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Probably the most common complaint people come to see a Naturopathic Doctor for is to help fix their digestive system. In order for food to be broken down and utilized by the body it must undergo a series of breakdown processes. The alimentary canal (the digestive tract) is a 30 foot tube that moves from the mouth to the anus and is considered to be the outside world. Therefore food that is in the intestine is actually outside the body. In order for the food to move inside it must be completely broken down. This is the digestive process. Because the intestine is actually the outside of the body it’s lined with trillions of bacteria. There is actually more bacteria in our digestive tract than there are cells in our bodies. These bacteria are essential to the breakdown process and we couldn’t do it without them.

Even though digestion begins with chewing, the process begins in the brain where certain cues trigger the brain to send messages to the digestive tract to begin a cascade of enzyme secretion. This is so important to the process of digestion and is often overlooked. The process of thinking about, preparing, sitting down to eat is essential for the proper secretion of the multitude of enzymes coming from the mouth, stomach, pancreas, gall bladder, liver and intestines.

Many of the problems with digestion start with the improper breakdown of food. These larger-partially digested food molecules are a major contributor to issues people experience. Therefore, as we discuss with all our patients it’s not just “you are what you eat”, it is “you are how you digest”.

These larger food particles that aren’t digesting properly are often associated with food sensitivities/allergies and are contributors to inflammation and gut permeability. Every problem that will ever show up in the digestive system comes down to inflammation and compromised integrity of the digestive tract (permeability). In simple terms, this means there are “holes/spaces/gaps” in the intestinal membrane which then cause the immune system to react to the food we’re eating.

Excessive production of cortisol (from excessive stress), inflammatory conditions (IBD, crohn’s, colitis, celiac), infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic), allergies, certain medications (NSAID’s, aspirin, cortisone etc) can all lead to gut permeability – “leaky gut”.

Some of the common complaints:
-Fatigue
-Pain (digestive/joint/muscle)
-Skin problems
-Gas/Bloating
-Loose stools/constipation
-Frequent infections
-Low Mood
-Sleep Disturbances
-Allergies

Top 3 Naturopathic Tips For A Healthy Digestive System

1) Take The Time To Prepare, Chew & Enjoy Your Food
Digestion begins the moment we think about food, smell it or look at it which begins to stimulate the flow of fluid coming from the salivary glands under the tongue and at the angle of the jaw. Surprisingly, these secretions total 1.5 L of fluid/day. In our busy lives we don’t always take the time to properly prepare, chew or even enjoy our food. Even though we aren’t always able to prepare every meal we can definitely consciously chew our food. Thoroughly chewing your food can go a long way to preventing digestive problems. It makes it easier to digest/absorb the nutrients when broken down properly and will also keep you from over eating. You will be satiated on less food because you took the time to chew. By following this process you can actually lose weight, fix your digestive system and have more energy because you’re getting more out of your food instead of getting more food.

2) Don’t Over Eat
Who isn’t guilty of this? This often happens because we become slaves to our hunger. We eat too fast and in so doing the satiation signal which is triggered by the stretch receptors in the stomach to the brain are only able to tell us when it’s too late. The sleep coma that ensues after a big meal is because the blood supply is being shunted to your digestive tract and your pancreas is busy secreting insulin trying to regulate a healthy blood sugar level.

3) Balance The Flora
An overgrowth of the opportunistic (problematic) bacteria, fungus, parasites are a result of the foods we eat and the environment. Highly processed foods, sugar, alcohol, dairy are all common causes for an increase in this type of bacteria making digestion very inefficient. Making a change to the foods we put in our body, adding more fermented foods and adding in a Naturopathic Doctor recommended probiotic are all great ways to balancing the flora.

1. Sunshine in a Bottle - Vitamin D
More and more research is coming out about the benefits of optimal Vitamin D levels. It is usually during the cold and dark winter months that its deficiency becomes really apparent.
Low moods and higher incidences of the cold and flu can be a direct indication of low Vitamin D levels, so if you cant get out to the tropics this Winter you may just need a little liquid sunshine!


2. Getting Outside
With the colder temperatures and the holidays near, you might feel like you want to stay in the cozy indoors, however, this can create an environment filled with indoor air pollutants which have been ranked part of the top five pollutants hazardous to health
Getting the kids outdoors builds their immunity, lifts their mood and allows them to get some exercise

3. Decrease the Sugar
The holidays usually mean an increase in sugar intake. As fast as sugar rises in the blood it also falls causing a crash especially in young children. Find different ways to bake with alternatives to sugar like maple syrup and coconut sugar, both of which you only need small amounts to get the same yummy taste!

4. Keeping a Routine
With the family dinners and exciting holiday activities it can be easy to fall out of routine. Children and most adults thrive on routine, it creates stability and balance. So if there are days you know the routine will be changed communicate this with the children so they know what to expect. Sitting down with the family and filling out a weekly calendar can be a great way to keep the kids in the loop.


5. Unplugging and Being Present
Making a conscious choice to unplug from emails, social media and other distractions can help families reconnect during the holidays. Play games, talk about the past year and take time out to ask your children what they want for themselves in the New Year!