A
RE YOU BLAMING STRESS, food
intolerance or even your monthly
cycle for bloating and discomfort?
Around 40% of people have at least one
digestive symptom at any one time, so what
should and shouldn’t we be eating to help
support our digestive system? Nutrition
experts Shona Wilkinson (www.superfood.
com) and Cassandra Burns are here to help...
GOOD FOR YOUR GUT!
Keep on top of your digestive system with
foodstuffs that keep the baddies at bay.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a lovely spice to add to your food.
Not only does it improve digestion, but it also
helps to balance blood sugar levels.
Activated charcoal
Activated charcoal contributes to reducing
excessive flatulence after eating. Taken after
each meal, charcoal is able to absorb a hundred
times of its own weight in toxins.
Bone broth
Bone broth is important for healing the gut and
aiding healthy digestion. The gelatine found
in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid, which
means it attracts and holds liquids, including
digestive juices, thereby enhancing digestion.
Bone broths are also rich in glycine, an amino
acid (protein) found in collagen, which is
important in maintaining a healthy gut lining.
Live cultures
The micro-organisms in our gut play an
important role. They especially help with
the digestion of lactose. Try taking a daily
culture supplement.
Mint
Mint has been shown to help soothe the
abdomen and relax digestive discomfort. Why
not enjoy a lovely warming cup of herbal tea
this evening after dinner?
Turmeric
Turmeric is rich in curcumin, which has anti-
inflammatory properties and is particularly
useful for inflammation in the gut. Turmeric
also helps with fat digestion along with
supporting the liver.
Fermented foods
The likes of sauerkraut, pickled vegetables
in brine, yoghurt, buttermilk and kefir help
feed the friendly bacteria which reside
in our gut, helping them to multiply in a
healthy environment.
Oats
Including oats in your diet provides you with
fibre and an increase in faecal bulk. Having
extra faecal bulk will aid in regular bowel
movement. Make sure that you are consuming
7-9 portions of vegetables and fruit too!
Try porridge for breakfast with flaxseeds
and berries.
Leeks, garlic and onions!
Water retention is a common digestion
problem, and is often due to hormonal issues.
Ensuring that your liver is working efficiently
will ensure the correct metabolism and
detoxification of hormones. Leeks, garlic and
onions are sulphur-containing foods. Sulphur
is required by the liver for the detoxification
process. Dr Marilyn Glenville, nutritionist
and author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar
(www.marilynglenville.com) reveals the foods
that can be hard to digest...WORST FOR TUMMY WOES!
Try and avoid the following foodstuffs that can
prove a hurdle for your digestive system.Coffee
Coffee stimulates peristalsis, the wave-
like muscle contractions that move food
through the digestive tract. So with IBS,
coffee should be avoided in order to reduce
these contractions.Chewing gum
Chewing gum makes you swallow too much air,
which gets trapped in your digestive system,
causing pressure, bloating and gas. The same
thing can happen if you gulp air when snacking
on the run, eating too quickly, talking while
eating or drinking from a straw.Cruciferous vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage may cause
bloating and excess wind. For some people
these vegetables are not digested completely in
the small intestine due to a lack of enzymes, so
when they reach the large intestine, bacteria in
that part of the gut can cause gas and bloating
when breaking down those foods.Plums
Stone fruits like plums are packed with sugar
alcohols, which can ferment, causing bloating
and gas.Legumes
Beans like soy, lentils and chickpeas contain
oligosaccharides, a type of naturally occurring
sugar in the beans, which are normally
digested by bacteria in the large intestine. The
digestion of these beans can cause bloating
and flatulence.Sparkling water
Air bubbles from sparkling water or fizzy
drinks can you make you bloat and cause
excess wind.Sugar substitutes
Sugar alcohols, known a polyols, such as
xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol, can cause
bloating and flatulence and IBS symptoms in
people who are sensitive to them.Dairy
Some people don’t produce the enzyme lactase,
which helps them break down lactose, a sugar
found in milk. You need the enzyme lactase in
your body in order to break down the lactose,
otherwise it ferments in the gut, causing pain,
gas and bloating.Spices
Some spicy foods can stimulate the release of
stomach acid, which can cause irritation, while
others can ferment in the digestive system,
causing bloating.