How to Aid Digestion Naturally
Increase your fiber intake., Avoid fatty foods., Eat probiotics., Avoid sodium, starches and artificial sweeteners., Reduce gas., Remove any known or suspected allergens from your diet.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Increase your fiber intake.
Fiber is your best friend when it comes to digestion.
It increases the size and softness of your stool, making it easier to pass and preventing constipation.
Fiber also regulates blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion and allowing glucose from food to enter your blood stream at a slower rate.
Increase your fiber intake by eating high fiber foods such as oatmeal and bran cereal, legumes such as lentils, black beans and pinto beans, and nuts such as peanuts, walnuts and pecans.
High fiber fruits like berries, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, pears and apples (with the skins on) are also good choices.Alternatively (or additionally) you can take a daily fiber supplement to help with digestion. -
Step 2: Avoid fatty foods.
Your digestion system finds fatty foods difficult to process, which slows the entire digestive process down.
Speed things up by reducing fat in your diet.
Choose leaner meats such as chicken and turkey as a source of protein.
If you're eating beef or pork, go for the leaner cuts of meat.
Switch from full fat dairy products to low-fat or non-fat versions of milk, cheese and yogurt.
Swap butter and margarine for olive oil when cooking.
Avoid eating fried, processed and frozen foods which tend to be high in fat., Probiotics are a kind of good bacteria, similar to the microorganisms found naturally in the human body, which help to keep the intestines healthy and the bowels moving.
Simply by introducing more probiotic foods into your system you can prevent excess gas, diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Probiotic-rich foods include yogurt, miso soup, sauerkraut, soft cheeses, kefir, sourdough bread.
Try taking a probiotic supplement if you are finding it hard to get probiotics through your diet.
These supplements are available in capsule, powder and liquid form at pharmacies and health food stores.
However, you should talk to your doctor before taking these supplements, as they can be unhealthy for people with certain preexisting health conditions., If you regularly suffer from a swollen, bloated stomach, you should cut foods containing high quantities of sodium starch and artificial sweeteners from your diet, as these may be the culprits.
You should also avoid overeating at mealtimes, as this also increases the chances of bloating.
Bloating occurs when gas particles formed by bacteria in the intestinal tract travel back into the stomach, causing it swell like a balloon.Bloating can also be a symptom of more serious underlying conditions, such as diverticulitis, bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine and ovarian cancer, so if you make the changes suggested above but still suffer from bloating, you should consult your doctor. , Producing too much gas is a common problem that can cause awkwardness and embarrassment for a lot of people.
Luckily, there are several things you can do to control your body's gas production.
Avoid foods which contribute to gas production.
Examples of such foods include most varieties of beans as well as vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
Avoid carbonated drinks.
Sodas and other carbonated drinks contain a lot of air, which increases the amount of gas your body produces.
Eat more slowly.
When you eat too quickly, you tend to swallow more air, which contributes to gas production., Eating foods that you have an unknown allergy or sensitivity to is one of the main culprits behind digestive problems such as bloating, gas, and pain.
Simply by cutting certain key items out of your diet, you can easily eliminate many digestive concerns.
Dairy products, strawberries, nuts, chicken, eggs and gluten-products are common allergens to which many people react badly, even though they may not realize it.
If you suspect you might be sensitive to something, completely remove it from your diet for several days to see if you feel a difference in your digestion.
Do this with one food at a time so you can pinpoint the problem.
Reintroduce the food after a few days and take notes on how your body reacts.
If you cannot pinpoint the exact food that is causing digestive problems, contact your doctor about performing a food allergy test. -
Step 3: Eat probiotics.
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Step 4: Avoid sodium
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Step 5: starches and artificial sweeteners.
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Step 6: Reduce gas.
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Step 7: Remove any known or suspected allergens from your diet.
Detailed Guide
Fiber is your best friend when it comes to digestion.
It increases the size and softness of your stool, making it easier to pass and preventing constipation.
Fiber also regulates blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion and allowing glucose from food to enter your blood stream at a slower rate.
Increase your fiber intake by eating high fiber foods such as oatmeal and bran cereal, legumes such as lentils, black beans and pinto beans, and nuts such as peanuts, walnuts and pecans.
High fiber fruits like berries, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, pears and apples (with the skins on) are also good choices.Alternatively (or additionally) you can take a daily fiber supplement to help with digestion.
Your digestion system finds fatty foods difficult to process, which slows the entire digestive process down.
Speed things up by reducing fat in your diet.
Choose leaner meats such as chicken and turkey as a source of protein.
If you're eating beef or pork, go for the leaner cuts of meat.
Switch from full fat dairy products to low-fat or non-fat versions of milk, cheese and yogurt.
Swap butter and margarine for olive oil when cooking.
Avoid eating fried, processed and frozen foods which tend to be high in fat., Probiotics are a kind of good bacteria, similar to the microorganisms found naturally in the human body, which help to keep the intestines healthy and the bowels moving.
Simply by introducing more probiotic foods into your system you can prevent excess gas, diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Probiotic-rich foods include yogurt, miso soup, sauerkraut, soft cheeses, kefir, sourdough bread.
Try taking a probiotic supplement if you are finding it hard to get probiotics through your diet.
These supplements are available in capsule, powder and liquid form at pharmacies and health food stores.
However, you should talk to your doctor before taking these supplements, as they can be unhealthy for people with certain preexisting health conditions., If you regularly suffer from a swollen, bloated stomach, you should cut foods containing high quantities of sodium starch and artificial sweeteners from your diet, as these may be the culprits.
You should also avoid overeating at mealtimes, as this also increases the chances of bloating.
Bloating occurs when gas particles formed by bacteria in the intestinal tract travel back into the stomach, causing it swell like a balloon.Bloating can also be a symptom of more serious underlying conditions, such as diverticulitis, bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine and ovarian cancer, so if you make the changes suggested above but still suffer from bloating, you should consult your doctor. , Producing too much gas is a common problem that can cause awkwardness and embarrassment for a lot of people.
Luckily, there are several things you can do to control your body's gas production.
Avoid foods which contribute to gas production.
Examples of such foods include most varieties of beans as well as vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
Avoid carbonated drinks.
Sodas and other carbonated drinks contain a lot of air, which increases the amount of gas your body produces.
Eat more slowly.
When you eat too quickly, you tend to swallow more air, which contributes to gas production., Eating foods that you have an unknown allergy or sensitivity to is one of the main culprits behind digestive problems such as bloating, gas, and pain.
Simply by cutting certain key items out of your diet, you can easily eliminate many digestive concerns.
Dairy products, strawberries, nuts, chicken, eggs and gluten-products are common allergens to which many people react badly, even though they may not realize it.
If you suspect you might be sensitive to something, completely remove it from your diet for several days to see if you feel a difference in your digestion.
Do this with one food at a time so you can pinpoint the problem.
Reintroduce the food after a few days and take notes on how your body reacts.
If you cannot pinpoint the exact food that is causing digestive problems, contact your doctor about performing a food allergy test.
About the Author
Mary Thompson
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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