One of the most important things to remember when it comes to digestion is that every aspect of your life can be impacting it in one way or another. This is due to the fact that it handles a major system of your body that works to give you the nutrients you need and to dispose of any harmful substances in your body. It is also due to the connection between all of the parts of your body including your brain – which handles your emotions – and even your skin.
This is why optimizing your day-to-day activities to be digestive friendly is a great way to make small changes for a big outcome. Today, we are going to discuss how you can give your hygienic practices a makeover to best suit your digestive system’s needs.
Why Proper Hygiene is Essential for a Thriving Digestive System
Since practicing proper hygiene is such a central part to our daily lives it can become easy to start going through the motions of each practice and to become lazy with our efforts, but it is important to avoid getting lazy because good hygiene is one of the most vital ways to ensure one stays healthy. Gastroenteritis is an illness that is caused by the infection of one’s digestive system and causes the system to become inflamed. It can create issues such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. This is more commonly known as the stomach flu and can be quite challenging to deal with.
In order to avoid gastroenteritis, we must be vigilant in the ways we work to protect ourselves in terms of hygiene. Many times people get a stomach flu by infecting themselves by not washing their hands before eating. Throughout the day our hands touch countless countertops, bathrooms, and public areas that are infested with germs and bacteria. Be sure to avoid infecting yourself with these germs and bacteria by creating a habit of washing your hands regularly throughout the day, but especially before mealtimes. There are many ways to boost your immunity that can also be beneficial for your digestion.
Connection Between Digestion and Oral Health
Taking a closer look at our hygiene can also be a great identifier that something is off in your digestive system. There is a big link between an upset digestive system and issues with your oral health. Sometimes the very first sign that you have a digestive ailment can be identified through your mouth. There is an innate connection between your gut microbiome and your oral microbiome, and if this connection is disrupted certain areas might become inflamed such as your gums causing bleeding in the gums.
If you are someone who chooses to skip over flossing, you are allowing extra bacteria to live in your mouth for longer than it should giving it a place to harbor and thrive. When there starts to be less beneficial bacteria around the gums that is what triggers the inflammatory response causing the bleeding gums. In order to avoid such an issue one must work to practice proper oral practices including mouthwash and flossing on top of brushing. It is also important to note that a digestive-friendly diet filled with well balanced foods is a great way to limit the amount of detrimental bacteria in your system.
How To Elevate Your Hygienic Practices
In addition to proper oral hygiene practices and washing your hands, elevating your shower to be more digestive-friendly is a great way to give your gut that extra boost of support. The connection between your brain and your gut is controlled by something called the vagus which is a nerve that is responsible for making sure that everything runs smoothly between systems.
It is also responsible for relaxing our bodies following the adrenaline caused by a fight-or-flight response to something. Given that in our society we are constantly thinking of our next move and what we have to do, it can become easy to be entrapped in a state of fight-or-flight, but that is why the vagus nerve is so important. The stress we feel from this response can become detrimental to all of the systems in our bodies including the digestive process.
This is why learning how to stimulate and strengthen the vagus nerve is a great way to boost support of all systems within your body to avoid any adverse effects. A great way to give your vagus nerve an added boost is by taking a cold shower or simply giving a burst of cold water to your entire body right before getting out. The cold water helps to support your vagus nerve and calms the rest of your body. If you are someone who lives near the ocean, the same effects can be felt when jumping into the ocean due to the same effect the cold water has on your body.
Dry brushing is a trend that has been found to improve digestion. It consists of giving your body a massage with a dry brush that has bristles on the end of it, and helps your body get rid of excess toxins and water through the increase in circulation it offers. It also works to massage your lymph nodes which is also known to carry much of the excess water we hold in our bodies. While dry brushing is not necessarily an essential hygienic practice, it can be very beneficial to incorporate into your pre-shower routine to give that added boost of support.
Taking your vitamins that help with bloating is a small action that can make a big change in your digestive health. Our 3-step wellness routine makes it easy for you to remember to take your gut health enzymes, because it is curated to be taken in order starting with one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night. The small packaging allows you to be able to throw it in your bag for easy access wherever you go, and works to give your stomach the support it needs all day long. These small conveniences make it easy to stick to your digestive goals without feeling overwhelmed.