Do you usually unbutton your pants discreetly after eating because you feel heavy and tired after a meal? Or are you prone to flatulence, bloating, or constipation? Anyway, if you have been reading my blog, it’s probably because you already have digestion problems. Digestion disorders can quickly become a nightmare and make your life complicated. Here are all our tips to help you improve your digestion!

1. ADOPT GOOD HABITS

As soon as you have digestive problems you tend to think only of the contents on your plate. So of course, the quality of your digestion is heavily dependent on what you eat, but it is also heavily dependent on other factors surrounding food intake!

• Take the time to eat: A meal taken at high speed is a meal that hits the stomach like a brick falling from the 12th floor! Your stomach does not have time to understand what’s going on, you do not have time to chew properly or control your hunger. The result: you have digestion problems. Connected objects have even been designed to help you slow down.

• Take the time to chew: The digestion process starts in the mouth. Saliva contains enzymes that allow the pre-digestion of food and facilitates the work on the stomach. Chewing well is the guarantee for a lighter stomach.

• Be focused on your plate: Turn off the TV, the radio, there’s no need to sit in front of your favourite T.V series with a tray. Instead, opt for a tête-à-tête with your plate, so you can manage your hunger sensibly and not overload your plate. In this way, you should be able to digest and assimilate the nutrients of your food properly. My little secret when I’m alone: ​​I like to put on background tunes like “lounge music” or anything relaxing, it helps me to take my time and to slow down. Finishing your plate out of habit or polishing off side-plates will not help you feel any lighter. Listen to your feelings …

2. WE IMPOVE THE CONTENT ON YOUR PLATE

Here we are! Once the environment is conducive to the smooth running of the meal, it is essential to check and change a few things on your plate.

• Avoid meals that are too rich in fat: Fat takes longer to digest than other nutrients, so inevitably a meal that is too fatty requires a longer and arduous digestion.

• Remove processed foods: Prepared dishes, industrial pastries, crisps … .. contain many additives and preservatives that tend to wreak havoc on the digestive tract and intestinal flora.

• Consume more Magnesium: The benefits of magnesium are numerous. It is a natural muscle relaxant, helping your intestines to relax and therefore alleviating constipation. It can be found in dried vegetables (lentils, beans, peas), oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts etc.) and some waters! (Courmayeur®, Contrex®, Hepar®)

• Increase your fibre intake: The best way to obtain a satisfactory fibre intake is to consume the famous 5 fruits and vegetables a day. Their high fibre content facilitates the advance of the bolus in your digestive tract therefore guaranteeing a smooth transit.

• Nourish your intestinal flora: The last stage of digestion involves probiotics. It’s these billions of tiny bacteria that colonise your intestines and allow for the proper degradation of food and improve digestion. So eat as many probiotics as you can! Miso, Tempeh, Kefir, Kombucha, Yogurt or lacto-fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut. It is not the choice that is the problem.

• Drink sparkling water: After a very heavy meal, sparkling water rich in mineral salts can give you a little help. They allow you to predigest the proteins in your meals, and therefore alleviate the workload on your organs.

3. THE SMALL BONUS:

• Move more: It may sound silly but there is nothing better than physical activity to activate your digestion. Hold on a second, I’m not talking about sport! If you go jogging after a meal you will not even have time to digest your meal! Your body will try to free itself from any additional workload as soon as possible … If you know what I mean … A simple digestive walk or 30 minutes of activity on the day is enough to stimulate your digestion and avoid any risk of poor digestion.

• Belly massage: my second tip to activate your digestion and fight against constipation is an abdominal massage! Gently massage your lower belly and your stomach ache will subside!

• Help yourself with plants and essential oils: Digestive herbal teas can be very helpful. Choose the food that targets the desired organs: ginger to prevent generic medical disorders, liquorice for heartburn and artichoke to reduce intestinal pain. Herbal teas can also help detox your body and even, put your entire digestive system back to zero! Essential oils can also give it a boost. You’ll find all the information here (link???).

• Eat charcoal: To relieve flatulence, intestinal gas, bloating, aerophagia, bad breath, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, eat vegetable charcoal. On the other hand, it should be avoided if you are prone to constipation! Charcoal slows down the intestinal transit. Coal traps many substances so it should be used occasionally and only if you are not on medication.

• Split meals: If your problems persist, you can try to make several small meals (every 3 or 4 hours) rather than a single large meal which is much heavier to digest.

• Hot water at bedtime: The heat has a soothing effect on the body, and allows the your muscles and your mind to relax.

To adopt in a simple and effective way all these tips to help your digestion, check out my special program digestion (link program). I am always on hand to guide you, step by step, and to put together personalised menus to give you a flat stomach and to wave good-bye to flatulence!

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