Habits That Affect The Intestines

There are several habits that affect the intestines, causing us problems such as inflammation, intestinal gas or abdominal pressure and often leading to irritable bowel syndrome. But what can we do to protect our intestines? What are the habits that affect their health?

1. Habits that affect our intestines: a high level of stress

Stress is no joke. The pace at which you live your life, hurry, worries, anxiety and stress, all directly affect the health of your stomach and intestines. There are certain theories that claim that our digestive system is like a “second brain”.

In fact, this is where the neurotransmitters are synthesized. For this reason it is very important to have balance and peace in your life. Several experts claim that a high level of stress and anxiety can cause irritable bowel syndrome. Here are just a few of the effects of stress on your body:

• It affects your autonomic nervous system. Stress influences your bowel movements, speeding them up or slowing them down.
• It alters your endocrine system. Stress leads to an increase in certain hormones associated with it, such as adrenaline and cortisone. They can cause problems with food digestion.
• It makes you overeat. Eating too much to calm us down is something we are all guilty of from time to time. The result of this practice is that the intestines will be filled with an excess of food that they will not be able to digest very quickly. This will lead to digestive problems.

Your lifestyle, habits and emotional health directly affect your body, especially your intestines. Thus, be more relaxed and try to have a slower lifestyle, enjoy life and your loved ones without always being in a hurry.

2. Habits that affect the intestines: an inadequate diet

2.1 Avoid fried or processed foods, fast foods or high fat foods

Hamburgers, french fries, chicken fried in too much oil, pizza and onion rings are just some of the dishes usually classified as “fast food”. Many times, because we are in a hurry, we have to resort to such dishes, although we must not ignore the fact that many of us really like fast food.

But haven’t you noticed that as soon as you eat fast food, your stomach starts to hurt? The reason is that these foods are very low in soluble fiber. In addition, when you eat too much fast food, these foods can stimulate your intestinal tract and cause diarrhea or constipation.

• Tips: Cook your food in the oven, because this way you will use less oil. When cooking, for example, vegetables, it is good to steam them. And in terms of oils, the healthiest is olive oil.

2.2 Habits that affect our intestines: eating red meat

Why is it good to avoid this meat? Basically, red meat is very difficult to digest and very rich in fat. Fats whose origin we often do not even know. Nowadays, many animals are genetically modified to grow faster. Their meat is full of toxins whose consumption is not recommended.

• Tips: If you want to eat meat, it is best to choose lean meat, such as chicken or turkey. When buying any kind of meat, look closely at the place of production and try to find out how these animals are raised.

2.3 Habits affecting the intestines: excessive consumption of dairy products

Dairy products are another type of food that can lead to irritable bowel syndrome. In general, most dairy products will make you feel bad, are difficult to digest and do not contain fiber.

In addition, they are rich in fat and lactose, which can cause you major digestive problems, such as diarrhea or constipation. We recommend that you avoid dairy products as much as possible.

• Tips & Warnings Replace cow’s milk with natural and healthy products such as oatmeal, rice, almond, walnut or even pistachio milk. You can easily find them at the supermarket or you can prepare them yourself. It’s worth a try!

3. Be careful what medications you take

Several studies show that the various intestinal diseases you may suffer from, such as, for example, irritable bowel syndrome, are related to the consumption of antibiotics.

In addition, it often happens that certain people start suffering from various diseases immediately after having a bacterial infection. Excessive antibiotics can severely affect our intestines.

What is the reason? It’s really simple: antibiotics can’t tell the difference between beneficial and harmful bacteria. Their purpose is practically to eliminate any microorganism that lives in you, which can lead to an imbalance in your intestinal flora.

However, the exact same thing can happen with other drugs, such as diarrhea or constipation. In general, it is recommended to resort to natural remedies before running to the pharmacy.

However, to be calmer, consult your doctor and ask for his opinion. It will be able to show you the possible side effects of the treatment you want to follow.