Prime Your Digestion with this Umami Bowl
I’ve struggled with constipation for most of my life.
My mom says my constipation began when I was weaned off of breastmilk. By the time I was 19, I was completely dependent on laxatives. I continued abusing laxatives until I was 30, when I switched to magnesium oxide, and I was fully dependent on that until last summer.
It took years of seeing thousands of practitioners, getting countless different types of treatments, tried hundreds of supplements and different protocols, and I eventually figured out how to get regular. I now want to share that information with you so no one else has to suffer from constipation and feel as helpless as I did.
Priming Your Digestion
During this process, I tried a lot of things that were useless for me. Tens of thousands of dollars wasted on practitioners, tests, treatments, and supplements that didn’t do anything.
But, there are some things that stuck around. One of those things is the premise of eating light, raw, vegetables before eating heavier foods to “prime” your digestion.
Think of it as doing vocal warmups before performing a Whitney Houston cover, or Steph Curry showing up at MSG 7 hours before he plays the Knicks to get adequately warmed up.
The specific formula that I like to hit to properly prime my digestion is a bowl that has lots of leafy greens, some bitter herbs, something fermented, and nothing too heavy.
Bitters are the most important thing. Bitter compounds in these greens stimulate taste receptors, which signal the brain to increase saliva and digestive enzyme production, which leads to better breakdown of food in the stomach and small intestine, improving nutrient absorption and reducing digestive discomfort.
Bitters also stimulate the liver to produce bile, which is essential for the digestion and absorption of fats, which reduces the likelihood of bloating and constipation, making subsequent heavier, fatty foods easier to digest. Lastly, bitter greens can stimulate peristalsis, the wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. Enhanced gut motility helps prevent constipation and ensures a smoother digestive process.
I also like to include some fermented foods because they are rich in live beneficial bacteria (probiotics), which can help balance the gut microbiome. A healthy microbiome improves digestion, enhances nutrient absorption, and can help alleviate digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and constipation. The acidity and flavor profile of fermented foods can stimulate the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Increased digestive secretions prepare the stomach for the heavier meal to come, promoting efficient digestion and preventing digestive discomfort.
Light, raw vegetables contain natural enzymes assist in breaking down food components, reducing the digestive workload and enhancing nutrient absorption from the upcoming heavier foods.
When you eat heavier foods, like starches, protein-dominant foods, or more fat-heavy foods, after eating these lighter, digestive-stimulating foods, your digestive system is already primed to handle the complex task of breaking down and absorbing these nutrients. This sequence helps to:
Improve Digestion: Enhanced enzyme and bile production leads to more efficient digestion of proteins and fats.
Prevent Discomfort: By reducing the digestive workload and promoting regular bowel movements, this approach helps prevent common digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and constipation.
Enhance Nutrient Absorption: A well-prepared digestive system can more effectively absorb nutrients from heavier foods, contributing to better overall health.
This Dish
Baby gem lettuce, red butterhead lettuce, mesclun, frisée, raddicchio, wakame, tsunomataaka, akanori, tsunomataao, suginorishiro, sugar snap peas, avocado, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, in a tamara-tahini dressing; topped with sesame seeds, nori strips, chive blossoms, rocket-dame flowers, nasturtium
The Benefits
I designed this bowl to be perfect for priming your digestion, while also being incredibly delicious and well rounded in and of itself. Specifically:
Carrots, cucumbers, avocados, the inner part of sugar snap peas, and tomatoes contain soluble fiber, aiding in stool formation and reducing constipation. Soluble fiber absorbs water to form a gel-like substance that softens the stool, making it easier to pass.
Lettuce varieties, frisee, radicchio, snap pea outer shells, and seaweeds like nori and wakame provide insoluble fiber, promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool and helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines.
Cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes are particularly hydrating, helping to keep the digestive system functioning properly. High water content in foods helps maintain hydration, which is essential for softening stools and facilitating smooth bowel movements.
