How to Fix Your Digestion

Co-authored by Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH

Last Updated: December 4, 2022 References

This is a natural approach to fixing your gut, healing your digestion and recovering from a lifetime of eating "all the wrong things". This is geared towards people with constant indigestion, diarrhea, stomach cramps, pain, and all around digestion discomfort.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Eliminating Digestive Problems

1
Narrow down your problems. The best place to start is by analyzing your diet, what foods are you eating that could contribute to this discomfort?^{[1]
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Expert Source

Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} There are many different foods that can contribute to these feelings of unease in the gut. First, do some quick research on how the gut works; learn the process that your gut goes through whenever you put something into your body. This will give you an understanding on what exactly you are trying to fix.
2
Eliminate foods on a trial basis. Remove difficult to digest foods from your diet. This doesn't necessarily have to last forever but it is a good idea to do it for at least 3-5 days to give your digestion an opportunity to relax a little bit.^{[2]
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Research source}
- These foods can vary from person to person so it's not a simple process to figure this out, but there are some surefire foods that need to go and these include: dairy, gluten and wheat, all processed foods, coffee, smoking (anything), and refined sugar. After the elimination of these from your diet you should feel immediate results.
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3
Take small meals, at least six meals a day. Break your total calorie intake into six (or more) equal portions. Do not drink water right after the meal and take a walk. Try to stay active and avoid lying down right after a meal.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 25 August 2020}
4
Examine stress and coping mechanisms. Stress levels play a direct role in your digestion.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 25 August 2020} Are you stressed out all the time? This can cause an issue. As much as you might not believe what it, you must consider doing activities that reduce your stress in a healthy way: yoga, meditation, walking the dog, biking, being outside, and so on.
- Lots of people smoke cigarettes or pot to relieve stress, which is highly unhealthy unfortunately causing more harm then good.
- The most popular unhealthy stress-reducer is eating, especially bad food and junk food. No diet will ever work for you if your body is in a constant state of stress. Stress attacks your digestive system through a complex breakdown of various hormones.
5
Analyze your results. Now that you have determined what you are going to do as a healthy stress-reliever and have eliminated all "volatile" foods from your diet you should start to see improvements. This reduced diet can't last forever though, it's time to try to reintroduce things quite slowly. Every two days, reintroduce a new food.^{[5]
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Research source}
- Very important: During the reintroduction stage make sure you are reintroducing things one at a time, no mixed ingredients, one new food item every 2 days. For example, try to eat a little bit of cheese (a little bit), if this upsets your stomach then remove cheese again. Two days later try to introduce some gluten or wheat (FYI scientific research indicates that gluten and wheat are unhealthy for everyone, even those who can digest it.) And so on, until you have an idea of the foods that were causing you issues in the first place.
6
Don't get overwhelmed. The steps laid out above are very general; consider them "general guidelines to repairing your digestion." They will only get you on the right track, but everyone is different. This being said there is copious amounts of information on the Internet and lots of it is good. Lots of it is scary and there sheer volume of it is very intimidating. Take it one step at a time, keep on truckin' along until you find something that works for you.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Promoting Healthy Digestion via Diet

Foods to Avoid

1
Avoid dairy. It is definitely worth mentioning that, for many, milk and dairy products are a recipe for digestive disaster. It is thought that humans did not evolve to maintain the digestive mechanisms that break down dairy into adulthood - in fact, some studies have shown that the majority of adults can't properly digest milk.^{[6]
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Research source} Generally speaking, dairy intolerance is so common that, if you're experiencing digestive troubles, you may want to try eliminating dairy as your first move.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 25 August 2020}
- The exception to this rule is yogurt, which, in many circumstances, can actually improve digestive functioning. See below for more information.
2
Avoid fried or fatty foods.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} We all know the telltale "about to burst" feeling that can result from eating an enormous, high-fat meal. In addition to causing uncomfortable bloating, excessively rich, high-fat foods like red meats and fried dishes can lead to painful conditions like heartburn and acid reflux in some individuals. Though a certain level of fat intake is desirable to ensure proper functioning of several important body processes, try to minimize the amount of fatty food you eat to improve your digestive health.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 25 August 2020}
3
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol's nausea-causing effects are well-documented. While it's common knowledge that alcohol can disturb a drinker's stomach in the short-term, what's less well-known is that alcohol can cause lingering digestive issues that persist even after a drinker has sobered up. In fact, intestinal distress and an uneasy stomach for a day or more after a particularly prolific binge drinking session. As with all food and drink, use moderation with alcohol to maintain proper digestive health.^{[10]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
4
Avoid spicy foods. Hot, spicy foods can cause lasting discomfort, especially to people who aren't accustomed to a high-spice cuisine. This discomfort can be accompanied by stomach pain, diarrhea, and/or painful bowel movements. If you have a history of digestive issues, you may want to shy away from spicy, stomach-irritating foods.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
Go to source}
- If you're trapped at an Indian, Mexican, or Thai restaurant and can't seem to find anything on the menu that's not spicy, ask your server for a mild alternative or try ordering a side dish a la carte.

