Water is universally the most beneficial beverage you can ever drink and you’ve probably heard from health professionals that staying hydrated is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You’ve probably also heard from fitness gurus that one of the ways to effectively lose weight is to drink lots of water.
But did you know that just adding ingredients to your water can be the key on how to improve your digestion which is great not only for your body but also your mind? Here are 6 things you can add to aid your digestive system.
1. Putting Lemon Into Your Water
We all know that lemon is loaded with Vitamin C and if you’re not getting your daily intake of fruits then this should be a convenient way to do so. Just add 4-5 thin slices of lemon into your tumbler of water and it should be able to keep your immune system up to keep away unwanted viruses.
And want to know something even more surprising? The acids in lemon juice have the same properties as the acids in your stomach so it tricks your liver to produce more bile, and with more bile, food is able to move through the digestive tract more smoothly.
2. Using Fresh Mint Leaves
We’re very sure you’ve seen mint leaves being used as an ingredient to enhance the taste of water and there are many beneficial reasons for doing so. One of the best reasons for using mint is its ability to help in soothing stomach problems such as digestion or constipation. The herb is also known to help activate our saliva glands that produce digestive enzymes to aid in digestion and that’s also one of the main reasons why chefs love using it to balance out the elements of their dishes.
3. Mix in some Cinnamon
If you’re looking for a sure way on how to improve digestion, you can look at Cinnamon. Cinnamon is widely used for its medicinal values and in the oriental world, it is is used for its warm effects. If you have stomach issues, try mixing one stick of cinnamon in a cup of warm water. Because it has an agent that helps us break intestinal gases and soothe digestive systems with excess wind, cinnamon can also help to cure nausea and even intestinal colic.
4. Make some Ginger Tea
Just like cinnamon, ginger is also a great ingredient that has the agents to break down excess gas in the intestines. If you are prone to stomach bloating or intestinal cramps that are caused by spasms in your intestinal tract, you can give ginger a try. Just cut some fresh ginger root, mix it with water and leave it overnight, this would give time for the water to absorb all the nutrients from the ginger.
5. Throw Cucumbers into cold water
Cucumbers are a great source for Vitamin B and Vitamin B helps us in terms of easing our stress and anxieties which are also one of the main contributors to a bad digestive system. Adding cucumbers to water might not have a huge effect but eating it in general, no matter in what form, is a great way to get fiber into your body that aids in chronic constipation.
6. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar
2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with your cup of water can help to increase the production of hydrochloric acids in our bodies. The purpose of Hydrochloric acid is to break down proteins into amino acids and also promoting digestion. Without enough stomach acids in our body, our food is not completely digested and the nutrients are not optimally absorbed.
By drinking water with apple cider vinegar, it can help our digestive system in producing more hydrochloric acid to improve digestion. This is also a great alternative if you’re lacking in hydrochloric acid production and not wanting to take HCL supplements.
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