Our digestive system is uniquely designed to turn the food we eat into the energy we need for life. When it breaks down, poor digestion can cause a myriad of problems: from gas, bloating, headaches and reflux, through to inflammation, pain and disease.

Causes Of Poor Digestion

Many factors can affect our digestion and some of the common causes include:

Dehydration
A dry mouth is the first sign of dehydration, affecting salivation and therefore digestion, due to the digestive enzymes in saliva
Toxic bowels
Commonly caused by processed food, trans fats, chlorinated water (kills the natural flora in the gut) and over consumption of caffeine
Stress
Stress diverts blood from our digestive system to our muscles (impairing digestion and reducing nutrient uptake). It can also upset the colon in a way that gives us either diarrhoea or constipation, further impairing the uptake of nutrients
Certain medications
Many commonly used medications can have a harmful effect on digestion.
Antibiotics can destroy the beneficial bacteria in the gut, anti-depressants can trigger nausea, blood pressure medication can cause constipation and certain anti-inflammatories can create ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding.

5 Ways To Enhance Your Digestion Naturally

Chew it up!
One of the best ways to help our digestive system is to ensure we chew our food. Digestion starts in the mouth, so take smaller bites, ensure you chew your food into small pieces and swallow when you have achieved a fluid like consistency. It is easier for your body to absorb the key nutrients when you follow this process.

Reduce stress
Stress today is less about running from a bear, or fighting an invading tribe and more about addressing things like our mindset, career, diet, movement, rest and relationships. While a certain level of stress can promote health, too much can destroy it. By managing stress and changing the way we relate to it, our digestion will naturally improve.

Hydrate
Water encourages the regular passage of waste through our digestive system and creates the foundation for the hydrochloric acid that breaks it down. Insufficient intake of water can cause constipation, which may result in the promotion of inflammation and disease. One litre of filtered water for every 30 kg of body weight is a good guideline for daily water consumption.

Eat clean, fresh, natural food
Processed foods are much harder for the digestive system to break down and trans fats, in particular, can cause large-scale inflammation. If you are not sure what will work for you, try eliminating for one month, foods that irritate you. Once the inflammation has reduced, slowly reintroduce them one at a time and see which ones you can tolerate. The most common food allergens include corn, soy, dairy, eggs, alcohol, sugar and grains. 

Add some probiotics
Probiotics are known as friendly bacteria and are a great way to help our digestive system. They also form the foundation of our immune system, so you feel more energy and vitality each day. Probiotics can be found in quality yogurt, kefir, kombucha, cultured vegetables and certain supplements.

Conclusion

5 ways to enhance your digestion naturally involve hydration, reducing stress, chewing food well, eating clean fresh foods and adding different types of probiotics.