4 Natural Solutions for Healthy Digestion
Our modern diets and mostly sedentary lifestyles can deliver a 1-2 punch, contributing to problems with digestive health that can negatively impact the function of every other bodily system. Worse still is that the symptoms of poor digestive health are now so common that many people aren’t even aware that there’s a problem. For many, symptoms like constipation or diarrhea, gas, bloating, cramping, and heartburn are considered a normal occurrence when really, these issues are part of a much larger problem that needs to be addressed (and quickly).
Fortunately, there are several ways to support healthy digestion naturally. The following are simple diet and lifestyle changes that you can make today to start improving your digestion for better health.
1. Chew your food
Although we think of the stomach as the hub for digestion, this process actually starts in the mouth. Specifically, chewing grinds the food into smaller pieces, which mix with the enzymes in saliva to start the process of digestion.
Ideally, your food should be the consistency of applesauce before you swallow and take another bite. This is a standard that very few people actually meet, especially with our modern lifestyle habits of multitasking and eating on the go. However, by not chewing your food properly, you place a greater burden on the rest of your digestive system, which can contribute to gas and bloating after a meal.
Most importantly slow down. Eating slower allows you to be more in tune with your body’s natural hunger and satiety signals so you can honour them and avoid overeating.
2. Consume whole foods
Processed foods contain toxic ingredients like artificial colours and flavours, preservatives, and chemicals, as well as harmful hydrogenated oils, trans fats, refined sugars, and excess sodium. These anti-foods are a common cause of gut inflammation, which impairs intestinal function and can lead to developing a leaky gut, as well as other chronic health conditions. In addition, processed foods have been shown to alter the balance of gut bacteria and encourage the overgrowth of pathogenic microbes in the gut (this imbalance is known as dysbiosis).
In contrast, whole foods are high in essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are necessary for optimal digestive function (plus, without all the chemical junk damaging your intestines, your body can actually absorb these nutrients!). A diet high in whole foods, especially fruits, and vegetables, also helps to replenish good bacteria in the gut and support a healthy microbiome.
Choose a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables (organic and in-season), raw nuts and seeds, lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, and healthy fats/oils. If you do consume processed foods, do so infrequently and always read ingredient labels – if a product contains more than three non-food ingredients (words you don’t know or can’t pronounce), don’t consume it.
3. Increase your fiber
Fiber is something of a superstar when it comes to supporting healthy digestion and bowel regularity. Not only does fiber help to move food through the intestines, but it also feeds gut bacteria – both good and bad. To make sure you’re taking care of your intestinal health, it’s important to consume a balanced diet with the right amount and type of fiber.
Insoluble fiber does not absorb water and can’t be digested by the body. Instead, this roughage acts like a giant brush, helping to pull food through your digestive tract and keep things “clean”. This type of fiber can help to speed up transit time and is especially beneficial for relieving constipation. In the diet, insoluble fiber is commonly found in foods like legumes, spinach, coconut, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, prunes, flaxseeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
Soluble fiber does absorb water and swells to create a gel-like substance that controls hunger and slows down digestion to support better nutrient absorption, stable blood sugar levels, and heart health (among other benefits). Because it absorbs water, soluble fiber is also valuable for preventing or easing diarrhea. This type of fiber is easily fermented by bacteria in the gut and can cause bloating and gas if it’s consumed in large amounts. Soluble fiber is found in foods like berries, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and carrots.
Prebiotic fiber is a type of soluble fiber that feeds good bacteria in the gut. Some beneficial food sources of prebiotic foods are garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, apples, and flaxseeds.
A balance of both soluble and insoluble fiber is necessary for healthy digestive function. Fortunately, many high-fiber foods contain both varieties, so this balance is easy to maintain with a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and some whole grains (if tolerated).
4. Drink more water
In addition to flushing waste material out of the body, adequate water intake is an essential component of every step in the entire digestive process from saliva to stool. When you take a bite of food, your saliva (which is made mostly of water) mixes with your food, making it easier to chew and swallow. Amylase enzymes in the saliva begin the process of digestion by breaking down carbohydrates as you chew. In the stomach, the food is further broken down by hydrochloric acid, which requires water to be produced by the body in sufficient quantities. Bile and other digestive secretions are also produced from water. Finally, water lubricates the stool and is absorbed by soluble fiber in the intestines, causing the fiber to swell and add bulk to stool for healthy elimination.
Although it’s common to assume that you only need to drink when you feel thirsty, thirst is actually a signal that the body is already in a state of dehydration. To maintain optimal hydration levels, it’s good practice to drink half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water each day. For example, a 140lb person should aim to consume 70oz of pure, filtered water every day.
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