Carrying out the Mayr ‘cure’ in April – a full digestive health reset (which you can read more about here) – reinforced something I’ve long believed about digestive health: improving and maintaining it is actually quite simple.
1. Slow down and chew properly
Digestion doesn’t start in your stomach; it starts in your mouth. Aim to chew each mouthful 20-30 times until the food is mixed well with enzyme-rich saliva. This reduces strain on the gut, improves nutrient absorption, and reduces common gut symptoms like IBS, bloating and acid reflux.
2. Eat with structure, not constantly, and eat small
Eat with structure rather than constantly grazing, and focus on smaller, balanced portions. Portion control has been one of the biggest mindset shifts for me – I’ve really had to make a conscious effort not to overeat. Slowing down and chewing properly teaches you that you often need far less food than you think to feel genuinely satisfied. By the end of my two week stay at the Bleib Berg clinic, I was glad to see the back of the ‘chewing trainer’ spelt bread but it did certainly teach me to slow down, and by chewing the bread alongside the meal that was served, I found that I needed much less food. Another thing I have noticed since returning is that I have a good deal more saliva in my mouth which is a positive thing, as we need lots of enzyme-rich saliva to properly begin the break down of our food.
Grazing all day can exhaust your digestive system. Giving your gut proper breaks between meals – ideally around 4-5 hours – allows it time to fully digest, reset, and activate the migrating motor complex (MMC). The MMC is a natural cleansing wave that moves through the stomach and intestines between meals, helping to sweep away leftover food particles, bacteria, and digestive debris. Supporting this process can play an important role in your overall gut health and digestion.
3. Support healthy digestion and nutrient absorption at mealtimes
Modern life, stress, and rushed eating can all impact how well we break food down, which in turn affects digestion and nutrient absorption. Supporting digestion at mealtimes can help reduce symptoms such as heaviness, bloating, constipation, and acid reflux.
Taking a plant-based Digestive Enzymes tablet just before lunch and dinner can help support this process by assisting the breakdown of food more effectively. This can be particularly beneficial for people taking long-term antacid medications such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, as these medications reduce stomach acid, which can affect digestion and nutrient absorption over time. In these cases, digestive enzyme support before your meals may help ensure your food is being digested more efficiently.
4. Support a healthy balance of gut bacteria
A healthy gut relies on maintaining the right balance of beneficial bacteria. Taking a Live Bacteria probiotic capsule once or twice daily before food can help replenish and support that balance, particularly during times when the gut may be under added strain.
This can be especially beneficial for people experiencing digestive issues, recovering after antibiotics, managing ongoing stress, or for those over 50. It may also be helpful if you take acid-reducing medications such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, as lower stomach acid levels can influence the gut’s natural bacterial environment over time, increasing the risk of getting constipation and gut infections like C. difficile.
5. Prioritise elimination (don’t ignore it)
In naturopathy, regular elimination is seen as a foundation of good health. There’s a common saying: “If you don’t eliminate properly, you cannot heal properly.” Daily bowel movements are essential for removing waste and toxins. If this isn’t happening, it’s something you need to address. As a trained colon hydrotherapist and someone who has worked in digestive health for over 30 years, I know how the bowel plays a central role in overall health and wellbeing.
If waste is sitting in the bowel too long, it can affect how we feel physically and mentally – contributing to bloating, discomfort, sluggishness and a feeling of ‘toxic overload’.
At the Mayr clinics in Austria, a huge emphasis is placed on supporting digestion and healthy bowel function through diet, chewing properly, hydration, movement, stress reduction and restoring balance within the gut.
Of course, constipation itself is often a symptom of something deeper that needs addressing – whether that’s diet, stress, medication, hormones, lack of fibre, poor digestion or disruption to the gut microbiome.
The body is designed to eliminate waste daily. When this process isn’t working properly, it’s important not to ignore it. Supporting the gut and bowels is often one of the first foundations for helping people feel better overall.
Try to increase your water consumption – I drank a minimum of three litres of water and herbal teas daily at the Mayr clinic. The digestive system produces litres of saliva, stomach acid, digestive enzymes and intestinal fluids – all needed to help break down food and move waste through the bowels. Many digestive symptoms, especially acid reflux and constipation, can be relieved easily just by increasing water consumption.
These tips are all simple, yet they can completely transform how your gut functions and how well you feel in terms of mood and energy levels – it’s what I’ve been teaching for the best part of 30 years. If you would like some advice on how to address any digestive, gut or women’s health issues, please get in touch.
