8 Tips to Improve Digestive Health

Now that Spring is here, it’s time to come out from Winter hiding and enough the nice warm weather ahead! I’m busy cleaning my house so that I can open the doors and windows to let the fresh air in. My favorite part about Spring is all of the delicious fruits and veggies that are in season. There’s nothing better than fresh produce to enjoy with each meal! Right now is the perfect time to get back to better health, starting with your digestive system. If your body can’t process the food you eat then you can’t enjoy it! Here are my favorite tips to improve your digestive health.

1. Drink plenty of water. First thing in the morning, drink a glass of warm water before you ingest anything else.  Warm water will help to remove toxins from the body as well as aid in digestion by keeping the temperature in your stomach high and making the food inside easier to break down.

2. Exercise daily. Ideally, you want to get 30 minutes of exercise per day, but any amount of exercise is still beneficial. Physical activity will speed up digestion by increasing blood flow through your organs. If you can, take a walk after eating your meals. I find that by just wearing running shoes during the day instead of sandals or flats, I walk more and at a faster pace. It might be all in my head, but it works!

3. Limit fried and fatty foods. Not only are these types of food bad for your health is so many ways, but they also are hard to digest. Try to incorporate lean meats and fresh produce into each meal.

4. Chew your food. Chewing your food thoroughly will break it down into small pieces, which will make it easier to digest. Also, saliva contains digestive enzymes so the longer y0u chew your food, the more enzymes you will create and this will make it easier to digest your food.

5. Take a natural probiotic. Probiotics are living microorganisms that help promote digestive system balance and regulate the amount of healthy bacteria in your body. You can ingest probiotics through fermented foods such as yogurt or you can take a daily supplement.

6. Add ground flaxseed to your diet. Ground flaxseeds are a natural, gentle laxative. They can easily be added to your everyday foods by adding a tablespoon to smoothies, sprinkled on salads, or added to rice. They are also a good source of fiber and omega-3. 

7. Drink unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. This type of vinegar is considered a prebiotic and contains “the mother”, which is full of good bacteria and enzymes. Prebiotics are not live organisms, they are what make prebiotics flourish in our digestive system. Ideally, you should be getting both probiotics and prebiotics for optimal health.

8. Add chia seeds to your diet. I know this sounds strange, but chia seeds are actually very good for you! Add them to water and they will absorb up to 9 times their weight in water. Drinking the chia/water mixture is known to cleanse and remove toxins from the digestive tract.