How To Improve Digestive Health

Maintaining your digestive health is just as important as maintaining your heart health, bone health and the health of the rest of your body. The digestive system breaks down the food you eat into the nutrients your body needs. If you neglect your digestive health, your body could run into digestive problems like abdominal pain, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and nausea. Some of these digestive problems can be reduced or avoided entirely by improving your diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. By following simple tips you can improve and maintain your digestive health more efficiently.

Tips For Better Digestive Health:

1. Eat High Fiber Diet

• Fiber can help your Gastro Intestinal tract stay regular, improve cardiovascular health and regulate blood sugar levels. Fiber is found only in plant food. It's the part of the plant that is not digested in the human body. It's important to eat foods containing both soluble fiber, such as oat bran and beans, and insoluble fiber, such as whole-wheat products.
• Soluble fiber mixes with water to create a gel-like consistency, this slows digestion to help the body absorb more nutrients and remove substances like cholesterol. Eat foods rich in soluble fiber like oats and oat bran, nuts, legumes, peas, and some fruits and vegetables such as dried plums, apples and carrots. soluble fiber also controls your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
• Insoluble fiber does not mix with water but adds bulk to stool and helps move food through the digestive system. Whole grains (especially wheat bran), skins of fruits, dried plums and many vegetables (cauliflower and potatoes) provide insoluble fiber. Increasing your intake of insoluble fiber will improve your bowel movements  and prevents constipation.
• High fiber foods are generally low in calories and they will also help you control your weight, lower your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of hemorrhoids (swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum and anus that cause discomfort and bleeding).

2. Drink Plenty Of Water

• Healthy digestion requires adequate fluid intake. The fiber in your food and water will increase the efficiency of your digestion by helping to soften and break down foods so your body can absorb the nutrients. It will also soften your stool and make regular bowl movements easier.

3. Eat More Fermented Foods

• A healthy digestive tract contains many species of microorganisms which help break down food. Fermented and cultured foods are high in good bacteria and eating them will help you regenerate and balance the bacterial community in your digestive system.
• Eat fermented products like yogurt or kefir on a daily basis, to strengthen the immune system, treat irritable bowel syndrome and maintain a healthy digestive system.

4. Exercise Regularly

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Exercise will reduce stress, control your weight, and help your intestines to contract normally, moving food through your system. Regular exercise will help the food move easily through the digestive system and reduce constipation.

5. Eat Less Fatty Foods

• Processed foods contain high quantities of sugar, salt and fat. Fatty foods tend to slow the digestive process, prevent us from being hungry for healthy foods and they cause irritable bowel movement and constipation. When these fatty foods pair with high fiber foods, it makes the digestion easy.

6. Eat Meals On A Regular Schedule

• Consuming meals on a regular schedule will keep your digestive system in good condition. Try to eat your breakfast, lunch, dinner around the same time each day.

7. Quit Smoking And Alcohol

• Excessive smoking and drinking leads to inflammation of the stomach lining, ulcers, cramping, bleeding, abdominal pain, heartburn and acid reflux. By quitting smoking and drinking you can reduce the risk of ulcers and cancers involved with the digestive system. 

8. Manage Stress

• Stress has a direct effect on digestive health. Stress can cause the passage of food through the digestive system to slow down or to speed up, which can cause abdominal pain. The digestive enzymes will be released in smaller amounts when you are under stress, thus leads to improper digestion, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.
• Yoga, meditation, pranayama, listening to soothing music, massage, baths and other relaxation techniques can help you to handle stress and maintain proper digestive health.

9. Adjust Eating Patterns

• Avoid eating late at night or right before bedtime. It helps in reducing acid reflux and heartburn. Frequent, small meals keep your digestive system busy without overloading it.

Conclusion

Your lifestyle is directly impacted by the foods you eat and the lifestyle you live. By following the above tips your digestive system will work efficiently, improving your overall health. Consult a physician and seek their advice before changing your diet and lifestyle.