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Do you ever feel stuffed after hitting the buffet table or even after you eat just a small plate of food? It has less to do with the volume of food that you eat than it does with your food choices. Develop an efficient digestive system by balancing your consumption of concentrated foods with wet foods. We usually classify foods as fruits, vegetables, proteins, legumes, starches or carbs, but we can also group foods into two more basic categories: wet foods and concentrated foods.
- The wet foods are whole fruits and vegetables with a high water content. For example, fresh fruits, apples, grapefruits, pineapple, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, salad, or green beans. These wet foods help move along the more concentrated and processed foods in your digestive tract.
- Concentrated foods are heavier and denser foods, for example, proteins (like chicken or salmon), snacks and processed foods, starches (like pasta or brown rice or any grain), legumes and beans. All of those are considered concentrated foods and they are usually the centerpiece of most meals. The typical American meal overdoses on concentrated foods and that’s why it’s important to eat wet foods as often as possible.
- Starting your day with fresh fruit kick-starts your metabolism and creates a nice wet food base in your digestive system. When you prepare salads or other vegetables, don’t overload them with heavy dressings and sauces; adding too much of either turns a wet food into a concentrated food because of the added high fat content of the dressing or sauce.
- If you eat some raw food or vegetables throughout your day – five to nine servings is ideal – you’re going to lose weight, your stomach will shrink, and you’re going to feel lighter and cleaner because your digestive system won’t be overly taxed with concentrated foods. Your stomach will thank you.
- The process is similar to the way a garbage disposal works. When you put food in a garbage disposal and turn it on, the food gets chopped up and churned but won’t really dissolve and disintegrate efficiently unless you run the water as well. Your stomach works much the same way. The concentrated food you eat will get digested, but not as efficiently as when you also eat wet foods.
- Don’t assume that drinking water with your meals does the job as well as eating wet foods. It doesn’t. Wet foods stimulate the digestive juices while water dilutes them. If you must drink with your meal, sip rather than gulp that water.
Marilu Henner's personal health recommendations do not reflect the policy or views of Discovery Home Channel or related entities of Discovery Communications, Inc.. Her tips are presented as consumer health information, not medical advice. See your health care provider before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.
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