Improve Digestive Health

The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) has developed a list of top ten Global Nutritional Recommendations to improve digestive health:

  • Eat smaller and more frequent meals without increasing overall calorie intake.
  • Include fibre – five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and increase daily consumption of whole grains.
  • Increase intake of fish.
  • Reduce intake of high-fat, greasy, fried foods.
  • Consume fermented dairy products, especially probiotics with proven benefits in digestive health.
  • Eat meats with lower fat content such as chicken, turkey or lean cuts of beef, pork or lamb.
  • Increase intake of water – 2 litres of drinking water a day, while decreasing intake of caffeinated, alcoholic and sugar rich beverages.
  • Take adequate time for eating and chew food slowly and well.
  • Exercise regularly and abstain from smoking.
  • Maintain a healthy body mass index. Obese individuals experiences more digestive disorders.

Digestive Problems

The digestive system is an intricate system that can be disrupted by disease, diet, and emotional stress. Common digestive problems such as heartburn/GERD, IBD, and IBS cause millions of Americans to suffer daily and limit quality of life. Digestive problems often result in symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, gas, stomach pain, and stomach cramps. Learning more about the digestive system may help with managing these problems.

Although 80% of Irish women experience digestive discomfort at some stage, less than one third seek help for the condition. Digestive discomfort is having a serious impact on the general wellbeing and mood of those affected. Discomfort isn’t just something women get from time to time and it really isn’t something that should be ignored. If you do experience it, first check your diet – eat lots of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains.

You should also try to eat more slowly, and make sure to drink plenty of fluids and try to do regular exercise. Lots of younger working women skip breakfast – which is the most important meal for jumpstarting the day’s digestive process. If you skip breakfast, you also tend to snack more as a result.