How your body breaks down the food you eat can be affected by your lifestyle and the foods you choose. Foods you eat are processed by your digestive system into energy and essential nutrients. Poor digestion can prevent the body from receiving nutrients. The condition of your digestive system is directly related to the things you eat and the way you live. Making changes to your diet and lifestyle that favour digestive health can have far-reaching effects on your physical and mental well-being.
Following are the common digestive complaints and they include
- Uneasy stomach,
- Gas,
- Burning sensations,
- Sickness in stomach,
- Diarrhoea
Frequent occurrence of the above problems can significantly impair your daily activities. Fortunately, improvements in gut health are possible through dietary and lifestyle modifications. It’s not uncommon to experience occasional digestive issues, the causes of which could be anything from a digestive condition to a particular diet. Stomach pain and other symptoms like those caused by constipation or diarrhoea normally go away on their own, but you can alleviate the discomfort with these simple home treatments in the meanwhile. This page examines probable causes of poor digestion, techniques to enhance digestion, how to clean the stomach, and when to consult medical assistance.
Follow a Plant-based diet
The prevalence of digestive diseases has been related to the normal Western diet, which is extremely tasteful carbohydrates, soaked fat, and dietary additives. Increased intestinal inflammation, resulting to a disease known as leaky gut, connected to food additives including
- Glucose,
- Salt, and other chemicals.
A lot of refined meals include trans fats. They have been linked to an increased probability of getting digestive problems, in addition to their well-known adverse affects on heart health.. Additionally, low-fat frozen desserts and sodas are common examples of processed foods that include Sweeteners that aren’t real, which can aggravate gastrointestinal issues. A recent finding indicated 70 percent of participants who ate 50 grammes of the synthetic sweetener xylitol experienced gastrointestinal distress (including gas and diarrhoea), while 60 percent of participants who ate 75 grammes of erythritol experienced the same thing.
Researchers have found that artificial sweeteners might raise the quantity of dangerous gut flora. Disturbances in the composition of gut flora have been associated to IBS and other gastrointestinal distress conditions. Fortunately, studies have shown that a nutrient-rich diet can help prevent digestive disorders.
Therefore, adopting a diet centred on raw materials and minimizing the consumption of prepared meals may be preferable for good digestion.
Fiber is essential, so eat lots of it
We all know that a diet high in fibre is conducive to healthy digestion. Water is absorbed by soluble fibre, which increases stool volume. Like a gigantic toothbrush, insoluble fibre scrubs your tract of your digestive system and cleans and keeps things moving smoothly.
Following are the sources of insoluble fibre and it includes
- veggies,
- complete grains, and
- wheat
whereas oat bran, legumes, nuts, and seeds are rich sources of soluble fibre. Reduced incidence of ulcers, reflux, haemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have all been related to a diet high in fibre. Prebiotics are a special kind of fibre that can help your gut bacteria flourish. The risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease is reduced while eating a diet high in this fibre.
Following are the wide variety of foods contain prebiotics and it includes foodstuffs like fruit, veggies, and grains
In addition to protecting against a variety of digestive diseases, eating plenty of fibre can help keep your bowels moving on a regular basis. Soluble fiber, insoluble fibre, and prebiotics are the three most frequent forms of fibre.
Put some good fats in your diet
Eating a sufficient amount of fat may aid digestion. In addition to aiding in satiety, fat is often necessary for the body to absorb certain nutrients. Moreover, research suggests that taking omega-3 fatty acids will lessen your chances of getting inflammatory bowel illnesses.
Following are the good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and they include
- Linseed,
- Salba Chia,
- walnuts,
- food fish,
Sometimes, all you need is water
Constipation is often brought on by not drinking enough fluids. To avoid constipation, consume 1.5-2 litres (50-66 ounces) of fluids daily, preferably those without caffeine. If you reside in a hot area or engage in rigorous physical activity, though, you may require more. Following are the fruits and veggies can help you achieve your daily fluid needs and it includes
- cucumbers,
- zucchinis,
- grapefruits, and
- peaches
The above fruits and vegetables are rich in water and will help you achieve your daily water intake.
Eliminate Stress from your body
The digestive tract is particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of stress. Stomach ulcers, diarrhoea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have all been. Digestion is adversely impacted by stress hormones. As the name implies, the fight-or-flight response causes the body to believe that it cannot afford to stop and digest the food it has just eaten. As a result of stress, the digestive tract receives nothing from the body and it makes your bowel movements hard. What’s more, there’s a lot of cross-talk between your digestive system and brain, so mental stresses can have an effect on your tummy. Following are the techniques used to reduce stress and they are
- Meditation
- Deep Breathing and
- Learning to relax
The above techniques can help people who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. Cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, and yoga show promising results to alleviate gastrointestinal distress in another research. As a result, you may find that your digestion and state of mind both benefit from practising stress management.
