Feeling a little sluggish in the digestion department? Unfortunately, even just a few days of grabbing for the wrong foods can leave us feeling off-balance. During busy, hectic times, it’s typical to go days or weeks without eating healthy meals. As a result, we walk around feeling bloated and bound up. Yes, your diet may be to blame for stomach pain, bloating, painful constipation, low energy, and that general feeling of not operating at your peak. Take a look at the nutrition mistakes many of us are making that lead to a “backed-up” way of being that really drags us down.

#1 Not Getting Enough Fiber

Do you often feel bloated or constipated? If so, then fiber is the friend that you didn’t know you needed. While there are many dietary factors that can leave our digestive systems sluggish, the biggest one to look at is fiber. Let’s explore the diet-gut connection that directly impacts how you look and feel. The big perk of fiber is that it normalizes and regulates bowel movements. That right there is often enough to get things moving in terms of addressing constipation and constant bloating. In addition to helping you feel better today, fiber also helps you maintain overall, long-term bowel health that will protect you against digestive diseases and cancers.

We also know that high-fiber foods help us to attain and maintain a healthy weight! First, a lot of the excess bloating that we’re carrying around is relieved by proper fiber intake. The second reason is that foods that are high in fiber tend to be more filling than foods that lack fiber. As a result, you won’t feel the need to overeat because you’ll be more easily satisfied while still getting all of the same energy-giving nutrients!

The goal should be to take in between 25 and 30 grams of dietary fiber per day. Unfortunately, most Americans are falling short by getting in only about 15 grams. Which foods are the best for fiber? Put the focus on fresh greens, vegetables, seeds, fruits, and grains to get the fiber content you need for a thriving digestive system. Some superstar high-fiber foods include avocados, beets, broccoli, lentils, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and almonds.

#2 Skipping Fresh Plates

For many busy people, finding healthy meals in the frozen section full of organic, high-quality ingredients feels like coming upon a goldmine! We feel that this is the secret to eating well-prepared meals without the need to put the time in to create hearty, wholesome dishes at home. Yes, it’s true that a good frozen meal can save the day once in a while. However, too many frozen meals could be behind why you’re feeling so bloated.

Your healthy “grocery store” frozen meals could be hiding a secret. It turns out Americans are essentially overdosing on the salt that’s packed into frozen meals. In fact, more than 70 percent of the sodium consumed by Americans comes from frozen foods! Sodium is used so abundantly in mainstream packaged frozen foods because it helps to preserve food. It’s also an inexpensive way to thicken or enhance various flavors. Now, this is a situation where you need to be a bit of a label detective because even foods that don’t taste very salty at all can have hidden high levels of sodium.

Why exactly is sodium such a problem for healthy digestion? Simply put, salt is the biggest “bloater” out there. Salt intake causes our bodies to retain water almost immediately. Generally, that retention is concentrated around the belly area. However, some people also find that their hands and face get very puffy and bloated after high-sodium meals.

What’s the fix for salt bloating? Switching to freshly prepared meals that don’t need sodium as a preservative is the best bet. While fresh food sometimes has a dash of salt for flavor, your body isn’t getting that sodium overload that leads to painful water retention and gas around the abdominal area.

#3 Consuming Too Much Fat

Now, a balanced diet should definitely contain healthy fats that come from healthy foods like lean proteins, avocados, and healthy oils. However, overdoing it on high-fat foods is one of the most common causes of bloating. The reason is that fatty foods are digested slowly. That means that they hang around in your digestive tract longer. The common culprits behind bloating are fried foods, greasy foods, chips, and vegetable oils.

#4 Ignoring Your Gut Health

Constant or recurrent bloating isn’t always caused by a single food “trigger.” Bloating and constipation are sometimes the results of imbalanced gut bacteria. Consuming high amounts of refined carbohydrates, packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and alcohol can really throw the gut off balance. That means that switching to a menu full of fresh, whole foods after a “bad” weekend is essential for avoiding painful gas and bloating for days or weeks to come.

Unfortunately for those with a sweet tooth, sugar is really one of the worst culprits for throwing gut bacteria off balance. In addition to increasing your odds of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and more, consuming large amounts of sugar can also put your gut in danger. Researchers have found that sugar can prevent the good microbes that keep the gut healthy from colonizing. Fortunately, we can build gut-friendly diets by including plenty of fresh, low-sugar foods. Organic dairy like cheese and yogurt also introduce good bacteria called probiotics into the gut to provide tons of benefits for both the brain and body!

