Boost Your Gut & Feel Fantastic!
Why is it that sometimes you have no problems with digestion and other times you feel terrible. It may be associated with eating the wrong foods or the right foods, but there is more to it than that.
Timing, exercise and adding in foods that promote healthy digestion can all have an impact.
Timing Is Everything
Though many of us tend to feel like what we eat has a greater impact than when we eat, it’s important to remember that our bodies digest food differently at various times of the day. Understanding the science behind meal timing can have a huge impact on your health, both physically and mentally.1
Let’s start with circadian rhythm. Your body has a naturally built-in clock that sticks pretty closely to the rising and the setting of the sun. These 24-hour cycles are running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes.
We usually think of circadian rhythms as affecting how tired or awake we feel, but they also influence other physical, mental, and behavioral processes in the body, including eating and digestion.
It is imperative that eating and sleeping behaviors align with circadian rhythms. When these rhythms are consistently disrupted, it can lead to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Feed The Beast
“Your body needs energy in the morning, so fuel it accordingly” says registered dietary nutritionist, Audra Wilson.2 It is recommended for energy and weight control to eat within one hour of waking. It doesn’t have to be a huge meal. It can be as simple as a protein shake or hard-boiled eggs with fruit. The key is to include all three macronutrients: protein, carbs and healthy fats. Eat a breakfast that includes plenty of protein so that you can stay energized up to lunchtime.
If you have been in the habit of skipping breakfast and you think “I’m just not hungry in the morning,” it’s because you have trained your body not to send hunger signals at that time of day. They have been ignored in the past so why try again?
By recreating the habit of eating breakfast, your will retrain your body and the hunger signal in the morning will return.
Another benefit of breakfast is preventing yourself from getting on the blood-sugar roller coaster. According to Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, “Skipping breakfast may lead to erratic blood sugar levels later in the day, along with excessive hunger that can hinder food choices and lead to overconsumption of simple carbs.”3 Aka – Goodies! Grabbing highly processed treats often becomes the go-to because when you are overly hungry, that is what calls out your name!
It is recommended that you put four to six hours between meals. For example, if you have breakfast at 7:00, lunch should be between 11:00 and 1:00. There are other factors to consider as well:
Health Conditions. Conditions such as diabetes or taking medication that need to be timed with or around meals.
·Your Daily Routine. We often time our meals around work schedules and personal obligations. That may mean eating earlier or later than you would ideally like to. In this case, maintaining consistency may still help limit disruptions to your circadian rhythm.
Type Of Meal. On days when you have no choice but to eat later in the evening, choosing small, nutrient-dense, yet simple meals can aid digestion and limit circadian rhythm disruptions.
Migrating Motor Complex
Not only is the time you are eating important, but the time you are resting from eating is important too! That is when the process called migrating motor complex (MMC) kicks in. It’s a mechanical and chemical cleansing of the empty stomach in preparation of the next meal.
This happens in the small intestines. It’s like little brushes that scoot this layer of bacteria, mucus and all of the gross things after a meal, out and down. This can only happen if the stomach is empty.
If you’re eating and you’re snacking and you are never leaving time in between for an empty stomach and for the small intestines to do this necessary house cleaning, you can develop SIBO, (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth). This leads to all kinds of digestive problems along with other symptoms, such as allergies or rashes.
Eating a majority of your calories earlier in the day and limiting how much you eat later in the evening or through the overnight hours may help your body digest your food more efficiently. It may also reduce certain risk factors for metabolic conditions like diabetes and obesity. Remember the saying “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper.”
Exercise
Your workout can have a profound impact on your digestion. While light or moderate exercise can enhance our digestion, our stomach and intestines aren’t designed for high-intensity workouts.
Through active and consistent exercise, you can improve your digestive system, aid in overall digestive function, eliminate toxins from your gut and maintain healthy overall body weight.
Here are five recommended exercises that promote positive digestive health.
Walking - Our bodies were designed for this movement! Walking is one of the most positive all-around workouts, which helps your body move to a healthier state. During your walk, your digestive system is stimulated by movement. This mobility causes your stomach and intestines to contract, pushing food and waste through the system more efficiently. This makes for more regular bowel movements and less gas and bloating throughout your gastrointestinal tract. Try walking 20 – 30 minutes a few times a week to experience less bloating, gas and more consistent bowel movements.4
Yoga – Known for being an excellent stress reducer, that includes stress on the digestive system. The stress response inhibits the digestive system while the relaxation response activates it. Certain poses like downward dog, boat, child’s pose, upward dog and triangle can help you reach your goal of optimal digestion.
Biking – If you are looking for a more intense cardio workout, biking is great for the gut! The quick movement of biking quickly encourages the movement of food through your digestive tract. Biking can also help reduce the water that is lost in your stools which, in turn, improves overall digestion. Cycling also works wonders in reducing overall belly fat, which helps to create a more efficient digestive system
Abdominal Exercises – Situps and crunches are the exercises you can do anywhere. Strengthening your core muscles contribute to a more efficient digestive system. Begin with 8 – 10 repetitions 4 or 5 times a week. You can increase the repetitions as your strength and comfort level grows. These are best done on an empty stomach or 1 to 2 hours after eating a meal.
Pelvic Floor Activation – Your pelvic floor muscles support your pelvis and include the bladder and bowels. If you’re female, your vagina and uterus also play a role in supporting your pelvis. You can improve urinary incontinence and bowel movements by strengthening your pelvic floor.
To begin, squeeze and draw in the muscles around your anus (and vagina for women) so that they feel as though you are lifting them in an upward motion. Breathe slowly in through your noses and out through your mouth as you squeeze and relax. Avoid squeezing your buttock muscles and keep your thighs and legs relaxed.
Want an extra challenge? Do these exercises while sitting on a stability ball and the pelvic floor muscles will strengthen even faster.
Foods With Impact
Eating fermented foods can help maintain a healthy microbiome, which in turn leads to better digestion. Other benefits from eating these tangy foods include better mood and blood sugar control to lowering the risks of allergies and improved immune function.
Try and find the fermented foods that taste good to you. I’m not talking about eating a bowl full! Start with one fork-full per day. If you enjoy it, go for more. Top foods in this category are kefir, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, natto, apple cider vinegar, kombucha, pickles, pickled onions and tempeh.5
When you are eating fermented foods, the sour flavor really helps your body assimilate the various digestive enzymes by creating more gastric juices.
Rest & Digest
Digestion happens best when you are in a resting state. By being mindful of meal timing, doing exercises that support digestion and adding fermented foods to your diet, you can relax knowing that you are creating the best environment for proper digestive health.
If you have other questions about how to manage conditions like GERD or heartburn, reach out to me and let’s talk. You can schedule a 30-minute free Discovery Call by clicking here.
One More Path To Optimal Digestion!
As some of you may know, I am a certified Gut Thrive In 5 Consultant. This is a program that has been proven to improve digestion and overall health in over 8,000 people. Participants of the program have a 95% success rate.
Gut Thrive in 5 is a program designed to retrain your gut and immune system to eliminate long standing symptoms. This process is ideal for those with inflammation, autoimmune & digestive issues, eczema, SIBO, IBS, parasites, poor quality sleep, hormone imbalance and heavy metal toxicity.
To learn more, check out the Gut Thrive In 5 program tab here.