What is Hurting and Helping your Digestion?

Hope: [00:00:00] Do you want to wake up feeling like you are stepping into who you are meant to be? Into the best possible version of you? What if I told you that the key to your best life, health, and happiness are all around you? You just have to find what works for you. I’m Hope Pedraza, and I believe that there isn’t just one way to live a healthy and meaningful life.

And that all you need is a little inspiration to make changes that last from the inside out. Each week, I’ll be sharing tangible tips and inspirational interviews to help you on your journey. These are the steps to take to improve your life and live with purpose. This is Hopeful and Wholesome. 

Hey y’all, thanks for listening today. I am talking today about all things digestion, all the things you did and didn’t want to know about your digestive system and how you can help improve what’s happening in your digestive system. So, let me give a little background here, get a little bit scientific just so you know kind of what’s going on in your [00:01:00] body when you’re digesting food. So, the digestive system is made up of all the organs that are responsible for breaking down your food and then absorbing the nutrients and then getting rid of waste.

So, all of those things are a part of digestion. So, it’s breaking down the food, absorbing the nutrients in your cells and then getting rid of waste. The organs that are in your digestive tract are your esophagus, your stomach, small and large intestine, your liver, your pancreas, and your gallbladder. So all of those organs have some sort of role in digestion.

Now, that your digestive processes determines how your body uses nutrients for energy, nutrients for growth, and cell repair. So that’s what’s happening when you eat. When you’re digesting food, you’re either using it for energy, or using it for growth and cell repair, right? Your digestive system and processes can also affect your mood and your overall mental health because you’ve probably heard there’s that connection between the digestive system and your brain.

So, your digestive system really does affect [00:02:00] your entire body, because there is that strong connection with the brain and the digestive system. So it’s really important to know all the things that are hurting your digestive system, and then what can help your digestive system. There are some unhealthy foods that can cause poor digestion, and then some seemingly healthy foods, or foods that could be healthy for some people.

That can also affect it as well. So i’m going to kind of go through the gamut here looking at things on both sides of the spectrum That can hurt your digestion and then what you can do And eat to help it. All right, so let’s jump in. So first let’s start with the foods that aren’t so healthy So these are the things that you should probably avoid things that are hurting your digestion That you really don’t need to eat like ever So first let’s look at trans fats So we’re looking at trans fats on greasy high fat foods Now when you eat greasy deep fried foods The stomach has to use your liver and your gallbladder to release bile to digest all of that fat That’s what breaks down the [00:03:00] fat So this typically can take a while, and this kind of slows down your digestive process.

So this can cause things like constipation, or if it sits in there for too long, it kind of ferments things that it shouldn’t, and it could just cause an upset stomach. It can also cause heartburn, because they relax that sphincter muscle in your esophagus, the one that lets food in and out, right? And it kind of prevents that backflow of stuff that’s in your stomach from coming back up.

And so you can get heartburn because of that. So, as a result of this greasy high fat food and trans fats, you’re more likely to have acid reflux and heartburn, and just have an overall stalled digestive system. So, not good. Next, let’s look at processed foods. So things like chips and sodas and things made with white flour, things that are, you know, void of all fiber and things that, well, other things that your body needs, these move through your digestive system really quickly.

So this leads to things like bloating and [00:04:00] cramping and gas. So processed food, another thing you don’t need. Really, you don’t need it at all, but let’s say you need it very minimally. Next, we’re looking at artificial sweeteners. So, these are, there’s a lot of research behind a lot of artificial sweeteners out there, like the little packets that you get on your table at the restaurant, the little blue and pink and yellow packets, and there is a pretty big consensus on people who have looked at the research.

That really, artificial sweeteners, besides the fact that it’s hurting your digestive system, they’re, they’re just not good. There’s a lot of other things. We’ll save that for another day. But in terms of your digestive system and your digestion, the ingredients in these artificial sweeteners can cause bloating and diarrhea and gas and sorbidol, for example, sorbitol, is a sugar alcohol.

And it’s a big one that can cause diarrhea and cramps and some pretty serious digestive issues for people. And it’s funny because this sorbitol is [00:05:00] something found in a lot of, quote, I’m using air quotes here, healthy foods. Are foods that you really wouldn’t think of that would have, you know, quote bad ingredients in it So i’m talking about things like chewing gum And some frozen yogurt if you’re looking at like sugar free yogurt or yogurt, that’s like, you know, no sugar vitamins like chewable gummy vitamins There’s some syrups like if you look at some elderberry syrups, which elderberry is super good for you.

