If you feel bloated all the time, suffer from chronic constipation, or have heartburn, you may have a sluggish digestive system. This means that food in the stomach and intestines is moving too slowly. Symptoms of bloating and constipation can be uncomfortable and can contribute to other symptoms, such as lethargy and depression.
When food moves too slowly through the digestive tract, fermentation and rotting occur. The destruction of products optimizes the soil for the growth of harmful bacteria. These bacteria secrete metabolites that cause inflammation in the intestines. Chronic inflammation then contributes to slower digestion, not to mention systemic problems such as fatigue and depression. This is due to the fact that these harmful bacterial metabolites can pass through the intestinal barrier, into the bloodstream, and even cross the blood-brain barrier!
There are dietary things you can do to "tone" your digestive system. The most important step you can take is to increase fiber. Raw fiber comes in the form of fruits and vegetables. Fiber works with the muscles of the intestine more than cooked food, thereby toning the muscles. The fiber also helps collect waste as it travels through the intestines, which helps in cleaning. In addition to fiber, raw fruits and vegetables contain live enzymes that help in the digestive process. Consumption of products that require less hydrochloric acid (HCL), greatly helps to facilitate digestion. Animal protein uses a lot of HCL, so changing protein intake will save energy and speed up digestion.
There are supplements that can be used to facilitate digestion. Digestive enzymes that include HCL may be helpful. You may also need enzymes from bile and pancreas, especially as we get older. Probiotics are widely used to help with constipation or dirich.
Optimal digestion requires a healthy nervous system and some neurotransmitters. If there is a suspicion that your sluggish digestion is associated with insufficient stimulation of the nerves, energy medicine, such as acupuncture or manipulation of the cranial sacral effect, can be a powerful tool to assist the nervous function. There are also supplements that can be used to increase the production of neurotransmitters for serotonin and dopamine.
Finally, the microbiome cannot be ignored when working with the digestive system. A microbiome consists of all the microbes that exist in your body ... good, bad and ugly. Do you know that you have more germs than cells? Through their metabolic processes, microbes produce metabolites ... some good, some harmful. Many good bacteria are necessary for their friendly metabolites, such as serotonin, dopamine and butyric acid. The goal is to optimize your inner landscape for the growth of friendly bacteria and create an inhospitable environment for the bad guys. This means minimizing the fermentation and deposition of food in the intestines!
It is important to note that finding out the cause is crucial when trying to resolve your symptoms. Of course, a healthy diet will help everyone. However, to balance the microbiome and neurotransmitters and to alleviate the nervous function, additional attention may be required from the medical professional.
