Foundations of Wellness Series :: Digestion
You can’t build a solid house on a shaky foundation. Finding the root cause of your symptoms means examining the foundations that support body function. Just as a house is built from the foundation up, your body has an order of operations called the “north to south process”, and it begins with digestion! “You are what you eat” is actually “you are what you digest.”
When Digestion Goes Wrong…
When digestion is impaired, it creates a slew of issues:
Digestion starts in the brain. If you eat in a hurried/stressed state vs. a parasympathetic (rest/digest) state, your body prioritizes the stress response over digestion. Your brain can’t prepare and tell your salivary glands to release enzymes needed to start breaking food down while you chew. And if you don’t chew thoroughly, your stomach and small intestine can’t finish the job.
Low stomach acid is very common (thanks to poor diet, stress, etc). Contrary to popular belief, this is why so many have reflux/heartburn…not because of too much acid! When stomach acid is low:
You lose an important barrier against infection because pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) aren't killed off.
The valves between the esophagus/stomach and stomach/small intestine aren’t triggered to open/close properly leading to reflux and delayed stomach emptying.
Without enough acid to digest food in the stomach and signal release of bile and pancreatic enzymes for further digestion in the small intestine, food is not sufficiently broken down into absorbable nutrients leading to deficiencies.
Gut motility is affected (constipation, etc) and undigested food sits in the stomach & SI and starts to rancidify and ferment releasing gas and acids which cause bloating, reflux, etc. These acids also break apart the cell lining of the small intestine (heard of leaky gut?) which can lead to autoimmunity, food sensitivities, immune dysfunction, mental health issues, skin issues, hormone imbalance, etc.
Undigested food also feeds bad bacteria and other pathogens causing overgrowth and microbiome imbalance.
These are just a few of many reasons digestion is the gatekeeper of health!
How It Should Work…
Let’s talk about how digestion is supposed to work and some easy tips for optimizing it!
A simple description of digestion:
You see food, you start to salivate.
You sit down to eat in a calm state, savor your food and chew thoroughly.
Salivary amylase starts breaking down carbs.
You swallow…food enters the stomach, the stomach secretes acid, shuts the esophageal valve, and starts to manually/chemically break down the food.
Sufficient acid signals the pyloric valve to open and things pass into the small intestine for further digestion. The acidic pH signals the gallbladder to release bile to digest fats and the pancreas to release bicarbonate (to neutralize the acid) and enzymes to break down protein, fats, carbs into the most basic nutrient building blocks, which are then absorbed into the blood stream to be used to nourish your body.
What is not absorbed/needed (indigestible fiber, etc) is sent to the large intestine to be processed as waste and to feed our healthy gut bacteria, which produces vitamins, helpful fatty acids, etc.
The leftovers are sent out of the body. Your body is fed and has the building blocks needed to build your immune system, hormones, neurotransmitters, energy, tissues, organs, cells, etc! Phew!
Tips To Aid Digestion…
Now, some tips and foods to aid digestion:
Take a few deep breaths before eating and chew your food well (like…till it’s liquid).
Drink room temp water with a squeeze of lemon or raw ACV about 20 min before meals.
Eat bitter foods to stimulate gastric juices.
Eat 1 Tbsp of raw, fermented foods (like sauerkraut) with each meal for healthy bacteria & enzymes.
Pineapple & papaya also contain helpful digestive enzymes.
Bone broth & cabbage juice are soothing & healing to the stomach lining and gut.
Beets & artichokes increase the quality and release of bile for fat digestion.
Eat foods full of iron, B-vits & zinc, which are co-factors for HCL, like grass-fed meat, shellfish, nuts/seeds, pastured eggs, etc!
Eat less refined carbs, which reduce our HCL levels over time and leave us nutrient deficient.
I hope this primer on digestion has been helpful. When digestion is optimized, the rest of the body is more equipped to do its job. Hopefully these tips will help you get started on optimizing your own digestion at home.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!