My Top 10 (Non-Food) Ways to Help Improve Your Digestion

When people are looking to heal their digestion, the first place they tend to look is food. Don't get me wrong, I believe that nutrient-dense, traditional foods are one of the keys to achieving and maintaining gut health. However, it is just as essential to understand that there are so many other ways to help your gut that are not centered around nutrition, and that these areas must be addressed when we look to start on a gut-healing protocol. 

This holistic understanding of the gut-healing process can be a relief to many who find this journey to be an uphill battle with food. While healing diets and changing our food choices can help our microbiome and other digestive health factors, this excessive focus on what we do or don’t eat can often make us too focused on or even afraid of food.

Elimination diets, though very useful, can also limit our dietary choices so much that we can end up with nutrient deficiencies or an overly-restrictive, unenjoyable diet, continuing this negative cycle. Also, we often find that just changing the diet--even to a seemingly “perfect” one--doesn’t quite get the job done when it comes to gut healing.

There is hope offered, then, as well look at ourselves in a zoomed-out, whole-person way; as we look to heal our gut, we can find comfort in the fact that, in addition to a wonderfully healing diet, there are other ways we can help ourselves to improve digestive function, microbiome diversity, and more. 

I encourage you to look through my past writing to dig deeper into foods and supplements that can help with healing digestion, but I’m here today to offer some simple ways that you can start sending your gut a little love today, no special diet or even supplements required. These are all things you can do at-home with little to no extra tools required, helping to empower you in taking charge of your gut health. 

Here are my top 10 (Non-Food, Non-Supplement) Tips
​for Improving Gut Health!

1. Address the Stress
 If there was just one area that you could focus on outside of diet and supplementation to start to improve your gut health, it would be stress management and mindfulness.

When our body is chronically in fight-or-flight mode (aka “stressed”), blood and energy are diverted away from the digestive organs and to other parts of the body, decreasing digestive functioning. Digestive enzymes and secretions are not excreted adequately when we are under stress, and motility is decreased as well. This is a great survival mechanism in the short-term, but when this is happening in the body over a long period of time, negative consequences can be seen in many areas, including the digestion.

Stress also impacts digestion by increasing inflammation, in the gut and the whole body, and can actually change the makeup of the microbiome in a negative way. Many people who suffer from chronic gut issues like IBS or GERD find that stressful events or periods in their lives can trigger "flare-ups" or symptoms of their digestive issues, likely linked to increased inflammation and damage to the microbiome

​This unhealthy stress on the body can be both from the overall load we bear from different aspects of life (who has stress right now?) or from trauma as well.  To address gut health and correct imbalances from a “root cause” level, then we must look at stress. In the big picture, de-stressing your life and changing priorities and patterns that may be disrupting this is likely a place to start. Creating healthy relationships, fostering social and spiritual connections, creating a mindfulness practice that helps you to decompress daily healthy relationships, getting plenty of sleep are all good starting points.

If these practices aren’t enough to improve your stress levels or there is a history of trauma, then considering therapy or counseling can be a wonderful idea for improving your overall well-being, including your digestive health. 
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Once place to start practicing these changes, especially related to digestive functioning, is right before we eat. When our body is calm and relaxed, in the so-called rest-and-digest mode, blood and energy can be sent to the digestive system to stimulate functioning. The vagus nerve is also stimulated in this parasympathetic state, which is crucial in the innervation and function of the digestive organs.

Start by simply taking several deep breaths and some quiet time before eating, or consider having a moment of gratitude before meals to help your body transition into that important rest-and-digest mode. Avoid eating while rushed or “activated” as much as possible, taking the time you need to relax before your meals as an important step in digestion.

If you are suffering from chronic digestive issues, this may be a piece of the puzzle in your healing journey, and one that so many are seeing emerge as part of their puzzle of digestive issues right now. 

2. Release and Relax
Along with the organs of the digestive tract, the muscles of the abdomen and the psoas also have critical roles in digestive function. Their roles are multifactorial in impactive digestion, through nervous system activation, as well as affecting mechanics and motility.

For my own gut-healing process, this has been one of the most important things I've done to help improve my symptoms such as bloating and constipation. It is also one of the hardest to put into place, especially for women.

Due to our culture of aesthetics, having a "flat" stomach is something many of us feel we need to attain. So, we suck in our stomachs or “flex” (activate) our abdominal muscles regularly throughout the day to keep up a certain appearance, not just when we need to use them, as is their function.

Sucking in and keeping our muscles tight all the time puts pressure on our abdominal cavity, which can impair digestion. It decreases motility, the rate at which food moves through the GI tract and also activates the nervous system through chronic tension. When the body is in this sympathetic activation state (some call this “fight or flight”), digestion is also slowed down, making this bad habit harmful in multiple ways. 

