Remember these five tips before you eat to lower the bloat and boost your metabolic fire and absorption of nutrients!
- Gratitude: Take a few seconds to smell the food before you taste it, study its color, taste and texture, and feel gratitude for those that grew the vegetables or prepared your meal. This kick starts your vagal nerve, which innervates your digestive system and plays a critical role in digestion.
- Put one hand on your belly and another on your heart. Take a deep belly breath and feel for your abdomen to expand in the breath. Do this before eating “rest & digest” mode. Stress really impairs your digestion and if you want to take it a step further I suggest adding some daily meditation to your routine.
- Chew slowly! Chew meat at least 15 times and work up to 30 times before swallowing. This helps boost your digestive enzyme production to absorb the nutrients.
- Skip icy cold water with meals. When at a restaurant request room temperature water to sip on, and ideally avoid drinking large amounts of water with your meal. Water can dilute stomach acid, and especially icy cold water puts an extra stressor on your digestive system as it has to be heated in your belly.
- Try a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with a few ounces of water, thrown back in a shot glass to protect the enamel of your teeth, before meals. Bitter tastes stimulate digestive juices and movement through the digestive tract prepping your stomach, liver and gall-bladder for the tasty meal to come!