Do you suffer from digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, reflux, gas, or other related concerns? If so, you should know that your digestive system is a key component of your overall health. The condition of your gut plays a vital role in immune system regulation, mental health, weight management, and chronic disease prevention.
Research reveals that digestive disorders are very prevalent worldwide. More than 40 million people in the United States alone are affected. Lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise can greatly impact your gut health. Adopting and maintaining certain healthy lifestyle habits are crucial for supporting good gut health.
Try these strategies for supporting gut health:
- Avoid drinking with your meals. Drinking liquids with your meals dilutes the digestive enzymes in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract needed to break down food. Your food is eventually digested after your enzymes are replenished. Drinking with meals can also cause putrefaction in your gut and result in bad breath.
- Eliminate alcohol and coffee. Both alcohol and coffee can damage the gut lining, and increase inflammation. This eventually can result in the onset of serious health conditions like diabetes or liver disease.
- Avoid late meals. Research shows that people who eat more after 5 pm may have higher levels of inflammation in their GI tract. Late eating has also been linked to higher blood sugar and weight gain.
- Remove refined sugar and carbohydrates. Sugar is considered by many scientists to be a toxin. It can be damaging to all the cells of your body. And, artificial sweeteners are not a great substitute. Certain types of bad bacteria in your gut can increase when you consume various artificial sweeteners and refined carbohydrates.
- Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber feeds your beneficial gut bacteria and promotes regular bowel movements, which helps to prevent constipation. Certain types of fiber may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gut, and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Good sources of fiber include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, and nuts.
- Try probiotics and prebiotics. Much of your digestive system consists of the flora, or bacteria, that live in your gut. There are foods. Like yogurt, which contains these healthy bacteria and works as probiotics. However, you can also consume probiotics in pill or liquid form. It is also important to Include prebiotic foods in your diet. Prebiotic foods help feed the beneficial probiotic microorganisms (microbiota) in your gut. A plant-based diet consists of prebiotic foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Prebiotic foods and probiotic microorganisms are a great way to improve your gut health.
- Avoid fast food and ultra-processed food. These foods are loaded with salt, sugar, trans-fat, and various other food additives that seriously affect the digestive tract. This causes inflammation in your gut and can lead to a host of challenges including constipation, poor weight management, and bloating.
- Chew carefully. The more you chew your food, the easier it is to digest. When you chew your food thoroughly, you increase the amount of surface area your digestive juices are able to attack. This creates far less stress for your digestive system.
More lifestyle strategies for supporting gut health:
- Reduce stress. Stress negatively affects every part of your body, and that includes your gut. Minimizing the amount of stress in your life can do wonders for your overall health. Deep breathing and exercise help to better manage stress. You may also try to look at the stressors in a different way, or get support.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise can increase the diversity and motility of healthy gut bacteria. This improves the digestion of food and helps prevent issues like bloating, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Get quality sleep. Adequate sleep is an important part of your overall health. It influences many different systems in your body including your brain, your immune system, and energy levels. The amount (and quality) of sleep you get also impacts your gut health. Sleep has been shown to help your gut microbiome thrive.
If you’ve been experiencing digestive issues, talk with your health professional. In addition, you will benefit from following the strategies above to improve your digestive health. Take care of your gut, and your gut will take care of you.
Sources:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10088561/#:~:text=Many of these diseases also,billion in 2018 (1).
- Nuttawan Jayawan