SHARES
“Even though I ate a lot, I have loose stools often. My doctor says my digestive system is not doing well.” Sally is 14 years old and her mother is worried about her nutrition during puberty.
Your digestive system breaks down the food you eat and provide the nutrients to your body. Thus it is very important that the digestive system works well. But digestive problems like bloating, constipation, upset stomach are not uncommon.
By being mindful of what you eat, and taking deliberate healthy lifestyle choices, you can significantly improve your digestive health. I venture to offer you 9 ways how!
9 Tips for Improving Your Digestive System
1. Eat Consciously
Avoid eating too much or too quickly. Also, pay attention to all aspects of your food and how you wolf them down! So here are some bits of advice to help you eat consciously:
- Eat on schedule
- Chew your food and eat slowly. While chewing, your teeth break down the food. Then, digestive enzymes are better able to break down the smaller bits of food, maximizing nutrient absorption. Moreover, chewing produces saliva too. When mixed with solid food, it not only begins the initial process of digestion, but eases the movement of food through the digestive tract too.
- Be aware of your hunger and fullness cues to prevent overeating, bloating, and indigestion. Take note, it takes time for your stomach released hormones to reach your brain.
2. Eat Real Food
Processed food that are high in food additives, refined carbs, artificial sweeteners, trans fats have known to cause digestive disorder like inflammatory bowel diseases. Moreover, food additives can cause gut inflammation and artificial sweetener like xylitol can increase your harmful gut bacteria and cause bloating as well as diarrhoea. Hence, limiting your intake of processed food can help improve your digestion.
3. Eat More Fiber
Fiber keeps food moving through your digestive tract and prevent constipation. In fact, remember to consume both insoluble and soluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber adds bulk and attracts water into your stool, preventing constipation by improving bowel movement. Soluble fiber lowers fat absorption helping with weight management, reduces blood cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar. By improving cholesterol and blood sugar control, your risk is lower for heart disease and diabetes.
Good sources of insoluble fiber include vegetables, wheat bran, whole grains; soluble fiber are found in legumes, nuts and seeds.
4. Stay Hydrated
We all know that water is good for our body and prevent constipation. It is recommended to drink 1.5-2 liters of non- caffeinated fluids per day. Another way of water intake is to consume food that is high in water content such as watermelon, berries, cucumber, and celery.
Photo by Cuba Gallery from Flickr
5. Healthy Fats
Not all fats are bad for you. Adequate intake of healthy fats helps us feel satisfied after meal and helps absorption of fat soluble nutrients. Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids may prevent you from getting inflammatory bowel diseases. Food like salmon, chia seeds, nuts, sardines are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
6. Stress Less
Stress has been linked to digestive disorders like constipation, diarrhoea. This is because blood and energy are diverted away from your digestive system during stress. So, try to relax by taking yoga class, meditation, or listen to your favourite music. They are good for both your mind and gut!
7. Exercise
Doing some easy exercise like slow walk can help with digestion. Gravity can help food travel through your gut. So, next time when you feel full and bloated, try go for a short walk.
8. Avoid Poor Habits
Bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol intake and eating supper are not good for your digestive health. Smoking and drinking too much alcohol can cause stomach ulcers, heartburn, and acid reflux. Lying down after late night eating can cause indigestion and heartburn.
9. Probiotics
Bacteria naturally occur in our gut. Some are good bacteria that help digest food, some are bad that cause digestive problem. Probiotics are the good bacteria that improve digestion by breaking down indigestible fiber that can cause bloating and gas. Moreover, they can break down lactose and improve your immune system. Probiotics can be found in fermented food like yoghurt, kimchi, and miso.
Photo by ~>jacOb from Flickr
Conclusion
In conclusion, your choice of food and lifestyle can affect your digestive health. So, eat mindfully and get moving.
Further Reads
- Have Constipation? What Can You Do About It?
- I Have Heartburn! What Is This Due To?
- The Importance of Gut Health
- Skip the Junk, not your Breakfast! Here’s why: Acid Reflux
- High Fibre, Less Inflammation – Lower Your Chances of Dying!
- How Can You Improve Your Gut Microbiome? Follow 6 Diet Tips
Find a GP/Family Doctor or Dietician in Malaysia, on GetDoc
Find a GP/Family Doctor or Dietician in Singapore, on GetDoc
References:
1. McCoy K. 10 tips for better digestive health [Internet]. Everyday Health. 2017 [Available from: https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/tips-for-better-digestive-health/; last updated on 2017 Aug 24; last accessed on 2020 mar 15]
2. Groves M. The 11 best ways to improve your digestion naturally [Internet]. Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. 2018 [Available from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-improve-digestion#section2; last accessed on 2020 mar 15]
by Chang Xian
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