This is an extremely loaded question! There are an infinite amount of factors that play into how well or poorly you digest your food. Here are some I think are major ones:
State of your digestive system
· Probiotics - the presence of good bacteria is so important in properly processing your food; ingesting fermented foods regularly or taking probiotic supplements will help boost the number of probiotics in your system; pretty much everyone can benefit from supplementing with probiotics or eating probiotic rich foods as taking antibiotics or eating conventionally grown meat, fruits or vegetables can decrease the healthy flora
· Enzymes - enzymes are crucial in helping you break down the food in your stomach; some people choose to supplement with enzymes while there is a differing school of thought that if you supplement with enzymes, your body develops a reliance on it and does not produce their own; I tend to take enzymes when I have a heavier meal to act as support
What you eat
· Quantity of food- the more you eat, the more work your body has to do; I'm pretty sure anyone can relate to overeating
· Quality of food– as stated above, conventionally grown food can have additional chemicals that can throw off the balance of your gut
How you eat
· Food combining - this is an extensive topic but basically the more complicated your meals are, the harder they are to digest; general food combining rules: eat fruit alone and on an empty stomach, don't combine protein and starches
· Mood/mindset when you're eating - eating when you're happy is a way better digestive experience than eating when you're sad, angry, or stressed; being able to mindfully eat also helps
· Mood/mindset when you're cooking – this is a little woo-woo but cooking when sad, angry or stressed imparts that property to the food and can cause issues; one time I cooked a meal for my husband when I was very upset at him, he had a stomach ache that night; another example – mom's home cooking – nothing can replace it because your mom puts her love into it
· Environment you are eating in - eating in a quiet environment vs. a loud one can effect your digestive system
· Chewing – chewing your food thoroughly is so important to helping your digestive system because you don't have anything like teeth in your stomach that will help breakdown food
· When you eat – eating too late, before strenuous activity and in the middle of the night are some of the times that can create poor digestion
