The Ultimate Morning Routine to Kickstart Digestion

When it comes to gut health, establishing a healthy morning routine is crucial. It sets the tone for how well your body digests food throughout the day. When digestion is functioning at its best, it can help maintain a healthy weight, glowing skin, high energy levels and a flat belly. Read on to discover 9 simple habits you should incorporate into your a.m. routine to awaken your digestion and set yourself up for a good day.

1. Warm water & lemon

According to ancient Chinese medicine, drinking a glass of warm water in the morning is the best thing you can do to kick-start digestion. Warm or hot water is a lot easier for your body to handle. It ensures your digestive organs are hydrated and it can help dissolve foods still making their way through your system. Take this to the next level by adding a squeeze of fresh lemon (organic, if possible). As well as providing a good dose of Vitamin C, this will help stimulate your digestive system and help you hit your 2-3L of water for the day.

2. Take a probiotic

To set your gut up for the day, it’s a great idea to take not only a probiotic but a prebiotic too. Probiotics and beneficial bacteria cannot thrive without prebiotics. Amazonia Raw Probiotic Biotic Ferment contains 3 billion probiotics and prebiotics from organic fermented wholefoods. This 2-in-1 formula helps soothe digestive discomforts and support a healthy gut microbiome.

3. Light, fibre-rich foods first

When you’re ready for your first meal of the day, keep it light. Choose foods with high fibre and water content – such as fruits and veggies. These re-hydrate the body and help prevent constipation, aid digestion and keep you fuller for longer. Such fruits include apples, pears, strawberries, bananas and avocados, and vegetables like beets, broccoli and carrot. Low-acid fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew are also ideal for sensitive stomachs.

4. Drink your nutrients

Remember, the digestive system is fragile in the morning. The worst thing you can do is hit it with heavy, hard-to-digest food. Try having a liquid breakfast in the form of a juice, smoothie or smoothie bowl. By doing do, you’re not only getting a jump on your ‘2 and 5’ goal for the day, but you’re also digesting the food before your digestive system has to. By giving it a break, you’ll receive a boost of energy in return! Whip up our favourite breakky smoothie using 1 Amazonia Acai Pure sachet, 1 frozen banana, 1 handful fresh/frozen berries, 1 cup almond milk, and 1tbsp of nut butter, chia or flax seeds. Throw all the ingredients into a blender and you’ve got an antioxidant-rich, fibre-filled breakfast in 5 minutes!

5. Celery, celery and more celery!

The hype is real: drinking celery juice on an empty stomach is a great way to regulate your digestive acids in the morning. Anthony Williams, known as the Medical Medium and the originator of the global celery juice movement, believes that celery juice increases and strengthens your bile. Strong bile is important for breaking down fats; it’s also needed to eliminate waste from your body. With the release of his four bestselling books, millions of people have now tried celery juice. It has helped them find improvement and healing from all kinds of acute and chronic illnesses and symptoms. These include digestive issues, skin conditions, migraines, fatigue, autoimmune illnesses, brain fog and more.

6. Digestive massage

If you’re feeling particularly blocked up in the morning, give yourself a 2-minute stomach massage to get things going. Massaging your stomach can help to move stool along the inside of your colon. It may relieve symptoms of tightness, cramping, constipation and bloating.

Here’s how to perform a digestive massage:

• Lie on your back on the carpet or a yoga mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place both hands on your stomach and massage in a circular motion. First clockwise then counterclockwise using your palms and fingertips.
• Remember to take long, deep inhales and exhales as you massage.
• Apply gentle pressure to the areas that feel tender or solid. Move from the left to right side of your abdomen and then along the bottom of your rib cage.
• Repeat until the tight areas of your stomach feel relaxed.

7. Eat mindfully

If you’re someone who likes to scroll through Instagram or smash out some emails while you’re eating, it could be sabotaging your digestion. So put down your phone, shut your laptop and focus on the food in front of you. When you’re distracted from your food, you miss out on sensory cues like the smell, taste and sight of your food. These cues play a crucial role in stimulating your digestion to do its job! Plus, when you’re not paying close attention, you’re more likely to overeat and chew poorly – leading to digestive issues and weight gain.

8. Chew, chew, chew!

It might sound obvious, but it’s so important to chew your food! Chewing breaks down your food, making it easier to digest. It also helps your intestines absorb nutrients and energy from each mouthful. Experts recommend chewing each mouthful about 30-50 times.

9. Walk & stretch

Going for a walk is an easy and effective way to get your gut moving and improve digestion. Physical activity helps increase blood flow to the digestive organs. It also strengthens the muscles in your digestive tract to help with bowel movements, and may also combat stress. If you’re strapped for time, stretching for a few minutes can have some pretty big benefits. It can be as simple as holding a few yoga poses or doing some basic stretches – particularly ones that involve twisting your midsection.