The digestive system’s main job is to break down and absorb nutrients. Even if we eat well, if our digestive system isn’t working right, we may not be able to absorb all of the important nutrients we need to stay healthy and keep a healthy weight. This can lead to not getting enough nutrients, cravings, overeating, gaining weight, and being sick.
Even though they eat whole foods and stay away from sugar and other refined carbs, many people who have switched to a healthy diet and cut their carbohydrate intake by a lot still have trouble losing weight. This could be because of gas, burping, constipation, or a digestive disorder that makes it hard for the body to break down and use food properly. Even if you eat the healthiest food in the world, it won’t help if you can’t digest it well.
When the digestive system isn’t working right, it can be hard to break down fats. Even though it’s important to get rid of unhealthy fats and replace them with healthy fats like fish oil, virgin coconut oil, and extra-virgin olive oil, it’s also important to make sure that the digestive system can handle the fats that are eaten. People who don’t have a well-functioning pancreas may have a hard time digesting fats. This is because the pancreas makes enzymes that are needed to break down and absorb food, like lipase, which works with bile to break down fats. If you don’t have enough lipase, you might not be able to absorb fat and vitamins that dissolve in fat.
The digestive system is all linked together, so if one part isn’t working right, it can affect the rest. For example, the liver makes bile, which helps the body absorb fats, oils, and vitamins that dissolve in fat. If the liver doesn’t work well and doesn’t make enough bile, stools may become hard and hard to pass. This can hurt the health of the colon and make it easier for the body to take in toxins from the stool. Bile also helps keep microorganisms like Candida albicans from growing in the small intestine.
Indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastritis, diverticular disease, dysbiosis (changed bacterial flora), and constipation are some other digestive disorders. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is one of the more serious digestive disorders. It is marked by an inflammatory reaction throughout the bowel. People who have IBD often have diarrhea, cramps, and lose weight.
How to Improve Digestion in Easy Steps
If you have trouble digesting, like burping, bloating, flatulence, or more severe symptoms, it’s likely that your organs of elimination need to be cleaned out and your digestive system needs support. This is true even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a digestive disorder. As you get older, this is even more important. You can improve your digestion in a number of ways, which is good news.
- Give your food a good chew: Make sure to chew your food well, because carbs are broken down in the mouth. The digestive enzyme amylase, which is found in saliva, breaks down carbohydrates better when you chew well.
- Stay hydrated: It’s important to drink enough water every day, which is usually about eight glasses. If you don’t drink enough water, you might get constipated. This can lead to an imbalance in the bacteria in your gut, inflammation of the lining of your intestines, and even intestinal permeability.
- Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C and magnesium: Not getting enough of these nutrients can make you constipated. Take vitamin C until you have loose stools (bowel tolerance), then cut the dose by about 500 milligrams to figure out how much you should be taking. If you want to help your bowels work better, you might want to take magnesium citrate.
- Eat a lot of fiber: Aim for five to nine servings of vegetables per day, including high-fiber cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Try a low-sugar green apple or ground flaxseeds in your oatmeal, juice, or smoothie for a snack. Inulin is a soluble plant fiber that is good for the colon and has a slightly sweet taste. It can be found in some products.
- Deal with food allergies: Food allergies are a common cause of digestive problems like bloating, gas, and pain. Some of the most common culprits are dairy, grains, corn, and soy, so you might want to cut back on or get rid of these foods.
- Support the bacteria in your gut: Taking probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum can help keep your gut healthy and keep the bacteria in your gut in balance.
- Take digestive supplements to improve your health: Enteric-coated peppermint oil can help relieve stomach pain, bloating, and gas, and digestive enzymes can help your body make more of its own digestive enzymes and help you digest.
