Optimizing Digestion Naturally
- Oct 22, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 21
You can eat all the right foods—but if you’re not digesting them properly, your body may be missing out on key nutrients. Optimal digestion is foundational for gut health, nutrient absorption, energy, hormone balance, immune support, and even mental clarity. If you’re experiencing gas, bloating, acid reflux, or irregularity, your body may be asking for gentle digestive support.
Why Digestion Gets Compromised
There are many reasons your digestion may become impaired, including:
Eating on the go or under stress
Low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria)
Poor chewing or rushed meals
Eating often; grazing
Overuse of antibiotics, NSAIDs, acid blockers
Gut infections like H. pylori, parasites, or SIBO
Imbalanced gut flora (dysbiosis)
Leaky gut, food sensitivities
Poor diet or inflammatory foods
When digestion suffers, it doesn’t just affect your gut—it impacts your whole body.
Belching, Bloating & Gas After Eating
Functional Root Causes:
Low stomach acid or pancreatic enzyme insufficiency
Fermentation from excess sugars or refined carbs
Imbalanced gut flora or SIBO
Eating while stressed or too quickly
These symptoms can be a sign that food isn’t breaking down properly, often due to low hydrochloric acid or insufficient digestive enzymes. Over time, this can lead to fermentation in the gut and feed unwanted bacteria and yeast.
What You Can Do:
Slow down. Sit while eating and chew thoroughly.
Try 1–2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice in warm water before meals.
Drink herbal teas like peppermint, ginger, cardamom, chamomile, or lemon before or after eating.
Add 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar to warm water before meals.
Incorporate bitters to stimulate digestive secretions (brands: Urban Moonshine, Gaia Herbs, Quicksilver Scientific, HerbPharm).
Add a professional-grade probiotic to support microbiome balance.
Eat meals at consistent times to strengthen your body’s digestive rhythm.
Aim for 3 nutrient-dense meals per day to allow 3–5 hours between meals for optimal digestion.
Modify smoothies to include healthy fats (avocado, flaxseed), protein, and greens.
If Symptoms Persist:
Supplement with digestive enzymes before meals—look for lipase, protease, amylase, pancreatin, bromelain, ox bile, and pepsin. If bloating or upper fullness is a major issue, try enzymes with Betaine HCl (like Designs for Health Digestzymes).
You can also try the Baking Soda Challenge at home to help assess low stomach acid.
Heartburn & Acid Reflux
Functional Root Causes:
Low stomach acid (not too much!)
Weak lower esophageal sphincter
Gut infections like H. pylori
Food sensitivities (gluten, dairy, eggs)
Chronic stress or structural issues (e.g. hiatal hernia)
Despite what most people think, heartburn is rarely due to too much stomach acid. In fact, 85–90% of cases are related to too little. When stomach acid is low, food lingers and ferments, pressure builds, and the weakened valve between your esophagus and stomach allows acid to backflow—causing that familiar burning sensation.
Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid:
Burping, bloating, or gas after meals
Undigested food in stool
Fatigue after eating
Thin, brittle nails
Chronic bad breath
Food sensitivities
Skin rashes, hives
Environmental allergies
Frequent illness or infections
Low stomach acid also weakens your immune defense and blocks absorption of nutrients like iron, B12, calcium, and magnesium.
What You Can Do:
Calm the gut lining with DGL Plus, aloe vera juice, or slippery elm.
Use digestive bitters or apple cider vinegar before meals.
Use enzymes with Betaine HCl to support acid levels.
Address H. pylori if suspected—we offer at-home functional testing.
Identify and eliminate trigger foods: common ones include gluten, dairy, eggs, caffeine, tomatoes, chocolate, onions, garlic, and fried foods.
Add fermented veggies like sauerkraut or kimchi to stimulate acid production (if tolerated).
Sip ginger-lemon tea or echinacea tea daily to soothe the gut.
Work with a chiropractor if structural issues like a hiatal hernia are suspected.
Important Note: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Nexium or Prilosec suppress acid production, which may relieve symptoms short-term but worsen nutrient deficiencies and gut infections long-term. They are best used for no more than 6 weeks while addressing root causes.
