Fresh margarita- yes, a Caesar salad- umm, can I rather get the margarita? Everyone wants to eat delicious food, without worrying about the consequences it could have on their digestion. Your digestive system has a significant role in your entire health. It impacts your energy, immunity, and day-to-day life. A well-functioning digestive system can help your body to absorb nutrients and excrete wastes seamlessly.
However, 60-70 million people in the USA suffer from digestive tract problems. If you also experience similar concerns, it’s high time you become more cautious about your food habits.
So, here are a few foods you must eat and a few to avoid to ensure you stay healthy and fit!
Table of Contents
Best Foods for Digestion: What to Eat
Whole Grains
Whole grains are best to help your guts function at their finest. It ensures optimal colon function.
Unlike refined carbohydrates (white bread or pasta), whole grains are a great source of fiber and nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids.
When gut bacteria ferment this fiber, it converts into short-chain fatty acids. These acid molecules support the proper functioning of the colon lining cells.
Although low or no-carb diets are popular for weight loss, you shouldn’t skip grains completely. Otherwise, your gut bacteria won’t thrive to ensure proper digestion.
Low-Fructose Fruits
If you have gas and bloating issues, fructose-rich fruits (apples, mangoes, and pears) are your greatest enemy. So, you need to switch to low-fructose fruits, including oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits. These reduce the incidences of gas and are easy to digest.
However, you can’t always avoid all fructose-rich and starchy foods in this day and age. So, it’s best to opt for digestive enzyme blends like the Starchway capsules for gas and bloating.
It reduces any sort of discomfort due to starch and sugar and helps in digesting a variety of food, including potatoes, pasta, processed food, and fruits.
Leafy Greens
Kale, spinach, and other leafy greens are amazing sources of fiber, vitamins C, K, and A, and folate. These also contain a type of sugar that increases the volume of healthy gut bacteria. They also support ideal gut microbiome production in the colon.
Lean Protein
If you want to eat flesh, have lean meat like chicken and fish instead of steak or mutton. These are not as fatty as other options, and your digestive system can process them easily and without any trouble. Lean proteins are also great for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Avocado
Avocado is considered a superfood owing to the high volumes of fiber and essential nutrients, including potassium. The low-fructose food helps prevent gas and bloating and enhances digestive functions.
However, it’s also high in fat, so make sure you’re conscious about the portion sizes and consume it in moderation.
Yogurt
With several healthy bacteria, yogurt is a great food to enhance your gut activity. It can replenish the usual level of gastrointestinal tract flora and ensure improved digestion.
Note: This is valid only for yogurt with live and active cultures mentioned on the label.
Worst Foods for Digestion: What to Avoid
High-Fat Food
Fatty food like steak, mutton, pork, bacon, heavy cream, butter, and deep-fried food is extremely difficult to digest. They stay put in the stomach for long hours, triggering contractions, cramps, bowel concerns, acid reflux, and other digestive problems.
Specifically, red meat also produces colon bacteria that cause clogged arteries.
Dairy
While dairy is an important source of calcium, it can also cause gas, pain, bloating, and diarrhea, especially in individuals with lactose intolerance.
A well-functioning gut produces lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. But if someone doesn’t produce enough lactase, they can’t deal with milk. Lactose enters the large intestine, and bacteria break it down, forming gas and causing discomfort.
Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods, like cakes, fast food, salty snacks, cookies, frozen meals, and soft drinks, have high volumes of sugar, starch, fat, and oil. While tasty, they’re filled with artificial flavors and preservatives to boost shelf life.
Caffeinated Beverages
Caffeine is an energy-boosting element that stimulates gastrointestinal motility. It makes food move faster through your digestive tract, causing diarrhea and IBS when consumed more than 2-3 cups.
Spicy Food
Spicy food also worsens symptoms of diarrhea, indigestion, and other digestive tract issues.
Capsaicin (the compound that creates spiciness) increases your metabolic rate and causes cramps and stomach aches. It can also make bowel movements painful by activating colon lining pain receptors.
Conclusion
Knowing which foods to eat and which to avoid can help you enhance your gut health. So, consult with your doctor, follow a suitable diet and this guide, keep discomfort at bay, and ensure you stay fit and comfortable.
