Weight Loss Wednesday: Secrets of the Inner Ecosystem

Lose weight by knowing your bodies secrets!

Digestion is an important part of a healthy body. Slow digestion can cause a variety of health problems, and contribute to weight gain. Many factors are involved in the digestive process including overeating, eating overly fatty foods, and having low amounts of dietary fiber. These eating habits can all have negative effects on a healthy gastrointestinal system. Since digestion starts in the mouth, the food you eat, how you eat and how many meals you consume all play a part in proper digestion, and healthy transit time. If you suffer from digestive problems including irregularity, heart burn or indigestion, learning about the workings of your inner ecosystem may help reduce this kind of stomach upset.

Foods that can slow the removal of digested food and waste from the body include: white bread, whole milk, hard cheeses. Some foods that can speed the digestive process include oranges, apples, soy milk, yogurt, salmon, bananas, whole grains, sweet potatoes and lots of water. Eating 5 or 6 meals a day can also help maintain a healthy digestive system while eating only 2-3 large meals often causes overeating can stretch the stomach and cause feelings of discomfort after eating, and during the digestion process.

Want to know more about your stomach? Here are 3 fun-facts you may not know about your tummy:

The majority of digestion takes place in the small intestine, not your stomach. The stomach only takes in food, and then breaks it down into smaller pieces. Most of digestion takes place in the small intestine.

Skinnier people do not have smaller stomachs than larger people. It may seem that the size of your stomach directly correlates with the size of your body but it just isn’t true. People who are naturally smaller can have larger stomachs than those who struggle with their weight. It simply has nothing to do with it. (1)

Your stomach produces an acid so powerful that it can actually digest itself. The stomach lining secretes a substance to keep the acidic environment of the stomach from causing it damage. These cells regenerate every two weeks to protect the stomach, from the acid it creates. (2)

If you feel sluggish, tired and heavy or if you experience bowel movements less than 3 times a week you may be suffering from slow digestion, or other digestive problems caused by diet, or other factors. A healthy digestive system helps eliminate toxins in the body, improves immune function to reduce illness and infection and can also help keep energy levels up. Taking care of your digestive system is a priority, especially if you are trying to lose weight or manage your diet. Since the digestive system is home to a wide variety of bacteria, supplementing your diet with additional “good” bacteria may help support the health of a normal digestive system.

Ever hear of Kefir? Watch this short video for more information on digestion:

Try a few new recipes this week with our new SkinnyMs. Quinoa E-Book! Just visit the SkinnyMs. Bookstore for your copy. It’s filled with new and exciting ways to use this nutrient-dense grain. Did you know quinoa easily replaces rice in any recipe and it contains dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein? Now that’s great!

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