Good digestion is one of the keys to maintaining overall good health. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize digestive health’s importance until they experience problems. Following these tips can help ensure that your digestive system works properly, keeping you healthy and happy.

Here are three practical ways you can speed things up to improve your digestion and your overall health:

1. Engage with exercise

Making exercise a part of your daily routine, particularly with cycling and jogging, can drastically reduce your gut’s transit time. However, any activity, even walking, helps speed up your digestion. It stimulates the stomach muscles and small intestine to get things moving. Ideally, if you walk after a meal, that will be the most beneficial of all.

Yoga poses may also help you out. If you do just 10 minutes of yoga per day, it will help support your digestion and healthy bowel movements. Twisting postures are beneficial for you here. Plus, it’s relaxing, and when you’re relaxed, it puts your nervous system in a parasympathetic state which is essential for your best digestion.

2. Flush out with fluids

If you’re not keeping your hydration to the proper levels, you can cause more digestive problems. However, what you drink is important, and those sugary drinks or extra coffees aren’t going to help. Water is by far the most beneficial liquid to drink for digestive health. Herbal teas are also helpful; some may further stimulate your digestive system for improved efficiency.

If you really want to boost your digestion speed, add bone broth to the mix. It hydrates and replenishes your body with electrolytes, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and a bounty of other minerals.

3. Know the foods that can help you

Certain foods you eat can throw off your digestion. Refined carbs, sugary and fried things, are often to blame. If you’ve been eating those foods often, try moving to more beneficial foods to help your digestion.

Probiotic foods are a great choice because they replenish your gut with the good bacteria it needs for healthy digestion and immunity. Yogurt is a popular choice, though if you’d rather stay dairy-free, you can have kimchi, pickled veggies, tempeh, sauerkraut, kefir, natto, or miso.

More fiber is also essential. In particular, insoluble fiber will help sweep your digestive system clean. If you’d like to practice good bowel cleansing techniques regularly, choose prebiotic fibers from onions, garlic, leeks, and jicama. And whatever you eat, make sure you chew your food more thoroughly, which helps your stomach digest it better.

If you’re looking for a way to jumpstart your digestion, these three tips can help. Following some simple advice and making a few small changes in your diet and lifestyle can give your digestive system the boost it needs. Have you tried any of these methods? What has worked best for you?

Your lymphatic system works much like your circulatory system. Instead of delivering blood to the body, the lymphatic system keeps things in balance for your immune system and prevents various illnesses.

Because it doesn’t have a central organ to keep things flowing, there are several ways to prioritize stimulating the lymphatic system for your best health.

These tips will help you support the lymphatic system so you can reap the benefits.

Engage in lymphatic massage

The lymphatic system requires the movement of smooth muscles to move fluids through lymph vessels. Any massage will help, especially with a professional therapist trained in decongestive lymphatic therapy. However, there are strategies you can do yourself, like dry brushing or using a jade roller to get things moving.

Drink your water

Water helps flush out the lymphatic system. Since it’s necessary for your overall health anyway, make sure you’re drinking it regularly.

Engage in deep breathing

Our stressful lives have us taking more shallow breaths than breathing deeply. Center your focus so that you aim to breathe deeply for your lymphatic system. Yoga and meditation are great ways to do this. Your lymphatic system will benefit even if you stop for a few moments each day to engage in deep breathing practices.

Submerge yourself in water too

Being in water – hot or cold – can also help you engage that lymphatic system. Steaming your skin with water stimulates capillaries which open up and release toxins. Head to the sauna, or simply let the steam from your shower help you out. When you alternate between hot and cold water, it also helps this type of circulation.

Try apple cider vinegar

The naturally acidic nature of apple cider vinegar can bind toxins that can help you get them out of the body. Apple cider vinegar also contains potassium that can clear mucus away and refresh your lymph nodes. A great way to try it is by making your own salad dressing using apple cider vinegar as the base.

Add cardio workouts to your routine

You likely know that cardio is excellent for your cardiovascular health. A cardio workout brings on more sweat which can help you drain your lymphatic system.

Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of Zumba; simply jumping up and down on a rebounder provides a fun and effective cardio workout that can help your lymphatic system drain effectively.

Eat healthy, fibrous foods

Finally, one of the best tips to help you support the lymphatic system is to eat foods full of fiber. This will help get toxins out of your digestive system — things like berries (especially cranberries), citrus fruits, leafy greens, and seeds are the most beneficial to include in your diet.

Try these tips to support your lymphatic health and see how you feel better.

Do you find it difficult to consume your daily water intake?

