Your digestive health is directly impacted by the foods you eat and the lifestyle you live. There are many foods that aid digestion and will keep your stomach happy:
Eat a high-fiber diet
Consuming a diet that is high in fiber and rich in whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits can improve your digestive health. “A high-fiber diet helps to keep food moving through your digestive tract, making you less likely to get constipated,” Adams says, adding that a high-fiber diet can also help you prevent or treat various digestive conditions, such as diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, and irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, it can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes eaten with the skins on will have an immense effect on your digestive health. They also contain good amounts of dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins B6 and C, and manganese that help in digestion. Sweet potatoes can be used to treat peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers and some other serious and inflammatory bowel problems.
Avocados
This tasty fruit is loaded with fiber, and contains healthy monounsaturated fats that make it easy to digest, even by toddlers. Avocados also help maintain a healthy digestive tract and proper functioning of the pancreas, liver and gall bladder.
Drink plenty of fluids to aid digestion
It’s important to keep drinking, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften poo.
Fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water. Without fluid, the fibre can’t do its job and you’ll get constipation.
To make digestive problems less likely, choose drinks that aren’t fizzy and don’t contain caffeine, such as herbal teas, milk and plain water.
Incorporate probiotics into your diet
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria naturally present in your digestive tract. In addition, probiotics can enhance nutrient absorption, help break down lactose, strengthen your immune system, and possibly even help treat irritable bowel syndrome. Eating sources of probiotics, such as low-fat yogurt or kefir on a daily basis can be very beneficial.
Go easy on fatty fare
Too much fat slows digestion, which can lead to heartburn, bloating and constipation. What’s more, research suggests that a diet high in saturated fat may increase your risk of colon cancer.
Try to eat more lean meat and fish, drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, and grill rather than fry foods.
Eat less salty and sugary foods
Not only can these substances cause stomachaches in high quantities, but they slow digestion, causing constipation.
Eat less prepackaged, processed foods. They often have high quantities of sugar, as well as salt and fat, added to them. They will also prevent you from being hungry for healthier foods, like high fiber foods.
References:
http://www.top10homeremedies.com/superfoods/digestion.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/digestive-health/Pages/stomach-friendly-foods.aspx
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/healthy-eating/tips-for-better-digestive-health/