It’s really high in antioxidants It’s good for immune system But a lot of these Again, seemingly healthy things. They put artificial sweeteners in so they taste good. So, you really may not even know that you’re eating it, and then you get an upset stomach like, well, what did I eat? And, well, you didn’t really eat anything, but you took your chewable, your gummy vitamins, and then had Sobritol in it.

So, yeah. Let’s kind of stay away from those artificial sweeteners, besides some other side effects that we don’t want. They’re unwarranted. So, next, we’re looking at high fructose corn syrup. Now, this stuff has been [00:06:00] linked, again, same as artificial sweeteners to gas, bloating, stomach pain, things like abdominal cramps, and just like artificial sweeteners, it’s really lurking in a lot of foods that I really don’t think about.

Obviously processed food, because it’s cheap, it’s easy to put in the processed food, but a lot of other things too, like salad dressings and condiments, yogurt, some sodas, even, you know, quote, I’m using air quotes again, diet sodas. So, moral of the story here, be sure to read the labels before you eat any of this stuff.

So, I strongly encourage you, this is kind of my soapbox moment for this episode, to start reading labels just to see what’s in the food that you’re buying. Alright, let’s move on. So, the next thing we’re looking at these not so healthy foods that hurt digestion is alcohol. Now, drinking alcohol in moderation is not typically a big deal, but we, when we kind of get past that moderation mark, the alcohol relaxes that sphincter muscle [00:07:00] in your esophagus, that muscle again that I mentioned before that kind of allows things in and out of your esophagus or up and down your esophagus.

So when you drink too much alcohol, it’s going to cause heartburn and acid reflux because now it’s relaxing it. So it’s letting some of that stomach acid come back up. And then, of course, what most of you already know, too much alcohol can cause problems in your liver, but it can also inflame your stomach lining, so just, really just making you have an upset stomach, and it can damage the lining in your stomach that can cause things like leaky gut, so it kind of causes things to perforate outside of your digestive system into your bloodstream, and it affects your cells, and it causes a whole host of other problems.

So, Drinking alcohol at a moderate level can kind of eliminate all of those extra problems. Now another thing that’s hurting your digestion, and this isn’t so much an unhealthy food, but eating too little fiber. So fiber I’ve talked about before on lots of social media posts and a couple other episodes here I’ve done on the podcast.

Fiber is so [00:08:00] crucial. For a lot of things but it helps keep your regular prevents constipation and really helps you get rid of toxins and waste So we want fiber. We want to slow down our digestion You want to keep things moving along in our digestive system. And so eating too little fiber really is going to hurt digestion It’s going to kind of stall it out So it’s not moving the way it should and then another thing that’s going to hurt your digestion is eating too quickly. So when you eat too fast, you don’t give your stomach enough time to expand.

So first of all, it’s just gonna be uncomfortable because you’re gonna feel discomfort and pain because your stomach is now, you know, bigger than it should be. But then also when you eat too fast, you’re swallowing a lot of unnecessary air that can cause you bloating. So eating slowly and mindfully will help your digestion.

So let’s move on to the next category here. The next category, these are common foods that You are eating that could be healthy for most people, but they can hurt your digestion. So it’s important to just keep it in mind. [00:09:00] First, looking at carbonated drinks. Now, this doesn’t have to be like soda, it can be, you know, those cool carbonated flavored waters that you like, or, you know, mineral water that has some fizzy stuff in it.

So for some people, and again, this kind of whole list, it’s dependent on the person. Some people are more sensitive to these things than others, but it can cause reflux, it can cause bloating, it can cause a lot of discomfort, so carbonated drinks on the list. Next is meat. Now, this sounds strange And I’m not advocating for everyone to stop eating meat, but you should know that meat has zero fiber, like none.

So it does nothing to help with your digestion, right? Some studies have even shown that there are certain bad bacteria that are connected to things like gut inflammation and certain diseases. tend to flourish in the stomachs of those who eat a meat heavy diet. So those who eat a lot of meat can build this bad bacteria up in their stomach.

So this doesn’t mean you have to give up meat for good, unless you just want to, that’s cool, [00:10:00] too. But make sure when you are eating it that you’re eating reasonable portions. You’re not eating too much at once. And that when you are buying it, you’re opting in for the higher quality meat. Yes, it is more expensive, but it’s definitely worth it in terms of the nutrients that you’re getting, and the stuff that you’re avoiding, really, a lot of stuff that you’re avoiding.