This new habit of keeping the belly relaxed, unless activating muscles is needed for a physical activity, may take some practice to re-learn basic movements like standing and even breathing. There will likely also be some discomfort around appearance for many, but relaxing your abdominal muscles and letting the abdominal cavity function with its normal amount of pressure and force can help improve digestive symptoms. 
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Biomechanist Katy Bowman has written a great deal on the effect of abdominal tightness and pressure from sucking in, both in her blog and in her book “Diastasis Recti,” and I highly encourage you to read what she has to say on the matter. Tune Up Fitness also goes into the mechanics of this chronic tension and how to release it in this post as well. 

To start practicing this relaxation at home, position yourself on your hands and knees, or while standing if you prefer and breathe deeply to relax, letting it all hang out. 

Another part of your body that can be too tight and cause digestive problems is the psoas. These somewhat elusive muscles are connected to multiple parts of your body, including the hips and spine, and can get too tight from sitting too often (which is a chronic problem in modernized societies), poor alignment, stress and trauma.

Much like the abdominal muscles, tension in these muscles can inhibit the function of our digestive organs, but the chronic tension here often has to do with ongoing stress, which also impacts digestion from nervous system activation.

By doing a psoas release regularly, you can help to lengthen this often shortened muscle and lessen the tension in them, so digestive function can also be improved. Try to spend a few minutes each day releasing (which is different than stretching) your psoas, especially if you sit a lot during your day or have chronic stress.

There are some short videos on the Heart and Bones Yoga Youtube channel here that you can check out for more ideas, or search for similar tutorials online if you need extra help. We cannot overlook how tight, tense muscles around our digestive organs impact their function, and what a gift we can give ourselves by allowing them to relax and let go!

3. Healing Touch: Abdominal Massage and IC Valve Release 
Another solution to the issues of abdominal tension and impaired digestive function is massage. The muscles in the abdomen are so much more than what we think of as the "abs," and by releasing tension in these muscles through body work, you will be improving the functioning of the digestive organs as well as helping release stress.

The psoas, as mentioned above, can also need help with release, especially if you have difficulty doing this by movements or stretches at home, or if you have chronic stress or trauma stored in these muscles that a skilled practitioner may be helpful in releasing.

With massage, the digestive organs are also stimulated, improving motility and circulation. The lymphatic system is also stimulated through abdominal massage, which is helpful in eliminating waste in the body as well as decreasing inflammation.

​You can ask your massage therapist to give your abdomen some attention next time you have a treatment, if they have had proper training and you feel comfortable with them treating this sensitive area of the body. If you prefer, you can find a practitioner who specializes in abdominal massage near you. Once you have received some body work, your practitioner will likely be able to give you some techniques you can use on yourself at home on an ongoing basis.

One self-massage technique I find relieving is ileocecal (IC) valve massage. This valve can be “stuck” open or closed, due to diet, stress, and muscle tension, which can cause either constipation or diarrhea, as well as pain and tenderness (not to be confused with appendicitis, please!).

​Dysfunction of the IC valve can also impair motility and has been linked to gut conditions like SIBO and IBS; if you suffer from either of these conditions, you may consider IC massage as part of your treatment regimen--check out this video to learn how to give your IC valve a little love! 

4. Avoid Tight Clothing
This recommendation ties into the importance of allowing normal pressure in the abdomen, instead of it pushing up, down, or out. Tight, restrictive clothing, particularly in the midsection, puts extra pressure on your abdominal (see: digestive) organs. This can impact motility, but can also compress organs and cause upward or downward pressure, leading to ill effects like GERD (upward) and pelvic floor issues (downward).

The list of clothing that can be too restrictive includes shirts, waistlines in pants or skirts, as well as belts and undergarments like bras and underwear (I'm looking at you, Spanx!!). Wearing clothing that fits well and also that isn't designed with restrictive parts that are worn over the abdomen can help the pressure stay as it should and circulation to flow.

Also, if clothes are more loose-fitting over the midsection, the tendency to suck in may start to lessen, especially as you are practicing relaxing your abdomen more and  more. Get a bra that fits correctly, un-tighten your belt, look for clothes you can move and stretch in, and avoid clothes that rub you the wrong way...in your abdomen.  

5. Squat it Out
​Toilets that we use in the Westernized world were not designed with digestion in mind. Weird, right? Sitting with your torso and legs in an "L" shape is not the most optimal way to eliminate, and can actually make constipation and hemorrhoids worse.

