Image Source – Beyond Meadow
There are many ways that people can improve digestive health, and like many other parts of the body, the health of your digestive system is affected by physical, emotional, behavioral, dietary, and physiological factors. To ensure a healthy stomach try these 20 helpful tips to improve digestive health.
- Probiotics
By replenishing probiotics, the ‘healthy bacteria’ in your stomach, you improve nutrient uptake and protect the stomach from bad bacteria and other pathogens that can seriously affect the your digestive system.
- Exercise
Exercising helps to regulate your hungry, burn good calories, improve muscle tone, and reduce obesity. All of these things can either directly affect your dietary behavior.
- Bananas
Potassium in bananas is a vasodilator and an anti-inflammatory, both of which are good for digestive health. It is also a good source of fiber, which helps to bulk up our stool, thereby helping the bowel movements.
- Quit Smoking
Smoking has an astringent effect on the body, narrowing blood vessels and increasing the likelihood of inflammation, leading to heartburn, ulcers, and other intestinal complications.
- Avocados
Avocados are a nutrient-packed way to protect our stomach. Aside from the fiber, which stimulates peristaltic motion and reduces inflammation in the gut, avocados are also full of other antioxidants that protect the digestive system and the rest of the body.
- Ease off the Alcohol
Alcohol in excess causes inflammation of the stomach, heartburn, and general intestinal distress.
- Spinach
Spinach contains some insoluble fiber, which can act as a bulking agent if you are suffering from diarrhea. Also, the high lutein content is broken down during digestion and helps protect the rest of the body thanks to its high antioxidant capacity.
- Cut Down Caffeine
There are plenty of benefits to coffee, however, coffee is highly acidic, and can seriously mess with the acidity of your empty stomach. If you regularly down a pot of coffee and have chronic stomach issues, consider switching to tea or cutting back on the coffee to keep your stomach healthy.
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a carminative, which means that it can relieve excess gas, and it also helps to inhibit the overgrowth of yeast.
- Reduce Stress
If you actively reduce your stress levels, your bowel movements will become more regular, and that knot in your stomach will get untied too.
- Cumin
This herb has been used for hundreds of years as a digestive aid and can help to reduce heartburn in many patients. Heartburn is often a result of something highly acidic or spicy food, and thus cumin is often included in such dishes.
- Meditate
By clearing your mind and finding your center, releasing the tension and thoughts that plague you every day, you are also affecting the functions of your body, improving the flow of energy and blood, which can help to regulate your digestive system.
- Black Pepper
One of the active ingredients of black pepper, piperine, has been shown to increase the amount of digestive juices, which can help to stimulate digestion and increase the efficiency of nutrient uptake.
- Stretch
Stretching once or twice a day can reduce flatulence and bloating.
- Ginger
Ginger is used to soothe stomach upset and reduce inflammation in the gut. Furthermore, when taken in larger quantities, ginger can act as a laxative to flush out your system and eliminate constipation.
- Stay Hydrated
Drinking water is the basis for digestion and is essential for excretion. Particularly if you suffer from constipation or painful bowel movements, increasing your water intake can immediately help get your bowels moving and also rejuvenate the body in countless other ways.
- Almonds
Almonds are able to function as a probiotic in certain people, meaning that they stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. The high level of fiber also helps improve digestion and reduce constipation.
- Bran
Bran has one of the highest concentrations of dietary fiber in commonly found food (about 24 grams per cup), so it is commonly recommended to eliminate constipation and stimulate healthy bowel movements.
- Berries
Berries are not only high in fiber, but are also high in water content. Furthermore, some berries can reduce inflammation and promote functionality within the gut due to high antioxidant content.
- Tea
Different teas contain different active compounds, such as the polyphenols and catechins in green tea, which protect the gut and increase pepsin production, an enzyme than increases the speed of protein digestion.