Ever heard of the “itis”? Or more generally known as the “food coma” ?

It is the general state of fatigue, lethargy and sleepiness, which often follows a big satisfying meal. Many people experience these symptoms, plus belching, gas and bloating after they eat. Little do they know that these are signs of improper or malfunctioning digestion.

When food is properly combined and digested, it should leave you feeling satisfied but also full of energy and vitality. When you overeat or consume overly processed foods, it puts a lot of stress on your digestive system and requires a LOT of energy for your body to properly digest them and assimilate the nutrients present in these foods.

Healthy digestion is essential for your overall health. Indeed, if you do not digest your food properly, you will not assimilate essential nutrients that your body needs to properly function and fight off diseases and illness. In other words, no matter how healthy and organic you eat, if your digestion is a mess, all these nutrients will pass right through you and your body will be left depleted and “hungry” for more.

Thankfully, they are many things you can start implementing today to enhance your digestion and therefore ensure a better assimilation of the essential micro and macro nutrients that fuel your body. Today, I give you 3 easy ways to improve your digestion.

There are of course, many other ways to improve your digestion naturally. However, I wanted to share with you my favourite 3 and the ones that I have found to be the most efficient with my clients.

Without further ado, here are:

3 Easy Ways to Improve Digestion

1. Lemon water in the morning & proper hydration

Start your day with a glass of warm water and squeeze ¼ lemon juice or pour 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar in it. This will promote the secretion of gastric juices in your stomach and assists your liver in detoxification pathways, both of which will enhance your digestion for the rest of the day. Also, make sure you drink enough water throughout the day to continue to improve and support your digestive processes. Drink water in between your meals so as to not dilute your stomach gastric juices, which would further hinder proper digestion.

2. Eat an abundance of leafy greens & fibers

Fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens (i.e. spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, etc.) are loaded with vitamins, minerals, enzymes (if eaten raw or slightly sautéed/steamed) and fibers, which are extremely beneficial to your digestive tract. They clean your intestines, ensure proper elimination of toxins and keep everything moving. These are all beneficial to your overall health and body metabolism. So load up on them ;).

3. Relax!

Your body is either in a “fight or flight” mode (when you are stressed out) or a “rest and digest” mode. It cannot be doing both. So when you are stressed out, or eat in a hurry, your sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight mode”) gets activated. This means that your heart beat starts to accelerate, your blood vessels get constricted, you get sweaty palms and your body directs most of its energy away from the digestive system to prepare for a potential dangerous situation. If you eat in that state of stress (whether you are consciously aware of it or not), your digestion can get severely hindered. This often causes indigestion, bloating, constipation and improper assimilation of nutrients (if any at all). So, please do yourself a favour and take the time to relax before and during your meals. Carve out some time during your day to simply eat and restore. You will be left with a lot more energy for the rest of the day.

There are, of course, other helpful healthy tips to improve your digestion. But for the purpose of this post, I have chosen only 3, which should be easy for you to implement. If you have any other questions regarding your particular digestive health (as everyone is unique), please feel free to contact me.

To vibrant health,

Sarah.