Motivation Monday - You are What you Eat and Digest

We have all heard you are what you eat! But digestion is equally important as what you are eating. Without proper digestion you won't get the same benefits out of your food and your healthy eating wouldn't be as beneficial!

Lets talk about the best foods you should be eating and then some things you can do to better digest your food!

Eating nutrient dense foods like veggies, fruits, whole grains. legumes and nuts are all great choices when you want to get the most out of your food. The more colourful the food the better and variety is key if you would like to keep your plate interesting and pleasing to the eye and stomach.

Not only do these foods taste great but they are good for you and provide many benefits including healthy skin, hair and nails. Blood glucose levels are more balanced, your energy increases and you will have a better mood, better brain activity and overall general health!

To avoid an energy surge and crash during the day its best to avoid any refined or processed foods, added sugar, alcohol, trans fats, fast foods, fried foods etc. This is a no brainer but eating a large amount of these foods will ultimately result in low energy, lack of concentration and reduced brain capacity. And long term these foods can negatively affect your skin, throw your blood sugar out of wack, create hormone imbalances, mood swings and can lead to weight gain and even diabetes!

Another key point about eating the "correct foods" for your well being is to eat food with a pH of 7 or higher, foods that are more alkaline as opposed to acidic. If we eat more acidic foods our body fights to get back in an alkaline zone and in order to do so minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are pulled from our organs, bones and even our teeth! Most fruits and veggies are good alkaline food choices while most meats bean, dairy, and fast foods are all acidic choices! Obviously in order to have a well balanced diet and get all the nutrients we require we do need to eat both acid and alkaline foods so its best to follow a 70% alkaline to 30% acidic diet, with a little extra movement on both sides of the scale! See diagram below.

In order to get the most from our food we also have to make sure we are properly digesting these foods! The first step in proper digestion is to chew your food properly. I am sure you remember your parents telling you to chew your food multiple times before you swallow and that was good advice!

Let me ask you... how many times do you chew your food before you swallow… 10-15 chews… did you know that for optimal digestion you need to chew your food 32 times!?! Yeah, I know that sounds like a lot... but next time you're eating challenge yourself to chew each bite 32 times before swallowing!

Fiber is also important to digestion because it helps to clean out the digestive tract and helps reduce bloating and gas and ultimately allows us to have better bowel movements, which are not only important to our digestion but it can help us avoid certain cancers of the bowel, colon and intestine!

Water is also very important for digestion. However, something I learned recently is this: it's important to only sip water during meals because we could end up diluting the nutrients we are trying to absorb if we drink too much! You can have a glass of water 20 mins before or after your meals but only sip during meals! And if you have an alcoholic beverage or a caffeinated drink you should counteract these diuretics by drinking a glass of water afterwards!

Food combining is also important for digestion.... for example since fruit is so easy to digest it should be eaten either 30 mins before a meal or 30 after a meal or on their own. You shouldn't really mix fruits with breads, pastas or protein. When fruits are eaten with these other foods groups they end up fermenting in your tummy and may end up causing a whole other host of digestive and health issues down the road!

If you find yourself having some minor digestive issues having an ounce of apple cider vinegar 15 mins before a meal may help alleviate these issues. Also ginger and peppermint teas are some other ways to help elevate gas, bloating and minor stomach issues!

I hope these tips will help you get the most out of your food and digestion!

Simply Truly Jenny...