How you eat can be as important as what you eat. Eating the right things at the right time will ease digestion, assure sound sleep and increase energy.
Weather, waves and a passing pod of orcas are memories to take home from a paddling trip, not indigestion.
Whether it’s the change in diet, the torso-rotating physical activity, squatting in the woods or all of the above, many a paddling trip is punctuated by digestive challenges. With a bit of digestion-savvy planning, however, you can easily prevent or remedy digestive complaints.
Ocean paddling would be difficult without an understanding of the ocean itself—the timing of its tides, speed of its currents and what influences its waves. The same is true for our digestive system. Fortunately, even a little digestion know-how can go a long way toward your food’s smooth trip through the digestive tract.
Many of my nutrition clients are amazed that they’ve never before considered how their bodies digest food. Most are excited to learn about digestion, and eager to help their digestive system function better.
Digestion 101
The process of digestion is nothing less than miraculous. In the big picture, the digestive system’s purpose is to chemically process big, complex molecules into small, simpler molecules that can be absorbed into the body.
Technically, nutrients are not inside the body until they enter the bloodstream through the walls of the intestine. When our food is within our 30-foot long digestive tract—the long tube that runs from the mouth to the anus, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine (colon)—it’s actually considered outside of the body. The pancreas, gall bladder and liver are not a part of the digestive tract, but play important roles in the digestion process.
Digestion begins before we put food into our mouths. Seeing or smelling food, even thinking about it, can make your mouth water. That “water” is your saliva, full of digestive enzymes.
Once food is well chewed into smaller bits, it travels down the esophagus, a 10- to 12-inch muscular tube. The food doesn’t just fall down to the stomach via gravity; it is gently pushed, at this and various other points throughout the entire digestive tract, with wave-like muscular motions known as peristalsis. The trap door between the esophagus and the stomach, called the cardiac sphincter, opens automatically.
In the stomach, food is churned into even smaller bits. Here food is also sterilized with stomach acid so we don’t absorb harmful microbes later on down the tract. Our stomach acid also activates more digestive enzymes.
Carbohydrates need the least time in the stomach, followed by proteins and finally fats. How long a meal stays in the stomach depends on many variables—such as what and how we eat—but in general you can count on carrying a full meal here for about four hours.
There’s very little chemical digestion—the processing of food into single molecules—taking place in the stomach. The only substances absorbed into the body directly through the stomach lining include alcohol, sugar and aspirin.
The well-mashed food in the stomach is called chyme. When the chyme is ready to move on, the pyloric sphincter opens and lets it pass into the small intestine, the hub of chemical digestion. As soon as the chyme hits the first section of the small intestine, the duodenum, a cascade of events takes place. The pancreas secretes alkaline juices to neutralize the stomach acid in the chyme and also provides all of the different enzymes necessary to complete the chemical digestion of the chyme into single molecules that can be absorbed into the body. Fat is broken down to fatty acids, protein to amino acids and carbohydrates to glucose.
There is also an opening from the gallbladder into the duodenum. When we eat a food that contains fat, the gallbladder will secrete bile to help with the digestion of fat. The gallbladder is only the storage and regulation tank for bile. It’s the liver that manufactures it.
As chyme travels along the 20- to 23-foot long small intestine, it is completely digested. Further along the small intestine, the individual nutrient molecules will be absorbed into the body through the intestine walls, which have billions of microvilli, tiny finger-like folds to further the surface area of the intestine wall. The protein and glucose are carried in the blood via the portal vein to the liver, which detoxifies, processes, packages and distributes the nutrients to the rest of the body. Most fats are carried to the liver via the lymph system.
The journey through the small intestine takes about six or so hours, but the process of digestion does not end when the nutrients are absorbed into the body. The left over, indigestible foodstuff, such as fiber, still needs to be eliminated from the tract. Whatever remains at the end of the small intestine, including a large amount of water, enters the large intestine via the ileocecal valve.
