More and more people experience various digestive issues such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Let's take a look at five foods that can help promote a healthier digestion and to avoid those nasty symptoms!
A great way to improve your digestive is to increase your intake of greens, which are a great source of fiber and contains nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A. Eating a good balance of leafy greens helps keep your gut microbiome healthy and helps promote the growth of good gut bacteria to thrive for better digestion.
Whole grains provide more fiber than refined carbohydrates such as white bread, and is also more nutritious for the body. Our gut needs fiber to work better and properly, in fact, our colon requires at least 25 grams of fiber daily. The fiber helps give bulk to our stools and helps lowers our chances of becoming constipated. In addition, the different types of fibers in grains act as prebiotics which can help feed the good gut bacteria and promote healthy digestion. Whole grains are also packed with nutrients such as protein, vitamin B, antioxidants, and trace minerals. Common varieties of whole grains include:
Fatty cuts of meat and fried meats can cause irritation to the digestive system. Instead, try roasting or baking your meats and basing them in lighter sauces. In addition, fats and proteins take longer time to digest compared to other foods so people who have a more sensitive bowel should stick to lean proteins. Lean proteins such as white fish (such as cod, pollock, flounder, halibut, tilapia) and skinless white meat poultry (chicken) are good choices to consider.
If you are prone to gas and bloating, then you may need to reduce your consumption of fructose (fruit sugar), so limiting your intake of fruits such as apple, grapes, and mango. Also, most dried fruits, such as dates, dried fruit health bars, figs, and raisins are also high in sugar. Low-sugar fruits include strawberries, peaches, blackberries, honeydew, grapefruit, oranges, etc. Berries and citrus fruits contain less sugar and are less likely to cause gas. However, if you often have upset stomachs, it may be good to avoid citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, grapefruit) as they are acidic and can irritate the stomach lining and cause digestive issues.
Avocados contain beneficial fiber that helps promote healthy digestion. Eating a cup of sliced avocado can help increase your fiber intake for a healthier bowel. In addition, since collagen fibers line your intestinal walls, the vitamin C in avocados helps you to produce collagen to maintain it. The vitamin B found in avocados help your cells derive fuel from your food to support a healthy digestion. It is also a low-fructose food, so it is less likely to cause gas. However, it does contain a lot of fat, so it is wise to be balanced.
