I have been recommending digestive enzymes to nearly all my clients this month because of the classic symptoms I’m seeing associated with incomplete digestion of food.
Those symptoms include
• Feeling full, even if you haven’t overeaten
• Bloating within an hour of eating
• Heartburn or burping
• Lack of energy
• Undigested food in stool
• Bulky, foul-smelling stools
• Weight loss even while eating well
Undigested food can lead to leaky gut, the root cause of food intolerance’s.
What are Digestive Enzymes?
Several types of digestive enzymes exist in the body and each has a different role. All digestive enzymes break food down into its basic building blocks for absorption.
Digestive enzymes come in many forms. There are protein-digesting enzymes, enzymes that digest starch and carbohydrates, as well as enzymes that digest fat. The main digestive enzymes include:
• Amylase: Found in saliva, pancreatic and stomach juices, it breaks down carbs and starches into simple sugars
• Lactase: Breaks down lactose, a natural sugar in milk, into the simple sugars glucose and galactose
• Lipase: A digestive enzyme in the stomach and pancreas that breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol
• Protease: Found in the stomach, pancreas, and intestine, it breaks down protein into amino acids
Why would your enzymes need topping up ?
Stress (and who hasn’t been stressed lately?) can effect our levels as well as poor diet, medication and getting older.
Simple ways to top up include getting more enzyme rich foods into our diet ie more fruit and veg.
Optimal digestion needs bitter and sour foods which naturally stimulate the digestive juices.
Aim to have 2-4 portions of the following in your diet every day:
• Apple cider vinegar
• Green veg such as kale, spinach, romaine lettuce
• Raw vegetables like carrot and peppers
• Lemon juice
• Rocket
• Rhubarb
• Dandelion leaves
• Turmeric root or powder
I recommend working on the diet and supplementing with digestive enzymes for at least a month until you see reduction in all symptoms.
Energy from our food and getting though the day without bloating is part of optimum digestion and the path to good health.
Get in touch if you would like to work on improving your digestion today. 087 6355643
info@cathrionahodgins.com