5 Tips to Reset Your Digestive System

A healthy gut is the foundation of whole-body wellness. It influences everything from your immune system and hormones to your mood and energy levels.

Yet digestive issues like bloating, constipation, bowel irregularities, reflux, and food intolerances are incredibly common—and we’re often told to just brush them off as “normal.”

But these symptoms are your body’s way of signaling that something’s off. If your digestion feels sluggish or unpredictable, you don’t have to wait for it to get worse.

Here are 5 simple tips anyone can start applying today to support better digestion and start feeling more balanced. And if your symptoms are persistent or affecting your daily life, it may be time to dig deeper—with functional stool testing and the guidance of a functional medicine provider who can help uncover and address the root cause.

Tip 1: Hydrate Properly

Water is one of the most essential—yet overlooked—components of digestive health. It plays a key role in nearly every step of digestion.

When you drink enough water, it helps break down food in the stomach, supports the movement of food through your intestines, and softens stool to promote regular bowel movements. Proper hydration also helps your body produce digestive enzymes and stomach acid, which are critical for breaking down nutrients and absorbing them efficiently.

On a deeper level, water helps maintain the mucosal lining of the gut, which protects the intestinal walls and supports a balanced environment for beneficial bacteria to thrive. Without enough water, this lining can become dry or irritated, potentially contributing to leaky gut symptoms and inflammation.

Tip: Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Sip water throughout the day, and consider starting your morning with a glass of warm lemon water to gently wake up your digestive system.

Tip 2: Incorporate More Fiber-Rich Foods

Fiber isn’t just about “being regular.” It’s essential for feeding the beneficial bacteria in your gut, promoting a balanced microbiome, and supporting detoxification.

There are two types of fiber:

Soluble fiber helps feed gut bacteria and forms a gel-like substance in the gut to slow digestion and stabilize blood sugar.
Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and helps waste move through the digestive tract more efficiently.

Together, they reduce bloating, support a healthy gut lining, and help eliminate toxins and excess hormones.

Fiber-rich foods to include daily:

Leafy greens
Berries and apples (with skin)
Lentils, black beans, chickpeas
Chia seeds and flaxseeds
Oats, quinoa, and brown rice

Tip: Aim for at least 25–30 grams of fiber per day, and increase your intake slowly to avoid bloating or discomfort.

Tip 3: Manage Stress Levels

The gut and brain are directly connected through the gut-brain axis—a communication network that links emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with digestive function.

When you're under chronic stress, your body shifts into "fight or flight" mode, reducing blood flow to the digestive system and slowing down enzyme production. This can lead to symptoms like bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea. Stress also impacts the balance of your gut microbiome and can increase gut permeability (often referred to as “leaky gut”).

Stress reduction techniques to try:

Deep belly breathing or box breathing (4-4-4-4 count)
Guided meditations or short mindfulness apps
Gentle yoga or stretching
Grounding walks outdoors

Tip: Even 5–10 minutes of daily stress management can make a noticeable difference in your digestion.

Tip 4: Prioritize Probiotics and Prebiotics

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria—some helpful, some harmful. A healthy gut depends on a diverse, well-balanced microbiome.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help crowd out harmful microbes, produce essential nutrients, support immune function, and even impact your mood.
Prebiotics are the fibers and nutrients that feed those good bacteria and help them thrive.

Together, they help maintain the gut lining, prevent inflammation, and support a healthy digestive rhythm.

Probiotic-rich foods: yogurt (with live cultures), kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempehPrebiotic-rich foods: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, dandelion greens

Tip: Start with small portions if you're new to fermented foods, and always check for added sugars in store-bought items.

Tip 5: Avoid Processed and Inflammatory Foods

Highly processed foods, artificial ingredients, added sugars, and inflammatory oils (like canola, soybean, and corn oil) can disrupt your gut microbiome and contribute to chronic inflammation.

These foods are often low in nutrients and fiber, and high in preservatives that harm gut bacteria and weaken the gut lining—leading to symptoms like bloating, fatigue, joint pain, and more.

Focus on:

Whole, colorful vegetables and fruits
Clean proteins (like wild-caught fish, organic chicken, pasture-raised eggs)
Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds)
Anti-inflammatory herbs and spices (like turmeric, ginger, rosemary)

Tip: Crowd out the processed foods by filling your plate with nutrient-dense options first.

Summary

To recap, here are 5 simple ways to begin resetting your digestive system:

Hydrate properly to support digestion and nutrient absorption
Add fiber-rich foods to promote regularity and feed good gut bacteria
Manage stress levels to reduce gut inflammation and improve motility
Prioritize probiotics and prebiotics to nourish your microbiome
Avoid processed and inflammatory foods to protect and heal your gut lining

Incorporating these habits can lead to long-term benefits like improved digestion, better energy, reduced bloating, clearer skin, more balanced hormones, and a stronger immune system.

A healthy gut is the foundation for lasting wellness.

If you're ready to take the first step, start by applying these tips consistently—and listen to what your body is telling you. And if you're still struggling with digestive symptoms, advanced functional stool testing and a personalized care plan may help uncover what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Let’s work together to uncover the root cause. Book your free discovery call with Solara Functional Wellness and begin your journey to better digestion and better health.

References:

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