We may not talk openly about burping, farting, and pooping, but they are all important signs of what is happening with our digestion and health. Proper digestion is essential for optimal health. Our digestive system is connected to every major organ system and over 60% of our immune system is in the gastrointestinal tract. You may associate common health complaints like gas and burping to improper digestion, but it can also show up as skin irritations, foggy brain, fatigue, anemia, and weakened immune.
Signs of an unhealthy gut include the following:
- poor bowel habits such as constipation and diarrhea
- undigested foods in stools
- bad smelling stool
- feel better if you don't eat
- chronic indigestion after eating
- frequently cold for no reason
- frequent burping, passing gas, or bloated abdomen
We all know that what goes in must come out. From when food enters through your mouth to when it exits your body, your stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, and large intestine all get involved in the processing of it. At any point along the journey, if things are not functioning properly, you may experience digestive issues. There are a variety of reasons you might be experiencing the symptoms above—including food sensitivities, too little stomach acid, not enough digestive enzymes, and low amounts of friendly bacteria.
Below are ten simple ideas for healthy digestion.
1. Chew your food. Chewing your food can really make a difference in the digestive process. Digestion doesn't start in the stomach, it starts in the mouth. Chewing activates the enzymes and prepares your stomach for producing gastric juices, such as pepsin and hydrochloric acid (HCL), to break down proteins. When your food is not chewed, not only do nutrients not get extracted from the food, but also undigested food can produce bacteria in the colon which can lead to bacterial overgrowth, gas, and other symptoms of indigestion. If you are able to see identifiable food in your stool, it is a good sign that you are not chewing your food enough.
2. Don't drink liquids during your meals. It's good to drink a lot of water, right? Yes! But there is an exception... when you are eating. During meals, you do not want to drink a lot of water because it dilutes the HCL in your stomach which impacts digestion and nutrient absorption. Get your fluids in before and after your meal, just not during. Try to keep your water intake to under 6 ounces during your meal.
3. Skip the antacid. Do you reach for the antacid when you experience heartburn because you think you have too much acid in your stomach? If so, you could be making it worse. Much of the time when you suffer acid indigestion, it is actually because you have too little acid, not too much. Taking antacids suppresses the production of hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes (which is exactly the opposite of what you want to be doing to alleviate the problem). As we age, we produce less HCL. Some of the symptoms of not having enough HCL are belching, gas, bloating, feeling of fullness, no taste for meat, stomach aches, and bad breath. To increase your HCL to help the digestion process, you can drink less fluid as mentioned in #2 or try taking a 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water before your meal.
4. Relax at meal time. Stress shuts down digestion. Take a deep breath, take time to eat, and allow your body to properly digest and absorb your food. Don't overeat.
5. Eat whole foods and fermented foods. Once your food has left the stomach, it moves to the small intestine. The pancreas sends in digestive enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to neutralize the stomach acid. If you are low on enzymes, then you can also experience digestion symptoms like gas, bloating and stomach pain. To increase enzymes, eat whole, fresh organic foods. Reduce your intake of sugar, refined flour, trans fats, packaged foods, sodas, and alcohol. Eat fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, and naturally fermented vegetables, such as pickled cucumbers and kimchi. You can also take digestive enzymes like protease, amylase, and lipase.
6. Increase your friendly bacteria. The last bit of digestion happens in the large intestine. This is where your friendly bacteria live. These bacteria help produce enzymes, manufacture B vitamins, keep you resistant to food poisoning, and keep bad bugs from taking up residence. It is essential to have good bacteria in your colon. You can help this by eating fermented foods, as mentioned above and by taking probiotic supplements (lactobaccilus and bifidus). (Note: Use of antibiotics can kill your friendly bacteria, so if you have been on antibiotics, it is essential to take probiotics).
7. Eat more fiber. Constipation and diarrhea are two indicators that your colon is not working efficiently. Constipation may occur if there is not enough water in the bowel. This may happen when digestion is slowed down or when you don't consume enough fiber. Diarrhea can occur if there is too much water in the bowel. This may happen when food is not digested well. Increase your fiber intake by eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and prunes. If you have constipation, you may want to take a magnesium supplement or add flax seeds to your diet (soaked and ground) which will increase smooth muscle relaxation and hydrate the bowel.
8. Drink water. There are so many reasons for drinking more water and healthy digestion is one of them. The general rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should try to drink 75 ounces of water daily.
9. Remove allergenic foods. It may be helpful to do an elimination diet (removing highly allergenic foods from your diet like gluten, eggs, soy, nuts, dairy) if you are having digestive issues to see if you have any food sensitivities or allergies. Doing the detox program is a good way to get you started on discovering any food sensitivities.
