5 ways to improve your digestive system

The digestive system includes the oesophagus, stomach, intestines and bowels and allows your body to digest the food going into your body and absorbs all the essential nutrients from those foods.  It is important to ensure you look after your digestive system as it plays a big role in your overall health and wellbeing.  Below, we look at five ways to improve your digestive system.

1. Chew, chew, chew:

One of the best ways to help your digestive system is to ensure you chew your food.  The digestive process starts in your mouth as food from your mouth will find its way to your stomach via the oesophagus.  When eating your meals throughout the day, try to do so in smaller bites, ensuring you chew your food into small pieces.  Chewing your food from large to small pieces of food makes it easier for your body to digest them.  It is also easier for your body to absorb the key nutrients from your food whenever you take smaller bites.  Taking smaller bites will also mean you take longer to eat your food, making you feel full much quicker.  This is a useful way in ensuring you don’t overeat.

2. Regular intake of water:

Water is perhaps the most important food or drink for your digestive system as it encourages the regular passage of waste through your digestive system.  Insufficient intake of fluid and water can often be a primary reason for constipation which promotes inflammation of the intestine.  One way of ensuring you get enough water on a daily basis is to drink a glass of water with every meal.  The NHS recommends that adults get between 1.6L and 2L of water a day although this can vary depending on a range of factors including temperature, size and how active you are.

3. Cut down on fatty foods:

They can often be the convenient option but fatty foods are something you really need to reduce to help your digestive system.  Fatty foods are much harder for the digestive system to digest and fried foods in particular can cause stomach pains which can often leave you feeling poorly on the inside and showing this on the outside.  Try to cut out the amount of fatty foods you eat and consider baking or grilling your food to help your digestive system.

4. Add some probiotics:

Probiotics are known as friendly bacteria and they are great way to help your digestive system.  Probiotics can be found in many types of yoghurt and are great for the digestive system as they contain many health benefits.  Probiotic yoghurts are a great way to help conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, a common illness of the digestive system.  Get a real health kick for 2014 by adding some seeds to your probiotic yoghurt.

5. Add some flaxseed:

One of the best ways to help your digestive system is by adding some flaxseed to your diet.  Flaxseed is a great source of dietary fibre with our own milled organic flaxseed a high source of fibre (8.7g fibre per 30g serving).  Fibre is important for the digestive system as it promotes regular bowel routine, reduces the risk of bowel disease and also helps to maintain a healthy colon and digestive tract.
Just remember our 5 key points:

• Chew, chew, chew
• Water
• Reduce fatty foods
• Add probiotics
• Embrace the power of flaxseed

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