After eating a snack or a regular-sized meal, do you often experience digestive discomfort? If so, you’re not alone. According to this survey, nearly 75% of Americans percent regularly experience some form of gastrointestinal discomfort, such as bloating and gas. The bad news is, experiencing these symptoms is a clear sign that your digestive system needs help. The good news is, it is very easy to improve digestion if you commit to several of the lifestyle and dietary tips outlined below.
As an RHN and plant-based chef who regularly works with people who experience digestive distress, I’ve witnessed first-hand how simple life changes can benefit digestion and someone’s overall quality of life. Not only do the tips below reduce discomfort but they improve mental well-being by supporting a healthy microbiome. As Scientific American reports, 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is found in the bowels. Clearly, healthy digestion needs to be a priority.
Following are 7 ways you can easily improve your own digestion:
Add peppermint essential oil to water
You need to drink six to eight glasses of water each day to stay hydrated. In some of those glasses (preferably before meals to stimulate digestion), add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil. Not only will your water taste super fresh, you should experience fewer symptoms of bloating following your snack or meal.
Cut out allergenic foods which might stimulate bloat
Many commonly-consumed foods (soy, wheat, corn, dairy, and eggs) are allergenic to the human body because of the way they have been cultivated. The majority of soy, corn, and wheat grown in the United States is genetically modified (GMO) and subsidized to boost the output of dairy and beef. As a result, the quality of these foods is lacking, to say the least.
The consumption of these foods, which are oftentimes difficult to digest, may exacerbate other inflammation-related illnesses (like eczema and arthritis) because they promote an inflammatory response in the body. If you can’t say “goodbye” to these foods, try to source organic and GMO-free variants.