World Digestive Health Day is celebrated every year on 29 May to bring about awareness about a particular digestive disease or disorder. This year, the theme of 2021's World Digestive Health Day is Obesity: An Ongoing Pandemic.
On this World Digestive Health Day, here are some home remedies that can improve digestion:
1. Eat Real Food: Diets high in processed foods have been linked to a higher risk of digestive disorders. Eating a diet low in food additives, trans fats and artificial sweeteners may improve your digestion and protect against digestive diseases.
2. Get plenty of fibre: A high fibre diet promotes regular bowel movements and may protect against many digestive disorders. Three common types of fibre are soluble and insoluble fibre as well as prebiotics.
3. Add healthy fats to your diet: Adequate fat intake improves the absorption of some fat-soluble nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation which may prevent inflammatory bowel diseases.
4. Stay hydrated: Insufficient fluid intake is a common cause of constipation. Increase your water intake by drinking non-caffeinated beverages and eating fruits and vegetables that have a high water content.
5. Manage your stress: Stress negatively impacts your digestion and has been linked to IBS, ulcers, constipation and diarrhea. Reducing stress can improve digestive symptoms.
6. Eat Mindfully: Eating slowly and mindfully and paying attention to every aspect of your food such as texture, temperature and taste may help prevent common digestive issues such as indigestion, bloating and gas.
7. Chew your food: Chewing food thoroughly breaks it down so that it can be digested more easily. The act also produces saliva which is needed for proper mixing of food in your stomach.
