What you stack onto your plate, and how your body processes this food is fundamental for a healthy gut, and it makes sense to zone in on key ingredients that help - not hinder this process. But there’s more to nurturing your digestive system than simply being mindful of what you’re putting into your mouth. Once you’ve bitten, chewed and swallowed, the complex journey that your squelched up food embarks on is as paramount as what you’re are eating in the first place.
According to new research by Imodium, around 39 per cent of us feel frustrated about the state of our gut health, with three in five confessing to cancelling plans due to gut concerns. There are several processes that take place once our food is in transit, and the migrating motor complex (MMC) is part of this intricate journey - optimising this process is the key to unlocking increased energy, better sleep and less bloating.
Commonly referred to as your body’s silent clean-up mechanism, the migrating motor complex is the ‘housekeeper’ of your digestion which helps to sweep away bacteria and food residue to prepare your digestive system for the next meal. Essentially, a well functioning MMC is a big contributing factor to a healthy gut. ‘I like to think of it as a road sweeper at the end of the night, cleaning all the gutters and making sure everything’s moved through,’ says renowned gut health scientist Dr Megan Rossi, (theguthealthdoctor.com and @theguthealthdoctor)
How to unlock good gut health
From eating to exit time, food takes around 24 to 48 hours to pass through the 30-food long digestive tract which is packed neatly into your abdominal cavity, and as food travels down into your stomach and into the intestines, the MMC gets to work. ‘Essentially the migrating motor complex is this cyclic movement that occurs in your stomach and small intestine, which pushes any leftover food and bacteria down towards the final part of your intestine called the large intestine,’ points out Dr Rossi. This process is important to make sure there are no blockages and keep things moving so that nutrients can be absorbed and waste can be eliminated. ‘It can also help prevent things like bacteria crawling up the wrong way from your large intestine, where most bacteria live. It’s important for regulating the location of the bacteria, and essentially cleaning your gut lining,’ adds Dr Rossi.
We know that gut health affects the state of our overall health, impacting everything from mental wellbeing to sleep, energy and weight, so it makes sense to try and make sure that your MMC is functioning smoothly. Signs that this self-cleaning mechanism isn’t operating smoothly include constipation, abdominal discomfort, excess gas and bloating along with unpleasant smelling stools. If any of those sound familiar, here are some easy ways to help get your MMC back on track.
Leaving 90 minutes between meals will help your gut to complete its digestive clean-up process
Stop grazing
Experts used to recommend interspersing snacking around main meals, but it’s thought that leaving longer gaps between meals is a better way to keep the MMC working effectively. ‘The most well-researched strategy is leaving at least 90 minutes between your meals, but if you suffer from constipation, longer periods of fasting, i.e. sticking to just 3 meals a day – and not snacking could be more effective,’ shares Dr Rossi. The MMC is triggered around 90 minutes into a fasted state so if you’re constantly nibbling, there isn’t adequate time to complete the digestive clean-up process.
Chew, chew…and chew some more
Digestion isn’t just something that happens in our GI tract, the process actually begins in the mouth. Saliva contains an enzyme called amylase which helps to chemically and mechanically break down food, if food isn’t chewed properly it is not exposed to enough amylase which means that once it arrives in stomach, your gut has to work harder.
Poorly digested food can slow down MMC activity and bring on abdominal discomfort. ‘Plus better chewing improves nutrient absorption, which studies have shown indirectly supports gut function. For instance, a study on almonds, compared individuals who chewed the nuts ten times versus 40 times, which showed that if you chewed them 40 times, you actually absorb much more of that good nutrition. If you only chew them around ten times, you’re not getting the full health potential,’ says Dr Rossi.
There’s no doubt that counting the number of chews on each fork will drain the joy from eating, but putting your cutlery down in between mouthfuls will naturally slow you down, helping you to eat more mindfully and intentionally. Without even noticing, you’ll find you chew your food for longer, and enjoy your meal more, too.
Practice belly breathing before meals
Eating when stressed is a surefire way to send your MMC out of whack. Stress itself activates your body’s sympathetic nervous system (flight or flight response) which slows down digestive motility. On the other hand, when we’re relaxed, blood flow to the gut is enhanced fuelling effective digestion. ‘I often recommend practising three minutes of diaphragmatic breathing (also known as belly breathing) before each meal to help relax your gut-brain connection, which ultimately helps your MMC,’ maintains Dr Rossi.
Inhale deeply through your nose for five seconds, pause briefly, and exhale through your mouth with pursed lips for five seconds, allowing the belly to fall as you breath out.
Get a good night’s sleep
According to Mental Health UK, one in five of us aren’t getting enough sleep. Unexpected warmer-than-usual days, (of which we’ve more than our fair share of lately), can make you toss and turn at night contributing to interrupted sleep. Poor quality snoozing time doesn’t just shorten your fuse the following morning, it can also interfere with your MMC. ‘This is because poor sleep can disrupt the circadian rhythm and increase your stress hormones – which can also impact your MMC,’ adds Dr Rossi. To fix poor sleep during the warm weather, make sure your bedroom is kept cool - around 16-18°C is optimal to support a restful slumber.
If your bedroom is sun-facing, closing curtains during the day and using light breathable bedding will help, along with staying well hydrated and avoiding heavy meals before bedtime.
