Your body is working 24/7 to keep itself healthy. We put it through a lot and it does its very best to keep up and keep everything working. Core to the body’s health is the food we put in it, and so digestion becomes one of the main points to address for lasting health.
We give our digestive system a restorative phase each night while we sleep, which is both natural and wise. Of course if we eat too late, or our system is backed up over time, we end up digesting all night instead of restoring.
What Role Does Digestion Play In Overall Health?
It is easy to oversimplify our idea of digestion, thinking of it simply as what happens to food when we eat it. However, poor digestion can lead to numerous unhealthy situations in the body, mind and emotions. Taking a mindful approach to our eating habits can give our digestion additional, conscious time to rejuvenate. This can help…
- reset your digestive enzymes and good bacteria, relieving indigestion, tiredness and bloat and improving assimilation of the nutrients your body needs for energy and repair.
- eliminate partially undigested foods sitting around, which create inflammation and can lead to leaky gut. Even so-called healthy foods may not be able to be broken down if your system is stressed or overloaded.
- reduce inflammation, not just in the gut, but in your whole body, reducing overall aches and pains.
- allow for toxins to be cleared from the body that slow digestion and elimination. By taking a load off the gastrointestinal system, the other organs of your body, such as your liver, also get a chance for some much needed repair and healing.
Three Simple Ways To Restore Your Digestive Health Everyday
- Leave at least 3 hours between your last meal and bedtime. This gives your system time to digest before going into the deeper reparative phases of sleep.
- As the old adage goes, “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Having your larger meals earlier in the day gives your body the energy it needs, when it needs it, and allows for plenty of time for digestion to take place during the day.
- Eat only liquid meals one day a week. Start the night before with a salad meal, then take one whole day where you only eat (drink) liquids. This can actually be one of the most delicious days of the week considering all the amazing recipes out there for juice blends, green smoothies and broths. Remember to end this micro cleanse with either a light salad for dinner that night or a light, whole-food breakfast the next day.