How You Can Have Better Health for the New Year

As we advance into the new year, you may be trying to decide on a New Year’s goal. Consider letting the new year bring forth the healthiest version of yourself by finding ways to boost your gut health. Maintaining a healthy digestive system can improve your general health in several ways you might not have even thought about. The devoted team at Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates has put together some important information concerning ways to improve digestion.

What are the advantages of great digestive wellness?

If your gastrointestinal health is suffering, it can influence every aspect of your life. Within our digestive system, we have a symbiotic relationship between good and bad microbes. When that microbiome is uneven, it can cause several GI issues. Less-than-ideal GI health can change your sleep, aggravate your levels of stress, and place you at risk for other health concerns. Alternatively, when we monitor our gut health, the advantages are endless. A couple of the ways that having good GI health can positively improve your overall GI wellness include:

• Brain to health benefits
• Healthy heart benefits
• Improving your quality of sleep
• Increasing your bone strength
• Boosting your immune system
• Weight management
• Boosting your mental state

In general, it is the understanding that the gut microbiome is crucial for overall well-being. Any changes in lifestyle to improve your gut health will not only incorporate ways to assist in digestion, but can also serve to elevate your entire well-being.

What are some ways to enhance my gut health?

There are many actions that you might take to improve your GI wellness. A number of such approaches include the kinds of nutrition we give ourselves, which directly correlates to how effectively we digest foods and the current health of our gut. Various changes we can make to our food choices include eating:

• Foods rich in polyphenols (green tea, blueberries, almonds, dark chocolate)
• Large amounts of legumes, fruits, beans, and vegetables (artichokes, raspberries, broccoli, bananas, and apples)
• A varied assortment of foods
• A vegetarian diet
• Whole grains
• Prebiotic items (oats, bananas, berries, and peas)

You may also amplify your GI health by eating foods rich in probiotics (including items like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, or yogurt).

How can I assist my digestion?

When you make the changes listed above to your diet to enhance your gastrointestinal health, these changes ought to, in turn, also assist with digestion. You can also incorporate many lifestyle changes to further improve your digestion. Some extra actions include:

• Quit smoking, or refrain from smoking
• Reduce stress
• Keep a healthy weight
• Maintain regular physical activity
• Ensure you stay hydrated
• Get enough sleep

If you've altered your diet and lifestyle and keep experiencing gut or stomach problems more than every two weeks, it is time to consult a digestive doctor at Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates for further evaluation. Repeated constipation, stomach pain, loose stools, or additional GI issues are signs that you need to contact one of our New Orleans, LA GI professionals to book a consultation.

Connect with an experienced digestive specialist in New Orleans, LA

At Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates, we are a team of skilled GI doctors that seeks to provide complete care not only for issues as they arise, but also to help you maintain great gut health for optimum wellness. If you are facing digestive problems and need help with improving your GI health, book a consultation at one of our New Orleans, LA locations today to begin your path to a healthier and better you this new year.