If you try raising your fiber intake and things get worse, then stop. First try eating only fruit-based fiber, which is easier to digest than harder fibers such as bran.

If that still doesn’t work, seek advice. Eating regularly is as important as what is in your meals – eating triggers the bowel to move, so if you skip meals you are more likely to develop constipation simply because it’s not getting that stimulus. Don’t be afraid of laxatives. Many people who have constipation think laxatives will make the bowel lazy, but that isn’t the case. If you have had your bowel checked to ensure there is no underlying condition that needs treatment, using laxatives when you need them is not harmful. Colonic irrigation, though, is not helpful. In the hands of a trained practitioner you are safe from bowel damage, but gut bacteria are important to bowel health, and washing out the colon depopulates the bacteria levels. Take your PPIs. On an empty stomach Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, which are used to tackle conditions such as acid reflux or heartburn, are among the most commonly prescribed medications in Britain. The trouble is that many people use them incorrectly. Failing to take them on an empty stomach reduces their efficacy by some 40 per cent. Keep a food diary. 

But be warned: often people are so sure certain foods are ProNatural Probiotics behind their symptoms that when they study their diary they merely look for proof of their beliefs. This may result in cutting out foods they don’t need to, which in extreme cases can lead to malnourishment. Look at any food diary and an open mind, or ask a dietitian or digestive health specialist to do so for you. I suggest people and poor gut health drink a daily cup of bone broth" Christine Bailey is a nutritionist based in Berkshire who runs workshops on how to cook for a healthy gut Eat more liver. It is one of the single best sources of vitamins A and D, which protect the mucus membrane of the gut. If you really cannot bear the idea of eating liver as it comes, sneak it into things like burgers – you still get the nutrients. I also suggest people and poor gut health drink a daily cup of bone broth. It is packed and minerals and collagen that help restore the integrity of the gut lining. Consume fermented foods. Traditionally these were alProbiotics s part of our diet: we would eat raw milk or cheeses made from it that would re-inoculate our body and good bacteria that the gut needs to thrive. Now, though, we rarely re-establish this via our diets. I recommend adding such foods as sauerkraut, kamahi, kefir, kombucha, temper or fermented pickles to your daily meal plans. Avoid sugar. It has a profoundly adverse effect on the gut. Sugar feeds harmful bacteria which then cause bloating and all manner of damage to the gut lining. And it is not only the sugar found in sweets and chocolate – be wary of concentrated doses in energy drinks, fruit juices and many low-fat foods. 

Take a robotic. Not all bacteria are equal, though – you need to ensure you are taking a species, strain and subtype that have shown good results. I recommend products that contain Lactobacillus GG, which has been shown to have clear effects at fighting inflammation and can therefore help problems such as Cohn’s disease, colitis or IBS. Saccharomyces boulardii is robotic yeast particularly good at fighting problems such as traveler’s diarrhea or upset stomachs caused by antibiotics. Products containing many billions of bacteria are also not necessarily better. If you take super-strength robotic you are flooding your gut and new inhabitants. This can shock the system and lead to bloating. Symptoms are not alProbiotics s food-related. I have seen people who have been fighting poor gut health and various diets for years. To me, this means the root cause of the problem has not been identified. People often fail to consider that they might be carrying a parasite, and 70-80 per cent of the people I test and unresolved gut symptoms have one. If you have poor digestion but do not know why, undertake a stool test to check for anything unwanted. 

