A healthy gut is the ultimate secret to a happy life. It is normal to suffer from stomach problems like gas, heartburn, diarrhea from time to time. However, constant stomach problems can adversely impact your life.
An upset stomach can not only disturb you mentally but also cause other physical problems. Fortunately, stomach problems can be treated by regulating your diet and lifestyle.
Here is how you can heal your stomach with natural methods.
1. Eating Natural and Real Food
Do your meals primarily comprise of take-aways or packed food? If yes, you could be subjecting your stomach to more junk than it can process.
When you eat high amounts of refined carbs and saturated fat, your stomach needs more time to digest them. If you eat it again in the next meal, your stomach has probably not digested the previous meal. You can imagine the pressure that such food items can put on your stomach.
Moreover, high amounts of sugar and salt can cause gut inflammation. It can affect the lining of your gut and cause a condition called a leaky gut.
For better digestive health, it is advisable to eat home-cooked meals. If you find it hard to cook your meals on weekdays, you can plan and prepare for the meals on weekends. As you do it, you will also notice a pleasant change in your skin, bloating, and energy levels.
2. Adding Fiber to Your Diet
As you plan your diet, make it a point to add a lot of different vegetables and fruits to your meals. They are the primary source of fiber, which is the best stool softener that nature has to offer.
There are two kinds of fibers- soluble fibers and insoluble fibers.
Legumes, lentils, beans, and dry fruits are the primary sources of soluble fiber. It absorbs water and slows down the digestion process. A few types of soluble fiber can also reduce the chances of heart diseases.
Insoluble fibers, on the other hand, are found in whole grains and vegetables. This type of fiber enables the stool to pass easily through the stomach and intestines.
3. Include Probiotics in Your Diet
Probiotics are the yeast and live bacteria that live in your gut. These are the helpful bacteria that keep the gut healthy. They can resolve multiple problems like IBS and diarrhea. A few of these good bacteria can also help in digesting milk and lactose.
They are often found in naturally-fermented food like yogurt, miso, and kombucha. Sometimes, when you take antibiotics for other health problems, these good bacteria die. It is the reason why your doctor may prescribe you probiotic medication along with antibiotics.
So, the next time you feel the mid-meal hunger pangs attacking, you get a bowl of yogurt. Apart from being low on calories, it will also strengthen your digestive system.
4. Drinking Water
There are so many benefits of staying hydrated that you should set reminders if you forget to drink water. Drinking 1.5-2 liters of water daily is the best natural remedy to avoid constipation. If you work out vigorously or live in warm places, you may need more amount of it.
You can also have soups, coconut water, and herbal teas to keep up on hydration. However, caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee do not add up to this. You may have to increase your water intake if your consumption of caffeine is on the higher side.
Another idea to increase water intake is by consuming fruits and vegetables that have high water content. Tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, and celery are a few examples of this.
5. Reducing Your Stress
Remember the butterflies that you felt before appearing for an important exam? Or the urge to empty your stomach before taking a flight or before an interview? It happens because there is a close relationship between stress and digestive health.
We live in stressful times, and the pressures of juggling your professional and personal lives may take a toll on you. It is for this reason that your physician will ask you to manage your stress if you have repeated complaints of IBS, diarrhea, or constipation.
You can follow natural methods like yoga and relaxation techniques to manage your stress. If you find the need to talk to someone and seek medical help, you can always go for therapy. For sleeping problems, you can take the valerian root, which is nature’s best sleeping pills (link).
Finally, nothing will work like taking a break from your hectic lifestyle from time to time. As your body will rejuvenate, you will also notice a change in your digestive health.
6. Avoid Bad Habits
While an occasional smoke or drinks with your friends won’t do much harm, out of control consumption of alcohol or continuous smoking can wreak havoc on your digestive system.
Smoking cigarettes has been associated with gastro problems such as acid reflux. It may also cause ulcers that are more difficult to treat.
Similarly, too much alcohol can harm your digestive system beyond repair. Apart from causing heartburn, it may cause inflammation of the digestive tract.
The crucial aspect is to be moderate in your consumption. Also, keep a tab on the snacks that you eat while consuming alcohol. Try to avoid fried food and opt for roasted peanuts or nuts as accompaniments.
7. Get that Heart Racing
Finally, nothing works like a good run or walk in your neighborhood. You can also opt for other ways of working out like yoga, hitting the gym, or a high-impact dance class.
When you exercise regularly, you reduce your chances of constipation and bloating. Moreover, as the body moves, it also allows the gas to pass through and prevent heartburn.
When you practice yoga, certain poses or asanas aid your digestive system. As you breathe in a flow and maintain your posture, you can bid goodbye to those painful digestive problems forever.
Conclusion
It is simple to achieve good digestive health. All you need is to follow nature and avoid artificial and processed food. With the tips shared above, you can live a truly healthy and happy life.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
