Digestion is a complex process by which ingested food is transformed into usable substances for cellular nutrition. In order to help the process it is important to consider a few simple steps.
We have already talked, in a previous post, about the importance of proper chewing for good digestion. Have a look at the following, they are also important:
Stop and relax:
Relaxation is the first step for good digestion. The digestive process is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, which gives the order to the glands to secrete digestive juices. This system also regulates the movement of bodies and organs involved in digestion.
If we are nervous, the sympathetic nervous system will active, and it will prevent the correct secretion of digestive juices and digestion will not be as good.
Start with soup or vegetable puree:
Having a soup as starter will set up the digestive system; stimulating the secretion of gastric juices for optimum digestion of solid foods that will come next.
We will give preference to slightly salty soups at lunch time like miso or vegetable soup, and sweet vegetable purees at night, they will help us relax and have a nice rest!
What not to miss:
• Including fermented foods in our meals makes the digestive process easier, since they provide enzymes that promote digestion and assimilation of nutrients. They also help to keep our intestines healthy, so they are worth a try! Try including a spoonful of chukrut or a few pieces of pickled vegetables like coliflower or carrots with your meals.
• Digestive and alkalizing teas. Most foods we eat tend to be acidifying. Finishing our meals with an alkalizing tea is a good idea. Bancha or kukicha tea, are ideal for this purpose.
What we must avoid:
• It is not advisable to eat fruit at meals or as a dessert. Their digestion is much faster than other food, so they will cause the food eaten earlier to ferment thus hindering digestion. If you want to enjoy seasonal fruit, it is more interesting to it between meals or half an hour before you start eating.
• Drinking during meals. The excess fluid dilutes the gastric juices thus hindering digestion. It is best taken before eating. If we can not avoid drinking while eating it is necessary to ensure that the liquids are not very cold, because cold drinks will also affect the digestive process.
If you can:
• After your meal try to have a short period of relaxation. Resting in a sitting position for about 15 minutes helps the digestive process. While we do that we allow our entire body to direct the energy to the digestive system, where it is most needed. Furthermore, if we can keep the area around our belly warm by resting our hands on it or a blanket it will be even better. The digestive process requires heat.
• After this brief pause, moving a little will be a good thing to do. Strolling or dancing gently, will help the assimilation and distribution of nutrients.
