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Nutrition and sustenance is the core of human survival, and it is all linked to what you eat and when you eat. Digestive health is the central part of human well-being.
Even the smallest of disorders here can bring great turbulence in your daily routine. We know so much about the dos and don’ts associated with eating habits. But we always tend to procrastinate.
However, once you get well aware of the impact of digestive health on your complete body mechanics, you will surely spruce up your plate and indulge in a healthy lifestyle.
Implementing a certain discipline in your life always appears hectic at first but once followed, it will change your life for the better, and the same goes for your digestive health.
Organizing your daily routine around these tips will be a long-term benefit, fixing you from the inside and out.
1. Set Your Plate Right to Boost Digestive Health
It is very important to pay heed to your body’s needs and how much it is provided.
The first step when looking after your digestive health should be a balanced diet and nutritious food.
1.1 Introduce High Fiber Foods.
Fibers are an integral part of our diets, and we need to set our plate right to have more of this colon cleaning agent1.
Our digestive health depends a lot on our daily fiber intake.
A high fiber diet will get you rid of constipation, obesity, and IBS( Irritable Bowel Syndrome) problems.
Fibers are mostly undigestable. Hence, they increase your colon deposits and add bulk to your stool, which helps push it out of your system.
It is recommended to make sure your diet has both soluble and insoluble fibers.
Soluble fibers use water to turn into a gel-like consistency.
They are known for their heart-related benefits like reducing cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels and are good for diabetic patients.
It also should be acknowledged by those looking forward to losing weight.
On the other hand, insoluble fibers are mostly planted roughage that does not mix with water and adds bulk to your colon.
Hence it increases the pressure in the rectum and gets discharged easily.
To meet your daily fiber requirements, one should reach out for vegetables, fruits, legumes, wheat bran vegetables, and whole grains daily.
A bowl of oatmeal, first thing in the morning, is the best option for a smooth bowel movement and obese people.
1.2 Watch out for the Kind of Fat you Select
Fat consumption is a common dilemma. But for your digestive health, you must take care of the kind of fats you are putting on your plate.
We have good fats called unsaturated fats2, which make us less prone to diseases and help to balance our diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known for reducing inflammation and is an important element to fight against IBS(inflammatory bowel syndrome3)
So a healthy diet needs to have healthy fats.
So you should start garnishing your dishes with olive oil and include nuts, seeds, and fish in your diet.
All vegetable oils provide you with saturated fats, so start incorporating different oils like canola, sunflower, and corn oils in your dietary routines.
To avoid the bad fats called trans fats, you must break from processed foods, fried foods, and baked foods like cakes and cookies.
Unhealthy fats directly impact your digestive health as it makes you constipated and more vulnerable to diseases.
Additionally, trans fat poses a serious threat to your heart health as it decreases the good cholesterol HDL and increases bad cholesterol LDL4
1.3 Set Processed Foods as Off-limits
Processed foods like bread, cheese, biscuits, milk, and so on play a fundamental role in our diets. Their consumption is harmless, and they are staples all across the globe.
However, on the flip side of the coin, we have a huge list of processed foods that can be avoided as they show a negative impact not only on our digestive health but the overall body system.
Most processed foods exceed the required sugar, salts, fats, and other food additives, leading to more calorie build-up and obesity.
These processed foods are rich in trans fats, unhealthy fats, which are the main culprit for IBS.
If one is habituated to processed drinks that contain artificial sweeteners, then it’s a warning alarm for your digestive health because it disturbs the gut bacteria and may lead to diseases like Crohn’s disease5 and other diseases related to IBS.
More common disorders may include bloating and diarrhea which can meddle with your plans and spoil your routine.
When putting any processed can in your shopping cart, pay heed to the nutritional elements present in it and then proceed further down the aisle.
So it’s more advisable to include fresh foods like fruits and vegetables and lean meats in your diet.
You can always pick up coconut water in place of your regular sugary drinks.
It will keep digestive problems at bay and bring more nutrients into your system.
1.4 Encourage Intake of Prebiotics and Probiotics
Probiotics
Our digestive tract has many bacterias living in it, both good and bad, called gut flora.
Probiotics, in simple terms, are the healthy bacteria that work in favor of your digestive health.
They keep your gut system healthy, keeping diseases away.
They strengthen your gut lining cells which do not let the bad bacteria enter your bloodstream.
Fighting off the bad bacteria which enter your body and maintaining a perfect balance.
They play an effective role against IBS and strengthen our immune system.
Fermented foods like yogurt, cheese, kefir, and sauerkraut are all good sources of probiotics.
Prebiotic
As discussed above, probiotics are living bacteria that we take from fermented foods for consistent digestive health.
So to feed these living bacteria, we need to have prebiotics on our plates.
