January 22, 2025 • 44 mins
By popular demand and much interest in the topic, this week we're replaying the episode on Gut Health! Thank you for your interest and support!
Gut health and staying regular is a topic we all need to hear about but rarely discuss openly. Our digestive health impacts everything from our immune system to our mood, and making small changes can lead to big improvements. In this episode of 1000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores the significance of gut health and its impact on our overall well-being. We’ll discuss practical tips for staying regular, highlight the benefits of a healthy gut, and share mindful exercises like belly breathing and abdominal massage. With an emphasis on small changes and a bit of the history of gut health awareness through media, punctuated by Jamie Lee Curtis' Activia yogurt ads, this episode provides actionable advice on enhancing gut health that can reduce bloating, improve energy, and help you feel better overall.
FROM THE EPISODE:
Your gut health is so much more than probiotics and yogurt. It's deeply tied to your immune system and to your mental well-being. In fact, some scientists call the gut the second brain, and it deserves that title.
Our gut impacts everything from our physical health to our immune system, and even our mood. By the end of today's episode, you'll have a better understanding of how keeping things regular can actually be life-changing.
WE DISCUSS:
(1:21) Introduction to gut health
(3:35) The importance of gut health beyond probiotics
(6:27) A mindful minute of belly breathing for better digestion
(12:06) An overview of the digestive system
(17:10) The power of fiber: the research and ROI (return on your investment) of getting regular
(29:21) Simple strategies and practical tips for improving regularity
(34:44) Another mindful minute of guided circular massage
(40:08) A question to ponder
(40:44) Final reflection: small changes for gut health
(42:45) Gratitude to my team and you!
CONNECT WITH WENDY
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Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.
Health Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Small changes do really add upover time and can make a big
difference in how you feel.
We experience 1, 000 wakingminutes on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr.
Wendy Bazilian and you'relistening to 1, 000 Waking Minutes.
(00:21):
I can't wait to connect with youhere with practical ways to eat
well, move daily, and be healthy.
To optimize every waking minute youlive for a happier, healthier life.
Thank you for sharing some ofyour waking minutes with me today.
Let's get started.
I'm saying yes to better days.
Yes.
(00:42):
I'm on my way.
Yes.
It's gonna be okay.
Welcome back to 1,000 Waking Minutes, wherewe talk about making the most of every one
of those precious waking minutes each day.
(01:03):
I'm Dr.
Wendy Bazilian, and today'sepisode, let's just say, is on a
topic that we all need to hear, butdon't always like to talk about.
Well, at least not around the dinnertable like so many of the other health
topics that tend to converse over.
We're talking about gut healthand staying regular today.
(01:25):
And indeed, it's about digestionand how our gut impacts everything
from our physical health to ourimmune system, and even to our mood.
By the end of today's episode,you'll have a better understanding
of how keeping things regularcan actually be life changing.
It's all about small actions, as weknow, that make a big difference, right?
(01:47):
And I know that you know this, that youprobably have experiences where some
small tweaks have really had payoff.
So I've got some simple, practical waysthat you can start doing just that.
with something that we all knowabout, but maybe don't talk about enough.
So let's start with a throwback.
Do you remember when Jamie Lee Curtis wassitting on her comfy sofa on a commercial
(02:14):
talking about occasional irregularity?
This was some 15, maybeclose to 20 years ago.
And it was an ad for Activia yogurt.
At the time, this was almost shocking.
This was, um, no one.
She was making it feelnormal, as if you're having
a conversation with a friend.
(02:34):
She was.
And she made it almost light hearted.
Her frank approach to such a taboosubject was so groundbreaking
that some called it 'too memorable'.
And it became the fodder of SNL skits,
and a permanent part ofJamie Lee Curtis's resume,
I'm sure alongside of, you know,all of her wonderful, sometimes
(02:57):
lighthearted performances, of course.
At the time, this ad, what she had thechutzpah, I love that word, in doing
is sort of setting us up for a topic, andwhat she was doing was groundbreaking.
Suddenly gut health wasn't taboo.
It was mainstream, on mainstreamtelevision, on mainstream network
(03:19):
channels, and she made it feellike, it was okay to talk about
something that we all deal with.
This ad really started a lotof conversations, and gut
health has become a hot topic.
It has been for a couple decades.
But here's what I want you to take away.
Your gut health is so much morethan probiotics and yogurt.
(03:39):
Um, it's deeply tied to your immunesystem, to your mental well being,
In fact, some scientists call the gut thesecond brain, and it deserves that title.
Despite Jamie Lee's breakthrough, manyof us though still talk sort of quietly
or in friendly 'code words' about gut healthor our slow intestinal transit time.
(04:04):
You know, we're open about talkingabout probiotics or prebiotics, or we hear
about the word postbiotic, maybe, thisemerging arena, but rarely do we go into
the specifics about intestinal distress.
But it is a topic thatseems to be on all our minds.
In doctor's offices, in hospitals,in my clinical practice, regularity
(04:27):
is one of the most commonproblems that people discuss.
and that they struggle with.
In fact, by some estimates, 80 percentof us will experience constipation
at some point in our lives, andnearly 4 million people experience
constipation on a frequent basis.
That's a lot.
(04:48):
So why do some of us still hidethe box of prunes under the
groceries in our shopping carts?
I've always said that I wanted tooffer a class, and I've pitched it
a few times, called ConstipationNation: All Things Regularity.
It didn't fly, and I can'tblame people for not loving the,
the word 'constipation' in the titleof a class, but I'm still convinced
(05:11):
that everyone would be interested.
It's just, you know, maybe noone would show up, you know,
no one would really attend.
Or if they did attend,... there was aclassroom I used to teach in regularly
that had windows on two sides.
I always sort of pictured that peoplewould attend the class from the outside.
They'd sort of have their soup can ortheir sort of listening gear, you know,
(05:32):
monitoring and wanting to listen in orwrite me privately or leave me a voicemail
because they wanted the handouts, but they didn't want to attend the class.
People clearly reluctantto show their faces.
I have a wild imaginationon that, by the way.
But in all sincerity, now isour opportunity for us to get
real about this important topic.
(05:52):
So we're going to talk about ithere in the hopes that you'll be
more comfortable talking about it.
Perhaps we can answer some questionsyou've been reluctant to broach, and
I'll offer some remedies, hopefully, somepractices and tips that may help you, if
not eliminate your irregularity, at leasthelp, make it less frequent or make
(06:15):
your regularity more regular and hopefullykick some of its side effects like gas
and bloating and pain with digestion.
Boy, would that be a relief!
Alright, so before we dive deeper here,let's do our mindful minute together.
I'm going to call this one a 'gut check.'
For those of you who have listenedbefore, you know that I always build
(06:37):
in some kind of mindful minute,
that brings us in connection withwhat our topic of the day is, and also a
way to measure one of our waking minutesthat we're sharing together today.
This is a simple exercise, andit's one that really brings us
back in connection with our body.
In every episode, I will talkabout and prepare you for it.
(06:59):
And then we will spendthe minute together.
I'll prompt you just a littlebit within that minute.
I'll have a start andan end to the minute.
And then we'll reflect on the minute.
So this is how we prepare:
Take a moment sort of to situp tall, to get everything sort
of straightened out, especially ifwe've been slouching for the day.
And now I'm going to have you relax.
(07:21):
So you're going to take a momentnow to sit back and relax.
This is something that we do not ina full upright posture, but a little
bit more relaxed and let your bellybe loose and then you're going to put
one hand on your stomach and by doingthat, I want you to put your thumb on
your navel, on your belly button, andthen let your hand just sort of fall
and rest just below your belly button.
(07:43):
I've learned from Jason, my husband,who practices traditional Chinese
medicine, that's called the dantianor the center of the lower belly.
And it's a center of energy as well.
If you've done yoga breathing, yogicbreathing, belly breathing, if you've
done any practices in Qigong, maybeyou already know this, but this is a
good place to get sort of anatomicallysituated for some breathing.
(08:06):
And then you just let your palmrest gently on the fabric of your
clothing or on your bare skin.
Now, as you take a deep breath, I wantyou to breathe into your belly, we're
still not in the minute, I'm preppingyou for this, but we're going to breathe
into our belly and feel your bellyexpand like a little bit of a balloon,
(08:26):
or like an accordion pushing down andletting it expand out, and your hand
sort of pushes out, filling with air.
When you're filled with air, then we'regoing to hold it for three
pulses.
One, two, three.
You're not doing anything, but I'mgoing to count one, two, three,
and then we're going to exhale.
We're going to repeat that breathingmethod where we take an inhale, feel
(08:51):
your belly rise one, two, three, asyou hold it and then exhale out again.
And that's how we're goingto take the minute together.
Now, before we start, let's sit upagain, readjust, get, get relaxed.
Okay.
You can close your eyes if you're in aplace where you can do that safely, so you
(09:12):
can really focus on the breathing and alsofeeling your abdomen rising and falling.
Now let's begin.
Take a deep breath.
Let your belly rise.
