The digestive system’s job is to extract water and nutrients from solid foods and liquids. It is also appointed to fend off microbes and process waste. What you put into your stomach affects whether you feel well, how you avoid certain types of cancers, and how active you are. If you consider that evolution was so sophisticated and thoughtful in the creation of our bodies, and that food of the earth is what was naturally available to early man, then it makes sense that our systems were created and evolved to digest foods of the earth and would therefore have a difficult time with fake processed foods and artificial ingredients. Keep your digestive system healthy and your stomach happy by eating whole foods on a daily basis.
Natural Whole Foods
Fiber
For overall digestive health, eat fiber. It prevents constipation, certain types of cancers, and keeps you energetic. Foods like: whole natural grains, spinach, cauliflower, wheat bran, apples, carrots plus beans, figs and broccoli are great sources of fiber.
Start slowly and add more fiber every week. Drink as much water as you can. Drinking water with fiber prevents the gas, cramping and bloating that can happen if you eat fiber alone. If your digestive system is irregular and you are feeling bloated, eat whole grain foods like brown rice and steel cut oatmeal. Ignore the white rice dishes and breads.
Vegetables
Eat organic light green and dark green vegetables to keep your stomach healthy. Yellow-colored vegetables help your stomach stay comfortable, too. These types of vegetables are rich in carotene, vitamins C and E plus folate that protect the stomach from cancers.
Fruits And Juices
Natural juices like cranberry and raspberry juices contain phenols that prevent GI pathogens, such as salmonella. Cranberry can help cleaning the kidneys. Just recently my other is a big ice tea drinker came down with multiply stones and had to have surgery, but she does not like fruit juices. An antioxidant found in red wine, resveratrol, keeps away the stomach pathogens and leaves healthy bacteria alone to do its job. Please don’t medicate with alcohol by wine. Yes, is nice to have in moderation. One of my dishes I love to make is a with dark chocolate cut with whiskey then dipped in bacon that was baked or grilled pineapple or oranges. Sorry for the side bar
Probiotics
Keep the good bacteria working overtime in your digestive system. Eat plenty of natural yogurts, miso, bananas, sauerkraut, garlic, asparagus and onions. There are trillions and trillions of bacteria working in your stomach. To improve the ratios of bacteria in your digestive system, you need to eat foods that contain probiotics. These keep the lining of your colon healthy and improve digestion. Stick with plain yogurt that does not have added sugar or preservatives. There are also special probiotic yogurt products that are quite useful. but add you own fresh fruit to make it bearable switch it up.
Spices
Spices that add flavor to your foods and soothe the digestive system include: cinnamon, cumin, fennel, oatmeal, nutmeg, caraway ,ginger. These help prevent or relieve gas and help with the digestive process. I always add a dash of cayenne or vinegar for circulation i am currently in the middle of a herbology course to be able to learn more of how to use food to improve health.
Ginger is a nausea remedy. Ginger tends to quell nausea due to pregnancy, the flu, chemotherapy and surgery. Ginger is also useful for treating gastroparesis or digestive side effects of diabetes. Peppermint leaf and oils have been used to relieve digestive disorders. Peppermint eases stomach muscles. However, if you have heartburn, you might want to avoid peppermint.
Other Important Foods
Natural foods that give you lots of nutrition and digestive care include: whole grains, vegetables, legumes, olive oils and a small amount of fish and eggs. Eat smaller quantities of fatty meats, and look for natural varieties, like free-range chicken and turkey and grass-fed beef.
Avoid Belly Fat
There are foods that target your tummy fat. In recent Diabetes Care studies, it was revealed that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats prevented fat from accumulating around the abdomen. You can get this same curing effect by eating: avocados, olives, dark chocolate, nuts, and seeds.
Summary
Digestive health is best achieved by eating whole foods and staying away from processed junk that is full of foreign substances the body does not need to or wants to digest.
Stay strong, stay healthy, and feel well for life!
Little steps lead to big change. Find my free e-series Global Fusion Americana at www.ChefMurph.com
THX
Good Food makes for better Decisions
Chef Murph