Foods to Seek Out

1
Eat lean meats and fish. It's important to eat protein throughout your life. To keep your digestive system healthy and comfortable, try to get your protein from lean sources like chicken and fish, rather than from red meats. These sources of protein contain less fat than red meat, which means that, for some, they will be easier to digest. They also have not been linked to colon cancer, a deadly digestive disease, while high-fat red meats have.

1
Eat healthy, low-carb grains. The health benefits of a diet rich in nutritious grains are well-publicized. In addition to providing a variety of crucial nutrients, healthy, neutral carbohydrates can be a great way to soothe an upset stomach. Try mild dishes like rice, quinoa, or whole grain toast to get a healthy amount of carbohydrates without provoking an uncomfortable reaction from your stomach.
2
Eat cooked green vegetables. Vegetables, in general, are healthy, nutrient-rich foods. However, many leafy green vegetables can be tough and fibrous when eaten raw, leading to digestive difficulties. To soften the vegetables and break down the nutrients they contain for easy digestion, try cooking them. You can get tasty results by preparing most vegetables alone, with a mild seasoning, or as part of a larger dish.^{[12]
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Research source}
- A variety of methods exist for cooking vegetables - boiling, baking, sauteing, and stir-frying in a low-fat oil are all valid choices.
3
Eat yogurt. Yogurt is smooth, mild, and easy on the digestive system. It's delicious on its own or in dishes with other ingredients (as in, for example, a parfait). In addition, most varieties of yogurt also contain healthy strains of bacteria that supplement the digestive tract's own bacterial flora. Look for a "live and active cultures" label on the yogurt's packaging to determine whether it contains these beneficial bacteria.
- Yogurt's digestion-boosting benefits come in spite of the fact that it's a dairy product, which would normally make it difficult for most people to digest. This is because traditionally-produced yogurt contains lactose, an enzyme that helps the body digest the lactose molecule which normally causes digestive problems in people who can't tolerate dairy.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A

Question

What causes bloating?

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Peter W. Gardner, MD is a board certified physician who has practiced Gastroenterology and Hepatology for over 30 years. He specializes in diseases of the digestive system and liver. Dr. Gardner earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and attended Georgetown Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and then his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Connecticut. He is a previous Chief of Gastroenterology at Stamford Hospital and remains on the staff. He is also on the staff of Greenwich Hospital and New York (Columbia) Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Gardner is an Approved Consultant in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Peter Gardner, MD

Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Answer

Bloating is typically caused by swallowing air or something you've eaten that's fermenting in your bowel and creating gas. You can alleviate bloating by drinking water with your food or taking over the counter products like Gasex.
Question

What foods cause digestive problems?

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Peter W. Gardner, MD is a board certified physician who has practiced Gastroenterology and Hepatology for over 30 years. He specializes in diseases of the digestive system and liver. Dr. Gardner earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and attended Georgetown Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and then his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Connecticut. He is a previous Chief of Gastroenterology at Stamford Hospital and remains on the staff. He is also on the staff of Greenwich Hospital and New York (Columbia) Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Gardner is an Approved Consultant in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Peter Gardner, MD

Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Answer

Eating high fat foods slows down the emptying of the stomach, which can cause digestive issues. Eating late at night can also lead to digestive troubles. If you must eat a snack at night, avoid lying down or going to bed for at least two hours after eating.