7 Strategies To Improve Digestion Without Overly Restricting Food Choices

STOP! Before you start eliminating ALL foods because of recurrent gut issues (cramping, bloat, loose bowels, pain, etc)… please consider the 7 tips below. Working on general strategies like this can really improve your outcome without overly restricting your food choices. If you need additional support, make sure to schedule your complimentary discovery call and learn about my one-on-one nutrition counseling programs.

TIP 1. Are you eating consistent meals throughout the day? And no, unfortunately, coffee is not a meal.

• Your eating schedule may differ day to day, but generally, we should all be eating ~ 3 meals a day and ~1 to 3 snacks based on our exertion, hunger, and needs (may be physical or emotional).

• Try to avoid most of your meals towards the latter part of the day, especially very close to bedtime. That can have a negative trickle effect the next morning.

Tip 2. Make sure you are hydrating properly throughout the day, ideally WITH meals. And nope, drinking water with meals does not lessen the effectiveness of breaking down food. It improves it. Hydration helps food travel in the right direction and form proper stools.

Tip 3. Consider caffeine. I know! I love my morning coffee too, but I know it’s not great if I overdo it. For many, that type of harsh stimulant can affect bowels, usually increasing the quantity as well as the urgency. If you are struggling with this – it might be helpful to reduce the quantity of coffee or energy drink, choose half-caf, rethink the timing of your caffeine, or switch to teas like green or black that have less caffeine but also contain a compound called L-Theanine that has a calming effect.

Tip 4. Avoid overloading on fried/greasy foods in one sitting. Fat is necessary – not only nutritionally, but also for flavor! BUT too much fat tends to slow digestion and increase symptoms like bloating, nausea, reflux, and sometimes pain. So, just look and see if there are some tweaks you can make to reduce the overload of fat in foods such as pizza, French fries, fried meats, fatty meats, or heavy pastries. Some ideas: use water and oil sauté, choose baked or grilled meats, share the fries!, choose lean cuts of meat like loin or round, be mindful of the quantity of cheese and pastries, to start.

Tip 5. What’s your movement like throughout the day? I love it when my clients find an activity that they enjoy doing (running, dance, barre, etc), but digestively speaking, it’s also important to move throughout the day, especially after meals. So, if you have a desk job, make sure to build in 3–5-minute walks or standing routines every few hours. It also has blood sugar and energy benefits.

Tip 6. What are your sources of fiber? Fiber is found in plants like whole grains, legumes, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Try to have a source of fiber with most meals. If you have irregular bowels, introduce more soluble fibers into your diet like flaxmeal, soaked chia seeds, oats, lentils, bananas, potatoes, pears, oranges, to mention a few. These are great bulking agents AND help feed your good gut bugs. Low and slow is the name of the game, so start introducing slowly. If you have a complicated relationship with fiber, schedule your complimentary discovery call to see whether I can help.

Chia seeds are an excellent source of soluble fiber. Make sure to soak them for 5-10 minutes to reap the digestive benefits and make them easier to digest. I add 1 tbsp to 12 ounces of water. Start with 1 tsp if you are starting to introduce more fiber into your diet.

Tip 7. Sleep or, I should say, the lack of enough quality sleep can affect your gut. Prioritize your sleep routine and you’ll see your tummy challenges also improve. Easier said than done, but I can help!

Was this helpful? Let me know! Would love to hear from you and what health topics you'd like to learn about.

Alanna

Overeating and how a mindset shift can help.

Often times when we overeat, we berate ourselves, saying things like:

“I was so bad”

“I am so gross. I should not have done that” 

“I don’t have any willpower

First off, let’s clarify:

“I was so bad” - Food should not have any moral value. If we can work on food being neutral (not bad or good), we can also stop equating our “goodness” or “badness” based on the foods we eat #dietculturebegone!

“I am so gross” - I should not have done that”  No, you are not. No need to feel shame or guilt over what you ate. Rather try asking yourself what led to eating different than usual. Be compassionate and curious about your behaviors without judgment.

“I don’t have any willpower” - Willpower is overrated and eventually runs out, which makes us feel like we failed. WE are not the failure, relying on willpower is the issue.

A mindset shift or reframing can be so powerful especially when thinking of creating sustainable and supportive eating habits. Shame and guilt are not great motivators. We need to understand the physiologic response and how reframing can make a world of difference.   

MINDSET TWEAKS:

Were you hungry? Do you know what your hunger cues look like? Hunger can be a grumbling stomach, but it can also be a change in mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating (brain fog), irritable (#hangry), or something else. Me, I get a bit nauseous when I haven’t eaten within my timeframe.

