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1) Slow Down
Rushing to eat in order to squeeze in an errand, meet a deadline, get to an appointment is pointless. If you want your digestive system/gut to work properly and heal, you need to slow down! Stop... actually sit down, give yourself time to eat your meal. Your body needs you to be calm to digest your food. If you’re nervous or stressed, your digestive system is in "fight or flight" mode and it can’t work properly when it’s in this state.
Digestion is about transforming your food into fuel. When we get stressed, tired, or even nervous, our digestive system doesn’t function properly, and certainly not optimally. It’s so important to slow down so you can have more energy avoid indigestion, bloating acid reflux, and gas.
Don't shove the food in your mouth as you’re running out the door or eat while standing at the counter, we are guilty of this one from time to time. When we eat quickly our body doesn’t know when it's full until it’s too late and we are leaving the table, hands on our belly groaning because we are too full. Put your fork down in between bites think about the food in your mouth, not the appointment you need to get to. Our Pure Family 2020 These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is not intended to treat, diagnosis, cure, or prevent any disease.
Before you eat, try and remember to take a deep breath. Be grateful for the food you’re about to eat and check in with your own body. Try and focus on being present in the moment and fully aware.
Try these simple steps before you start your meal.
1) Put your phone away and shut the T.V. off 2) Sit at the table with your eyes closed, take 5 deep breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. This will allow you to be completely present and in the moment. 3) Thank your food for all the nourishment and fuel it’s about to give you.
4)Thank your body for working properly to digest the food you are about to eat.
REMEMBER:
Generally speaking, the calmer you are, the better you’ll digest your food. Ironically, slowing down leads to a FASTER metabolism and a happier body, which leads to a healthier, happier you!
2) Chew, Chew, Chew
Digestion begins in your mouth!
Your salivary glands make saliva, a digestive juice, which moistens food, so it moves more easily through your esophagus into your stomach. Saliva also has an enzyme (amylase) that begins to break down starches in your food.
When you don’t chew your food well, it sets the stage for poor digestion. This can open the door to weight gain, acne, poor sleep, hormonal issues, adrenal fatigue, constipation, IBS, low sex drive, mood swings, and food allergies, to name a few. Serious health issues are not far behind.
Most importantly, when you don’t digest properly your body can’t transform your food into energy!
Some practitioners recommend you chew each bite of food 30 times. We suggest simply chewing until your food forms a paste. If you’re eating an apple, you want to be unable to tell which part of the bite is peel and which part is the middle
3) Check Out
Yes, you heard me.
Put down the phone turn off the TV, set your magazine or book to the side. Sit down, and just enjoy the activity of eating. Think about what you are eating! Chew every morsel slowly, taste and relish it with every bite, swallow the food, and know that the food is giving you nutrients that will fuel your body. Be completely mindful of what you are eating.
We know life gets busy and sitting down to eat seems like a good time to check your emails, scroll social media, catch up on your favorite show.... we have been guilty of that too. With all that external information coming into our body how can we expect it to focus on the one thing we truly need at that moment, digestion.
When the mind is busy jumping from one thing to the next, your brain can interpret this as stress, causing cortisol to rise. Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone and is what gives your body the “fight or flight” response. While it is a great tool when you're being chased by a bear not so much when you're trying to digest food. Cortisol curbs functions that would be nonessential in a “fight or flight” situation such as digestion. Stress can be either positive (enjoying a tv show or scrolling FB) or a negative (being chased by a bear). The body cannot physically discern between the two.
4) Get Cultured
Consider adding a high-quality probiotic to your daily routine. What are probiotics? Probiotics are live bacteria that line your digestive tract and support your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection.
In addition to probiotic supplements, you can also try adding more probiotic foods into your diet to help optimize your gut health. Fermented foods and foods with added probiotics are a great option to help get in your daily dose. Some probiotic foods to look for are kombucha, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi.
Keep in mind that these probiotic foods should be low in added sugar, preservatives, and extra ingredients to really get the most bang for your buck. Even if you’re consuming the best probiotic drink or best probiotic yogurt, it may not contain the same health benefits if it’s highly processed and pumped full of additives.
By adding these foods and/or another high-quality probiotic to your lifestyle, you will lose weight, assimilate your nutrients better, have clearer skin, better sleep, and decrease your body’s inflammation.
The Greek meaning of probiotic is for life. So, give yourself the gift of a healthy life and get cultured.
5) Stay Hydrated
Ensure you’re drinking plenty of water. A general rule of thumb is to drink half of your weight in ounces worth of water every single day. If you weigh 150 pounds, you can aim for 75 ounces of water or around 9 cups.
Drinking plenty of water