There are days when you just want to take a nap after your meal as you feel heavy and uncomfortable and there are also days when you feel light and active. This is a known fact that the kind of food we consume alters our digestive system. If you’re thinking on how to speed up digestion naturally then you’re at the right place.
Did you know?
80% of our immune system is located in our digestive tract, thereby making our gut a prominent spot to be maintained so as to obtain optimal health.
While our nation is a food-obsessed country with diversified taste and flavor, our stomach caters to all sorts of spices and ingredients that at times work against our metabolism, thus leading to bloating and bowel problems. Our erratic eating habits, including over consumption of junk and spicy food, less intake of water and lack of proper sleep, have led us to various digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, acidity, indigestion and gas to name a few.
And one of the easiest ways to speed up digestion naturally is by changing our eating habits and not to mention the lifestyle as well.
|”Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” ~ Jim Robin |
How to Speed up Digestion Naturally?
#1 Add Fiber to your diet
Fiber is highly recommended for those suffering from indigestion. So start adding lots of beans, green leafy vegetables, seeds and fruits to your daily diet.
However, if you’re suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS affects the gastrointestinal tract diagnosed by diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloating) then you should ditch the fiber. As per doctors, while consumption of fiber indeed helps in treating constipation, but it worsens the case with IBS patients. Since fiber works as catalyst, encouraging the bowel to work actively, so it’s likely that it can worsen the condition in people suffering from acute constipation.
So if you too are suffering from severe constipation then it’s time you replaced brown pasta and cereals with brown bread, cream crackers or anything that’s made from wheat flour.
#2 Add Green Salad to your diet
You should consume a mix of cooked as well as raw foods on regular basis. Raw foods such as green salads come loaded with lots of enzymes that help speed up the digestion process. Make sure next time when you sit down to eat, your plate is loaded with healing vegetables.
- Lettuce – Worldwide Lettuce is one of the favorite green vegetable used in salads. Lettuce contains fiber which helps people suffering from constipation and stomach pain due to it. It also gives relief from other digestive complications like acid indigestion. Vitamin C content in this vegetable helps in strengthening up immune system. However if you are suffering from belching or bloating then you must avoid it with other foods like brussels sprouts, baked beans and cabbage.
- Root Veggies – Root veggies are great for digestion and strengthens it further. Sweet potato, carrots, onions, red potatoes and winter squash are some of the root veggies that are good for stomach. These vegetables have high water as well as fiber content which also helps people with constipation problem. High magnesium and potassium content in them prevents gas problems too.
It is best to eat food rich in protein and fat first and then salad as salad might dilute the digestive fluid which could create problems for digestion of the main food.
#3 Add Green Tea
Just as you cannot start your day without your morning tea/coffee, make this as thumb rule to not spend a day without this extremely healthy drink. Researchers have found out that green tea not only helps in reducing weight, but its rich antioxidants help in boosting the metabolism. Since it is free from caffeine and calories, so you can replace your day drinks with green tea and see the results yourself.
#4 Increase liquid content
Drink plenty of liquids. Not only water but any meal in liquid form than solid form helps speed up the digestion process. So try adding soups, purees and juices to your regular diet apart from green tea and water.
You should drink 2 glasses of water everyday just when you get out of bed. The 1st glass of water would awake different parts of body and start the metabolism. When we sleep toxins and acid get collected in the digestive system. The 2nd glass of water would help in flushing out these toxins from the body and would stimulate different organs and glands.
If you are planning to loose weight then it is advisable to mix 1 tsp of honey and lemon in a glass of water and take it on empty stomach. You could drink first glass of water after getting out of bed and after 15 minutes 2nd glass with lemon and lime juice.
#5 Stomach Acid Balance
Having proper control over stomach acid goes a long way in preventing different types of stomach related ailments. The improper acid balance could lead to lot of Gastro Intestinal ailments like Gerd, acid reflux disease etc. Acid not only helps in proper digestion but also helps in fighting with bad bacteria and parasites.
In order to build hydrochloric acid in the stomach for proper digestion use the following methods –
- Ginger: Chew small piece of raw ginger for its juice. Once the juice is squeezed in the mouth, throw out the pulp. Ginger invigorates body to produce acid
- Apple Cider Vinegar: HCL production could also be stimulated by apple cider vinegar in raw form. Add it in a glass of water and take just before meal
- Stress: When you are emotionally upset production of HCL in the stomach gets affected. Do yoga, pranayams or other relaxation exercises before meal to avoid problems related to digestion of foods due to reduced production of HCL (acid)
- Zinc: Including food rich in zinc is great way to increase the acid production in stomach. Foods rich in zinc are peanuts, yogurt, beans, potatoes, lobster, lamb, salmon and turkey etc.
#6 Do not sit right after consumption of meal
Always try not to sit right after having your meal, be it lunch or dinner. Even if you are at work try to have a brisk stroll for 5-10 minutes after having your meal. When the body is on move, the digestion process speeds up. You can always spend quality time with your family when you go out for walk after dinner.
Added bonus – Get proper sleep
Lack of proper sleep leads to several health problems including digestive issues. No matter how much you are busy with work, make sure you have at least 6-8 hours of sound sleep.
Your takeaways from this article
Many of us pay less attention to our digestive system while eating. The above mentioned tips can surely help speed up our digestion naturally, as they help the digestive enzymes in maintaining the stomach acid levels during digestion.
Hope you found this post useful!