Digestive Health

I’ve spent a small fortune on healing my body, mind and heart and yet my digestive/gut issues which I’ve had for so long and ignored them that I’ve forgotten they are even issues anymore.   But no more…..
For a woman to heal her body she needs to experience it – to be within it and feel what’s  going on.  Many women ignore the wisdom of their body  and keep soldiering on but at some point the ‘hits’ will get bigger.

Digestive health and absorption are vital for our health and to heal issues one must address nutrition, emotions, thoughts and lifestyle in layers which can be a slow process but then this issue hasn’t just occurred overnight.

My fave tips – but do seek a Naturopath to give you personalized care + diagnosis. 

Why the bloat?
Allergies, low stomach acid, lack of digestive enzymes, not chewing food, booze,  dis-function with  digestive organs, liver + gallbladder, inflammation, toxins + infections.

Start a food diary to note what you ate + how you ate it, how you felt after, any symptoms, thoughts, feelings, emotions + daily ah’hah’s

Digestion begins in the mouth. 
Appreciate the food on your plate with all of your senses before eating
Breathe while you eat – hard to shovel it in when you are breathing deeply
Watch how you eat – notice the difference when eating calmly vs angry/stressed.
Turn the TV off, put your phone down and be present so you can notice what happens
Drink water before you eat – not during or straight after
Notice body reactions with different foods + emotional and mental states (is there a link)

You can eat organic but eating with an angry mind + heart and you may as well shopped at Coles.  Spend a moment breathing deeply into your belly to centre you.

The digestive suffers when there is…
Unresolved anger, swallowing angry words, keeping the peace – tick
Self-sabotage, putting your self down, keeping yourself small – tick
Anxiety, panic attacks, fear, depression and guilt – tick

When you see your therapist include the digestive/gut health and see if there is a deeper shift.

The digestive system improves with…
Increasing personal power, creativity, having a passion in life that lights you up
Healing the past and letting it go
Sunshine, the colour yellow and experiencing more joy in your life
Self-care that nourishes the heart and soul
Being open to new opportunities + digesting life with ease
Being kinder to yourself, movement, deeper breathing and laughter

Herbs to help a weary digestive system…
Try a herbal mix rather than supplements that need to be digested .
Add herbs to your cooking as most are a digestive aid
Upper belly bloat/congestion – basil, cardamom, chilli, coriander, ginger + tumeric
Stimulate digestion with Radicchio
Burping after eating try Fennel + Liquorice tea
Cramping/colic/irritable bowel try aniseed, chamomile, cumin, fennel, ginger, peppermint

No 2’s….
Don’t fill your body with more food until you’ve emptied some out each morning.   Think of a full rubbish bin but you keep putting more in even though it’s overflowing until it finally gets emptied a few days or week later.    Imagine it….yeek.
Drink at least 5 glasses of water + 1 glass of lemon water before you eat in the morning
Question where you are holding on in your life + learn to ‘let go’
If you need a coffee to go – you are blocked
Add more fibre, juices, kombulcha and eat slowly and chew that food
Yoga, meditation, walking, movement, dancing whatever helps you to let go
Massage your hands and fingers to relax body + organs
Seek support to learn to let go where you are holding on

Issues in the digestive area may also signify a disconnection from the ‘gut instinct’.   The solar plexus chakra where we have that gut reaction is a primitive brain and a major intuitive centre.  So by improving your gut health you will also be more in-tune with your bodies intuitive wisdom..    win win.

Get clear on what will nourish your body emotionally (exercise, emotions, environment), physically (fats, proteins, carbs, vitamins, minerals) and energetic (heritage, organic or high vibe) nutrients for health and wellbeing….    One step at a time but just start.

Image thanks to Google