Daily steps to healthy happy digestion
Friday, February 26th 2010 @ 2:15 PM
Did you know that 10-20% of the world's population have symptoms associated with Irritable bowel Syndrome? When the bowel is “irritated”, a person may suffer with bloating, cramping, pain, indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea, or a combination of these. In the UK, the incidence of Irritable bowel Syndrome (IBS) has been documented as 17%, and the estimated total annual costs to the NHS for 2010 are a whopping £9,052,000 (NHS National Institute for Clinical Excellence Costing report February 2008).
Did you that by taking some simple daily steps to allow the digestive system to function efficiently, many IBS-related symptoms can be alleviated, or indeed, cured! Taking care of digestion and being more aware of your eating patterns, also helps to prevent any future digestive disorder or discomfort. Try some of the following…
* Drink a glass/mug of warm water on rising – preferably with a slice of fresh lemon, and a “thumbnail” size amount of grated or chopped raw ginger root. This is very cleansing to the gut, and the whole body.
* Sit upright at a table when eating.
* Never over eat.
* Eat slowly, and with awareness, ensuring that you chew your food thoroughly.
* Did you know that simply chewing a few fennel seeds after a meal can help promote proper digestion.
* Be aware of your natural appetite & fullness signals and begin to work with them.
* Don’t eat if you feel stressed, angry, upset, over anxious, or “tight” in the stomach.
* Eat fresh “whole”, natural foods - especially an abundance of fresh vegetables.
* Take time to taste, chew & appreciate your food.
* Eat when you are hungry and don’t eat when you are not!
* Avoid drinking too much fluid with food, but drink water between meals.
* Do not drink tea or coffee with meals.
* Avoid late meals (especially high fat or calorie dense meals).
* If you currently suffer with poor digestion, try to eat fruit away from main meals.
* If you have been suffering with persistent digestive problems, avoid wheat and wheat-based foods for a period of 2 weeks and see how you feel.
* Deep belly breathing (lying down or when comfortably seated) and regular oil massage on the abdomen (working in a clockwise way) is very effective at reducing stress that is impacting on digestive function. Try and do both regularly.
Kitchen helpers…
* Homemade ginger tea (chopped/grated root ginger or ½ tsp of ground ginger in boiling water)
* Nettle, fennel, dandelion, peppermint, or camomile teas calm, cleanse and aid digestion.
* Use ginger and other spices (organic), regularly in cooking such as fennel, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, cinnamon and black pepper. It is best to buy whole seeds and pound in a pestle and mortar (or grind in a coffee grinder) before gently frying in ½ tsp of coconut oil, or sesame oil. Whole or ground spices can also be added to soups, stir-fries, when steaming/boiling, or straight onto salads.
Don’t forget…
Drink good quality herbal teas, especially if you have poor digestion. Some excellent brands include “Pukka” herbal teas or “Clipper” organic teas such as nettle, dandelion, chamomile, fennel or green tea, slippery elm, peppermint or spearmint.
Drinking green tea daily supplies effective “antioxidant” support, and nettle tea helps to boost vitamin B vitamin intake, as well as getting the bowels going! Senna leaf tea is also excellent for constipation, as is the “slimy” water of soaked whole linseeds, which is best taken last thing at night before bed.
