Feeling bloated or that your digestion hasn’t been good lately? Here are some simple and quick ways to improve your digestion and avoid bloating!
Something that I have found SO many people struggle with, digestion and bloating. Whether it’s that time of month, or you can have certain “bad days” and certain “good days” when it comes to it all, I thought sharing my tips on how to improve digestion and beat the bloat could be helpful!
Whether this is something you save for later when you come back from vacation and are feeling bloated, or you use right away because like SO many out there, your digestion is a daily struggle and affects your mood and productivity, I hope this helps!
If you have tips you have found helpful, feel free to share below in a comment!
10 Tips to Improve Your Digestion
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Eat a high-fiber diet:
- Eating a high fiber diet is known to help increase your bowel movements while taking nasty toxic wastes along with it, instead of allowing them to sit in your body.
- Sources: beans, oats, raw wheat bran, high fiber bars, psyllium husks, vegetables, whole grains like brown rice, raspberries and apples
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Get Moving
- You don’t necessarily have to go do a rigorous workout in the gym every day, but incorporating a more active lifestyle like adding daily walks or outdoor activities to your day can help keep your food moving through the digestion process, will help eliminate wastes more frequently
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Stay Hydrated
- Being dehydrated is one of the major causes of constipation. Sometimes you don’t even realize how little water you drink until you start keeping track.
- Get a huge water bottle that holds at least 24 ounces (3 cups), and keep it with you at all times.
- Try making this super simple Green Juice that is also packed with fiber because of keeping the pulp in it 🙂
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Keep Stress Levels to a Minimum
- You may be surprised to read this one, but stress has a HUGE impact on your stomach and digestion. Being extremely stressed can easily lead to upset stomachs and constipation (or the exact opposite!).
- Try to find activities to do that relieves stress, like going on a walk, reading, doing yoga, or journaling.
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Avoid/ Limit High Fat Foods
- Fat in general is digested more slowly than carbs or protein. And even though there are some healthy fats you should be including in your daily diet, consuming a diet high in fried foods/high in saturated fat foods will make you feel very bloated and sluggish.
- Limit: Anything fried, baked goods with lots of butter or shortening, processed foods, high fat proteins like some red meats or pork, pie crusts/pies, many frozen dinners, and full fat ice cream or gelato
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Avoid Excessive Caffeine, Alcohol, & any Individualized Irritants
- I’m allll about balance and not eliminating any foods from your diet or labeling as “bad”. But if you’re having digestion problems or feeling bloated, the amount of alcohol or caffeine you’re consuming could be playing a key role in it.
- Everyone is DIFFERENT. Some foods can upset some, and have zero effect on another. Start to become aware of when you’re feeling bloated or having problems digesting, and think back to what you have consumed within the last 24 hours. Certain foods/beverages could be triggering it.
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Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
- Skipping meals and only eating a couple large meals is a bad idea for many reasons, but it definitely affects your digestion. Eating smaller amounts of food will make it easier on your body to digest, and ensure you never feel that “terribly sick” “so full” “I need to lay down”, feeling. Not to mention, it’s been proven to help appetite control so that you’re never overly hungry either.
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Consider incorporating a Digestive Enzyme into your Diet
- As soon as I began having digestion issues, I began taking digestive enzymes through pill form, and it has made all the difference! Usually consumed right before or during your big meals, I have truly seen it help the digestion process for me. Especially when I know I’m going to be eating a bigger meal as I am more of a grazer/small meal type of person, so I’m not use to digesting that much at once!
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Reevaluate your Protein Supplement
- Are you currently have a daily dose of extra protein like a bar or scoop of powder mixed into your drink/smoothie? I have had to experiment with SO many different powders and bars, and some settle really well with me…and others, just don’t. Some whey powders, some vegan powders, there’s no rhyme or reason.
- Everyone is individualized, so you’ll have to try them out and experiment yourself, but here’s a post all on protein powders to help you learn about the different varieties,
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Begin taking a Probiotic
- Note how I didn’t say, “consider incorporating” like I said about the digestive enzymes. This is because no matter how “healthy” you eat, our food nowadays are much different and much more processed than food 50 years ago. Even though it is especially important for those who have recently been on antibiotics (because they kill all bad AND GOOD bacteria in your body), probiotics can be very beneficial to ANY one!
- I have began taking the pill form of probiotics recently and have loved it, but I also order this chocolate greens powder by Barlean’s that is DELICIOUS, and has some probiotics in it! (I mix it in my coffee as a mocha or you can basically make hot chocolate with it at night in warm almond milk) Double dosing on the probiotics 🙂
So hope you enjoyed these top 10 tips for improving your digestion and beating the bloat! Have more suggestions or have any questions?? Post on instagram and tag me, @freshfitnhealthy and use #AskSG, and I’ll be sure to answer them or make a post on them!
And In Case You Missed My IG Post…Something Exciting Happened…
I added a few letter after my name 🙂
Sarah Grace Spann, MS, CPT