Do you know that in order to have a healthy digestive system, we need more than fiber in our diet? There are also vitamins and minerals that are necessary for maintaining the good health of our gastro-intestinal tract.
Talking about food and the best foods for a healthy GIT, here are some foods that are highly recommended by health experts for us to consume on a regular basis to ensure that our digestive system remains healthy.
Avocados
Avocado is a fiber-rich fruit. It also contains plenty of healthy, raw, monounsaturated fat. A medium-sized avocado contains 15 grams of fiber, which makes it one of the most fiber-rich fruits available in markets and fruit stands almost everywhere.
What makes avocado ideal is the fact that it is a fruit that most people love, whether little children or adults. What makes Avocado good for the digestive system is the raw healthy fat it contains, which stimulates healthy functioning of the pancreas, liver, gall bladder. It also provides a very ideal environment for the efficient conversion of beta carotene into Vitamin A. For those who are not aware of this, Vitamin A helps in ensuring a healthy mucosal lining throughout the gastro-intestinal tract.
Oats
Oats is a familiar food for everyone. What makes oats great? Well, whole oats contain plenty of soluble fibers which are rich in thiamin, selenium, manganese, and phosphorus. Whole oats also contain small amounts of folate, copper, zinc, and vitamin E.
All oats are good! However, if you truly want to maximize the benefits that oats can give to the digestive system, the best oat is steel-cut oats, which are whole oat that have been cut into small pieces. The cutting process does not involve heat, which retains the integrity of the oat; preserving the nutrients better.
There is a warning though. If you do not really respond well to gluten, then its better that you avoid oats, barley, wheat, and rye, as these contain gluten.
Red Beets and Beet Greens
Red Beets
Have you had problems with constipation? Try eating red beets and their green tops as they are proven to provide significant relief from constipation. The green beet and the green tops both are very rich sources of fiber which helps keep waste materials inside the small and large intestines move down.
Red beet is rich in potassium and magnesium and beet greens are excellent sources of calcium, beta-carotene, and iron. These nutrients are necessary in maintaining a strong digestive tract lining. It also ensures the good health of the smooth muscle fibers which creates the waves of contractions that produce bowel movements.
Some tips when eating beet greens:
- There’s no more need to add salt to as beet greens are naturally salty;
- Limit your intake of beet greens to only a few times a week, at least twice a week. Beet greens contain an acidic substance that weakens the enamel coating the teeth.
Beet Greens
Cod liver oil
Cod liver oil is very rich with natural vitamin A, which is essential in the upkeep and health of the digestive tract lining. It’s also rich in natural vitamin D which is known as a powerful immune system modulator.
In conclusion, maintaining a healthy digestive tract is greatly influenced by a person’s choices of food, his eating habits, his exercise habits as well as resting habits, and his emotional health status. Thus, in order to maintain a healthy digestive tract, live a well-balanced life! And that’s no secret!
