The Best Foods for Digestion: This Short List Will Surprise You
If you’ve been following buzzwords in health and wellness, you’ve probably heard of the gut-brain connection.
Research shows that if you want to build a strong foundation of health and wellness, you have to start with your digestion. But is this really true? (Short answer: yes!)
In today’s post, you’ll learn exactly why eating the best foods for digestion is essential for your mental and physical health, and how adding these two superfoods to your diet can transform your body from the inside out.
[Disclosure: I only recommend products I've used myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links and if you use these links to buy something, we may earn a commission.]
Why Eating the Best Foods for Digestion Is Essential for Your Health
Digestion is everything. If you can't get proper nutrition from your food, your brain doesn't get what it needs.
Now, when your brain lacks the right nutrients to function, it delivers negative messages that:
- Send your nervous system into a fight-or-flight mode
- Throw your hormones out of balance
- Disrupt your body’s natural ability to heal, rest, and rejuvenate
On top of all of this, you don’t have as much energy. You feel sleepy, fatigued, and foggy.
And since you’re not getting the long-lasting energy from good digestion, your brain starts to crave easy-to-digest carbohydrates that produce instant energy.
In other words: it wants sugar, chips, and caffeine supplements.
Usually, it’s fine to consume those foods in moderation. But once your gut gets out of balance, living off of snacks only makes it worse.
You might think “eating healthy” would help. And yes, adding fruits and veggies to your diet is great, but that’s not enough to help you recover once the damage is done.
To understand how you can restore the gut-brain connection to its prime, let’s look at the digestive process in a little more detail.
Your food comes into your stomach, where it's broken down.
Then, it goes into your intestines. This is where your body really gets to work, and where it absorbs the nutrients from everything you just ate.
And that happens because of the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut.
These microscopic helpers ensure you can digest your food properly, and soak up all of the vitamins and minerals your brain and body need to thrive.
Naturally, the best foods for digestion (which I’ll cover in a moment) help this good bacteria grow.
However, one of the problems we face is that there are several things that can kill this good bacteria in your gut.
Things like:
- High-stress levels
- Toxicity in the environment
- Poor eating habits
- Chlorinated water
They all contribute to much lower levels of beneficial bacteria.
This is especially true when you experience digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, acid reflux, and so on.
The truth is: If your gut is having a hard time, it reaches far beyond a stomach ache, your entire body and brain suffer, too.
If you have:
- Brain fog
- Repetitive thoughts
- Tiredness
All of these symptoms can be traced back to poor digestion.
It’s really a catch-22 because if you're stressed, this inhibits digestion and the good bacteria get weaker. And as it gets weaker, you get more stressed. The cycle continues.
Plus, so far we’ve only covered the good bacteria.
There are also bad bacteria in your gut, such as candida and fungus. Usually, they exist in very small quantities that mean no harm.
But, when you don't support the good bacteria, the bad bacteria overpopulates. And then you can't digest your food either because they get in the way.
To maintain a healthy gut, think of it like keeping a lush, green garden.
If you don’t remove the “weeds” of bad bacteria, they take over the flowers of good bacteria.
Similarly, if you don’t nourish the good bacteria with a little bit of fertilizer now and then, they won’t flourish.
This is where the best foods for digestion come in handy.
Foods That Will Actually Improve Your Digestion
Ironically, the best foods for digestion are foods that are already “digested,” such as:
- Probiotic drinks
- Yogurt, which is proven to have probiotics
Now, you might be thinking, “Why is that? And what do you mean, already digested?”
Probiotics are a form of good bacteria.
Yogurt and probiotic drinks are a great addition to your diet because they support your gut directly.
And I mentioned they’re “pre-digested” because they’re fermented foods.
This means they had to be exposed to good bacteria during fermentation, before becoming the delicious, creamy goodness in a container that you’re familiar with.
Unfortunately, a lot of the yogurts you can buy in a grocery store have little effect because they're pasteurized, and most of the good bacteria die once you heat them up.
You see, most yogurts and probiotic capsules out there advertise that they have billions of probiotics in them.
It sounds so impressive, but these are all microscopic bacteria. Of course, there would be billions, even trillions, of them in one product.
