STOP 3 Steps to PERFECT Digestion
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted December 6, 2017
Remember the good old days when you had an “iron stomach?”
You could throw down a few slices of pizza and a beer with no problem.
Now, though, it seems like everything upsets your stomach and leaves you with bloating, constipation, and gas.
But what if you could erase your stomach problems for good?
All you need is the same three-step plan I’ve recommended to my own patients.
I promise you’ll start feeling relief FAST!
The three keys to gut health are: fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics.
If you are getting these three things right, then 99% of gut problems disappear.
So, let’s first start with definitions.
Fiber: Fiber is a carbohydrate you cannot digest. There are both soluble fibers (which swell in water) and insoluble fibers (which don’t swell in water), and getting a mixture of these fibers is important to reap the health benefits of dietary fiber. Fiber helps lower cholesterol, keep your blood sugar stable, and make it easier to lose weight.
Probiotics: These are beneficial microorganisms that are found in your digestive tract. These good microbes fight infections, help digest the food we eat, interact with our immune system, and provide us with vitamins and minerals.
Prebiotics: These are food for the probiotics. Without prebiotics, the probiotics have no chance of growing and multiplying.
So, here is how you optimize your digestive tract:
- High-Fiber Foods: You should get around 25-40 grams of fiber each day. Guess how much most Americans get? About 12 grams. Some people get almost none. If you don’t eat a lot of fiber, be careful about adding a lot at a time because it will increase gassiness. Try adding more berries and vegetables (which have soluble fiber) to your diet.
- Probiotics: If I were to write out all the health benefits to probiotics, it would take pages to finish. Not only are these little critters great for your digestive tract (they help both constipation and diarrhea), but they are also great for your immune system, weight loss, and many other body systems. You can increase good bacteria by eating fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, real sauerkraut, miso…) and you can take probiotics as a supplement.
- Prebiotics: You can purchase these “digestion helpers” online or at just about any vitamin or supplement shop.
There you go: the road to a healthy digestive tract. But, you know me by now, I’m going to tell you a few more things to stay away from that can also help your digestion:
- Alcohol and caffeine: If you are someone with a sensitive digestive system that tends toward diarrhea, you need to reduce alcohol and caffeine consumption.
- Sugary drinks: Sugar causes bad bacteria and yeast in your gut to multiply. Do what you can to avoid all sugars, but especially soda and fruit drinks.
- Sugar-free anything: I could write a book about the bad effects of sugar substitutes, but when we are talking about gut health, you need to know artificial sweeteners destroy the healthy bacteria in your gut.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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