Attaining Full Consciousness While Consuming or paying attention to your diet
If you’re not careful, you might easily overeat and end up with uncomfortable symptoms like
- swollen,
- Gas, and
- acidity.
When you eat mindfully, you focus on the experience of eating rather than the food itself. People with IBS and ulcerative colitis may experience fewer digestive problems when practising mindfulness. The above common digestive issues may be avoided by eating carefully and savoring each bite including texture, warmth, and flavor.
Chew Carefully
The mouth is the gateway for digestion. When you chew, your teeth shatter food into tiny pieces, making it easier for digestive enzymes to complete their job. Not chewing food thoroughly enough can reduce your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Chewing food fully reduces the workload placed on the stomach, which is responsible for breaking down food into a liquid mixture before it enters the small intestine. Saliva is created throughout the chewing process, more saliva is produced as chewing time increases. Saliva initiates digestion by metabolising some of the carbohydrates and fats in food in the mouth. Saliva serves as a fluid in the stomach, mixing with the solid food to facilitate its passage into the intestines. Making sure you have enough saliva for digestion is facilitated by chewing your food completely. Constipation and acidity are among the symptoms that could be avoided in this way. Additionally, it has been suggested that the stress-relieving effects of chewing may also benefit digestion.
Don’t skip your workout
If you want to enhance your digestion, working-out regularly is a great way to start. Both physical activity and gravity assist in the digestion process. So, after eating, it might help your digestive system if you go for a walk. Among healthy individuals, balanced workouts (such as cycling or jogging) enhanced gut transit time by about 30%, according to single research. Another study found that persons with persistent constipation benefited greatly from a daily exercise plan that included thirty minutes of a brisk walk. Exercise has anti-inflammatory actions, such as reducing inflammatory molecules in your body, which may help alleviate IBD symptoms.
Go slowly and focus on the body
It’s easy to consume more food and develop digestive issues like bloating, gas, and indigestion if you don’t pay attention to your body’s signals of hunger and fullness. It’s often believed that your brain needs 20 minutes to tell you that your appetite is satisfied. There isn’t a tonne of evidence whole support this, but it’s true that it takes a while for the hormones your stomach secretes responds to eating to make it to your brain. Eating more slowly and being more aware of when you’re full will help you avoid tummy aches and other digestive issues. Emotional eating is often associated with digestive issues. One study found that worried eaters had more symptoms of upset stomach and gas. It has been suggested that taking a few minutes to unwind before eating will alleviate stomach discomfort.
Say no to smoking & Alcohol
You are aware that engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as cigarettes, alcohol excessively, and midnight snacking, can have a negative impact on your health. In reality, they are also to be to blame for a variety of gastrointestinal problems.
Those odds of acquiring acid reflux nearly treble for smokers. Researchers have also shown that these symptoms diminish once people stop smoking. This harmful practise has also been linked to peptic ulcer disease, increased surgical procedures for those with ulcerative colitis, and other forms of cancer in the digestive tract. Remember that stopping smoking may help your digestion if you are a smoker who has been experiencing stomach problems.
If you drink alcohol, you may experience bloating, acidity, or even develop a stomach ulcer. Blood loss in the digestive tract has been connected to excessive alcohol drinking. Alcohol use has also been linked to intestinal inflammation, intestinal permeability, and detrimental alterations in gut microbiota. Reducing your alcohol intake may improve your digestive health.
Midnight snacking followed by sleep often results in indigestion and heartburn. Gravity aids digestion by keeping food moving in the appropriate direction as your body processes it. Furthermore, stomach contents may increase when lying down, resulting in heartburn. Reflux symptoms are known to worsen when lying down after eating. You should wait at least 3 to 4 hours after having food before you sleep if you have digestive troubles at night. This will allow the food to pass going from the large intestine to the intestines of the small intestine.
Make sure you’re getting enough shut-eye
The quality and quantity of sleep you get have a direct impact on your mental and physical well-being. According to findings from an animal study published in 2014, inconsistent sleep schedules and sleep disruptions might have unfavourable effects on gut flora, which may raise the risk of inflammatory disorders. Create routines of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, as this can help you get into a good rhythm of restful sleep. Seven or more hours of sleep every night is ideal for adults.
The Bottom Line
If you suffer from occasional, frequent, or chronic stomach issues, making some simple dietary and lifestyle modifications may help. The first step toward good digestion is eating a diet rich in whole foods, which are rich in fiber, nutritious fats, and oils. Mindful eating, lowering stress levels, and regular exercise are also helpful. Last but not least, giving up unhealthy habits like smoking, consuming too much liquor, and eating late at night may also help alleviate symptoms.
Sirisha B