If you suffer from digestive problems you have probably found ways of dealing with the problem. You have developed a habit of scoping out the nearest washrooms when you are in a restaurant or workplace and you always carry some form of medicine with you. The important thing to know is that you’re not alone.

While these coping strategies can help a little bit, there are some other great ways that you can help to cut down on gas, bloating, heartburn, nausea, constipation and diarrhea.

The best part is that the tips that we have for you are all natural, so if you want to improve your digestive health, read on.

1. Change how and what you eat

By this we don’t mean that you should cut out all of your favourite foods, rather you should just start to be a little mindful of how you eat. If you always eat in front of the tv then you are probably not paying much attention to your food. This means that you are probably not chewing your food enough. Chewing is where the digestion process begins. There are enzymes in your mouth that start to break down your food before you have even swallowed your first bite.

By chewing your food a little more, you can make life a little easier on your stomach and intestines. This small little step can go a long way to offering some relief to your symptoms.

2. Probiotics can save the day

Probiotics are good bacteria that live in your digestive system. These microorganisms are really good for your digestion and help to digest the food that you eat. They can also do so much more.

Probiotics can reduce inflammation of your and keep your digestive system in great shape. Probiotics can be found in raw fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha.

3. Drink plenty of water

A lot of people do not drink nearly enough water during the day. Water is an essential part of the digestion process and without this you are asking for constipation. You should be aiming to drink around 80 ounces of water each day. You should aim to drink this between meals as if you wait until you are eating you will be diluting your stomach acid. Which as you can imagine will not help your digestion at all.

4. Eat real food

What do we mean by this? Well, every time you think about eating something you should ask yourself, Do I know what is in this? A quick look at the ingredients of a product may give you a little bit of a shock as you don’t recognise half of the main ingredients. There are some restaurants that pride themselves on only cooking with real, fresh ingredients.

You may have noticed that lots of places serve food in bowls now. These are healthy but can be expensive. The best way to keep a close eye on the foods that you put into your body is to cook your own meals from scratch. Not only is this a lot healthier and cheaper, it can also be a lot of fun. Learning to cook can be a really effective method of stress relief, which can be a cause of poor digestive health too.

5. Exercise

Working out can be a good way to kickstart your metabolism and help with your overall health as well as your digestive issues. You don’t need to be in the gym every day, something as simple as taking walks regularly can have a huge impact.