Our digestive system is the most important system in our bodies. We don’t tend to realize the importance of proper digestion until we begin experiencing problems. When it’s working properly, it takes the food we consume and produces all the ingredients our bodies need to operate. It then removes any unneeded, unused or unwanted materials from our body.
When it’s NOT working right…well…it can be pretty damn uncomfortable.
You might have some constipation, or its sibling, diarrhea. You might have some gas, bloating, food allergies, throw in a little heartburn and some irritable bowel syndrome, and you really have a party! There is no need to sob in a corner, caressing your bloated stomach; digestive health can be easily improved with a few added daily habits. Take care of your gut, so it can take care of you back.
Probiotics – often called “good bacteria” – work hard to keep a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. With everything that goes on between the walls of you colon, taking good care of your gut is highly beneficial to your health. Take a high quality probiotic of at least 25 billion strands. This good bacteria helps maintain digestion balance, and keeps your immune system (70% of it is your gut) working perfectly.
Digestive Enzymes – help break down the nutrients in food, making them easier to digest and absorb. Since many of us consume liquids with our meals (drinking with your meal dilutes the natural enzymes in your saliva, making it harder to properly digest your food) taking an enzyme before you eat is a great way to boost your digestive health, and reduce/eliminate the common after meal bloat and discomfort.
Ginger – whether in the form of food, supplement, tea or oil, consuming ginger daily will help begin to get your gut back on track. Ginger helps to stimulate digestion, which is the basis of health. Ginger helps the body to release the proper enzymes to break down food so nutrients can be easily absorbed.
Coconut oil – is largely made up of Medium Chain Triglycerides. When consumed, coconut oil’s anti-microbial properties become activated and work to provide the strongest germ killing effect. Basically, coconut oil eradicates the shitty bacteria in our digestive tract. By regularly consuming coconut oil, you will help your body restore balance and stability.
Reduce dairy – despite all the celebrities and their milk mustaches, when you have gut problems, reducing/eliminating dairy will go a long ways to getting you out of that miserable state that only comes when your digestive system is impaired. The sugar in dairy called lactose is rarely ever properly digested. This causes allergic reactions, gas and bloating. If you consume too much lactose, it goes into the large intestine, and diarrhea can develop or worsen. Give your body a chance to heal properly, forgo the dairy and see how much better you feel. Nowadays, there are delicious substitutes that will help fill that dairy void.
Connie Trowbridge wants to live in a world that’s filthy with organic farms, mom & pop bookstores, and artsy cafes.
As a holistic health coach, and wellness writer, she’s been featured in Healthy Organic Woman Magazine, and Life of a Fighter.
When she’s not creating humorous content (that often contains four-letter words) you can find her re-reading the collected works of Chelsea Handler and Paul Jarvis, sampling obscene amounts of chocolate without a trace of shame, and optimistically checking out her window to see if UPS has delivered her latest Amazon present.
Her latest ebook —From Doritos to Kale Chips— hit the web in March 2014.
Discover how to achieve rockin’ health with style, simplicity + astonishing ease at Connieville.com
Medical Doctor, author, speaker, media presenter and health industry consultant, Dr Joe Kosterich wants you to be healthy and get the most out of life.
Joe writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications, is clinical editor at Medical Forum Magazine, and is also a regular on radio and television.
Joe is Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis Company Little Green Pharma, Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and sits on the board of Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases.
He has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health.
In 2024 due to public demand he commenced a podcast, Dr Joe Unplugged, which can be accessed via Spotify, Apple or YouTube.
Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.