Feel it expand like a balloon.
Accordion of your lungs going down.
One, two, three.
(09:34):
Slowly exhale and your belly gently fall.
We're going to repeat that.
Inhale.
One, two, three.
Three.
Slowly exhale.
You continue the breathing.
And think about how yourbody is feeling right now.
(09:54):
Do you hear or feel any gurgles?
Can you feel your diaphragmpushing on your intestines?
If not, imagine this happening,the lungs going down.
Breathe in deep and low into the lungs.
Do a couple on your own.
(10:15):
About five seconds.
That's our minute.
Now, take a few moments toreflect on your experience.
How did it feel?
Is your breathing calmer or slower now?
Did you feel anything happeningin your abdomen when it happened?
(10:36):
There's no right answerto this, by the way.
Did you feel any tension or unease?
And how has that changed?
Did you maybe feel your breathing go fromhigher up in your shoulders and chest,
move down and really fill your lungs,fill your lungs and get into the belly?
(10:57):
That kind of belly breathing helpsrelax the digestive system and
also help it work more efficiently.
It's simple, but it's so powerful.
So taking that one minute andyou'll come to see how many,
full slow breaths that is for you.
For me, it's about seven when I'm relaxed.
I can see when I'm a bit more woundup, I get, it's a few more and sometimes
(11:20):
it rises to my chest a little bit.
If you've ever watched amusician on clarinet or
oboe as I used to play, or saxophoneor a woodwind instrument.
or if you've done that yourself,you've likely, seen or heard
coaching about moving the chest,breathing into the belly breathing
(11:40):
so that you can extend the note.
You can play through the phrasingso that you have more endurance
and stamina for playing.
And since yoga is so popular todayand other mindful exercises, the
concept of belly breathing may not beforeign to you, but maybe you haven't
given so much thought about the factthat it helps with digestion too.
(12:01):
Actually, mechanical digestion.
I'm going to talk about themechanics of your gut health
because of how you're breathing,you're actually helping peristalsis
and helping the flow over time.
Thank you for sharing thatmindful minute with me.
So now, let's dig into whygut health matters so much.
We know that staying regularis important for digestion,
(12:22):
but it's much bigger than that.
Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria.
That number just boggles my mind.
It's more than a 'bazilian' which ismy last name. Trillions, and it's the,
what we call the gut microbiome. You know,the environment, the ecosystem of our gut.
This community of bacteria does more thanjust help us break down food, of course.
(12:46):
It influences our immune system, ourbrain, even how we manage stress.
We'll have other episodes to comewith topics on, you know, like the
pre and post and,probiotics, cellsenescence, which is an emerging space,
um, that is when aging cells stop dividingand start creating problems in the body.
(13:08):
There was actually just a greatarticle, in the most recent
issue of Today's Dietitian that talkabout cellular senescence and that
phenomenon and the impact it can haveon the gut and the brain and more.
But today is really about the basicsand it's not basic, it's critical.
A healthy gut movement, the regularityand working on your balance there impacts
(13:30):
your overall health in a variety of ways.
So here's a fun fact for you.
Did you know that your digestivesystem is about nine meters long?
That's 27 feet on averagefrom mouth to colon.
Your digestive system starts inyour mouth and it runs all the
way down, of course, to where
(13:51):
you exit at the colonin your pelvic area.
That is long enough, if you stretchedit out, to go the width of a tennis
court, to give you some perspective.
And the surface area of ourgut, flattened out, would cover
the size of a football field.
It's tremendous, it's enormous, and it'sall packed between your shoulders, well,
(14:13):
your mouth, down... shoulders, and most ofit between the ribs and your pelvic bones.
That's how much work yourgut does every day for you.
It's working 24/7, all along the channel.
In fact, it's a bit of a machine.
I like,... it makes methink of the body machine.
I don't know if you know aboutSchoolhouse Rock, or if you, like
(14:36):
me, used to watch Saturday cartoonsand see the Schoolhouse Rock gang
teach through music, but thereused to be a song called the body
machine and it went like this.
I used to sing this sometimes atthe beginning to introduce a class
on metabolism or something, but itgoes "when you look down the street,
what do you see the street isoverflowing with lots of machines.
(14:57):
Now I don't mean the buses,the trucks or the cars.
We're talking about you people.
Now you know who you are.
I'm a machine.
You're a machine, everybody that youknow, you know, they are machines.
To keep your engine running
you need energy, for your highpowered revved up body machine."
Well, I just went off tunethere, but you get the point! But
there's a part where it starts in,
(15:17):
and though some people have critiquedit for not being a hundred percent
accurate, it starts with "first,the saliva is kind of like a driver
move to the rear of the mouth."
And what I think is so relevantis that that teaches kids, and
maybe we've forgotten, thatdigestion starts in the mouth.
And that is the only place along yourdigestive tract that you have control.
(15:42):
And I want you to get this in your mindbecause when I've worked with individuals
and taught classes on this, this has,you know, been obvious once I pointed
out, but sort of like a surprise moment.
It's the only place where youget to say what goes in, how
much goes in, and how much you'regoing to chew before you swallow.
(16:03):
And you leave it to the magicthat happens, the chemistry, the
compounds, the antioxidants, theenzymes, the hormones down below.
So, in your mouth, it's superimportant, you've got these white,
hard, enamel substances called teeth.
They tear, they grind, theymasticate and mush. They
(16:24):
make the food ready to go down.
But not only that, certain digestiveenzymes are secreted in the mouth.
Amylase is one, and there are othersthat start actual digestion in the mouth.
The more you chew, the more you get thatpre opportunity to help your digestion
(16:45):
along the way before it hits your stomach,which is often likened to a soup pot.
Or in traditional Chinese medicine,they call it the cauldron.
The soup pot down below.
You only get 3 to 6 inches of27 feet where you're in control.
And then what do you do?
You cross your fingers andyou hope it all works out.
(17:05):
You swallow and then let thebody machine do the rest.
So it's important to think aboutthose initial points, and that will be
built into one of our tips for today.
So what we do have control inthis process is how we eat.
So eating well is partof that process today.
(17:26):
But there are some other things beyondeating well and making choices that
can help us with our regularity.
But in thinking about eatingwell and the choices that we make,
there are different foods,different nutrients that can impact
our regularity, the timing, and more.
But the one I really wantto focus on today is fiber.
Here's the problem.
(17:46):
Less than 5 percent of Americans, andit's not that much better globally, get
the recommended daily, amount offiber, the amount, the 25 to 38 grams per
day that's recommended for fiber intake.
Most of us are fallingshort, not a few, and it does
contribute to a host of problems.
(18:07):
Some have predicted that a lot ofour health issues, especially ones
of the gut, could be
decreased by simply- it's not simpleall the time - but simply adding
the fiber or getting enough fiber.
And even more serious issues likeincreased risk of colorectal cancer,
(18:27):
has been linked to fiber consumption.
Many of us are already workingto improve our gut microbiome.
You may have maybe taking probioticsor eating for a healthy microbiome,
It's a topic we'll talk about
in other times, but it all startswith our regularity and getting
into a semi consistent pattern.
(18:48):
That is what regularity means.
So why does it really matter?
And then, so what can we do?
That's what we're going to talk about.
So let's talk about thereturn on investment, the ROI,
as I always call it, the benefits.
of keeping things regular.
You might be surprised at howmuch it impacts your life.
(19:09):
Many of us think that irregularityis dictated by our constitutional
health or genetics, our healthpicture, but that's just not the case.
Except in cases of chronic disorders,IBS, irritable bowel, that is...
celiac, certain conditions of the gut,you can take charge of a lot of
(19:33):
the issues with regularity. And ifyou can't fully, fix it, you'll
certainly can improve the symptoms, evenwith some of the chronic conditions,
you can certainly improve some of thesymptoms that you might struggle with.
So what are some of the ROIs?
Number one is banished bloating.
A lot of people complain about bloating.
(19:55):
And when things are movingsmoothly, you can feel it.
When they're not moving smoothly, you getcrampy, you get gassy, you get bloaty.
All those things.
Saying regular, you can reducethat discomfort and feel lighter.
And more energetic.
And interestingly, my daughter came,she was learning about homonyms,
(20:15):
and she was doing things like dear,like 'my dear friend' versus deer the
animal, and ewe, the female sheep,and you versus, like, you and me.
And she, out of the blue thismorning, said, "You know, Mom,
the word 'pooped' means tired.
And of course 'poop' also means, well,you know what, I guess they're homonyms."
(20:38):
But what was curious to me...that was a good observation, I
thought, out of, out of her mind.
but what I thought was curious was,we do say, "I'm pooped" when I'm tired.
But if you get more regular, guess what?
You're less 'pooped.'
You're less sluggish and generally moreenergetic when you get more regular.
That can be a positive side effect.
(21:00):
Another benefit
of regularity is reducedrisk of colon cancer.
While constipation has not beendirectly linked to an increased risk
of colon cancer, many of the factorsthat cause irregularity also elevate
the susceptibility to cancer, includingthings like poor eating habits,
(21:21):
excess weight gain, a lack of physicalactivity, being inactive and sedentary.
