Problems with digestion can be extremely irritating, painful and can impact your daily life if the problem becomes severe enough. While very uncomfortable, digestion issues are extremely common due to the poor diet that we consume and can easily be improved or even fixed with a small dietary change. Try incorporating some of these 5 best foods for improving digestion into your diet to see if they make a difference in your life.
Yogurt
Yogurt is a wonderful digestion aid that isn’t overly expensive, isn’t filled with artificial preservatives and colours and is incredibly good for your overall health, not just your digestion. The reason that yogurt is so good for your digestive system is that it contains probiotics: good bacteria that can help to improve your digestion by living in your digestive tract. If your children are struggling with digestive issues, this is a very good option as it is smooth, easy to eat, and comes in all sorts of flavours that kids love. Not every yogurt contains probiotics though, so make sure that you look out for this on the label before buying.
Ginger
While it may be a bit too spicy for some to eat on its own, ginger can do wonders for your digestive system and can help to relieve any pain and constipation symptoms. The way that ginger does this is by helping your stomach to break down your food comfortably so that it is easier to digest. As well as this, it is also proven to stimulate gastric enzymes, saliva, and bile, all of which aid digestion and help the food to move to the small intestine from the stomach.
Low-Fat Beans
A great way to ensure that your digestive system is healthy and working properly is by making sure that you’re eating lots of fibre. While it may vary depending on sex and age, the American Heart Foundation states that if you have a 2,000-calorie diet, you should be eating around 25 grams of fibre a day for a healthy gut. Navy beans are especially high in fibre. As little as half a cup of navy beans contains 10 grams of fibre – almost half of your daily amount. If beans aren’t your favourite food, you can try incorporating them into curries, soups, and casseroles to ensure that you are getting the goodness without getting all of the taste.
Bone Broth
Bone broth doesn’t sound like the most appetizing main course, but it can do wonders for your digestive system. The reason that bone broth is so good for your digestive tract is that it contains gelatin, a substance that helps to heal the gut, so it is especially good if you are suffering from inflammation. If you want to try it yourself after having a good look at all of the benefits of bone broth, you can easily make it with chicken bones, water, salt and pepper, apple cider vinegar, herbs, and lemon. Remember, it must simmer for 24 – 48 hours, so make sure you prepare it in advance! Alternatively, try bone broth protein powder to receive the benefits and eliminate time-consuming cooking.
Sauerkraut
A traditional German recipe that is essentially fermented cabbage, sauerkraut is a great digestive aid as the fermenting process helps to release the same good gut bacteria that is found in some yogurts – probiotics. It is even believed that eating sauerkraut can relieve and even reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome – an extremely uncomfortable and irritating gut condition. There are plenty of sauerkraut recipes available for free online so don’t worry if you’ve never made it before – give it a try and see the benefits for yourself!
Digestion problems can be extremely painful, uncomfortable and downright annoying. So, don’t just sit there and let poor gut health affect your life, make some simple dietary changes by incorporating some of these foods that have been proven to aid digestion. You won’t believe the difference!
*collaborative post