Prebiotics are the dietary fiber that our digestive system fails to digest.
So we are feeding our good bacteria with these prebiotic
Incorporate a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and keep your gut flora healthy.
Some examples of whole-grain foods can be brown rice, bread, whole grains, pasta, and oatmeal.
2. Drink More Water
Staying hydrated is the most common remedy for every other ailment. While it rounds up all your health problems, it is especially prescribed for your digestive health.
Drinking plenty of water circulates your food effectively along your digestive tract and prevents constipation.
So to keep your water level in check, aside from beverages, one should also opt for water-rich foods.
These foods include cucumbers and lettuce, which are also an excellent sources of other nutrients.
There are many other vegetables and fruits that can maintain your water level and save you from dehydration.
3. Regular Exercise
Modern technologies have shaped our lives such that our daily jobs require minimum physical exertions.
Hence it has become extremely necessary to set daily workouts as your top priority for a robust heart and a healthy lifestyle.
An active person stays free of diseases and enjoys optimal digestive health.
Daily exercise keeps your food moving through your digestive tract and prevents bloating and constipation.
Unnecessary fat build-up works against your digestive health, which can be sorted with a regular workout.
4. Keep Stress at Bay
A disturbed state of mind has many negative impacts, one of which also includes your digestive health.
It is very important to understand that our gut system and our brain have a very intimate connection.
A dense network of neurons lines our GI(gastrointestinal) tract called the intrinsic nervous system6.
A very important chemical called serotonin is produced in the GI lining, associated with happiness and a stable mood.
Low levels of serotonin can lead to depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness.
Low serotonin also affects your bowel activities and may cause digestive issues.
Furthermore, when we are put under stress, our body enters flight or fight mode.
It stimulates many physiological disorders, like increased acid influx in your stomach, resulting in indigestion and heartburn.
A feeling of nausea, diarrhea, or constipation may be one of the many responses to stress and anxiety.
Chronic stress can also trigger IBS(irritable bowel syndrome ) and other Gastrointestinal diseases.
So for a healthy digestive system, one must have a stable state of mind.
Many foods can ease your hyperactive mind.
Many fruits such as berries improve your moods and keep depression away as they are rich in antioxidants and anthocyanin.
Another food, the mere name of which will light up your face- Dark Chocolate.
Yes, this mouth-watering delicacy is also known for producing endorphin, a chemical produced in our brain whose job is to make you feel happy.
Dark chocolate also helps in circulating blood towards the brain. It can reduce inflammation and support brain health and is the best remedy for mood swings and depression.
5. Time your Meals
A proper schedule is very important for smooth digestion and ideal digestive health.
Having enough gap between each meal and having them at the same time every day is preferable if you care for your digestive health.
Also, it is preferable to keep 12 hours of the interval between your breakfast and the last meal of the previous day.
Doing this will strengthen the internal lining of your GI tract.
6. Stay Away from Addictions
Too much alcohol, smoking, and caffeine are all hazardous to your body.
These are some bad habits that you need to keep in check to avoid various digestive conditions like stomach ulcers, inflammation, gastroesophageal diseases(GERD), acid reflux, and other disorders like Crohn’s disease.
Digestion is quite a complex process.
So we must understand what our body needs and avoid certain types of food which do not suit our digestive system.
Also, an important aspect of the digestion process is proper chewing.
When our food mixes with our saliva, certain carbohydrates and fats start breaking down in the mouth.
This makes digestion easier. Also, improper chewing inhibits nutrient absorption. Hence, we are taught to chew our food thoroughly and enjoy our meals to the fullest from the very childhood.
A healthy digestive system also needs a healthy mind because it’s all connected inside there.
- Di Leo, Milena, et al. “Novel frontiers of agents for bowel cleansing for colonoscopy.” World Journal of Gastroenterology 27.45 (2021): 7748. ↩︎
- Roche, Helen M. “Unsaturated fatty acids.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 58.2 (1999): 397-401. ↩︎
- Bercik, Premysl, Elena F. Verdu, and Stephen M. Collins. “Is irritable bowel syndrome a low-grade inflammatory bowel disease?.” Gastroenterology Clinics 34.2 (2005): 235-245. ↩︎
- Colpo, Anthony. “LDL Cholesterol:” Bad” Cholesterol or Bad Science?.” Journal of American physicians and surgeons 10.3 (2005): 83. ↩︎
- Torres, Joana, et al. “Crohn’s disease.” The Lancet 389.10080 (2017): 1741-1755. ↩︎
- Wine, Jeffrey J. “Parasympathetic control of airway submucosal glands: central reflexes and the airway intrinsic nervous system.” Autonomic Neuroscience 133.1 (2007): 35-54. ↩︎
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