How to speed up digestion?
Created April 07, 2012 at 11:17 PM
I did two water fasts of 8 days and 9 days (1 month between them). My digestion hasn't fully recovered to its original 'speed'. What are some ways i can speed up digestion? I find that sometimes i can't get enough calories because the last meal hasn't been fully digested.
Any help appreciated :)
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5 Answers
What if you started with some liquid calories? Bone broth, maybe some gelatin desserts, yogurt if you do dairy...this will give your system a gentle little kick since liquids digest faster. It will probably just be a matter of time before your body starts digesting food at its normal rate again.
I have digestive problems and take longer than most people to digest food because of some unhealthy behaviors I've partaken in, so I can sort of relate.
--Enzymes: what was recommended for me was to take some digestive enzymes like protease. I'm not sure if the Paleo Police are going to be against it, but I know that the physical discomfort of bloating can be difficult to cope with. If you are okay with high sugar fruits, pineapple is supposed to really good at aiding with digestion. Kefir can also be very helpful if you do dairy. I hear water kefir also exists. I normally take about half a cup of kefir with some blueberries and wait a little before I try to eat my first meal.
--After eating, I find that going on short walks also helps.
--Small meals throughout the day. I know that's not very common here, but fats and proteins stay in my stomach for long periods of time. Your body is probably doing the same because of lower production of enzymes that break down food. I turn into a human balloon if I try to spread my calories between two meals. I think it might help in the beginning to start with small meals at one sitting rather than two or three big meals.
You may have thinned out your gut bacteria, so try adding some fermented foods to your diet. Kombucha, saurkraut, and strained yogurt (if you do the dairy thing) are all great choices. If you're severely lacking (and you might be) consider a probiotic supplement to get you back on track.
OH yes, If forgot about kombucha. I started the stuff about a year ago and blah, but forced myself to drink it a little at a time. Now I find it very amazingly refreshing.
A way to improve digestion is to eat sprouts at every meal. Lacking that, many ancestral populations prefer to end each meal with a fresh fruit. It is the enzymes.
I have the same problem SAME PROBLEM
and Ive had it for years. my only saviour is hot sauce, lemon, vinegar and salt.
have that with the meal and I feel It at least start digestion right away.. dont know if it trully helps though.
I have hot meals and I basically Liquify my protein of choice, veggies and fat in a blender.
with hot water. add some stevia to make it seem like a protein shake.
I eat a few veggies and some bite size protein while im preparing, then have my hotsauce mix.
then after that Put hot water on the blender with the ingredients, and liquify it (using a blendtec)
nourishing, and could pack a lot of calories!
I train very hard, but im horrible at eating big meals.
I have digestive problems like you.
So Ive been doing this for the past 3 days. Ive noticed .. some change in my structure, energy and mood, My digestion seems to have sped up. with all those calories, I guess your metabolysm speeds up.
I work very VERY hard every day. and My gains have gone to waste for the past 7 years or so. (maybe more)
My fatloss has been constant but My initial goal was to pack on muscle not just keep it.
I need some advice too, this is what I do currently.. but I would come back and tell if it works.
My digestion is quite good in the morning and rather bad in the evening. The trouble is I want to put on some weight but when I stop eating after 6 o' clock there's no way I can do that. The thing is I can't eat too much at one meal because I get indigestion right especially when I have a bad food combination. Is there anything I can do to speed up digestion but be able to feel I can pun on some muscle?
paleoguy11
(322)
on April 08, 2012
at 03:42 PM
@Warren yea usually i eat at set times
paleohacks
(78457)
on April 08, 2012
at 07:27 AM
Are you eating at set meal times before you are hungry?
Sunny_Beaches
(5519)
on April 08, 2012
at 12:04 AM
OH yes, If forgot about kombucha. I started the stuff about a year ago and blah, but forced myself to drink it a little at a time. Now I find it very amazingly refreshing.
foreveryoung
(14952)
on April 07, 2012
at 11:47 PM
Digestion is a marker of your metabolism, which must be shot from doing water fasts for over a week in less than a month. how much fat are you eating at your meals? Fat slows the speed of digestion.