The digestive system is very fickle: bad nutrition, random meds, and bad eating habits may cause the stomach and intestines to act up. Fortunately for you, we found some simple and effective ways to improve digestion.
1. Drink water on an empty stomach
A glass of regular water on an empty stomach will help speed up the metabolism and prepare the digestive tract for real food. Preferably the water should be warm or at room temperature, as cold water makes digestion difficult since the body spends resources on heating it up. You can also add a little lemon juice to the water if you want the citric acid to clean your digestive tract.
2. Add spices
Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, turmeric, coriander, dried ginger — all these and maybe more spices stimulate appetite, improve digestion, promote nutrient absorption and cleanse the body of toxins. Add them to dishes more often, especially those that are difficult to digest, like beans, meat, poultry, mushrooms, and fatty food. You’ll see the results in just a few days.
3. Eat less raw food
Raw products are difficult and take longer to digest, so it is better to heat them up, but in order to preserve the maximum amount of good stuff like vitamins and minerals, steam your food or cook it in the oven with a minimum amount of fat.
4. Use fermented milk products
Yogurt, cottage cheese, and buttermilk will help you stuff the intestines with useful lacto- and bifidobacteria and improve digestion. They are especially useful for people who take antibiotics because the drugs disrupt the intestinal microflora.
5. Don’t skip breakfast
Breakfast is the key to good metabolism throughout the day. And did you know that food is digested much faster in the morning? All those calories will turn into energy instead of setting up camp on your thighs and waist.
6. Eat more fiber
Carbohydrates play a vital role in cleaning the stomach and intestines as dietary fibers push waste and toxins out of it when they go through. The best sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and legumes.
7. Eat ginger on an empty stomach
It’s great for your digestion to eat ginger before meals, or optionally, you could go for some ginger tea. Ginger improves appetite, stimulates peristalsis, helps to burn fat faster, and neutralizes toxins accumulated in the stomach.
8. Drink herbal teas
For food to be digested better, drink a cup of aromatic fennel tea or chew the seeds after a meal. Chamomile tea is also amazing as it starts up your gut, reduces the painful effects of gastritis and colic, and neutralizes the damage caused by meds.
9. No more snacking
Minimize the number of snack sessions between the regular meals. You see, the digestive tract needs to take things easy from time to time, get some rest, and recover. And if you feel the hunger’s vile gurgling, eat prunes. You may not like these fruits’ final stage, but they improve bowel function, and oligofructose prevents constipation.
10. Chew your food
Never rush your meal or eat on the go. Unchewed pieces of food force the digestive system to work in an intensified mode, which may cause gas formation, bloating, and other troubles. Always try to eat in a calm and comfortable environment and stop staring at your phone while eating.