When was the last time you ate and how much? Generally, it’s helpful to eat every 2-5 hours from your last meal or snack. The bigger the meal, the longer you can wait. The more balanced a meal (protein, fiber, fat), the longer you can wait. So, when I have a coffee and banana for breakfast, it’s completely normal and expected to be hungry 2 hours later.

There is no such thing as “perfect eating.” And that is OK. Take this client of mine who had a long road trip. S/he didn’t want to eat fast food on the road so ended up skipping altogether. S/he arrived home starving and overate to be the point of bellyache. Next time? Simply choose the best available option, provide yourself nourishment, and move on. Next road trip you’ll maybe pack more snacks or look up accessible restaurants on your way. All good.

Are you restricting the very food that you are overeating? This is the yo-yo effect - restriction will eventually lead to overeating. The general gist? The moment that we allow ALL foods into our diet, including the Oreo’s, ice-cream, Cheetos, whatever your “trigger food” is – they slowly lose their allure. It may take weeks or months, but eventually, you will be fine with them in the house and there will be no need to binge, because you know you have access to them at any time. In Intuitive Eating, it’s called Systemic Habituation. This step is sometimes more challenging to implement. I am here if you need additional support.

So remember: don’t judge yourself for overindulging or eating something ‘out of plan’. Be curious and learn to identify your potential triggers. Work with your body, not against.

If you need additional support, feel free to schedule your complimentary discovery call and learn more about the ways we can work together.

The Lowdown On Intermittent Fasting

You’ve probably heard of intermittent fasting (IF), thought about trying it, or maybe have no idea what I am talking about (that’s ok!). Either way, here are my thoughts.
 
IF is a pattern of eating. It’s a framework where you allow yourself to eat during a specific window of time each day. Technically, we already do this when we sleep. The more well-known patterns are:

• 16:8 You fast for 16 hours and then eat during a window of eight hours. For example, only eat between 11am to 7pm. 

• 5:2 Two days of the week you decrease caloric intake to 500/600 calories per day for women and men, respectively.

Focusing On 16:8
 
What Are The Benefits?
Research is generally positive but inconclusive; No long term studies have been conducted on humans. 

• IF requires very little though-process to implement. You technically don’t have to alter what you eat—you just have to eat within a certain window of time. Not much thinking involved, which is sometimes good enough.

• It has helped with weight loss, although not much different than other more standard weight loss programs. There are also no studies showing that it can keep the weight off, which to some extent is the more concerning part of any weight loss program (avoiding the yo-yo effect)

• Improves blood sugar control 

• Decreases insulin resistance levels and blood pressure

• Reduces overall inflammation and controls chronic illness due to reduction in cells that cause inflammation (monocytes), reduces overall oxidative stress. This is very promising!

• Better longevity and less age-related diseases (study in rats). Basically, DNA changes with age and that calorie restriction slows down the process of that change. Does The Okinawa Program ring a bell?

The Downfalls?

• It may be too difficult to follow. After all, it involves fasting i.e. going without food for long periods of time, and who enjoys that?!

• Some research has shown that skipping breakfast may lead to increased stress hormones, while eating within a few hours of waking improves weight loss and insulin resistance. We are still unsure how IF effects our circadian rhythm.

• It can interfere with our natural hunger cues, which is basically disconnecting us (more) from listening to our bodies and its needs. Most people don’t like to feel hangry.

• IF can increase mental fogginess, decreases alertness, and take a toll on your blood sugar levels (high and low)

• IMPORTANT: It can lead to unhealthy obsession with food or promote an unhealthy relationship with food, especially if this is your natural inclination 

Yay or Nay?
I generally like and follow some principles of IF. I like promoting the idea of “gut rest” to help your body catch up, to help promote better digestion, improve sleep, and improve GI symptoms such as bloating or gas. That said, I usually promote a 12-14 hour gut rest with emphasis on not eating towards the latter hours of the night and eating within 2-3 hours of waking.
 
Should You Try It?
It depends. Work hours, social life, and presence of health conditions determine whether it would be a good fit. Here are some tips to consider: 

• Try if you are generally healthy – maybe you discovered you have high blood pressure, prediabetes (elevated HgA1c), or want to manage your weight.

• Avoid if you have uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid condition, hormonal changes i.e. menopause, or pregnant/breastfeeding.

• Start slow. If you eat as soon as you wake up and snack in bed before going to sleep (fasting window of 6-7 hours), widen your fasting time by not eating for 1 hour after waking and 1 hour before sleep. If that feels good, extend by another hour and see how you feel.

• Hydrate adequately. You can drink water, teas, black coffee while fasting, but mostly highlight water.

• What are you hoping to get out of it? Check in with yourself to see if you are achieving it through IF. If not, then make adjustments.

If you try IF, please share your experiences. Feel free to tag me on Instagram or write me directly.