Being healthy is about total body health, not just about how many burpees you can do in a minute (although that can be a good way to measure progress!). Digestive health isn’t a very sexy topic, so although it’s a critical part of keeping your body in tip-top shape, it doesn’t tend to get a lot of attention. Digestive issues aren’t fun for anybody, and there are simple, natural remedies to help you avoid them.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a great natural digestive tool that is relatively inexpensive and can be found at most grocery stores (be sure to buy raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the mother). Apple cider vinegar works to improve digestion by increasing stomach acid, which according to Jonathan Wright, MD — author of Why Stomach Acid is Good for You — approximately 90% of Americans produce too little of.
As soon as we see, smell, or think about food, our stomach cells begin secreting hydrochloric acid (HCl). HCl plays a vital role in protein digestion by converting pepsinogen into the enzyme pepsin, which breaks proteins down into amino acids. It also promotes the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins A and E by stimulating the release of pancreatic enzymes and bile into the small intestine. Without adequate stomach acid, food is incompletely digested and nutrients are not properly assimilated. Factors such as stress, excess carbohydrate consumption, nutrient deficiencies, allergies, and excess alcohol can decrease HCl production.
You can drink apple cider vinegar by itself, or mix it with water to make it less harsh. Drinking a glass of water mixed with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 15-20 minutes before a meal can improve digestion and nutrient assimilation by increasing HCl production. I suggest mixing about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in room temperature water with the juice from half a lemon. It doesn’t taste the best – so you have been warned! Be sure to “swish” some water in your mouth after drinking apple cider vinegar and swallow it to prevent the acid from affecting your tooth enamel or irritating your esophagus.
Apple cider is also a great tool if you’re looking to lose weight! Check out “Apple Cider Vinegar: The Natural Secret for Weight Loss” to learn more.
2. Ginger Tea
Ginger is another inexpensive item that can be found at most grocery stores that is great for your digestive system. Ginger in food, or ideally as a strong tea, helps stimulate saliva, bile and gastric juice production to aid in digestion. Phenolic compounds like gingerol and various other volatile oils are primarily responsible for the positive effects of ginger on your digestive system.
Ginger can help reduce the chance you will get digestive issues in the first place and is effective at reducing symptoms if you are already experiencing discomfort. Ginger tea has muscle relaxant properties that can help relieve gases trapped in a constricted digestive system. Bloating and intestinal cramps are often caused by tension and spasms in your gastrointestinal tract. By gently relieving these constrictions, ginger tea can help release trapped digestive gases and alleviate bloating.
Make Ginger Tea at Home:
- Get a medium-sized ginger rhizome that looks fresh without wrinkles or too many blemishes.
- Scrub it under warm water and carefully cut 3 to 6 slices as thin as you can and put them in a large mug.
- Add a small amount of honey and/or lemon if you like and pour very hot, but not boiling water over the slices (turn off the kettle just before it boils).
- Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Drink and enjoy.
3. Probiotics
Sometimes bloating and other digestive issues can result from an imbalance of bacteria in your gut. We have between 400-500 strains of bacteria in our GI tract, both good and bad types of bacteria, which need to maintain a specific balance for optimal health. A probiotic contains many different strains of bacteria to help maintain the necessary balance and provide the bacteria that is missing. Taken regularly, probiotics can help keep the digestive system in balance and functioning optimally, restore normal flora, and support immune system function. Probiotics are especially important if you are taking or have taken an antibiotic, which can wipe out intestinal bacteria indiscriminately.
You can find a probiotic at most natural health food stores, as well as your local pharmacy. My favorite probiotic is Nature’s Way Primadophilus Optima – it is a very potent and diverse probiotic with 35 billion colony forming units (CFUs) and 14 different bacteria strains.
4. Take an Epsom Salt Bath
You’ve probably heard of taking an Epsom Salt bath to relive muscle soreness or to relax after a tiring week, but they can also aid in the digestive process. Epsom salt isn’t salt at all, rather it is a naturally occurring mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate (Fun Fact: It’s merely called “Epsom” because magnesium-sulfate was discovered in Epsom, England). Both magnesium and sulfate are highly absorbable through the skin, which is why taking a bath is highly effective. Magnesium plays a number of key roles in the body including reducing inflammation, which aids in digestive health, as well as helping nerve and muscle function, and preventing the clogging of arteries. Sulfates help with the absorption of nutrients, easing migraines, and flushing toxins. Most notably for digestive health, sulfates help strengthen the walls of the digestive tract.
The stress relief coupled with the internal benefits of an Epsom salt bath, will leave you feeling great! All you need to do is fill your tub with warm water and add one half to 2 cups of Epsom salt. The more salt you add, the more detoxifying it will be, so you may want to start small and work your way up. You can reap the benefits in as little as a 10 minute bath!
5. Get moving
If you’re feeling bloated and suffering from digestive discomfort, it’s easy to want to curl up into a ball and not leave the house. However, moving will actually help your body with the digestive process. Rigorous cardiovascular exercise, such as running or aerobics, activates the sweat glands that release fluids that the body could be retaining. Even just a 15-20 minute stroll around your neighborhood can help aid in the digestive process.
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Sources:
www.drweil.com
www.sharecare.com
