The Importance of Digestion: My Personal Experience and Tips for Improvement

Digestion is often seen as a ‘taboo-like’ subject: something that can make many feel embarrassed to share details about. This is likely why digestion is often misunderstood. I want to provide useful information about digestion, but also share an experience from my own life.

My Experience:

Rewind to 2016, I was a primary school teacher in Year 6 (SATS year). With multiple leadership responsibilities, the stress was immense. On top of that, I loved to work out, both in the gym and through various sports. My goal was muscle building, and I was consuming a surplus of 4000 calories per day. What I didn’t realize was how this was impacting my digestion.

I was eating more than necessary and expecting my already compromised digestive system to handle it. As a result, I was experiencing bloating, aches, gas, and irregular toilet habits. Additionally, I often ‘held it in’ due to perceived time constraints, which only worsened the issue. Like many others, I ignored these signs.

Thankfully, I recognized that this wasn’t normal, and with support, I was able to make changes. My reason for sharing this with you is that I know you may be experiencing similar symptoms.

The Stress-Digestion Link

In today’s fast-paced world, increased stress from longer work hours and greater responsibilities is common. This is why many of the people I work with have concerns about digestion, stress, and/or sleep.

Take a moment to ask yourself these questions:

1. Is your digestion functioning normally?
2. How would you know? (Do you understand what normal digestion looks like?)
3. What steps could you take this week to improve it?

Poor Digestion and Misguided Solutions

Poor digestion can lead to discomfort and embarrassment. However, because of poor understanding, many turn to pharmaceutical remedies to alleviate symptoms, rather than addressing the root cause.

Key Considerations for Improving Digestion

1. Manage Your Stress
   Hopefully, my example has shown how stress impacts digestion.
   • Poor stress management can lead to symptoms like IBS, increased insulin resistance, abdominal fat storage, and reduced nutrient absorption.
   • Failing to manage stress will likely result in poor digestion.
   Some strategies for managing stress:
   • Be organized – Plan your day and schedule time for yourself.
   • Nasal breathing – Focus on breathing through your nose, as mouth breathing is linked to heightened stress.
   • Meditation, yoga, and controlled breathing exercises
   • Journaling – Practice daily gratitude or brain dumps.
   Finding what works for you is crucial in managing stress.
2. Be Present with Your Food
   One problem I often encountered was being ‘too busy’ to eat properly, which led to suppressed appetite or rushed eating. Being present with your food—smelling it and truly tasting it—can increase satiety. The process of retro-nasal olfaction helps signal the brain that you are well-nourished, supporting better choices and reducing the need to snack later. Additionally, being present with your food helps prepare your digestive system. Saliva is produced, and gastric juices are secreted, all of which contain the enzymes necessary to break down and absorb your food.
3. Chew Your Food
   It might sound simple, but chewing your food is critical! Rushing the eating process can lead to digestive distress and poor digestion. Try this challenge: chew each mouthful of food 20-30 times. It’s harder than you think!
4. You Aren’t What You Eat, But You Are What You Digest, Absorb, and Assimilate
   Are there foods that cause you discomfort? Do you actively avoid them? Track how your body responds to foods like caffeine, dairy, and gluten, and remove or limit those that cause negative reactions. If you’re experiencing bloating, it’s a sign your digestion isn’t functioning optimally. This means your ability to absorb food is compromised, which can lead to increased hunger and poor energy levels.

Conclusion

Your ability to achieve a healthier, better version of yourself is influenced not just by what and how much you eat, but also by how well you digest food.

It all starts with taking action! If you want guidance on how to improve your digestion and benefit from a coach’s accountability, feel free to reach out and inquire about our coaching services.