• facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
InspireHealth
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
      • Strategic Plan 2020-2024
    • What We Do
    • Our Team
      • Join our Team
    • Board of Directors & Advisors
    • Partners
    • Founders
    • Reports
  • Programs
    • Class Schedules
    • Get Started
    • Our Approach
    • Programs
    • Clinical Services
    • Classes
  • Online Classes
    • Online Schedule
    • Online Centre Overview
    • Online Meditation
  • News & Events
    • A Night to Inspire 2020
    • COVID-19 Update
    • In the News
    • Events Calendar
    • Rain Walk
    • Past Events
      • A Night to Inspire 2019 – Vancouver Highlights
      • InspireHealth Rain Walk 2019
      • A Night to Inspire – Vancouver – 2018
      • A Night to Inspire – Victoria – 2018
    • Supporters
    • Honours and Awards
  • Resources
    • Research Updates
    • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Leaflets & Posters
    • Guide References
    • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Locations
    • Volunteer
  • Donate
    • Make A Donation
    • Become a Monthly Donor
    • Legacy Giving
    • Gifts in Kind
    • Why Donate?
    • Become a Society Member
    • Become a Partner of InspireHealth
    • Purchase the Cookbook ‘Inspired Cooking’

Blog

  • Your path to better health Get Started
  • Support InspireHealth Donate
> Blog > The Nutritionists’ Digestion Series: From Plate to Potty 1
InspireHealth

The Nutritionists’ Digestion Series: From Plate to Potty 1

February 4, 2014 Recipes and Nutrition

The best food choices can only do so much if the nutrients can’t be utilized by your cells. Our members who’ve been in for their nutrition consultations will be quite aware that here at InspireHealth, the nutritionists focus as much on what one can digest and assimilate as on the food choices themselves.

Over the next five nutrition blogs, we will walk you through the digestive process – from plate to toilet.  You’ll gain insight into what is going on with your food and body. So get ready to get in depth and up close with your insides!

Part 1 – From Plate to Esophagus

Getting your digestive system primed to receive food begins far earlier than you may imagine. Think back to the last time you were in another part of the house and you started to smell dinner cooking. Did your mouth water? Did your stomach start to growl? The smell of food starts the digestive process before we even make it to the table. This early warning signal allows your body to have a head start to secreting the enzymes, acid, bile, and bicarbonate that are all required further down the pipes.

What about when you see the food on your plate? Sight is another sense that helps to stimulate digestion. Think about how a brightly coloured meal can seem so much more appealing than a bowl of soup that turned a bit grey looking. Visual attraction helps with turning on digestion as well.

Do you eat at the table and turn off the TV or computer devices? When it comes to eating, the body likes to focus. Multitasking – watching the news, reading the paper, Facebooking – all require energy and resources. Focusing primarily on the food on your plate and the good company and conversation at the table will allow more resources to go into the highly complicated digestive process.  As an added bonus, when you pay attention to your food, your body gives you more appropriate signals of fullness and therefore you will be less likely to overeat!

Okay, now you’re ready for the food to enter your mouth. Take a bite and chew, chew, chew. The more manual labour you can employ from your teeth and jaw, the less work that is chemically required further along. It’s good to remember – there are no teeth in your stomach! When you chew your food well, you are not only breaking down the food into smaller bits, but you’re mixing it with saliva. Saliva contains salivary enzymes which allow us to start breaking down carbohydrates.  This chewing action also signals to your stomach, gall bladder, and pancreas that it’s time to get ready for their digestive functions.

What happens when you don’t chew your food? If you’re wolfing food down in large pieces that look like they came right out of the kitchen, you are leaving a lot of extra work to the stomach and digestive juices. They won’t necessarily get the eating signals in time, and you may not absorb all the beneficial nutrients you thought you were getting out of your food. Those undigested nutrients may make it right through your digestive system and into your toilet bowl! Chew your food well – aim to have it unrecognizable as that food before you swallow.

So what about smoothies or other liquid meals? If you drink these down on the go, your body might not get the message to digest them. It’s good practice to chew with your liquid meal – a nibble of fruit, a couple of nuts, or the smoothie itself. Sit, drink, and enjoy as much as you can.

