The digestive process
As food is chewed in the mouth then swallowed, the next stop is the stomach. It is pushed to this location through the oesophagus and past a muscle sphincter by waves of muscular contractions known as peristalsis. The sphincter is normally tightly closed to prevent stomach contents leaking, and only opens when food arrives from your most recent meal. In the case of indigestion, food leaks back through sphincter and up into the oesophagus. This is generally caused by certain foods and activities that loosen the sphincter tone. The contents of this food now also contain stomach acid and digestive enzymes, causing irritation to the gut lining resulting in a burning sensation in the chest or throat. Some other symptoms can include regurgitation, nausea, problems swallowing and chest pain.
Culprits of digestive discomfort
- Rushing mealtime
- Reclining or lying down less than 2 to 3 hours after eating
- Large meals and overeating
- Smoking
- Increase abdominal pressure from being overweight or pregnant
- Stress and mild anxiety
- Exercising shortly after eating
- Certain foods such as:
- Menthol from peppermint and spearmint (found in chewing gum and tea)
- Caffeine
- Chocolate
- Dairy and gluten intolerance
- Fatty foods like fried foods
- Spicy foods
- Alcohol
- Carbonated beverages
Putting out the digestive fire
There are several practices you can implement into your day-to-day routine to help keep mealtime, and post-mealtime, free of digestive discomfort. Remember, eating is an experience, meaning it’s not only about what you’re eating, but how you’re eating.
- Eat slowly and chew your food. Challenge yourself to 20 chews per mouthful. This will help you to concentrate on eating and to enjoy your meal better. Perhaps pop your cutlery down between mouthfuls to really tune into the flavours and tastes you are experiencing.
- Pause to breathe. Make sure you are taking deep belly breaths between bites. This will ensure the correct passage of food down your digestive tract.
- Avoid fluids. Consume beverages 30 minutes before or after meals, and definitely avoid soft drinks and sparkling water. This will help to prevent digestive discomfort.
- Take a moment to check in with fullness sensations. Eat only until you feel satisfied, not full. Pausing will prevent overeating.
- Consider earlier dinner times. To avoid sleep issues close to a big meal, schedule dinner 3 hours before bedtime.
- Before eating, pause and ask yourself if you are actually hungry. Sometimes overeating happens when we’re eating when were not actually hungry.
- Take it all in – a moment for gratitude. Breathe in and out: notice the aroma of your meal. Consider how grateful you are to have a delightfully nourishing meal to eat.
- Make conscious dietary changes – such as swapping processed foods with whole foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, etc). Wholefoods offer a wealth of gut-supporting ingredients such as fibre to support bowel regularity and hence reduce the occurrence of constipation, as well as digestive enzymes which aid the metabolism of food, supporting healthy digestion.
Diet and lifestyle changes are a great starting point to support healthy digestive system function, while also soothing irritated tissues and maintaining healthy mucous linings of the digestive system. Herbs of Gold Gut Care is a convenient, delicious vanilla-flavoured powder containing Aloe vera and Licorice supporting gastrointestinal mucosal membrane health and healthy mucous linings of the digestive system. It also contains Calendula, traditionally used in Western herbal medicine (WHM) to relieve mild gastrointestinal tract inflammation.
Herbs of Gold Digest-Zymes is also another great option. A vegan-friendly formula, containing enzymes that assist in the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, including fibre and lactose. It also contains Gentian, a herb traditionally used in WHM to relieve symptoms of indigestion and feelings of fullness.
