Digestion
Digestive complaints are some of the most common reasons people seek help from Naturopathic Doctors (ND). Whether it’s a serious diagnosis such as IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) or nagging symptoms that impact quality of life, NDs are trained to address these conditions.
Digestion starts in your mouth. Your saliva is rich in enzymes that begin to work on your food as you chew, and the mechanism of chewing is critical for good digestion. Your stomach is expecting you to masticate each mouthful to paste before swallowing - this increases the surface area of the food for better nutrient extraction, and prepares the food for the actions of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.
Heartburn or reflux, while often considered a condition of too much stomach acid, can in fact be the opposite. Not enough acid can actually slow stomach emptying, leading to the same symptom. There can also be a structural cause, such as hiatal hernia and/or tension in the diaphragm - the broad drum-like muscle sitting directly above the stomach.
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and many other digestive symptoms can be greatly impacted by stress. There is a remarkable gut-brain connection where our mental emotional state can affect our digestion, and the health of our gut can impact our mental health.
If you are lacking any part of your digestive system, such as gallbladder, a portion of intestines, or have had bariatric surgery, a ND can help support you with these as well.
Bowel movements are ideally once daily, easy to pass, and are well formed. If you experience pain, straining, urgency, unformed stool, or you think it’s occurring too often or not often enough, these are worth discussing. An easy way to communicate the condition of your bowel movements to a health care provider is using the Bristol Stool Chart - however, do know you can never tell a ND too much detail about your poop!
Other tips to support better digestion include:
Allow 3-5 hours between meals
Finish eating by 7pm, or 3 hours prior to bedtime
Only eat while seated; not standing, walking, or driving
Mindful eating: chew well, avoid distractions or emotional conversations
In order to figure out what caused your current symptoms, begin thinking about when they began. Was there a new medication, supplement or food introduced around that time? Had you been traveling within 6 months of onset? What else was going on in your life - such as stressors, a move, change of job, etc. What makes the symptoms better or worse? These details will help your ND understand the etiology of your symptoms, and therefore provide effective treatment advice.
