All about digestion!

For the month of August we have been focussed on everything digestion at the Well Belly Health Clinic. Here is a breakdown of what we have covered!

Digestion starts in the mind: Thinking about food, seeing food, and smelling food. This is where digestion starts. Stressed and focussed on other things? Stomach acid and digestive enzymes are greatly reduced. If you are having issues with digestion and absorption of nutrients, this is the first place to look.

Reflux is a sign of low stomach acid: Yep we know this one might be a surprise to you. If you have visited your GP with reflux as a symptom, it is very likely you were prescribed some kind of medication to lower your stomach acid. Unfortunately this makes the issue much worse. We find in clinic that reflux is usually due to low stomach acid, and inhibited function of the lower oesophageal sphincter between the stomach and oesophagus, that is allowing stomach acid to move in the wrong direction. When the stomach acid is low, food is not broken down properly in the stomach and gases are formed, plus viruses fungi and bacteria can overgrow effecting how the stomach functions. We treat reflux/low stomach acid with fermented foods, juicing, probiotics and stomach acid supplements, with a big focus on reducing stress and eating mindfully.

Digestive symptoms may be common, but they are not normal: Digestive symptoms are so common, and they are not something that you have to live with. When you get symptoms on a daily basis it does start to feel ‘normal’, well we are passionate about helping our clients to realise it does not need to stay that way. Digestive symptoms are signs of what is going on in your digestive system, so if you are suffering from things like bloating, gas, pain, discomfort, reflux, heartburn etc, there is something that needs to be addressed.

What causes bloating? Many issues can lead to bloating. Some of them are- low stomach acid resulting in food not being broken down properly in the stomach; eating too fast or too much; eating foods you are intolerant to (healing the intolerances is what needs to happen, not just avoiding the foods); Imbalance of gut bacteria causing food to ferment in the digestive tract; constipation; and inflammatory bowel diseases, PCOS, endometriosis etc.

Fat digestion: Signs you are not digesting fats- heartburn and/or reflux when you eat fatty foods; constipation OR diarrhoea especially after you eat; nausea when you eat fats and/or aversion to eating fatty things; pale floating stools; dry skin, dry cracked lips; fatty liver, gallbladder issues, signs that your liver is not functioning well; and health issues that can be related to fatty acid deficiencies eg. hormone imbalances, osteoporosis, poor skin and eye health, poor brain function. If you don’t enjoy eating fats, chances are your bile flow is not adequate. Fat digestion issues are so common, and most people don’t even realise they are having an issue. If you have any of these symptoms then chances are you may not be digesting your fats properly, which leads to a whole host of health issues. Fat digestion happens when bile from the liver and gallbladder flows through the bile ducts to the digestive system. The bile then breaks down the fat in the meal. If the bile is not flowing, you will be deficient in these fat soluble nutrients (A, E, D, K and omegas) AND your liver will be congested with toxins and bile which interrupts detoxification. Poor fat digestion is one of those snowball issues… it starts out small until it is then effecting every system of your body.

Constipation: We often hear clients say they may go 2-3 days or more without a stool, but they don’t think they are constipated as they are not straining or it is easy to pass. Constipation is when you are not going on a daily basis, and this really needs to be addressed! Our bowels are a very important detox pathway, you really need to make sure it is clearing.