Have you ever wondered why it’s important to have a healthy digestive system? Well, for one thing, it’s responsible for breaking down the nutrients your body needs to function properly as well as getting rid of the waste. Your overall diet and lifestyle have a major impact in the digestive process, which is why it’s important that you do everything in your power to take care of it. At the Digestive and Liver Center (DLCFL) here in Orlando, we aim to inform and educate each patient to help them gain the necessary tools to have a healthier lifestyle. Below you can find a couple of tips you can follow to maintain and/or improve your digestive health.
Digestive System Health Tips from our Orlando GI Experts
1. Have a high fiber diet:
High fiber foods can be found in fruits, vegetables, and legumes. These will help to improve the levels of sugar in your body. It also helps lower the levels of cholesterol, and it can lead to your ideal weight. When you visit us at any of our Orlando DLCFL practices, we provide different brochures with information about different high fiber foods. Here is a brief list of a couple of foods that contain fiber and will help achieve a strong digestive system:
- Fruits: apples, bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples
- Vegetables: Asparagus, beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, zucchinis
- Legumes: Brown beans, kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, white beans and lentils.
Drinking water can serve as a liquid that breaks down food and improves the digestive system process. Water can also be used in order to help your stomach when you have different gastro problems such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
3. Adding antioxidants to your diet:
Adding antioxidants to your diet may help in fighting radical molecules. Antioxidants can be found in different foods such as blackberries, strawberries, coffee, artichokes, raspberries, pecans, cranberries, etc.
4. Reduce high fat products:
Reducing high fat intake can improve your health in several ways. For example, it may help with lowering your cholesterol and reduce your chances of getting chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. Trans fats like fried foods are the ones that mostly affect our digestive system. They can also be found in processed meats for example salami, hot dogs, and sausages… That sure ruins the mood for a sunny Orlando barbeque, right?
What Else Can You Do To Maintain a Healthy Digestive System?
We hope reading these tips have encouraged you to stay on top of your health by watching what you eat and even going for short walks every afternoon. We have a board of doctors working in DLCFL in the greater Orlando area each day to provide the necessary health care to each of the patients making sure they follow the necessary guidelines. If you’re feeling like you may be having any issues with your digestive health, you can go ahead and contact us at 407-384-7388. Our expert staff is here to help with any questions or concerns you might have.