Constipation
Functional Root Causes:
Low fiber or fluid intake
Magnesium deficiency
Sluggish bile flow or gallbladder issues
Low stomach acid or enzyme insufficiency
Hormonal imbalances (low thyroid, progesterone drop)
Dysbiosis or gut infections
Stress and lack of movement
In functional medicine, if you go more than one day without a bowel movement, you’re constipated.
What You Can Do:
Hydrate: Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water daily (max ~100 oz). Use a water bottle you carry everywhere.
Fiber: Gradually work up to 40–50g/day from vegetables, fruits, legumes, flax, and chia. Soak beans and grains for easier digestion.
Move: Daily walking, stretching, or exercise stimulates the bowels.
Soothing Additions:
Ginger/lemon tea in the morning
Castor oil packs over the abdomen (stimulate lymph, vagus nerve, and bile flow)
Bitters before meals to enhance bile and digestive motility
Digestive enzymes with ox bile and Betaine HCl
Magnesium:
Healthy fats: Add avocado, olive oil, ghee, and cold-water fish to stimulate gallbladder and improve stool lubrication.
Prebiotic/probiotic foods:
Fermented veggies, coconut yogurt, kefir
Asparagus, artichokes, green bananas, garlic, onion, flaxseed
Easy recipes for constipation relief:
Flax-Prune Paste: Ground flax (¼ cup), puréed prunes (4), and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. Mix into a paste. Take 2–3 Tbsp nightly.
Sautéed Apple Bowl: Apple with peel, sautéed with ghee - add cinnamon, and optional coconut yogurt.
Gallbladder Issues — Or No Gallbladder at All?
Your gallbladder plays a key role in digestion by storing and concentrating bile — the digestive fluid that helps emulsify and break down fats. If you’ve had your gallbladder removed (cholecystectomy) or you’re experiencing sluggish bile flow (biliary stasis), it can impair fat digestion and leave you feeling uncomfortable after meals.
Signs of Gallbladder Dysfunction or Bile Flow Issues:
Nausea or bloating after eating, especially high-fat meals
Nausea in the mornings
Gas, burping, or indigestion
Floating or greasy stools (fat malabsorption)
Pain, tenderness, tightness under the right rib cage
Headaches or shoulder tension (right side)
Pale-colored stools or dark urine
Constipation or diarrhea that fluctuates
What If Your Gallbladder Has Been Removed?
Without a gallbladder, bile drips continuously into the intestine rather than being released in proper amounts at mealtime. This can lead to:
Fatty food intolerance
Loose stools or urgency after meals
Difficulty absorbing fat-soluble nutrients (A, D, E, K)
Skin dryness, hormone imbalance, or low energy
Functional Support Tips:
Whether you have gallbladder symptoms or no gallbladder at all, here’s how to support optimal bile flow and fat digestion:
Digestive enzymes with ox bile extract or lipase to aid in fat breakdown (look for blends like Digestzymes by Designs for Health).
Bitters before meals (dandelion, artichoke, gentian, Urban Moonshine bitters) to stimulate bile release.
Lecithin or phosphatidylcholine to support bile thinning and flow.
Hydration + fiber to keep bile moving through the digestive tract.
Castor oil packs over the liver area to support bile flow and reduce congestion.
Emphasize healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, ghee, fatty fish) in small, frequent portions.
Cook with bitter foods like turmeric, ginger, beets, artichoke hearts — these naturally support bile production and liver function.
When to Dig Deeper
If symptoms persist despite making changes, it may be time to run functional testing. We offer personalized assessments that can uncover:
H. pylori
Candida or yeast overgrowth
SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
Parasites
Food sensitivities
Bile insufficiency or gallbladder stress
Digestive enzyme production
And more!
With your results, we can design a tailored digestive protocol that supports true healing from the root.
Ready to Heal Your Digestion?
We’re here to help you get to the root cause of your symptoms. Whether you’re looking for the right probiotic, enzyme, or simply wondering what to eat, book a discovery call with us to get started on your personalized digestive wellness plan.
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