by Ali Holden
5 years ago
Focusing on your digestion is paramount to creating lasting health and weight management, which is why I have written this article to share with you my tried and tested 21 ways to improve digestion.
As a colonic hydrotherapist, you could say that I’m somewhat of a specialist when it comes to gut health – from my own busy practice, I’ve seen some of the symptoms experienced by sluggish digestion including; bloating, skin issues, tiredness, lack of enthusiasm, food cravings, bad wind, bad breath, headaches, constipation and IBS; the list goes on…
The good news is, I’ve also seen how great you can feel when you look after your digestive system. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of easy to follow ways that will improve your digestion. Implementing just some of these will help you reap the rewards with better health, increased vitality and weight loss.
21 ways to improve your digestion
- Water: drink 2-3 litres of room temperature, filtered water daily. Incorporating warm lemon water and herbal teas is a great way to increase hydration. Always focus on your fluids being tepid/room temperature, not hot or cold, as your digestion doesn’t like this.
- Avoid caffeine, sugary and carbonated style drinks, as these fluids put a lot of strain on the body and cause dehydration. They can also spike your blood sugar and adrenals, making you feel tired.
- Add good bacteria (fermented foods) like kombucha, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, live organic natural yoghurt, a good strain of pro-biotic supplement.
- Add pre-biotics to your diet (artichokes, green bananas, leeks, onions, garlic and asparagus) to help your good bacteria thrive! We need to create the right environment for our lovely good bacteria to thrive and keep us well.
- Drink bone or potassium broth often to help soothe and heal your digestive system. A calming drink to help when your gut is unhappy.
- Drink vegetable/fruit juices and smoothies daily (3/4 veg and 1/4 fruit). You can add nuts/seeds and avocado for a filling drink.
- Stick garlic up your bum. Oh yes! Garlic is great for bad wind, sore bottom, itchy bottom, bloating. Gently squeeze a clove, dip in olive oil and insert up the rectum as far as the finger takes it. Ideally do this just before bed and you’ll poop it out the next day! Garlic is very healing.
- Eat high fibre foods – beans, lentils, vegetables, fruit quinoa, buckwheat, nuts, seeds.
- Eat vegetables half raw and half steamed daily. Remember to chew your food really well to release all of the lovely enzymes that will aid digestion.
- Avoid grain style foods like bread, pasta, rice. These foods are very sticky, cause inflammation in the body (plus water retention) and cause more harm than good.
- Eat more good fat like avocados, olives, seeds, nuts, coconut oil, hemp seep oil, olive oil and MCT oil.
- Eat organic meat (if you like eating meat). Avoid pork, which is terrible for digestion. The gut prefers lighter meats or fish.
- Have more Vegetarian or Vegan days.
- Avoid spicy foods that irritate your gut; listen to your body, if your stools become soft or you experience diarrhoea, then don’t eat them.
- Learn to manage the stress in your life. The brain and the gut talk to each-other so if you are stressed, then so is your gut and it will react. Focus on de-stressing techniques like yoga, breathing, meditation, mindfulness, a warm epsom salt bath or walks in the fresh air.
- Chew your food slowly. Very very important. Get that mucous coating your food before it enters the stomach. We tend to swallow not chew our food, and this can cause many digestive issues. Take your time and chew your food until its a soupy consistency, enjoy the taste and texture. Digestion is very sensitive to stress and will shut down temporarily. You don’t want undigested food stagnating in your gut, this will cause many problems.
- Have 1-2 tsp of apple cider vinegar before a meal, to help with digestion.
- Don’t drink fluids whilst eating as this interferes with and dilutes with your digestive juices. It is paramount the secretions are the correct ratio so they can work for you and break down your food effectively.
- Don’t over eat– only eat when hungry. Listen to your body.
- Fasting. Fortnightly or monthly, give your gut a complete day to rest (preferably fasting on water or vegetable juices). It’s easy to do 24 hours by having your last meal at 6pm then don’t eat again until 6pm the following day. You’ll be amazed how easy it is, how much more energy you have and that you actually feel less hungry.
- Exercise is important for many reasons, not least because by breathing more deeply, your lungs massage your gut and help to keep things moving.
Conclusion
All disease starts in the gut. Therefore, the solution to ANY issue facing you today, not just digestive problems, will begin by giving your digestive system some care and attention.
Start slowly, but start today.
To your digestive health,
Danielle Parkinson.
Colon Hydrotherapist
Need help?
For further help when it comes to digestive complaints try Colon Hydrotherapy. Cleanse your system of toxic waste, hydrate and learn about the right foods to eat to reduce digestive issues.
Call: 07737 204 866
email: danielle@essentialhealthcolonics.co.uk
www.essentialhealthcolonics.co.uk
Southville Clinic, 68 Coronation Road, Southville Bristol BS3 1AS
Disclaimer: this article is based on the opinion of Nutritional Therapists, Alison Holden or Lesley Pierce (unless otherwise noted). The information is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified therapist, your health care professional or your own intuition. It is not intended as medical advice, rather a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Alison Holden/Lesley Pierce and their community. Their goal is to inform you so you can make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your healthcare professional before using products based on this content.
