Taking Care of your Digestion

Taking Care of Your Digestion

You already know that a balanced diet and regular exercise are the keys to good health. But did you know that these lifestyle habits can also help regulate your digestive function? Good digestive health truly depends on how well you take care of yourself overall.
Not surprisingly, what you eat makes a huge difference in how efficiently your digestive tract works. People eat a lot of junk — highly processed food with preservatives — which contributes significantly to mal-digestion and irritable bowel, food sensitivities, and food allergies as well as a compromised immune system.
Relying on convenient foods such as vending machine fare, junk foods, and fast foods instead of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains gets many of us into trouble. Too many people have fallen away from the very healthy, well-balanced, home-cooked meal. In general, people need to pay attention to what they're putting in their bodies; after all we are what we eat. Eating the right foods not only makes it easier for your body to digest meals and absorb nutrients, but it can also help you achieve a healthy body weight, another essential factor for good digestive tract health.
People who maintain a healthy weight, exercise and keep themselves busy with constructive activities that they enjoy have less trouble with their bowels, and less chances of degenerative diseases.
Obesity and digestive distress

Obesity is linked to a number of digestive problems which I see with many of my clients. Many of us do not understand that weight loss is more than just counting calories. I see this time and time again in my practice, where my clients have tried many diets without a pound to shed, however after uncovering their digestive issues, the weight finally comes off. Being at your ideal weight is about more than looking good - losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight can prevent a lot of health problems from happening down the road.

Exercise and healthy bowel
Getting regular exercise can keep your digestive tract healthy by warding off constipation, as physical activity stimulates the walls of the bowel.
How smoking and drinking affect your digestive system
If you are a smoker or a drinker, minimizing your alcohol intake and tobacco exposure are also important for keeping your digestive tract running smoothly, as these activities have been linked to many conditions including heartburn, indigestion, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer.
The stress and digestive link
Stress can also play a big role in how well your digestive tract functions, because when we are under stress, all the vital blood shifts from the digestive system (parasympathetic nervous system) to the muscles and skeletal system (sympathetic nervous system). Essentially this means that if you just finish eating and a stressful situation occurs, your food sits in your digestive system, fermenting and causing the uncomfortable by-products of gas and bloating.



Simple steps towards better digestion:
•Eat home cooked meals; and veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds as snacks
•Avoid eating when stressed
•Exercise minimum of 30 minutes per day
•Avoid smoking and drinking more than 1 glass of alcohol per day
•Chew your foods well
•Avoid large amounts of beverages when eating