Eat Your Foods the Healthy Way

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Even if you eat highly nutritious food, it will not be assimilated into the body unless it is digested properly. When we eat something, the digestive enzymes in our alimentary canal break down the food into a form in which it can be easily absorbed into the body. If the food we consume is not digested properly, we will feel sick and bloated, and will not be able to concentrate on our daily responsibilities the right way. The solution for this is cultivating correct food habits and preventing indigestion. Right food habits include drinking plenty of water and exercising well and eating foods that have good fiber content.

Given below are six simple rules that you can follow to promote proper digestion: 

Have Sufficient Dietary Fiber in Your Food

Dietary fiber, also known as roughage and found in abundance in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, is parts of the plant food that cannot be digested. But it fills the stomach while eating, and its bulk helps in regularizing bowel movements and prevents constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Taking sufficient quantities of roughage also helps in shedding extra weight, lowers the level of blood cholesterol, and helps in controlling blood sugar.

Eat the Right Way

To aid proper digestion, eat smaller meals. You can eat small quantities of food four or even five times a day, instead of eating large quantities three times. When you do not eat large meals, it is easier for your system to digest the food. Further, when you do not fill your stomach to the maximum, it will gradually shrink, and then you will only need small portions to get the feeling that your stomach is full. Another food intake rule is not to combine eating with other jobs like watching TV or reading.

To aid proper digestion, eat smaller meals. (Shutterstock)

Stick to Regular Mealtimes

Eat your food at regular times, and avoid large gaps between the meals. Also, don’t swallow your food in a hurry. Eat slowly and chew properly because the process of digestion starts inside the mouth itself.

Try to Have Home-Cooked Meals

You may not have time to prepare every meal at home, but as much as possible, cook your food at home. Cooking is an art, and once you develop an interest in it, your whole family will enjoy the variety of dishes that home-cooking can produce. With the open world of internet in front of you, there will be no dearth of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.

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Drink Plenty of Liquids

Your body needs a lot of liquid content to digest the solid foods that you take. So make sure that you take a lot of fluids in the form of water, fruit juices, milk, coconut water, or beverages like tea.

Don’t Take Foods That Could Affect Digestion

Spicy food and fried food will tax your digestive system and should always be avoided. If you have lactose intolerance, it is best to avoid dairy products also. In the case of meat, lean meat is better than meat with high fat content. Other foods that do not lend themselves to easy digestion are wheat, beans, and cabbage.

Originally published on NaturalPapa

*Image of “woman“ via Shutterstock