Specialist Doctor Shares Tips for Healthy Digestion

Most digestive complaints I see in clinic don't need exotic treatments. They need a few good habits, applied consistently, for long enough to matter. Here are the ones I find myself recommending again and again.

1. Eat with attention, not your phone

The vagus nerve — the main nerve connecting your gut and brain — needs sensory cues to coordinate digestion. The smell, sight, and act of chewing all matter. When you eat while distracted, your stomach gets less acid, your pancreas releases fewer enzymes, and your gut motility patterns get disrupted. Slow down. Chew thoroughly. Notice the food.

2. Make fiber non-negotiable

The single best thing you can do for your microbiome is to give it diverse, fermentable fiber. Aim for 30 different plant foods a week — and don't worry about hitting it perfectly. Lentils, beans, oats, vegetables, fruit with the skin on, nuts, seeds. The variety matters more than any one superfood.

The microbiome is the most modifiable risk factor for chronic disease that we have. Feed it well, and a lot follows.

3. Hydrate, but spread it out

Most adults need around 2.5–3 litres of fluid a day, including from food. But chugging a litre at once can dilute digestive secretions and delay gastric emptying. Sip steadily, take warm drinks with meals if it helps you, and pay attention to urine color — pale straw is the goal.

4. Mind the meal-to-bedtime gap

Lying down soon after eating is one of the most common — and most fixable — drivers of acid reflux. Aim for a three-hour gap between dinner and sleep. If you can't, raise the head of your bed by six inches; it makes a real difference for nocturnal symptoms.

5. Move every day, even briefly

Physical activity stimulates gut motility, reduces visceral fat, and improves insulin sensitivity. You don't need a marathon — a 20-minute walk after dinner does more for your digestion than most supplements you can buy.