Hi Reader,

Today, I want to share a story that is incredibly common.

I start working with a new client. In her intake form, she mentions her digestion—bloating, constipation, and the frustration of never quite feeling comfortable.

She’s tried everything.

She cut out gluten and felt better for a few weeks.
Then she cut out dairy. Again, some relief—but it never lasts.

Now she’s still suffering and unsure what to eat.
Should she cut out more foods? Legumes too?

On top of the normal stresses of life, she’s also:

• Stressed about eating out
• Anxious about traveling because she never knows when she’ll need to use the bathroom
• Uncomfortable by the end of the day when her pants don’t fit
• Exhausted from rotating through the same few “safe” foods

She is miserable.

I see this same story over and over again, and I want you to know something important:

There is a solution—and it doesn’t involve eating fewer and fewer foods.

In fact, dieting—with its food rules and constant vigilance—often sets us up for digestive struggles in the first place.

When I work with a woman to improve her digestive symptoms, we follow a step-by-step process. Today, I want to share just the very first step.

I’ll be honest: I’ve had many clients roll their eyes when I make this suggestion—only to return the following week feeling noticeably better. That’s why I encourage you to give it a try.

The first step is helping your body shift from fight or flight—where most of us live much of the day—into rest and digest.

All too often, we move straight from work, traffic, or the news into eating. When the body is on high alert, digestion simply doesn’t work as well.

When you’re in a state of rest and digest, your body is better able to break food down and move it through the digestive system. Symptoms often begin to ease—not because you changed the food, but because you supported your body.

Before your first bite, take a minute to set the stage. Here are a few of my clients’ favorites:

• Take a few deep breaths
• Say grace, if that’s meaningful to you
• Do a brief pre-meal gratitude meditation (I’ve recorded a one-minute version for you! Click the link below👇)
  • ​Kelly Abramson Rest & Digest exercise.mp3​
• Notice the colors, textures, or smells of your food

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Then take your first bite and notice the texture, flavor, and temperature.

That’s it—simple, but often surprisingly powerful.

If you’d like to read more about this approach, I share the full process here:
​Improve Digestion in 4 Steps (Without Cutting Out Food Groups)​

Warmly,
Kelly

Kelly Abramson MS, RD, MSCP
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor
Menopause Society Certified Practitioner
Wellcoaches Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Offering HIPAA-compliant telehealth

PS: Check out my pre-meal rest & digest recording, a guided way to improve your digestion. Kelly Abramson Rest & Digest exercise.mp3​

PPS: So many of my Intuitive Eating and eating disorders clients also struggle with digestive woes. If this is you, you're not alone!

One more thing before you go: If you're not interested in future emails regarding digestive health, click here, and I'll remove you from this topic.

📞Interested in working together? Schedule your complimentary call with me here.

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