#5 Not Staying Hydrated

While it may seem counterintuitive, having a belly full of water can actually help you to be less bloated in the long run. Unfortunately, not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The impact can be so subtle at first that we don’t even notice it. However, things like tiredness, gas, and bloating are all actually common signs of dehydration. The reason why not drinking enough water causes bloating in the gut area is that our bodies actually try to fight back against dehydration by holding on to water. That means that you’ll have all of the uncomfortable effects of retaining large amounts of water even if you didn’t drink much water.

Drinking water is an obvious way to increase hydration. However, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is another easy to increase your daily water intake without feeling like you’re sipping all day. Most fresh vegetables are actually more than 90 percent water. The bottom line is that it’s very likely that you’re at least partially dehydrated if you’re eating a lot of processed foods because you’re missing out on the natural water content that comes from eating fresh!

#6 Eating Too Quickly

How you eat can actually be just as important as what you’re eating when it comes to the dreaded bloat! It turns out that “inhaling” food quickly can introduce air into the stomach to create bloating. Unfortunately, we often fall into the habit of shoving food into our mouths when we’re loading up on snack foods or “fast” foods because we’re pressed for time. The result is that we’re combining all of the bloating factors of unhealthy foods with excess air in our digestive systems! That can mean a real bloat avalanche that leaves us feeling uncomfortable and sluggish just when we need energy more than ever! The solution is to try to be more intentional about how and what we eat! That usually means planning ahead to avoid being stuck in a position of having to grab something quickly on the go. By planning healthy, whole meals, we have a reason to sit and slowly savor what we’re eating. By the end of the meal, we feel satisfied and revved up instead of overstuffed and sluggish!

#7 Ignoring a Gluten Sensitivity

Mysterious bloating that occurs soon after you eat can sometimes be a sign of gluten intolerance. It’s a possibility to consider if you’ve already tried de-bloating techniques like eating high-fiber foods, avoiding fried foods, and hydrating adequately. The good news is that you’ll find so many delicious, high-protein gluten-free options to choose from if you decide to try a gluten-free diet.

The Real Cure for Bloating and Constipation: Fresh, Whole Foods

If you’re tired of feeling worse after you eat, it’s time to become more intentional about what you’re eating. There’s just no substitute for fresh, whole foods. It is clear that fresh meals are healthier all around. Frozen meals just don’t compare in terms of nutrition. They tend to contain less vegetables, fewer nutrients, and fewer healthy fats compared to fresh meals.

What if you simply don’t have the time to meal prep, buy all of the ingredients, and prepare meals? Does that mean that you’re bound to go through life looking and feeling bloated and uncomfortable? Thankfully, the answer is no! The good news is that if you don’t have the time to cook and meal plan, you can still have amazing, fresh meals thanks to local food delivery. Knowing that a perfectly portioned, fresh meal full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats is going to be there when it’s time to grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner is the best way to fight back against those “easy” habits and snack attacks that are wrecking your gut.

Want to know how healthy you are on the inside? Your skin can help provide some answers!

“Beauty’s on the Inside.”

No, this statement is not a cliche — it’s a fact! The health and beauty of our skin start from what’s inside us… or at least what we put inside us. An increasing number of studies are showing just how big of a role nutrition plays for our skin health.

Our skin is the only organ that is exposed to the elements. And while it’s often our first line of defense against environmental toxins, it is also a reflection of our inner organs’ health. If you struggle with any of the following skin conditions, it may be time to take a deeper look at what you’re fueling your body with.

Acne: A study found that male acne patients who followed a low-glycemic diet had reduced acne as compared to a group that ate a diet rich in carbohydrates.

Rosacea: This condition, with its facial redness and swelling, can be triggered by spicy foods, alcohol, or even hot drinks.

Inflammation: Inflammation refers to your body’s process of fighting against things that harm it, such as infections, injuries, and toxins, in an attempt to heal itself. And while not always easily spotted, when something damages your cells, your body triggers this inflammation response, creating swelling or redness in a given area on the skin.

Eczema: With eczema, sufferers experience dry, itchy, and red patches on the skin. Dermatologists say foods that commonly worsen eczema symptoms include milk, peanuts, eggs, soy, and wheat.

Hives: Hives are the familiar welts (raised, red, itchy areas) that can occur on the skin as a result of an allergic reaction/sensitivity to certain foods. Other causes of hives include medication, bug bites, or stings.

Psoriasis: This condition causes skin cells to build up and form scales and itchy, dry patches. Psoriasis is thought to be an immune system problem stemming from a dysfunction in the gut.

The Link Between Gut Health & Skin Health

Our guts don’t just guide our instinctual decisions, they also help guide our body’s regulatory processes. Often termed the body’s “second brain,” our GI Tract has a major influence on both the development and function of the immune system, as well as on gut-brain communications. This goes beyond just an upset stomach after some bad take-out.

