Having a healthy digestive system can go a long way toward having a healthy body. It can also reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes type 2. The health of our GI tract depends on what we eat. The old saying “we are what we eat” is really true.
Healthy bowels are an important part of a good digestive system and crucial for maintaining excellent health. Good bowel health helps maintain the muscles that control a person’s intestine strong and active.
To maintain a healthy digestive system and good health, it is important to eat properly. This means following a balanced, healthy diet. Not smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation or not at all, plus regular physical exercise, also help keep us healthy.
There are several ways to keep your digestive system healthy. In ancient times, people used to consume edibles and other natural products for good digestion. According to Online Dispensary Canada, these days, people have a huge choice of foods, supplements, medications, and other items.
Exercise
We tend to only associate nutrition with the health of our digestive system. It is not, however, the only factor. Regular physical exercise also helps maintain a healthy gut.
Food moves more slowly through the digestive system of sedentary people compared to their more active counterparts. That is one of the reasons why physically inactive individuals are more likely to suffer from constipation.
Regular physical exercise stimulates the natural contractions of intestinal muscles, resulting in better stool movement.
Stress management
While exercising is beneficial to the human body in every way, becoming over-stressed, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect.
Too much mental stress can cause headaches, muscle tension or pain, chest pains, stomach problems, insomnia, fatigue, and a change in sex drive. Stress has become an ever-increasing public health problem. In some companies, it has been shown to have a damaging effect on productivity.
Try stress-relieving exercises, getting more sleep, and relaxation techniques. According to Top Dispensary, studies have shown that cannabis can relieve some of the unpleasant symptoms associated with stress.
Consume fiber-rich food
A diet rich in high fiber foods can help prevent diabetes and lower cholesterol. They also discourage overeating because fiber makes people feel full. As far as our digestive system is concerned, one benefit is that fiber prevents constipation. The roughage in fiber helps move the food we have eaten along the large intestine.
Fiber-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, and some grains help prevent the formation of diverticula (intestinal pouches). Consequently, the contractions to move food along are less forceful.
Drink less Alcohol
For centuries, people have been recommending alcoholic drinks to aid digestion. Studies suggest that this is a myth. Alcohol irritates the digestive system.
Even small amounts of alcohol make the stomach produce too much acid. Higher acid levels can inflame the lining of the stomach (gastritis). Diarrhea, vomiting, and stomachache are commonly caused by gastritis. Consider consuming Canadian Juice Monsters instead of alcohol.
Lose Weight
Since the second half of the twentieth century, obesity has been a growing public health problem globally.
Overweight and obesity can cause many problems in our GI tract, such as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gallstones, BE (Barett’s esophagus), and digestive organ cancers.
If you are overweight or obese, you should seriously consider losing some weight. A healthy diet, rich in fiber, plus exercise and plenty of good quality sleep, should help you reach your target body weight.
Consume Probiotics
Probiotics are yeasts and live bacteria that are good for the digestive system. We usually associate bacteria with infections and diseases. However, there are good bacteria which the human body needs. Many of these good bacteria keep the GI tract in good health.
We can get these good bacteria from certain foods and as supplements in health shops and most supermarkets. Yogurt and miso, for example, are probiotic-rich foods.