WHAT CAN GO WRONG AFTER YOU EAT LARGE MEALS

Chew, chew, and chew some more.

On average, how many times do you typically chew each bite of food? If your answer is a number less than 30, experts say you aren’t chewing it enough. That’s because poorly chewed food results in too-large food bites working their way through your digestive system. This can lead to gas, bloating, an upset stomach, indigestion, and more. Also, chewing slowly can help you eat fewer calories, because you are more intentional and mindful at mealtimes.

I’ll have seconds, please.

What is the #1 issue most of us deal with at Thanksgiving?

Overeating.

And why do we overeat? Well, partly it’s because the food is so delicious. But, mostly it’s because we typically eat way too fast. We’re guessing you’ve heard it said that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell you that you’re full. By then, the damage has already been done. You’re stuffed… Why, oh why, did you eat that second piece of pumpkin pie?

So, chew more slowly, and eat at a more leisurely pace. That way, you’ll enjoy your dining experience even more, and you’ll know before it’s too late that you’re full. Thus, you’ll eat less, and you might even lose weight!

What else can impact the stomach?

We learned last week that gastric juice is made up of water, hydrochloric acid, and pepsin (among other substances), and is essential to the digestive process.

Sometimes, a person can suffer from low stomach acid. When that happens, watch out! Stomach aches, nausea, heartburn, acid reflex, and many other ailments can result.

You can improve your stomach acid naturally by simply chewing your food more, which stimulates digestive enzymes. Next week, we’ll share our favorite supplements and digestive aids that address low acid, tummy aches, nausea, and even constipation.

What might affect the colon’s ability to work properly?

It’s not unusual to experience abdominal cramping and bloating after a large meal. Those symptoms may be temporary, or they may be chronic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS. IBS is a problem that affects the large intestine. It’s no fun…but, it does not harm the intestines. And better still, you can control the symptoms with diet, stress management, herbal remedies, and more. Stay tuned for more information.

And, finally…

Did you know that stress can have a major impact on your digestive system? If you think about it, you probably did know. Whenever you’ve had butterflies in your stomach—you were about to take a test, you were experiencing in-flight turbulence, you were making a public speech, you were having a difficult conversation, or life was just stressful in general—your digestive system likely was reminding you it was there…and overreacting.