Digestion is something we all do. That’s a really good thing. Sadly we do not all do it properly. That’s not a really good thing. Proper digestion is truly the Fountain of Youth. It inhibits all types of illness, kills bacteria and parasites, and can even prevent most of the autoimmune ailments so common today.
Modern life is becoming more and more hectic and time is becoming more and more precious. Today’s busy and hectic lifestyle makes it all too easy to fall into the fast food/processed food trap. This quick and easy and quick solution to meals takes a toll on your digestion and then waterfalls down to everything else.
Never fear, all is not lost. There are many steps we can take to improve our digestion, some are more intense and difficult than others. Here are a couple of easy peasy habits to establish that can enhance our digestion and therefore our absorption of the nutrients in the very healthy diet we are eating.
Digestion is a north to south process so let’s start at the top.
The human body is designed to heal and nourish itself (parasympathetic) or protect itself (sympathetic). Our busy lives are often filled with stresses which tend to keep us in a sympathetic state. When it comes time to eat we often are on the go. For our bodies to digest our meals we need to consciously put ourselves into a parasympathetic state. This is easy to do. Simply slow down, sit down, take a deep breath and say thank you.
The next easy peasy habit we need to establish is chewing. Digestion begins in the mouth. Between our saliva and our teeth, digestion can really get going if we chew. This sounds so simple, but most of us don’t chew anywhere near enough before we swallow our food. The goal is to chew each bit 20 times, just like that sweet, old auntie we all have, the one that sits at the table for an eternity after everyone has finished slowly chewing every bite she takes. Well, she has the right idea, so rather that getting frustrated by auntie, let’s take a lesson from her. Chew, Chew, Chew.
That’s it! In a nutshell to help improve digestion and get our Fountain of Youth on remember to encourage these two easy habits:
Be thankful and Chew, Chew Chew!!!! xoxo
