5 Steps to a Happy & Healthy Digestive System

Indigestion, bloating, fatigue, digestion discomfort, and even poor mood are only a few symptoms that indicate a disgruntled gut. Yet, we often underestimate the role and function of our gut, despite its remarkable nature.

To illustrate the point:

• Our gut is networked by approximately 100 million neurons to control digestion and excretion.

• It contains more serotonin receptors (a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of happiness) than the brain.

This means our gut is closely tied to our brain and is one of the first organs affected during periods of intense stress. Our microbiome, the bacteria housed in our intestinal tract, produces a range of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, and norepinephrine, which can significantly influence our mood. Dysbiosis - all the symptoms associated with a disturbed gut flora - indicates not only that our digestive system is not functioning well, but also that something in our daily lives is weighing us down, bloating us, and making it difficult to shake off.

STEP 1: 'Door Policy' for Nutrition

Many things can irritate the gut, as we well know. Food is a common culprit, with alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, and additives/preservatives being the prime suspects. Medicines, supplements, stress, periodic infections, harmful bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens can also play their part.

Most of us generally know what burdens us, so by observing the body's reactions to one or more foods, we can exclude those that bother us from our daily routine for a reasonable period, say a month. It's practical during this process to keep notes about how one feels and whether they notice symptoms after consuming specific foods. Anyone who wants a complete nutrition program with an exclusion diet (or elimination diet) can go further by seeking the advice of a dietitian-nutritionist.

STEP 2: Identifying What's Missing

Beyond making healthier choices about what we eat, proper digestion is also important. Four key elements influence digestion, aside from, of course, chewing our food well:

1. Stomach acids
2. Bile
3. Digestive enzymes
4. Essential nutrients.

If our body struggles to produce or take in any of the above from our diet, then it needs support.

However, it's a common occurrence for food to lack sufficient quantities of essential nutritional components, even if our diet is healthy. This could be due to various reasons, such as a lack of time to organise our diet, the specific needs each organism has, environmental factors, stress or imbalance of certain organs, and more.

STEP 3: Get Support from our "roommates"

The first and second step will have helped in a natural detoxification of the digestive system, reaching a balanced state where we know it functions well. Usually, at this point, any symptoms have subsided or are much milder. Now is the time to add prebiotic foods, which nourish the beneficial bacteria in the gut, and probiotics, which increase their population. Together they contribute to a normal gut flora, which in turn helps the proper functioning of the intestine and the immune system.

Prebiotic foods include onions, garlic, asparagus, apples, and bananas. Probiotics are found in fermented products, such as yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut, or as ready-made supplements in any pharmacy.

STEP 4: Get Support from our "roommates"

To be sure that our gut is on the right track, it makes sense to support its cells and mucous membrane with specific nutrients they need: vitamins A, C, B6, D, E, and zinc. Also, all the amino acids that make up protein are needed.

Supplements such as L-glutamine, collagen, and herbs/plants like aloe vera, Slippery Elm, and marshmallow are considered to have beneficial properties for the gut. However, before anyone adds any such supplement to their diet, they should know if and which one is appropriate, asking the advice of a health professional.

STEP 5: Restoring balance

Finally, as mentioned, factors that can affect the health of the gut are:

• stress, 
• inadequate or unstable sleep, 
• lack of physical exercise, 
• poor mental disposition. 

If we really want to find out what burdens or impedes the "happiness" of our gut, we need to check each of these areas of our daily life and find solutions to improve them.

Ideally, we should work on one at a time, so as not to... get lost and end up being more anxious, which would have the opposite effect from what we want.

Paying attention, Staying focused

If we pay as much attention as possible and try to properly implement the above recommendations, we will likely see a difference in the function of our digestion and improvement in our daily life.

After four to five weeks, when we start to reintroduce the foods we removed from our diet, we continue to take notes on how we feel.

Then, we will find out:

• which ones no longer cause symptoms,

• which ones cause fewer than before and

• which ones continue to burden us.

In all cases, we should remember that the function of our gut is complex and often small dietary changes may not be enough to restore it to balance. On the bright side, neither a few "unhealthy" treats are enough to undo our progress. Ideally, we should find ways to enjoy our meals and feel light and pleasant on a daily basis.