The large intestine, or colon, is less than five feet in length, but is 2.5 inches in diameter (three times the diameter of the small intestine). The colon produces no acid or alkaline juices or enzymes; its walls are smooth and devoid of microvilli. It is not a sterile place, and many bacteria, yeast, small fungi and algae thrive here. That’s a good thing in a healthy colon. In fact, many “friendly” bacteria make nutrients, such as B vitamins, and help to keep “unfriendly” bacteria in check, preventing disease.
The main job of the colon is processing indigestible material for elimination. It dries the chyme and absorbs the water into the body. Peristalsis moves the waste through the colon for up to 12 or more hours, ending up at the rectum for the final step of the digestive process.
The entire digestive process from beginning to end ideally takes about 18 hours.
Advice to Chew On
Digestion is the means by which we fuel and nourish our bodies, and when it doesn’t go well there will be consequences, from discomfort and embarrassing burps to more significant symptoms like fatigue, stomach pain and low energy. At worst, digestive imbalance can compromise safety and health. Diarrhea, for example (which can lead to dehydration) and constipation (which may cause discomfort and headache) can affect important trip decisions, paddling performance and overall pleasure.
Fortunately, there are many ways we can assure easy and effective digestion. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that how we eat is often more important than what we eat. The article cited Pavlov’s classic studies on gastric secretion in dogs, reprinting advice from the Journal’s 1904 issue.
Pavlov’s studies went beyond dinner bells and salivating dogs. His research also demonstrated that when we (people) eat while thinking of things other than eating, especially in the case of anger and anxiety, food sits undigested in the stomach for many hours. The first way we can help digestion is to make time to eat.
In today’s gulp-and-gobble society, chewing our food is something of a lost art. More than a century ago, an American named Horace Fletcher—known as “the Great Masticator”—became a renowned advocate for chewing one’s way to health. Fletcher espoused chewing each mouthful 32 times until it became pure liquid, at which point a natural swallowing reflex is apparently activated. His theory became very popular, and avid chewers (or “Fletcherizers” as they came to be known) included John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison.
Fletcher was onto something. The more we chew, the more the nervous system relaxes, which is no coincidence since the parasympathetic nervous system controls digestion. As Pavlov suggested, when we are distracted from our food, especially by something stressful, the nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode and diverts energy away from digestion. When food sits undigested in the stomach it decays, makings us feel bad and producing toxins that will be absorbed into the body.
If you take three deep, relaxing breaths before you begin to eat you’ll signal your body that it is safe to concentrate on digestion. This means not eating while you’re breaking camp, or even worse, while paddling. Even if you need a snack while in your boat, stop to take a breath and a moment to chew. If sea conditions are too dangerous to stop and chew, chances are it’s not a good time to eat anyway.
The more you chew, the more saliva and enzymes you release and the less work you leave for the stomach and intestines later on. Thorough chewing also helps to prevent the heavy feeling that sometimes follows a meal. By chewing more, you may become a slower eater—but realize that others who eat too fast will pay a price once they’re back on the water or tossing and turning in their tents.
Timing is Everything
Coastal kayakers know that paddling is a lot easier when the tide is with you. Timing is also crucial to smooth digestion. Eating a meal right before you launch will often mean stomach pains, gas or discomfort of some kind while you’re paddling: If your body needs energy for movement, digestion will be put on hold. Allow at least an hour or two after a meal, when possible, before paddling again. If this isn’t possible, as is often the case with a quick lunch stop, eat lightly and choose easy-to-digest options such as a small amount of fat and protein with a larger amount of carbohydrate. Nut butter and veggies on whole grain bread is a good option.
Eating close to bedtime will result in your body digesting, not resting, for much of the night. Whenever possible, eat your evening meal before 7 p.m. A light snack before bed will carry you through the night without you needing to get into your secured food stash. But be sure to avoid sweets before bed. They will eventually result in a sugar low that makes a craving for more sugar and insomnia very likely.
