Sara's Profile

Recent Posts

• Food Digestion

  June 28, 2011 at 7:05am

  Hello!
  I find that I am not properly digesting my food, especially when it comes to grains and vegetables! Any suggestions on how I can go about this issue without having to take medication?
  Thank you!

  • 
    drwiley
    

    Hi Sara, There are a number of factors that could be contributing so it may take a little time and experimentation to figure out what the issue(s) is/are for you.
    1. Ensure that you slow down and eat mindfully. No books, computers, TV, in the car or on the run when taking in nourishment for your body. Digestion begins in the brain with the senses (smell, sight, sound) stimulating the brain to send the signal to the digestive tract to prepare for incoming food. Slow down, set the table, take a few deep breaths to relax your system and eat slowly and mindfully so that your entire digestive response can fully focus on breaking down and taking in the nutrients.
    2. Assess your transit time - the time it takes food to travel the entire length of your digestive tract using identifiable foods such as poppy seeds. Transit time should be no less than 12-14 hours and no longer than 30-36 hours (18-24 is considered ideal). If it is too fast then there is reduced time for nutrients to be absorbed. If it is too fast then there is increased time for reabsorption of waste products. If it is too fast then you may need to work on your nervous system, meditation, avoidance of caffeine, etc.
    3. You may wish to try additional enzymes to give your system some support for breaking down the foods. I like Naturpharm enzyme products but there are other good brands out there too.
    4. Probiotics, friendly bacteria living in and on us, produce enzymes and other compounds that also help support digestion. My favorite is Dr. Ohhira's in Canada, which I believe is known as Essential Formulations in the States. It has 12 strains of live bacteria in a nutrient rich whole food base and is the one I rely on in practice for the results I get with patients.
    5. You may need to work on "warming" the digestive tract as from a TCM perspective you are describing a Spleen Qi deficiency. A DTCM would be able to help with herbs and/or acupuncture, but for self-help the book "Healing with Whole Foods" by Paul Pitchford is an excellent resource. Avoiding raw foods, sweets, and cold foods and drink would be a good start to assess for changes, while including warming foods such as steamed or lightly cooked vegetables, ginger, cayenne.
    6. It may be a case of food sensitivities in which case an elimination diet for a few months with gradual reintroduction of the top offenders (gluten, dairy, egg, corn) with attention to symptoms would help to identify culprits. A Naturopath could also run an IgG panel on the most common 95 or so foods which gives you a print out of foods that are a strain on your system within 2-3 weeks although such a test is usually ~$200-250. Elimination diet costs less but takes longer, the IgG panel costs more but with more immediate results.
    7. Castor oil packs are inexpensive and help to increase blood flow to tissue such as the intestines. See www.drdemierre.com for instructions. Do not use a COP over the pelvis during menstruation. Supporting the cells of your digestive tract may help to improve their function.
    
    Beyond the above suggestions you may require working one on one with a health professional such as an ND who focus on digestive health.
    Warmly, Dr. Demierre

    By an expert 2 years ago in Vancouver, CA

  Sign in or Create an Account to add a comment.