How to improve your digestive system. Discover 12 simple lifestyle changes that can boost your digestive health and well-being.

Embrace Fruits and Vegetables

Incorporating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables into your diet can provide a wealth of benefits for your digestive system. These plant-based foods are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that support healthy digestion and reduce the risk of constipation. By ensuring a diverse array of produce on your plate, you can nourish your gut and overall health.

Prioritize Whole Grains and Nuts

Opt for whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat products, over refined options. These unprocessed grains retain their essential fiber, iron, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients that can support digestive function and gut health. Nuts, which are also high in fiber and healthy fats, can be a great addition to your diet as well.

Limit Red and Processed Meats

Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, and deli meats, often contain high amounts of sodium, unhealthy fats, and nitrates, which can contribute to digestive issues and increase the risk of colon cancer. Similarly, red meat has been linked to various health concerns, including digestive problems. Consider incorporating more lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, and legumes, while limiting your consumption of red and processed meats.

Reduce Added Sugars

Excess consumption of added sugars can disrupt the balance of beneficial gut bacteria and cause inflammation, both of which can negatively impact digestive health. Be mindful of hidden sources of added sugars in processed foods, baked goods, and even some condiments and sauces. Instead, opt for natural sweetness from fruits and enjoy them as a healthier treat.

Cook with Care

The way you prepare your food can also affect your digestive health. Fried and grilled foods, while often delicious, can introduce unhealthy fats and carcinogens that may harm your digestive system. Instead, consider gentler cooking methods, such as steaming, stewing, poaching, braising, boiling, or microwaving, which can preserve the nutrient content and digestibility of your meals.

Incorporate Probiotic-Rich Foods

Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, are essential for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and promoting proper digestion. Incorporate probiotic-rich foods, such as yogurt, kimchi, raw apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, and sauerkraut, into your diet to support your gut health.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining proper digestive function. Drinking an adequate amount of water can help prevent constipation and support healthy bowel movements. The recommended daily water intake can vary based on factors like your size, activity level, and overall health, but a general guideline is 4-6 cups of water per day.

Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity can help improve digestive health by stimulating the movement of food through your digestive system, reducing the risk of issues like nausea, bloating, and constipation. Even simple activities, such as taking a walk after meals or engaging in 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily, can have a positive impact on your digestive well-being.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Carrying excess weight can increase your risk of developing certain digestive problems, such as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), gallstones, and some types of digestive cancers. By following a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise, you can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the strain on your digestive system.

Quit Smoking

Smoking can have detrimental effects on your digestive health, increasing the risk of acid reflux, stomach ulcers, and even gastrointestinal cancers. If you smoke, consider speaking with your healthcare provider about effective strategies and resources to help you quit this harmful habit.

Prioritize Quality Sleep

Lack of sleep can have far-reaching consequences, including negatively impacting your digestive system. Sleep deprivation has been linked to increased inflammation in the bowel, which can lead to various gastrointestinal symptoms. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to support your overall health and digestion.

Manage Stress

Chronic stress can take a toll on your digestive health, contributing to issues like diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and even ulcers. By incorporating stress management techniques, such as yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and regular physical activity, you can help mitigate the negative effects of stress on your digestive system.

Maintaining a healthy digestive system is essential for overall well-being, as it plays a crucial role in nourishing your body and removing waste. By implementing these 12 proven strategies, you can take proactive steps to improve your digestive health and support the optimal functioning of your body.

12 Ways to Improve your Digestive Health

Your digestive system is working nonstop to fuel every cell in your body and efficiently remove the waste. Neglecting your digestive system can have adverse effects that influence every part of your life. Your diet and other lifestyle choices greatly impact your digestive health and are often areas where small changes can have a big impact.

Here are some ways that lifestyle choices can improve your digestive health.

1. Eat fruits and vegetables

Vegetables and fruits contain healthy nutrients and fiber to support your digestive system and overall health. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables have cancer-fighting properties, and fiber lowers your risk of constipation.

Good choices are: a variety of fruits and vegetables in every color

2. Choose whole grains and nuts

Whole grains still have the dietary fiber, iron, antioxidants, and other healthy nutrients lost when grains are refined to make processed foods like white flour, white bread, crackers, and pastries. Fiber lowers your risk of constipation, and some whole grains support your good gut bacteria.

