7 Ways To Avoid Digestive Problems

Contributed by – Healthians Team

Life is better when your sinuses are clean, when your arteries are clean, and when your digestive tract is clean!

This is a fact as all the disease mostly begin in the gut. Digestive system helps the body to break down food so that it can adequately retrieve nutrients and vitamins. Healthy digestion makes you feel energetic, twinkling, and makes you feel comfortable and peaceful after meal. Whereas unhealthy digestion causes uncomfortable symptoms. Listed below are the most common digestion problem symptoms:

• Acid reflux
• Gas
• Bloating
• Intestinal cramps
• Throat & nose issues (clearing throat, running nose etc.)
• Inflammation anywhere in the body
• Skin disorders anywhere in the body
• Negative reaction to food
• Loose stool or constipation

For a long and healthy life, it is vital to focus on your digestion. If you have these symptoms regularly, it is important to get your gut health tested. Let’s have a look at the ways as to  how to prevent digestive problems:

Eat frequent meals

Most of us are aware about eating frequent meals. It helps in weight loss, as it boosts the metabolism rate and keeps a person away from overeating. The other fact is, it also keeps the digestive system healthy.

How it works: Having a heavy meal overloads the digestive system. This can lead to heartburn from acids going back from the stomach into the oesophagus. Such stomach overload may even induce gas, nausea, or vomiting.

Advise: Consuming five to six well balanced mini-meals including a mix of carbs, protein, and heart-healthy fat a day, can help promote overall digestive health.

Drink plenty of water

As we all know, water is essential not just for existence and energy but it also has numerous health benefits and aiding our digestion system is one of them.

How it works: Water supports the digestive health by helping in cleansing the entire system. It is very helpful in preventing constipation as water acts as a stool softener. Moreover, water helps the digestive system absorb nutrients more effectively by assisting the body to break down food.

Advise: One should aim to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day, and skip or cut down the sugary drinks.

Increase fibre intake

Fibre intake is important for weight loss, heart health and for a healthy digestive system. For digestion, it is the key component.

How it works: Fibre is the bulk in plant foods that can’t be digested. Soluble fibre creates a gel in the digestive tract to keep a person full, while insoluble fibre adds bulk to the stools. Getting enough fibre helps to prevent digestive problems by regulating the system.

Advise: A daily fibre intake of 38 grams for men under 50, and 25 grams for women in the same age group is recommended. Adults over 50 need slightly less fibre, with 30 grams a day for men and 21 grams for women.

Avoid processed food

It is important to reduce or eliminate the amount of processed food like pre-made frozen meals or foods high in refined sugar.

How it works: These foods are harder for the body to digest. They can upset the natural mineral balance in the system, and end up staying in the digestive tract longer.

Advise: It is important to go for freshly cooked food.

Chew your food well

We all have heard our elders telling us to chew a food properly (and not to swallow it). This is very important as our mouth is not only a passage for the food to pass through, but the tongue, teeth and saliva have a major role to play in digestion.

How it works: A lot of work happens in the mouth. It moistens the food and breaks it to kick-start digestion.

Advise: By properly chewing our food, we avoid gulping air, which can cause indigestion, bloating, constipation and a good way to get rid of gas in the stomach.

Healthy hygiene

It is very important to cook and eat food in a hygienic environment.

How it works: Eating food with dirty hands or food prepared in unhygienic conditions can transmit potentially dangerous bacteria to the food and then into the body.

Advise: One should always wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after using the bathroom and before eating or preparing food. Special attention should be given to the cleanliness of the kitchen, utensils and ingredients used for cooking.

Listen to your body

Our body always sends us signals about its health. So it’s important to listen to those signals.

Advise: If spicy foods or dairy products seem to upset the digestion, then it is advisable to cut back or eliminate them from the diet completely.

Home remedies to get rid of digestive problems

The most common digestive problems we all suffer from are intestinal gas or bloating. Let’s have a look as to how to get rid of stomach ache caused by digestive problems:

Best food for digestion problems: There are some super foods that really help in digestion. Add beans, yoghurt, ginger, peppermint, and anise to your diet.

Digestion problems home remedies: We have been listening home remedies for treating gas in the stomach or any other digestive problem from our Grandmothers and let me tell you, they do work. Home remedies like having fennel (sauf) seeds water or ajwain always helps. Moreover, habits like drinking water 30 minutes before the meal and eating slowly are also very effective.

Note: If suffering from chronic digestive problem, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Test to check your stomach and digestive system should be done in time to diagnose the true cause behind your digestive disorders.