
Mind & Body
Effective Ways To Improve Your Gastrointestinal Function
Do you suffer from constipation, heartburn, nausea, or other gastrointestinal issues? If so, then this blog post is for you. We will be discussing how to improve your gastrointestinal function naturally. Many different strategies work well together to help relieve symptoms and get your body back on track!
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is an important nutrient that has many benefits. It helps to regulate your digestive system and reduce constipation, improve bowel movements, prevent heartburn and bloating after eating meals high in fat or sugar. We recommend consuming 25-30 grams of fiber per day if you are not used to including it in your diet plan. You can accomplish this by adding more fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens), and legume beans into your daily meal plans or adding superfood powders from Athletic Greens which will boost your overall health. There are also plenty of great prebiotic supplements on the market which provide extra support for healthy gastrointestinal function.
Consume More Probiotics
Probiotics are very important for good gastrointestinal function and overall health. The gut flora (a term used to describe the colonies of bacteria living in your digestive tract) is an essential component of healthy digestion, immune support, and vitamin production. Taking a daily probiotic supplement can help rebalance intestinal microflora by introducing beneficial bacterial strains into your system that promote regular bowel movements as well as decrease inflammation throughout the GI tract which reduces nausea or other uncomfortable symptoms like bloating after meals. Consuming fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso soup daily will also help introduce these healthy gut bugs into our diet plan. We recommend taking anywhere from 30-75 billion CFU’s daily if you are using a probiotic supplement.
Drink More Water
Hydration is very important because it helps to support healthy digestion. The body needs water for the digestive enzymes and acids produced by your stomach to break down food properly. If you are dehydrated, this can cause uncomfortable symptoms like constipation or heartburn which makes drinking enough water every single day a must! Try setting aside 30 minutes per day where all you focus on doing is consuming fluids such as water, herbal tea, lemon water with honey. Keep sipping throughout the entire period until that half-hour has passed then resume normal activities. You should be aiming for anywhere from ½ ounce up to one ounce of fluid intake per pound of body weight daily depending upon how active you are outside of work hours (i.e. exercise, hot weather conditions, etc.).
Get Enough Rest
If you are constantly feeling tired and groggy, it can be really difficult to maintain a healthy diet plan. By getting enough sleep (around six hours per night) we will help reduce stress levels which is important for overall health as well as provide energy throughout the day by making sure that our bodies have an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate overnight. Lack of sufficient REM stages in your sleep cycle can cause blood sugar imbalances, fatigue, irritability, and even weight gain so make this part of your daily routine if possible! There’s nothing better than waking up refreshed after eight or nine hours of quality sleeping time each night.
Exercise Consistently
Studies show that regular exercise can help improve all aspects of gastrointestinal function. It enhances the muscle tone in the intestines, reduces constipation, and helps to alleviate digestive issues like bloating or heartburn by making sure that you are passing gas frequently throughout each day. Even if it’s just a 20-minute walk around your neighborhood, this simple act will make a huge difference when trying to prevent uncomfortable symptoms after meals. Aim for 30 minutes at least five days per week!
Eat Mindfully
Eating is one of our most pleasurable experiences but sometimes we can eat mindlessly without even realizing that we are doing it. This habit has become very common in today’s world because people tend to do other things, like watch TV or work on the computer while they eat their meals. The problem with this practice is that you may not realize how much food you ate (especially if it was high-calorie foods) and could end up consuming too many calories during each meal which will eventually lead to weight gain over time! To avoid overeating at mealtimes, try using a smaller plate so your portion sizes appear larger by comparison. Also pay close attention to what activities surround your eating times –if watching TV or working at a computer, try moving to the table and only eating while you are sitting down there. These small changes will help reduce mindless eating behaviors which can cause weight gain over time if done repeatedly!
All of these factors mentioned above (and more) play a role in how well our bodies function daily when it comes to proper GI tract health. By making sure that we eat healthy foods, drink adequate amounts of water each day, get enough rest, exercise regularly, and practice mindful eating habits like utilizing smaller plates at mealtimes, etc., we can greatly improve all aspects of gastrointestinal function for better overall wellness.
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