A healthy digestive system plays an important role in improving our overall physical and mental health. Unfortunately, the tastiest foods aren’t always the most beneficial for gut health. Here are the food items you should pay very close attention to if your stomach gets upset easily.
Dairy
Did you know that around 65% of the world’s population is, in fact, lactose intolerant? The most common signs of intolerance are bloating, diarrhea and brain fog. So, if something causes you discomfort on a regular basis, chances are it’s your milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter, etc. Luckily, there are so many delicious and healthy alternatives for dairy these days! Find out which vegan milks are the best for you and the environment.
Processed meat
There’s no ulterior motive to turn anyone into a vegan with this article but what can we do if the second most common source of digestive problems after dairy is processed meat, which is basically anything that is smoked, salted, cured, dried or canned? Think sausages, bacon, salami or burgers. Some research shows that people who are too fond of animal protein have higher risks of inflammatory bowel disease. There is also a strong link between consuming processed meats and bowel or stomach cancer. Try swapping meat burgers for these vegan black bean & quinoa patties and see how your stomach reacts!
Sugar or artificial sweeteners
Honestly, the person who first came up with an artificial sweetener must’ve been pure evil! These things pass through your body without being digested and, on the way, disrupt your gut microbiome. Keep an eye out for aspartame, saccharin and sucralose on the labels when shopping for sodas, yoghurts and granola bars. And real sugar decreases the amount of good bacteria. Here are the best natural sugar alternatives that will help to keep everything in balance.
Alcohol
Alcohol irritates the sensitive lining of our gut and stomach and decreases the number of healthy bacteria in it. And when mixed with sweeteners and syrups in cocktails, it only gets worse. Though, to be fair, these research results are based on studying people suffering from alcoholism. Whether or not moderate alcohol consumption has the same effect is yet to be determined but just to be on the safe side, opt for this non-alcoholic Seedlip Citrus and Spice cocktail that has a lot of natural, healthy ingredients instead.
Hot spices
Hot sauce or cayenne peppers may cause pain, heartburn or diarrhea, so go gently on spice next time you’re cooking chickpea curry, chili or Korean spicy chicken.