Tuesday 5 January 2016

How to Maintain a Healthy Digestive System for the Long Term



From my own personal experience, a healthy digestive system is the be-all and end-all of a person’s overall health. A good gut health is arguably the gateway to a vibrant and exuberant life. If you are constantly battling with digestive problems, there is all likelihood that you may ultimately have one of many autoimmune disorders known to mankind. But you can safely maintain a healthy digestive system for the long term by following few health tips below and possibly reverse all your symptoms for good.

Health Tip #1: Eat Only the Foods that Your Body Needs to Thrive

Your body is like a motor car. It regularly needs fuel, oil, water and servicing in order to maintain an optimal function. The same way, the whole of your body needs essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins to nourish its cells and tissues for survival as well as to thrive. Unfortunately, a lot of us today graciously crave for foods that undermine the survival of our bodies, tissues and cells.

You should be aware that foods which are processed, refined or cured are not good to the body and these are the types of meals that have become common staple in our everyday diet plans. We are mostly eating the western pattern diet or standard American diet (SAD) at the detriment of our health.    

You can be rest assured that your overall health will hit a brick wall if what you eat daily does not provide the required nutrients for the small intestine to absorb into the bloodstream for onward transmission to individual cells and tissues of the body for nourishment and growth.

For instance, you should be aware that gluten protein is difficult to digest in the stomach. So, consuming gluten-containing grains may do your body more harm than good in the end especially if you are allergic or intolerant to it. It is advised to go for organic or natural foods including fresh fruits and vegetables.

Health Tip #2: Determine If You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome

The gastrointestinal tract is the doorway to your external environment and the body. It is constantly being exposed to environmental chemicals or poison, parasites, viruses, fungi, bad bacteria, candida and yeast, toxic waste, medications, germs, and so on.

To this end, your immune system and the liver will continually face uphill tasks of defending and purifying your body daily in order to stay alive and be healthy. In other words, you have to make sure you don’t have leaky gut syndrome. If, by chance, you confirm you have increased intestinal permeability, you must make all efforts to heal it immediately.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to maintain a healthy digestive system no matter how hard you try. And the worst part is that leaky gut may eventually pave way for autoimmune diseases to thrive in your body. Such autoimmune conditions include multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD), Crohn’s disease, just to mention a few.

If you are thinking of foods to heal a leaky gut, you should also consider bone broth prepared from grass-fed bones of animals e.g. chicken, turkey, beef, ox, etc. You should also avoid and exclude offending foods from your leaky gut diet plans. You should use nutritional supplements including L-glutamine and probiotics which will help you to strengthen, repair, heal and balance the gut flora and intestinal lining.

Also, you have to make some lifestyle changes. Making adequate lifestyle changes has been proven to improve the gut health considerably. You have to engage in regular exercises and eschew sedentary endeavours as much as you can. You have to stop smoking if you currently do. Above all, you must purify and detoxify your body of toxins overload in order to rejuvenate your system.

Health Tip #3: Eat Foods to Promote a Healthy Digestive System

This health tip is closely related to number one point discussed above but it is more specific. If you want to avoid common digestive disorders such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, bloating, burping, excessive gas and flatulence, diarrhea, upset stomach, abdominal pain, etc, you should mind what you eat. Diet rich fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking lots of water a day in order to stay hydrated, and so forth, are really essential for you to maintain a healthy digestive system.

For example, if you are constipated, your regular bowel movements may be altered. This may not pose problem at all if it is just functional constipation you are experiencing but dangerous if it becomes secondary to an underlying disease. A lot of us don’t “listen” to our body systems and quickly attend to it where necessary. The body is like a factory machine. An unusual noise from it could be a signal of a bigger problem to happen sooner or later if you don’t quickly find out what is wrong. 

You should bear in mind that digestive problems can arise by certain types of foods you eat, harmful bacteria contaminated foods, cold or flu, and so on. So, you should avoid trigger foods, poisonous foods or anything that will constitute nuisance to your gastrointestinal or overall health. All in all, healthy digestive system is possible to achieve if you are careful of what you eat and drink on a daily basis. Always remember that health is wealth and that not every food you desire is good for you to live a vibrant life full of zest.