Are you experiencing discomfort after eating? Chances are you may need some support digesting your food. We live in a fast-moving culture and society. You may not realize that standing while eating can become a habit and so can eating too quickly. It’s not common to take the time to bring attention to basic needs such as eating simply. The demands of daily life can get in the way of sitting down and enjoying your meal.

Digestion bests work when you are calm and relaxed. Why? Because digestion is a parasympathetic process (“rest and digest”) and requires the body to be in a relaxed state to optimally digest food (1). However, much of society is constantly in the opposite state, “flight or fight.” This is not an ideal state for the digestive system to be in and in this state, we do not digest food well.

Luckily, there are 3 simple ways to better support digestion. Utilizing these tips can ensure you are not only better digesting your food but you are better absorbing its nutrients, too.

3 Ways to Better Support Digestion (as noted by Nutritional Therapy):

Breathe. Being a relaxed state upon eating is one of the best ways to support digestion. Before eating, taking three slow deep breaths can support your body’s ability to digest food properly. This allows your body to engage the parasympathetic nervous system to help you digest food properly, and increase digestive motility (1,2).

Chew Slowly. Chewing your food slowly is crucially important for the process of digestion. Chewing food at least 20-30 times before swallowing allows you to thoroughly breakdown the food you are eating, making it easier to digest. Ineffectively chewing or not chewing long enough allows large particles of food to enter into the stomach and colon, which can lead to unwanted digestive discomfort (1). Chewing your food well allows you to support easier digestion, leading to less digestive issues such as gas and bloating.

Turn off technology. Technology can be distracting when eating, taking your focus away from your meal and chewing well. Setting down your phone, and turning off the television minimizes these distractions. Without these, your brain can effectively activate salivary glands to produce saliva, which begins the digestive process in your mouth (1).

Taking the time to enjoy your meal is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your digestive system. I encourage you to try this out and see how it goes for you. Comment below if you do!

Reference:

Nutritional Therapy (2019). NTP Module 4: Digestion and Elimination. Nutritional Therapy Association. pg. 1-31.
Frøkjaer, J B, et al. “Modulation of Vagal Tone Enhances Gastroduodenal Motility and Reduces Somatic Pain Sensitivity.” Neurogastroenterology and Motility: the Official Journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26728182.