Indigestion is a feeling we all wish we could forget. It's bloated, crampy, and just when you think it's over, it strikes back with a vengeance. And true, some digestion issues are caused by genetics, but many are caused by diet and lifestyle. The positive news is that it can be avoided with the right lifestyle changes and shifts, some of which are easy to make instantly!
Not sure how to boost your digestion to feel healthier and less sluggish? We've detailed some of our favourite healthy gut habits below.
Eat slowly and with intention.
Enjoy every bite and savour your food with intention. Make an effort to chew each bite thoroughly, so you can break down your meals more. This improves nutrient absorption while also ensuring that your stomach doesn't need to work overtime.
However, we understand how tricky it can be to retrain your body to eat once you've built a habit. Rather than trying to tell yourself to chew slower or to bite smaller, take the time to really pay attention to your food with each bite. Try to taste all the spices separately with each mouthful and become mindful of what you are eating. Try all of your foods separately, and then together. This allows you to truly appreciate what you're eating. Before long, you'll notice that you are spending more time with your meals and less time questioning why your stomach is hurting.
Hydration is essential
All the nutrients and healthy eating in the world won't stop indigestion and digestive problems if you're not drinking enough. This is because drinking water can help to lubricate your digestive system, all while softening your stool. (Did you forget how much we like speaking about poo here?). Aim for 2 litres of water a day. This allows you to have enough to energise your mind and body, with enough left over to nourish your gut.
Eat fibre-rich foods
Fibre-rich foods help support a healthy gut microbiome. This means that they help get your digestive system moving, which is critical for clearing out food waste! Fibre-rich foods are super easy to incorporate into your diet, too! Adding one fruit and one veggie to your daily meals can make a world of difference. For an extra kick, legumes, beans, and whole grains are essential.
If your diet isn't already familiar with these foods, you may experience some discomfort at first. Keep at it! Within a week or two, you will truly notice how much better your stomach is working.
Balance probiotics and prebiotics
You've definitely heard about probiotics. But how about prebiotics? Prebiotics feed the probiotics. Essentially, without them, all those probiotics don't do what you need them to, and they don't nurture a healthy gut microbiome. If you want that rainforest in your stomach to really put in the kilometres for you, you need to ensure you're eating enough of each.
Prebiotics include asparagus, garlic, onions, bananas, apples, berries, legumes and cacao; just like you find in our Nutritional Cacao Latte.
Probiotics include yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, miso and kombucha!
Are you eating enough of them both?
Don't skip meals
It's tempting to skip meals. However, doing this actually makes you more likely to overeat during your main meals. This can harm your digestive system and clog you up.
Eating balanced meals keeps your system steady and ensures that your stomach is always working, rather than turning on and off, which otherwise forces it to work overtime at mealtime.
Limit Processed Foods
Some processed foods and fatty foods won't harm your body in the long term. But over-indulgence will. It's about finding the balance between what's good for you and what can be enjoyed in moderation. Failure to limit these greasy foods can otherwise slow digestion and cause discomfort that is both sickening and constipating.
Eat Smaller, But More Frequently
Instead of three big meals a day, try five small ones. A small piece of fruit for breakfast, followed by a muesli bar and then a nutritious lunch. Finish the day with another piece of fruit followed by a gut-loving dinner packed with protein and healthy carbs. This is easier on the gut and gives your stomach the breaks it needs to digest properly.
Stay Active
You may not draw an immediate link at first. However, activity is directly related to your digestive system. Gentle movement, such as yoga, walking or light stretching, helps move your food through the digestive tract, making it easier to break down. Keep the habit, and shortly, you'll find yourself going to the toilet much sooner after meals.
Manage Stress
Like activity levels, you may not find a direct correlation immediately; however, stress has a major impact on your digestive system. This is because it causes your body to go into fight or flight mode, deprioritising digestion. Practice mindfulness, relaxation and breathing techniques that help settle the mind. You will notice it makes a difference to how you feel after meals in no time.
Listen To Your Body
Everybody is different. For this reason, foods that are great for some people may not agree with you. If you're finding that you're getting set off after certain meals, try to isolate different ingredients. Track how you feel after this. Before long, you may identify certain foods that simply don't agree with you.
Choose Jomeis Fine Foods
Our founder, Vicki, once experienced a myriad of stomach and digestive issues. She founded Jomeis Fine Foods with a mission to end stomach discomfort and digestive problems. Our brand, for this reason, intends to be easy on the gut. Haven't tried it yet? Explore our range today.
