Digestion; Digestion, Absorption and Mindful Eating

Question 1

Poor digestion and absorption:
Reasons

Answer 1

To summarise key factors, digestion can be compromised by:
* Swallowing without chewing adequately
* Eating junk food, refined sugars (slows peristalsis) and excessive protein, animal and soya
* Drinking whilst eating
* Over-eating and snacking
* Drinking coffee/caffeinated beverages (also outcompete nutrients for absorption)
* Chronic stress (increases sympathetic activity; blood diverted away from the digestive system)
* Nutritional deficiencies (e.g. stomach acid – zinc/B6)

Question 2

Mindful eating

Answer 2

Mindful eating is trying to be mindful how and what you eat.
* Do you eat only when you are hungry? Or out of boredom?
* Instead of eating mindlessly, not really tasting the food you are eating, notice your thoughts, feelings and sensations
Ask yourself the following:
* Why you feel like eating, and the emotions triggering your eating?
* The content of what you are eating, whether it is healthy or not
* The look, smell, taste and feel of the food you were eating
* How feel you are before, during and after?
* Where the food came from, who might have grown it, whether it was grown organically, how much it was processed, stored, etc.

Question 3

Poor digestive and absorption:
Implications

Answer 3

The implications of poor digestions are:
* Less nutrient absorption and hence reduced nutrient delivery to tissues. For example, the absorption of calcium and magnesium are key for muscles including the myocardium (the heart)
* Fermentation of undigested food (leading to bloating and abdominal discomfort after eating)
* Increased toxaemia (particularly key in Ayervedic medicine)
* The retention of undigested materials and waste in the intestinal mucosal secretions (Jensen’s findings)