What to eat and avoid
Difficult transit, bloating in the stomach, a feeling of discomfort that can last for several hours… Nothing is worse than a complicated digestion process.
In addition to the pain and discomfort you feel, poor digestion has more serious consequences on a daily basis, such as fatigue, irritability, and decreased athletic performance.
Fortunately, there are solutions you can apply directly to your plate for better digestion.
Eat well every day
Let's start by remembering that it is necessary to take your time during meals and Chew well Food, which is a pre-chewing process, which greatly facilitates the digestion process in the stomach.
It is also important to follow a balanced diet that combines different categories of products. In fact, digestive juices tend to become “sluggish” as we age.(1)Offering them a variety of foods helps stimulate their breaking power.
Rest your stomach
What if the solution to improving digestion was to not eat. We're talking about intermittent fasting, which has become very “موقع العدسة” in recent years.
Concretely, the goal stated here is to take a break and rest your stomach and the rest of your digestive system for a certain period of time (about 16 hours in the most practiced intermittent fasting). It also helps increase the metabolic health of your body.(2)(3).
In practice, just skip breakfast or dinner and eat the remaining two meals over an 8-hour period during the day.
Also worth a try for those who also need to reconnect with their feelings of hunger and fullness.
Foods for the benefit
There is no miracle food (although some have a specific and recognized effect), and as we saw above, it is important not to exclude a category of foods in order to continue producing digestive juices optimally. However, it is true that increasing the proportion of certain foods in your daily plate can provide real digestive clarity in the long term. So we will consume without hesitation:
Dietary fiber
Fiber is our digestion's best friend, as it facilitates transit. There are two categories of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fibre It can mix with water and digestive fluids when it enters the stomach and intestines. This gives it a gelatinous consistency, which is then broken down by bacteria in the large intestine, releasing gas and some calories.
Insoluble fibre It does not bind to water or digestive fluids and remains virtually unchanged as it passes through the digestive tract. This type of fiber is not digested at all and is not a source of calories.
Among the foods rich in fiber, which is beneficial for digestion, Chia seeds is a must. When chia seeds are soaked in water, they become mucilaginous, also known as gelling, which is extremely soothing to the digestive system.
Chia seeds are high in fiber, which helps reduce constipation and supports beneficial bacteria in the intestines. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids that reduce intestinal inflammation(4). They are also a good source of magnesium, an excellent nutrient that helps relax the intestinal muscles.
Injection
Mint, licorice, verbena, chamomile… many plants that benefit intestinal transit through their purifying and relaxing properties. Add to this the natural stress-relieving effect of a hot drink on the body and mind.
spices
It is generally believed that eating spicy foods is bad for digestion. In fact, a stomach that is not used to exotic spices may feel some discomfort!
But these herbs should not be completely excluded from your diet. Don't consume too much pepper, but enjoy black pepper, ginger and turmeric in small doses for calm digestion.
In addition to reducing digestive disorders, turmeric, whose active ingredient is curcumin, has significant anti-inflammatory power, which helps fight many digestive diseases and some types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer.(5).
the soup
Soups are considered one of the best foods to improve digestion. They are satisfying and nutritious, and will also allow you to store vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your health.
Of all the preparations, one is becoming more popular again: “bone broth” in French Bone broth.
Rich in proteins (especially collagen, which is good for the skin, muscles, and tendons), bone broth is very popular for repairing the intestinal barrier; It is especially recommended to treat problems with intestinal porosity or hyperpermeability (leaky gut syndrome).
Foods with recognized specific effects
pineapple
Pineapple contains a compound called bromelain which helps us better Digestion of proteins(6). It is also often found in digestive enzymes as a nutritional supplement. So, if you're eating a large, meat-rich meal, a few slices or chunks of pineapple can help improve your digestion.
fennel
Fennel improves digestion by Reduce bloating and gasIt may help reduce abdominal pain and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. You can eat fresh fennel (you will need to cook it before) or steep its seeds in herbal tea.
As Olivier Escoder, a botanist at the National Museum of Natural History, stated in an article in… Science and the future : “Fennel is used in herbal medicine to combat difficulty in digestion, bloating, flatulence, in short, these small inconveniences that sometimes occur after large meals.”
Prebiotics and probiotics
Functional gastrointestinal disorders account for approximately 30% of medical consultations due to stomach pain.
The good news: You can avoid them by increasing your intake of prebiotics and probiotics.
The first is plant fiber (the famous insoluble fiber) which is not digested and which favors the second. Found in asparagus, leeks, chicory, flax seeds, onions, bananas…
Probiotics, for their part, are live microorganisms that contribute to the formation of good intestinal flora. These good bacteria help maintain and repair the intestinal barrier(7)which helps relieve the immune system(8) Improving the absorption of nutrients.
Many research studies show that consuming probiotics has a positive effect on diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or diarrhea.(9).
Natural probiotics are found in lacto-fermented products, such as yogurt, kefir, miso, or kombucha. It is also possible to consume certain strains of probiotics via nutritional supplements.
Read also The importance of good digestion for our health
Foods to avoid
Again, don't completely deprive yourself of these foods and drinks if you enjoy them. However, if you suffer from frequent digestive upsets, it is a good idea to calm things down for a while by:
Algolten
Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It is involved in some intestinal infections(10) It can damage the intestinal wall. To learn more, read this article written by Florence Thoderos, a nutritional biologist (PhD), to fully understand gluten and its effects on our health.
Dairy products
Dairy products, especially cow's milk products, can be difficult to digest. Many of us do not produce the enzyme lactase needed to digest the lactose found in milk(11)which may lead to poor digestion, bloating, gas, or pain.
Some people also react to milk proteins, such as whey and casein, which are actually similar in structure to gluten.
Coffee
Caffeine, of course, is highly stimulating for your intelligence and physical performance, but it has the disadvantage of increasing stomach acidity.
Raw vegetables
We do not completely stop eating raw vegetables that are very beneficial for our health, especially thanks to their rich contribution of vitamin C. In spite of everything, they are much more difficult to digest than cooked vegetables. treatment ? Chew and chew again!
Soft drinks
Soft drinks and carbonated water, naturally or artificially, are not ideal when you have digestive issues. Can cause bloating in sensitive people.
gum
We know that chewing gum is not a magic solution for digestion. Chewing this food increases the amount of air in the stomach and causes bloating and unpleasant gases. In addition, some chemical components (sweeteners) often found in chewing gum (aspartame, polyol, maltitol, etc.) are poorly digested (in addition to being harmful) by the body.
Your frequently asked questions
Is potato juice effective for upset stomach?
Yes, this grandmother's remedy works very well and there are no contraindications. While we often tend to resort to medications to combat heartburn, simply put a potato or two in the juicer and drink the cold juice before a meal or whenever the pain occurs.
When should you eat fruit?
Especially not during meals. The fact is that when we take it at the end of a meal, we mix fast sugars with proteins and fats in the stomach and this causes fermentation. Therefore, it will be necessary to eat fruits away from meals, at 10 a.m. or 4 p.m., with the exception of papaya and pineapple, which improve protein digestion.
The last word
Digestion is a multifaceted process and it takes time to understand what foods do or don't do to your body. Try the best digestion-supporting foods as a starting point and add or remove foods as needed.
What to eat and avoid
