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As martial artists, have you ever wondered what happens to the food you eat, once it enters your body? It goes through a complex chemical process that transforms that food into energy. What you consume right now doesn’t necessarily get absorbed by the body immediately, so most of the talk about pre-workout and post-workout meals can be a little misleading. There are complex processes involved in how food is converted into energy that is usable by your body. Knowing this information is important because understanding how food is digested can help us make better decisions when it comes to nutrition, or the time we eat, for example, and perhaps even improve our relationship with food in the long run. This is especially important if you plan on taking control of your diet and really honing your knowledge of macros to live a healthier life. If you’re curious about what happens inside your body after you eat, let’s dive in and take a closer look. Today, Evolve Daily explains what happens to the food you eat, and how long it takes to digest. What is digestion, and what happens during this natural process? In a nutshell, digestion is the process of ingesting food by physically chewing and swallowing, and then chemically breaking down that food into what is called chyme. From here, your body will then break that down even further and absorb the nutrients from it, thereafter excreting any material waste your body doesn’t need. While it may seem odd to think, the digestive system is essentially a long, hollow, convoluted tube that extends from the mouth to the anus. It involves accessory digestive organs such as the appendix, pancreas, and liver. There are three phases to digestion that begin as soon as food enters your mouth: the cephalic, gastric, and intestinal phases. It might sound complicated, but this is actually a somewhat simple concept to understand. The complexity of digestion happens on the microscopic level, but that’s not something you really need to know unless you’re in the medical field, so we’re not going to touch on that for now. Once the food is in the stomach, the second phase commences, which involves chemically breaking the food down through stomach acids to release nutrients. Lastly, the intestinal phase takes the food, which has been converted into a gooey substance at this point and absorbs the nutrients that have been released, as well as the moisture. As the moisture is absorbed, the chyme now solidifies and takes the very familiar form of stool. How long does the entire process take? For individuals with optimal digestive processing, the normal transit time of the food you eat from when you eat it until it comes out on the other end is between 24 and 72 hours on average but can be longer for females. Chewing food takes mere seconds for most people, and when you swallow, it takes two to three more seconds to squeeze the food down into your stomach. Some people may think that the transport of food from the mouth is powered, or at least supported by gravity, but swallowing is actually an active process that engages smooth muscles in the esophagus. Once in the stomach, the food sits immersed in your stomach acids for about 30 minutes, after which it then leaves the stomach and moves into the small intestine. This process takes about two to five hours. It takes between two hours and six hours to pass through the small intestine, and as the part of digestion with the longest duration, anywhere between 10 to 59 hours to pass through the large intestine and come out as stool. All in all, it takes anywhere between 14 and 70 hours for food to travel through 30 feet of digestive organs. What affects digestion and its duration?  Gender, metabolism, and any digestive conditions are generally what affect the duration of the digestive process. When digestion is accelerated, it comes out as diarrhea because the large intestine doesn’t have enough time to reabsorb all the moisture. This can be triggered by viral and bacterial infections, spicy food, as well as any food intolerance. On the other hand, constipation happens when food passes the large intestine very slowly, allowing it to reabsorb too much water and resulting in very hard stool, which has difficulty getting out. The type of food you eat also affects how long it stays in the body. Fruits and vegetables pass quickly since the body has no means of breaking down fiber. This is also why fiber enhances the digestive process. On the other hand, protein-rich food takes more time to digest. Fatty food takes the longest since it is not water-soluble, so it requires special steps to be absorbed by the body. Sugary treats such as candy and chocolate are the fastest to absorb, giving you a whole lot of calories but making you hungrier, faster. So keep that in mind, those of you with a sweet tooth. Tips for better digestion We all experience the occasional digestive symptoms such as heartburn, gas, diarrhea, and constipation, but good eating habits can minimize the number of incidences of such. Here are some tips you can follow for good digestion:
You may also like: How To Know How Much Food You Should Actually Eat Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier championship brand for martial arts. It has authentic World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, Wrestling, and No-Gi Grappling. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, ESPN StarSports, Tokyo Times, and many other leading authorities, Evolve MMA aims to deliver the best martial arts instruction available anywhere on the planet. Image via Pixabay What Is The DASH Diet, And Why You Should Try ItThe DASH diet has been around for decades, and science shows it’s an effective way to improve your health and reach your weight loss goals. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH… Image via Pixabay 5 Great-Tasting Low Carb Vegetables You Can Eat Guilt-FreeWeight loss is a tricky subject. A variety of methods may or may not work for different people. While some things may be effective for you, they could also have little to no effect on… Here Are 4 Healthy Fats That’ll Help Balance Your DietMost people looking to get into better shape tend to avoid fatty foods since conventional wisdom tells us fats are bad for our bodies. However, the truth is more complicated since some types of fat… Image via Pixabay Here Are 9 Tasty Greens You Should Incorporate Into Your MealsGreen, leafy vegetables are nutrient-rich, and they help with numerous housekeeping tasks in the body. Greens seem to have superfood abilities, from detoxing, improved digestion, they even enhance your athleticism. Let’s look at some delicious,… Image via@pixabay Pre-Workout Meal: What To Eat Before A WorkoutSome people can exercise on an empty stomach, but most of us need to fuel up before a workout. This brings us to an essential aspect of your fitness regimen: nutrition. The way you prepare… Intermittent Fasting: A Complete Guide & Why You Should Try ItIntermittent fasting is just that: Fasting at regular intervals for health or weight loss purposes. This eating pattern has many variations, depending on the length and frequency of the fast. The concept and practice of… How To Perform The Leg Weave Pass In BJJIt is not uncommon to see teammates with different BJJ games. This is because one’s personal style depends on many factors, such as size, age, and even personality. This is also the case in passing… Can People Of All Ages Train In Martial Arts?There are no age limits when it comes to learning martial arts since there is no such thing as being too old to learn something new. Anyone can benefit from learning one of these disciplines… Image via ONE Championship Comparing Muay Thai To Dutch KickboxingDutch kickboxing and Muay Thai have had one of the biggest rivalries in combat sports for decades. Both kickboxing styles have dominated the striking world besides boxing for just as long, and combat sports that… 4 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is The Most Inspirational Martial Artist Of All TimeThe day that Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay decided to be a boxer was the day the world found itself a new hero. As a young African-American boy seeking out revenge for his… Image via MP Promotions Breaking Down Manny Pacquiao’s Style Of BoxingThe truth of the matter is, eight-division boxing world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is just an absolute physical specimen. His own unique blend of speed, power, athleticism, and toughness has been unparalleled in the sport… Helio Gracie No Age Limit: 4 Reasons Seniors Should Train Martial ArtsStaying active is important to people in their 50’s, 60’s or even 70’s. The body starts to weaken during these years, especially when seniors get trapped into the sedentary lifestyle. As we age, our bodies… LIVE LIKE A WARRIOR Enter your email below and get inspired to unleash your greatness Evolve Daily guarantees 100% privacy. Your information will not be shared. What determines how long food will stay in large intestines?It can take between four and 11 hours for food to pass into the large intestine (six to eight is average), and it will spend up to 70 hours there before being excreted (the average is 40) – the exact timing depends on your metabolism and what you've eaten, and it may vary day to day.
How long can meat sit in your intestines?Meat and fish can take as long as 2 days to fully digest. The proteins and fats they contain are complex molecules that take longer for your body to pull apart. By contrast, fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber, can move through your system in less than a day.
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How long does food stay in your large intestine
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