The age-old goal was eight glasses per day, but we now know our bodies require more personalized numbers based on our makeup. A more accurate goal is to aim for approximately half of your body weight in ounces per day. Therefore, if you weigh 150lbs, you’ll aim for 75oz of water a day.

If you have a 24oz water bottle, you’ll need to fill it up a little over 3x per day to reach your goal. It doesn’t seem like a lot until you actually try to tackle it.

If you’re trying to keep intake up and it still seems impossible, I have some tips for you.

When we realize that we need to be drinking more water, we first search for a cup or bottle. Half the fun is grabbing a new container or bringing an old favorite back to life. Anything will work, but I always choose something fairly large and doesn’t need to be refilled constantly.

I also like the ones that boast the ability to stay cold for an extended period of time. For example, water bottles with a straw seem easier to drink quickly than the large-mouth options you have to tip and sip. Carry it with you, so it’s always top of mind.

If it’s hard to get down this much water in a day—either because it’s unappealing or just doesn’t taste good—it’s pretty easy to add some flavor. I tend to choose citrus fruit (don’t add the peel, or you’ll taste a bitter flavor), sweet fruit like strawberries, pineapple, and melon, and crisp veggies like cucumber.

To combat many trips to the restroom all day and night, try adding electrolytes and minerals to your water.

There are many types of electrolyte mixes, both flavored and unflavored. Look for healthier options without added sugar or excess ingredients. And to add minerals, it’s just a simple pinch of mineral-rich sea salt. This keeps the body balanced, which means better water retention and overall better hydration. It can be challenging to hit the goal we set for ourselves even doing those things.

The last tip is to add water-rich foods into your diet.

This one is not only easy but also delicious. Some of the best foods are cucumber, broccoli, celery, lettuce, spinach, brussels sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, radishes, peppers, peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, apples, blueberries, oranges, strawberries, and pears. These fruits and vegetables have many benefits when eaten raw, cooked, or even juiced.

It can be challenging to stay on top of this habit, especially when you start to pay attention to it. But with a bit of planning and creativity, you’ll soon notice that your body is genuinely thanking you for the extra care.

The state of your digestion can make or break your day, especially when you deal with chronic discomfort. Constant acid reflux, bloating, gas or nausea are things we don’t want to deal with ever — much less daily. We can make a few routine shifts to leave our digestive systems feeling a lot more regulated, and it’ll be worth your while to explore these and find what works best for you.

Here are five ways to improve digestion naturally:

Eat whole foods

Swapping fast food for whole foods can make, what can be argued, the most significant change in our digestion. You are infusing your body with the essential vitamins and nutrients it requires with whole foods. These foods can help restore your health by just making this one switch.

Stay balanced

Keeping a good mixture of fats, fiber, and fluids in our diet can mean the difference between things running smoothly or not. Incorporating these will also help lower inflammation in the body and restore your digestion.

Be mindful

By lowering stress and living in the moment, we learn to slow down and listen to our bodies better. Take stock of your stress levels and incorporate a daily practice to help lower stress and anxiety in the body. One simple way you can do this is to make sure you exercise regularly, which can help rev up a sluggish digestive system.

Take your supplements

There are vitamins and supplements that we can add to our diet to support our digestive system. Treating things on the front end by being proactive is easier than treating on the back end once you are experiencing discomfort. My favorite option and the one I believe is essential is an excellent probiotic. Probiotics are full of healthy bacteria that can assist with healthy digestion. They break down indigestible fiber, which is typically responsible for gas or bloating. Ask your medical provider what supplements they suggest you may benefit from regarding digestive health.

And last, but certainly not least, zinc. This mineral is found in a healthy gut, but a deficiency can lead to various gastrointestinal disorders. If you’re not one for taking pills, all of these things can be found in food, as well. And as always, check with your doctor to make sure these are the right course of action for you.

You don’t have to have a chronic disorder like irritable bowel syndrome or Chrohn’s disease to want to lessen irritating digestive symptoms. I know that no one wants to feel uncomfortable each time they eat — it can impact the way we live our lives.

By making a few simple swaps, we can drastically improve the way our body works, which leads to better health and wellbeing.

After a very long year, the world is finally starting to reopen. We can reunite with our loved ones, go to restaurants, picnic at the park, and ease back into normal life once again. However, we still need to be careful and protect ourselves. Your immune system works hard to keep you healthy, but there are some lifestyle factors that you can implement to help.

Here are some ways to boost your immune system so that you can stay healthy and safe.

