Summer is the time for cookouts, picnics and vacations. And while those are great activities to have fun with friends and family, they can sometimes include foods that may benefit from some natural digestion helpers. LetÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s talk about a few digestive helpers to consider when youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re heading to one of these summertime events.
Digestive enzymes
If you have digestive issues such as gas, bloating or even heartburn after certain foods, then supplementing with digestive enzymes might be able to help.
These natural enzymes taken right before a meal can be helpful to provide digestive support for troublesome foods. Check the shelves of your local health food store for a supplement that contains a variety of enzymes like lipase, protease, cellulase and lactase.
These can provide broad digestive support for fats, protein, fiber and lactose respectively. You also may be able to find an enzyme formula that contains probiotics for even more digestive support.
Fermented foods
Raw fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi can be a very helpful and delicious way to ward off digestive woes. Fermented foods often contain beneficial enzymes and probiotics as well as helpful digestive acids. Adding raw sauerkraut or kimchi as a topping or a side to your plate can provide digestive support for your whole meal and more. Be sure to shop for these raw fermented foods in the refrigerated section, as the heating and processing needed for canning will destroy most of the helpful digestive compounds of these foods.
Fermented drinks
Similar to the fermented foods above, fermented drinks like apple cider vinegar, kombucha and tepache contain digestive enzymes, probiotics and beneficial acids that can all aid digestion. These drinks are often much more portable and convenient than packing fermented foods to a cookout or picnic. If I know that IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m heading to a meal that has the possibility of digestive upsets, then I will often grab a bottle of kombucha or a can of tepache to drink on my way or pack a couple of these helpful fermented drinks in my cooler.
Family gatherings like picnics and cookouts can often be some of the most fun times of the summer, so keep some these easy digestive helpers around so youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll be able to support your digestion and get the most out of your summertime fun.
Travis Lemon is a certified herbalist and co-owner of Tulsi at The Market in Huntington. He can be contacted at travislemonmh@gmail.com.
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