Top Tips for a Healthy Digestive System
The digestive system is a group of organs in your body that collectively take in food, digest it to extract energy and nutrients, then expel the waste. Having a healthy digestive system is important to your overall health. Because our body can't absorb food the way we ingest it, the digestive system delivers small molecules of nutrients to be absorbed into the blood and carried to the cells for use. Taking care of your digestive system doesn't only involve the foods you eat, it is a whole lifestyle. Drinking water, consuming fiber, and exercising all help your digestive tract. Here is a list of eight tips to ensure you are maintaining a healthy digestive system.
Consume a high fiber diet
Whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruit are all foods that move easily through the digestive tract because of the fibers they contain. Not only do they aid digestive, they help to prevent digestive conditions such as diverticulosis. In addition, they aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
Manage your stress
Stress and anxiety can hinder weight loss, but even worse, they can also cause problems with your digestive system. Stress puts digestion into overdrive which results in robbing your body of the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Stress reducing activities should be performed daily if stress is a part of your life.
Exercise regularly
It is healthy for individuals to incorporate exercise into their routine weekly. This helps your digestive system by keeping the food moving through your body.
Skip the bad habits
Smoking, drinking excessive amounts of caffeine, and consuming alcohol are all bad habits that affect our overall health. But, they really do a number on our digestive system. They interfere with its functioning and often cause conditions such as stomach ulcers and heart burn.
Hydrate
Drink plenty of water for your overall health, but for your digestive health as well. Water helps to dissolve fats and soluble fiber.
Monitor your intake of probiotics
Probiotics are healthy bacteria that are naturally present in our digestive tract. They combat poor diet, stress, and the effects of antibiotics. They also enhance nutrient absorption. Consuming certain dairy products such as low-fat yogurt daily can help.
Limit your fat intake
Fatty and fried foods pack on the pounds, but they are also hard to digest. They slow the overall process of your digestive system. Choose low fat meats like chicken or pork. Opt for reduced fat dairy products. Switch from butter or margarine to olive oil.
Slowdown
This pertains to more than just how fast you eat, slowdown in life. But, especially when eating. The digestive system needs to signal to our brain that it is full. Since the digestive tract takes some time to break down and absorb food, eating too fast leads to over eating. It is recommended that you chew your food 20 times per bite. And, eliminate eating by the TV. Studies show that those that eat near the TV are distracted by their shows and often eat more than they need.
Losing and maintaining weight starts with small changes throughout your regular lifestyle to increase your overall health. Since the digestive system plays a major part in your makeup and your health, doing your best to improve the health of your digestive system has great benefits in your life.