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How to Keep Your Digestive System Healthy

Published June 03, 2015

Your digestive system is where it all begins. You can't produce energy, support your mood, or fight infections if you can't digest, break down, and absorb nutrients. There are many simple things you can do to keep your digestive system healthy, many of which are completely free. Whether it's exercise, stress reduction, or even enzyme or probiotic supplementation, all can provide enormous benefit to digestive processes.

5 Tips for Healthy Digestion

Digestion begins in the mouth when you begin to chew. In fact, just the act of chewing thoroughly can take a huge strain off your digestive system by prompting your body to provide enzymes to help digestion. Here are a few other things you can do to promote healthy digestion.

1. Follow a Clean Diet

Bananas contain approximately 15-20 percent of your daily fiber needs. Bananas also contain fructooligosaccharide, which is a natural compound that encourages growth of beneficial bacteria. This bacteria–termed "probiotics"–is responsible for a myriad of activities in your body, including facilitating the appropriate digestion and elimination of food. ^[1] This goes to show that diet, particularly a natural plant-based diet, is incredibly powerful for keeping your digestive system in check.

Green vegetables will also help keep your digestive system healthy for their high amounts of fiber, relatively low carbohydrate and sugar load, and good amounts of water. Foods like kale, spinach, wheatgrass, and alfalfa are all good choices to integrate into your diet. Broccoli sprouts are unsurpassed in their ability to stimulate enzymes that detoxify the digestive system. ^[2]

2. Exercise

Another thing you can do to benefit your digestive tract is to do some simple, daily exercises. The colon functions much more effectively when abdominal muscles are strong and consistently in motion. Crunches are an excellent way to strengthen these muscles and to improve your appearance at the same time, but simple walking can keep your digestive system healthy by improving blood flow to the intestines and colon. One study showed that women who walk daily were 31% less likely to develop colon cancer. ^[3]

3. Therapeutic Herbs

There are also herbs that can benefit your digestive tract. Two common varieties include organic cilantro and organic dandelion leaf. Cilantro oil is an enzymatic stimulant. It also helps our intestines secrete digestive acids and juices, and it adds fiber to the digestive process. Some people use cilantro to relieve stomach gas and flatulence. Organic dandelion leaf helps detoxify the digestive tract and help stimulate it when it becomes sluggish. It is one of the best herbs to take for promoting optimal digestive function.

4. Meditation

You can't discount the effect of your mental health on your physical health. Stress is one of the most pervasive killers in our society. And while we can't control every circumstance that causes stress, we can change the way we respond. When we're stressed, our body goes into the "fight or flight" mode, switching off our digestion so we can run away or deal with the problem head on. ^[4] Meditation is an excellent way to relax and reduce stress, and studies show that relaxation is a powerful method for improving digestive health.

5. Probiotics and Enzyme Supplementation

One of the most important things you can ever do to keep your digestive system healthy is to cleanse it on a regular basis. A probiotic such as Latero-Flora may be helpful for replenishing your body's supply of beneficial bacteria which your digestive tract actually needs. If you suffer from digestive issues of any kind, an enzyme supplement like VeganZyme, which contains no animal products, is designed to be an overall enhancer of optimal, ongoing digestive health.

One Final Thought

If you're experiencing occasional digestive upset, taking these tips to heart may be the starting off point for getting back into shape. Consult with your doctor to see if other options are available, or to see if you are experiencing a deeper issue, like IBS or gluten intolerance. Even then, there is always a root cause, and you should do what you can with diet, exercise, and simple lifestyle modifications to get your body into an optimal state of health. Not only will you experience dramatic shifts in your digestion, you may notice your mood and outlook, energy levels, and thinking becoming clearer.

What are your thoughts on improving digestion? Do you have any tips that work for you? Please share them with us in the comments!

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM