8 Tips
for Better
Digestion!
Created By: Down to Earth Wellness
A mini guide with 8 tips on
how to get you digesting
better today!
A Note from DEW:
We are Down to Earth Wellness!
We are a holistic nutrition and wellness company that focuses on
guiding clients on their health journey in a fun and natural way.
Thank you for signing up to receive our “8 Tips for Better Digestion”
We have faith that this mini guide will help you to get your digestion
back on track and have you feeling better in no time. Just remember,
one small change gradually adds up to a hell of a lot over time!
Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start today.
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
A Note from Jill:
Do you have health issues and want to feel your most vibrant self?
Do you suffer from chronic digestive issues that you just can’t figure
out? Well I have been there too and by digging deeper to the root of my
issues I am finding balance and I am now on my healing journey.
It is a definitely a personal journey. I believe that our body is telling us
something when we feel unwell and we should try to listen and learn
from it and make changes. One small change at a time is much easier
than a complete overhaul!
I believe that we should question our health. If you have a
headache, rather then asking, where can I find some pills to get rid of
this headache? Instead ask, why do I have a headache? What may have
caused this? There is commonly a reason behind everything in my view.
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
My name is Jill Kay and I am the main “healthpreneur” at Down to
Earth Wellness. I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N), as
well as a Certified Nutritionist. I work with clients to improve their
nutrition and health and guide them to feel their absolute best.
I have had a passion for nutrition and well-being since I was young due
to having chronic migraine headaches and constant digestive issues
(IBS) not to mention a mean sugar addiction that plays havoc on my
moods and overall health. (I’m talking Oreos and ice cream or anything
sugary being devoured after a stressful day! who can stop after just 1
cookie anyway? Let’s be real!)
Over the years my health issues have
only worsened until I learned how to
connect the dots with how diet and
other factors such as stress,
hormones and emotions affect my
health.
I am far better now, and always
improving, but I won’t ever be perfect.
Moi :)
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
I won’t eat perfectly all the time or cook perfectly or be a perfect person
and that is ok! I don’t want to be perfect and I don’t expect you to be.
That is a sh*t ton of pressure and judgment to put on ourselves and I
am not down for that. We are human right?
There has to be space for imperfections and acceptance. My focus is to
be healthy, be my best and feel good and I hope that my approach
resonates with you.
I believe in the 80/20 approach to moderation. This works for me and I
try to always be mindful of the emotional relationship to food. It is
important to be aware of how guilt and other negative emotions can be
tied to what we have or have not eaten.
These are some of the things that I believe in:
I believe in eating more wholesome, fresh, simple and clean foods. I
believe in putting less refined garbage sugars and foods into our bodies. I
believe in less refined carbohydrates and instead, including more plant
based foods with room for moderation.
I hope that people will choose ethically raised animals for their animal
protein (if they choose to consume animal meat).
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
I believe in keeping it simple and making healthy easy and fun and I
don’t believe in having to be categorized as a ‘vegan’ or ’vegetarian’ or
‘paleo’.
I believe in eating a diet that feeds our body, supports our health and
nourishes our soul with room for joy and fun!
I live in Yukon with my hubby, our 2 fluffy cats Louie and Moose and
our new puppy Garvey AKA Monster.
I have a quirky sense of humour and most of all, I consider myself
genuine, real and down to earth.
I look forward to guiding you on your health journey!
-Jill Kay
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
8 Tips for YOU!
1. Chew your food & be mindful:
Do you ever find that you inhale your food while you are distracted
or in a rush? I am sure that most of us are guilty of this. If you eat
your food fast, you will usually end up eating more than you actually
require, while your stomach will feel the hit of a bunch of food which
it now needs to break down.
Try to chew slowly and take your time eating.
This will help to predigest your food in your mouth before it reaches
your stomach, thereby helping your tummy do its job easier and
better.
It is so important that we try to be present and mindful while we eat.
All to often we are eating in our car while driving or sitting in front
of the TV mindlessly munching on our meal. Distracted eating can
actually lead to over eating.
Try to sit at the dinner table and eliminate the distractions. Focus on
family and meal time. Eat slowly and mindfully.
Appreciate your food!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
2. Limit fluids:
Wait what?
I thought we were supposed to drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated!
Why yes you are, but when it is time to eat, it is a good idea to limit
your fluid intake.
Gulping down tons of fluids especially ice cold liquid can actually shut
down the digestive process, not to mention dilute your gastric juices
which are mean to help digest your foods in your stomach.
If you want to drink during your meal try to sip on room temperature
water.
Limit
YOUR
Fluids!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
3. Liver love:
Our liver kicks ass.
Seriously.
It does a pile of work and we tend to take it for granted. It is our most
important detoxification organ. Without our liver, toxins and garbage
would be floating through our blood wreaking havoc on our bodies.
Our liver is constantly on patrol working to cleanse and clean out our
blood so that we feel good and carry on with our day.
Our liver is also integral to manufacturing bile and digestive juices
which are so very important for the breakdown of food in our stomach
so that we can properly absorb and assimilate our nutrients. A big job
for our liver no doubt!