So, you know, opting for grass fed beef rather than corn fed, it’s really going to affect how your body metabolizes it, and what goes on in your gut with that good or the bad bacteria, right? So next on the list is coffee. Now, coffee, a lot of people can tolerate coffee just fine, and they can drink, you know, a few cups of coffee and never feel anything, or at least they don’t think they feel anything, but truth is, coffee is very acidic, and it can’t irritate the lining of your stomach, so it can cause heartburn, it can cause acid reflux.

It can cause issue with your bowels. So, there are a few things that can happen from drinking coffee or drinking coffee too much. So, be careful with the coffee. Next, too much fiber. So, I mentioned to eating too little [00:11:00] fiber can hurt your digestion, but eating too much fiber can also affect your digestion.

Now, I am a firm believer that you should be getting much more than what you need. Most people recommend, especially what the FDA recommends, is a good amount of fiber to eat. So it’s all kind of relative here. Too much fiber is a relative term. But when you start to eat lots of fiber all at once, your digestive system can have trouble adjusting, right?

It’s not used to breaking down all of that food that you’re eating and it doesn’t know what to do with all the fiber you’re eating. So you’re gonna get gassy. You’re gonna feel bloated. So, if you are increasing your fiber intake, I strongly suggest you start gradually and don’t just jump into eating beans and all kinds of vegetables and all high fiber foods all in one day because your stomach, is your stomach’s not going to like it very much.

Now, I will tell you, there is a period where yes, your body will adjust. Your body kind of builds up the right fiber. enzymes and bacteria that it needs to break it [00:12:00] down and eliminate stuff. And so your body adjusts, but there is kind of an adjustment period when you are increasing your fiber intake. So keep it in mind, especially if you’re transitioning from a meat centric diet to a plant centric diet or if you’re going plant based or vegan.

Make it a gradual thing. Don’t jump in too quickly or you’re gonna feel like okay Why did I do this because now I feel worse than how I felt before. So gradual increase on the fiber. Now next on the list is cruciferous vegetables. Now, these are things like broccoli or cabbage or cauliflower. These are really good for you.

There’s a lot of studies that have done that have been done talking about that have shown some anti cancer things going on with with some stuff that’s these vitamins that are in these vegetables, but They do, can, kind of have that bloating effect, like the too much fiber I was just talking about. So, they have some sugars in them that can make you gassy, kind of like beans, if you eat too many beans.

And they are very high in fiber, so sometimes it can be hard to digest. Now, it’s gonna be a little easier [00:13:00] on your stomach if you cook them instead of eating them raw. So if you’re munching on raw broccoli or raw cauliflower, it is gonna, your body has to work harder to digest those, and it can cause you more bloating than if you, you know, steam them or roasted them or whatever.

And same thing with beans. So this is kind of a sidebar here, but same thing with beans. So beans can cause bloating. It has some enzymes in there that does, it is hard for your body to break down. So I recommend that you buy dry beans so you can buy the canned beans, but when you buy the canned beans, you don’t really know, you know, how they’ve been cooked, which more than likely they haven’t been cooked in a way that’s going to help your body digest them any better.

So yes, canned beans are fine. There’s nothing wrong with them, but when you buy the dry beans, You’re able to soak them and rinse them and it kind of breaks down that enzyme that’s hard for your body to digest So it makes it easier. So I highly recommend if you are gonna use beans use the dry beans Let them soak, you know, four to six hours or overnight the longer really the longer the better But I guess it depends [00:14:00] on how much time you have before you need to cook the beans But the longer you can soak them it breaks down those enzymes so your body can digest it easier much less easier Next on the list here, common foods are unripe bananas.

Now, I know sometimes you get those green bananas at the store and you have to sit there and wait for them to ripen, but there really is a good reason to avoid eating bananas that are too green. Unripe bananas are high in tannins, which is a resistant starch that’s hard to digest. Now, there are multiple studies on this resistant starch that it is good for you, it’s good for your glucose, and all of these things, but For some people who are sensitive, these tannins can cause constipation because it does slow down your digestive process.

So if you’re sensitive to, um, you know, high fiber foods, then you’ll probably be one of those people who are sensitive to these tannins. Now, if you can, wait for your bananas to ripen, and then it’ll be a little easier to digest. And then one other thing on the list here is tomatoes. [00:15:00] Now, tomatoes have a lot of really great health benefits, they’re high in a lot of vitamins and minerals, a lot of phytonutrients there, but if you are a chronic heartburn sufferer, tomatoes are not your friend.

Tomatoes are very acidic, they have high levels of citric acid and malic acid, and so foods that contain tomatoes or tomato based foods, like anything, even like ketchup, it can stimulate the body to produce more gastric acid, which causes acid reflux. So if you feel like you got heartburn after you ate that slice of pizza or that bowl of spaghetti, then you’re probably right.

