We eat numerous meals every day, but hardly any thought is given to what happens to the food after it enters the mouth. Well, apart from where it will sit on the hips. But having a healthy stomach is one of the most basic conditions for great health. Here are ten great steps to ensure that your tummy is healthy...

1. Eat and drink healthily – this means cutting out simple carbs like white bread, fried potato chips and soft drinks and filling up on fruits and vegetables. Try swopping your soda for fruit juice and your white bread for whole-wheat or brown.

2. Eat food rich in enzymes – enzymes cause chemical reactions to breakdown the food in your stomach, faster and easier. Eating foods rich in enzymes will greatly aid the digestive system in breaking down proteins and other foods. Foods like pineapple, papaya, whole raw nuts, various seeds, raw fruits and vegetables and sprouts are the best dietary sources of enzymes.

3. Drink plenty of water and limit the intake of alcohol – buy a small bottle of water and keep filling it with tap water. Tap water is still safe to drink in South Africa, so save your money by refilling the bottle.

4. Get plenty of exercise – this doesn’t mean that you have to pay dearly for a gym membership. You can simply walk a little faster or take the stairs instead of the lift. Cleaning your house is also an incredible full-body workout with the added bonus of a nice, clean house afterward.

5. Get it all – make sure that your diet contains enough fibre for a healthy digestive system. Fibre is used in the bowel to bulk up the contents by absorbing water and a lack of adequate fibre can result in mild, chronic diarrhoea.

6. Be Pro-Biotic – there are loads of good bacteria in your colon which are necessary to break down certain foods. If the bacteria is not present, the digestive system won’t be able to function correctly. Yoghurt is an excellent source of pro-biotics, the good bacteria.

7. Quit smoking – apart from costing you an enormous amount of money for a silly habit, smoking contributes to digestive problems like heartburn, stomach ulcers and gallstones. Smoking decreases overall health in any smoker and should be avoided.

8. Eat organic – conventional foods contain numerous pesticides, preservatives and chemicals that damage your stomach, the front-line for the attack. By eating organic foods, your overall health will improve and you will have reduced your chances of developing many cancers.

9. See your doctor regularly – it’s very important to see your doctor every six months, at least. Doctors often pick up small symptoms of an illness if they see a patient regularly and then they are able to prevent the illness from becoming any worse. Prevention is better than cure, right?

10. Be alert for persistent problems – you know your body the best and by taking note of small changes or persistent symptoms, you can alert your doctor to the problem. Be seriously committed to staying healthy by knowing your body inside and out

Share this post