Nourishment Has a Journey

A November Series on Returning Inward

RETURNING INWARDHEALING FOUNDATIONSTHE BODY REMEMBERS

11/8/20263 min read

Last week, we explored the kidneys, adrenals, and mineral reserves as part of November’s Returning Inward. This week, we’re looking at how we receive nourishment, from chewing our food to digesting, absorbing, and using what it provides.

Choosing nourishing ingredients is part of caring for ourselves. How we feel eating them deserves attention, too. Chewing might hurt, our mouths might feel dry, or a meal might leave us feeling full and bloated for hours. A hurried schedule can make it difficult to notice how we’re feeling until later.

My work in dentistry continues to shape how I think about nourishment. Digestion starts in the mouth, and oral comfort and function influence our food choices. A dental concern can affect how well we eat without us realizing the connection. In my health coaching, we follow those connections further, considering digestion, daily routines, and individual responses to food and supplements.

Chewing breaks food into smaller pieces and mixes it with saliva. Saliva moistens food for swallowing, and its enzymes start digesting starch. Processing continues in the stomach and small intestine, with help from pancreatic enzymes and bile. Most nutrient absorption takes place in the small intestine, after which absorbed materials enter circulation through blood or lymph.

After absorption, nutrients must reach tissues and take part in the reactions through which the body uses them. Amino acids can become part of newly made proteins. Vitamins and minerals support the enzymes and processes involved in metabolism. A food’s nutrient content tells us what it offers. Our digestive function and health influence how well we use it.

In TCM, the Spleen and Stomach are traditionally understood through their roles in receiving, transforming, and transporting nourishment. I appreciate this attention to how eating feels and functions. Appetite, comfort after meals, bowel habits, and how food is prepared give us useful information when we talk about nourishment.

Ancestral approaches to food have also encouraged me to look closely at preparation. Slow cooking can make a meal easier to chew. A familiar, tender food may be more manageable after dental treatment than food that requires prolonged chewing. Cooked vegetables might feel more comfortable to digest than raw ones. Paying attention to these responses helps us choose and prepare meals that suit us.

Introducing several changes at once makes those responses harder to understand. If we change our food choices while adding supplements and adjusting meal timing, we can lose track of what helped or caused discomfort. I’ve experienced this myself with digestive symptoms and sensitivities. Understanding why a food or supplement might help doesn’t tell me how my body will respond to it.

Fullness, bloating, changes in bowel habits, or feeling different after taking a supplement are messages worth paying attention to. They don’t tell us the cause on their own, but they give us information to work with. The amount, preparation, timing, and combination may all deserve a closer look.

That experience has made me more thoughtful about what I introduce and when. Giving a change time or simplifying a routine helps me understand my responses. Persistent symptoms may need further investigation. I want to understand why something isn’t agreeing with me before deciding what to change next.

Tomorrow’s Scorpio New Moon feels like a good time to look beneath the surface and give an overlooked part of nourishment some attention.

At a meal this week, give yourself enough time to eat comfortably. Notice how you’re chewing, your appetite, and how you feel afterward. If you’ve recently changed a food, supplement, or routine, make a note of that, too. Over a few days, those observations may help you recognize a pattern worth exploring.

Next week, we’ll explore The Mineral Relationship Between Teeth and Bone, including how the body manages its mineral reserves and how saliva helps maintain the mineral environment around our teeth.

If you’re struggling with digestive symptoms, sensitivities, or uncertainty about how your food and supplements are affecting you, we can explore that through my root cause health coaching. We’ll review your nourishment, daily routines, symptoms, and the changes you’ve tried to identify patterns and questions that deserve further investigation.

Book a consultation with me.

With warmth and love,
Shannon

Nourishment Has a Journey

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