People often experience occasional digestive disorders such as gas, heartburn, upset stomach, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. But it could become a thing of great concern when these symptoms occur frequently which can cause major disruptions to your life. Fortunately, changes in diet and lifestyle can have a positive impact on one’s gut health. digestion.

Though there are plenty of supplements out there to help remedy incidences of digestive symptoms, but handling such challenges naturally could be more beneficial for the body system.

We have listed for you in this article, 10 natural, well-proven ways to improve your digestion.

1. Eat Real Food

Scientific evidence have suggested that diets high in nutrients protect a great deal against digestive diseases. Therefore, eating a diet based on whole foods and limiting the intake of processed foods may be best for optimal digestion. Diets high in processed foods have been linked to a higher risk of digestive disorders. Eating a diet low in food additives, trans fats and artificial sweeteners may improve your digestion and even protect against digestive diseases.

Read Also: Eat Healthy And Stay Fit Always With These 10 Tips

2. Get Plenty of Fiber

Studies have proved that fiber is beneficial for good digestion. This is because soluble fiber absorbs water and helps add bulk to one’s stool. Insoluble fiber acts like a giant toothbrush that help your digestive tract keep everything moving along. So there are three common types of fiber namely soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, as well as prebiotics.

It is a well known fact that a high fiber diet has so much connection with a reduced risk of digestive conditions, like ulcers, reflux, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis and even IBS. In summary, one can say A high-fiber diet promotes regular bowel movements and may protect against many digestive disorders.

3. Add Healthy Fats to Your Diet

To achieve good digestion, you may require to eat enough fat. Fat helps one feel satisfied after a meal and is often needed for proper nutrient absorption. In addition, studies have suggested that omega 3 fatty acids may help decrease one’s risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis.

4. Remain Hydrated

Being increasingly dehydrated is a common cause of constipation. Experts suggest drinking 50–66 ounces (1.5–2 liters) of non-caffeinated fluids on a daily basis to prevent constipation. Moreover, you may need to consume more if you live in a warm climate or  carry out exercise strenuously.

Another known way you can help meet your fluid intake needs is to include the consumption of fruits and vegetables that are high in water, such as cucumber, zucchini, celery, tomatoes, melons, strawberries, grapefruit and peaches.

5. Manage Your Stress

Studies show that stress hormones directly affect your digestion. When your body is in fight-or-flight mode, it thinks you don’t have time to rest and digest. During periods of stress, blood and energy are diverted away from your digestive system.

In addition, your gut and brain are intricately connected with each other. So whatever affects your brain may also impact your digestion.

6. Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating  can be said to be the practice of paying attention to all aspects of your food and the process of eating. It’s easy to eat too much too quickly if you’re not paying attention, which can lead to bloating, gas and indigestion.

7. Chew Your Food

Digestive process begins in your mouth. Your teeth break down the food into smaller particles so that the enzymes in your digestive tract are better able to break it down. Chewing your food thoroughly will make your stomach do less work to turn the solid food into the liquid mixture that finds its way into your small intestine.

In the process of chewing and breaking down the food, saliva is being produced, and the more one chews, the more saliva is made. It is the saliva that helps start the digestive process in your mouth by breaking down some of the carbs and fats in your meal. Therefore, chewing your food thoroughly causes plenty of saliva for digestion to be produced which may help prevent symptoms such as indigestion and heartburn.

8. Get Enough Exercise

Carrying out regular exercises has been proved to improve your digestion. Exercise and gravity may help food travel through your digestive system easily. Therefore, if you can take a walk after a meal, you may be helping your body in moving things along.

In addition, studies have shown that exercise can improve your digestion and reduce symptoms of constipation. It can also help reduce inflammation, which may to a large extent be beneficial in preventing inflammatory bowel conditions.

9. Eschew Bad Habits

Bad habits like smoking, drinking of alcohol, even late night eating can contribute greatly to some digestive issues. For instance, smoking nearly doubles the risk of developing acid reflux. Smoking has also been associated with stomach ulcers, increased surgeries in people with ulcerative colitis and even gastrointestinal cancers.

Excessive consumption of alcohol may increase acid production in your stomach, can lead to heartburn, acid reflux, stomach ulcers and even has been linked to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.

Also eating late at night and then lying down immediately to sleep can lead to heartburn and indigestion. Remember your body indeed needs time to digest food particles consumed, and gravity helps keep the food you eat moving in the right direction.

10. Don’t Play Down on Gut-Supporting Nutrients

Studies have shown that certain nutrients like Probiotics, Glutamine, Zinc may help support to a large extent your digestive tract. So ensuring that your body gets enough probiotics, glutamine and zinc may improve your digestion.

In conclusion, eating a whole food diet that is high in fiber, healthy fat and nutrients is a major step toward good digestion. You can as well improve your digestive system by embarking on practices such as mindful eating, stress reduction and exercises. Finally, jettison those bad habits like smoking, excessive alcohol and late night eating and watch your digestive processes improve.

Please hit the social media buttons to share this article, if it is meaningful to you. You may be helping someone out there.