We’ve smelled, we’ve seen, we’ve chewed well and now we’ve swallowed. Watch for Part 2 of our series when we travel through the stomach!  And check out our recipe for Cabbage, Beet & Apple Slaw with brightly coloured and crunchy veggies great for stimulating digestion through our eyes, nose, and taste buds. 

 
by Angela Wright, Lead Nutritionist
InspireHealth

 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog

  • Research Update – January 2021
    Jan 05, 2021

    Russo, E., Nannini, G., Diny, M., et al. Exploring the food-gut axis in immunotherapy response

  • The Benefits of Movement
    Jan 05, 2021

    ‘A new year’…three words, one sentence. Thinking about the upcoming year, we may notice a

  • The Gift of Rest
    Dec 04, 2020

    “How shall I live?” This is a question that has been asked by many contemplative

Let’s Get Social

inspirehealthbc

Supportive Cancer Care organization in BC, Canada. Programs & services to enhance quality of life, health & well-being of people living with cancer.

InspireHealth
We invite you to take time this weekend to smile, We invite you to take time this weekend to smile, breathe and go slowly. #weekendquotes #quoteoftheday
.
.
.
.
.
.
#inspirehealth #inspiredaily #cancercare #cancersupport #physicalhealth #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth #mindful #mindfulness #smile #breathe #goslow #stressreliever #stressmanagement #heal #healing #weekendquote #takeiteasy
✨ Youth Workshop Announcement ✨ On Saturday, ✨ Youth Workshop Announcement ✨ 

On Saturday, January 30th, InspireHealth Clinical Counsellor, Genevieve Stonebridge, will be conducting a mindfulness workshop @yacancercanada Young Adult Cancer Canada's (YACC) 2021 SURVIVOR CONFERENCE: CHILL. 
 
"Observe Not Obsess: Mindfully Exploring your Emotions" will explore how by building self-awareness, we can learn ways to communicate, self-soothe, and regulate our emotions. And, explore how to be with feelings in a mindful way.

If you or someone you know is a youth with cancer or supporter (aged 18-39), please join us, share this post, or tag a friend. ⠀
⁠⠀
Register for #YACCSC21 at https://distanttarn.com/

Learn more about the conference at https://www.youngadultcancer.ca/program/survivor-conference/
.
.
.
.
.
.
#inspirehealth #inspiredaily #cancercare #cancersupport #cancer #cancerworkshop #mindfulness #cancersurvivor #conference #youngadults #youthcancer #youngadultscancer #cancercanada #cancerbc #cancerprofessionals #cancerhelp #ayacancer #youngadultcancer #yacancer #ayacsm
Sunrise over rolling clouds. #meditativemoment #m Sunrise over rolling clouds. 
#meditativemoment #mindfulmoments
.
.
.
.
.
.
#inspirehealth #inspiredaily #cancersupport #cancercare #meditation #meditate #peace #peaceful #sunrise #sun #sunshine #clouds #fog #nature #tranquil #tranquility #calm #calmness #serene #serenity #mindful #mindfulness #relax #relaxation #relaxed #stillness #innerpeace
There are many sources of ‘externally-created’ There are many sources of ‘externally-created’ stress in our lives, especially during these restrictive times. 

For example, our increased exposure to mass media can unconsciously sap our energy and have negative impacts on our lifestyle.

Fortunately, there are some simple solutions that we can use:

* Be discerning about what we choose to watch and read
* Read books and articles that celebrate human nature
* Remove ourselves from negative TV and social media imagery
* Spend socially distant/online time with those we enjoy

Let's be sure to watch for and minimize our external stressors. Most of us can be unaware of the degree to which we are affected by them.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#inspirehealth #inspiredaily #cancercare #cancersupport #cancer #cancercanada #bccancer #stress #stressreliever #stressrelief #massmedia #media #socialmedia #takeabreak #positiveenergy #goodnews #selfcare #healthandwellness #takecareofyourself #takecare #mentalhealth #positivemindset #positivethinking #positivethoughts #positivevibes #positivity #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #mentalwellness
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Newsletter Sign-up



InspireHealth Newsletter
Stay connected with updates, health tips, recipes, and stories
Online Programs
Get weekly reminders with links to our online classes
Research Updates
Get up to date research from our specialists

Inspired Health
  • Get Started
    your path to better health

  • Donate
    support InspireHealth

  • About Us
  • Programs
  • Get Started
  • Join Our Team
  • Privacy Policy: Patient Information
  • Newsletters
  • Founders
  • Privacy Policy: Donor Information
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Research
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube

Charitable Registration Number #108 103 920 RR0001 Call us: 604.734.7125 or Toll Free 1.888.734.7125

© 2021 InspireHealth. All rights reserved. Site design by SWCA