Simple Ways to Improve your Digestion: Diet and Lifestyle
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Your digestive system impacts your health in many profound ways. It breaks down foods so that your body can absorb nutrients for energy and growth. It also houses a massive portion of your immune system and helps to ensure that you stay happy and healthy.
Unfortunately, many people experience digestive upset (i.e. bloating, gas, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation) on a regular basis. This can interfere with both physical and mental health, causing stress, anxiety, and depression. Here are several simple ways that you can improve your digestive health and experience more regular bowel movements.
Dietary Modifications
Eat whole foods
Increasing your intake of wholesome foods and decreasing consumption of processed foods may help to improve your digestion.
Avoid artificial sweeteners. They have been found to cause digestive distress and increase the amount of harmful bacteria in the gut (4).
Choose lean meats. Dietary fats tend to slow down the digestive process, and fatty cuts of meat may cause digestive upset (6). Choose a lean meat (i.e. chicken without the skin) and pair it with a high fiber food.
Increase fiber intake
Eating a high fiber diet can help to keep things moving in your digestive tract and prevent constipation. Fiber has also been found to promote satiety, lower cholesterol, and improve gut microbiota (12). Unfortunately, the average American consumes only 5-10 grams of fiber per day, much less than the minimum 25 grams per day that the USDA recommends, or even 35-50 grams for optimum health (7, 12). It is most beneficial to consume both types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, on a daily basis.
Soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps to absorb water and add bulk to stool. It’s a great tool for overall digestive health because it can improve symptoms of both diarrhea and constipation.
Insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps to prevent constipation by adding bulk to stools and keeping food moving through your system.
Sources of soluble fiber: oats, barley, beans, avocados, sweet potatoes, and many fruits without their skin (apples, pears, nectarines, apricots, etc.) (11).
Sources of insoluble fiber: most vegetables, whole grains, wheat bran, nuts, and fruits with skin (10).
Probiotics
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria in the gut that improve digestive health. They can prevent both constipation and diarrhea and break down indigestible fibers that would otherwise cause bloating.
Probiotic supplements. There are many different types of probiotic supplements on the market. But before trying supplements, try increasing your intake of probiotics from food.
Sources of probiotic foods. Probiotics are found in fermented foods with live and active cultures, such as: kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, and kombucha.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics act as food for probiotics: they are the type of fibers that your healthy bacteria break down for nourishment. They are an important aspect maintaining the healthy microbiota in your gut.
Prebiotic supplements. Again, there are many forms of prebiotic supplements that you can buy from the store. However, prebiotic foods offer vitamins, minerals, and fiber from a more wholesome source.
Sources of prebiotic foods. Prebiotic foods include: garlic, onions, asparagus, leeks, bananas, oats, apples, flaxseeds, and chicory root (15).
Hydration
Dehydration is a common cause of constipation. It is important to drink plenty of water each day to ensure that your digestive tract is flowing as it should.
Non-caffeinated water drinks. Herbal teas or seltzer waters are a great way to hydrate if you’re not wild about drinking plain water (4).
Flavor plain water naturally. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime, a splash of fruit juice, or some fresh cucumber slices or sprigs of mint to add a subtle flavor to your water.
Increase your produce intake. Many fruits and vegetables (i.e. cucumber, tomato, zucchini, celery, and grapefruit) are high in water content and help to increase hydration (4).
Lifestyle Modifications
Eat slowly and mindfully
Eating too quickly can lead to bloating, gas, and indigestion. Mindful eating involves paying attention to food while eating, noticing the process of eating, and fully savoring and enjoying your meals.
Chew your food thoroughly. Chewing produces the saliva necessary to break down food and digest food particles.
Drink water before, during, and after a meal. This gives your body time to digest and register feelings of fullness before eating more.
Be mindful. Pay attention to your natural hunger cues to avoid overeating or eating too quickly.
Stress management
Stress is associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhea, and stomach ulcers. When the body is stressed and put into fight-or-flight mode, digestion is put on hold so that blood and energy can be sent to more vital parts of the body. This is a normal aspect of stress and digestion when it happens occasionally. However, chronic stress can throw off your body’s natural rhythms and cause digestive upset, IBS, and ulcers (16). If you frequently feel stressed, practicing relaxation techniques may improve your digestive symptoms.