Good choices are: brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, whole wheat products, barley

3. Limit red and processed meats

Processed meats usually have an unhealthy amount of sodium, fat, and nitrates linked to colon cancer. Red meat has been linked with cancer, heart disease, and digestive issues.

Good choices are: chicken, fish, legumes, and limiting red meat to 2-3 servings per week

4. Limit added sugars

Too much sugar can upset the balance of good bacteria and cause inflammation. Added sugars are found in many products, especially baked goods, ice cream, and desserts. They are also added to many processed foods, even when you wouldn’t expect it – like pasta sauces, salad dressings, and soups.

Good choices are: fruits for a sweet treat, unprocessed whole foods

5. Cook healthier

Healthy eating isn’t only about your food choices, it’s also about how you prepare them. Fried and grilled foods are tasty treats but have a downside. Fried foods have unhealthy fats, while high-temperature grilling can create carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals).

Good choices are: steaming, stewing, poaching, braising, boiling, or microwaving

6. Eat foods with probiotics

Probiotics are healthy bacteria that keep bad bacteria in check and nourish your gut for healthy digestion.

Good choices are: yogurt, kimchee, raw apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, and sauerkraut

7. Stay Hydrated

If you get constipated, you may not be drinking enough. Drinking water helps prevent constipation and supports healthy bowel function. How much water you need per day depends on many factors like your size, activity level, and health. In general, adults need 4-6 cups of water per day.

Good choices are: water, green tea, black coffee, fat-free milk, fresh-squeezed juice

8. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise helps food move through your digestive system faster, reducing the risk of nausea, bloating, constipation. Regular exercise can also improve the symptoms of constipation and inflammatory bowel disease.

Good choices are: taking a walk after meals or 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily

9. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight reduces your chances of developing GERD, gallstones, some digestive cancers, and more. Following suggestions for a healthy diet and regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Good choices are: healthy weight loss if needed, healthy food, regular exercise

10. Don’t smoke

You know smoking is bad for your lungs, but you might be surprised to find that it’s also bad for your digestive system. Smoking has been found to significantly increase your risk of developing acid reflux, and quitting has been shown to improve symptoms. Research has also found a link between smoking and stomach ulcers and an increased need for surgery for gastrointestinal cancers and ulcerative colitis.

Good choices are: talk to your doctor about help for quitting, or visit Smokefree.gov for information and help

11. Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep affects every body system, including the digestive system. Sleep deprivation may lead to inflammation in the bowel, which can cause gastrointestinal symptoms.

Good choice is: aim for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night

12. Reduce stress

Long-term stress negatively affects your overall health and is linked to diarrhea, constipation, IBS, and ulcers. Managing your stress through stress management techniques can benefit your digestion.

Good choices are: yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, therapy

Everybody experiences digestive problems at some point. They can be uncomfortable, difficult to talk about, and disruptive to your day-to-day activities. While many intestinal problems can be improved by making certain lifestyle changes, some require a visit to a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you have digestive issues that are not corrected with lifestyle changes or are getting worse, it’s time to see a doctor.

Don’t let digestive problems linger – schedule an appointment today!

Request Appointment

Related:

• How to Eat a Colorful Diet to Improve Colon Health
• 9 Symptoms that Indicate Poor Digestive Health
• Get Moving: 6 Ways Exercise Improves Gastrointestinal Health

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Super Tips to Boost Digestive Health: Bloating, Constipation, and More

Medically Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD on January 28, 2023

To get the 20-35 grams of fiber your body needs each day, choose plant foods like cherries, grapes, crunchy bell peppers, beans, whole grains, and nuts. These help with digestion and constipation and are also good for your heart and blood sugar. Because they fill you up, you’ll eat less, which also helps if you’re watching your weight.

Chewing tells your body to make saliva, which balances the acid tied to the problem. Peppermint or spearmint can irritate, so pick another flavor. Skip this remedy if it causes you to swallow air, which can make you belch and feel bloated.

If you lose even a little extra weight, especially around your belly, it can ease the discomfort of heartburn, gas, and belching. Your doctor can help you make a smart diet and exercise plan to reach your weight loss goal.