Traditional cultures, and even some cultures today, did their elimination (ok, let’s just call it what it is: pooping!) in the squatting position rather than in a seated position, and their bowel movements were better for it. In the squatting position, which is the more natural position to be in for humans for elimination, the colon can be in its proper shape and length for better functioning during bowel movements, letting them pass more freely without strain.

This puts less pressure on the abdomen and can reduce the need for straining, which can, among other things, lead to hemorrhoids. Those with pelvic floor issues can also be benefitted by squatting to urinate. Like most people reading this, you probably have a “normally” shaped stool that requires sitting, but there is a solution that doesn't require to get a whole new toilet!

You can use a stool like the Squatty Potty made specially for this purpose or use a typical bathroom step stool you may already have around; whatever your use, simply put it in front of your toilet to rest your feet on it, letting your knees be bent and elevated, dropping your pelvis and putting it into the more natural squatting position. You will find that pooping was never so comfortable! 

6. Move More
Exercise, as we well know, improves body composition and helps with weight management, builds muscle and bone density, and even improves mental health and mood...but did you know it is also beneficial for gut health?

Exercise can be a great way to increase circulation to your abdomen and digestive organs. Walking is a pretty well-known remedy for constipation, but other exercises such as weight lifting, running, yoga, and natural/functional movement exercises can also be beneficial.

Movements such as spinal twists, side stretches, lunges and squats stretch out create mobility, build strength, and release tension in many of the muscles that support the abdomen and hips, as well as give a little massage to the digestive organs, so include these types of movements frequently in your exercise regimen.

Katy Bowman, who I mentioned above (and yes... I am really, really into her work) also has a video you can purchase called "Smart Digestion" as well as a few short "Alignment Snack" videos that deal with this and other related areas.

Much like sucking in your stomach, lack of movement like frequent chair sitting and poor posture/alignment also put excess pressure on your abdominal cavity, so using a standing desk or taking movement breaks during bouts of seated work can help relieve some of that pressure to benefit digestion as well.

Besides its mechanical benefit to digestion, exercise also impacts the microbiome positively. Regular physical activity can promote the growth of beneficial microbes, improve diversity of the microbiota, support the gut barrier function and the gut immune function, all leading to a more robust, balanced microbiome. Check out the work of Lucy Mailing, PhD for a more in-depth look at this incredible connection between the gut and exercise. 

7. Get on the Chew, Chew Train
I have seen over and over again that how you eat can have a similar impact on digestion just as what you eat--though for many is an even harder habit to change. By "how" you eat, I am referring to how much you chew your food and how quickly you are eating. 

Let's start with chewing. Basically, chew your food more than you think you need to. Chew, chew and chew some more. Seems simple, right? But, this can be hard, especially if we are eating on-the-go or in a hurry. My guideline for if food is chewed thoroughly enough is that is should be about the consistency of applesauce before swallowing--give those jaw muscles a nice workout while you're at it!

Food that is more broken down by the actions of the jaw and teeth (chewing) is better for digestion from a physical and chemical standpoint. Food that is properly masticated is easier for the stomach to process, which can be helpful for those with upper GI issues like GERD or gastroparesis. Limiting how much water you drink with meals can also help these upper GI issues, as too much water can dilute your stomach acid and inhibit breakdown of food in the stomach.

​When you chew, the enzyme salivary amylase is released in your mouth to begin the enzymatic part of the digestive process. This is one of the reasons I am a fan of foods that are minimally processed (physically) and needs lots of chewing, like meat and vegetables, instead of foods that don't need any chewing, like smoothies.

Also, if there are bitter compounds in  your food (think bitter greens, dark chocolate, etc.), having more contact time with the bitter receptors on your tongue will also better stimulate the digestive juices and get things moving.

Along with plenty of chewing, you must take your time eating, too. This plays into the whole "rest-and-digest" piece, reminding yourself to stay calm and chill during meal times. Taking your time to eat will also allow your digestion to move at an appropriate pace and allow better breakdown of your food.

Take at least 20 minutes to eat your meals, or more if possible. This is a good goal to aim for  in helping your body process your food like it should. I know we all get in a hurry sometimes, but just do your best and try to stretch out meal times like a European as much as you can. 
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 8. Think Fast
While what you eat can greatly impact your microbiome and gut function, so can not eating (also known as fasting). Fasting, either intermittently or for longer periods of time, has been shown to improve balance in the microbiome, both increasing populations of beneficial flora and decreasing pathogens.

Fasting and spacing meals farther apart can also promote the functioning of the migrating motor complex (MMC), which helps to move food properly through the GI tract; if this is disrupted, not only can elimination be impacted, but overgrowth, such as SIBO, can also occur. 