And lifestyle changes like these,remember eat well, move daily,
be healthy... lifestyle changescan safeguard against both,
helping us eat more fiber can help.
And fiber has been linked tolower risk of colorectal cancer.
(21:43):
So this is sort of apowerful motivator to get some
of those fiber rich foods in.
Also, another benefit, it's moreimmediate, but not so publicly
discussed, is decreased strainingwhen you're going to the bathroom.
Not only is straining for stooluncomfortable when you're in the
bathroom, it's one of the primarycauses of hemorrhoids, which can cause
(22:05):
itching, swelling, and even bleeding.
More people have experienced them,and the benefit of lifestyle changes
and some of the simple practicesyou can make to get you more regular
are bigger than you even think.
If you've heard of Preparation H,always, it's always been assumed,
but I, I've sort of read somewherethat it maybe hasn't been conclusively
(22:27):
that the H stands for hemorrhoids.
When it first came out in the 1930s,it was generally to reduce inflammation
and foster healing in affected areas.
But the primary area thatPreparation H has always been used.
is for hemorrhoids.
If you've seen some of theTikTok or beauty hacks, you may
have seen some off label uses.
(22:47):
Number one of them being reducedpuffiness under the eyes.
And I want you to exercise caution if thatis ever something that you consider doing.
Under the eye, is very fineskin and can be extra sensitive.
So be careful if you do that.
I am not advocating that as a choice.
And I think that there are actuallybetter things to de puff under the eyes.
(23:09):
The eyes that may be safer if youcare to try it, but Preparation
H has been used for that also.
Also the newer formula, which maybe decades old, I don't know exactly
when it changed, has a vasoconstrictorin it, which may have the impact
now on hemorrhoids as well asother things that it's used for.
Another ROI benefit is immune system.
(23:30):
It can help foster a healthy immune systemand support a healthy immune system.
If the gut is considered aregional immune system, this
makes all the sense in the world.
And further to that, the foods thatwe know impact our immune system,
the antioxidants, the phytochemicals,the vitamins and minerals, the carbs,
fat, fiber, all of thosethings affect our immune system and
(23:52):
they pass through the mouth and theypass through the digestive system.
That's how we get our nutrients.
So there's no question thatwe've become more familiar with
gut health and talking about it.
But there's been a growing bodyof science on the topic and also
revelations about this gut brain access,the connection between the gut and the
(24:13):
brain and our emotions, you know, that,that saying, "I've got a gut feeling."
There may be something to thatas well as the immune system.
Another very clear benefitfrom becoming more regular is
less reliance on medications.
Number one, and in particular.
regularity can reduce the needfor over the counter medications
like laxatives and, antacids.
(24:36):
You know, the other one that peopletake for heartburn or digestive upset.
Some of these medications can alsohave side effects that are unwanted
or uncomfortable or interact withother medications you're taking.
So getting regular could help with that.
And finally, the benefit I want to share,which is not tongue in cheek, there's
actually research on this a little bit,but, getting regular could improve
(24:59):
your social life, you know, you mightbe saying "say what?" to that, but it's
true, not because directly thatyou say, "well, I, you know, I'm more
regular, therefore I'm more social,"but feeling good in your body means
you're more likely to be able to beactive and social and engage in life.
You might be more able to take the longerwalks or engage in a sports, sport or
(25:22):
team sports or get up and go.
So regularity can help you feel betterphysically and emotionally, and it
makes it easier to enjoy life's moments.
So another little story before wetalk about practical tips today,
and that's about Uncle Sam's cereal.
When I first started out in privatepractice a little over 20 years
(25:44):
ago, I was often on the lookout, Istill am, for foods that had good
ingredient lists, good nutrient facts,And convenient fit the lifestyle
of the people I was working with.
And I'm among those people because let'sface it, not everyone is able to eat
a whole foods diet where we make allour recipes from scratch every meal.
And in active lives, people havedifferent choices and I respect that.
(26:08):
Um, they should feel good about eatingwhat they choose to eat, eating healthy.
And, we know that there aresome good foods on the shelves.
We certainly know that there are somefoods that we are over processed, ultra
processed, packaged foods, but let'sfocus on the positive for a minute.
Well, I was working with one person whowas looking for a cereal, and it was
(26:30):
a convenient solution for breakfast.
I know that not everyone hascereal for breakfast, but this
person was, and a lot of people do.
And I'm all for cerealin the right context.
Cereal can be a great thing.
Number one, you can find onesthat have great ingredient lists,
start with the whole grain.
And fiber, we already know thatfiber is one of the nutrients
of concern that certainly mostof us aren't getting enough of.
And cereal can also be a greatvehicle for other good foods, like
(26:53):
fruits, like blueberries or bananascome to mind that I always put in
my cereal when I have a cold cereal.
And also, what dowe eat our cereal with?
We eat it with either dairymilk or plant based milk that is
fortified, hopefully, with calcium.
So it becomes a source of calcium andmaybe even potassium, other nutrients of
concern that we're not getting enough of.
(27:15):
So anyway, I was shopping thecereal aisle, and this was back
in the, a couple decades ago, andI came across Uncle Sam's cereal.
It was sort of nostalgic, like, Ididn't grow up with it per se, but
I remember it from my childhood.
And I looked, and it's beenaround even longer than that.
It's been around probably aslong as anyone in the world
has been around at this point.
116 years. It came out in 1908.
(27:38):
And there it was looking at me on theshelf, and I'm smart enough to know that
when I pick up a package that's compellingon the front, even though it was very
traditional, the, the label andthe, the packaging, it looked like it
probably had looked for a long, long time.
I grabbed it and I turned it over,because the first things that I look
at are the ingredient list first.
(27:59):
Do the ingredients stack up?
How do they look?
Am I okay with those?
And then the nutrient facts.
And in this case, I was happy.
There was... a whole grainwas right at the front.
I was very happy when I saw10 grams of fiber per serving.
Awesome.
But then shocker, I started lookingat the marketing on it and oh
my gosh, this is what it said.
(28:21):
'A National Natural Laxative.
It's Uncle Sam's, so it'sgot the 'national' part in it.
'A National Natural Laxative.'
That was on the box!
So, yeah, fiber was already athing, but I don't know of any other -
please, write me if you know another -
food item that was being marketed intoour meals of the day that actually
(28:47):
use the word laxative on it, youknow, there's usually a separation
there, or we euphemistically say,"I'm trying to get more fiber."
And we all know whatwe're talking about there.
Plus, I like to lead with flavoror that you enjoy the food.
Anyway, this was even well beforeJamie Lee Curtis was talking about,
you know, the 'occasional irregularity.'
(29:08):
Uncle Sam's cereal had it rightthere on the box, laxative.
Well, I don't know how many decades it hadbeen there, maybe since the beginning, but
I came to find a few, a few years later,I was looking for another box that,
you know, to, to see it and to match itup, and they had taken that marketing off.
I think that probably someoneinternally, hopefully a dietitian, I
didn't even think of that, maybe, sortof said people are looking for the
(29:30):
words whole grain or high in fiber.
And so those are the things thatare called out today when you
look at an Uncle Sam cereal box.
So, how can we start supportingour gut health today?
I'm going to give you a fewsimple tips and I hope you can
use one, two, three, all of them.
And I've wrapped them upin five different areas.
(29:50):
One is boost your fiber.
I mean, I've talked about it already.
I led in with Uncle Sam's cerealjust now to preview into the tips.
Aim to get more fiber.
Now, this is not to say that youcan't have your sourdough bread or
your white bread or your white rice.
I'm not saying that you always haveto have it, but on your regular or
frequently eaten meals, and fooditems like crackers and bread, your
(30:11):
everyday foods, try to get threegrams of fiber or more per serving.
Seek out the fruits andvegetables and make sure they're
on your plate at every meal.
You know, raspberries have 8 gramsof fiber in one 50 calorie cup.
That is outstanding for a fruit.
Look for chia seeds and flax seedsand whole grains and things like
(30:32):
oats, to add to your day.
I'm going to focus on chia for a secondbecause it is really a powerhouse.
It has soluble and insoluble fiber,and it's been shown to benefit
cholesterol and cardiovascularhealth and a host of other things.
Um, I also do consult with aChia company down in Chile.
Their name is Benexia, meaning'Good Chia', Benexia, that I adore.
(30:57):
They do regenerative agriculture,they're 50 percent farmer owned,
they're eco friendly on every level,and they do ingredients that are, you
know, all the best quality from Chia.
But the reason I bring up Chiafor fiber is because it has this
quality that it can be integratedinto things like Chia pudding.
(31:17):
Like, chia jams.
Maybe you've been seeingjams, jam recipes.
The last couple books of mine,I've had a chia jam recipe, and
those date back over a decade.
where you basically just take,fresh berries or frozen berries
and you cook them on the stove tomake sort of a sauce or compote
and they become mashed up.
