The food you eat is turned into the energy and nutrients your body needs by your gut system. If you don’t take care of your gut health, your body may have trouble taking in those important nutrients.
Your gut health is directly affected by what you eat and how you live. Making changes to your food and way of life that improve gut health can have a big impact on your physical and mental health.
You don’t know what to say? Try using the following methods to keep working well:
Start by eating a lot of fiber. Maria Adams, MS, MPH, RDN, owner of Halsa Nutrition and associate professor of nutrition at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, says that eating a high-fiber diet full of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes helps improve digestive health. UCSF Health says that a diet high in fiber can help avoid or treat several digestive problems, such as diverticulosis and hemorrhoids.
“A diet high in fiber keeps food moving through your digestive system, which makes you less likely to get constipated,” says Adams. It can also help you get to a good weight and keep it there.
Second, make sure you’re getting enough fiber in your food. Your gut system benefits from both kinds of fiber, but they work in different ways. Adams says that insoluble fiber, which is also called “roughage,” makes stools bigger because the body can’t break it down.
“Because soluble fiber attracts water, it can help prevent diarrhea caused by loose, watery stools.”
The Mayo Clinic says that oat bran, nuts, seeds, and legumes are good sources of soluble fiber, while wheat bran, veggies, and whole grains are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Eat fewer things that are high in fat. Adams says that eating fatty foods can make you more likely to have trouble going to the bathroom because they slow down digestion. Adams says that having high-fiber foods with healthy fats can help digestion because healthy fats are so important.
Choose meat with less fat. Even though protein is an important part of a healthy diet, eating fatty cuts of meat can make your stomach hurt.
Instead, eat lean cuts of meat like pork loin and chicken without the skin, and eat a lot of whole grains, fruits, and veggies that are high in fiber.
Eat a lot of probiotics and prebiotics. The bacteria and yeasts in your gut system that are good for you are the same ones you already have.
Adams says that antioxidants help keep the body healthy by canceling out the bad effects of things like antibiotics and worry.
Harvard Health Publishing says that probiotics have other health benefits besides helping you absorb nutrients, handle lactose, build up your immune system, and maybe even treat IBS.
Adams says that a good way to get probiotics is to eat low-fat yogurt or kefir as part of a normal diet.
Like probiotics, prebiotics can help your body break down food. The Cleveland Clinic says that prebiotics acts as fuel for probiotics and help them support the good bacteria in the digestive system better.
Prebiotics can be found in bananas, oats, onions, lentils, and other raw fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
Try the low FODMAP diet if you have trouble with your stomach. Some people have trouble handling foods that are high in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP).
If you know you have IBS or just have some of its symptoms, like diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating, the low FODMAP diet may help.
If you follow this diet for a short time, it will help you figure out which meals might be giving you stomach problems so you can avoid them in the future.
Talk to someone who is an expert in this field to help you keep a healthy diet and figure out which foods you should stop eating for good.
Plan your meals. Adams says that having healthy meals and snacks regularly is a great way to keep your digestive system in good shape. Try to keep the same schedule and eat all of your meals and snacks at the table.
Count to eight and drink a lot of water. Adams says that all it takes to keep your gut healthy is to drink enough water. Fiber pulls water into the gut, which makes poop softer, bulkier, and easier to pass.
Don’t use tobacco, caffeine, or booze anymore. Heartburn and stomach ulcers can be caused by drinking booze, smoking cigarettes, or drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated drinks.
Make exercise a normal part of your daily life. Adams says, “Regular exercise helps keep food moving through your digestive system, which makes you less likely to get constipated.” Keeping yourself busy can help you keep a healthy weight, which is good for your digestive system. Include physical exercise in your weekly plans.
