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March 2015 NUTRITION T O GO Healthy Digestion What is Digestion? Digestion is the breakdown of food into smaller pieces that give your body the energy you need. The digestive system is a long, twisting tube that begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of muscles that help to push food through the system and breakdown food. How Does Digestion Work? Step 1: Digestion begins in your mouth when you start chewing food. Your mouth makes more saliva to start breaking the food down. Step 2: When you swallow, the food travels through a tube called the esophagus, which connects the mouth to the stomach. Step 3: The food enters your stomach. The stomach is where most of the food is broken down. It works like a blender, mixing the food into a liquid or paste. The acid in your stomach also helps in this process. Step 4: When the food leaves the stomach, it enters the small intestine. The small intestine is where most of the vitamins and minerals from the food are absorbed into your body. Step 5: Next, the food enters the large intestine, or colon. There are millions of bacteria that live in your colon that help to break down the food and also protect against other harmful bacteria that may enter your body. Step 6: Finally, any food that is left over passes through the rectum when you go to the bathroom. STEPS: 1 2 3 5 4 6 Everyday Tips for Healthy Digestion What to do Every Day How Much to do Every Day Things to Try Every Day Eat lots of fiber Women should consume 21 grams of fiber per day. Men should consume 30 grams of fiber per day. Try to eat whole grain breads and pastas, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Drink lots of fluids Drink at least 8 cups of water per day Try adding fresh fruit to your water to give it flavor. Exercise regularly Try to exercise 5 days a Try to find activities week for 30 minutes per that you enjoy like day. walking or swimming. Sometimes it is a lot more fun when you have an exercise buddy! Eat plenty of foods Eat foods daily that that have prebiotics. contain prebiotics every Prebiotics feed the day. good bacteria in your colon. Whole wheat products like whole wheat bread contain prebiotics. Eat plenty of foods that have probiotics. Probiotics have live bacteria that help increase how many healthy bacteria live in your colon. Yogurt contains probiotics. Eat foods that contain probiotics every day. Learn how to deal It is important to try to with stress. decrease your stress Research has shown level everyday. that the intestine responds poorly to stress. Eat meals at regular times and in a relaxing environment. This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low incomes. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact your local DHS office, or call the URI SNAP-Ed nutrition program at 1-877-Food-URI (1-877-366-3874). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.