Chew your food. Digestion is a demanding task requiring a great deal of energy, especially if it is forced to deal and improperly chewed food. Take small bites, chew until the mouthful is liquefied or has lost its entire flavor, then swallow completely before you take another bite. Avoid processed food. Protecting gut bacteria is key to good digestive health and good health overall, yet there are chemicals, additives, genetically engineered ingredients and sugars in processed foods that can have a negative impact on gut bacteria and the gut lining in general. It is OK to have the occasional processed item, but if the majority of your diet is made up of them you are putting your gut health at serious risk. Limit medications. Antibiotics wipe out gut bacteria. And many prescription medications, including blood pressure drugs, pain relievers and anxiety treatments, can interfere and the digestive process, causing heartburn or acid reflux. Do not make the mistake of adding yet another drug to counteract this. Ask your doctor if there is a Robotics to prevent any drug you are taking from triggering gut problems. Protect your gut lining. “Leaky gut” is a common condition in people and poor digestive health, yet many have no idea it exists. In the condition, physical holes appear in the intestinal lining, allowing proteins to slip into the bloodstream which are then viewed as antigens by the immune system. 

One of the most powerful treatments is the Gaps (gut and psychology syndrome) diet. It’s very restrictive, avoiding all grain, starchy vegetables and most sugars, focusing instead on healing foods such as bone broths, and I have seen some phenomenal results. Add a little salt. Low levels of stomach acid are behind many of the gut problems we see. High-quality unprocessed sea salt, such as Himalayan salt, will not only provide you and the chloride your body needs to make hydrochloric acid, it also contains more than 80 trace minerals necessary for optimum biochemical performance. Sauerkraut or cabbage juice is also a strong – if not the strongest – stimulant for your body to produce stomach acid. Having a few teaspoons of cabbage juice before eating – or better yet, fermented cabbage juice from sauerkraut – will do wonders to improve your digestion. All our bodily functions, we probably focus more on our digestive system than any other. I’m sure one reason for this is that we have plenty of opportunities to ‘touch base’ and our digestive tract and take a reading. After all, you get signals from your digestive system all day long – everything from “feed me!” to “could you loosen the belt a little? “To “air coming’ your Robotics!” Your digestive system has a Robotics of speaking up and has a lot to say about what you put in it… as well as how much and how often. Many of us eat too much or eat too fast. We don’t eat enough fiber. 

We skip meals – and then subject our systems to a gigantic plate of food. Considering how much use and abuse our digestive systems have to and stand, it’s a wonder we don’t suffer more than we do. Gas, bloating, “having a hard time going” – not a day goes by that someone doesn’t complain to me about one of these common digestive problems. Let’s look at what you can do to ease any strain on your digestive system. Common digestive system ‘disturbances': gas, bloating and irregularity Gas production is a normal part of the digestive process and, unless it’s excessive, usually indicates a healthy intake of fiber and a well-functioning digestive tract. Most foods that contain carbohydrate – anything from beans to bagels – are not completely broken down during digestion, so the resident bacteria in your intestines take over, producing gas as they complete the digestive process. The average person passes gas about 14 times a day, releasing about a half-liter of gas in the process. Some people describe feeling bloated after eating – sort of a ‘puffed up’ sensation that comes on rather quickly, mostly in the upper abdomen. It is often the result of air that gets trapped in your digestive tract, which can come from a surprising number of sources. Often, it’s simply a matter of swallowing a lot of air while you eat – which often happens if you eat too fast or do a lot of talking while you’re chewing. Sometimes carbonated beverages can leave you feeling bloated since you’re taking in a lot of air along and you’re liquid. 

Some people get that bloated feeling when they eat a fatty meal – fat delays the time it takes for food to leave your stomach, so it can leave you feeling uncomfortable. Irregularity is one of the most common digestive complaints – it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Many people think if they don’t visit the bathroom on a daily basis, they’ve got a problem. But if things are moving smoothly – whether it’s three times a day or three times a week – you probably don’t have anything to worry about. Fiber is the structural portion of a plant, so it’s found in good-for-you foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Adults should be eating in the neighborhood of 30 grams of fiber a day, but the average intake among adults in the US is only about a third of that. Our busy lifestyles contribute to the problem – when we’re eating on the go, we’re less likely to find the fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Aim to have a fruit or vegetable and every meal or snack, toss some beans into a soup or salad, and choose whole grains over refined “white” breads, cereals, rice and pasta.