It’s quite common to be less hungry during the summer months. For one, our bodies are already working hard to keep us from over heating – ramping up the metabolism by eating more food can just make us warmer.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THIS POST HERE
Not to mention, our bodies understand nature. During fall and winter when produce is less abundant the body knows to store energy, so it craves more energy dense foods like rib meat, potatoes and squash. Many animals go into hibernation. So during the spring and summer with animals and plants more abundant, our body knows it does’t need to store as much – everything is easily accessible.
If you go about your life eating the way you usually do, you may find yourself dealing with some digestive distress so I want to share with you a few things you can do to improve your digestion of food so you can maximize your micronutrient density. This will help you improve your immune health, energy levels and fat loss efforts.
Here are five things you can do to support your digestion during the summer.
The first thing is to slow down.
For one, this will help you listen to your body so you aren’t force feeding when you aren’t actually hungry, and it will help you stop when you are full. Not only that, but when you eat slowly your body has an easier time breaking down the food as you eat.
Consume more seasonal produce.
This will changed based on where you live, but in North America some foods we have in abundance during the summer are apples, avocados, beets, bell peppers, berries, okra, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini, celery, eggplant, etc. You can always narrow this down further to true local sources based on your location, but this is a great place to start.
Consume more “cooling” foods.
In Ayurveda, an alternative medicine system that means “science of life”, they recommend eating foods that have cooling properties to the body. These include apples, avocado, figs, beets, okra, grapes, berries, watermelon, cucumber, etc. It’s not surprising many of these have overlap with seasonal produce!
You can also help improve your digestion by taking digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid.
Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down food into nutrients for absorption. They include amylase, protease, and lipase, targeting carbohydrates, proteins, and fats respectively. Our body makes these, but as we age, it’s not as effective at making them so it can be helpful to supplement. I recommend these broad spectrum digestive enzymes at every large meal, and sometimes snacks, depending on your needs.
You can also try hydrochloric acid. It aids digestion by breaking down food, activating pepsin, and killing harmful bacteria. It creates an acidic environment for enzyme function. This is not recommended for everyone through. There are many people who make too much stomach acid (not to be confused with someone who suffers from heart burn due to esophageal sphincter inflammation) and this would not be recommended.
Personally, I found out that I do not make enough HCl naturally by doing an hair tissue mineral analysis, so I began supplementing with these and have noticed a difference in being less bloated with high protein meals, and I swear I think I am building more muscle as it’s helping me absorb more of what I consume.
Which brings me to the last part – consume mostly foods that are micronutrient dense.
If you are eating less, that means you have less opportunity to consume all of the vitamins and minerals you need. Sure you can supplement, but most nutrients have co-factors, meaning they work synergistically with other nutrients. These exist perfectly in nature so getting your vitamins from whole food sources is always best. So while you are eating fewer calories, think about it like a budget – you gotta get the most bang for your buck in every calorie!
If you are struggling with your digestion, eating or if either of these things are standing between you and your goals, please consider working with me.
I have mentorship spots currently open for enrollment. If you are ready to feel energized, confident and proud, this program will help you get there. Learn more at https://kyrawilliamsfitness.com/mentorship/
Your Coach,
Kyra