Feeling a little sluggish after enjoying the 4th of July BBQs, snacks, and festive drinks? Turns out, this isn’t uncommon after indulging in unhealthy foods and snacks, but can be remedied with a more “mindful eating” approach.
Healthy digestion is essential for proper nutrient absorption, immune support, and even mood regulation. Let's explore why a healthy digestive system is so important and how you can take steps today to get your gut back on track.
Common Causes of Digestive Issues
Today's diets lack essential nutrients that help keep the gut flora healthy and functioning at its best. This is mainly due to not eating a variety of whole foods that help support a stronger immune response.
Today, 75% of the world’s food supply comes from only 12 plants and five animal species.*†
By limiting our food intake to a handful of foods it can also limit the amount of prebiotics - a type of fiber that passes through the body undigested and promotes the growth and activity of friendly gut bacteria.*†
Not only are many of our diets limited, but they are also flooded with harmful ingredients that play a big part in how our digestive system functions.
- Sugars: High sugar intake can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut, leading to issues like bloating and indigestion.*†
- Processed Foods: These foods are often low in fiber and high in artificial additives, which can irritate the digestive tract.*†
- Overeating: Consuming large quantities of food puts extra pressure on your digestive system, making it harder to break down food efficiently. This can cause discomfort, bloating, and slower digestion.*†
- Unhealthy Fats: Diets high in unhealthy fats, like those found in fried foods, can slow down the digestive process.*†
Why Proper Digestion Is Important
Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair. Here are some key functions of effective digestion:*†
- Nutrient Absorption: Your digestive system breaks down food into essential nutrients. Without efficient digestion, your body can't absorb these nutrients properly, leading to deficiencies.*†
- Immune Support: A large portion of your immune system resides in your gut. A healthy gut microbiome helps protect your body from harmful pathogens.*†
- Weight Management: Proper digestion helps process and eliminate waste, preventing bloating and constipation, which can contribute to weight gain.*†
Emerald Labs offers a range of products designed to support your digestive health:
Digestive Health: Digestive Health contains well-studied amounts of digestive enzymes that may help stimulate the body's natural enzyme systems to help break down most common food sensitivities including Gluten, Dairy, and Beans.*
Leaky Gut: A clinical blend to help soothe and support the GI tract and promote optimal digestion and acid balance.*
Reflux Health: A blend of powerful plant extracts containing polysaccharides and biophenols to help support healthy digestion. Mucosave™ FG, has been shown in double-blind placebo controlled-studies to help reduce frequency and severity of heartburn.*1
