Healthy Digestion - Not What, But How?

Healthy Digestion - Not What, But How? 

 Rhonda Jacobs Raise your hand if you've ever eatenwhile driving your car. (Laughter) How about while binge-watchingyour favorite TV show? (Laughter) Or while working at your desk? (Laughter) Mm-hmm. So I've done all of thisin just the past few days, and from a show of hands,it looks like many of us are often eating in potentiallystressful situations. Now, feel free not to raiseyour hand for this next question. But how many of you are sufferingfrom or have suffered from gas, bloating -(Laughter) heartburn or constipation? (Laughter) Some show of hands, all right. (Laughter) Well, know you're not alone out there. We've got some brave folks out there.

 And have you ever wondered why? These common digestive complaints may actually be relatedto eating while stressed out. And just because they're common,does not mean they are normal. Physiology is the studyof the normal workings of the human body. So the question becomes: How do we returnto normal digestive physiology, and why is this an important pursuit? We spend a lot of timeconcerning ourselves about the perfect diet. But really, we all know what that means: eat healthy, nutritious food. But how much time do we spendthinking about digestion? After all, the body should justtake care of it, right? Digestion can be definedas the breakdown of food which allows forthe absorption of nutrients. Now you've all heard"you are what you eat," but that's not quite true.

 You are what you absorb. What's the point of eating healthy foodif we aren't also optimizing digestion? Where do you think digestion begins? In the mouth? In the stomach? Close your eyes for just a moment. Take a deep breath, and imagine a bright yellow lemonin front of you on a cutting board. You take a knife.You slice the lemon in half. You pick up half the lemon.You squeeze the juice into a glass. You pick up the glass and you take a sip. Now open your eyes. Most people will report that they begansalivating or puckering their mouth with just the thought of the lemon juice. (A bottle drops) (Laughter) So now, where do you thinkdigestion begins? In the brain. Let's say we took the time - (Laughter) to create or purchasethis highly nutritious salmon salad: rich in healthy fat, proteinand fiber, vitamins and minerals.

 In order to increase the chances that we're going to absorbthese nutrients, we need to turn on the normalphysiology of digestion. Just by thinking about this delicious meal stimulated salivaand stomach acid production. By the time we getthat first bite in our mouth, enzymes in the saliva are ready to begin breaking downthe healthy fat from the salmon and the carbohydrates from the salad. Chewing each bite carefullyincreases the chances that we're going to absorbthese nutrients later on. After swallowing, we arriveat the stomach, which secretes - stomach acid. And unfortunately, stomach aciddoes not get its due credit for all the amazing functionsit performs for us. Beyond protecting us from potentialbacterial or viral invaders in our food, it is essential for breaking down protein, and unlocking minerals in our foodto be absorbed later on. We depend on well-digested protein from sources like salmonto balance our blood sugar and to build neurotransmittersand hormones that elevate our mood and give us energy.

 We need access to the rich sourcesof minerals found in those salad greens - minerals like iron to prevent anemia, magnesium to help us cope with stress, calcium to build strong bones. And incidentally, salmonis a rich source of vitamin B12, which is uniquely dependenton stomach acid for absorption later onin the small intestine. Vitamin B12 is a critical nutrient. It supports our neurological function,protecting both memory and mood.

 Next, the partially digested food movesfrom the stomach into the small intestine, where over 95% of nutrientabsorption will take place. But in order for this to happen, the pancreas and the gall bladdermust work their digestive magic. The pancreas secretesmulti-purpose enzymes to further break down protein,carbohydrates and fat. And the gall bladder secretes bile. Much like stomach acid,bile is simply underappreciated. Bile helps pullthe healthy fat from our food, food like salmon and that salad dressing,in order to be absorbed. Don't take offense when I saythat you are all big fatheads. (Laughter) And I'm one too. Over 60% of our brain is composed of fat. We need dietary fat to think,to balance our blood sugar and to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamins A and K,rich in those salad greens. These vitamins power our immune systemand protect our bones.

