Eleven Things to Stop Doing to Your Digestion Right Now!
what to do about our health. In no realm is this brought into such sharp contrast as the world of digestion. Not a topic we like to chat about much publicly, anyway… Below is a list of eleven things that you can stop doing TODAY that could be det- rimental to your digestion. This list is by no means complete but it’s a great start. So without further ado, here we go…
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1. Stop eating foods that are inappropriate for you: Every body is unique, and as-of- yet undiscovered food sensitivities reign as one of the top causes why gastrointes- tinal distress will not go away. When we eat foods that are less than optimal for our bodies, several things go on. One, the im- mune system creates complexes that are able to drift into the blood and create an inflammatory response. This excessive inflammation can create a wide variety of body-wide symptoms from joint pain to headaches to acne and brain fog. Next, these foods may not be adequately broken down by the digestive system. Partially broken down food molecules trigger gas, bloating, distension and stomach pains. Solution: It’s simpler than you may
think to uncover food sensitivities. You can do an elimination-challenge diet, where the most common allergens are eliminated for a month or so and then systematically reintroduced, or you can get an IgG blood test. The worst foods for digestive health sadly enough are eaten quite commonly, so take stock of your diet to see if any of these guys could be contributing to your symptoms. The biggest contenders are gluten, dairy products, sugar, soy, legumes, artificial sweeteners, legumes and beans, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, bell pep- per, eggplant) with corn, eggs, caffeine, alcohol and tree nuts being second-tier food groups to look at.
2. Stop eating soy: Ok, so this is a piggy- back from #1, but it is worth highlighting the digestive pitfalls of soy since it is com- monly touted as a health panacea (sigh). Soy contains protease inhibitors. Protease
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e are constantly inundated with a variety of mixed messages and conflicting advice regarding
is the enzyme your body uses to break down proteins, so when you consume soy you are effectively blunting protein diges- tion. When large, unbroken protein mol- ecules hit the small intestine – gas, bloat- ing, distension and pain are the result. Soy also contains oligosaccharides (read: carbohydrates) that are unrecognizable to the human digestive system. This means they are not broken down, and these large carbohydrate molecules hit the small in- testine along with unbroken proteins – a great formula for bloating and gas. Soy has phytic acid, which prevents absorption of certain trace minerals. This, combined with the fact that soy prevents the conversion of active thyroid hormone and acts like an estrogen in the body, increasing the body’s burden of estrogen puts soy on the black list.
Solution: All that I said up there about
soy? If soy is fermented, like miso, soy sauce or natto, that doesn’t apply. The fermentation process breaks up those hard to digest carbohydrates and chews up protease inhibitors. So enjoy that bowl of miso soup, but stay away from soy milk, soy powder, soy sprinkles, soy protein and the like. Read those labels.
3. Stop eating yogurt – with a caveat: Those who are sensitive to dairy – and there are a lot of people that fall into that category – shouldn’t consume yogurt any- way, but what about the rest of us? Yogurt is often a carrier for sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and gut-irritating thickeners and gums. To add insult to injury, yogurt is only as good as the cows it comes from. Cows are fed antibiotics and hormones and a high-grain diet, often rich in gluten and genetically modified grains. All of these residues – including gluten – can end up in the milk. We think we are doing such a great job getting our probiotics, calcium and protein in by consuming yogurt, but then we reach for a really inferior product like Activia (added sugars, gums, thicken- ers and conventionally raised milk). Solution: If you are not sensitive to dairy products, yogurt can be a good ad- dition to your diet. Aim for a plain yogurt, that has no sugar, flavors or colorings
added. The best quality are going to be organic and those from grass-fed cows. This will ensure you are not getting hor- mone, antibiotic, GMO or gluten residues in your yogurt.
4. Step away from the chia seeds: Chia has an almost rabid following, touting the amazing benefits of those little seeds. I’m here to tell you that chia contains lectins and saponins that exacerbate and can even trigger leaky gut and can be rough on the digestive tract. Solution: Well, step away from the
chia seeds. Utilize hemp seeds instead, and perhaps even flax seeds if you can tolerate them.
5. Temper your sugar intake: Ah, sugar. The original drug. Increased sugar con- sumption has been lined to virtually all inflammation-driven chronic disease. Sugar can create gas, bloating, indigestion, reflux and diarrhea. High sugar foods dam- age the lining of the small intestine, harm your normal, friendly gut flora while feed- ing opportunistic, potentially harmful bacteria and yeast, alter bowel motility and can interfere with the absorption of nutrients.
Solution: I’m not calling you for you
to never eat sweets again, or to go ultra low carb, but it may be helpful to be stra- tegic about your sweet eating. Keeping blood sugar stable by eating protein with every meal and finding “cleaned up” ver- sions of your favorite treats will go a long way towards helping you reduce your overall sugar intake. Two of my favorite blogs for healthy dessert (and other!) reci- pes are Elana’s Pantry and The Spunky Coconut
6. Stop unjudiciously using antibiotics, acid-blocking drugs and other gut-trash- ing medications: It is estimated that up to 40% of antibiotic prescriptions are un- necessary or incorrect. Antibiotics destroy not just the bad guys, but instigate col- lateral damage by killing your good guys, too. This opens a door for opportunistic bacteria and yeast to move in, creating dysbiosis, concurrent infections and po-
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