Dr. Frank Lipman, The voice of sustainable wellness

Why Do You Always Stress Digestion?
Frank LipmanFebruary 08

Digestive problems are probably the commonest problems I see in my practice. In addition, many of the patients who presented to me with other symptoms, from fatigue to allergies to arthritis, often the primary issue is faulty digestion. Most of these patients didn’t even realize that they had a faulty digestive system. They had become used to having mild indigestion or bloating or gas and thought it was a normal part of aging.

I believe that digestion is one of the most important functions for health. A well functioning digestive system will energize you, help your immune system and generally prevent all sorts of diseases. It will make you feel more vital.

So in almost all of my patients I always look to see if the digestive system is working well. It makes sense, because if you’re not digesting and or absorbing the food you eat, your nutritional needs will not be met.

I see many patients who are taking hundreds of dollars worth of supplements, which probably aren’t being absorbed properly because of a poorly functioning digestive system.

In Chinese medicine as well, the digestive function or the spleen function or earth element is at the center. When this is off balance, the whole system becomes imbalanced.

Here are 10 simple tips to help with digestion:

1. Chew your food well.
2. Sit down and relax while you eat. Eating in a rush and under stress is not healthy and may lead to digestive problems.
3. Make eating a mindful experience
4. Eat natural, whole, unrefined, unprocessed, high quality foods.
5. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you are 80% full.
6. Eat organic and preferably local foods whenever possible.
7. Try resting your digestive system for at least 10 hours at night. eg if you eat breakfast a 7:00 am, try not to eat anything after 9:00 PM.
8. Try doing an Elimination diet for 1-2 weeks from time to time, where you eliminate all refined sugar, processed foods, alcohol, gluten and dairy. Notice how your digestion usually improves.
9. If possible have something bitter before your meal, it stimulates your body’s own digestive juices and therefore helps digestion. Eg arugula or dandelion root.
10. Try taking a good probiotic formula