10. Check your poop. How your food is exiting can tell a lot about what is happening with your digestion. You should have one to two good bowel movements a day. Your poop should be solid (not runny), sizable (not drops), medium to dark brown, and not highly aromatic. It should come out easily without straining.
This only covers the surface of digestion and health. In another blog I will talk about "leaky gut" and how it is related to a host of chronic health issues like arthritis, asthma, autoimmune disease, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. I cannot underscore the importance of having a healthy gut for total body health.
Burping, farting, and pooping may not be something you feel entirely comfortable talking about, but these bodily functions are giving you key indications of your health. If you are having issues with digestion and you want help, contact Four Quadrant Living.
Be sure to get your free 47 page Getting Started Guide: Taking Your First Step on the 4QL Journey by signing up for our newsletter at the top right of this page. It is filled with a 4 quadrant health assessment as well as health tips for each quadrant including 5 Steps to Mindfulness, 12 Tips for Fad-Free Eating, 6 Ways to Closer Connections, and 9 Ideas to Detox Your Home.
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Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at
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Less than half of Americans make resolutions and just eight percent of them are successful in keeping them. That's why this year it's time to try something new, the 2-0-1-3 plan! The plan is about starting off the New Year with intention, motivation, and accountability for health. Forward this on to your friends and family and let's see how many people we can get on board to join in. Be sure to write your plan in the comments section below. Here's how it works.
2 Come up with TWO actionable and doable healthy living ideas. Be specific. Make them very customized for you. Think about your weakness areas. How do you do in the areas of stress management, having fun, sleeping well, eating healthy, exercising, having nurturing relationships, and living in a nontoxic environment (this can be related to your emotional or physical environment)? Are you pretty good about working out, but don't take any time for stress management? If so, don't put exercise on your list, but rather, put something that will reduce your stress. Commit to work on the areas that receive less of your focus. You will see in the examples below that the ideas are both manageable and quantifiable. Try to be as specific as you can, and don't overcommit. You can always overdeliver.
Here are a few ideas:
- Meditate for five minutes three days a week first thing in the morning to start the day grounded.
- Spend less time with those people in your life who make you feel worse about yourself (you can be specific with names, if you want).
- Do not drink alcohol during the week, only on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Get 7,500 to 10,000 steps at least four days a week (wear a pedometer to track it).
- Go to bed by 11pm every night so that you get at least 7 hours of sleep.
- Make one fun plan a week that makes you happy.
0 Commit to doing the ZERO "do it now" item. What is the one thing that has been on your list for years to do that you know would benefit you in some way—career, health, relationships, personal—but you just have never done it? Commit to it to do it this year.
Here are a few ideas:
- Get out of a toxic relationship that has been bringing you down.
- Make a change in your job if you feel miserable every day. (Sometimes this may not be possible due to financial constraints, but oftentimes even if we believe this to be the case, we do have choices that we have not allowed ourselves to believe in. Now's the time to believe in them and explore them.)
- Go on the trip you've been talking about taking for years. If your spouse doesn't want to join you, go with a friend, by yourself, or an organized group.
- Hire a health coach and lose the weight for good.
- Find a workout regime you like so that you look forward to exercise rather than see it as a chore. For some ideas, read Movement by Gypsy.
- Join a support group (e.g. AA, Al-Anon, loss, cancer). If you need help, there are groups out there for you. Sharing your pain with others does help.
- Write your memoir.
- Volunteer.
- Take classes.
1 Choose ONE word for the year. Come up with one word that you want to represent you in 2013. Give it some thought because you want it to really encompass what you want for the year. When you have decided on your word, write it out in big letters and put it somewhere you will see it everyday. Put it on your bathroom mirror, by your computer, on your vision board, at work, in your wallet. When I turned 40, my word was "authenticity" because I decided it was time to accept me for who I was at my core and be true to that self. The great thing about having a word for a year is that it becomes a part of who you are for life.
Here are a few ideas: faith, love, forgiveness, dream, health, peace, strength, hope, play, truth, trust, imagine, and share.
