Our diet, eating habits and lifestyles have a huge impact on your digestive systems. Fortunately, there are simple and easy ways to improve digestion without it costing an arm or a leg and needing to consult a medical professional. These simple and easy steps can be taken and gradually, you will begin to notice the difference in your digestive health and overall wellbeing.
Symptoms of Indigestion
At some point, we all suffer with indigestion. However, indigestion can become frequent for some and it can disrupt your daily life. If you suffer with one or more of these symptoms a little too often, then you need to consider taking a few steps to improve your digestion:
- Bloating
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Gas
- Heartburn
- Sleepiness after meal
These easy tips will improve your digestive system and it will also minimize discomfort after meals and you will also start feeling healthier. Here are 10 tips that you can take that will improve digestion:
1. Lower your stress levels:
Believe it or not, managing your stress levels is vital for improving your digestive health. Stress is a major cause for creating havoc in your digestive system and it can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, Ulcerative Colitis, and IBS. Our guts and brains are connected and if you are extremely stressed it will have a negative impact on your gut health. To de-stress and lower your stress levels, try and relax more often. You can even try yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and even massages. If you find that none of these have helped with reducing your stress levels, then it’s highly recommended that you seek therapy and counseling.
2. Eat more fiber:
Including soluble fiber and insoluble fiber is beneficial for the functioning of our digestive systems. Try and include more fiber in your diet and aim to have breakfast meals that are rich in fiber. High fiber foods also reduce the risk of many digestive health issues such as constipation, stomach ulcers, bloating, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Foods that are rich in fiber include: nuts, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, oat bran, etc.
3. Stay Hydrated:
Staying hydrated throughout the day will improve digestion. It also prevents constipation. Drink enough water throughout the day and you can have teas, smoothies, and fresh fruit juices. You can even include certain fruits in your diet. Some fruits keep you hydrated such as cucumbers, watermelon, citrus fruits, strawberries, etc.
4.Exercising:
Exercising does wonders for your body and your digestive system. Try and exercise daily or at least a few times a week for around 45 minutes. It will aid in digestion and it will prevent constipation and it will also regulate bowel movement. If you’re new to exercising, there’s no need to go big, you can start off small. Go for a 30 minute walk after meals, try cycling or playing sport.
5. Get rid of bad habits:
Another easy way to help with improving digestion, is to kick the bad habits. Smoking and alcohol are the number one causes for indigestion. And if you have a problem with either, then you should seek help. Smoking can lead to gastrointestinal cancers and stomach ulcers. Quitting smoking will be beneficial for your gut health and overall health. Alcohol can also lead to various digestive health issues such as leaky gut syndrome, unhealthy gut bacteria, heartburn, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc. Excessive alcohol intake has also been linked to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
6. Change your eating habits:
Changing your eating patterns can have a positive impact on your digestive health. Eating later in the night or before bedtime can create havoc in your digestive tract. And it can also lead to insomnia. It is also essential for you to eat slowly and chew your food properly. Eating slowly will improve digestion and it will reduce your chances of feeling bloated after every meal. If you’re trying to lose weight, eating slowly will be beneficial, as you will start eating less. Also try and set a eating routine and stick to it. Keeping a eating routine will prove to beneficial to your digestive system.
7. Cut out the junk food:
Junk foods are also another major cause in indigestion. Oily foods and other unhealthy foods also cause bloating, weight gain, and other issues. Junk foods also lead to leaky syndrome and unhealthy bacteria in the gut.
8. Include healthy fats in your diet:
Not all fats are bad and you get both good and bad fats. Healthy fats are essential for our overall health and gut health. These healthy fats also reduce the risks of getting inflammatory bowel diseases and it aids digestion. Some rich sources of healthy fats include salmon, nuts, seeds, mackerel, sardines, and flaxseeds.
9. Breathe:
Yes, you heard that right! An astounding method to treating indigestion is breathing heavy. So, relax and take deep breaths after meals. Deep and heavy breathing can help with improving digestion. You can learn some breathing exercises and even yoga will help with this.
10. Drink Herbal Tea:
Including digestive herbal teas in your diet such as peppermint, chamomile, and fennel can greatly assist the digestive system doing its job. Having a cup of good quality loose leaf tea after dinner can be calming and relieve systems such as flatulence, painful trapped wind and bloating.