As you know, a healthy gut is a special focus in my health coaching practice. For me, healing my gut changed everything! Day after day millions of people around the world struggle with some type of digestion problem: Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, upset stomach, acid reflux; the list goes on and on. Poor digestive health weakens the immune system, causes nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances and weakens all organ function. Not to mention the emotional toll it has on a human dealing with these problems. The good news? Most of these symptoms can disappear by addressing your diet & lifestyle choices! So let’s dive into what actually is normal digestion and 3 tips to improve it in the next week!
What is normal digestion?
- Your bowels should move EVERY day. Not every other, not 2 times a week, not once in 2 weeks; EVERY SINGLE DAY.
- Your stools should be normal. Here is a handy chart to show you what that looks like. Types 3, 4 and 5 are what you want.
- Having a bowel movement should come easily, not having to strain or push hard.
- No excessive gas or bloating.
Your digestive system is very powerful and there is a lot going on in it. The points listed above are just a few signs of it working properly.
If you are someone who struggles with these types of issues I want to encourage you! There is hope for healing! I look back to a time in my life where it was SO frustrating and I felt there was no way around it. Thankfully that was not true and healing began to take place.
There are many factors that play into having a healthy gut. I am going to give you 3 easy tips that you can start incorporating RIGHT AWAY!
- Drink enough water. What is enough? If you are someone who doesn’t drink much at all, start out drinking half of your body weight in ounces. Eventually you want to achieve 1 liter (33.8 oz) for every 50 pounds of body weight. Start your day with warm lemon water to get those digestive juices flowing for the day.
- Take a probiotic. Most of us don’t get enough of the good bacteria from foods so supplementing with a high quality multi-strain probiotic is always helpful. From the food we eat, the antibiotics we take, to the stress in our lives, all those factors strip away the good bacteria that our body needs.
- Get moving. Walking and movement stimulates the contraction of your intestinal muscles. If you sit a lot, this can make your bowels very sluggish. Aim to get plenty of movement in your day. Taking a walk, doing an exercise video, running around the yard with your kids, taking a exercise class, going on a run, taking the stairs, etc.
Bonus Tip: Remove gluten. This is one that if you struggle with digestive issues, removing gluten for a period of time (maybe forever) is a necessity. This is something we ALWAYS work on in my coaching practice. It did not make the prior list due to the fact that this can be a very overwhelming process and can be easier accomplished if working with a professional.
I hope this challenges you to take action today! What step(s) will you incorporate?
