To get your digestive system back to normal, you should eat a high fiber, plant based diet, keep hydrated and regularly exercise.
You can also get your digestive system back to normal by adding probiotic rich foods like yogurt and kefir to support your gut microbiome as well as manage stress to prevent your gut brain axis disruptions.
Other things you can do to get your digestive system back to normal include.
Increasing your fiber, by consuming around 25 grams to 30 grams of fiber daily to add bulk and keep your bowel movements regular.
And focus on eating whole grains, beans, lentils and even fresh produce.
Eat diverse plants and consume up to 30 different plant based foods each week to build a highly diverse and resilient gut microbiome and incorporate probiotic rich foods like fresh sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha to introduce beneficial live bacteria into your GI tract.
And reduce intake of ultra processed foods, foods with artificial sweeteners and heavily fried foods as they can feed bad microorganisms and cause dysbiosis.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated, which softens your poop and avoids constipation.
And chew your food thoroughly, by taking the time to chew your food completely to significantly ease the workload on your stomach and intestines.
And allow 12 to 14 hours of overnight fasting, by stopping eating by 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM and eat breakfast around 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM to give the gut muscles a necessary rest.
And eat smaller and more frequent meals to keep things moving smoothly without overwhelming the GI tract.
If your digestive system is not working properly, it leads to the food not being digested properly which causes the food you eat to linger and remain in your stomach longer than it should.
When the food is not digested properly or fast enough and remains in your stomach too long it can lead to the food fermenting or even passing through your gastrointestinal tract unabsorbed.
As a result of the food fermenting and passing through your gastrointestinal tract unabsorbed it leads to immediate physical discomfort and can even cause serious long term health complications if the underlying cause is not treated and fixed.
The immediate symptoms and complications from your digestive system not working properly include.
Changes in your poop, like diarrhea, constipation or even visible undigested food in your poop.
Acid Reflux due to lingering food causing stomach distention, which pushes acid into your esophagus and causes GERD or heartburn.
Early satiety, which is when you feel completely full after only eating a few bites of food.
Nausea and vomiting, where you vomit undigested food frequently hours after a meal.
And abdominal distress, which includes severe bloating, gas upper abdominal pain and cramping.
The long term complications of your digestive system not working properly include.
Blood sugar fluctuations, in which delayed or erratic digestion disrupts the release of glucose in your bloodstream, which is also highly dangerous for people that have diabetes.
Bezoar formation, where undigested food can harden into a solid mass in your stomach, which is called a bezoar, which might require medical intervention if it blocks your small intestine.
Dehydration, which results from frequent vomiting and cause rapid fluid and electrolyte loss.
Malnutrition and weight loss, which is when the body fails to absorb essential vitamins and nutrients like iron and B12, from your small intestine, which leads to weakness, fatigue and unintended weight loss.
Common underlying causes of your digestive system not working properly include.
Food intolerances like lactose intolerance, where your body lacks the specific enzyme needed to break down certain sugars.
Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, like celiac diseases, Crohn's disease or even ulcerative colitis.
Pancreatic Insufficiency, where your pancreas fails to produce the enzymes needed to break down food properly.
SIBO also known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine that interferes with fat and nutrient absorption.
And gastroparesis, which is a disorder where your stomach muscles don't contract normally, causing food to sit in your stomach for too long.