We all know that digestion is where the body breaks down food into other substances which are then either absorbed into the bloodstream or distributed around the body. Often, we don’t think about how important this process is for our body, but without it we wouldn’t get any benefits at all from eating food, and although it may be easy to figure out when your digestive system is not functioning properly, when it does happen, how can you work to improve it?

Your overall health is important

If you have unhealthy habits, how can you expect your gut to be healthy? The NHS recommends you do 150 minutes of physical activity per week. This works out to about 30 minutes, five days a week. They also recommend that you break up long periods of sitting with some light activity. Exercise can help your body avoid constipation, as it helps food to move through your digestive system. So, perhaps the next time your lunch break rolls around, instead of eating al-desk-o, why not take a quick stroll in the great outdoors?

The human body is made up of around 60% water. Our bodies can’t function properly without adequate water, so it’s really important to make sure you drink enough fluids throughout the day. The NHS recommends we drink around six to eight glasses of water a day and this liquid encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system. If you don’t drink enough water, the fibre in your lower intestine can’t do its job. This can eventually lead to constipation. An easy way to start incorporating more water into your daily routine is to begin drinking a glass of water with every meal.

Eat a high fibre diet

If you feel like you don’t eat enough fibre, you are not alone. Most adults only get around 18g of fibre a day, which is well-below the NHS’ recommended daily intake of 30g. Introducing more fibre into your diet can help to improve your digestion. It helps to prevent constipation by bulking up and softening stools in the large intestine and moving them along the digestive tract quicker.

Wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruits and vegetables, beans and oats are all fibre-rich foods. However, it’s worth noting that grains and cereals can cause bloating and an irritable bowel in some people. If this is the case for you, then it’s best to just get your fibre intake from fruits and vegetables.

Incorporate some friendly bacteria into your diet

We’re often led to believe, especially by germ-busting cleaning sprays on television, that all bacteria are bad for us. This is absolutely not the case. Your gut is full of friendly bacteria which keep it healthy and working properly.

Stress, bad diet and lack of exercise can all affect these friendly bacteria and contribute to an unhealthy digestive tract. Whether your gut is perfectly healthy or not, it makes sense to complement your natural gut flora with more friendly bacteria.

Friendly bacteria can be found in certain yoghurts or cheeses, as well as our . Forever Active Pro-B contains six strains of bacteria that have been specifically selected for their ability to bypass stomach acid for optimal delivery into the intestines. Friendly bacteria can be vulnerable to the environment, but we use cryo-technology to ensure that our bacteria strains stay dormant until they reach your gut. This means that they can focus on the job at hand: restoring the natural balance of bacteria in your gut.

Avoid foods that can slow down the digestive process

Some foods can be bad for your digestion. A common example of this is spicy foods. As well as the usual culprits, this can also include foods like onion and garlic. Although some people can handle these foods perfectly well, others may find they cause heartburn, diarrhoea and stomach pain. Fatty foods can produce similar symptoms, and this is likely due to the fact that the stomach finds them harder to digest. In this case, it’s best to cut back your intake of these foods or avoid them altogether.

If you do find you are getting these symptoms every now and then, it’s a good idea to keep a diary of everything you eat and drink. Make a note of whenever you get symptoms, then you should find it easier to pin-point which foods are affecting your digestive health.

Aloe vera makes a great digestive aid

Many of the options for improving your digestive health require a certain amount of time for you to start seeing results. The great thing about incorporating Forever Aloe Vera Gel into your diet is that it’s highly absorbent, so it can start working straight away.  Forever Aloe Vera Gel, Forever Aloe Berry Nectar, Forever Aloe Mango and Forever Aloe Peaches, and all help to support gastrointestinal health. Just a glass a day provides the perfect digestive aid, as well as all the other benefits these gels provide.

We’ve mentioned before that gut health is overall health. Whilst this is definitely true, it’s also true that overall health can contribute to gut health as well. Despite there being plenty of factors that can affect your digestive system, there’s also plenty of ways to keep your gut happy and healthy. And they don’t require too much extra work either!