May 2021
DO THIS FOR BETTER DIGESTION
Indigestion, bloating, constipation and other belly woes are incredibly common, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with them. These proven lifestyle tweaks can help you feel better now.
Remember the classic children’s book Everyone Poops? It could have just as easily been Everyone Cuts the Cheese or Everyone Burps or Everyone Has Occasional Bouts of Constipation, because about 61% of all Americans report experiencing at least one gastrointestinal problem in the past week. The most common digestive issues include heartburn, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. And almost 60% of those folks have had two or more symptoms in the same time frame. But there is good news: digestion is very responsive to what you eat and drink, your physical activity and your mood. And making changes to address those things can have a big impact.
Nosh more fiber. If you’ve been suffering with digestive issues, upping your fiber intake is the closest thing there is to a silver bullet. Most people fall short, averaging only 16 grams of the recommended 25-40 grams most of us need. Consuming a fiber-rich diet significantly improves stool frequency. To gradually increase your intake, which will help you sidestep gas and bloating from getting too much fiber all at once, start by simply eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables and fruits every day, which is 2-3 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables. From there, try adding 5 grams of fiber to your daily diet one week at a time. That’s about half an avocado, one apple or ½ cup of raspberries. Some fiber-filled options to add to the menu include lentils, black beans, pears, broccoli, green peas and quinoa.
And don’t forget this fiber. While all fiber (soluble and insoluble) is great for gut health, be sure to get plenty of the prebiotic variety found in foods like beans, onions, leeks and asparagus. It feeds your “good” gut bacteria, including several species that produce short-chain fatty acids, compounds that are associated with reducing inflammation in the GI tract. Consuming prebiotics can also reduce the severity of inflammatory bowel disease and alleviate constipation. Shoot for a couple sources of prebiotic fiber a day.
Up your H2O intake. Water is essential to digestive function, helping to break up food and acting as a lubricant, keeping intestinal surfaces moist and moving waste smoothly. Plus, fiber needs water to make stool soft and bulky. And if you don’t get enough, you may wind up with gas, bloating, discomfort and even constipation. Start with two glasses in the A.M. as you’re at your most dehydrated in the morning, since you haven’t had anything to eat or drink for eight or more hours and have potentially been to the bathroom overnight. Then sip water throughout the day, especially with meals.
Check your meds. There are quite a few prescription and OTC drugs that can not only lead to GI distress but also may cause side effects that mimic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and related GI disorders. Some common culprits include anti-depressants, antihistamines, progesterone-only birth control, nitrate-containing heart medications, iron supplements, calcium supplements, certain blood pressure drugs and NSAIDS like ibuprofen. Also, stopping or starting or changing the dose of many medications may cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, or changes in bowel movements. If you’re concerned that any of your medications are causing GI issues, talk with your doctor about changing the dose or finding a substitute.
Get physical. Body movement translates into bowel movements. Even taking a short walk after a meal helps to mobilize and empty your stomach, which improves digestion and reduces the likelihood of acid reflux.
Eat dinner earlier. Not every bodily function operates at full strength 24/7, digestion included. Because our stomachs naturally empty more slowly at night, meals eaten close to bedtime sit in our bellies longer, potentially causing reflux and discomfort. For that reason, it’s best to have your last bite 3-4 hours before you turn in.
Chew, chew, chew. Taking time to thoroughly chew food helps reduce the likelihood of indigestion. When you chomp quickly and inefficiently, it takes longer for your stomach to liquefy your meal and it requires more acid to do the job. A couple of clues that you may be a fast chewer include burping during meals (due to swallowed air) and spying pieces of recognizable food in your stool. Put down your fork after every bite and don’t pick it up again until you’ve thoroughly chewed and swallowed what’s in your mouth.
Curb overeating. Large meals in general aren’t good but skimping on breakfast and lunch and then having a big dinner is particularly problematic. And when you do this, it almost guarantees that you’ll arrive at dinner famished and primed to eat too much, which can overstimulate the nerve reflex between your stomach and colon, leading to urgent bowel movements which are often loose and crampy. Plus, a very full stomach takes longer to empty, increasing the chances that its contents will back up into the esophagus causing heartburn, chest pain, nausea, belching or bloating.
Chill out. Stress can cause belly butterflies, but it impacts your gut in other ways too. Namely, it messes with how quickly food moves through the body, which can vary from person to person, speeding it up or slowing it down, and leading to diarrhea or constipation. It may also exacerbate abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and heartburn severity. (Think the gut-brain axis, the pathway that connects the emotional centers in the brain with neurons in the GI tract.) The upshot? Quelling stress helps. Try meditation, or if meditation isn’t your thing, try yoga or another type of stretching, cognitive behavior therapy, deep breathing exercises or acupuncture.
Holly Pevzner
Are Your Symptoms Something Bigger?
Any digestive issue that hinders your quality of life should be taken seriously, even if your belly troubles don’t scream “serious”. See a gastroenterologist to figure out what’s going on and what you can do about it. That said, there are some clues that you might want to make an appointment sooner rather than later:
- Difficulty or pain swallowing
- The feeling of having food stuck in your throat or chest
- New, severe abdominal pain
- Unintentional weight loss
- Persistent excessive gas or bloating that you’re unable to get relief from
- Bloody or black vomit or stool
- Persistent or severe heartburn, especially if coupled with nausea or vomiting
- Sudden and prolonged change in bowel movements, including diarrhea for more than 3 days.
- Feeling full after a few bites of food, lasting longer than 2-3 weeks
- Loss of appetite for more that 2-3 weeks