Tips for Improving Digestion
Here are my top 10 tips to help you reduce bloating, feel more satisfied at meals, and increase energy!
Eat until you’re about 80 percent full.
Eating to 80 percent full means you stop eating when you’re just satisfied. Not still hungry, but not stuffed or even completely full. It’s about feeling content, with a little room left over. The reason why this is so effective for weight loss is because you still end up satisfied at meals, but over time, you’ll likely end up in a calorie deficit.
The thing most people struggle with is trying to put a definitive number to their level of fullness because they want to get it perfect. This is where you have to learn your body’s natural instincts of when it’s full and learning to pay attention to how your body feels—so you can assess your fullness level—takes some practice. What’s most important about this habit is the act of slowing down, paying attention to your appetite cues, and eating a little less than you’re used to so your feels fuel your body and give you energy, rather than bogging you down and making you lethargic and bloated.
2. Set a timer for 15 minutes and don’t finish before it’s up!
We often eat way too quickly which can lead to bloating, feeling lethargic and digestive issues. It can be super helpful to set a timer to get an idea of how quickly you tend to eat. Making time for meals is super important so that your body can properly absorb the nutrients. Try putting down your fork after every bite and focus on actually really chewing your food well.
3. Remove social media
When we scroll on our phones while eating or multitasking where we aren’t full present, we often overeat by up to 30%. Paying attention to how to your hunger ques and feelings of fullness are often missed when we are watching reels or tie toks, and then all of a sudden you’ve overeaten and feel bloated.
4. Breathing Technique
I love this breathing technique and swear by it. Before eating your meals, sit down and close your eyes. Take 5-10 deep breaths (in for 4 seconds in and out for 6). This was help calm your nervous system, putting you in the parasympathetic state. This tells our body to relax and that it is safe, aka out of the “fight or flight” state, where it can much more easily digest the food being taken in.
5. Eat with friends or loved ones
Of course, the food you eat matters, but the importance of eating around those you love can make a huge impact on our weight. It’s incredibly important to set aside time to enjoy time with loved ones over good food and establish better relationships to food. Plan family dinners or dinners with friends,
6. Go for a short walk afterwards
Even as short as 10 minutes after eating, a short walk can help digest your food and balance your blood sugar.
7. Eat veggies first, the protein then carbs
The order in which we eat our foods can have a huge impact on our digestion and blood sugar. When we eat vegetables first, followed by proteins then finish with carbs, this helps slow the spike in blood sugar and also helps reduce digestive issues. For example, start with a small salad, then a piece of baked fish or chicken then baked yams to finish.
8. Digestive enzymes
Some of us have low stomach acid to help break down fats, carbs and proteins which is why digestive enzymes may be helpful for some. Betaine HCL is great for breaking down proteins, Slippery elm, Ginger and Bromelain or Papaya enzymes. These shouldn’t be something to rely on for every meal, but can be helpful if you will be eating a meal with legumes or larger meals you know may cause you some digestive upset.
