Healthy Digestion for Healthy Living

Healthy digestion is important for a healthy life, and Hippocrates knew it when he said: “All the diseases start in the intestines”. Unfortunately, we often forget about that in our fast-paced lifestyle. We are not careful about what we eat, we don’t drink enough water and we don’t move enough. Why is this harmful to our digestive process and why is it so important for our health?

The alphabet of digestion

The body gets the energy and nutrients necessary for its normal functioning through digestion and digestive processes. The food takes around six to eight hours to pass through the stomach and small intestine after eating. The main part of digestion occurs here – the absorption of nutrients. Then the food enters the colon, where the last phase of digestion occurs. The body gets rid of waste material and undigested food remains through the colon. Therefore, healthy, and regular digestion is extremely important because it enables our body to “soak up” all the nutrients, and to normally separate and excrete waste material through feces. And an especially important thing: up to 80% of the immune system is in our intestines. Therefore, their health is of key importance for the regular functioning of our “defense response”. 

Many diseases are connected to digestion

Many people often complain about different health issues. Everyone suffers from something, they take medications or food supplements, they feel bad or unsatisfied, and they are chronically tired. Very often people attribute such problems to bad weather, stress, or fatigue. There surely is some truth in that, but very often while looking for the cause of the problem we forget about slowed or irregular digestion which can also be a significant cause. 

Bad, slowed digestion and constipation are problems that almost all of us suffer from – at least occasionally. According to some data, almost half the people have irregular digestion and do not have bowel movements every day. Bad digestion very often leads to unnecessary retention of waste material in the body, reduces the efficiency of the defense system, and endangers our health. On the other hand, it also has a big impact on the quality of life because it causes the sensation of being “full”, bloating, gas, and malaise. 

A modern lifestyle and bowels

Bowels are a very complex mechanism and today’s lifestyle does not favor them. All the toxic substances we are exposed to through food, drinks, medications, and the environment in the end have a negative impact on the health of our digestive system and reduce its functionality. It can often be heard that constipation is a disease of the civilized world. However, constipation is not an illness, but a symptom, similar to high body temperature. Different causes can lead to constipation and the prevailing ones are a fast-paced lifestyle based on (too) frequent consumption of greasy, ready-made meals on the one side, and insufficient fiber and liquid intake on the other side. We are not doing our bodies a favor by not exercising enough, smoking, and drinking alcohol – all those things, just like stress, burden our digestive system. 

And to alleviate some chronic issues and strengthen our bodies, it is necessary to stimulate our bowels to work on a daily basis. In this case, the most important thing is to lead a healthy lifestyle that first and foremost entails a regular diet that should mostly consist of fruit and vegetables. Experts also advise regular physical activity – ideally, we should break a sweat for at least half an hour every day, or not be able to catch our breath due to being tired. Also, many of us often underestimate the importance of our mental health, avoiding stress, and resting, which is mostly about getting enough sleep. 

It is important not to postpone 

Constipation is nowadays a very frequent occurrence and one of the most common gastrointestinal problems, not just in adults, but also in children and pregnant women. It is very important to recognize the problem on time and not to postpone its solution. So, if you feel bad, lack energy, and suffer from feeling bloated, it’s about time that you pay attention to the frequency of your bowel movements. If you do not have stools on some days, that is nothing to worry about since every person has their own rhythm. However, if you empty your bowels less than three times a week, you should make some changes to your lifestyle. 

Firstly, it is necessary to establish whether this is functional or organic constipation. In the first case, the causes are not pathological (they are mostly caused by unhealthy habits), while the culprits for organic constipation are diseases, allergies, or some other disorders, such as taking medications. 

The first step in getting rid of constipation is a change in dietary and life habits. Above all, we need to pay attention to intaking enough fiber (fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals) whose quantity should be gradually increased because otherwise, the symptoms may worsen. Sufficient hydration is also important – at least three liters per day for men and around two liters for women. The next very important step is a physical activity that accelerates bowel contractions, i.e. peristaltic, and thereby improves stool excretion. If you feel like you have not found the right solution to your problems despite the change in lifestyle, it is necessary to visit a doctor who will prescribe you the right treatment based on the made diagnosis. Most commonly, this means using osmotic laxatives. 

Donat natural mineral water whose effect on the digestive tract has also been scientifically proven falls in the latter category. Thanks to an extremely high percentage of sulfates, it helps to draw water from the cells of the intestinal wall, which increases the volume of the stool and facilitates its passage through the bowels. Magnesium also softens the intestinal muscles and additionally facilitates excretion. Read in this article how to drink Donat to achieve such effect.