Digestive Changes
When making a commitment to a new way of eating, there are changes we can expect such as losing weight, having more energy, and an improvement in certain health conditions. Often times, digestive changes are not something that comes to mind. But when adopting a meal plan that has more fiber, probiotics, and less processed foods many people notice that many of their digestive issues improve. Whether you are dealing with chronic constipation, bloating,
GI inflammation, or heartburn; a healthy diet such as Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating can be a great option to improve your tummy woes.
CONSTIPATION: If you are one of the many Americans suffering from constipation, we provide you with a meal plan that includes high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruit, beans, and peas. We encourage you to drink plenty of fluids by including an 8-oz glass of skim milk with 2-3 meals per day and drinking water or other calorie-free beverages between meals. The combination of fiber, fluid, and exercise has been proven to help improve a
sluggish digestive tract.
BLOATING: Excess sodium in the diet can lead to a buildup of fluids in the body which may be the cause for your bloating. Our plans are low sodium, averaging between 1500-2300 mg of sodium per day, it often helps to decrease belly bloating.
GI INFLAMMATION: Inflammatory bowel conditions such as colitis and crohn’s disease can be very serious and difficult to manage. While every individual dealing with GI inflammation
may have different triggers and ways to manage their condition, it is often recommended to include probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and increased levels of antioxidants from fresh foods.
Our meal plans include a wide variety of foods which can help reduce overall GI inflammation.
HEARTBURN: Portion control is key when dealing with heartburn and our meals are all centered around proper portion control. Trigger foods for heartburn can be individualized but oftentimes include greasy foods, high fat foods, and highly seasoned foods which you will not find on our menus. Losing weight also helps with improving heartburn.
TIPS FOR ADJUSTING TO A HIGH FIBER DIET
Adjusting to a higher fiber diet sometimes leads to temporary intestinal gas and bloating. When you are starting on your Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating journey it is important that you are aware that your body will get adjusted to being on a higher fiber diet with time…so be patient. It is also important to drink enough water to help reduce the effects of increasing fiber too quickly so include plenty of fluids throughout the day. We recommend that you chew your food very well and slow down your eating pace at meal time. Not only will this help you to enjoy your meal more but it will also help to reduce gas that occurs when you gulp your food. You are welcome to split
high-fiber meals into smaller portions, for example you could enjoy the main components of your meal and save the fruit for a snack between meals. This will help spread the fiber out throughout the day rather than loading up at once which may overwhelm a digestive tract that is not used to a lot of fiber.
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