Unexpected Ways to Enhance Digestion

By Alexandra Dusenberry, MS, RDN

Lead Registered Dietitian

Digestion is a miraculous process that happens automatically- we don’t have to think about it, we don’t have to make time for it in our wellness routine. Despite this fact, there are many things we can do to optimize digestion, which is much-needed in this fast-paced, high-stress culture. You may be eating a balanced diet, rich in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and beneficial plant compounds, but your nutrition status is only as good as your digestion status. How well we break down our food translates to what we absorb… or otherwise eliminate.

Read on for some simple tips and tricks to enhance digestion- the intention is to get more nutrient extraction from your meals, minimize gas and bloating, and improve overall well-being!

Vinegar Trick

Did you know you can use a common kitchen ingredient to stimulate digestion and reduce blood sugar spikes? Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is able to blunt how many carbohydrates we absorb from a meal. This can dramatically reduce how much our blood sugar rises after eating! Apple cider vinegar that contains “the mother” (the floaty sediment that settles to the bottom of the bottle) also has the benefits of being a good-for-your-gut fermented food. Last but not least, it can help to stimulate the production of stomach acid to assist in breaking down food sufficiently. Try drinking 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 2-4 ounces water before the start of a meal for the most benefit.

Breathe Deep

When we are busy and rushing through our days, we tend to hang out in fight-or-flight mode. If you are eating while stressed, working or commuting, there is enough reason to say that your digestion is impaired. We need to slow down and switch over to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Take a pause as you sit down to eat a meal- a few deep, cleansing breaths can bring significant relaxation and helps to lower cortisol levels. Try breathing in for the count of 4, then hold for a count of 7, then finally exhale for a count of 8. Follow this for a few rounds or for up to a couple of minutes before dining.

Watch for Overhydration

Hydration is an essential component to good nutrition, but being mindful of beverage consumption timing can make a big difference in digestive function. Our stomach requires sufficient levels of hydrochloric acid to digest and breakdown food, and to activate or convert certain nutrients so our body can use them (such as vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and magnesium). When we consume too many fluids at the same time we are eating a meal, we dilute stomach acid concentration, making it harder to break down our food. Try to keep mealtime beverage consumption to 8 ounces or less. Leave a 30-minute cushion before and after meals, and reserve larger amounts of fluid consumption to times outside of that mealtime range.

Chew, chew

Digestion actually starts in the mouth- mechanical breakdown of food by chewing, and salivary enzymes that help to break down nutrients like carbohydrates. If we rush through meals, inhaling food with minimal chewing, this is a surefire way to increase gas, bloating, and indigestion! Try this experiment yourself next time you eat a snack or meal- chew a bite of food 20 times. If this feels uncomfortable and surprisingly excessive for you, it is a signal that there is room for improvement in the chewing arena! Begin to have the mindful practice of chewing 20-30 times before swallowing a bite of food. In the long run, this also enhances our nutrient extraction from food.

Support the Gut

For optimized digestion, many people can benefit from taking a digestive enzyme supplement with main meals. Digestive enzymes supply the enzymes we naturally use to break down and digest food- there are several specific enzymes for protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In some cases depending on genetics, age, and health history, we may not inherently make enough enzymes ourselves, and having external support can drastically improve gas, bloating, and constipation/ diarrhea. Our favorite comprehensive digestive enzyme capsule is Digestzyme-V.

One of the more common gut conditions we see in our practice is leaky gut, also referred to as increased intestinal permeability. Leaky gut can be caused by dysbiosis, stress, excess alcohol consumption, chronic NSAID use, and exposure to chemical herbicides such as glyphosate, which is spread heavily on conventionally gown crops in the US. (From that angle, buy organic food whenever possible to avoid glyphosate).

When the intestinal tract is damaged and inflamed as it is with leaky gut, nutrient absorption in the intestines becomes impaired. One way to heal, rebuild, and repair the gut in as little as two weeks is to utilize fulvic and humic minerals. These components derived from ancient mineral-rich soil have been shown to reduce inflammation, heal the intestinal lining, remove toxins from the GI tract, and assist with healing from leaky gut. ION Gut Support is a flavorless mineral liquid you can mix into any beverage to reap the benefits of the very healing humic and fulvic minerals.

Implementing these recommendations is a holistic and functional way to radically improve your digestion, reduce digestive symptoms, and improve nutrient extraction and absorption.

For customized gut health recommendations, please email nutritionist@cal-a-vie.com to set up a consultation.