A great way to help prevent indigestion, bloating, heartburn, and other digestive health problems is to eat smaller meals more often. Slow down, too. It takes time to start to feel full. You’ll be less likely to eat more than you planned.

Fluids help your body get rid of waste and stay regular. You can sip water, juices, tea, and other beverages. They are also in foods, so you may not need to down 8 glasses of water a day. Your doctor or a dietitian can tell you how much you should drink and the best types to choose.

Exercise may help with most minor digestive problems, from bloating to constipation. Physical activity helps your body’s digestive system move things along and let go of waste. It also curbs stress, which can trigger many digestive problems.

Probiotics are “good” bacteria. They are in some yogurts, juices, snacks, and supplements. Research shows they may help if you have diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). But scientists don’t yet know which probiotics help which conditions and how much you need. Talk to your doctor to learn more.

Ever have an upset stomach due to nerves? Your brain and digestive system are connected. Stress can worsen problems like IBS and ulcers. Make it a priority to be active, get enough sleep, meditate, and relax.

Stay away from or limit foods that bother you. Some people have problems with gassy foods like beans and sodas, or fatty items like fried foods and cheese. For others, acidic foods such as citrus, coffee, tea, and tomatoes can spell trouble.

Smoking weakens the valve at the end of the esophagus (the tube that goes from your mouth to your stomach). That can lead to acid reflux and heartburn. It also makes some cancers more likely. And it’s more common for smokers than for other people to get ulcers and Crohn’s disease. It often takes several tries to quit smoking for good. Keep at it! Ask your doctor for help.

If you drink, limit yourself to one drink a day if you’re a woman, or two if you’re a man. Too many drinks too often can contribute to heartburn, diarrhea, liver problems, and cancer of the esophagus.

You want to keep air out of your stomach. So slow your pace. Don’t gulp your food or drinks. Chew each bite and enjoy it! Avoid gum and hard candy if they make you swallow air.

Even a little extra in your diet can cause bloating. It can come from your salt shaker or from items like packaged snacks and cereal. Cut back and check food labels to see how much sodium is in a serving.

No one wants food poisoning — diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. So keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Use different utensils and cutting boards when you prepare fruits or vegetables and raw meats. Make sure that all of your dairy products have been pasteurized.

Some people find that their bodies can’t digest lactose, the natural sugar in milk. It makes them feel gassy. If that’s you, there are lactose-free products to choose from.

Make an appointment if your symptoms don’t go away, come back, or bother you. See your doctor right away if you are or could be pregnant. Also seek immediate medical help if your symptoms are severe or if you have a fever, problems swallowing or going to the bathroom, times when you choke, bloody or black vomit or stool, abdominal pain, or have lost weight and didn’t mean to. Your doctor will find the cause so that you can feel better ASAP.

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How to help, improve and establish good digestion – help and advice on improving and normalizing digestion

Co-author, editor and medical expert – Klimovich Elina Valerievna.

Number of views: 3,745

Last updated: 12/20/2021

Average read time: 4 minutes

Reason that only the proper functioning of the stomach and intestines allows you to extract the necessary the body of the substance. Even with minor deviations in their work, the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients are disturbed. As a result, obvious symptoms of indigestion develop (heartburn, heaviness in the stomach, bloating, nausea).

If the stomach does not work properly, it should be treated with attention. We offer you to listen to some practical and easy-to-follow tips that will tell you how to improve digestion.

1. Observe the diet

Lead meals to a certain regime – the main thing to do to improve digestion. Breakfasts and lunches on the go and in a hurry, the lack of first hot meals in the diet are often the main culprits of problems with the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Organize your diet so that meals always occur at the same time, 3-5 times a day. This approach will help in the normalization of digestion, as the gastrointestinal tract will “get used” to eating at a certain time and will be ready to produce the necessary enzymes by the appointed hour.

2. Reduce the amount of sweets

To improve the digestive processes, you should also give up sweets or reduce their amount in the diet to a minimum.

Sugar contained in sweets, cakes and pastries provokes fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, the absorption of nutrients worsens, the balance of the intestinal microflora is disturbed, and symptoms develop that indicate that digestive assistance is needed. If bloating and increased flatulence began to be observed some time after eating sweets, it makes sense to talk about sweets as the main cause of trouble.