It was the tomatoes. So I would say if you are going to eat it, try not to eat it late at night where you’re going to have to lay down and go to sleep. But yeah, tomatoes can be something that really hurts people’s digestion. So after looking at those two lists, I do want to talk about what can help your digestion.

So things you can eat. That can kind of ease your digestion, make digestion a little [00:16:00] more efficient. So first, let’s look at whole grains. I’m not gonna get into the whole low carb, no carb, high carb, all the carbs thing, but I am a proponent of whole grains. I think they are healthy. They are full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

So we’re gonna leave it at that for this conversation and we can talk about the carb thing in another day. But all that to say that really if you want your gut to work better, you want your digestive system to work better, whole grains are your friend. They have a ton of fiber, a ton of other nutrients, omega 3s, really helps your digestive system move along.

Now, when I say whole grains, I mean the grains in their whole form, not like, you know, refined grains or refined breads and pastas, all that. I’m talking the whole grains. So, another great benefit here, because of the high fiber that’s in these whole grains, when fiber is fermented in your gut, the result are these enzymes and these substances that encourage the proper function in the cells of your colon, which is where about 70 percent or more of our immune cells live, they live in your colon.[00:17:00] 

So when this fiber gets there, it kind of helps build on that stuff that’s helping build a healthy immune system. So I really do recommend getting some good whole grains in your diet. And these are things like brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth. There’s a lot of ancient grains that are kind of popular right now.

These are grains in their whole form. If you can find some good quality whole grain bread, certainly like Ezekiel bread is a great brand. They’re all sprouted grains and there’s nothing refined in it. Whole grains are where it’s at for fiber and kind of built helping build a healthy gut. Now, another thing to help digestion are leafy greens.

Now, leafy greens, and these are things like kale, or spinach, or collards, things like that. They’re a great source of fiber, you know, besides the fact that they have a ton of antioxidants and really a lot, a ton of vitamins, minerals, and folate. But they have a ton of fiber in addition to that. They’re also Considered prebiotics now.

I know you’ve heard of probiotics, right? Typically [00:18:00] probiotics are what we take in like supplement form where we think of eating like yogurt or drinking kombucha to get your probiotics Prebiotics are kind of what feeds the probiotics. So if we were to stop eating foods that are high in probiotics or stop taking our probiotic supplements, all the good bacteria, the probiotics that are in your gut would kind of just disappear.

It would just get eliminated through waste. So we need these prebiotics that feed and nourish the probiotics. So that’s what helps these good bacteria to grow and multiply. It’s the prebiotics. So leafy greens are a great way to do that. All right, next let’s look at fruits. Now there are certain fruits that can help digestion.

Some of them can actually hurt digestion. So, low fructose fruits are something that can help digestion. Now, if you’re somebody who’s prone to like gas and bloating, then high fructose fruits, these are high in fructose, which is a sugar that’s in fruit, can really [00:19:00] exacerbate that. So, it can make it worse.

And these are things like pears, mangoes, grapes, watermelons, pineapples, papaya. So, if you think of like the sweeter fruits, dried fruits, Fruit juices. All of these are high in fructose not saying that fructose is, you know You shouldn’t ever have any of it because really all fruit has fructose These are super high fructose and it can cause some digestive discomfort Fruits that are low in fructose are fruits like berries citrus fruits Things like oranges, you know, grapefruits, apples.

These have less fructose and it makes your body be able to digest it easier. It’s a lot easier to tolerate, less likely to cause gas. They have a ton of fiber in it, so it helps keep things moving right along. Avocado is another good one. Avocado is considered a fruit. I don’t want to get into that debate, but yes.

It’s the same thing. It’s lower, it’s low fructose food, so it’s less likely to cause gas and discomfort. Now, another good thing to eat for your digestion is chia seeds. [00:20:00] Chia seeds are a superfood. Love chia seeds. You can toss them in just about anything. But they’re a great source of fiber and they fill you up.

They’re a great source of omega threes. And just like I talked about the leafy greens, they’re also a prebiotic. So it supports the growth of those healthy bacteria in your gut. Chia seeds are great. Now, speaking of prebiotics, we’re looking at probiotics. So fermented foods are where you’re going to get those great probiotics.

So that helps kind of fight off the harmful bacteria and build the healthy bacteria in your gut. Okay. These are things like kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh is one, kefir, yogurt, things that have been fermented. Now, when you’re looking at things like sauerkraut or pickles, because I think a lot of people have the perception that all pickles are good pickles, and not to say they’re not delicious, but not all of them have that fermented goodness, that fermented benefits that we’re looking for.

