Better Digestion for Better Health

Better Digestion is better for EVERYTHING!

When its all working well you feel just better; your skin is clearer and brighter, you have more energy, you loose weight more easily, you sleep better and have no bloating. It’s something that really goes unrealised until you find how much better you feel when you prioritise your digestion.

The digestive system is so important because in basic terms - it converts the foods that we eat into their simple forms and the broken-down food passes through the small intestine and is absorbed into the bloodstream, where the nutrients are carried to each cell in the body.

What if you are eating lots of good foods but still aren’t feeling the best? What if your digestive system isn’t working the best it can and so the nutrients are not all being transported where your body needs them? Let’s step back to basics and talk about how we can optimise the goodness in what we eat by fine-tuning our digestive system to get the best out of our diet and be the best for our bodies.

A large amount of microbes, such as bacteria , live inside the large intestine and in the rest of the digestive system. These bacteria play an important role in healthy digestion. Some of the foods we eat are important for feeding this bacteria and avoiding certain foods protects the balance.

Daily steps to improve your digestion

• Lemon water upon waking.

• Probiotic daily.

• 3L of water spaced out over the day.

• Eat plenty of vegetables and leafy greens and some fruits- your plate should be 80% vegetables and leafy greens and 20% protein.

• Avoid dairy as much as possible, completely if possible.

• Avoid refined carbohydrates, sugar, carbonated drinks and alcohol as much as possible, completely if possible.

• Choose lean meats and control portion size to not exceed 120g per meal.

• Eat on scedual - if possible every 3 hours throughout the day. Smaller portions more often is better for digestion.

• Eat sauerkraut twice per day.

• Include probiotic foods such as bone broth into your diet.

• Include probiotics drinks, such as kombucha or coconut kefir into your diet.

• Digestive enzymes with meals can be helpful (speak to your Dr about these).

• Eat a raw meal once per day - Think delicious salads with homemade dressings and nuts and seeds for protein.

• Exercise daily, even if it’s just a walk.

• Consume lighter meals for dinner - soups, salads and lots of veg.

• One day a week eat only vegetarian. Or better still - consume only liquid foods - smoothies, vegie juices and soups - this gives your digestive system a break.

• Only eat red meat once or twice per fortnight.

• Manage stress - anxiety can send digestive system into overdrive. Think about incorporating mindfulness or meditation or yoga into your days.

• Don’t eat 3 hours before bedtime.

• Get a good nights sleep!

Argh! Our bodies are so complex aren’t they! It’s just crazy how our insides work but also mind-blowing how interrelated even external things are; how things like stress can affect our digestion. Don’t let all of this information overwhelm you. You are probably already aware of most of it. Those involved in Wendy’s training programs will have most of these protocols in place already. Just focus on making one or two changes per week until you have it all incorporated into your daily/weekly routine.