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"  The most common problem I see preventing people from achieving optimal health is a broken digestive system. This occurs for a variety of reasons\u2014from overuse of antibiotics, to stress, excess alcohol and infection. Most people don&amp;#039;t even realize their digestive system is not working properly. If you experience any of the following you may have sub-optimal digestion: heartburn, bloating, burping, headache, post-meal sluggishness, feeling full but still hungry, cravings, constipation, diarrhea. There are many other indicators, but what you need to know is that if your digestive system is not functioning properly you will be unable to break down, absorb and assimilate the nutrients you are eating. This means that you are expending energy eating but you are failing to nourish and replenish the body with the nutrients needed to allow the body to function at an optimal level. Below I will give you 13 tips to help optimize digestion (in no particular order). 1. Avoid foods that irritate your digestive system \u2013 Gluten, dairy, corn, soy, nuts, eggs, chocolate, citrus fruits. These are the common culprits, you may or may not be able to tolerate these foods. Thinking about how you feel after you eat these foods can be particularly helpful. If you experience any bloating, brain fog, skin problems, etc. you should consider avoiding. Try cutting out one at a time to determine what is affecting your health. 2. Eat high quality real food \u2013 This is what our body was designed to consume. Grass-fed meat, pasture raised poultry, wild fish, organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and adequate health fats should form the bulk of your diet. 3. Supplement \u2013 In my opinion the single most effective remedy to improve digestion is to supplement with digestive enzymes and/or hydrochloric acid. These are both critical for breaking down food into a form that can be easily absorbed. This is only a patch so you will need to follow the other tips to ensure that you &amp;quot;fix&amp;quot; your digestive system. 4. Probiotics / Fermented Foods \u2013 Consume a probiotic supplement and/or fermented foods. Fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi contain bacteria, which can help balance and nourish your digestive system. Be warned, you should consume in very small quantities at first as they are very powerful. 5. Start each meal with something bitter \u2013 Bitter foods tell your body that is time to start producing those digestive juices. Bitter greens such as dandelion, arugula, Swedish bitters (non-alcoholic), a shot of apple cider vinegar can all do the trick. 6. Avoid drinking excess liquid during your meal \u2013 Doing so will dilute any of the digestive juices, which your body has worked so hard to produce. Drink a big glass of water about 30 minutes before you eat. Don&amp;#039;t drink anything until an hour after your meal. You can have a few sips of water to take any supplements but that is it. 7. Chew your food until it is liquid \u2013 The first phase of digestion is selecting the right foods, the second phase is chewing your food properly. This can be a challenge for most people. I used to be the fastest eater at the table now I am the slowest. In the beginning it can help to count your chews, aim for 20 chews per bite. 8. Practice mindful eating \u2013 Think about the smell, taste and texture of your food. When possible, cook your food as this helps naturally stimulate the process. If you really want to get serious you can hunt, catch, grow and pick your own food. 9. Eat a mix of raw and cooked foods \u2013 Raw food is great but so is cooked. Some foods are in fact easier to digest in a cooked form, so mix it up. 10. Soothe \u2013 The following will help sooth, nourish and restore the lining of the digestive tract. Fresh ginger, glutamine, bone broth, slippery elm, cabbage juice, marshmallow root, DGL licorice. 11. Liver \u2013 Support your liver. Your liver performs loads of functions in the body, one of them is to produce bile. Bile helps you breakdown fat, which in turn helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). If you don&amp;#039;t have adequate bile your digestion will suffer and you will often feel very sluggish after a meal that includes fat. Foods that are supportive of the liver are beets, beet greens, artichokes, dandelion, high quality protein and good old organ meats like liver. 12. Balance Your Solar Plexus \u2013 If you practice yoga, meditation or are familiar with ayurvedic medicine you will be familiar with the solar plexus or 3rd chakra. This region of the body is located where people typically refer to their stomach, from the navel up to just below the chest. By stimulating the third chakra through yoga, Qigong and mediation you can help support optimal digestion. 13. Rule Out Infection \u2013 If you have cleaned up your diet and have followed the tips above for 30-60 days and still see no improvement you may be dealing with a fungal, parasite or other bacterial imbalance that needs a more targeted protocol to address. Consult with a health practitioner for more details. TIP \u2013 Contrary to popular belief, heartburn is usually the result of too little stomach acid. A quick fix for heartburn can be a shot of apple cider vinegar. To permanently fix the problem it is best to follow the tips above, especially with regard to hydrochloric acid supplementation. Steven Macari is a nutritionist and the founder of SLVRBK Health and the SLVRBK mat. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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