Our digestive system plays a major role in maintaining the overall health of our body. If you’re experiencing bloating, heartburn, constipation, or diarrhea, it’s time for a gut health makeover. You might find it interesting that the process of digestion actually begins in the mouth. Food is broken down in the mouth by saliva.
It then passes down a series of organs to be broken down further and reprocessed. It is then circulated around the body to be used for energy, growth, and self-repairing.
So you can see, it is essential to take good care of your system in order to maintain a high level of physical and mental health.
7 Naturopathic Ways To Improve Your Dietary Health
There are hundreds of studies published online on paths to better gut health. We’ve broken it down into the most practical and easy-to-follow additions to your daily life:
1. Create a Morning Routine
Every morning, drink one to two glasses of warm water to hydrate and refresh your system. Once a week, before breakfast, crush some turmeric and ginger roots and eat a teaspoon full of this mixture to thoroughly clean your colon.
2. Drink Lemon Water
Squeeze an organic lemon into a jar of water, drop the lemon halves into the water, and sip on this drink throughout the day for energy. It removes toxins from your digestive tract. If you’re not into drinking lemon water, you can always add lemon to your salad. It detoxifies your liver and relieves you from heartburn, bloating, and indigestion.
3. Balanced Diet and Probiotics
If you want to take it up a notch, commit to a fruit diet once a week to detox your body. If you notice any digestive imbalance, mix curd and rice and leave it for a couple of hours to ferment.
Season it with mustard and cumin seeds before you eat. This easily digestible mixture will help strengthen your digestive system. These serve as your probiotic source. It will act as good bacteria inside your gut. If you’re not a fan of curds, then you can always get a Kombucha from your favourite supplier.
4. Healthy Fat
During your regular meals, toss in a bit of olive oil instead of “fat-free” dressings. This plus avocados and nuts can help your system easily absorb nutrients. You can also look for foods like salmon and chia seeds for Omega-3 acids.
Another option is eating cow ghee to protect the lining of your intestines and help keep your system well-lubricated.
5. Bellows Breathing
Practice Bhastrika Pranayama or other breathing exercises regularly to keep your digestive fire burning. If you are required to do a lot of sitting work, take a break of one to two minutes every 60 minutes to stretch your body and relax every muscle. It causes your abdominal muscles and diaphragm to draw air in and out of the lungs.
This helps in generating heat in the body, toning the liver, spleen, stomach, and pancreas by squeezing blood through the organs.
6. Yoga
Regularly practice asanas (yoga postures) such as Kati Chakrasana, Trikonasana, Utkatasana, Naukasana, and Sarvangasana to keep your dietary system in good condition as you age. Do Makarasana before your meals to neutralize the acid content in your stomach. Just moving around a bit every now and then will help keep your system active.
7. Sit Properly
When it’s time to have a meal, enjoy it and relax. Consider taking a moment to sit down and rest your body. This simple practice can get your nervous system to transition into parasympathetic mode. Your digestion process will make sure that the nutrients are effectively absorbed as blood is directed to the digestive tract.
Wrapping Up
Remember, it is not only what you eat but the attitude with which you eat that makes a difference in your health. Follow these seven points and make it a habit to pray before eating and express gratitude so that your mind and body receive energy with grace. For more tips on living healthy and naturally, visit us at Calgary Integrative Medicine.