 In the large intestine,our fiber-rich salad will serve as an additional mealto our friendly intestinal bacteria, who in turn providenumerous benefits to us, like boosting metabolism,balancing hormones and synthesizing vitamins, like vitamins K for strong bonesand biotin for healthy hair and nails. Dietary fiber is not justabout preventing constipation. We need to feed our friendly,health-promoting bacteria with lots and lots of fiber. Assuming we are well hydratedand fiber-full, rhythmic contractions of digestionwill lead to elimination, and that brings us to the endof our digestive journey. Or does it? I mentioned earlier that if we're going to makethe investment in healthy food, don't we want to increase the chances that we're going to absorbthose nutrients? Well, I left out one key piece, and that is our entire digestive system is regulatedby our nervous system. Our sense of stress at mealtimeexerts a powerful force on these nerves. 

So what happens to digestionwhen we're feeling calm? Let's call it the "rest-and-digest" state. The answer: normal physiology of digestion. Saliva, stomach acid, bileand pancreatic enzymes are all released. Rhythmic contractions in the intestinesgently move the food along. We eat, we digest,we absorb, we eliminate. And we just maximizeda highly nutritious opportunity. But what happens to digestionwhen we're feeling stressed out? Let's call it the "fight-or-flight" state.

 In essence, the entire digestive system is inhibited, which can negatively affectthe nutrients we absorb, and can contributeto common digestive complaints. When we eat while feeling stressed out, we are less likely to thinkabout the meal at hand, let alone on chewing. We then send poorly chewed fooddown a tube to a stomach that is not optimally primed with acid to break down proteinor to unlock minerals from the food. And this can lead to an uncomfortablyfull feeling in our stomachs. We have a protective gateat the entrance of our stomach that blocks acid from going upward, preventing symptoms of whatwe commonly refer to as heartburn. And sadly, some of our most favoritefoods and beverages, like coffee, chocolate and alcohol can all contributeto a dysfunctional gate. Being overweight can placeadded stress on the gate. And a heightened "fight-or-flight" mindsetcan enhance the symptoms of heartburn. So while there are serious diseases that do require the useof acid-blocking medication, the indiscriminate use of these drugsover a long period of time can be nutritionally risky, and can increase the chances of a calciumor vitamin B12 deficiency as well as poor protein breakdown.

 In the small intestine, stress inhibits the digestive functionof the pancreas and the gall bladder. Opportunistic bacteriacan then take advantage of the poorly digested food and decompose and ferment it for energy,creating gas as a by-product, and this can lead to the commonbut not normal complaint of bloating after a meal. If the gallbladder is inhibitedfrom releasing bile, this can lead to significantdigestive distress, including loose tool, and we just reduced our chances of absorbing those beneficialfat-soluble vitamins. Stress inhibits the normal contractionsin the large intestine, and you combine that with dehydrationand a low-fiber diet, and we end up with symptomsof constipation. So it becomes quite apparent - [BON APPÉTIT](Laughter) moving on to the helpful stuff - It becomes quite apparentthat it would serve us well to stimulate our "rest-and-digest"nervous system before mealtime. And there are simple,effective ways to do this.

 First, take a few deep breathsbefore mealtime. This is a powerful way to move ourselvesinto the "rest-and-digest" state. Practicing slow, deep belly breathing physically engages the primary nervethat influences digestion. Deep breathing is notsome poorly thought out, overly simplified recommendation. It's based on human anatomyand physiology. 

We really can improve our digestionthrough deep breathing. Next: Chew your food until it liquefies and then swallow. Not only does chewingaccomplish the obvious, of mechanically digesting the food, and not only does it allow for the saliva to properly lubricate the foodfor easy swallowing, but it also prolongs the time for all of our senses to get turned onto the meal at hand. And finally, say wordsof gratitude before mealtime. In my home, some evenings,dinnertime can look like this: my husband or Irecently get home from work, we scramble to create a healthy dinner, we attempt to captureour two small children, and sit down at the dinner table, and by this time,one child's throwing food, and the other is attempting escape, (Laughter) and it can feel chaotic.

 But we choose to hold hands,and say words of gratitude because it brings a moment of stillnessand focus to the task at hand, which is to nourish ourselveswith good food. By taking the time to relearnthe normal physiology of digestion, we're inspired to support it,not suppress it. Our mindset at mealtimedoes influence digestion, ultimately affectingthe nutrients we absorb, and in essence, who we become. Optimal health requires paying attentionnot only to what we eat, but how we eat. Thank you and bon appétit! (Applause)