It’s amazing how many patients we see that deal with symptoms of indigestion daily, ranging from simple gas and bloating to more severe abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea.  Here are 5 tips to stay healthy with a healthy gut.

Manage stress.

Stress inhibits digestion.  While you are busy running around or working while eating, the last thing the body can do properly is digest your food.  Being mindful while you are eating, eating in a relaxed state, and giving the body time to digest, can do wonders at eliminating gas and bloating after meals.

Minimize fluids during your meals.

It’s common in our culture to always have a drink with our meals, but you may be surprised to learn that drinking large amounts of fluids while eating can dilute your stomach acid and compromise your digestion.  Having small sips of fluids to aid the food going down can be helpful, but the majority of fluid intake should be approximately 15-20 minutes before or after your meal.

Identify food sensitivities.

Everyone’s body is different so it makes sense that there isn’t just one diet that is suitable for everyone.  Identifying foods that your body is or isn’t tolerant to can help you determine the best food plan for your health.  Seek the help of a Naturopathic Doctor for effective ways to identify food sensitivities.

Exercise.

Keeping active helps your body regulate digestion and keeps your bowels moving regularly.  What isn’t exercise good for?!?

Take probiotics.

A healthy gut is comprised of billions of different bacteria.  Unfortunately, poor diet and lifestyle, and medications such as antibiotics can wipe out a lot of the good bacteria we need to help us digest our foods and strengthen our immune system.  Various fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and miso can be a good starting point.  However, for most of us we will need higher doses of probiotics to regain a healthier gut.  Taking a well-designed good quality probiotic supplement can be helpful – ask your Naturopathic Doctor which probiotic may be right for you.

~ Dr. Patti