Meditation. If you’re new to meditating, try sitting quietly with your eyes closed for just two minutes. Try to focus your mind on only your breath moving in and out of your body. When your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to your breath. You can gradually add more time to your practice as it gets more comfortable.
Journalling. Journal writing is a form of self expression that is therapeutic and reduces stress. It has also been found to lower blood pressure, decrease cholesterol levels, and improve the immune system (14).
Movement. Any type of exercise can help to reduce stress: gentle walking, gardening, stretching, etc. Plus, as outlined below, regular exercise can help to promote regularity of bowel movements.
Regular exercise
If you needed another reason to exercise, do it for your gut health! Regular exercise can help to relieve stress, maintain a healthy weight, and relieve constipation and bloating (17).
Improve IBS symptoms. Physical activity may improve gastrointestinal health and is recommended for patients with IBS (5).
Regularity of bowel movements. Exercise increases blood flow to your muscles, including the muscles of your digestive system, which helps to keep food moving through your GI tract (17).
Gut health. Regular exercise may also improve the composition of your gut microbiome by improving both the quality and quantity of the healthy bacteria in your gut (13, 9).
Mild to moderate exercise. In general, choose mild to moderate exercise; vigorous activity may have temporary negative effects on your digestion.
Reduce alcohol intake
Alcohol consumption can negatively affect your digestion and damage your digestive organs (i.e. the throat, oesophagus, liver, stomach, small and large intestine) (1).
Inflammation. Alcohol has been found to increase inflammation in the gut, which can lead to intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”), dysbiosis (a disrupted balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut), and bacterial overgrowth (2).
Negative effects on digestion. Alcohol intake can also affect stomach acid production, cause inflammation in the stomach lining, and cause abdominal discomfort by delaying stomach emptying (1).
Limit late-night eating
Eating late at night can upset the natural digestive processes of your body. Digestion slows while sleeping so food eaten late at night may not be digested properly (8).
Give your body time to digest before bed. Eating late at night before bed can cause heartburn and indigestion (3).
Sleep quality. It can also affect your sleep quality by reducing your deep sleep and causing you to sleep less restfully (8).
References
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Bishehsari, F., Magno, E., Swanson, G., Desai, V., Voigt, R.M., Forsyth, C.B., & Keshavarzian, A. (2017). Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation. Alcohol Research. Retrieved from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5513683/
Callahan, R. (n.d.). Late night eating and healthy digestion. Livestrong. https://www.livestrong.com/article/506654-late-night-eating-and-healthy-digestion/
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Johannesson, E., Ringström, G., Abrahamsson, H., & Sadik, R. (2015). Intervention to increase physical activity in irritable bowel syndrome shows long-term positive effects. World Journal of Gastroenterology. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4294172/
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McManus, K.D. (2019). Should I be eating more fiber? Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/should-i-be-eating-more-fiber-2019022115927
Mead, N. (2019). Does eating after 8pm make you gain weight? Netdoctor. Retrieved from: https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-eating/advice/a26610/is-it-really-that-unhealthy-to-eat-after-8pm/#:~:text=Besides%20the%20extra%20calories%2C%20eating,indigestion%2C%20acid%20reflux%20and%20heartburn.
Monda, V., Villano, I., Messina, A., Valenzano, A., Esposito, T., Moscatelli, F., Viggiano, A., Cibelli, G., Chieffi, S., Monda, M., & Messina, G. (2017). Exercise modifies the gut microbiota with positive health effects. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5357536/#:~:text=Exercise%20is%20able%20to%20enrich,mucosal%20immunity%20and%20improve%20barrier
Norris, T. (2018). What’s the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber? Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/soluble-vs-insoluble-fiber
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Pizzorno, J.E. & Murray, M.T. (2013). Textbook of natural medicine (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Pratt, E. (2018). Research says exercise also improves your gut bacteria. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/exercise-improves-your-gut-bacteria
Seaward, B.L. (2018). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (9th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Semeco, A. (2016). The 19 best prebiotic foods you should eat. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
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Waters, J. (n.d.). Why exercise is good for your digestive system. Healthspan. Retrieved from: https://www.healthspan.co.uk/advice/why-exercise-is-good-for-your-digestive-system