If David Letterman had a Top Ten list for staying healthy, keeping a clean and fit digestive tract would be number one.
Wellness experts worldwide agree that the state of one’s digestive health can easily determine one’s overall health experiences and outcomes. In fact, Dr. Mark Hyman, director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, insists that digestive problems can lead to “allergies, arthritis, autoimmune disease, rashes, acne, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, autism, dementia, cancer and more.”
So, what can we do to achieve and maintain bliss in the bathroom?
Eat Mindfully
Dietitians can’t state this enough: eat real food. Food is something that contributes to cellular growth and repair, and is the number one determining factor in one’s digestive health.
Consuming foods that help with digestion (leafy green vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, and whole grains), and limiting foods that hinder it (processed foods, meat, and dairy), are essential to keeping a happy belly, and a healthy body.
Meat and dairy are more difficult for our bodies to digest than plant-based foods, because they are completely devoid of fibre. Fibre gives stool bulk and allows it to move more easily on its way to the colon.
Don’t Stress
We often feel the effects of emotional, mental, and psychological stress in our bellies. Sometimes stress can feel like knots or cramps, or even make us want to vomit. What we are feeling is a lesser-known part of the autonomic nervous system.
Aside from the sympathetic nervous system (which creates the adrenaline-pumping fight-or-flight response), and the parasympathetic nervous system (which calms us down after the perceived threat of danger has passed), there is the enteric nervous system, which helps regulate digestion.
Researchers at Harvard explain that “when a person becomes stressed enough to trigger the fight-or-flight response, for example, digestion slows or even stops so that the body can divert all its internal energy to facing a perceived threat. In response to less severe stress, such as public speaking, the digestive process may slow or be temporarily disrupted, causing abdominal pain and other symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders.
In other words, chronic stress can lead to a decrease in blood flow, oxygen, and nutrient absorption in the gut-and this spells bad news for the effectiveness of the digestive system. Great ways to reduce stress include meditation, yoga, walking, and conscious breathing.
Exercise
As noted earlier, yoga and walking are both excellent ways to relieve stress. In fact, the Mayo Clinic concludes that “exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever.”5 When you move your body and increase your heart rate, your brain releases endorphins, which are essentially a “feel good” hormone.6 This feeling can last for hours after a workout.
Exercise also gets your digestive system working. People who are sedentary are more chronically constipated than those who are active.7 When the body experiences ongoing periods of movement, waste is worked through your intestines through contractions in the gut.
Be Proactive with Probiotics
Probiotics are living enzymes that help inhibit the growth of bad bacteria in the gut-bacteria that wreaks havoc on the way we digest and ultimately absorb our food. Bad bacteria also creates excess gas, which can feel physically uncomfortable, or even painful.
We need bacteria in our lives, but we need a balance. Probiotics can help. Harvard Health says that “probiotic therapy may also help people with Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.”
Water Yourself
How many people stop to consider how much water they consume in a day? Probably not enough. Although there’s no correct amount that’s right for everyone, there’s a general rule: the lighter the urine, the more hydrated the body is. The darker the urine, the more dehydrated the body. Remember: our bodies are made up of mostly water, and it’s our job to replenish what we lose in the forms of urine, sweat, and feces.
What does water have to do with a happy belly?
Food cannot be digested and absorbed properly without water. The water we drink is dispersed throughout the body and used for many purposes, but creating softer stool and a lubricated colon will help move along waste and make bowel movements easier.
The Bottom Line
Although there are many factors that contribute to general health, a healthy digestive tract is a major game-player in defending our bodies against illness. By implementing the suggestions in this article, we can keep our bellies happy and our bodies healthy for a very long time.
Jennifer Browne is the author of Happy Healthy Gut, Vegetarian Comfort Foods, The Good Living Guide to Medicinal Tea, and Baby Nosh. She’s also a freelance editor, blogger, and creator of Fresh + Fit Vancouver. She lives in Abbotsford, BC.
Learn more:jenniferbrowne.org and freshandfitvancouver.com
Tweet her: @jennifer_browne and @freshfitvan