(31:37):
You add a few tablespoons of chia, itgels up because the chia has a mucilage,
a gelling like property, sort of likepectin, but it's a different property.
And it gels up and it makes aterrific no-added-sugar jam.
But chia can be baked with.
You can eat the seeds. If youdon't want the seeds - your gut
digests them beautifully - but you cangrind them if you want... to integrate
(31:58):
them into baked goods. Theycan be used in a variety of ways.
But the tip really is eat more fiberand focus on fiber on a daily basis.
Second tip, walk after meals.
We dedicated an entire episode,episode 3 of 1,000 Waking
Minutes, to walking after meals.
The benefits are so important.
(32:20):
A simple stroll after eating, 700 steps
even, can help move your foodthrough your digestive system.
They can help prevent heavy bloating.
It can help your diaphragmstart to massage your gut because
of how the breathing happens.
Your posture stands up.
Gravity gets in.
This is a, another pointof mechanical digestion.
(32:42):
Your torso twists.
When you walk, and you start movingthat space between your ribs and
your pelvic area, and it feels good.
So, there's lots of reasons... Episode 3has more about walking after meals. But
when it comes to regularity and digestivehealth, this one is really a slam dunk.
And this is a 'Move Daily' tip.
into being more regular.
(33:03):
Hydration.
This may sound obvious, butI can't repeat it enough:
drinking plenty of water.
Water comes in many forms, so it can beflat or bubbly, it can be in juices, in
fruits, in vegetables, it can be in soups.
You can think of water beingin a lot of different places.
20 percent, or up to 20 percent, ofour hydration can come through our
(33:25):
food, so really use that as a tool.
And we know that staying hydrate softensthe stool, so it makes passing stool
easier, constipation less likely, andit helps keep things moving through
the system, not only through the weightof water, but it helps consolidate and
move through and help peristalsis out.
(33:46):
The next tip is to chew more.
I call this chewing consciously.
Do you know how many times you chew?
Maybe,... maybe not.
Most of us don't.
So more than you did before iswhat I'm encouraging you to do.
And how you can get to know thatis just, you know, count how many
chews you do and then do a few more.
Chewing, and remember thisis the start of digestion.
(34:09):
This is where you have anopportunity to make some decisions
about helping digestion happen.
You literally
can mush up the food and make iteasier to digest, which ultimately
impacts digestion down below.
Chewing is an incredible opportunityalso down to, down the path
(34:30):
to slow your 'speed of feed'.
So you only have six to eightinches, let's say, maximum in
the space of your mouth whereyou get some say so in digestion..
in 27 feet, six to eight inches maximum.
So take advantage ofchewing, slowing down.
There are really good mindfuleating, sort of exercises,
(34:52):
to experience like slowing down.
And if you want a number, everyonealways says, well, how many
times should I chew? Aim for 20.
It's a little bit arbitrary, but20 is, is more than you think.
So as you're chewing, it makes you engage.
And instead of gulping it down,it forces you into recognizing
your chewing behaviors.
(35:14):
And the final tip I want toencourage you to think about and
try, in fact, we're going to doit together, is circular massage.
This is one that can help mechanically,again, or physically with our digestion.
We can help our gut out.
This is something that Ilearned from my husband, Jason.
It's a practice adapted from TCM,from traditional Chinese medicine.
(35:37):
And I'm going to call this todayour "Mindful Minute Number Two", pun
intended. Circular massage.
It's a gentle abdominal massage.
I encourage you to do it at leastonce a day and to practice it.
We're going to do it for one minute,but I encourage you to do it two to five
minutes or however long it feels good.
But two to five minutes isplenty to get things started.
(35:58):
And I practically guarantee that thisis going to be your new favorite
secret trick that you do to help,to help your digestion become
healthier, more comfortable.
And you'll start to also identifysome trouble areas in your gut.
We all seem to have them, where thingsseem to get, like, sort of stuck, or
clogged, or tied up, or painful at times.
(36:19):
Okay, so I'm going to describe howwe're going to prepare to do this, and
then we're going to do it together.
First, I want you to sit up straightagain, and then relax, just like
we did with the belly breathing.
And this time again, if you're in aplace where you could actually lay your
body down, that could be a good waywhere, and then you put your knees up
so you can totally relax your abdomen.
(36:40):
Otherwise, relax where your feet areon the floor, you can really relax into
a chair and let your belly be soft.
This time I'm going to encourage youto, use your left fist so that
we're all on the same side and you'regoing to take a gentle fist and put
it right on top of your belly button.
So now we're a little bit higher up,and then you're going to gently wrap
(37:00):
your right hand over your left fist.
Now we're going to imagine that there'sa clock on your stomach between your
ribs and your pelvic bone where yourlegs bend and meet to form a lap.
On this clock, 12 is at the top,six at the, at the bottom, at your
pelvis, and the hour three is on yourleft hand side and the hour nine...
(37:20):
the hour nine is over on theright hand side of your body.
And we're going to be doingcircles in a clockwise fashion.
Small circles with a little bit ofpressure, not hard, not to cause
discomfort, small little circles.
And we're going to make a circle, ninetimes, and then move concentrically
(37:41):
and start making bigger circles,
always clockwise, making littlecircles as we move out, concentric
circles, out across our abdomen.
That's all there is to it.
You may find places where there's a littletension or discomfort, and it's okay if
you sort of stop there and keep,
(38:02):
you know, sort of moving.
You're not prodding and poking...
you're not trying to push things along,but this abdominal massage can, can really
be not only so helpful to digestion, butit can really reframe your comfort level
and everything in your digestive tractbetween your ribs and your pelvic bone.
Okay, we're going to begin and I'm goingto just have you breathe in and out,
(38:26):
inhale, exhale gently as we do this.
Let's get our startingposition and we'll begin now.
Our fist, our hand is gentlyover our fist and we're making
small circles on our abdomen.
After about nine circles then movea couple inches out from that and
(38:49):
start making little circles alonga bigger circle in your abdomen.
Stop and stay a while if there's a placethat's a little ornery
with you or feel, or feels really good.
We're always working in aclockwise fashion because that's
(39:10):
how the final
nine feet or so of your colon travel.
Your ascending colon comes up theright side, comes across the left,
goes underneath your ribcage, andthen exits down the left side, the
descending colon, and out of the body.
Four more seconds.
(39:35):
There you go.
Our mindful minute number two for today.
That was great.
And clockwise is always the way to go.
There are indications,I've learned for counterclockwise,
sometimes if you have looser stoolsor to slow the system down a little
bit if you're having bouts of illness.
(39:57):
But generally speaking, wemove in a clockwise fashion.
And if you have a bout of foodpoisoning, and we've all had
that on occasion, your body'sactually trying to get things out.
So we don't necessarily wantto slow that down, even though
that can cause discomfort.
This is something that you can do.
At least once a day.
Morning time is a great time when you wakeup first thing in the morning and you can
(40:19):
stay in bed for a couple extra minutesbefore you get up and start your day.
Get your knees raised, your abdomen willbe very soft and relaxed at that point.
And you can also do this beforebed and anytime in between.
Maybe just not right after a meal.
That may not be as comfortable.
So I hope you enjoyedthat extra mindful minute.
(40:41):
So now as we get toward the end of thisepisode, I wanted to propose a question
as we do in each episode to think aboutthat's related to our daily minutes
and also ties into today's topic.
Today's question is (40:53):
"As you think about your 1, 000 waking minutes,
what's one small change you couldmake today to support your gut?"
That supports your digestive health.
Maybe it's adding a little more fiberto your meals, starting to take those
short walks after lunch or dinner.
Or practicing the belly breathing.
(41:14):
Or how about that circular massage?
Small changes do really add upover time and can make a big
difference in how you feel.
So, we have walked the width of atennis court today, remembering
how long your digestive tractis, those 27 feet or 9 meters.
And we've talked about gettingor becoming more regular.
(41:36):
It's pretty basic, but basicstuff is really important
sometimes. This is the foundationof, digestive health.
And I wanted to start there.
We started exploring our gut health, andthankfully, we're a bit more comfortable
today talking about this topic.
And naturally, we discussed someof the real benefits shown from
(41:58):
science, that you can experiencefrom getting more regular.
I provided some tips,hopefully ones you can do now.
Hopefully you'll take one or a fewand be able to start them right away.
Everything from adding some chia seeds andwhole grains, to walking after meals, to
the, belly massage, circular massage.
(42:19):
Regularity and gut health is part ofour overall health, and it's critical.
In the spirit of eat well, move daily, behealthy, this would fall into be healthy,
but we already know that the eatingwell and the move daily impact it too.
So I hope this episode gaveyou something to think about.
And maybe even a little inspirationto try one or two of these things.
(42:42):
If you found today's episode helpful,I'd love for you to share it with a
friend and encourage them to listenand perhaps subscribe as well.
I'm grateful.
Well, that's all for today.
I'm Wendy Bazilian, and you'relistening to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
Thanks again for sharing some ofyour waking minutes with me today.
Till next time, be well.
