When we talk about our digestion, we tend to think of it in simplistic terms. But our guts are actually a superpower of the body that builds the foundation of our health. The gastrointestinal system aka GI tract aka digestive system is a group of organs that include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum. Our gut plays many essential roles in sustaining and protecting the overall health and wellness of our bodies, starting with the intake and absorption of nutrients from food and water. The digestive process provides the building blocks the body needs to live, function, and stay healthy.

The digestive system is often referred to as the second brain, because the two organs communicate to execute essential functions of the body. There are just as many neurotransmitters in your gut as there are in your brain! Both the brain and gut play major roles in our stress level, mood, and state of mind. Not only is the gut filled with nerve cells that receive and provide information to the brain, but the gut also produces more than 90% of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate our mood or emotions. 

Keeping your gut healthy not only keeps your body healthy but also helps regulate your mood and keep you happy and able to adapt to environmental stress more easily. Pretty serious stuff! The health of your gut relies almost entirely on the foods you eat and the things you can consume. So here are some simple ways to boost the functionality of your gut: 

Avoid cold foods - according to Dao Labs, keeping the stomach and GI tract warm helps the body to better digest food. Eating cold foods slows the digestive process down, causing indigestion and decreased absorption of nutrients. 

Eat more ginger - ginger is literally good for nearly everything. But digestion is definitely one of them, it’s also a stomach soother and can reduce nausea, boost brain health, and decrease inflammation. Healthline goes into deeper detail about the powers of ginger here. 

Digestive Enzymes - Digestive enzymes play a key role in breaking down the food you eat. These proteins speed up chemical reactions that turn nutrients into substances that your digestive tract can absorb. Your saliva has digestive enzymes in it. Some of your organs, including your pancreas, gallbladder, and liver, also release them. But if your diet is inadequate, your body will have a hard time producing enzymes naturally. So taking a supplement before meals will help your body break it all down and absorb it better. 

Fiber - According to USCF, fiber helps to clean the colon almost like a scrub brush, it moves through your system with ease which helps to speed up digestion, and promotes satiety. 

Apple Cider Vinegar - ACV is acidic, so taking a spoonful diluted in water helps people with low stomach acidity by raising stomach acid levels to aid digestion. It also has the power to prevent gas and bloating. ACV is also an antimicrobial substance that may help kill bacteria in the stomach or intestines

Probiotics and prebiotics - they’re good bacteria that live in your gut already. But environmental factors can affect and deplete our gut flora (natural bacteria) causing stomach and digestive issues. Taking probiotics helps the body to restore the natural balance in our gut flora and get back on its regular programming.