Do you feel like your food is just sitting in your stomach for hours, or takes days to move through your digestive tract? Or is the opposite happening, and you are running to the bathroom before you have even finished your meal?

Or maybe, you are alternating between constipation and diarrhea. You are not alone! Today, I will be sharing steps you can take to alleviate the problem and improve your digestion.

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[0:07] Do you feel like your food is just sitting in your stomach for hours or takes days to move through your digestive tract?
Or, is the opposite happening and you’re running to the bathroom before you’ve even finished your meal? Or, maybe you’ve noticed that you’re alternating between constipation and diarrhea.

[0:30] Well you are not alone, and today I’ll be sharing steps you can take to alleviate the problem and improve your digestion.

[0:40] Music.

[0:48] Hi, my name is Biggi Fraley I am The Arthritis Coach. Welcome to today’s show!

[0:55] Well, today, I want to share with you my 9 steps that you can start implementing right now to get things moving properly through your gut.
So, let’s dive right in two step number one: Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

[1:15] Changing your diet to incorporate 50 to 75% fresh fruits and veggies will radically change your daily elimination habits,
as they add fiber to your diet.
You see, your body needs fiber in order to expel toxins, excess hormones, and other junk.
So, when planning your meals, first plan your veggies and fruits,
and then at the carbs and protein. For instance, at lunch, fill your plate with a beautiful big salad, kind of as the mattress for the rest of your meal.
Just don’t forget to drink lots of water too so that you don’t end up with bulky stool.
‘Cause most of the fiber in fruits and vegetables is water soluble. And, speaking of water,
let’s talk about step number two which is to drink plenty of water. Did you know that up to 75% of Americans are dehydrated?
The problem is much more prevalent than most of us realize.

[2:29] Water is needed to help food pass through the small and large intestine,
along with the colon and rectum, as it can take up to 24 hours for your food to actually pass from your mouth
to your anus. In the intestine one gallon of fluid is absorbed daily to help with digestion.
And, in the colon, 5 to 10 pounds of fecal matter
can be stored because of dehydration caused by lack of water. So, if you have been looking for a magic pill to lose weight quickly,
start drinking some water because you might have all that mess sitting in your colon that needs to be moved out and there’s a quick 5 to 10 lb weight loss. All right, and step number 3
exercise. You see moving your body everyday is key to daily bowel movements. And, what kind of exercise should you do?
Well, the one that you will actually get done on a daily basis.
It’s that simple! You don’t need to do a killer workout everyday for it to be considered exercise. Just getting 20 to 30 minutes of continuous movement
will help you move your bowels.

[3:55] These days, right, exercise has become even more important during long periods of sitting during our commute,
trips, sedentary desk jobs, and the screen time we’re spending typically way too much of. Write
into your daily schedule and your daily bowel movement will follow closely behind.
Step number 4 is to follow the 80/20 rule. This rule is to eat until you’re 80% full,
and that leaves 20% room in your stomach for the digestion to actually take place. See, nobody really likes that uncomfortable full feeling,
and, your tummy will thank you as well, if you stop before you’re full.

[4:45] Step number 5, allow for short fasting periods. So, what do I mean by that?
Well, don’t worry. I am not suggesting that you don’t eat for a day or longer. What I’m suggesting is that you take some time between meals,
right? Give your system about 3 or 4 hours to let the food assimilate.
You see, when your gut is constantly bombarded by food all day long
it basically gets overwhelmed and doesn’t work properly anymore. So, give it some time to work on that last meal before you head to the kitchen for a snack.
Basically, just grazing all throughout the day is not a good idea for healthy digestion.

[5:36] And step number 6,
cut out sugar and white carbohydrates. Now, these foods will actually feed the bad bacteria in your gut.
So, you want to avoid them for less gas and bloating, and you don’t want that spike of insulin that comes with them either.
Not talking about the crash that certainly follows. Step number 7,
I know may stir up a little controversy, but I want to suggest you avoid gluten. Going gluten-free is not just for people diagnosed with celiac disease.
You see, a large percentage of Americans are gluten-sensitive and they don’t even know it. So, what I’m suggesting is just try going without and see if your digestion improves.
I mean, sometimes it can improve in a matter of days, sometimes it takes maybe 3 weeks, but, give it a try, will you?

[6:43] Step number 8, eat fermented foods. Now, fermented foods are also known as prebiotics.
They support your gut flora and help balance the bacteria and fungi in your digestive system. Some examples of fermented foods are kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and
pickles. And, step number 9 is to supplement with enzymes and probiotics.
Digestive enzymes and probiotics promote a healthy digestive tract and a healthy immune system.
Did you know that as we age our body actually starts producing fewer enzymes, which can lead to digestive issues like gas and bloating, as your body is unable to fully break down the food that you eat.

[7:37] Also, probiotics are bacteria in your digestive tract that support the immune system and help reduce chronic inflammation. That’s why,
if you suffer from autoimmune disease or arthritis specifically, more often than not it starts in the gut
where through unhealthy gut flora information is caused, which then causes your arthritis,
most likely followed by other autoimmune diseases down the road. So, if you incorporate some or all of the tips I’ve given you today you will ease into better digestion,
and the tummy troubles will disappear. All right! So, that’s already it for today.
I hope you enjoyed the show, and, if you did please do share it on your favorite social media outlets. It’s always appreciated.
I also want to thank you for tuning in today; I appreciate your time and hope I could give you some actionable advice. Start implementing some of these tips
today, and make sure to tune in next week,

[8:47] when I’ll be discussing the Elimination Diet, which will further help you improve your digestion on a more individualized basis.
Remember, you can find me either live at 11 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday morning at https://biggifraley.com/live
or Wednesday mornings after 4 a.m. Pacific in your favorite podcast app.

[9:16] So, thank you so much again for tuning in and I hope you have a lovely week. Thank you! Bye bye.