(43:14):
Thank you for tuninginto 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to our amazingcollaborators, including our production
and marketing teams and GabrielaEscalante in particular, to the ultra
talented Beza for my theme music,my lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
Preis Photography and Design, to DanielleBallantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell,
(43:36):
and of course my family and everyoneworking tirelessly behind the scenes
and to you, our valued listeners.
I so appreciate your support.
If you enjoyed today's episode, pleaseconsider leaving a comment, writing
a review, and giving 1,000 WakingMinutes, that's us, a five star rating.
And please hit subscribe onApple Podcasts, Spotify, or
(43:59):
wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
Please follow and stayconnected at wendybazilian.
com.
And don't forget toshare with your friends.
Your support helps us grow andbring you more great content.
Until next time, find some simpleopportunities to optimize those
1, 000 waking minutes each day.
(44:41):
Yeah!
Small changes do really add upover time and can make a big
difference in how you feel.
We experience 1, 000 wakingminutes on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr.
Wendy Bazilian and you'relistening to 1, 000 Waking Minutes.
(00:21):
I can't wait to connect with youhere with practical ways to eat
well, move daily, and be healthy.
To optimize every waking minute youlive for a happier, healthier life.
Thank you for sharing some ofyour waking minutes with me today.
Let's get started.
I'm saying yes to better days.
Yes.
(00:42):
I'm on my way.
Yes.
It's gonna be okay.
Welcome back to 1,000 Waking Minutes, wherewe talk about making the most of every one
of those precious waking minutes each day.
(01:03):
I'm Dr.
Wendy Bazilian, and today'sepisode, let's just say, is on a
topic that we all need to hear, butdon't always like to talk about.
Well, at least not around the dinnertable like so many of the other health
topics that tend to converse over.
We're talking about gut healthand staying regular today.
(01:25):
And indeed, it's about digestionand how our gut impacts everything
from our physical health to ourimmune system, and even to our mood.
By the end of today's episode,you'll have a better understanding
of how keeping things regularcan actually be life changing.
It's all about small actions, as weknow, that make a big difference, right?
(01:47):
And I know that you know this, that youprobably have experiences where some
small tweaks have really had payoff.
So I've got some simple, practical waysthat you can start doing just that.
with something that we all knowabout, but maybe don't talk about enough.
So let's start with a throwback.
Do you remember when Jamie Lee Curtis wassitting on her comfy sofa on a commercial
(02:14):
talking about occasional irregularity?
This was some 15, maybeclose to 20 years ago.
And it was an ad for Activia yogurt.
At the time, this was almost shocking.
This was, um, no one.
She was making it feelnormal, as if you're having
a conversation with a friend.
(02:34):
She was.
And she made it almost light hearted.
Her frank approach to such a taboosubject was so groundbreaking
that some called it 'too memorable'.
And it became the fodder of SNL skits,
and a permanent part ofJamie Lee Curtis's resume,
I'm sure alongside of, you know,all of her wonderful, sometimes
(02:57):
lighthearted performances, of course.
At the time, this ad, what she had thechutzpah, I love that word, in doing
is sort of setting us up for a topic, andwhat she was doing was groundbreaking.
Suddenly gut health wasn't taboo.
It was mainstream, on mainstreamtelevision, on mainstream network
(03:19):
channels, and she made it feellike, it was okay to talk about
something that we all deal with.
This ad really started a lotof conversations, and gut
health has become a hot topic.
It has been for a couple decades.
But here's what I want you to take away.
Your gut health is so much morethan probiotics and yogurt.
(03:39):
Um, it's deeply tied to your immunesystem, to your mental well being,
In fact, some scientists call the gut thesecond brain, and it deserves that title.
Despite Jamie Lee's breakthrough, manyof us though still talk sort of quietly
or in friendly 'code words' about gut healthor our slow intestinal transit time.
(04:04):
You know, we're open about talkingabout probiotics or prebiotics, or we hear
about the word postbiotic, maybe, thisemerging arena, but rarely do we go into
the specifics about intestinal distress.
But it is a topic thatseems to be on all our minds.
In doctor's offices, in hospitals,in my clinical practice, regularity
(04:27):
is one of the most commonproblems that people discuss.
and that they struggle with.
In fact, by some estimates, 80 percentof us will experience constipation
at some point in our lives, andnearly 4 million people experience
constipation on a frequent basis.
That's a lot.
(04:48):
So why do some of us still hidethe box of prunes under the
groceries in our shopping carts?
I've always said that I wanted tooffer a class, and I've pitched it
a few times, called ConstipationNation: All Things Regularity.
It didn't fly, and I can'tblame people for not loving the,
the word 'constipation' in the titleof a class, but I'm still convinced
(05:11):
that everyone would be interested.
It's just, you know, maybe noone would show up, you know,
no one would really attend.
Or if they did attend,... there was aclassroom I used to teach in regularly
that had windows on two sides.
I always sort of pictured that peoplewould attend the class from the outside.
They'd sort of have their soup can ortheir sort of listening gear, you know,
(05:32):
monitoring and wanting to listen in orwrite me privately or leave me a voicemail
because they wanted the handouts, but they didn't want to attend the class.
People clearly reluctantto show their faces.
I have a wild imaginationon that, by the way.
But in all sincerity, now isour opportunity for us to get
real about this important topic.
(05:52):
So we're going to talk about ithere in the hopes that you'll be
more comfortable talking about it.
Perhaps we can answer some questionsyou've been reluctant to broach, and
I'll offer some remedies, hopefully, somepractices and tips that may help you, if
not eliminate your irregularity, at leasthelp, make it less frequent or make
(06:15):
your regularity more regular and hopefullykick some of its side effects like gas
and bloating and pain with digestion.
Boy, would that be a relief!
Alright, so before we dive deeper here,let's do our mindful minute together.
I'm going to call this one a 'gut check.'
For those of you who have listenedbefore, you know that I always build
(06:37):
in some kind of mindful minute,
that brings us in connection withwhat our topic of the day is, and also a
way to measure one of our waking minutesthat we're sharing together today.
This is a simple exercise, andit's one that really brings us
back in connection with our body.
In every episode, I will talkabout and prepare you for it.
(06:59):
And then we will spendthe minute together.
I'll prompt you just a littlebit within that minute.
I'll have a start andan end to the minute.
And then we'll reflect on the minute.
So this is how we prepare:
Take a moment sort of to situp tall, to get everything sort
of straightened out, especially ifwe've been slouching for the day.
And now I'm going to have you relax.
(07:21):
So you're going to take a momentnow to sit back and relax.
This is something that we do not ina full upright posture, but a little
bit more relaxed and let your bellybe loose and then you're going to put
one hand on your stomach and by doingthat, I want you to put your thumb on
your navel, on your belly button, andthen let your hand just sort of fall
and rest just below your belly button.
(07:43):
I've learned from Jason, my husband,who practices traditional Chinese
medicine, that's called the dantianor the center of the lower belly.
And it's a center of energy as well.
If you've done yoga breathing, yogicbreathing, belly breathing, if you've
done any practices in Qigong, maybeyou already know this, but this is a
good place to get sort of anatomicallysituated for some breathing.
(08:06):
And then you just let your palmrest gently on the fabric of your
clothing or on your bare skin.
Now, as you take a deep breath, I wantyou to breathe into your belly, we're
still not in the minute, I'm preppingyou for this, but we're going to breathe
into our belly and feel your bellyexpand like a little bit of a balloon,
(08:26):
or like an accordion pushing down andletting it expand out, and your hand
sort of pushes out, filling with air.
When you're filled with air, then we'regoing to hold it for three
pulses.
One, two, three.
You're not doing anything, but I'mgoing to count one, two, three,
and then we're going to exhale.
We're going to repeat that breathingmethod where we take an inhale, feel
(08:51):
your belly rise one, two, three, asyou hold it and then exhale out again.
And that's how we're goingto take the minute together.
Now, before we start, let's sit upagain, readjust, get, get relaxed.
Okay.
You can close your eyes if you're in aplace where you can do that safely, so you
(09:12):
can really focus on the breathing and alsofeeling your abdomen rising and falling.
Now let's begin.
Take a deep breath.
Let your belly rise.
Feel it expand like a balloon.
Accordion of your lungs going down.
One, two, three.
(09:34):
Slowly exhale and your belly gently fall.
We're going to repeat that.
Inhale.
One, two, three.
Three.
Slowly exhale.
You continue the breathing.
And think about how yourbody is feeling right now.
(09:54):
Do you hear or feel any gurgles?
Can you feel your diaphragmpushing on your intestines?
If not, imagine this happening,the lungs going down.
Breathe in deep and low into the lungs.
Do a couple on your own.
(10:15):
About five seconds.
That's our minute.
Now, take a few moments toreflect on your experience.
How did it feel?
Is your breathing calmer or slower now?
Did you feel anything happeningin your abdomen when it happened?
(10:36):
There's no right answerto this, by the way.
Did you feel any tension or unease?
And how has that changed?
