Throughout time, it
has been well known that aging has some rather annoying effects on the
digestive system. There seems to be a
slowing down of things that once functioned normally. You hear more and more about how bran and
large amounts of fiber can help with all of the digestive woes of an aging
individual. Prune juice is recommended
on a regular basis to keep a person, well, regular. But how much of these things are indeed
necessary? How many have a basis in
truth? And are there other ways to go
about aiding your digestive system to function normally without having to eat
dozens of ill tasting bran muffins and drinking copious amounts of prune
liquids?
There are certainly
numerous ways to deal with the digestive problems that accompany aging. There is always medicine that a doctor will
prescribe if your issues are fairly severe.
But generally, people do not want to take medicine unless it is truly
warranted, or else the side effects from the medicine may end up being worse
than the malady you’re trying to be rid of.
Below I’ll list some easy (and inexpensive) dietary and lifestyle
changes that you can make that will aid your digestion. After you’ve followed these tips, you can
decide whether you need to see a doctor for further assistance.
- Stay hydrated!
Fluid is paramount for good digestion.
Your body cannot function adequately without it. It is one of the most important parts of
digestion. Whether you get your fluid
intake from water or good bone broth, juice or even from juicier fruits &
veggies, make sure that you’re increasing your fluids if you’re having
digestion issues. You don’t need to go
overboard and drink water until you feel sick.
Start out with just a couple of extra cups per day and see if it
helps. If not, keep increasing it. Most
people find that when they start drinking water regularly, their body begins to
crave it. This is good. It’s sometimes difficult to make these kinds
of lifestyle changes, especially if you’ve gone for 50+ years without staying
hydrated well. Once you switch, however,
you’ll probably find that you have more energy, that your skin is not as dry
and also that your digestion improves. - Eat fiber.
Yes, you do need to have fiber in your diet. If however, you focus on having many whole
vegetables and fruits, and you also have adequate hydration levels, you may not
need to eat dense bran muffins 3 times a day!
Focus on various vegetables in a myriad of colors. Eat the skins when it is safe to do so (if you
know where they’re grown and that they’re grown without the use of harmful
pesticides). Think about vegetables that
will give you a bit of water as well as fiber (lettuce, for instance). Juice is fine, but oftentimes it is far less
beneficial than the whole vegetable or fruit with skins, pith, etc. with
regards to fiber. Our body needs fiber
and water foremost to move things through the digestive tract. - Walk.
Sedentary lifestyles make for frightening digestive problems. Be sure to walk regularly and do light,
natural movements to keep you system in tact.
If you’re unable to walk, do exercises from a wheelchair similar to the
chair exercised discussed in other articles on this blog. Our bodies were made to move & that
movement aids in many of our internal systems. - Pay attention to chewing. This may seem silly, but sometimes digestion
is helped when people begin to chew their food more carefully and fully. Enzymes in your saliva begin to break down
the food in your mouth, and if you chew more fully, digestion will begin
earlier and probably have a better chance of full digestion as it enters the
gut. - Try good quality probiotics. All probiotics are not created equal, so you
may want to ask around to some of your friends or family that are really into
health. Probiotics have good bacteria
that can help combat the bad bacteria in your gut. You can also try probiotic rich foods, like
yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, or even sauerkraut and kimchi. These should have
positive benefits for your digestive system over the course of a couple of
months. If you begin taking a good
probiotic supplement, you’ll probably see results much faster. - Finally, reduce your stress levels. Digestion can be adversely affected by high
stress levels. Reducing stress will make
a dramatic change in your well being, as well as your digestion. Eating a more balanced diet should also help
in reducing anxiety, so if you are not able to control the situations causing
stress, you can at least control your diet & begin to reduce the stress
response of your body and the havoc it is wreaking on your digestion.
Digestion is
something that most people take for granted, until it is not working
properly. Once that happens, it becomes
an urgent situation very quickly. The
steps listed above are not the only measures that can be taken, but they can be
taken safely by everyone. If you’ve
given them a chance and are still having distressing digestion, seek help from
a medical professional. Life is too
short to be worried about your intestines all the time!