Today I want to talk about one of the processes our body goes through when we consume food: Digestion. In the body, digestion and absorption occur simultaneously. While it is somewhat difficult to separate the two functions, I am going to try to discuss them separately. Therefore, today's topic is digestion and Thursday I will talk about absorption.
The body's digestive system consists of many important organs located throughout the main core of the body; including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, the rectum, the anus, the pancreas, and the liver and biliary tract. This digestive system has several important functions that helps us break down and pass our foods through our bodies. First and foremost, the digestive system is responsible for the receipt, breaking down, and transportation of our foods. Interestingly enough, some foods are more digestible than others, based on the nutrients they contain. For example, protein is the least digestible of all food types. It is also tasked with the secretion of acids, mucus, digestive enzymes, bile, and other materials. The digestive system aids in the absorption and storage of materials. Finally, it is responsible for the excretion of any un-usable products.
Digestion first starts in the mouth when we first bite into our meal. Immediately, our saliva kicks in and begins breaking down the foods while we chew before we swallow. Then this broken down food enters into our stomachs, where it stays for anywhere from a half an hour up to two hours. While in the stomach, a process called Dietary Induced Thermogenesis, which requires energy, occurs in order to further break down the food products. Then it is passed into the small intestines. It can take up to four hours for the stomach to become completely empty. Inside of the small intestine, little projections called villi absorb water-soluble nutrients from the food products and transports them into the blood stream. Fat-soluble nutrients, on the other hand, go into the lymph system. After staying in the small intestines for quite a while, the remainder of the un-absorbable food products travel into the large intestine and are then excreted.
All the while that digestion is occurring, absorption is also taking place. It is important to understand this in order to understand one last important thing about digestion; which is how different nutrients are excreted and where others are stored. 90% of fat-soluble nutrients are absorbed and stored in the liver and in fatty tissues. The other 10% is excreted. So even if our body has it's daily amount of fat-soluble nutrients, it will still stockpile more in fatty tissue to use later. Water-soluble nutrients, on the other hand, are excreted in urine when the body has absorbed what it needs. Most minerals are also excreted in the urine. The only minerals that the body stockpiles like fat-soluble nutrients are calcium and iron. Therefore, with this information, we can evaluate the types of nutrients we are consuming in order to make sure our body is not stockpiling too much fat-soluble nutrients when it is not needed.
I will talk more about the actual process of absorption on Thursday.
Today's Workout: Another Swim Workout (you will need a kickboard)
100 - freestyle
100 - fly kick
100 - freestyle
100 - breaststroke kick
100 - freestyle
100 - freestyle kick
100 - freestyle
100 - fly kick
100 - freestyle
100 - breaststroke kick
100 - freestyle
100 - freestyle kick
50 - cool down
Total Yards/Meters: 1250
Today's Food Tip:
Today I enjoyed a really great pick-me-up drink after my workout: a strawberry-banana smoothie with whey protein added. This kick of protein was perfect for the prime absorption period and the fruits helped keep it fresh and healthy!
Today's Relaxing Activity:
Today for a relaxing moment, I cooked dinner for myself and my boyfriend! I love spending time in the kitchen! Especially when I'm making something healthy AND delicious :)
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