gallstones: The liver plays an incredibly important role in healthy digestion, and these conditions can affect bile production and fat digestion, which may lead to bloating after fatty meals.
🌱 Unbalanced Gut Bacteria: Healthy gut bacteria are crucial for digestion and overall health. Imbalances, due to factors like antibiotics or an improper diet can be a cause of bloating.
8 Steps to Reduce Bloating… TODAY!
Luckily, there’s SO much that you can do to help reduce the bloat and improve your digestion, which you can hopefully start working on today to see results ASAP. Here’s our suggestions:
1 Relax and Engage with Your Food: Avoid eating at your desk or on the go. Sit down, relax, and take time to see and smell your food to stimulate digestive juices. Studies have actually found that doing so can reduce bloating and improve digestion. Take deep breaths before eating to transition into a “rest and digest” state.
2 Chew Thoroughly and Eat Slowly: Aim to chew each bite 20-30 times. Proper chewing is a crucial, often overlooked step in digestion. A study published in the journal Food & Function highlighted that differences in chewing can impact digestion and colonic fermentation, suggesting that proper mastication helps in breaking down food more efficiently and promoting better gut health!
3 Support Stomach Acid and Digestive Enzymes: Try apple cider vinegar before meals to support stomach acid production or consider using digestive enzymes to support your body’s natural digestion processes.
4 Incorporate Bitter Foods and Herbs: Bitter flavors stimulate digestive juices. Include foods like arugula, dandelion leaves, dark chocolate, and consider bitter herbal tinctures before meals. Dandelion root tea is also a great option to sip on throughout the day to promote healthy digestion.
5 Take a Probiotic Supplement: A multi-strain probiotic can help balance gut bacteria. Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium bifidum are all great strains for bloating and digestion.
6 Increase Probiotic-Rich Foods: Foods like Greek yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and miso support healthy gut bacteria which will support optimal digestion to reduce symptoms of bloating.
7 Eat Prebiotic Foods: Prebiotics, such as raw chicory root, leeks, resistant starch and garlic, feed beneficial gut bacteria which keeps your digestive health varied and strong.
8 Opt for Whole Foods: Avoid highly processed foods. Focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, healthy oils, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Reduce artificial sweeteners as well, which can cause bloating.
Which Supplements can Help?
ORA DEBLOAT & DIGEST: Digestive Enzymes
This is one of our favourite digestive enzymes to help reduce bloating and improve the absorption and assimilation of the foods that you eat. Contains a synergistic blend of the clinically-tested GutGard® shown in clinical studies to relieve abdominal pain, bloating and discomfort with organic fennel seed and vegan digestive enzymes to help reduce indigestion and distention and support healthy digestion.
Joberogast & Herbal Bitters
Handcrafted by a local Herbalist, we love these bitter tinctures to help kickstart healthy digestive juices and enzymes naturally which will help ease bloating and digestive discomfort. These provide gentle support for not only digestion, but also for healthy bile flow for optimal liver health. Simply take a few drops 15 minutes before meals, to help ease the bloat and support optimal digestion.
DESIGNS FOR HEALTH PROBIOMED: A Broad-Strain Probiotic
This is a therapeutic dose of probiotics, containing 50 Billion CFU Probiotic containing 10 unique strains to supports intestinal beneficial flora that is suitable for daily use. If you’re looking for something to support a healthy gut microbiome, this is definitely one of our top picks!