3. Avoid hazardous products

Another danger lurking at every turn is delicious and fragrant dishes and foods that you can’t refuse. But often the effect they have on the digestive system puts them in the category of undesirable and even forbidden foods if you have trouble digesting food.

Smoked meats, spices, fried and spicy foods, carbonated drinks, coffee, and foods containing caffeine can cause stomach heaviness and other discomfort. For good digestion, it is worth replacing fried foods with boiled or stewed ones, eating plenty of vegetables, raw or steamed.

4. Lead an active lifestyle

How to improve digestion and increase the overall tone of the body can be done through healthy activity. Thanks to feasible physical activity – walking, cycling, active games in the fresh air – the blood supply to all tissues improves, including the organs of the digestive system. This means that all functions of the gastrointestinal tract come into a more active state, nutrients are broken down and absorbed more efficiently, and in general, an improvement in digestive processes is observed.

5. Give up bad habits

Bad habits may look harmless enough, but exactly until the question arises: why did indigestion develop against the background of good nutrition and adherence to the regimen?

Everything is explained simply: the components of tobacco smoke and alcoholic beverages significantly disrupt the absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, these substances have a toxic effect and, with regular smoking or the consumption of alcoholic beverages, lead to dysfunctions of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. As a result, the production of enzymes worsens, motility is disturbed, and indigestion can become a chronic condition. Giving up bad habits is another step that leads to better digestion.

What to do in case of indigestion

digestion

If the violations are temporary, not related
with diseases, then their cause may be household factors – stress,
malnutrition, smoking ² . One of the most frequent
factors are
the so-called alimentary errors, that is, associated with food –
fatty, fried or very spicy foods, raw onions, nuts, chocolate,
alcohol, carbonated drinks. Eating “on the run” also affects, especially
if it is associated with a passion for fast food. Violations can cause
and overeating – a large amount of food is more difficult to digest. ^1,2,5,12

Symptoms

Temporary (functional) symptoms
violations
digestion ^1,2,5,12

Pain, burning or discomfort
feeling in the upper abdomen

Feeling full
in the stomach

Belching

Rapid satiety during meals
etc.

5 steps: what to do when
indigestion

Reduce symptoms
and to keep the GI tract working, the following steps may help.

1

1

1

Limit “bad” foods

become
cause of complaints, and exclude it from the diet. Stands with him
for a while
stop eating confectionery, sweet pastries, salty,
sharp
fatty, fried, smoked foods. Soda is not recommended, very
strong coffee and tea, sauces. It’s better to quit smoking
and use
alcohol – at least for the period of manifestation of violations
digestion ¹ .

2

2

2

Stick to a diet

The menu should consist of dishes that maximize
spare the mucous membrane: boiled, stewed without additional fat, boiled
steamed, mashed soups. It is worth eating 5-6 times a day, small
portions.
This will help the digestive system work evenly, without
“overload” or long “hungry” pauses. ^1,2,8

3

3

3

Increase physical activity

Digestive disorder and related
discomfort
lead to a decrease in motor activity ⁹ . It may
affect the general tone, mood, appetite, work, study
in children
and adults ¹⁰ .
A complex of morning or
hygienic gymnastics: do breathing exercises, more often
walk. ³

4

4

4

Reduce exposure to stressors

Stressors cause a response in the nervous system,
which regulates the work of the gastrointestinal tract. In response to stimuli, it increases
production of hormones: cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine. They,
into your
turn, affect the tone and secretion of the stomach and intestines and can
slow down intestinal motility and the production of digestive
enzymes.
This can lead to the appearance of symptoms of a disorder.
digestion. ^2,3,7,11

5

5

5

Consult a specialist

associated not only with functional disorders, but also with the presence of
any diseases of the digestive tract. In this case, it is necessary on time
contact a specialist. Set the cause of the condition and assign
Only a doctor can provide suitable treatment.
If nevertheless violations
digestion associated with nutritional errors, help to cope
with them can drugs that promote
digestion ¹³ .
One of these drugs is Festal®. In his
the composition includes pancreatin (enzymes amylase, lipase, protease),
promoting the digestion of carbohydrates, fats, proteins ⁶ .
The second component, hemicellulase, is an enzyme that promotes
breakdown of plant fiber and reduction of gas formation
in the intestines ⁶ .