Digestion starts when you have food in front of you, when you see or smell your food. Your body starts secreting digestive enzymes in saliva. It is important to let your body prepare for the consumption of food. Once you have the plate in front of you, it's important to be in a parasympathetic state before eating. Spend a moment in silence, slow down your breathing, and appreciate the fact that you have food... Okay the last one isn't completely necessary but a healthy mind set will always help... Now it't time to eat! Small bites are ideal. Your teeth and saliva are a part of your digestive system, so use them! Chew the food until its complete mush. The longer you can chew and keep the food in your mouth, the better you will digest that food. Once you've broken down the food it heads down the esophagus and into the stomach to be broken down even more. This is where you can absorb nutrients like certain proteins and Vitamin B12. It's important that your stomach is acidic, so don't drink a bunch of water while you're eating because that'll dilute the stomach acid. It's a good idea to consume room temperature lemon water, apple cider vinegar, or ginger 5-10 minutes before your meal to increase stomach acid. The food then goes into the small intestines where you absorb most of the nutrients. Those nutrients get circulated throughout the body. The large intestines then absorbs water, electrolytes, some left-over nutrients, and starts forming feces from the waste.
If you eat too fast, your digestive system will not function properly and you will not absorb as much nutrients. Eating processed foods will also have a negative effect on the acidity in your stomach as well as the rest of your gut. Eat all natural and take your time when you eat!
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