Tips for Improved Digestion
We've all experienced uncomfortable gas and bloating after and between meals. I've pulled together some tips and tricks that I use to help keep those symptoms at bay.
1️⃣ Pick foods that digest well.
Foods like white rice, white potatoes, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, ground beef/turkey are foods that most people can tolerate well in large quantities (Lower FODMAP foods). Including high fibrous foods like multigrain bread, brown pasta/rice, sweet potatoes, milk, broccoli, asparagus, onions, legumes and others can wreak havoc on your gut when consumed in excess. Everyone is different when it comes to food intolerances so some self experimentation is required to find what foods digest best for you.
2️⃣ Take your time eating each meal.
Eating slow and in a relaxed manner allows your stomach to secret the necessary enzymes and stomach acid to break down and digest the food you're eating. Eating in a relaxed state is also correlated to your body's rest and digest systems which is important for the digestive process. Being in the opposite state of flight will not allow for the best digestive environment to occur as your body is prioritizing other bodily functions.
3️⃣ Make sure you're giving your digestive system 10-14 hrs break each day. This down time gives your intestinal tract time to rest and repair. If you’re constantly bombarding your digestive tract with food it won’t have sufficient time to regenerate itself. This is very common for bodybuilders trying to put on size. By eating within a specific window time, you can maintain proper gut functioning and extend your time frame for growth rather than destroying your digestive system early on by being over aggressive with calories.
4️⃣ Don't force-feed.
If you're full, stop and finish your meal at a later time. Fullness is a sign that your body isn’t prepared for more food. You might be able to get the food down despite your body's signals but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your food is being properly broken down and absorbed. You are not what you eat, but what you are able to break down and digest. Don’t be fooled into thinking that everything that you eat is fully absorbed.
5️⃣ Limit junk & processed foods.
These tend to irritate people's gut’s more than whole foods. This is mostly because the processed and junk food contain ingredients & preservatives that the gut is less tolerant to leading to inflammation, gas and bloating. Some people have no issues with these foods but in general I see more people have issues than not. If you know you’re one of those people that experiences issues, limit junk and highly processed foods as much as possible. Not only will this be good for your gut, but your health and body composition as well.
6️⃣ Engage in stress management techniques.
For many, poor digestion can be the result of being overstressed. Incorporating stress reduction techniques such as meditation, yoga, walking and massage on a regular basis can help to reduce stress, resulting in improved digestion. Without going to deep, chronic stress negatively impacts the microbiome (the bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract) and impairs the overall digestive process leading to gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.
7️⃣ Supplements.
For repairing an inflamed gut, I really like using Zinc carnosine and L-glutamine to help repair the stomach and intestinal tract lining, Betaine HCL for increasing stomach acid, tumeric for decreasing inflammation and ginger root extract for improving indigestion and bloating.
For people with occasionally bloating and gas, making better food choices is going to be your first line of defence before introducing supplements. For those with chronic issues, supplements may be required to get you back on track. There's lots of supplements available and each supplement is good at a specific task so it’s difficult to provide specific recommendations. If you’re experiencing issues that you can’t resolve using some of the tips I mentioned in this article, consulting with your family doctor to rule out any medical conditions is a good place to start (IBS, Crohn's, Celiacs disease etc).
