Food Hygiene: How to Optimize Digestion and Nutrient Absorption
Six Evidence-Based Strategies to Optimize Your Digestive Health and Transform Your Eating Experience
If you suffer from heartburn, malabsorption, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea, you may want to learn about a concept called food hygiene. Despite its name, food hygiene has nothing to do with the cleanliness of your food. Instead, it focuses on improving digestion, enhancing nutrient absorption, supporting regular bowel movements, regulating appetite, and improving your overall experience of eating.
Here are six ways to optimize your digestion:
1) Spend Time Preparing Your Food
Digestion does not begin in the stomach, nor even in the mouth during chewing. It actually starts in the brain through a cascade of nerve signals and chemical responses. This cascade is triggered in part by the experience of preparing food—thinking about it, touching it, smelling it, tasting it, and engaging all of the senses.
These sensory cues stimulate salivation, stomach acid production, pancreatic enzyme release, and bile secretion from the gallbladder, all of which are essential for proper digestion—especially of fats. This process is not activated as effectively by opening a package or eating a pre-prepared meal.
If you are eating on the go, take a moment to pause and engage your senses as if you had prepared the food yourself. This simple step allows your body to break down and absorb nutrients more efficiently.
2) Use Apple Cider Vinegar or Bitters Before Meals
Consuming about ½ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (or other digestive bitters) approximately 15 minutes before eating can promote the digestive cascade. The taste and smell stimulate the release of the hormone cholecystokinin, which signals the stomach, pancreas, and intestines to release digestive juices and enzymes.
Some people with a history of acid reflux worry that apple cider vinegar will worsen symptoms. In reality, although vinegar is acidic, it is far less acidic than stomach acid and often improves reflux by supporting overall digestive tone.
Many conventional treatments, such as proton pump inhibitors and antacids, mask symptoms rather than address the underlying imbalance and may contribute to preventable conditions such as osteoporosis. Apple cider vinegar does not need to be a permanent practice, but using it for several months—or during times when meals are not prepared at home—can be beneficial.
Additionally, apple cider vinegar contains trace minerals and offers other health benefits. If you choose to make it a long-term ritual, it can be a supportive one.
3) Drink Fluids Away from Meals
It is fine to take small sips of water during a meal, but avoid drinking large amounts. Try not to consume significant fluids within 20 minutes before or after eating.
This practice allows digestive juices to remain concentrated and more effective at breaking down food. Better digestion leads to improved nutrient absorption and can help prevent deficiencies, such as anemia, that are sometimes linked to poor digestion.
Aim to drink approximately half your body weight in ounces of water per day, but focus on consuming fluids between meals rather than during them.
4) Eat in a Calm Environment
Sit down while eating, take a few slow, conscious breaths beforehand, avoid stressful conversations, and focus on your meal rather than screens, newspapers, or work.
These practices help calm the nervous system, which plays a critical role in digestion. When the body is in a “fight or flight” state—such as when eating on the go or under stress—blood flow is diverted away from the digestive system and toward the limbs. Digestion becomes a low priority.
The opposite state, often called “rest and digest,” allows digestion to function optimally. Creating a calm eating environment, even briefly, can significantly improve digestive efficiency.
5) Eat Regular Meals at Consistent Times
Eating meals around the same time each day trains the body to anticipate food and activate the digestive cascade more effectively. This habit also supports balanced blood sugar levels and healthy cortisol regulation.
Blood sugar imbalances can contribute to anxiety, fatigue, and light-headedness, while cortisol dysregulation can disrupt energy levels, sleep patterns, and immune function. Regular meals help restore rhythm and stability—especially important for individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, insomnia, or circadian rhythm disruptions.
6) Put Your Fork Down and Chew
Chew your food until it becomes liquid in your mouth before swallowing. While some suggest counting chews, the goal is not precision but awareness.
Thorough chewing allows digestion to begin mechanically through the teeth and chemically through saliva before food reaches the stomach. Proper breakdown early on leads to better nutrient absorption and easier bowel movements later.
When food is not adequately chewed, it can ferment in the gut, contributing to bacterial imbalance and discomfort. Chewing thoroughly also improves satiety awareness, helping prevent overeating.
Final Thoughts
Start by adopting just one or two of these habits. Over time, they will become second nature. You might begin by eating breakfast at the same time each day, sitting down, taking a few conscious breaths, and chewing the first five bites thoroughly.
As you gradually incorporate more of these practices, your digestion—and overall health—will benefit significantly.