Did you maybe feel your breathing go fromhigher up in your shoulders and chest,
move down and really fill your lungs,fill your lungs and get into the belly?
(10:57):
That kind of belly breathing helpsrelax the digestive system and
also help it work more efficiently.
It's simple, but it's so powerful.
So taking that one minute andyou'll come to see how many,
full slow breaths that is for you.
For me, it's about seven when I'm relaxed.
I can see when I'm a bit more woundup, I get, it's a few more and sometimes
(11:20):
it rises to my chest a little bit.
If you've ever watched amusician on clarinet or
oboe as I used to play, or saxophoneor a woodwind instrument.
or if you've done that yourself,you've likely, seen or heard
coaching about moving the chest,breathing into the belly breathing
(11:40):
so that you can extend the note.
You can play through the phrasingso that you have more endurance
and stamina for playing.
And since yoga is so popular todayand other mindful exercises, the
concept of belly breathing may not beforeign to you, but maybe you haven't
given so much thought about the factthat it helps with digestion too.
(12:01):
Actually, mechanical digestion.
I'm going to talk about themechanics of your gut health
because of how you're breathing,you're actually helping peristalsis
and helping the flow over time.
Thank you for sharing thatmindful minute with me.
So now, let's dig into whygut health matters so much.
We know that staying regularis important for digestion,
(12:22):
but it's much bigger than that.
Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria.
That number just boggles my mind.
It's more than a 'bazilian' which ismy last name. Trillions, and it's the,
what we call the gut microbiome. You know,the environment, the ecosystem of our gut.
This community of bacteria does more thanjust help us break down food, of course.
(12:46):
It influences our immune system, ourbrain, even how we manage stress.
We'll have other episodes to comewith topics on, you know, like the
pre and post and,probiotics, cellsenescence, which is an emerging space,
um, that is when aging cells stop dividingand start creating problems in the body.
(13:08):
There was actually just a greatarticle, in the most recent
issue of Today's Dietitian that talkabout cellular senescence and that
phenomenon and the impact it can haveon the gut and the brain and more.
But today is really about the basicsand it's not basic, it's critical.
A healthy gut movement, the regularityand working on your balance there impacts
(13:30):
your overall health in a variety of ways.
So here's a fun fact for you.
Did you know that your digestivesystem is about nine meters long?
That's 27 feet on averagefrom mouth to colon.
Your digestive system starts inyour mouth and it runs all the
way down, of course, to where
(13:51):
you exit at the colonin your pelvic area.
That is long enough, if you stretchedit out, to go the width of a tennis
court, to give you some perspective.
And the surface area of ourgut, flattened out, would cover
the size of a football field.
It's tremendous, it's enormous, and it'sall packed between your shoulders, well,
(14:13):
your mouth, down... shoulders, and most ofit between the ribs and your pelvic bones.
That's how much work yourgut does every day for you.
It's working 24/7, all along the channel.
In fact, it's a bit of a machine.
I like,... it makes methink of the body machine.
I don't know if you know aboutSchoolhouse Rock, or if you, like
(14:36):
me, used to watch Saturday cartoonsand see the Schoolhouse Rock gang
teach through music, but thereused to be a song called the body
machine and it went like this.
I used to sing this sometimes atthe beginning to introduce a class
on metabolism or something, but itgoes "when you look down the street,
what do you see the street isoverflowing with lots of machines.
(14:57):
Now I don't mean the buses,the trucks or the cars.
We're talking about you people.
Now you know who you are.
I'm a machine.
You're a machine, everybody that youknow, you know, they are machines.
To keep your engine running
you need energy, for your highpowered revved up body machine."
Well, I just went off tunethere, but you get the point! But
there's a part where it starts in,
(15:17):
and though some people have critiquedit for not being a hundred percent
accurate, it starts with "first,the saliva is kind of like a driver
move to the rear of the mouth."
And what I think is so relevantis that that teaches kids, and
maybe we've forgotten, thatdigestion starts in the mouth.
And that is the only place along yourdigestive tract that you have control.
(15:42):
And I want you to get this in your mindbecause when I've worked with individuals
and taught classes on this, this has,you know, been obvious once I pointed
out, but sort of like a surprise moment.
It's the only place where youget to say what goes in, how
much goes in, and how much you'regoing to chew before you swallow.
(16:03):
And you leave it to the magicthat happens, the chemistry, the
compounds, the antioxidants, theenzymes, the hormones down below.
So, in your mouth, it's superimportant, you've got these white,
hard, enamel substances called teeth.
They tear, they grind, theymasticate and mush. They
(16:24):
make the food ready to go down.
But not only that, certain digestiveenzymes are secreted in the mouth.
Amylase is one, and there are othersthat start actual digestion in the mouth.
The more you chew, the more you get thatpre opportunity to help your digestion
(16:45):
along the way before it hits your stomach,which is often likened to a soup pot.
Or in traditional Chinese medicine,they call it the cauldron.
The soup pot down below.
You only get 3 to 6 inches of27 feet where you're in control.
And then what do you do?
You cross your fingers andyou hope it all works out.
(17:05):
You swallow and then let thebody machine do the rest.
So it's important to think aboutthose initial points, and that will be
built into one of our tips for today.
So what we do have control inthis process is how we eat.
So eating well is partof that process today.
(17:26):
But there are some other things beyondeating well and making choices that
can help us with our regularity.
But in thinking about eatingwell and the choices that we make,
there are different foods,different nutrients that can impact
our regularity, the timing, and more.
But the one I really wantto focus on today is fiber.
Here's the problem.
(17:46):
Less than 5 percent of Americans, andit's not that much better globally, get
the recommended daily, amount offiber, the amount, the 25 to 38 grams per
day that's recommended for fiber intake.
Most of us are fallingshort, not a few, and it does
contribute to a host of problems.
(18:07):
Some have predicted that a lot ofour health issues, especially ones
of the gut, could be
decreased by simply- it's not simpleall the time - but simply adding
the fiber or getting enough fiber.
And even more serious issues likeincreased risk of colorectal cancer,
(18:27):
has been linked to fiber consumption.
Many of us are already workingto improve our gut microbiome.
You may have maybe taking probioticsor eating for a healthy microbiome,
It's a topic we'll talk about
in other times, but it all startswith our regularity and getting
into a semi consistent pattern.
(18:48):
That is what regularity means.
So why does it really matter?
And then, so what can we do?
That's what we're going to talk about.
So let's talk about thereturn on investment, the ROI,
as I always call it, the benefits.
of keeping things regular.
You might be surprised at howmuch it impacts your life.
(19:09):
Many of us think that irregularityis dictated by our constitutional
health or genetics, our healthpicture, but that's just not the case.
Except in cases of chronic disorders,IBS, irritable bowel, that is...
celiac, certain conditions of the gut,you can take charge of a lot of
(19:33):
the issues with regularity. And ifyou can't fully, fix it, you'll
certainly can improve the symptoms, evenwith some of the chronic conditions,
you can certainly improve some of thesymptoms that you might struggle with.
So what are some of the ROIs?
Number one is banished bloating.
A lot of people complain about bloating.
(19:55):
And when things are movingsmoothly, you can feel it.
When they're not moving smoothly, you getcrampy, you get gassy, you get bloaty.
All those things.
Saying regular, you can reducethat discomfort and feel lighter.
And more energetic.
And interestingly, my daughter came,she was learning about homonyms,
(20:15):
and she was doing things like dear,like 'my dear friend' versus deer the
animal, and ewe, the female sheep,and you versus, like, you and me.
And she, out of the blue thismorning, said, "You know, Mom,
the word 'pooped' means tired.
And of course 'poop' also means, well,you know what, I guess they're homonyms."
(20:38):
But what was curious to me...that was a good observation, I
thought, out of, out of her mind.
but what I thought was curious was,we do say, "I'm pooped" when I'm tired.
But if you get more regular, guess what?
You're less 'pooped.'
You're less sluggish and generally moreenergetic when you get more regular.
That can be a positive side effect.
(21:00):
Another benefit
of regularity is reducedrisk of colon cancer.
While constipation has not beendirectly linked to an increased risk
of colon cancer, many of the factorsthat cause irregularity also elevate
the susceptibility to cancer, includingthings like poor eating habits,
(21:21):
excess weight gain, a lack of physicalactivity, being inactive and sedentary.
And lifestyle changes like these,remember eat well, move daily,
be healthy... lifestyle changescan safeguard against both,
helping us eat more fiber can help.
And fiber has been linked tolower risk of colorectal cancer.
(21:43):
So this is sort of apowerful motivator to get some
of those fiber rich foods in.
Also, another benefit, it's moreimmediate, but not so publicly
discussed, is decreased strainingwhen you're going to the bathroom.
Not only is straining for stooluncomfortable when you're in the
bathroom, it's one of the primarycauses of hemorrhoids, which can cause
(22:05):
itching, swelling, and even bleeding.
More people have experienced them,and the benefit of lifestyle changes
and some of the simple practicesyou can make to get you more regular
are bigger than you even think.
