Digestion problems are common in India, from constipation to motion sickness, from nausea to diarrhea, and whatnot, people experience these issues often. There are several reasons related to diet, lifestyle, and stress for digestive system complaints.
Although digestive problems often go away on their own, if they occur frequently, then they can lead to major health issues. By adopting a healthy lifestyle and consuming the right food, you can improve your digestion. If you have any digestive symptoms, then simply follow these methods to prevent bloating, gas, heartburn, and other issues.
Tips to Improve Digestive System
-
Add Fiber to Your Diet
Insoluble and soluble fiber, both are good for digestion. Insoluble fiber is hard to digest; thus, they add bulk to the stool making it easy to move; however, soluble fiber absorbs water and can prevent stool from becoming liquid. High fiber foods like oatmeal, whole grains, beans, nuts, citrus fruits, carrots, quinoa, and chickpeas can be included in the diet for better digestion.
-
Drink More Water
Dehydration or low water intake can lead to constipation. Water makes it easy to digest food and absorb nutrition. An average person should consume 70-80 ounces of water (or any non-caffeinated drink) in a day for a healthy digestive system.
You might like: 25 Tips to Lose Weight Quickly
-
Exercise for Better Digestion
Simple exercise including walking, cycling, and jogging, can keep the food moving through the digestive system, reducing constipation and bloating issues. You must make it your schedule to do some exercise before the meal, or at least 1 hour after a meal for smooth digestion.
-
Mint Tea Can Help
Mint tea is a well-known remedy to treat nausea, heartburn, and acid reflux. The antiseptic and antibacterial properties of mint make it good for digestion. Peppermint has also shown results in treating constipation, IBS, and motion sickness. Why not give it a try?
-
Avoid Certain Foods
There are certain foods that can cause indigestion; thus, you must not consume them if you have a delicate stomach or at least limit their consumption. For example:
- Processed food
- Acidic food
- Fried food
- Spicy food
- Sweeteners like fructose
- Fast Food
- Ready-made meals
-
Eat Good Fat
Fat is necessary for the absorption of certain nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids have shown results in reducing the risk of certain digestive issues like inflammatory bowel. Nuts, flaxseeds, salmon, chia seeds, oysters, and soybeans are some foods that are rich in Omega-3.
-
Include More Real Food
The more we get tempted to junk or processed foods, the more we are prone to digestive problems. Refined carbs, saturated fats, food addictive, and artificial sweeteners can have a negative effect on your digestive system and can even increase the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases. Instead, you should include plant-based food like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, whole grain to your diet.
-
Keep the Stress Away
Stress can do more harm to your digestive system than anything else. Too much stress and anxiety are liked with constipation, IBS, and ulcer. Moreover, gut and brain are connected with each other, so whatever affects your brain will automatically affect your digestion. You should incorporate stress-relieving activities in your lifestyle, and also build a strong support network to deal with your problems.
-
Incorporate Prebiotics to Your Diet
Probiotics contain digestion-friendly bacteria that can break indigestible fibers and relieve symptoms of bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and IBS. They are capable of fighting against the effects of antibiotics, stress, and unhealthy diet. Like probiotics, prebiotics also supports healthy bacteria in the gut, improving the digestion.
-
Chew Your Food Properly
When you chew your food and break it down in smaller pieces, it becomes easy for the enzymes in the digestive tracts to break it down. Your stomach has to work less to digest food, and it also improves nutrient absorption.
-
Eat Systematically on Schedule
To improve the digestive system, the best practice is to eat your meals and snacks at a scheduled time. Means you should have your breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, and brunch at the same time regularly.
-
Shun These Bad Habits
Bad habits like smoking, liquor, too much caffeine, and late-night eating habits can trouble your stomach. They can interfere with the proper functioning of the digestive system and lead to problems like ulcers, heartburn, and acid reflux. In fact, excess of alcohol can also cause bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
When to Consult Your Doctor
If you have practiced good hygiene, healthy eating, and adopted a healthy lifestyle and still getting the same symptoms, then you must consult your doctor. Maybe they are the result of some medication and other underlying health conditions. Convey your doctor about your medical history and tell them about all the medicines you are taking, this will help them spot the issue.
Final Words
Incorporating a healthy diet, especially the one that is rich in fiber can help you well in improving the digestive system. A simple change in lifestyle, avoiding certain food, relieving stress, and regular exercise is the key to better digestion.
Some digestive issues are hard to fix, in that case, consult your doctor.
