Well, does it? We're all going to be putting food in our bodies just about every day for the rest of our lives. Most of us will do it several times a day. We'll chew it, send it down the esophagus into our stomach, and expose it to gastric juices and digestive enzymes. We'll strip it of nutrients and send the excess down to the colon for dismissal, feeding resident gut bacteria along the way. The whole process should go smoothly. There shouldn't be any pain or discomfort, bloating or constipation. Oh sure, nobody's perfect, and there will be slow-downs or speed-ups from time to time, but in general a vital, fundamental process like digestion shouldn't even register in our waking, conscious lives. But sometimes it does. Instantly download your Guide to Gut Health Symptoms of Digestion Problems Sometimes digestion can be downright unpleasant, or even unproductive. The symptoms are familiar: Bloating. Distended belly. Feeling overly full and unwieldy. Same weight but the pants don't fit. Excessive gas. No need to define it. You just know it when you see (hear) it. Diarrhea. Acute (occasional) diarrhea that goes away immediately doesn't indicate poor digestion, but protracted or chronic diarrhea is a warning sign. Constipation. Same deal with constipation: acute normal, chronic not. Stomach pain. Persistent gut pain should never be ignored. Bleeding or pain on the toilet. Elimination should be painless. Heartburn, or acid reflux. Although most people assume heartburn and acid reflux are caused by too much stomach acid, it's actually the opposite: inadequate stomach acid is usually the culprit. The Digestive Process: Troubleshooting Top to Bottom To get to the bottom of these symptoms and hopefully fix them, letҳ look at the actual process of digestion. WeҬl go step by step down the line to identify and offer solutions for various issues that can arise at each. What happens when you eat something? The stops along the digestive route involve: Sensing and signaling Oral digestion, or chewing Mechanical digestion, in the stomach Duodenum digestion Small intestine digestion Colon digestion Here's how it works. Omega 3s just got easier. Primal Omegas contain a high-quality source of the two key omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, with a lemon-lime flavor... no fishy taste or odor!ࠓensing and Signaling You start digesting before you've even taken your first bite. Have you ever smelled burgers grilling, and you mouth started to water? Certain aromas can signal to your body that food is coming, and you begin to salivate and secrete digestive enzymes. Even thinking about food can trigger a response. Oral Digestion, or Chewing Now, you've taken a bite. First, you chew your food. Chewing is the first step in digestion. You physically break it up with your teeth into smaller pieces, increasing the surface area for digestive enzymes to access. Most of those enzymes appear later in the gut, but some appear in the saliva and start working immediately in the mouth during the chewing process. Your taste buds communicate what ŠContinue reading Does Your Digestion Need a Tune-up?The post Does Your Digestion Need a Tune-up? appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple