Easy Digestive Aids
Lemon juice with rosemary - a lovely little digestive stimulant.
Here are a few simple tips that are beneficial for any level of digestive vibrancy, whether you have excellent digestion, minor digestive ups and downs, or chronic digestive difficulties.
Honestly, I know of no condition that will not improve or benefit from the simple habits listed below.
Let's start at the beginning. Besides the teeth mechanically breaking down the food, salivary amylase is added in the mouth to break down starches. This enzyme is not found in the stomach, it has to be added into the food in the mouth. Although the stomach churns to help break food down, it doesn't have teeth and large chunks of food overly burden the stomach causing gas, bloating, and acid re-flux. The physical act of chew also triggers mass peristalsis in the colon - meaning you will move your bowels more regularly. Ideally, you should chew your food about 30 times, so put your fork down between each bite and savor your food.
Have a seat
"Li proceeds Qi." Literally, where your intention (Li) goes your Qi (energy & manifestation) will follow. If your intention is to eat a meal, assist your body by sitting down, relaxing and enjoying your food. If your attention is rushed or focused elsewhere Qi won't readily flow into your digestive organs to help properly transform the food. Voila - you now have a rock in your stomach or gas and bloating. Turn off the TV, put down the Iphone, try to simply eat and allow your body to transform food into Qi, and other vital essences.
Eat with joy
Eating in good company is a joy and a pleasure - and you will digest your food better. However, sometimes we don't always have the option to only eat with people we like or get along with. How do you manage? Check your attitude at the door and refuse to let your emotions run the show. When we get emotional our Liver Qi stagnates and doesn't supply Qi to the Spleen, Stomach and Intestines for digestion. The worst thing to do in this situation is to gulp your food. If emotions try to dance on your table, take a few deep breaths, put your fork down and calm yourself. The exception is Joy - Joy is wonderful to have meals with.
Know your body
Are you satiated? Pleasantly full? Are you partaking of too many rich foods or foods that you have difficulty digesting? Knowing your body also means that you recognize whether you are pushing your boundaries. If you have problems with gluten maybe having beer, bread and cake isn't the greatest option. Holidays and parties can often mean dining at odd times, be cautious of blood sugar swings. If dinner is set for later than you would normally eat, feed yourself a little before you go and eat a little less at dinner. If the menu calls for Mexican food, which doesn't agree with you, consider taking enzymes to aid with the meal or keep the selection simpler for your system's sake.
What can I add to this meal to make it more digestible?
It's a simple question that can make a tremendous difference in your digestion. Traditional cuisines throughout the world include something with each meal to stimulate the digestion and aid absorption - the French apertif and digestifs are excellent examples. A little something sour before dinner to get the digestive juices flowing and some to aid the absorption after dinner. Here are some ideas:
Have some tea — Carminative teas aid digestion. Stock up on ginger, chamomile, fennel, dandelion, peppermint, rosemary, catnip (yes, really), citrus peel teas, licorice and Traditional Medicinals' Eater's Digest can work wonders. Sit down and sip it during or after your meal.
Use the Bitter flavor— Digestive bitters are used in many cultures to aid digestion. Products like Swedish Bitters and Urban Moonshine are often available at Coop’s and health food stores. I keep a bottle of bitters out on my counter by the tea/coffee station. It’s easy to grab and take a little shot as needed. They are easy to make too. Here’s a recipe.
Use the Sour flavor — Cranberries, lemon, lime, currants and crab apples - sour stimulates the digestive juices stimulating the Liver and Gallbladder to move digestive stagnation. The classic example here is a shot of apple cider vinegar. Mmmm…pucker up.
Play with green clay — Internally, green clay has tremendous detoxification properties and can be used to treat acid-reflux, GERD, bloating, gas, diarrhea, morning sickness and heart burn. It calms the digestive system and helps to heal the stomach and intestines. It pulls heavy metals from the systems and absorbs and astringes.
Fennel seeds —Most Indian restaurants serve fennel seeds after the meal. Fennel seeds warm and stimulate the digestive fire, they eliminate phlegm and relieve gastritis. They also scare away anyone who doesn't like a licorice type of flavor.
Add in fermented foods —- Trending in America right now...fermented foods have been around since we've been eating. So they shouldn't be a trend, they should be a regular part of our diets. Using live probiotic foods will increase the digestive vitality. Add in a tablespoon of a live ferment like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and other pickles stimulate digestion. Do I recommend supplementation of probiotics? Yes, when we need to get the system back in check for a short period of time. Eating probiotic foods provides the additional energetics of the foods (kimichi is warm, etc), the fiber, the benefits of chewing and it provides a range of strains of probiotics. Probiotics manufactured and packaged are controlled, they serve a purpose but they may not provide the vast variety that is necessary for optimal digestion.
Digestive enzymes — Foods rich in digestive enzymes like papaya, pineapple and green leafy vegetables are a great addition to the digestion. Also a digestive enzyme supplement taken right before meals can be extremely beneficial.
In my years practice, I've seen incredible improvement in clients who started with just a few of these recommendations, forming healthy positive habits that can lead to better digestion, so try a few.
Want more information? Check out my Delicate Digestion Class on aprilcrowell.thinkific.com
Cheers!
April
