Why Digestive Health is the Key to Longevity
Digestion as the foundation for wellness and vitality
The gut micro biome is emerging in medicine as the tap root for our digestive fire and metabolism. A disrupted biome is associated with bladder and bowel problems, sexual dysfunction, and pelvic pain. On the other hand, the optimized biome is a goldmine for health, preventative health, and wellness.
This is why it is so important that we pay attention to digestive problems. They are often indicators of food intolerances, inflammation, and even warning signs of medical conditions.
By optimizing our digestion, we help boost the immune system, and the metabolic processes that build and repair our bodies, giving us that sought after sense of ENERGY for life.
We are what we eat, and we eat the way we were taught
The first half of my life—as a busy student, then physical therapist, wife, and mom of two—I shopped, cooked and ate foods familiar to me from my Irish Catholic upbringing in a family of ten. Breakfast was usually some form of cereal, bread, and baked goods, with a glass of orange juice on the side. Lunch was a sandwich and an apple that I often threw away if it was at all soft (give me a fresh crunchy apple please!). Dinner was meat and potatoes, with pasta and maybe a small salad, but overall minimal veggies graced our table. If we did eat a few green beans, or (god forbid) a few sliced beets, it was because we wanted ice cream, cake, or cookies as a “reward”..
I am forever grateful for my mom’s ability to feed a family of ten, but our diet of processed foods with refined white flour, lots of sugar, and no fiber was not without consequence. Sugar cravings were common, as well as constipation, and coughs and colds cycling through our household.
While we don’t all share the same roots or familiar foods, we all start with a set of habits, and we all have the power to change those habits to better support our digestive health.
Taking charge of digestive health
As we enter adulthood, we all have the opportunity to change the way we eat to support better digestive health. And as we advance in age and reach perimenopause/menopause and andropause (male mid-life changes!), it is critical that we tune in and tune up our nutrition plans. Age-related blood sugar changes, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome conditions (constipation or diarrhea), inflammation, pain, and neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s) begin in midlife changes in the gut and metabolism!
For me, that was researching shopping tips, and leveling up my cooking and meal planning skills. It took me a few years to change my habits, with lots of trial and error and attending seminars and reading books.
My family enjoys great health and energy now. My brain fog is gone, and I have finally released the 15 pounds of postpartum belly fat. We now enjoy olive oil, nuts and seeds, plenty of veggies and fruit, and are omnivorous with our protein intake. No gluten and very low dairy (mostly lactose-free) serve us well
How to assess your own digestive health
Digestive health can be assessed from a variety of perspectives:
Biochemical: Does your physician routinely order medical lab tests to measure levels of glucose, iron, vitamin D, red and white blood cells, and liver and kidney function tests? These biomarkers are essential for understanding the downstream effects of digestive health.
Eating Habits: How do you feed yourself? Are you overwhelmed with all the nutrition advice swirling around in the headlines? Do you obsess over food? Good digestion begins well before food and nutrients even enter our body.
Energy Levels: Is your energy good? Do you have a regular fitness and stress management routine? Are you able to fully relax? A healthy parasympathetic nervous system response is essential for good digestion.
Psychosocial and Emotional: Do you have fulfilling relationships and friendships? Social support is a key pillar of health in lifestyle medicine.
Small changes that deliver a big impact on digestive health
Simple changes and simple solutions can create great digestion, and optimize your health. Here are some small things you can do:
Bake eggs and veggies into a frittata, using milk and cheese additions if desired, good fresh and also warmed up for lunch or dinner.
Soak oatmeal and cinnamon overnight for quick am cooking, top with walnuts and blueberries
Buy vegetable, beef or chicken broth and add rice, beans, veggies, a protein, and seasonings for a big pot of soup, an easy lunch or dinner item for the week.
Buy pre-chopped veggies for quick cooking, and explore different herbs and spices to season.
Roast and partition chicken or turkey for use at dinner, chopped in salads, as protein for soups
Partition chopped fruit, or fresh salad into glass jars in your fridge to support a ready to go snack
.More resources on how to improve digestive health
FREE ebook: 7 Common Digestive Problems and How to Solve Them
Learn more about how digestion affects pelvic health by reading my book, The Pelvic Rehabilitation Guide Across the Lifespan
Subscribe to the Central Station Well newsletter for more resources and recipes that support digestive health.