3 Write THREE items a day in your gratitude journal. I've read about gratitude journals for years and have never done one. I'm pretty good about being grateful in my life, but have never actually taken the time to write them down regularly because I wasn't sure what it would give me (and it seemed like one more "to-do"). I started doing it a week ago, and I'm actually enjoying doing it and am getting a lot out of it. I have a little spiral notebook that sits right on my desk near my computer. Every day, I write down 3 things I'm grateful for. Go find a pad of paper or extra journal and put it somewhere handy. This could be near the entryway, in the kitchen, by your bed, in your office. I write my items toward the end of the day, but find the routine that works for you. You can even make it a family gratitude journal and have everyone write in their entries, or get a separate journal for each person. Your gratitude entries can be both large (e.g. grateful for love in your life) or small (e.g. grateful for the warmth of a fire).
In keeping my journal, I've noticed that my husband pops up on my gratitude list daily. I never would have consciously appreciated these little things, but having to think about what I am grateful in a day makes me mindful of all that he does for me. We've been together over 25 years, so I sometimes forget to be grateful for him. It's the little things that have made the list this past week like "having a husband who always secretly fills up my gas tank," "having a husband who exercises," "having a husband who goes out at 10pm to the market to buy feminine products because I'm not feeling up to it and just realized I'm out." See if any patterns emerge for you in your gratitude list and let us know.
Changing your perspective is a huge factor in happiness and stress management, and a gratitude journal helps with this. It's hard to hold on to anger, resentment, and unhappiness when you are writing down things you are grateful for. I like having gratitude in the forefront of my mind because it sets a positive tone for the day since I'm always on the lookout for what will make the list.
2-0-1-3 Take some time this week and think about your 2-0-1-3 plan. Be sure to comment below and let us know. It is helpful to share it with others to make it more real and to help hold you accountable. I've shared my 2-0-1-3 plan in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you. Let's make 2013 a year filled with health, happiness, and ... (insert your word here!).
And, of course, if you need help with making any part of your 2-0-1-3 plan happen, 4QL can help you!
Update: You can see other 4QL Fans' 2-0-1-3 Plans in the Comments section below and their pictured One Word here. Be sure to post your plan below and send us your One Word photo so it can get posted to our website too.
Be sure to get your free 47 page Getting Started Guide: Taking Your First Step on the 4QL Journey by signing up for our newsletter at the top right of this page. It is filled with a 4 quadrant health assessment as well as health tips for each quadrant including 5 Steps to Mindfulness, 12 Tips for Fad-Free Eating, 6 Ways to Closer Connections, and 9 Ideas to Detox Your Home.
________
Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at
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There is no doubt that the stress of the holidays and the availability of unhealthy food can be a challenge to our healthy eating plan. Cookies, cakes, and candy are everywhere we go. Dinner tables are filled with dishes high in sugar, fat, and carbs. By all means, enjoy! Just do so in moderation so that your waist line doesn't expand too much as you enter the New Year.
Here are seven ideas for not overeating during the holidays.
1. Eat before you go. Headed to a holiday party? Eat a healthy meal before you go so hunger will not drive the temptation to overeat when you are at the party. Be sure to have a meal with protein (lean meats, eggs, beans) and long-acting carbs (brown rice, sweet potato, oatmeal) to fill you up. If you don't have time for a full meal, even just eating a handful of nuts before you can help you eat less while you are there.
2. Go small. Use smaller serving plates to keep portions under control. We consume an average of 92% of what we put on our plate, so it is worth paying attention to what we feed ourselves. A two inch difference in plate diameter—from 12" to 10" plates—results in 22% fewer calories being served. Assuming a typical dinner has 800 calories, a smaller plate would lead to weight loss of approximately 18 pounds per year for an average size adult. If it is a buffet and you have the choice, opt for a smaller plate to put your food on.
3. Switch it up. Eat with your non-dominant hand to slow down your eating. If you are too uncoordinated to do this successfully at the dinner table with others, just pay attention to the rate at which you are consuming food and slow it down. (Or perhaps it could be something that you get the entire table to do so you all dine slowly, with a few laughs to boot).
4. Leave it. Decide that it is okay to leave food on your plate if you are full. Believe me, I am one of those people that cleans my plate regardless of my fullness meter, but this is an important one for not overeating.
5. Wait before you get seconds. If you are still hungry after finishing your first plate of food, allow a few minutes before reaching for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for the fullness in our stomach to reach our brains which is why we can reach the point of being stuffed. Waiting before you go in for seconds may give you enough time to realize that you are not hungry anymore.
6. Stay sober. By all means, have a drink and be merry, if you choose. Just recognize that the more you drink, the more you lose your resolve to eat well. The drinks add up the calories too.
7. Eat mindfully and enjoy. Part of health is pleasure. If we deprive ourselves of our favorite foods or feel we cannot (or should not) join in with special meal sharing with our friends and family, it affects our health in other ways. Stressing about eating is counterproductive to our health. Give yourself permission to enjoy the holiday meals. Just enjoy them fully and mindfully.