If you've heard of Preparation H,always, it's always been assumed,
but I, I've sort of read somewherethat it maybe hasn't been conclusively
(22:27):
that the H stands for hemorrhoids.
When it first came out in the 1930s,it was generally to reduce inflammation
and foster healing in affected areas.
But the primary area thatPreparation H has always been used.
is for hemorrhoids.
If you've seen some of theTikTok or beauty hacks, you may
have seen some off label uses.
(22:47):
Number one of them being reducedpuffiness under the eyes.
And I want you to exercise caution if thatis ever something that you consider doing.
Under the eye, is very fineskin and can be extra sensitive.
So be careful if you do that.
I am not advocating that as a choice.
And I think that there are actuallybetter things to de puff under the eyes.
(23:09):
The eyes that may be safer if youcare to try it, but Preparation
H has been used for that also.
Also the newer formula, which maybe decades old, I don't know exactly
when it changed, has a vasoconstrictorin it, which may have the impact
now on hemorrhoids as well asother things that it's used for.
Another ROI benefit is immune system.
(23:30):
It can help foster a healthy immune systemand support a healthy immune system.
If the gut is considered aregional immune system, this
makes all the sense in the world.
And further to that, the foods thatwe know impact our immune system,
the antioxidants, the phytochemicals,the vitamins and minerals, the carbs,
fat, fiber, all of thosethings affect our immune system and
(23:52):
they pass through the mouth and theypass through the digestive system.
That's how we get our nutrients.
So there's no question thatwe've become more familiar with
gut health and talking about it.
But there's been a growing bodyof science on the topic and also
revelations about this gut brain access,the connection between the gut and the
(24:13):
brain and our emotions, you know, that,that saying, "I've got a gut feeling."
There may be something to thatas well as the immune system.
Another very clear benefitfrom becoming more regular is
less reliance on medications.
Number one, and in particular.
regularity can reduce the needfor over the counter medications
like laxatives and, antacids.
(24:36):
You know, the other one that peopletake for heartburn or digestive upset.
Some of these medications can alsohave side effects that are unwanted
or uncomfortable or interact withother medications you're taking.
So getting regular could help with that.
And finally, the benefit I want to share,which is not tongue in cheek, there's
actually research on this a little bit,but, getting regular could improve
(24:59):
your social life, you know, you mightbe saying "say what?" to that, but it's
true, not because directly thatyou say, "well, I, you know, I'm more
regular, therefore I'm more social,"but feeling good in your body means
you're more likely to be able to beactive and social and engage in life.
You might be more able to take the longerwalks or engage in a sports, sport or
(25:22):
team sports or get up and go.
So regularity can help you feel betterphysically and emotionally, and it
makes it easier to enjoy life's moments.
So another little story before wetalk about practical tips today,
and that's about Uncle Sam's cereal.
When I first started out in privatepractice a little over 20 years
(25:44):
ago, I was often on the lookout, Istill am, for foods that had good
ingredient lists, good nutrient facts,And convenient fit the lifestyle
of the people I was working with.
And I'm among those people because let'sface it, not everyone is able to eat
a whole foods diet where we make allour recipes from scratch every meal.
And in active lives, people havedifferent choices and I respect that.
(26:08):
Um, they should feel good about eatingwhat they choose to eat, eating healthy.
And, we know that there aresome good foods on the shelves.
We certainly know that there are somefoods that we are over processed, ultra
processed, packaged foods, but let'sfocus on the positive for a minute.
Well, I was working with one person whowas looking for a cereal, and it was
(26:30):
a convenient solution for breakfast.
I know that not everyone hascereal for breakfast, but this
person was, and a lot of people do.
And I'm all for cerealin the right context.
Cereal can be a great thing.
Number one, you can find onesthat have great ingredient lists,
start with the whole grain.
And fiber, we already know thatfiber is one of the nutrients
of concern that certainly mostof us aren't getting enough of.
And cereal can also be a greatvehicle for other good foods, like
(26:53):
fruits, like blueberries or bananascome to mind that I always put in
my cereal when I have a cold cereal.
And also, what dowe eat our cereal with?
We eat it with either dairymilk or plant based milk that is
fortified, hopefully, with calcium.
So it becomes a source of calcium andmaybe even potassium, other nutrients of
concern that we're not getting enough of.
(27:15):
So anyway, I was shopping thecereal aisle, and this was back
in the, a couple decades ago, andI came across Uncle Sam's cereal.
It was sort of nostalgic, like, Ididn't grow up with it per se, but
I remember it from my childhood.
And I looked, and it's beenaround even longer than that.
It's been around probably aslong as anyone in the world
has been around at this point.
116 years. It came out in 1908.
(27:38):
And there it was looking at me on theshelf, and I'm smart enough to know that
when I pick up a package that's compellingon the front, even though it was very
traditional, the, the label andthe, the packaging, it looked like it
probably had looked for a long, long time.
I grabbed it and I turned it over,because the first things that I look
at are the ingredient list first.
(27:59):
Do the ingredients stack up?
How do they look?
Am I okay with those?
And then the nutrient facts.
And in this case, I was happy.
There was... a whole grainwas right at the front.
I was very happy when I saw10 grams of fiber per serving.
Awesome.
But then shocker, I started lookingat the marketing on it and oh
my gosh, this is what it said.
(28:21):
'A National Natural Laxative.
It's Uncle Sam's, so it'sgot the 'national' part in it.
'A National Natural Laxative.'
That was on the box!
So, yeah, fiber was already athing, but I don't know of any other -
please, write me if you know another -
food item that was being marketed intoour meals of the day that actually
(28:47):
use the word laxative on it, youknow, there's usually a separation
there, or we euphemistically say,"I'm trying to get more fiber."
And we all know whatwe're talking about there.
Plus, I like to lead with flavoror that you enjoy the food.
Anyway, this was even well beforeJamie Lee Curtis was talking about,
you know, the 'occasional irregularity.'
(29:08):
Uncle Sam's cereal had it rightthere on the box, laxative.
Well, I don't know how many decades it hadbeen there, maybe since the beginning, but
I came to find a few, a few years later,I was looking for another box that,
you know, to, to see it and to match itup, and they had taken that marketing off.
I think that probably someoneinternally, hopefully a dietitian, I
didn't even think of that, maybe, sortof said people are looking for the
(29:30):
words whole grain or high in fiber.
And so those are the things thatare called out today when you
look at an Uncle Sam cereal box.
So, how can we start supportingour gut health today?
I'm going to give you a fewsimple tips and I hope you can
use one, two, three, all of them.
And I've wrapped them upin five different areas.
(29:50):
One is boost your fiber.
I mean, I've talked about it already.
I led in with Uncle Sam's cerealjust now to preview into the tips.
Aim to get more fiber.
Now, this is not to say that youcan't have your sourdough bread or
your white bread or your white rice.
I'm not saying that you always haveto have it, but on your regular or
frequently eaten meals, and fooditems like crackers and bread, your
(30:11):
everyday foods, try to get threegrams of fiber or more per serving.
Seek out the fruits andvegetables and make sure they're
on your plate at every meal.
You know, raspberries have 8 gramsof fiber in one 50 calorie cup.
That is outstanding for a fruit.
Look for chia seeds and flax seedsand whole grains and things like
(30:32):
oats, to add to your day.
I'm going to focus on chia for a secondbecause it is really a powerhouse.
It has soluble and insoluble fiber,and it's been shown to benefit
cholesterol and cardiovascularhealth and a host of other things.
Um, I also do consult with aChia company down in Chile.
Their name is Benexia, meaning'Good Chia', Benexia, that I adore.
(30:57):
They do regenerative agriculture,they're 50 percent farmer owned,
they're eco friendly on every level,and they do ingredients that are, you
know, all the best quality from Chia.
But the reason I bring up Chiafor fiber is because it has this
quality that it can be integratedinto things like Chia pudding.
(31:17):
Like, chia jams.
Maybe you've been seeingjams, jam recipes.
The last couple books of mine,I've had a chia jam recipe, and
those date back over a decade.
where you basically just take,fresh berries or frozen berries
and you cook them on the stove tomake sort of a sauce or compote
and they become mashed up.
(31:37):
You add a few tablespoons of chia, itgels up because the chia has a mucilage,
a gelling like property, sort of likepectin, but it's a different property.
And it gels up and it makes aterrific no-added-sugar jam.
But chia can be baked with.
You can eat the seeds. If youdon't want the seeds - your gut
digests them beautifully - but you cangrind them if you want... to integrate
(31:58):
them into baked goods. Theycan be used in a variety of ways.
But the tip really is eat more fiberand focus on fiber on a daily basis.
Second tip, walk after meals.
We dedicated an entire episode,episode 3 of 1,000 Waking
Minutes, to walking after meals.
The benefits are so important.
(32:20):
A simple stroll after eating, 700 steps
even, can help move your foodthrough your digestive system.
They can help prevent heavy bloating.
It can help your diaphragmstart to massage your gut because
of how the breathing happens.
Your posture stands up.
