How To Get More From Your Food

Simple digestion tips for busy bodies, stressed nervous systems and meals eaten way too fast

You can eat beautifully.

You can buy the greens.

You can add the seeds.

You can make the nourishing bowl.

But if your body is stressed, rushed, distracted or running on coffee and chaos, digestion can still feel a bit underwhelming.

Bloating.
Heaviness.
Cramping.
Reflux.
Feeling like food just sits there.
That “why does my stomach hate me?” energy.

Very rude.

Very common.

So let’s talk about a few practical ways to help your body get more from the food you are already eating.

No complicated gut protocol.

No wellness performance.

Just simple things that can make digestion a little easier.

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1. Stop Drinking Tea And Coffee With Your Meals

I know.

Deeply personal.

But tea and coffee can affect how well your body absorbs some nutrients, especially iron from plant-based foods.

Tea and coffee contain polyphenols, including tannins, that can reduce non-haem iron absorption when consumed with meals.

This is usually not a huge issue for everyone.

But if you are low in iron, tired, pregnant, breastfeeding, vegetarian, vegan, or working on your iron status, timing matters.

Try this:

• Have tea or coffee at least one hour away from iron-rich meals or supplements
• Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C foods like citrus, kiwi, capsicum or berries
• Use herbal teas away from meals if you still want something warm

You do not need to break up with coffee.

Let’s not be dramatic.

Just give your food a little breathing room.

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2. Sit Down And Actually Eat

This one sounds too simple.

Annoyingly, it matters.

Your digestive system works best when your body feels safe enough to digest.

If you are eating while:

• standing at the bench
• scrolling emails
• racing to the next thing
• eating lunch in the car
• inhaling toast while making everyone else breakfast

Your nervous system may still be in go mode.

And when your body is in go mode, digestion is not exactly the top priority.

It is more focused on “what is next?” than “let’s calmly break down this chicken sandwich.”

Try this before eating:

• Sit down
• Take three slow breaths
• Put the phone down if you can
• Chew properly, scandalous but effective

That tiny pause gives your body a better cue:

We are eating now.

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3. Add Bitter Foods

Bitter foods have traditionally been used to support digestion because bitter flavours can help stimulate digestive secretions.

In plain English?

Bitter foods can help your body prepare for the meal that is coming.

Try adding small amounts of:

• rocket
• radicchio
• dandelion greens
• kale
• lemon
• grapefruit
• artichoke
• fresh herbs

It does not need to be intense.

A handful of rocket with dinner.

Lemon over salad.

Herbs added to lunch.

Small things count.

If you have reflux, ulcers, gallbladder issues, are pregnant, or take medications, check with your practitioner before using bitter herbs or digestive supplements.

Food-based bitters are usually a gentler place to start.

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4. Be Curious About Reflux, Do Not Just Ignore It

Heartburn and reflux are common.

But common does not mean “just keep suffering.”

If you regularly need antacids or reflux medication, it is worth speaking with a qualified health professional about what is going on.

Medication can be absolutely appropriate and necessary for some people.

But if symptoms are ongoing, you deserve a proper plan, not just quietly living on chalky tablets and hope.

Reflux can be influenced by things like:

• meal size
• eating late
• alcohol
• coffee
• spicy or fatty foods
• stress
• pregnancy
• some medications
• underlying digestive conditions

Worth investigating.

Your gut is allowed to have standards.

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5. Manage Stress Before Meals

Stress and digestion are very connected.

When your body is in fight-or-flight mode, digestion can become less efficient.

This can show up as:

• bloating
• cramping
• nausea
• loss of appetite
• urgent bowel changes
• reflux or indigestion
• feeling like food sits heavily

And for mums?

You might be eating while still mentally managing everyone else’s needs.

Lunch becomes a side quest.

Dinner becomes something you shovel in between requests.

Your nervous system never gets told:

We are safe. We can digest now.

Try this before one meal a day:

• Put both feet on the floor
• Breathe into your belly for 30 seconds
• Relax your jaw
• Drop your shoulders
• Then start eating

Not fancy.

Very useful.

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Where Magnesium Fits

Magnesium is not a digestion cure.

But it is involved in normal muscle and nervous system function, which matters when stress is showing up in your body.

If your digestion feels worse when you are tense, rushed or overwhelmed, it may help to support the body around the meal, not just obsess over the food itself.

That might look like:

• using Magnesium Cream on tense shoulders at the end of the day
• using Calm Cream before bed when your nervous system feels switched on
• taking slower breaths before meals
• building a less chaotic meal environment where possible

Because sometimes your gut does not need another supplement first.

Sometimes your whole body needs to stop bracing.

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The Bottom Line

Getting more from your food is not about doing everything perfectly.

It is about giving your digestion a better chance.

Separate coffee and tea from iron-rich meals if you need to.

Sit down when you can.

Add bitter foods.

Get reflux checked if it keeps happening.

Calm your nervous system before eating.

Small changes can make a real difference.

And no, you do not need to become a serene person who eats every meal in silence with linen napkins.

You just need a few tiny pauses where your body gets the memo:

We are allowed to digest now.