Digestion is the number one body system I work with clients on. Whether they come to me with skin issues, low energy, chronic fatigue or brain fog, it’s at least somewhat, if not completely related to digestion 100% of the time.

The digestive system is the most important ecosystem we can nurture, and absolutely critical for vitality.

1. Sleep.

Digestion starts with sleep. Your body needs that quality time to restore, repair and reorganize. You could be doing everything else “right,” but if you’re still having symptoms and not sleeping well, it’s time to say goodbye to the old paradigm, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” and hit the sheets hard every night.

I’d rather sleep now and live an awesome, rich life than ignore my needs and be functioning at a low level all the time.

Quality vs. quantity. Are you with me?

2. Slow down.

You could be eating awesome, nutrient-dense and totally “right for you” foods, but if you’re approaching them rushed and tense, your digestive system simply can’t process and assimilate them. I’ve absolutely experienced this myself, and saw the difference when I just slowed down. No other change. Think way-higher energy, awesome skin and great digestion.

Sit down with your meal, light a candle if you can, and put your fork down between bites. Aim to chew each bite 30 times. It’s really worth it to take a 20-30 minute break from work and focus on your food. If you wolf it down over your keyboard, consider it null and void because your body simply won’t know what to do with that avalanche.

3. Identify allergies.

Hidden allergies can be a big problem for the digestive system. If you’re eating foods that your body’s resistant to unknowingly – even the super healthy ones – symptoms will keep showing up.

For low-level intolerances, it’s important to keep your diet varied. When you eat the same foods every day, your body develops an intolerance or allergy to them in some instances. Eat the rainbow, literally and metaphorically.

For more serious suspected allergies, you’ll want to do an elimination diet where you remove all the offenders for two weeks, then reintroduce them one by one and take note of any reactions. The most common irritants are gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and peanuts.

4. Evaluate caffeine and alcohol.

These two substances greatly impact digestion, leaving your system super acidic, which obstructs absorption. In excess, caffeine and alcohol act like fire, burning away and undoing all the beautiful nutrients you feed your body.

These guys also affect the nervous system greatly, hindering it from getting a real break and totally engaging in the relaxation response.

Caffeine and alcohol trigger the stress response, hindering digestion. Meditation, yoga, laughing and authentic connections trigger your relaxation response.

5. Have sex.

I could just tell you to laugh with your friends and share genuinely with people every day, but the best practice for digestive health is really sex, when it comes down to it. When we have sex, we do some of the deepest breathing ever, maybe that we’ve done all day, all week, all month or all year.

By flooding your system with a higher level of oxygen and soothing your nervous system through this deep breathing, your brain sends the signal to your digestive system that it’s ok to relax and do it’s job. We also hold a lot of tension in our hips, which can really mess with our digestion, and sex is great for opening this area of the body.

Do you struggle with digestion or other symptoms that may be related to it? Which one of these pillars will you experiment with this week? Share below, or shoot me an email at lula@lulabrown.com. I can’t wait to hear from you.

When you body is in an optimal alkaline state, dark chocolate and mint can be wonderful digestive aids. This week, I’m sharing an awesome raw, vegan, dark chocolate peppermint patty that I adapted from this recipe. I opted to use fresh mint along with extract, and pure grade B maple syrup, which contains tons of minerals and vitamins, in place of the honey. Enjoy!

Photo: Francesco Sapienza