10 tips to keep your digestive health in tip-top shape

Digestion is an intricate bodily process that involves mixing food with digestive liquids, getting it to move through the digestive tract, and breaking it down.

The digestive system starts at the mouth as you chew and swallow food and ends in the large intestine where waste is eliminated.

Unfortunately, there are many things that could go wrong with the digestive system and many things that affect the function of the digestive system. Common digestive disorders include constipation, diarrhoea, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, and cancers of the colon and bowel.

Digestive health can be affected by lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, but many digestive issues can also be genetic.

1. Avoid certain foods

Food is important to keep your digestive system going as it should, but not all food items are equally beneficial. Certain foods do not digest as well as others and can cause various symptoms of indigestion, such as bloating, gas, and nausea. Here are a number of foods you should cut back on for good digestion.

2. Practise good food hygiene

Many digestive issues arise from foodborne parasites and bacteria that can make you seriously ill. Your risk of getting food poisoning can increase if food is exposed to higher temperatures, if you cook food in a large batch, or if you cross-contaminate raw meat and vegetables. Food poisoning can be avoided with the help of these tips.

3. Consider using a probiotic

Probiotics have become an important topic in health conversations as scientists and the public become more aware of the importance of a healthy digestive system. While a probiotic can’t cure a condition such as irritable bowel syndrome, it can still aid your digestive system. Vitaforce Digestive is a daily probiotic that helps balance and normalise gut flora and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It can be taken by adults and children older than 12. It’s a vegetable capsule that is suitable for vegetarians and sugar free.

4. Go to the doctor if something’s up

A stomach ache might not necessarily indicate something as serious as bowel cancer but it may still be a cause for concern. This article mentions the most important red flags that could signify cancer.

5. Don’t be scared of those screenings

As you grow older, a colonoscopy is a vital routine procedure to help rule out any colon cancer. Unfortunately, this might be a daunting process for many and something they would rather avoid. If your doctor orders a colonoscopy, don’t put it off. Comfort and reassure yourself by reading this.

6. Know your digestive system

You don’t have to be a medical expert to separate fact from fallacy when it comes to your digestive system. There are many things you might believe that are simply not true at all (including that you need enemas to keep your digestive tract healthy). Don’t fall for these myths.

7. Consider working with a nutritionist

Do you experience irritable bowel syndrome or simply have general digestive difficulties? A nutritionist can play a key role in helping you follow a healthy diet and adopt healthy habits. Our experts at Nutritional Solutions put together this guide on how to manage IBS.

8. Stop bad habits in their tracks

Are you jeopardising your own digestive health without even being aware of it? There are many things we do on a daily basis that may negatively affect our digestion. Read more here.

9. Eat sauerkraut

Love it or hate it, according to research, this veggie is good for your gut health. It’s a probiotic food, meaning that it feeds the good bacteria that live in your gut. Not sure how to incorporate it into your diet? Read more here.

10. Consider taking up yoga

If you are struggling with poor digestion, some yoga poses may help.