So if [00:21:00] you’re looking for pickles Or sauerkraut for that matter that have the probiotic benefits You’re going to want to look in the refrigerated section if you’re buying pickles off the aisle There are zero health benefits there like none. So they’ve been soaked in vinegar They have not been fermented like naturally that’s what builds those good probiotics.

So you want to look in the refrigerated section With for the sauerkraut really sauerkraut kimchi and the pickles. That’s where you’re going to find the good Probiotic build good stuff two other things last two things here that are going to help digestion One of these, ginger, you’ve probably heard of.

Ginger has been used in Eastern medicine a lot. It helps improve digestion. It helps prevent nausea. But, really, it helps accelerate gastric emptying. So it kind of keeps things moving through your intestines quicker. So it kind of eliminates that unwanted extra fermentation of stuff that’s happening in your gut when your food just sits there.

So you can sip ginger tea, you can [00:22:00] munch on dried ginger, crystallized ginger. Ginger is a great thing for digestion. And the same with peppermint. These are kind of my holistic remedies here for y’all in this episode. Peppermint does the same thing. Now, peppermint oil, or peppermint, like, like peppermint tea, the oils in the leaves, it’s what makes the essential oil, and this has been shown to improve digestive issues.

The oil has menthol in it, which is said to kind of help relax the digestive system, so it kind of eases bloating or stomach discomfort, and it kind of keeps things moving, accelerates the food, just like ginger, through your digestive system. So, drinking peppermint tea or sipping on tea. Maybe eating something with peppermint oil in it.

Some maybe using a diffuser with peppermint oil. I don’t know if it had the same effect, but I relate. Peppermint tea is always kind of my go to there. It’s always a great way to get peppermint in. So those are all the foods and things that you can eat to help with digestion. And then last but not least here, I do want to mention a few things that [00:23:00] you can do to help digestion. So there are a lot of things in life that can hurt your digestion, right? Stress being the main one. Stress can really harm your digestive system besides all the other things that it can do to your body. And so to help ease digestion, the opposite of that is what we want to look for, right?

So we’re looking at things that are going to help you relax. So things like meditation, getting enough sleep, All of these things are really going to help digestion. Stress really affects that brain gut connection. And so, getting sleep, working on meditation, things like taking a walk, especially after a meal, that helps kind of get things moving and flowing.

Adequate hydration. I know this is a big one for a lot of people. I’ve had multiple clients before where, you know, they’ve complained about bloating, feeling bloated all the time. They have these, you know, Things that they deal with on a daily basis literally the only thing they do is change The fact that they’re drinking more water and instantly it’s like all their problems are [00:24:00] gone. So it is very underestimated the power of hydration drink water people just drink water Said this in a previous episode.

I always recommend at least three liters a day for people and that’s just like a general recommendation It’s nothing to do with you know, your body size how much you sweat how much how active you or anything like that general recommendation Least three liters Just drink water. And then the last thing here is eating mindfully.

And I know I mentioned that before when I was talking about things that can hurt digestion, but when we’re more mindful about how we’re eating, what we’re eating, it’s really gonna help digestion. So if we can teach our bodies to kind of relax when we get more sleep, when we’re taking care of ourselves with exercise, With, you know, stretching, and rotations, and twisting, all these things can help digestion.

So, take all of this, put it all together, and then see, maybe go through the list again, and you can find what’s triggering your digestive issues. I think most of us, [00:25:00] There’s a statistic that says 70 to 75 percent of us deal with some sort of digestive, digestive issues or Digestive discomfort, which is I mean essentially it’s all of us, right?

Everybody’s dealing with something and it doesn’t have to be that way I think people think they have to live with these digestive issues and you don’t so go through the list See if there’s any of these things you’re eating or things that you’re doing that are hurting your digestive system Add some of these things that help it and see what happens I love to know what happens.

Let me know. You can find me Facebook, Instagram. Thanks for listening today. I hope y’all got some good bits of information to help just help you live a better life. I’ll see y’all in the next one. Bye guys. Thanks for listening to Hopeful and Wholesome, y’all. If you found value in this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to let me know what you thought.

I’d love to know what you find useful in these episodes so I know how I can provide the most value I can to my listeners. And if you have topics [00:26:00] that you want to know more about I’d love to hear those as well. So shoot me a message on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. It’s at the Hope Pedraza or visit my website, hopefulandwholesome.

com. Thanks y’all.