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.

Have you ever heard of nightshades?  To be honest, it’s a term I didn’t hear until recent years, so I completely understand if you haven’t heard of it yet.  These are simply a group of fruits and vegetables in the family of plants known as solanum. Plenty of rumors abound as to whether these shady garden growers are good or bad for you, but I’m here to give you the basic insight on what they are.

Which fruits and veggies fall into the nightshade category?

• Tomatoes – You’ll get plenty of vitamins A and C plus lycopene, the antioxidant that can reduce inflammation markers and lower your risk for health issues.
• Eggplants – With plenty of dietary fiber, eggplants keep things moving and could contribute to heart health.
• Potatoes – Potatoes possess plenty of potassium, manganese, and vitamin B6, though the skin should be on to get the most out of them (just clean it vigorously!).
• Peppers – All peppers have an abundance of vitamin C and can help you better absorb iron. In the case of chili peppers, the capsaicin they contain ironically may quell heartburn.

So, what about those rumors?

They have largely to do with causing inflammation.  Everybody is different, so this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Nightshades contain alkaloids, which may affect those with certain conditions differently. The same goes for another compound they contain called solanine that can irritate arthritis pain, cause inflammation, or lead to digestive issues. It might be best for those with autoimmune diseases to eliminate them from their diets.

Those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may want to avoid them as well. Leaky gut sufferers may find eating these foods causes them more gastrointestinal distress. If you’ve been diagnosed with autoimmune disorders or IBD, you can try an elimination diet to avoid nightshades and see if that helps you feel better.

For those that can eat nightshades without aggravating health conditions, you’ll be treated to a diet rich in vitamins and minerals plus gobs of fiber. If you do find eliminating nightshades helps you feel better, and you don’t have any conditions you’re aware of, it might be time to visit your doctor to determine the root cause.

A lot of people can safely eat nightshades without consequence.

For those that can’t, you can substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes, use pesto sauce rather than tomato sauce when making Italian dishes, eat citrus fruits, and fill your plate with leafy greens.

Other ways to lower alkaloid content in nightshades is to avoid green tomatoes and to peel your potatoes completely and then cook them thoroughly before consuming.

How do you tolerate nightshades?