Why should you rest your digestion and give your gut a break? Many reasons!

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If you are eating three meals and snacking throughout the day, your digestive system is working hard with no time to recoup. Constantly having food in your belly can set you up for bacterial overgrowth, especially if your gut is already feeling funky (a little bloat, gas or constipation). If you are eating too close to bedtime (aka snacking after dinner), it can lead to acid reflux and disrupted sleep.

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Do these eating habits sound familiar? It's easy to create a new routine with added downtime to rest your digestion. That rest time can come from sleep (an overnight fast is very helpful) and not eating between proper meals. Are you ready to give your gut a break? Check out these tips...

Tips for gut downtime:

• Skip breakfast if you aren't hungry. This a great way to easily extend your natural overnight repair time.
• No snacking between meals. Eat a nutrient-dense lunch and dinner with lots of veggies, proteins, and healthy fats. Your body will feel satisfied and it will be easier to turn away those cookies at the office (or even a healthier snack like a piece of fruit).
• Call it quits after dinner. Snacking after dinner is not usually about hunger. Take some time to examine why you are grazing. Is it a bad habit in front of the TV? Are you bored? Stressed? Exhausted? Did you eat enough during the day? Make a cup of tea and sit down to get to the real reason you are snacking.

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If you want to take "downtime" to another level, looking into intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating for guidelines to help you extend your digestive rest for even more health benefits like weight loss, more energy, and anti-aging.