The holidays do not need to mean the choice between weight gain or deprivation. Find the middle ground and enjoy your favorite foods this holiday season.
What are your tips and tricks for healthy eating during the holiday season?
________
Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at
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What would you do if you were told you had an 87% chance of getting cancer?
a. fear it
b. ignore it
c. beat the odds!
When I was told this by doctors 14 years ago, I did "a" and then "b" until I decided it was time to do "c". I chose to replace the fear and denial with empowerment. I left my sexy and lucrative high-tech job and went back to school to study health. I wondered whether how I lived my life could impact how my genes expressed themselves. In learning about the science of epigenetics, I discovered that yes, how we live our life (diet, stress, relationships, environment, etc) does impact our health. Inspired by what I learned, I founded Four Quadrant Living. My mission is to inspire and inform others that we do have control over our health.
Do you worry about getting cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer's disease, or heart disease because it "runs in the family"? Do you think you have high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol because it's "in the genes"? If so, it's time to get empowered and create your new health destiny.
Yes, family history is important and it is a factor in our health—but it is by no means the only factor. It is estimated that over 30 percent of cancers and 80 percent of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes can be prevented. This means that you have the power to create health in your life! Every day you make choices that impact your health—the foods you eat, the products you use, the exercise you get, the stress you allow, the people you surround yourself with, and the environment you live in.
Scientists used to believe that it was our genotype (DNA) that determined our health. Our DNA is certainly a part of the equation, but it is not the entire equation as once believed. Now scientists believe it is our phenotype that determines our health, which is our genotype plus our environment (where environment is diet, lifestyle, emotions, stress, and so on).
This new science of epigenetics tells us that our genes are not our destiny. The word epigenetics literally means “control above genetics.” The genes by themselves do not cause disease; it is how we live our life that affects how our genes express. And this gene expression is what ultimately results in health or disease. Genes can be turned on by injuries, diet, stresses, hormones, emotions, and infections. The bottom line is that health is in our hands; it is not simply in our genes.
Knowing our genetic code is certainly important because it allows us to change our environment accordingly. We may be susceptible to a hereditary disease, but we can do something about it. For example, if you feel you are at high risk for breast cancer because of family history, there are certain foods you can eat (e.g. the brassica family of vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower contain the phytochemical sulforaphane shown to have anti-cancer properties), supplements you can take, and lifestyle changes you can make.
Similarly, if you have the celiac gene, knowing your genetic predisposition to the disease arms you with the information to remove gluten from your diet for your best chance at health. And so on. Our genotype (DNA) is important because it is a part of the equation—having knowledge about our DNA helps us take action for health. But, it is not the full equation. Our environment is also a part of the equation.
There are no guarantees in life, but by living a Four Quadrant Life you are proactively doing your best to beat the odds. For me, it's 14 years later and I'm still beating the odds.
If you have a particular health issue you are concerned about, contact Four Quadrant Living to discuss what things can be done specifically to reduce your risk. And, if you have not yet signed up for our newsletter, be sure to subscribe to get your free 47 page Getting Started Guide: Taking Your First Step on the 4QL Journey.
If you are living in fear about a certain health issue, it's time to choose empowerment instead!
________
Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at
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Last year I wrote Stop the (Holiday) Madness with the focus on giving a gift to the environment by reducing waste. This year I am inspired to focus on giving a gift to ourselves by reducing stress. I'm already feeling the holiday energy in the air. Christmas decorations have been out for weeks now, shopping has already begun, and neighbors have begun to hang their holiday lights. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. The holiday season is officially here!
This time of year can be both joyful and stressful. There is joy in the parties, holiday lights, caroling, gift opening, Santa sightings, family time, and more. But there is also stress in the crowded malls, family dynamics, obligatory gift giving, holiday card sending, travel, and so on. This year how about vowing to actively make the joyful times outweigh the stressful ones? Here are 7 ways to help make this happen.
1. Give less. Oftentimes we get into a routine of who we buy gifts for. Even if we are feeling like we want to cut back on our gift giving, we are afraid of hurting the other person's feelings—assuming that they want to exchange gifts. More often than not, the other person is feeling the same way. It doesn't hurt to ask. Just this week I brought up birthday gift exchange to a group of running friends. We get together every few months to celebrate birthdays. The gift giving has mushroomed as our group has gotten larger. This is in addition to a very fun night out where we buy drinks and often dinner for the birthday girl(s). I asked my friends how they were feeling about the gift giving, figuring it was a good time to reevaluate as we headed into a new year of celebrations.