Eat your fruits and vegetables

A healthy diet is crucial for a strong immune system. Whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are rich in vitamins that are necessary for immune functioning. Vitamin C is well-known for its protection against the common cold. Fruits and veggies also contain antioxidants, which reduce inflammation, help prevent oxidative stress, and keep cells (including immune cells) healthy. Many fruits and vegetables are also high in fiber, which is a prebiotic. Prebiotics are food for the good bacteria that live in our gut and support the immune system.

Get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation significantly affects your immune system and is a recipe for getting sick. Try to create a sleep schedule that works for you, whether it’s going to bed earlier or sleeping in later. It would be best if you aimed to get at least seven hours of quality sleep each night. If you struggle to fall asleep, try putting your screens away an hour before bed and create a relaxing nightly routine. Have your bedroom dark and at a cool temperature.

Find time to relax

It is well-known that chronic stress makes you more susceptible to illness, and it’s because it lowers your immune system. No matter how busy life gets, give yourself time to relax. Meditation and yoga are effective ways to destress because they help you clear your mind and practice mindfulness. Studies have shown that yoga reduces inflammation, which helps regulate the immune system. Find whatever activity works for you, whether it’s reading your favorite book, baking, or going for a walk.

Exercise

Both cardio and strength exercises help boost your immune system. Exercise increases blood flow, which means circulating immune cells travel throughout the body faster. Moderate-intensity exercise is best because overly intense exercise can have the opposite effect and suppress the immune system. Free weights and bodyweight exercises are still great options for strength training if you don’t have access to a gym. Try to bring your workouts outside. Go for a run or walk, ride your bicycle, or swim. Even for a few minutes each day, getting fresh air will help decrease stress levels and boost your immune system.

Eat more probiotics

Probiotics are foods that contain healthy bacteria for our guts. Fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir, are rich in probiotics and highly beneficial. A healthy gut environment influences almost every single aspect of our health, from digestion to mental health. These gut bacteria help fight off infections, regulate immune cells, and reduce inflammation. They act as a line of defense on your intestinal wall.

While we still need to be vigilant against protecting ourselves and our loved ones, use these defenses daily to arm yourself with a robust immune system. These are also good practices to get into the habit of doing as we are walking into the cold and flu months soon.

Due to our environments and lifestyles, oxidative stress is becoming a more common concern. But what exactly is oxidative stress, and how can we prevent it? Oxidative stress is the body’s natural response to an imbalanced exposure to free radicals. When the body accumulates too many free radicals and not enough antioxidants to neutralize them, oxidative stress occurs.

Let’s talk about what this means.

Free radicals are molecules that contain an uneven number of electrons, making them unstable and eager to react with other molecules.

Some of the most common types of free radicals are reactive oxygen species (ROS). When these free radicals react with other molecules, it causes oxidation. The body naturally produces free radicals as by-products of metabolic processes, and these free radicals are necessary for fighting off pathogens and preventing infection. Oxidation becomes harmful when there are too many free radicals and not enough antioxidants to neutralize them, causing oxidative stress.

When free radicals don’t have antioxidants to react with, they start reacting with other molecules in the body, such as DNA and cells. This causes damage to tissues, proteins, and DNA, which leads to inflammation, disruption of important pathways, and many chronic diseases. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, stress, and an unhealthy diet high in saturated fats, sugar, and processed foods, increase the production of free radicals in the body.

Antioxidants are the molecules that neutralize free radicals in the body and help prevent oxidative stress.

Antioxidants have freely available electrons that they can donate to the free radicals, making them no longer unstable and reactive. The body also produces antioxidants, but it’s often not enough, so we need to rely on food sources of antioxidants. Fruits and veggies, especially berries, are the primary sources of dietary antioxidants.

Dark, leafy greens such as kale and spinach, artichokes, broccoli, carrots, and potatoes are some veggies that are high in antioxidants. Some antioxidant-rich fruits, besides berries, include pears, red grapes, tomatoes, cherries, and plums. Some spices, such as cinnamon and turmeric, also contain antioxidants.

When free radicals damage vital structures in the body, such as our DNA, there are understandably risks for illness. Oxidative stress also speeds up the aging process. So, how can we prevent oxidative damage from occurring? Besides eating more antioxidant-rich foods, we can live healthier lifestyles that don’t further contribute to free radical formation.

This includes lowering stress levels, exercising regularly, and avoiding processed foods, added sugars, and saturated fats.

Environmental factors, such as pollution, pesticides in food, and chemicals in your cleaning products, also increase free radical production. Try to buy organic and use natural, chemical-free cleaning products whenever you can.

We can’t avoid everything that increases free radicals, but we can do our best to minimize our exposure.