Combinations Count
A bit of care while deciding on food combinations will add up to better digestion. The most important food combination to avoid is sweets, including desserts, chocolate, candy and fruit, after a meal. Sweet foods, which are high in carbohydrates, are digested quickly. If they are eaten following a meal, their quick transport is interrupted by the other food. Picture your dessert or dried fruit sitting on top of your chili. What happens when fruit or sugar sits in a warm place for too long? It ferments (or rots). The sweets-after-a-meal habit is easily the biggest cause of gas and stomach upset in most people.
Kayakers love their sweets and fruit, I know. My suggestion is to eat them before your main meal, while you wait for your meal to cook, or alone as a midday snack.
Another poor food combination, in terms of digestion, is mixing a concentrated protein source with a high carbohydrate source; for example steak and potatoes, hamburger and a bun, pasta and ground beef, etc. My suggestion is to replace some of the meat and starch with more vegetables. I find that beans and grains with vegetables is an excellent meal combination that is easy and safe to make ahead of time and dehydrate.
Food and liquid don’t mix. Kayakers need to stay hydrated, yes, but drinking with meals is detrimental to good digestion. When we drink liquids with meals, we dilute the valuable digestive enzymes and stomach acid we need to carry out the process completely and successfully. If possible, avoid drinking (ideally an hour) before and after a meal.
Speaking of liquids, I’ve seen many a kayaker forego an extra pair of shoes or spare clothing to carefully secure bottles of wine and beer for their voyage. If you enjoy wine while you dine, try to keep your indulgence to small sips. Alcohol is basically sugar and toxins that the stomach and liver will have to process.
Rescuing Remedies
Most of us eat a lot less fresh food while kayak tripping. Combine this with a change of routine, increased sweating and being on the go, and it’s no surprise that we have trouble with the final task of digestion: elimination.
Planning for optimal digestion means packing fiber. Dietary fiber is indigestible by the body, but plays an important role as it travels through the digestive tract helping to move wastes out of the intestines and keeping the intestines in good health. Fiber holds water, making stools soft to prevent constipation. Fiber also adds bulk, which makes a meal filling, and boosts immunity and energy.
Fresh food, especially green food such as spinach and kale, can be dehydrated to add fiber and nutrients to a meal. Fresh foods such as cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, avocado, carrots, apples, snap peas and green beans will keep for up to a week when packed carefully and kept cool. Avoid eating too many processed foods, such as crackers, chips, nachos and energy bars, as they will promote constipation.
Flax seeds, which can be freshly ground in a coffee grinder during pre-trip preparation, are an excellent source of mucilaginous fiber. They absorb up to eight times their weight in water, thereby softening stools and making them easier to pass. Ground flax is easy to pack and a tablespoon can be sprinkled on anything from cereal and rice to soup and stew.
Yes, the folk remedy is true—prunes do help keep things moving. Soak five or more of them overnight and eat them in the morning along with the water they soaked in. Papaya and figs are also good bets to naturally and gently transition from a constipated state. A glass of warm water with lemon juice first thing in the morning will stimulate peristalsis and promote a good start to the day as well.
Another way to ensure easy digestion is to avoid eating or overeating difficult-to-digest foods. Meat contains no fiber and is, therefore, the most difficult-to-digest food choice. Dairy foods contain difficult-to-digest protein and an increasing number of people have difficulty digesting wheat. Keep meals simple, healthy and moderate for smooth processing. It’s better to eat less more often than a lot all at once.
Since a paddling trip isn’t always the easiest time to practice good digestion, it’s helpful to bring along some specific remedies to counteract and soothe any upsets. Ginger and peppermint teas are helpful for easing digestive upsets including gas, nausea and indigestion. You may want to invest in a bottle of digestive enzyme supplements to help ensure complete digestion.
Those of us who believe we have “strong” digestive systems and can eat anything anytime may be at the greatest risk for poor digestive health. If we never react to foods or notice the effects of poor digestion, chances are we are out of touch with our bodies. Viewing digestive upsets as normal is also a mistake. Ongoing digestive complaints may be common, but they are not normal or healthy. Besides, now that you know how your digestive system works best, you’ll notice more often how your habits and choices affect you, your paddling and your overall trip experience.
Your PFD—plan for digestion—is a valuable step toward more comfortable, safe and enjoyable kayaking.