FOODS TO GET A CLEAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Have you ever heard, “You are what you eat?” You are NOT just what you eat - you are what you metabolize! Digestion is very important, and the health of your digestive system determines how well nutrients are absorbed from your food as well as how efficiently toxins are filtered out and eliminated from your body.  This effects everything from your energy, moods and skin to how effectively your immune system can fight off illness.  Therefore the quality of your foods is very important.

​

These following tips will help you keep your digestive system working optimally:

​

TIP 1

​

Buy locally grown fruits and vegetables in season when available.  Local foods are fresh and loaded with enzymes.  Foods that have been grown locally will typically have more nutrients and fewer pesticides than those that were flown in from another country.

TIP 2

​

Eat foods that are as close to the way nature prepared them as possible.  Refined sugar and flours do not support health, have less nutritional benefits, and do not support blood sugar stabilization.

​

TIP 3

​

Eat organic whenever possible.  This includes not only plant based foods but dairy and meat.  Organic farmers pay more attention to their animals’ health and well being.  We benefit because they do not get unwanted hormones and antibiotics in our meats, poultry and dairy products

TIP 4

​

Eat high-fiber foods.  The richest sources of fiber are found in whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, millet, buckwheat, rye, barley, oats, and whole wheat and legumes such as lentils, peas, beans.  High fiber foods are essential to digestive health and slow down the absorption of food so we feel fuller longer.

TIP 5

​

Make certain you drink plenty of filtered water.  Use a carbon filter to remove chlorine and other pollutants from tap water.

​

Not only do we metabolize our food, we must METABOLIZE all of our experiences from all five of our senses for optimal health!  And how healthy our digestion is has a major impact on our over-all health and well-being. For example, Nutrition is not limited to just what goes into our mouths, although that is an important step.  Healthy digestion involves being conscious of all the steps in nourishing ourselves.

When we eat a meal we consume not only the calories, proteins, fats and carbs in the food, but are also influenced by our emotional state when we eat, the environment in which we eat and the manner in which the food was prepared.  The same meal can be metabolized in an entirely different way depending on how it is prepared, the frame of mine we are in when it is consumed, what is going on around us, and even the time of day that it is consumed.

​

When you consume your food, consider not only the quality of your food, but your state of mind, the company you are in, and your surroundings. A delicious meal consumed in a highly emotional state with the TV blaring the daily news, in the company of others who are stressed out and unhappy will not have the same nourishing effect as the same meal consumed in a happy and relaxed environment, prepared by someone who loved the process, and in the company those with a pleasant, relaxed and positive outlook on life! This brings us to another topic … Fat and stress! Is there a relation?