Digestion

This information is not intended to replace appropriate professional advice.  Please check labels for contraindications and consult your pharmacist if you take prescription drugs.

Healthy digestion is a key to maintaining good health.  You can consciously strengthen digestion by implementing some fundamental dietary and lifestyle changes – good health by design!

Digestion Basics - (guidelines for food combining follow)

• Digestion begins in the mouth.  Chew food well and mixed thoroughly with saliva.
• Limit water with meals so digestive secretions aren’t diluted.
• The body does best with room temperature or warm foods and beverages.
• Watch your posture.  Your digestive system needs room to work.
• Your stomach is the size of your hands cupped together.  Don’t overfill.
  

A Healing Diet - Alkalizing, Antioxidant, and Nutrient-Dense

• Drink 7-10 glasses of unchlorinated room temperature water.
• Consume a diet that is 75-80% alkaline forming. Most important.
• Organic foods are the safest way to nourish yourself – a wise investment!
• Rely on fresh fruits, vegetables, raw seeds and nuts, beans, legumes, and whole grains as the mainstays of your diet.  Avoid wheat unless sprouted.
• Fermented foods aid digestion and correct pH imbalances.
• Take 2-3 tsp apple cider vinegar with raw honey (optional) in a cup of room temperature water with meals to improve assimilation.
• Animal products are a source of inflammatory arachidonic acid.  Eat sparingly.     
• Keep meals simple. Two or three vegetables with a light protein or starch puts minimal stress on digestion. Animal products are acid and mucous forming for someone with weak digestion. Eat sparingly.   

Supplements - To avoid common deficiencies

• Bio-Strath - includes all B vitamins necessary for good digestion - relieves stress and fatigue, and aids in correcting digestion imbalances.
• Vitamin C – improves absorption of minerals, anti-inflammatory.
• Vitamin D 8,000 IU for one month then reduce to upper limit of 4,000 – anti-inflammatory, needed for calcium absorption, combats fatigue and depression.
• Chlorophyll (source of magnesium) – aids in absorption of other minerals, strengthens muscle contractions in the digestive system, draws moisture to the colon for easy eliminations.
• Omega 3 fatty acids – help control pathogens such as candida albicans, lubricate the intestinal tract.
• Probiotic – daily, and at different times of the day to restore microbiome.
  
  

Food Combining Basics

You can find more information here: "Proper Food Combing”.  These are the most important basic principles:

• Fruit should be eaten alone and on an empty stomach.  Fresh fruit can digest in as little 20 minutes (except bananas which take longer).  However, if consumed with other food it will start to ferment and interfere with digestion. 
  
  
• Heavy proteins such as meat should not be combined with complex starches like potato, rice or pasta.  Protein requires an acidic environment in which to digest, while heavy starch needs an alkaline medium, so one interferes with the digestion of the other.
  
  
• Have complete proteins no later than lunch for better digestion of amino acids.

Additional Tips

• Use a digest enzyme with hydrochloric acid when consuming a meal of cooked foods or animal products.
• Jo Anne’s Place private label Special Enzyme Blend
• Ginger tea improves digestion and assimilation.
• Milk thistle on its own or in combination with other “bitter” herbs improves liver function, increases bile production and corrects the pH in the intestines. The increase of alkaline bile improves motility and timely evacuation of waste in the colon.
• Avoid distractions. Give your meal your full attention and stop as soon as you feel satiated – a little before you feel full.
• Fresh air and exercise play an important role. Breathe deeply, exhale
• thoroughly!

The good news is the digestive tract can heal quickly.  Cells turn over every 48-72 hours!  Keep a journal and track your progress.  If you continue with the dietary and supplement suggestions, you should continue to enjoy healthy digestion and other health benefits as well!

*Revised September 2024