Foods for Healthy Digestion
Digestion starts when you put a piece of food in your mouth. As you chew it, your teeth and the enzymes in your saliva begin to break down the food so that it can more easily move through your body. Digestion continues in the 20- to 30-foot long tube called your gastrointestinal tract. How quickly food is digested depends on the food type and what it is eaten with.
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Water
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Drink plenty of water. It is an essential component of healthy digestion. However, some health experts suggest drinking little water while eating so that the liquid does not dilute the acids and enzymes needed for digestion.
Fiber
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Eat foods with lots of fiber, which will help keep the food you've eaten moving through your body instead of building up in your intestines or stomach. Fiber also makes it easier for you to excrete waste because it helps soften what is left over after digestion.
Low-fat foods
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Fat can increase your chances of experiencing digestive problems like bloating and constipation, as partially digested food waits in your stomach to enter your small intestine. It slows down the digestion process.
Apple Cider Vinegar
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Organic apple cider vinegar, used in salad dressing, for example, can help the digestion process by providing necessary enzymes and acids.
Starches and Proteins
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Common starchy foods are bread, rice, potatoes and beans. To digest starches, your body uses enzymes. Protein (found in meat, dairy and poultry) require acid for proper digestion. Eat proteins separately from starches to make it easy on your body to completely digest each type of food.
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