We’ve all heard the saying, “trust your gut.” In natural medicine, the gut is often considered our second brain. When it comes to staying healthy, it’s essential to pay attention to it. Your digestive system breaks down the food you eat into nutrients your body needs. Ignoring your digestive health can lead to problems with nutrient absorption.
What you eat and how you live directly affect your digestive health. By taking steps to enhance your digestive system’s function, you can boost your overall well-being. Despite its importance, many of us make choices that don’t support this crucial system.
The digestive system, often referred to as our “second brain,” has a significant impact on mood, learning, memory, sleep, heart health, and even bone health. In Ayurvedic medicine, balancing digestive Agni is vital. Ayurveda suggests several general practices to improve digestion.
Eating a diet rich in fiber and full of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits can enhance your digestive health. A high-fiber diet helps move food through your digestive tract, reducing the likelihood of constipation. It can also help prevent or manage digestive issues like diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and assist in maintaining a healthy weight.
Fiber is classified as either soluble, which dissolves in water, or insoluble, which doesn’t. Smoothies are a quick and convenient way to boost your fiber intake, either as snacks between meals or meal replacements. They can help you meet your daily fiber needs.
For instance, the Superfood Smoothie with blueberries, spinach, and banana is a nutrient-packed and tasty way to incorporate high fiber into your diet. Another smoothie includes broccoli, which blends well with fruit flavors, though a good blender is necessary to avoid chunks.
The Chocolate Peanut Butter High-Fiber Smoothie features psyllium husk, high in soluble fiber, providing an excellent supplement. Meanwhile, a smoothie with frozen kale, almond milk, banana, dates, cinnamon, and unsweetened cocoa powder adds hemp seeds for extra fiber.
The deep-purple smoothie by Kate Gavlick uses blackberries and figs for a fiber boost. Fiber slows sugar absorption, speeds up intestinal movement, cleanses the colon, and helps keep you regular—key for a healthy digestive system.
The American Heart Association suggests consuming 25 to 38 grams of fiber daily as part of a balanced diet. Digestion is a complex mind-body-spirit process. It processes not just food, but also emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Focusing on rebuilding your digestive health can improve immunity, digestion, and mental clarity.
