By Tom DiChiara
Eating healthy foods is great, but ingesting all the veggies in Whole Foods won't help if your body won't be able to absorb the nutrients. That's right: Even if you're consuming the right foods, some seemingly innocent things you do on a daily basis -- wolf down a turkey sandwich between meetings, drink coffee with meals, stress over work, eat foods you're sensitive to (gluten, dairy, etc.) -- could be setting you up for nutrient malabsorption. If that sounds bad, that's because it kind of is: Research shows that nutrient malabsorption can lead to a laundry list of not-so-fun-sounding health issues, including diarrhea, anemia (aka iron deficiency), osteopenia (low bone density) and malnutrition. (It's never good when diarrhea is the best possible outcome.)
So, how do you ensure that you reap the nutritional rewards of your diet? We turned to Amanda Hayes, an NYC-based certified clinical nutritionist and holistic health counselor, for some good, better and best advice.
Good: Ingest Bacteria -- Really
Not all bacteria are bad. Probiotics, which Hayes calls the "good guys" of the bacteria world, help keep the intestines healthy, assist in the proper digestion of food (and thus the absorption of nutrients) and are believed to boost the immune system. "Eating foods rich in probiotics will help balance the bacteria in your gut and help your digestive system through times of stress," explains Hayes. The best part is that probiotics are found in many foods you may be eating already. Hayes recommends yogurt, soft cheeses, sour pickles (when they’ve been naturally fermented) and even sourdough bread as easy ways to get your probiotics fix.
Better: Listen To Your Mom And Chew Your Food
Chances are, your mother has been telling you to chew your food since you were a kid. It's great advice, and the benefits extend beyond enhancing your enjoyment of the meal. "Chewing properly will give your body a chance to further break down your food so your digestive system can do its job," says Hayes. A 2012 University of Iowa study found exactly that: Participants who chewed pizza 40 times before swallowing it absorbed more nutrients because the food was broken down into smaller particles. As an added bonus, these subjects also ate less before they were sated than participants who chewed the pizza 15 times. Fewer calories, more nutrients? Sounds like a win-win to us.
Two more good rules to follow: Avoid stress, and don't eat on the go. "Digestion works at its best when we are relaxed," says Hayes. "If digestion is compromised ever so slightly, nutrient absorption will be as well."
Best: Eat Smart, Eat Clean
When it comes to nutrient absorption, what you eat and when you eat it both matter. Drinking caffeinated beverages with a meal or your morning multivitamin can cause you to excrete rather than absorb vital vitamins and minerals, which kind of defeats the purpose. "Don't worry -- you don't have to give up coffee," Hayes says. "Just do your best to drink it separately from your meals and supplements."
Food sensitivities could be another landmine in your quest to absorb nutrients. They can cause all kinds of digestive shenanigans that result in one thing: nutrients going out of your body instead of into it. Some common irritants are gluten (everyone and their mother seems to be allergic to it these days), soy, corn and dairy. If you know which one's the culprit, you can simply excise it from your diet. "The best thing you can do is contact a nutritionist and have your blood tested for food allergies and sensitivities," says Hayes. "All it takes is a little detective work!"
By far the best way to ensure that you get the nutrients you need, however, is simply to go back to basics. If a food doesn't come from nature (like, say, anything in a box) or if taking a couple of bites sends you fleeing for the bathroom, it might be time to reconsider your diet. "Eat as close to nature as possible, incorporating high-quality, grass-fed meats and dairy, wild fish, organic fruits and veggies, grains and legumes into your diet," Hayes says. "This will keep your digestion on point -- and your health at its peak."