The secret to a quality yogurt or probiotic capsule is in a different number.
Variety is key: How many different types of probiotics are you getting in one product?
Most store-bought or over-the-counter probiotic capsules have 3 to 6 different kinds.
The more expensive ones have up to 15 or 16 different strains. That’s triple the amount!
And you can tell they’re a better quality product, especially if they’re tucked away in a refrigerated counter to preserve those good probiotics.
But then I went ahead and found a product that has 42 different strains of beneficial probiotics of the highest quality and efficacy and that is what I’m going to introduce you to today.
It restores beneficial gut bacteria, improves digestion, and helps the body absorb all of the nutrition it needs to feel energized and healthy.
And it just tastes so good.
The Magic of This Simple Homemade Yogurt
Probiotic drinks and capsules are good, and yogurt is great, but…
If you make homemade yogurt, that’s even better.
When you make yogurt at home, you can skip the pasteurizing process that kills so many of the good bacteria in it.
Then you get an infinite number of probiotics.
With the right starter and recipe, homemade yogurt has the potential to reset your entire digestive system in as little as 3 months.
If you’ve ever experienced digestive issues before, you understand how long it can take to replant and grow the healthy bacteria in your gut.
It takes several months to detoxify, curb the growth of bad bacteria, and nurture the good bacteria back into shape. Depending on how serious the damage is, even longer.
So, when you’re able to see results and start feeling good in just 3 months? That’s definitely a bonus.
Plus, if you’re experiencing any of the health symptoms I mentioned earlier (such as brain fog or fatigue), this is especially great news, because you’ll see improvements in these areas too.
Now, how do you make this game-changing homemade yogurt?
First, you need a starter.
This is the right blend of bacteria that can ignite the fermentation process, and produce your very own probiotic masterpiece.
And just like there are all kinds of yogurt in the grocery store, there are many different starters you can use, and some are better than others.
My favorite probiotic starter is Bravo yogurt.
Bravo yogurt is completely unique in that it has 42 different strains of probiotics that go into your gut, and create the diversity that's necessary for healthy function.
Some of you may get excited and say, “This is great! I’m going to make my batch of yogurt every day.”
But remember, it takes a little effort to make yogurt from scratch. And you’re going to be making this for at least 3 months.
So, instead of making yogurt daily, I find it easier to make a batch that will last a week or two and just enjoy it bit by bit.
That’s also about the time when you're ready to make another batch since homemade yogurt lasts about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Now, what if you don’t want to make your own yogurt?
Don’t worry. There are alternatives for you, too.
Choose the Right Probiotic for You
It’s true that the best foods for digestion are yogurt and probiotic drinks.
But if you’re feeling a little lazy, or you’re not keen to make your own yogurt any time soon, you don’t have to miss out on the opportunity to maximize your gut health.
There are capsules and non-dairy options that can support your digestive system just as efficiently as the homemade alternative.
Bravo capsules are great because they’re:
- Made from a dose of the Bravo yogurt
- Dehydrated, so all of the live bacteria are kept safe and sound
- Easy to store, since you don’t need to refrigerate the container until after you open it
And if you prefer to avoid dairy, the non-dairy Bravo starter is incredible. You can use it to make a probiotic drink, and it’s simply delicious.
You can mix it with:
- Apple juice
- Orange juice
- Papaya juice
And more.
Regardless of which option you choose:
- Bravo yogurt,
- Bravo capsules, or the
- Bravo non-dairy starter...
...The important part is to take them every day, for 3 months or more.
You don’t need to consume a lot of it to heal your gut, either.
This is another reason why I consider these products to be the best foods for digestion:
Just a small sip of a quality probiotic drink, or a couple of ounces of yogurt per day, is already enough to plant good bacteria into your digestive tract.
And this is great because when you take good care of your gut:
- Your digestion improves
- You can absorb the nutrients that keep your brain sharp
- Your body is able to fight off toxins and bad bacteria that make you feel stressed and ill
It’s wonderful because it’s so simple, efficient, and completely natural.
You need to eat to survive.
Why not eat the best foods for digestion so you can thrive and heal your mind and body?
With the right probiotics, you can take back your life and enjoy a healthier, happier you.
Grow in love,
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