Out of 10 women, all voted to no longer do a gift exchange. We were all feeling the same way, but no one wanted to say anything. For me, spending time with my friends really is the gift. I'm all about simplifying our lives where we can. Don't get me wrong—gift giving is great, but less so when it feels like an obligation and causes stress. I have a friend who has to buy holiday gifts for 44 people this year. That's insane! She texted and said "I just want to be done with my shopping to enjoy the holiday spirit in the air." Look at your list. Can you pare it down at all? Would your friends or family be up for drawing names and just buying for one person—saving everyone time and money? For the shopping you do have to do, you can make it less stressful by shopping online or buying gift cards, movie tickets, or spa certificates. You can also donate to their favorite charity or give them a voucher for an activity with you.
Another idea is to create traditions that your family and friends look forward to over the holidays, reducing the importance of material items and increasing the importance of family time. Some of my favorite traditions are building ginger bread houses, cooking together, building puzzles, playing games, and driving through the neighborhood listening to holiday music, and seeing the holiday lights.
2. Send fewer cards. I used to send holiday cards but I don't anymore. I have to admit, I don't miss the extra "to-do" around the holidays. If you are going to send cards, think about just sending to those friends and family who are out-of-town that you do not see as often. I will often send a card to a handful of relatives I don't see often to let them know how I am doing. Another idea is to send electronic cards or post a holiday video to your friends on YouTube.
3. Ask for help. I have two friends that put up their trees and decorate the house all on their own and it's a lot of work. How about making a mini-party out of it and inviting a few friends over to help? Play some holiday music, serve up some eggnog, and have fun with it. Last year I helped a friend take down her Christmas tree and it was a great way to spend quality time together. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are hosting the holidays, ask others to bring side dishes to make it less stressful for you. Let your "guests" (your friends and family who want to help you) assist with clean up. Before you move on to the next idea, list one way you can ask for help this year.
4. Eat well, exercise, and sleep. It's tempting to go a little crazy from Thanksgiving through New Years with eating poorly, exercising less, and sleeping fewer hours. It's okay to indulge, certainly. I'm a big proponent of pleasure as a part of health. But you don't want to give yourself permission to go hog wild for the month because you won't feel good during or after. Enjoy the goodies, just watch your portion size. Try to keep getting out for some exercise. Make exercise dates if you have to. I'm a great motivator to my friends in the warmer months to join me for exercise but as it turns colder, I often need a nudge. Making exercise plans with friends gets me out the door. And don't sacrifice sleep! Lack of sleep can make you cranky and make the holidays all the more stressful. (If you do overindulge and feel like you need to detoxify from the holidays, our next detox session begins January 7. You do not have to be local to participate as the sessions are done over the phone. Sign up today!).
5. Be grateful. Whatever stress you are feeling, turn it into a gratitude. For example:
- I'm stressed I have to buy so many gifts. → I'm grateful I have the money to do so and the people in my life to buy for.
- I'm stressed I have to travel during the holidays. → I'm grateful I have friends and family to celebrate with.
- I'm stressed (depressed) because I miss my departed loved ones during this time. → I'm grateful for my memories and that they were a part of my life. (Perhaps there is a way you can honor them by talking about the favorite holiday gift they gave you, your favorite holiday memory with them, or their favorite holiday tradition).
Is there a stress → gratitude that you came up with? If so, share it in the comment section below.
6. Take a time out. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take a time out—even if it is just for a few minutes. If you are shopping frantically at the mall and are wearing yourself down, stop and just sit somewhere. Watch the other shoppers, appreciate the festiveness of the mall, and just quiet your mind. After your break, go back at it! Whether you are at the mall or not, take a time out and just be still for a few minutes (and try idea #5 during your time out). Also, remember to breathe. Breathing really can help you move from a stress response in your body to calm. Even just five deep breaths can help.
7. Let go of perfection. Your house doesn't need to be perfectly clean, the meal doesn't need to be gourmet, the gifts don't need to be professionally wrapped. With love behind the hosting, cooking, and gift giving—perfection doesn't matter.
Are you already feeling stressed for the holiday season? If so, what things are the most stressful for you? We want to hear from you. Share your comments in the section below. For those of you who have made changes from years past to reduce stress around this time, share your ideas with us below. What has helped you to have a less stressful holiday season?
I wish you all a happy, calm, joyful, fun, relaxing holiday season! If you need help during this time to manage your stress, I am available for consultations.
________
Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at
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