An Introduction to The Digestive System
How often have you heard the phrase: You are what you eat? Even if you’re not necessarily focusing on improving your health, you’ve likely heard it a time or two, suggesting that the quality of your health is linked to the food you eat.
I’ll never forget the first day of my functional nutrition training — headphones in, class packet and notes printed and hole-punched, binder ready, and my body full of excitement. I was eager to dive into the first month of a ten-month intensive focused on the body’s systems.
After the usual introductions, our leader and instructor, Andrea Nakayama, began the deep dive into our first focus: the digestive system. And within minutes, the way I began to view the digestive system and its importance to overall health was changed with this key concept:
You’re not what you eat, but what your body can do with what you eat.
In other words, the state of your health is dependent on what (and how well) your body can break down and absorb the food you eat.
Gut health has been front and center in health-related conversations for as long as I’ve been paying attention, which is roughly a decade now. With a steadily flowing stream of research and conversations around the topic, it’s becoming common knowledge that the health of the digestive system is a core pillar of health.
“Everything in health stems back to or is ROOTED in digestive issues. The health of the gut is implicated in every single system in the body” says Andrea.
Yet, as you may be recognizing within your own health journey, addressing the health of the system is often overlooked in most health-care settings.
In the next few posts, we’re going to talk about this all-important system, providing tools, tips, and recipes that will help you optimize digestion and make the most out of the foods you’re eating.
If you experience digestive distress of any kind, you’re familiar with more obvious signs of dysfunction:
Bloating
Gas
Constipation
Hemorrhoids
Excessive belching
But, what about the less obvious signs?
Digestive issues can also be a root cause of conditions like autoimmunity, allergies, migraines, thyroid problems, skin issues, and so much more.
I’ve heard the digestive tract likened to a highway — the path along which the food you eat travels and transforms into nutrition and energy for your body’s cells. I love this analogy because it illustrates a clear truth: You can eat a diet full of nutrient-rich foods, but if the digestive system is compromised or in poor condition, that food is not going to travel or translate as easily into nourishment for your body.
There are several “pit stops” along the digestive tract, and each stop has a specific job in the breakdown and absorption of the food you eat. It’s important that each stop functions as optimally as possible so that there aren’t issues down the road.
Over the next few posts, we’re going to explore the important functions of the digestive system, as well as ways you can bring in support through food and lifestyle modifications.
