November 3, 2017
5 Things To Know About Digestion
When we think of being healthy we think eating right, drinking water, exercising and getting enough sleep. All these things are important, however, if your digestive system isn’t healthy your body won’t absorb the nutrients it needs or have the energy required to stay alive and maintain our health.
Here are 5 things to know about digestion…
Take the time to sit and enjoy your meal. We don’t realize that eating on the go or rushing through a meal can prevent us from properly digesting our food. The body starts preparing for digestion before we even put food in our mouth. The sounds made while cooking in the kitchen, the site of a beautifully prepared dish, and the smell of something delicious simmering on the stove all cause your mouth to moisten and your stomach to secrete digestive substances.
Low fiber. Low fiber and low fluid intake can have a significant impact on digestive function. Fiber is exclusively a plant nutrient and the decreased consumption of fruits and vegetables means your body won’t receive enough of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber it needs to support healthy digestion. Ensuring that you consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day and drinking plenty of water will go along way to improving your digestion.
Occasional heartburn. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid leaking into the esophagus. This can be due to one of, or a combination of, overeating, anxiety, and stress and is one of the most common digestive complaints. You can reduce instances of heartburn by making adjustments to your eating habits and reducing stress. Consuming smaller meals, and avoiding spicy food, citrus fruits, caffeinated beverages and tomato-based meals are all excellent ways to reduce occasional heartburn.
Supportive herbs for digestion. Aloe vera and artichoke are both herbs that help support digestion. Aloe gel powder can help stimulate colon activity and is a useful remedy for constipation. The unique flavonoids and caffeoylquinic acids found in artichokes can help improve digestive problems such as nausea, bloating, loss of appetite and some abdominal pain.
Probiotics and Prebiotics. Probiotics contain “friendly” bacteria that we need in large numbers living in our digestive tract. Prebiotics are basically the food the “friendly” bacteria need to grow and thrive. There are a variety of supplements out there, however, you can also get probiotics from eating fermented foods such as kimchi and sourkrout, kefir and yogurt that contains bacteria culture.
