2 More Unexpected Tips for a Powerful Digestion – with Emily Rosen

The digestive system is ground zero when it comes to health and nutrition. It’s where the action is, and where all good things begin when it comes to our most empowered metabolism. Our earlier video – 2 Unexpected Tips for a Powerful Digestion – was so well received that we’re sharing a great follow up – 2 MORE Unexpected Tips for a Powerful Digestion. In this video from IPEtv, Emily Rosen, Director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating reveals some tips on how to improve digestion that will likely surprise you, and leave you with some great new tools. Tune in to find out this great information. We think you’ll make some excellent connections and discoveries!

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Here is a transcript of this week’s video:

Hi, I’m Emily Rosen, Director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating.

Today’s topic: 2 More Unexpected Tips for How to Improve Digestion

The first video I did on 2 Unexpected Tips for a Powerful Digestion was so well received, that how could I not talk about two MORE tips to improve digestion.

Good digestion is at a premium these days.

If you haven’t heard this all-important nutritional fact, then it’s time to get with the program – health begins in the digestive tract.

We could be eating the healthiest food in the universe, but if the digestive system isn’t fully able to digest, pulverize, assimilate, and excrete that meal – then we won’t even come close to reaching our metabolic potential. So many of our health issues are related to challenges in the gut. We can be experiencing fatigue, mood issues, brain fog, low immunity, joint pain, autoimmune diseases, cravings, and so much more – all of which can be related to poor gut function.

Last time, we talked about improving digestion in 2 ways – invoking the relaxation response, and taking more time for meals.

Here are 2 more unexpected tips for a powerful digestion. I’m calling these tips unexpected because often times, suggestions to improve digestion focus on taking digestive aids and supplements of all different kinds. The ones I’ll be sharing with you are a little different.

Digestive Tip #3 – Breathe

Oxygen can be considered the number one metabolic substance known to human kind. You could exist for up to four weeks without food, four days without water, but you only have a few minutes to live if you don’t have any oxygen. I think you get the picture. Think back to what you learned in junior high school biology: food plus oxygen equals calorie burn.

This is a simple metabolic equation that describes in the most fundamental way, how at the cellular level, food is burned in the body like wood in a fireplace. Whenever we have a combustion process, whether it’s food in your digestive tract or gasoline in your car, we need an agent that catalyzes combustion. The gas in your car is mixed with oxygen, and the food in your body is also mixed with oxygen.

Simply put, more oxygen equals more metabolism. Less oxygen equals less metabolism. This is what most of exercise science is essentially based upon.

A lot of us forget to breathe deeply, we breathe very shallow, and this can actually impact alertness, mood, energy level, and in this case – digestive capacity.

Try this experiment – take 5 to 10 long slow deep breaths before each meal or snack for the next several weeks, and notice if there are any changes in your digestion. Not only will you likely notice a difference in your digestive force, you might also notice a difference in natural appetite regulation and in your satisfaction with the meal. Plus when it comes to digestive aids, even though oxygen is the most powerful of all substances in this regards – it happens to be free of charge.

Here’s our last tip, #4, when it comes to a more powerful digestion:

Wake Up.

We have to wake up and pay attention when we eat. A lot of us are half asleep during a meal. When we eat on automatic pilot, when we don’t notice the food, when we don’t taste our food or eat with any kind of awareness – it’s a lot easier to eat past the point of fullness, to eat foods that we don’t even realize are causing us digestive upset, and we might not even notice foods that are downright toxic or debilitating to our system.

Waking up means being present to your meal, being aware, noticing, experiencing, tasting, sensing, feeling into your gut, listening to your body wisdom, experiencing pleasure, and being alert enough to receive feedback from your body about the meal.

You wouldn’t want to drive while sleeping. Same thing with eating. If you’re the kind of person who eats on automatic pilot, multitasks, or does everything but pay attention to the food when you eat, then consider experimenting for several weeks just paying more attention. Notice what happens, and notice what you learn. Waking up is the name of the game when it comes to food, and when it comes to life. I think you know what I mean.

I hope this was helpful.

Warmly,
Emily Rosen

To learn more about the breakthrough body of work we teach here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, please sign up for our free video training series at ipe.tips. You’ll learn about the cutting-edge principles of Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind Body Nutrition that have helped millions forever transform their relationship with food, body, and health. Lastly, we want to make sure you’re aware of our two premier offerings. Our Eating Psychology Coach Certification Training is an 8 month distance learning program that you can take from anywhere in the world to launch a new career or to augment an already existing health practice. And Transform Your Relationship with Food is our 8 week online program for anyone looking to take a big leap forward with food and body.