If
more people really thought about how much their digestive systems do for them
every day, they might be more inclined to take better care of their digestive
health. Your digestive system has a huge
job - it breaks down the foods that you eat in order to make nutrients and
energy available to the body, and it is responsible for steering unwanted waste
out of the body, too. On top of that,
your digestive tract is a key player in immunity – the cells lining your
digestive tract help protect your body against bacterial and viral invaders that
could make you sick.
And,
your brain and your digestive tract are in constant communication with one
another. An incredible amount of information travels between your gut and your
brain – so much so, that the nervous system that resides in your digestive
tract is often called the body’s “second brain”. This system alerts the “first brain” if
you’ve eaten something you shouldn’t have, and also keeps tabs on your hunger
level and your mood.
And
yet, many people abuse their digestive system – by filling it with highly
processed foods, or eating too much, or eating too fast – and pay little
attention to it until something goes wrong.
Key
Components to Digestive Health
In the
most general sense, what you eat and the way you live your life influences the
health of your digestive system. A nutrient-rich,
balanced diet helps to nourish all of your body’s cells, including those in
your digestive tract. Fiber, fluids and
regular exercise all help to keep you regular, and taking care of your “second
brain” by keeping your stress levels in check can also help to promote
digestive health.
Fiber
and Fluids Support Digestive Health
Perhaps
one of the most important dietary components for digestive health is adequate
dietary fiber.
Most
people think of fiber as the substance that helps to keep the digestive process
moving. And certain fibers do just
that. But not all fibers function
exactly the same way, which is why we often talk about two types of fiber –
insoluble and soluble fiber – both of which contribute to digestive health, but
in different ways.
Insoluble
fiber – sometimes called “roughage” - isn’t broken down by the body but it
absorbs water, which adds bulk. This type of fiber - found in vegetables, bran
and most whole grains
- helps to speed the passage of waste through your
digestive system, which helps keep you regular.
Soluble
fiber– found in foods like apples, oranges, oats, barley and beans – thickens
and swells up when it comes in contact with liquid. So, when you eat these foods, they swell up
in the watery environment of your stomach and help to fill you up. But another important feature of soluble
fiber is that it functions as a prebiotic – which means that it encourages the
growth of the good bacteria in your digestive tract.
Your digestive system
houses tens of trillions of microorganisms - made up of thousands of species –
taken together, this bacterial colony is sometimes called the “gut microbiome”.
These
bacteria help your body extract nutrients from your food, they help with the
production of certain vitamins, and they protect the health of the digestive
tract by keeping out dangerous foreign invaders. But this mini ecosystem residing in your gut
appears to do even more – there is evidence that your gut microbiome may also
influence your body weight, memory and mood, too. So, it’s important to provide these bacteria
with their preferred source of fuel – in the form of soluble fiber.
You
can also introduce beneficial bacteria into your system directly – in the form
of probiotics found in certain foods.
Fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir, pickles and sauerkraut, miso
paste and olives are all-natural sources of beneficial bacteria.
Since
soluble fibers dissolve in water – and insoluble fibers trap it – it should
come as no surprise that adequate fluids are important in keeping your
digestive system running smoothly. But you also need water to produce saliva
and digestive juices, and to transport nutrients to your cells, so taking in
adequate fluids every day is vitally important to your digestive health.
Exercise and Stress
Reduction Support Digestive Health
Regular
exercise also supports digestive health in a couple of ways. As your muscles contract and your breath
deepens during activity, the natural contractions of your intestinal muscles
are stimulated, too, which helps to move food through your system. Exercise is also a well-known stress reducer,
so it can help reduce digestive upsets that can occur in response to negative
emotions.
The connection between your brain and your “second brain” in your digestive tract is something you’ve probably experienced in the form of a “gut reaction”.
When stress or anxiety strikes, your brain sends a signal to your gut - and the next thing you know you’ve got a churning stomach.
The
signals travel in the other direction, too – from gut to brain. When something in your digestive system isn’t
quite right, an alert is sent to your brain, often before you even notice
anything is wrong. Either way, this
brain-gut connection suggests that keeping your digestive system in tip-top
shape is vital to your sense of well-being.
The
diet and lifestyle steps you take to keep yourself healthy are the same ones
that promote digestive health, too. A diet that includes plenty of fiber from
colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains, adequate hydration, and
regular exercise are all key factors.
And take time to enjoy your meals – you’ll be more relaxed, and less
likely to overeat, too.
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