We cannot emphasize supporting your liver enough! To support your
liver try drinking room temperature clean, filtered water each
morning with ½ a squeeze of lemon in it 15-20 minutes before eating
breakfast. This will help to kick start your digestion, increase your
digestive juices as well as ramp up the detoxification of your liver.
Light up that liver with a little lemon!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
4. Probiotic it up:
These little guys are the “good bacteria” which help keep our gut flora
balance in check within our intestinal track.
If you have taken antibiotics, eat a sugary or processed diet, have
taken the pill (ladies) or drink chlorinated water often, your natural
gut bacteria can take a beating and become unbalanced.
Probiotics to the rescue!
There is nothing quite like a good quality probiotic.
If you experience bloating, gas and digestive issues then adding a
probiotic capsule to your daily routine will help to replenish your
healthy gut bacteria.
Probiotics
=
Your BEST Friends!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
5. Say buh bye to the foods that don’t serve you:
Start considering the foods that you put into your mouth.
Try to question if they are truly healthy and good for your body, and if
it makes you feel good after you eat them.
If you are reaching for certain foods because you are stressed, bored or
emotional and it gives you an emotional lift, start thinking of other
ways in which you can feel happy or de stressed.
Maybe trying to choose a healthier food option, or stepping outside for
a walk, just thinking of small little changes can make a big difference.
Try to distance yourself from foods that do not serve you or your
health! Try to set the goal of being healthy or healthier each day as
your driving force that guides you with your food choices.
Try to shift your motivator to being as healthy as possible, vibrant and
feeling great (instead of being X weight or X size).
The other things are just details that will fall into place once you lead
a healthy lifestyle!
MAKE BEING
HEALTHY YOUR GOAL
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
6. Become a fan of fiber:
Fiber is our little friend which helps to form bulk in our colon and clean
the junk out of our systems.
It is recommended that we consume 25-to 30 g of fiber per day!
Without fiber we can experience slow digestive transit time and
constipation among other problems. Fiber is like a kick ass rake that
cleans out your intestinal tract. We need it immensely and most people do
not consume enough.
If you are dealing with digestive troubles, especially constipation, consider
increasing your fiber intake. Increase your consumption gradually of
course as eating too much too soon can cause bloating and discomfort.
Try to increase your fiber each day by adding more veggies to your snacks
or more fruit (with skin left on).
Other excellent ideas are to include more wholesome unrefined grains,
seeds, nuts, and of course veggies!
Hemp hearts, chia seed and flax seed are great sources of fiber as well
and easy to add to your smoothies, breakfast or any salad. These little
guys will get you digesting better in no time.
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
7. Incorporate some enzymes:
When you eat food, digestive enzymes help to break it down for easier
digestion and absorption.
Often people tend to eat the same food repeatedly which in turn puts
more demand on certain enzymes and our pancreas. After a while we
can run low on enzymes and we have more trouble digesting our food.
Support that snazzy pancreas of yours and consider adding some plant
based enzymes into your meals.
Also consider adding an enzyme which contains HCL (hydrochloric
acid with Betaine and Pepsin) as this will help to digest protein and
fats if you consume heavier meals. (If you have inflammation issues in
your stomach opt to use digestive bitters instead of an HCL
supplement).
Some suggestions for digestive bitters are yellow dock, dandelion root
and blessed thistle.
Enzyme it Up
YO!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
8. Tell stress to get bent:
Ever find that you go through a stressful time and your digestion
either shuts down or goes into mayday mode?
The gut is so deeply tied to the brain that it literally is the 2nd brain.
If we are feeling stressed, this not only can shut down our digestion
but it raises our cortisol levels and can affect our moods (hello
depression or irritability!).
We feel stressed, so we may reach for more sugary, salty or junky crap
foods. Our digestion suffers, vicious cycle ensues and it is no fun.
Tell your stress to get bent and become more kind to yourself. Try to
work on becoming more aware of your stress and be mindful of how it
manifests. Do you eat more junk food or do you become irritable for
example?
Try to learn ways to manage your stress such as exercise (huge stress
reducer!), journaling, yoga, essential oils and meditation are some
great ideas. Some of these ideas may sound “woo woo” but once you
get on board and smell how relaxing an essential oil bath can be you
will be woo wooing right along with the rest us!
Our digestion is just one area among many that suffers when we are
stressed.
Try to work on it and see how much better you can feel!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com
Lastly:
Don’t over complicate it or worry. Just take one concept and try to
implement it today. Change happens over time and if it happens slowly it
usually ends up being a new habit which is great. So don’t fret if you don’t
know where to start. Start with step 1 and take it easy. In no time your
digestion will thank you.
START TODAY
Boom!
A good goal that we should make to improve our digestion is to clean up
our diet. If we clean up our diet, remove foods that are aggravating our
body, and work on supporting our digestion, we will feel a lot better.
Last tip. Use these tips to get you started on your path to better digestion.
If you want to learn more and migrate into a more personal and in depth
approach, then think about working with Down to Earth Wellness.
We can work with you one on one at your pace to tackle your goals and
improve your health.
We look forward to joining you on your health journey!
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Email Us to set up your free 20 minute consultation!
www.getdowntoearthwellness.com