9 Simple Steps to Improve Digestion Today

Digestion is something many of us think about, but few of us talk about because we feel embarrassed about some of the symptoms.  Still, over 51 million  doctors visits each year are for digestive complaints in the United States, and we spend over $141 billion annually on care for digestive diseases!

Western medicine has some highly effective pharmaceuticals for dealing with digestive disorders, especially inflammatory bowel conditions, but what if you don’t want to take pills to treat poor digestion or an intestinal issue?  What are your other options?  How can you improve your digestion in general regardless?

Here is a short list of things you can do today to improve your digestion tomorrow, and some further information about natural medicine and the benefits of acupuncture for digestion that I hope will inspire you to learn more.

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How to Improve Your Digestion Today

Good digestion may seem elusive to many of us in the United States, but a few simples steps can go a long way towards improving digestion as a whole.  And by “improving” I mean the following:

• Experiencing less gas and bloating after meals and in general
  
• Improving the regularity of bowel movements (you should have one every 18-36 hours!)
  
• Decreasing the sense of general malaise related to poor digestion
  
• Improving nutrient absorption
  
• Increasing Energy
  
  

And what to do to achieve this? Here is a short list of things you can try to start:

1. Eat Less - overeating or “food stagnation” in Chinese Medicine is a primary culprit of digestive malaise.  Try to eat when you are hungry, not when the clock strikes 12. According to the Harvard Researcher Walter Willett in his book “Eat, Drink and Be Healthy” the average American only needs 1,600 calories per day to maintain their weight, not the 2,000 calorie diet we’re used to.  If calorie counting isn’t your thing, try some intermittent fasting - recent research shows that skipping a meal here and there can actually be good for you!
   
2. Drink ½ Your Body Weight in Ounces of Water Per Day - i.e. if you weigh 120lbs, you should drink at least 60 oz of water per day.  For most people 8 glasses is enough (64 oz) but if you’re over 130lbs, you may need more.  Dehydration can severely affect your digestion.  Get used to drinking more and see how your digestion improves!
   
3. Start the Day with Lemon water, Lime water, or Apple Cider Vinegar in water - Lemon, Lime and Apple Cider Vinegar can stimulate digestion, improve metabolism and cleanse the Liver - both energetically and physically.  Lemon and Lime in particular can cause the Gall Bladder to contract and empty its contents, making way for more (digestion enhancing) bile production.  Keeping bile moving also decreases your chances of developing gall stones which is also healthy for the Liver! Just a slice of citrus or a Tbsp of ACV in a full glass of water will do.
   
4. Try Apple Cider Vinegar Before a Meal - Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV can stimulate digestion, as above, and prepare the body for a meal.  Feel like digesting protein in particular is hard and leaves you feeling sluggish?  Try 2 Tbsp of ACV in water 20-30 minutes before a large protein meal (or right before if that is too inconvenient).  If its too acidic for you, add a Tbsp of honey and drink it warm water like a tea - you may be surprised how soothing it is! Keep up with it consistently for a couple of weeks and see what changes.
5. Exercise Exercise Exercise - Exercise is amazing for your digestion. It can decrease gas and bloating, improve bowel movements, encourage you to drink more water, and can improve your sex drive and your sleep.  Regular exercise - be it walking, running, biking, yoga, Pilates, you name it - will absolutely improve your digestion if you keep at it regularly
6. Get Acupuncture - With 3,000 of history behind it as well as an increasing wealth of scientific evidence showing efficacy, Acupuncture is an excellent choice to help improve digestion.  It has been proven to assist in decreasing symptoms of Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), even low salivation! A little acupuncture to balance the meridians can go a long way towards improving your digestive health.
7. Try Chinese Herbs - there are many Chinese herbal remedies and formulas for digestion, and a competent Acupuncturist can make you a custom herbal remedy.  The simplest formula, however, is called “Si Jun Zi Tang” or 4 Gentleman Decoction and it is a very basic tonic for improving digestion that most anyone can safely try. If you are on Western medications or have questions or concerns, please consult a professional before taking any herbal remedy.
   
8. Take Probiotics - for at least one month, preferrably 3 months continuously at least 1x/year. This seeds the gut with good gut bacteria so it can regrow colonies that may have been lost due to illness or poor dietary choices.
9. Eat Well - In the most general sense this means more veggies, less sugar, moderate caffeine and alcohol.  Check out the food pyramid below (also from the Harvard Research Center) and make it your guide to healthy eating.
   

Interested in Learning More?

The benefits of Acupuncture are quite broad, but more than anything, Acupuncture is about improving your quality of life.  Better digestion, better sleep, less pain, more emotional stability and improved stress recovery - Acupuncture can actually help you achieve all of these things through treatment, assessment, and by supporting healthy lifestyle changes.  

Your friendly neighborhood Acupuncturist isn’t just someone who sticks pins in people and does wu wu stuff, they’re someone who is highly trained in the art of medicine as well as the science, and who is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals through the best means necessary for you.  If you want to know more, please read through my website and blog or contact me via email anytime. You can also book appointments 24/7 online - I hope to hear from you soon!

Yours in Health,
~Rebecca