From a bloated tummy to uncomfortable stomach cramps and flatulence, indigestion can be painful and unbearable. Often, the main culprit behind these digestive issues is diet. If certain vegetables, dairy products, and sugars are having an impact on your body, it might be time to say goodbye and swap them out for foods that work for you.
You can steadily re-introduce the offending foods into your diet at a later stage when you’re able to tolerate them better. Here are a few examples of food swaps that can ease digestive dramas.
- Chop The Cream Of The Crop
Cream is one of those dairy products that, aside from increasing your cholesterol levels, can lead to bloating and digestive discomfort. So, while a creamy corn soup may whet your appetite, a freshly made tomato or butternut soup should satisfy your taste buds just as well without causing gas.
Consider swapping cream for a plant-based alternative or the goodness of A2 milk. This will allow you to make fat-free versions of your favorite creamy soups without dealing with digestive issues later.
- Goodbye Gas-Producing Vegetables
While you were always encouraged to eat cauliflower and broccoli as a baby, these vegetables can lead to severe gas because of the sugars they contain. Instead of eliminating vegetables completely from your diet, opt for ones that still taste good but have far less undesirable side-effects.
Say hello to spinach, parsley, and zucchini. In terms of nutritional value, these veggies are great for your body without any of the unnecessary gas.
- Changing Your Refined Palate To a Discerning One
Have you tried that asparagus savory filled with oodles of cheese? How about a side of creamy mushrooms? Onion rings as a side dish perhaps? Yummy!
While all these vegetables make delicious sides, they’re also high in fructans. This means they may well be the culprits behind your tummy troubles. Delicious though they may be, there are other tasty alternatives like potato or butternut squash. Even a stuffed pepper could be interesting to create a side dish with.
- Forget The Fruit Juice
You may not have realized this, but fruit juice in a carton or a can is not much healthier than your normal fizzy drink. If you can’t imagine your life without juice, try blending your own smoothies or fruit juices. Otherwise, swap them for herbal teas which can assist with digestion.
- Supplement Raw Vegetables With Cooked Ones
Have you ever felt heartburn after eating a salad? As refreshing as some vegetables taste when they’re raw, they can cause harm to the digestive tract. When you cook vegetables, the heat breaks down tough fibers which means that your body doesn’t need to go through the effort of breaking them down for you.
- Canned stuff must be canned!
Canned vegetable soup makes life so easy, but these foods contain sugars and preservatives that are difficult for the body to digest. Instead of pulling out a can of veggie soup, wash your vegetables carefully and create your own oven-roasted vegetable soup.
Bonus Tip: Blow Out The Beans
Baked beans, butterbeans, and sugar beans are all foods that are known to cause gas. If you’re creating a new meal plan, lower your bean intake, and consider having quinoa instead.
Cutting certain foods from your diet can be difficult, so it helps to go about this process slowly. If cravings for certain swapped out foods arise, try re-introducing them in smaller quantities. Start by eating small bite-sized chunks before you bite off more than you can chew. This way, you’re more likely to succeed.
