Today I would like to focus our attention to Transit Time.
"Cass, what the heck is transit time?"
Golly, friend, I'm glad you asked. 😁
Transit Time is the time it takes a meal to move through the entirety of your digestive system (ingestion to excretion).
For a healthy person with a healthy microbiome in the gut + strong stomach acid who eats healthy, organic foods that work well with their body, a meal should take anywhere from 16-40 hours! Crazy, right?
This can depend on a number of factors:
- How well they chew their food-
Genetics + epigenetics
- Food quality + quantity
- Overall health of the person
- Macronutrient combinations
- and so much more
Your macronutrients include:
- Carbohydrates (where digestion begins in the mouth)
- Proteins (which are digested in the stomach)
- Fats (which are digested in the small intestine)
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.
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Now, let's shift gears + chat about how transit time is affected with even just ONE Big Mac meal... 😲
🍔 A Big Mac is primarily made of trans fats, aka BAD fat. This fat dehydrates the body which causes constipation + lines the digestive tract, making it difficult for the body to absorb the nutrients it needs. Add low stomach acid + poor chewing habits to the mix + your body could be in a world of hurt. 😫
Your stomach can only process 10 grams of fat per hour, and with a Big Mac sitting around roughly 50-60 grams of fat, it could take your system 5-6 hours to process it BEFORE even getting to the small intestine to actually start being digested.
That means that this one meal could take at least TWO DAYS to be fully processed + removed from the body! 🤢
This means that without proper flow + movement, these food items actually start to rot in the body 🤮 which leads to gas, stomach aches, leaky gut, digestive issues, chronic disease and even colon cancer.
Friends, this is just ONE meal. Imagine the domino effect this can have if poor choices are made meal after meal, day after day.
Start by asking yourself, "How do you WANT to feel?"🌱
Bring attention to (without judgement) the last meal you ate. Did it satisfy you + bring you joy? Is there opportunity for improvement? What steps can you take towards better eating habits?
Reach out if you are in need of support.
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