Fasting is not recommended for everyone, however. Depending on your health condition, it may not be appropriate for you to fast for long periods of time, such as 16 hours or longer. To begin experimenting to see if longer breaks from food can improve your gut functioning, try simply with a 12 hour fast overnight. Some studies show this can be enough to start to induce changes in the microbiome.

Intermittent fasting may not be necessary for a long-term dietary pattern for most people, but it may be a great tool as part of a gut-healing protocol to see if symptoms can be improved and balanced restored when used for a period of time.

For those with more severe GI conditions or those considering longer periods of fasting, it is best to work with a practitioner to ensure the safety of following a more restrictive protocol. And please consider other methods of gut health improvement besides fasting if you have a history of disordered eating or have medical conditions or are pregnant or nursing. 

Apart from fasting, simply spacing meals out at least 4 hours apart can help with letting your digestive tract do its thing during the day as well. If your specific nutrient needs or eating patterns require snacking or smaller meals (some people with upper GI issues cannot tolerate large meals), then try to space your snacks and meals as far apart as possible. 

9. Get Dirty
If you have dysbiosis and feel like your diet and supplement regimens are working enough to heal your imbalances, there may be other ways you are sabotaging your body's flora and damaging the microbiome. It may be time to get creative with different ways to improve your microbiome. It is important to look at the many ways we are contributing to dysbiosis through our daily habits.

For example, chlorine, which is in municipal water supplies, is anti-microbial. Consuming large amounts of this will affect the good bacteria in the body as well as the bad. Obviously, this is needed in city water systems, but filtering it out is important for your microbial health. I really like the Berkey Filter to remove chlorine and other disruptors in drinking water.

The skin has a huge microbiome itself, and provides a protective mucosal layer, so in addition to removing chlorine drinking water, you can filter it from shower or bath water as well. This protection of the skin microbes also means avoiding anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers, as well as chemical cleaning products in the home.

Cleaning with vinegar, lemon, and natural soaps at home, instead of disinfectants and bleach, is also important to keep the body's bacteria in balance. Removing chemicals from water, cleaners and cosmetics from our toxic load, and even addressing our EMF load can all lead to improvements in the microbiome, all without changing the diet. 

But, avoiding “bad” stuff isn’t usually enough to bring balance in any area of life--we also must bring in more of the good stuff! Introducing good bacteria can add diversity to the microbiome, too. This is where interacting with nature comes in...especially in the form of getting dirty.

Since it is Spring as I write this, I encourage going out and digging in the dirt as much as you can, adding to your microbiome with all-natural soil-based organisms, for free! This could be planting vegetables or foraging, or just playing with your kids. Walking barefoot in natural settings (bonus benefit of earthing and vitamin D-rich sunshine!), petting animals, hugging/climbing trees, swimming in natural waters and kissing your sweetheart are also great ways to increase the diversity in your microbiome without ever popping a probiotic...all in the name of wellness, of course. 

10. DIY Detox
Supporting your digestive system not only involves the breakdown and absorption of food; it also involves detoxification and elimination of waste from the body. The digestive system is great at this, but if we are battling overgrowth in the gut (such as SIBO or parasites), assault from environmental factors, or have a weakened gut immune system, getting a little help from some strategies to help support these natural processes can be really beneficial. Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride recommends detox regimens as an essential part of the GAPS protocol for this very reason.

I know the word “detox” can seem trendy and off-putting, and even un-scientific, but the fact is, the body has natural detoxification processes via the lymphatic and digestive systems, with major help from the liver, and we can impact the functioning of these systems and support them in several ways.  

Along with a nutrient-dense diet rich in antioxidants, adding in some daily self-care practices that support circulation, lymphatic flow and detoxification can be helpful in keeping your digestive function working optimally. Some of my favorite at-home lymph support strategies include: infrared sauna, dry brushing, cold exposure (such as hot/cold contrast showers), and soaking in clay or Epsom salt baths.

The Epsom salt soaks not only help support your body’s detoxification processes, but also provide magnesium. Epsom baths can be a remedy for constipation, as magnesium is one of the few minerals that can be absorbed through the skin and it can support gut motility. Try adding some Epsom salts to your next bath or foot soak to see if it helps your symptoms. Alternatively, you could find a mineral-rich hot spring near you and soak in that instead...that would be even better!

(Note: If you are pregnant, or have diabetes or other conditions that affect circulation, do not attempt an at-home detox bath.)

Need a Little More Support?

Being empowered to work on your gut healing at home is a great place or start (or even continue) your journey. But, if you need a helping hand on this path, with diet, lifestyle, or supplement recommendations, testing, coaching, and more, please reach out!

​Follow this link to my booking page to set up a free discovery call and see if working together might be the next step on your healing journey.