A poorly functioning digestive system can wreak havoc on your day-to-day life, resulting in discomfort, constipation, bloating, nausea, skin conditions and so on.

It is therefore important to maintain a healthy digestive system, which can be achieved through focusing on gut health and improving the gut microbiome.

However, focusing on health and wellbeing can be difficult when balancing work, family life and socialising. Therefore, we have offered a few thoughtful dietary and lifestyle changes, to significantly improve digestion by ensuring better nutrient absorption, increased energy levels and reduced discomfort and bloating.

Understanding Your Digestive System

Digestion is the process of breaking down food into small parts to allow the absorption of nutrients in the body.

This involves food moving through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which is a group of organs that food and liquid passes through from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract is made up of the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine.

The bacteria in the GI tract, also known as gut microbiome, is key to helping the proper digestion of food. However, if you have an imbalance of bacteria in your GI tract this can lead to a poor digestive system. Signs of poor digestion include discomfort, gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea and acid reflux.

Lifestyle Changes To Improve Digestion

Eating Mindfully

When ingesting food, it is important to be mindful and avoid rushing. Eating a meal slowly is far more beneficial for the stomach as it allows you to chew for longer and break down the food into smaller pieces for easier digestion.

In addition, this also helps with enjoying meals more as you take the time to appreciate the flavours and will feel fuller for longer after eating.

Walking after eating

Walking and hiking has been found to significantly improve the digestive process.

In particular, going on a walk just after eating a meal can engage the stomach and intestines to help food move through the digestive system at a much quicker rate, reducing bloating and stomach pains.

It’s important to stick to gentle, low-intensity exercise after eating, as high-intensity exercise can divert the blood flow to your muscles instead of aiding your stomach with digestion.

Sleep & Digestion

Sleep is an integral component of a healthy gut microbiome, in fact a lack of sleep can lead to gastrointestinal issues such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes acid reflux and bloating.

In addition, poor sleep can also result in bad food choices and eating more refined sugars and carbohydrates.

Avoiding Overuse of Antibiotics

Taking frequent courses of antibiotics has the potential to negatively impact your gut health.

Antibiotics kill bacteria in order to prevent the spread of infections, however, in this process they also kill the good bacteria that is crucial to a healthy gut microbiome.

Of course, if you have been advised by a medical professional to take antibiotics then it is important to finish the course, however, just be mindful about taking them too often.

Foods to Boost Digestion

Certain foods are known to promote healthier digestion, so it is a good idea to incorporate these foods into your day-to-day diet in order to improve the digestion process.

In particular, foods that are high in fibre are extremely beneficial for digestion as it helps to promote regular bowl movements. These foods include:

Wholegrains 

Wholegrains contain much more fibre than refined grains which makes them good for improving digestion. Therefore, swapping your pasta, bread and rice for wholegrains can have a huge impact on your gut-health.

Leafy Greens

Leafy Greens Vegetable include kale, spinach, cabbage, iceberg lettuce and so on. These vegetables provide a rich source of fibre to promote regular bowl movements and prevent constipation and bloating.

Beans

Beans are high in insoluble fibre, meaning that they don’t dissolve in water and pass through the GI tract at a quicker rate, thus improving digestion.

It can also be a good idea to incorporate gut-friendly foods into your diet to improve digestion. Gut-friendly foods help to feed your gut with ‘good’ bacteria and in turn help your body to break down complex carbohydrates and fibre to provide your body with essential nutrients.

Gut-friendly foods include:

Yoghurt and Kefir

Yoghurt and kefir contain probiotics that provide the gut with good bacteria and help to support the healthy function of the gut. These foods also provide the body with essential minerals, like calcium, that helps to improve the health of teeth and bones.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a fermented food, which means that it contains probiotics and helps to create a healthy gut microbiome.

Furthermore, it is crucial to stress the importance of proper hydration in aiding good digestion. Water helps to break down food which allows it to move through the digestive tract at a faster rate, preventing constipation and bloating.

It is suggested that individuals should consume 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid per day to maintain hydration levels.

Probiotic and Prebiotic Supplements

Gut health can be improved by taking daily probiotic and prebiotic supplements to improve the balance of bacteria in the gut.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are found in foods like yoghurt and kefir, and provide the gut with good bacteria. However, they are now commonly taken in the form of supplements to help with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and diarrhoea.

Prebiotics on the other hand are typically found in high-fibre foods and they act as a form of nutrition for good bacteria.

They help good bacteria flourish and improve the balance of good bacteria found in the gut. It is therefore beneficial to take both probiotic and prebiotic supplements as they work hand in hand to foster a healthy gut microbiome.

A healthy digestive system is crucial for the effective breakdown of food in the body, helping to improve nutrient absorption and eliminate waste effectively.

A poor digestive system can result in a range of symptoms that can negatively affect your day-to-day life, so it is important to foster good gut health where possible.

Making small lifestyle changes, avoiding antibiotics, eating a more gut friendly diet and taking the correct supplements are just some of the simple changes that can be made to improve your gut health.