The bitter compounds in frisée and radicchio increase bile production, which helps digest fats & prevent digestive discomfort; stimulate digestive enzymes to help absorb nutrients & prevent bloating and gas; and stimulate peristalsis, the wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract, which helps prevent constipation
Garlic and chives contain inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are effective prebiotics. Prebiotics are types of fiber that feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut, promoting a healthy microbiome and enhancing digestion.
Miso, a fermented soybean paste, contains probiotics that support gut health by increasing the population of beneficial gut bacteria. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that help balance the gut microbiome, improve digestion, and enhance immune function.
Lime and tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and protect the gut lining.
Radicchio and chives contain polyphenols, plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce gut inflammation and support a healthy digestive tract.
Tahini (made from sesame seeds) and sesame seeds provide healthy fats, particularly omega-6 fatty acids, which help to lubricate the intestines and facilitate bowel movements. Anecdotally, a lot of people report that sesame seeds and sesame products really alleviate their constipation, although I don’t believe there are any research-backed results for this as of this time.
Lime contains citric acid, which can stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and aid in digestion. Digestive enzymes help break down food, making nutrients more accessible and reducing the workload on the digestive system.
The various seaweeds in the dish provide a diverse range of minerals that support overall gut health and proper bowel function. Seaweeds are rich in essential minerals like iodine, magnesium, and calcium, which are important for digestive health and muscle function (including the muscles involved in peristalsis).
Garlic and lime contribute to a healthier gut microbiome by inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. Compounds in garlic (like allicin) and lime have natural antimicrobial properties, which can help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria and prevent the overgrowth of harmful microbes.
I also designed this bowl such that the nutrients work synergistically—the combination of insoluble fiber, which speeds gut motility; soluble fiber, which adds bulk & stimulates peristalsis; healthy fats, which lubricate bowels; and hydration, which aids in stool softening & stimulates peristalsis; creates a laxative-like effect for constipation-prone people, while nourishing overall gut health.
Similarly, the combination of probiotics from miso and prebiotic fiber from garlic and chives help ensure that the beneficial bacteria survive to the gut & colonize, improving the gut microbiome.
The Recipe
Bowl ingredients—adjust quantities according to hunger levels & to taste. feel free to adjust as you see fit:
a few handfuls of greens— I used red butterhead, baby gem, and mixed mesclun
1-2 cups frisée & raddichio
1/2-1 cup sugar snap peas
3 Persian cucumbers
1 cup organic cherry tomatoes
1/2-1 avocado*
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup dried seaweeds
1-2 carrots
chive blossoms or chopped chives
optional: nori strips or flakes to garnish
Tahini-Tamari Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup tamari
3/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic
2 whole limes, peeled
2 tbsp chickpea or white miso
Instructions:
Hydrate seaweed according to the instructions on your package\
Blend all of the dressing ingredients together in a high speed blender until super smooth
Chop up your greens & veggies, toss with dressing, garnish & eat
*note: I used 1/2 avocado rather than a whole because I want to keep the fat content of the dish lower because the idea is to prime digestion. You can adjust though, you can definitely use a whole avocado if you want, ESPECIALLY if you’re eating this as a full meal you definitely should; but I do recommend having a few bites of the bitter greens before you start eating the avocado.
Links From This Recipe
I bought the seaweed from a local asian grocer (Sunrise Mart in Soho, if you live in NYC). I found an online retailer that sells this product (linked here), but I want to emphasize that I did not use this online retailer, and I’m not familiar with them or know if they’re legit, or anything like that! I’m sure you can find similar dried seaweed mixes at asian grocers (just make sure there’s no sugar added!), or you can use just Wakame, or add some Arame— I’ve used the Wakame & Arame I’ve linked here and like the products
I buy the organic tamari from thrive markets
I used this raw tahini
I’ve bounced around on miso brands a lot, but lately I’m really vibing with the white miso from South River
For More on Constipation & Gut Health…
This week on the pod, I break down exactly what I did to quit laxatives and be able to have natural bowel movements. Listen to episode 184, “My 7 Step Protocol For Quitting Laxatives & Fixing Your Gut Health,” to hear the whole journey—you can listen to the full episode anywhere you listen to podcasts (including Apple Podcasts here), and you can watch the whole episode on Spotify (available here).