Gravity gets in.
This is a, another pointof mechanical digestion.
(32:42):
Your torso twists.
When you walk, and you start movingthat space between your ribs and
your pelvic area, and it feels good.
So, there's lots of reasons... Episode 3has more about walking after meals. But
when it comes to regularity and digestivehealth, this one is really a slam dunk.
And this is a 'Move Daily' tip.
into being more regular.
(33:03):
Hydration.
This may sound obvious, butI can't repeat it enough:
drinking plenty of water.
Water comes in many forms, so it can beflat or bubbly, it can be in juices, in
fruits, in vegetables, it can be in soups.
You can think of water beingin a lot of different places.
20 percent, or up to 20 percent, ofour hydration can come through our
(33:25):
food, so really use that as a tool.
And we know that staying hydrate softensthe stool, so it makes passing stool
easier, constipation less likely, andit helps keep things moving through
the system, not only through the weightof water, but it helps consolidate and
move through and help peristalsis out.
(33:46):
The next tip is to chew more.
I call this chewing consciously.
Do you know how many times you chew?
Maybe,... maybe not.
Most of us don't.
So more than you did before iswhat I'm encouraging you to do.
And how you can get to know thatis just, you know, count how many
chews you do and then do a few more.
Chewing, and remember thisis the start of digestion.
(34:09):
This is where you have anopportunity to make some decisions
about helping digestion happen.
You literally
can mush up the food and make iteasier to digest, which ultimately
impacts digestion down below.
Chewing is an incredible opportunityalso down to, down the path
(34:30):
to slow your 'speed of feed'.
So you only have six to eightinches, let's say, maximum in
the space of your mouth whereyou get some say so in digestion..
in 27 feet, six to eight inches maximum.
So take advantage ofchewing, slowing down.
There are really good mindfuleating, sort of exercises,
(34:52):
to experience like slowing down.
And if you want a number, everyonealways says, well, how many
times should I chew? Aim for 20.
It's a little bit arbitrary, but20 is, is more than you think.
So as you're chewing, it makes you engage.
And instead of gulping it down,it forces you into recognizing
your chewing behaviors.
(35:14):
And the final tip I want toencourage you to think about and
try, in fact, we're going to doit together, is circular massage.
This is one that can help mechanically,again, or physically with our digestion.
We can help our gut out.
This is something that Ilearned from my husband, Jason.
It's a practice adapted from TCM,from traditional Chinese medicine.
(35:37):
And I'm going to call this todayour "Mindful Minute Number Two", pun
intended. Circular massage.
It's a gentle abdominal massage.
I encourage you to do it at leastonce a day and to practice it.
We're going to do it for one minute,but I encourage you to do it two to five
minutes or however long it feels good.
But two to five minutes isplenty to get things started.
(35:58):
And I practically guarantee that thisis going to be your new favorite
secret trick that you do to help,to help your digestion become
healthier, more comfortable.
And you'll start to also identifysome trouble areas in your gut.
We all seem to have them, where thingsseem to get, like, sort of stuck, or
clogged, or tied up, or painful at times.
(36:19):
Okay, so I'm going to describe howwe're going to prepare to do this, and
then we're going to do it together.
First, I want you to sit up straightagain, and then relax, just like
we did with the belly breathing.
And this time again, if you're in aplace where you could actually lay your
body down, that could be a good waywhere, and then you put your knees up
so you can totally relax your abdomen.
(36:40):
Otherwise, relax where your feet areon the floor, you can really relax into
a chair and let your belly be soft.
This time I'm going to encourage youto, use your left fist so that
we're all on the same side and you'regoing to take a gentle fist and put
it right on top of your belly button.
So now we're a little bit higher up,and then you're going to gently wrap
(37:00):
your right hand over your left fist.
Now we're going to imagine that there'sa clock on your stomach between your
ribs and your pelvic bone where yourlegs bend and meet to form a lap.
On this clock, 12 is at the top,six at the, at the bottom, at your
pelvis, and the hour three is on yourleft hand side and the hour nine...
(37:20):
the hour nine is over on theright hand side of your body.
And we're going to be doingcircles in a clockwise fashion.
Small circles with a little bit ofpressure, not hard, not to cause
discomfort, small little circles.
And we're going to make a circle, ninetimes, and then move concentrically
(37:41):
and start making bigger circles,
always clockwise, making littlecircles as we move out, concentric
circles, out across our abdomen.
That's all there is to it.
You may find places where there's a littletension or discomfort, and it's okay if
you sort of stop there and keep,
(38:02):
you know, sort of moving.
You're not prodding and poking...
you're not trying to push things along,but this abdominal massage can, can really
be not only so helpful to digestion, butit can really reframe your comfort level
and everything in your digestive tractbetween your ribs and your pelvic bone.
Okay, we're going to begin and I'm goingto just have you breathe in and out,
(38:26):
inhale, exhale gently as we do this.
Let's get our startingposition and we'll begin now.
Our fist, our hand is gentlyover our fist and we're making
small circles on our abdomen.
After about nine circles then movea couple inches out from that and
(38:49):
start making little circles alonga bigger circle in your abdomen.
Stop and stay a while if there's a placethat's a little ornery
with you or feel, or feels really good.
We're always working in aclockwise fashion because that's
(39:10):
how the final
nine feet or so of your colon travel.
Your ascending colon comes up theright side, comes across the left,
goes underneath your ribcage, andthen exits down the left side, the
descending colon, and out of the body.
Four more seconds.
(39:35):
There you go.
Our mindful minute number two for today.
That was great.
And clockwise is always the way to go.
There are indications,I've learned for counterclockwise,
sometimes if you have looser stoolsor to slow the system down a little
bit if you're having bouts of illness.
(39:57):
But generally speaking, wemove in a clockwise fashion.
And if you have a bout of foodpoisoning, and we've all had
that on occasion, your body'sactually trying to get things out.
So we don't necessarily wantto slow that down, even though
that can cause discomfort.
This is something that you can do.
At least once a day.
Morning time is a great time when you wakeup first thing in the morning and you can
(40:19):
stay in bed for a couple extra minutesbefore you get up and start your day.
Get your knees raised, your abdomen willbe very soft and relaxed at that point.
And you can also do this beforebed and anytime in between.
Maybe just not right after a meal.
That may not be as comfortable.
So I hope you enjoyedthat extra mindful minute.
(40:41):
So now as we get toward the end of thisepisode, I wanted to propose a question
as we do in each episode to think aboutthat's related to our daily minutes
and also ties into today's topic.
Today's question is (40:53):
"As you think about your 1, 000 waking minutes,
what's one small change you couldmake today to support your gut?"
That supports your digestive health.
Maybe it's adding a little more fiberto your meals, starting to take those
short walks after lunch or dinner.
Or practicing the belly breathing.
(41:14):
Or how about that circular massage?
Small changes do really add upover time and can make a big
difference in how you feel.
So, we have walked the width of atennis court today, remembering
how long your digestive tractis, those 27 feet or 9 meters.
And we've talked about gettingor becoming more regular.
(41:36):
It's pretty basic, but basicstuff is really important
sometimes. This is the foundationof, digestive health.
And I wanted to start there.
We started exploring our gut health, andthankfully, we're a bit more comfortable
today talking about this topic.
And naturally, we discussed someof the real benefits shown from
(41:58):
science, that you can experiencefrom getting more regular.
I provided some tips,hopefully ones you can do now.
Hopefully you'll take one or a fewand be able to start them right away.
Everything from adding some chia seeds andwhole grains, to walking after meals, to
the, belly massage, circular massage.
(42:19):
Regularity and gut health is part ofour overall health, and it's critical.
In the spirit of eat well, move daily, behealthy, this would fall into be healthy,
but we already know that the eatingwell and the move daily impact it too.
So I hope this episode gaveyou something to think about.
And maybe even a little inspirationto try one or two of these things.
(42:42):
If you found today's episode helpful,I'd love for you to share it with a
friend and encourage them to listenand perhaps subscribe as well.
I'm grateful.
Well, that's all for today.
I'm Wendy Bazilian, and you'relistening to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
Thanks again for sharing some ofyour waking minutes with me today.
Till next time, be well.
(43:14):
Thank you for tuninginto 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to our amazingcollaborators, including our production
and marketing teams and GabrielaEscalante in particular, to the ultra
talented Beza for my theme music,my lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
Preis Photography and Design, to DanielleBallantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell,
(43:36):
and of course my family and everyoneworking tirelessly behind the scenes
and to you, our valued listeners.
I so appreciate your support.
If you enjoyed today's episode, pleaseconsider leaving a comment, writing
a review, and giving 1,000 WakingMinutes, that's us, a five star rating.
And please hit subscribe onApple Podcasts, Spotify, or
(43:59):
wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
Please follow and stayconnected at wendybazilian.
com.
And don't forget toshare with your friends.
Your support helps us grow andbring you more great content.
Until next time, find some simpleopportunities to optimize those
1, 000 waking minutes each day.
(44:41):
Yeah!
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