Have you ever heard of World Digestive Health Day? It’s celebrated every year on May 29th and marks the beginning of a twelve-month campaign focused on raising awareness about a particular digestive disease or disorder. This year the focus is on Colorectal Cancer Prevention, condition everyone should learn about.
Today, let’s talk about digestive health in general. Your digestive system is the group of organs that work together to break down and convert the food you eat into the essential nutrients your body needs for energy, growth, and cell repair. Digestive health is extremely important, because without a healthy, fully functional digestive system, your body cannot properly break down and absorb the nutrients that are necessary for your survival.
One simple and helpful indicator of your digestive health is your bowel movements. When your stool is regular, well-formed, and easy to pass, your digestive health is probably good! Common signs of poor digestive health include gas, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, heartburn, unintentional weight change, food intolerances and even skin irritation.
Trust your gut, as the old saying goes! You will know when something doesn’t feel right. If that’s the case, visit your physician without delay — your digestive health influences every part of your life.
The good news is that you have to power to manage your digestive health. Your diet and other lifestyle choices greatly affect your digestive health, and the choices you make, even small changes, can have a big impact.
Try to get as much fibre into your diet as possible. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains (breads & cereals), wheat bran, nuts, and seeds. Staying hydrated is also crucial – make sure you keep topped up on your fluids. Don’t be afraid of dairy, especially cultured dairy such as Greek yogurt! At the same time, try to limit foods that are high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium. And choose meats like chicken and fish instead of red and processed meats.
Believe it or not, your digestive system is affected by a lack of sleep and insufficient physical activity. So, it’s important to ensure that your daily schedule allows you to get sufficient sleep and exercise. No excuses!
I have another very interesting tip for you! There is something called “the gut-brain connection.” You may have experienced it — maybe you’re nervous or stressed and you feel it in your stomach? That’s not by chance. Your gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion! Too much stress or its affiliated emotions like worry, sadness, anger, or fear can trigger gut problems, so it’s important to manage those emotions, while avoiding unhealthy coping techniques like binge eating and overconsumption of alcohol. Do this for the sake of your mental and digestive health!
