Simple Tips For Relieving Digestive Issues

We’ve all experienced digestive issues in some form or another. Constipation, diarrhea, belching, flatulence, acid reflux, bloating and abdominal distention are no fun. To remedy these ailments, many people reach for over-the-counter antacids, Pepto-Bismol, Pepcid, Emetrol, various laxatives and enemas. Others, when the problem becomes chronic, turn to stronger prescription medications and invasive procedures. If left unchecked, digestive issues can have dire consequences on your health. But with some simple changes to your diet, you can restore normalcy to the way your food is broken down, digested and its wastes removed.

Solutions For Belching

Belching or burping is perhaps the least serious of the digestive issues. It is generally caused by swallowing air while eating or drinking too fast, not chewing your food completely, chewing on gum or sucking on hard candies, and consuming carbonated drinks like soda and seltzer. As harmless as belching is, it is an annoyance and can make you appear rude when you don’t mean to be. The remedy is to eat and drink more slowly, be sure to chew all of your food before swallowing, and avoid gum and candies if this is an issue.

Solutions For Abdominal Bloating And Distention

People often complain of abdominal discomfort, bloating and distention, which are symptoms of an overly full and pressed-out abdomen. These issues are often symptomatic of either poor food choices, poor core musculature or of more serious conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and even heart failure (not likely if the problem comes and goes). If IBS is an issue, read this article I wrote on Chinese herbs for IBS.

If you experience abdominal bloating and distention, it is best to avoid foods that cause gas and intestinal irritation, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and all kinds of beans (baked, pinto, black and red). For this problem, too, you should also give up sucking on hard candies and drinking carbonated beverages.

In addition, be sure not to overeat and overdrink, as these will push your stomach past its natural capacity and cause discomfort and even pain. Overconsumption of food and beverages eventually leads to serious digestive issues and also fatigue. However, eating plenty of fiber-rich foods does much to promote intestinal motility and keep the food moving through your system at a healthy pace.

If your abdominal distention worsens as the day progresses and feels better when you lie down, it is likely that weak abdominal muscles are the culprit. To remedy this, do abdominal exercises like crunches and other core exercises to strengthen the area.

Solutions For Flatulence

Passing gas a dozen times per day or more can be healthy and is indeed natural. Healthy flatulence is odorless, though. If you find yourself passing bad-smelling gas, it is likely that the gas is from poor food choices that are difficult to digest or perhaps the side effect of prescription medications and dairy products (if you are lactose intolerant).

To decrease the frequency of foul-smelling flatulence, try removing or cutting down on certain starches and vegetables that are difficult to digest. These include wheat, oats, potatoes, corn, beans, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Scaling back on or avoiding dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and ice cream may also produce a reduction in symptoms.

The Right Food Choices Are Essential

As you can see from these solutions, food plays a major role in digestive health. Moreover, food is essential to life and good health. To reduce the negative symptoms of poor digestion, abdominal discomfort and distention, bloating and gas, opt for a diet based on foods that are easily digested. This includes foods that do not take a great deal of effort to break down, move efficiently through the digestive tract and exit the other end.

Whole, organic, unprocessed fruits and vegetables are the most easily digestible foods. They break down easily and also provide the two kinds of essential fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps clean the blood of toxins. Insoluble fiber binds with feces and toxins and helps move them out of your intestines.

Easily digestible fruits include avocados, bananas, apples, raspberries, blueberries, plums, pears, figs, watermelon, papaya and strawberries. Easily digestible vegetables include kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, peas, lentils, lima beans and black beans.

Other foods that are easily digestible include whole grains, boiled brown rice, rice pasta, rice cakes, rice crackers, quinoa, millet, whole wheat bran, oats, soup, fish, chicken, porridges and yogurt.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

You will notice that the lists of easily digestible foods contain some foods that are on the lists of items that cause or can cause digestive issues. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad. Too much fruit can cause diarrhea and spikes in blood sugar. Too many raw vegetables can cause IBS. Too much fiber can cause hemorrhoids. Too many beans and lentils can cause gas and bloating.

The trick is to eat enough foods that are easily digestible to be healthy and to stay below the quantity that cause you, as an individual, digestive issues or discomfort. Lay off the foods that make your symptoms worse and then slowly reintroduce them a little at a time. In this way, you will be able to discover your healthy quantity over time. This allows you the numerous health benefits of a diet steeped in easily digestible, nutritionally dense and fiber-rich foods while avoiding the digestive issues of overindulging.