There are healthy bacteria and immune cells in a healthy gut that ward off infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It can have a major impact on your overall health and particularly the appearance of your skin, including spots, acne, eczema, and rosacea.

The intimate relationship is termed the “skin-gut axis” and numerous studies have linked gastrointestinal (GI) health to skin homeostasis. Skin symptoms also follow GI disorders as the gut microbiome appears to play a key role in the development of many inflammatory skin disorders.

Heal Your Gut to Protect Your Skin

Although some skincare items include food products, such as chocolate and mushrooms, nutritionists agree that the right diet is necessary to keep our skin safe. When we begin to eat for our skin health in mind, there’s a bonus effect of improving our overall health as well.

There are many key nutrients, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals that have been shown to be beneficial or essential for healthy skin (and a healthy lifestyle). However, we’ve developed a shortlist of foods to include in your new healthy meals:

1. NUTS & SEEDS

Nuts & seeds give our skin all the right kinds of fat that nourish it. They are also rich in vitamin E antioxidants to combat free radical damage, which contributes to your skin’s aging. Some superstar nuts and seeds include walnuts, sunflower seeds, and almonds.

2. CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

Cruciferous veggies have a compound known as indole-3- carbinol that occurs naturally. It is transformed into a phytochemical known as DIM (Diindolylmethane) and functions within the body to maintain stable hormone levels. These types of veggies to support liver detoxification and hormone health include broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, etc.

3. TEAS

Many different teas contain a variety of antioxidants, but all of them have the potential for gut-healing and skin-protecting effects. It has also been shown that green tea helps rejuvenate skin cells. However, tannins in the tea will decrease the absorption of minerals in food, so try to drink your tea between meals rather than with meals.

4. MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms contain one of the highest levels of selenium, specifically Crimini mushrooms. This trace mineral is required to make glutathione peroxidase, one of the most potent antioxidants in the body, which fights damaging compounds called free radicals that develop in the skin during exposure to sunlight. They are also a great source of B vitamins, which are essential to produce new skin cells that look youthful.

5. SALMON

High in essential omega-3 fats, oily fish such as salmon minimize inflammation and provide the skin with necessary nourishment. Sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and trout are also present in other oily fish. Aim to consume these fatty kinds of seafood a minimum of twice a week in order to get the benefits.

6. DARK CHOCOLATE

Cocoa has antioxidants that can protect the skin and improve wrinkles, skin thickness, hydration, blood flow, and texture of the skin. To maximize the benefits and keep added sugar to a minimum, make sure to select dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa.

7. DARK LEAFY GREENS

Usually, the darkness of each green suggests higher antioxidant levels. Beta-carotene, one of these antioxidants, can also form vitamin A in the body. For good reason, it is a common ingredient in face creams and an important nutrient for healthy hair. All varieties of spinach, silverbeet, kale, rocket, watercress, Asian greens, and dark green cabbage qualify.

8. QUINOA

Vitamin E-rich quinoa fights free radicals, provides collagen, and strengthens skin pores.   Quinoa may be calming for red, inflamed acne/rosacea-prone skin and helps to repair the skin barrier to reduce inflammation and dryness due to the niacinamide (vitamin B3) content.

9. BERRIES

They top the antioxidant power charts and are high in vitamin C, too. But so much more is offered by berries. Berries provide the required collagen-building material, the protein that gives skin its elasticity and strengthens capillaries to help minimize spider veins and easy bruising.

10. COLORFUL PEPPERS

Bell peppers are an excellent source of beta carotene, which is processed into vitamin A by the body. They’re one of the better vitamin C sources, too. To produce the protein collagen, this vitamin is essential. However, most peppers’ capsaicin content can cause rosacea flare-ups, so find the right colorful veggies that suit your specific needs. The brighter the color, the more these foods are rich in phytonutrients.

Are There Certain Foods to Avoid for Skin Health?

Just as the foods we consume can improve our skin health, certain foods can cause irritation, flare-ups, and other skin-damaging effects. However, these may be different for everyone. Generally, dermatologists suggest avoiding highly processed foods, those high in added sugar, excessive alcohol, and deep-fried foods.

This is not to say you can’t have any of these types of foods. Occasional treats or quick drive-thru options won’t wreck your skin after the first bite, however, you may notice some gastrointestinal discomfort and flare-ups if consumed on a regular basis. Listen to your body and take note of which foods trigger your skin issues (or reverse them).

A great way to include these 10 Skin-Protecting Foods into our diets is through planning ahead. Try including 1-2 of the foods listed above in your next weekly meal prep to start, and eventually increase that number until you are eating a healthy diet filled with a variety of skin-boosting meals! Not sure where to start? Try one of our a la carte options to help you get started!