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Expert Q&A

	By Christina Pirello Christina Pirello is the host of public television's Christina Cooks series, and the author of Cooking the Whole Foods Way (HP Trade, 1997), Christina Cooks (HP Trade, 2004) and Glow (HP Trade, 2001).

I've just started taking probiotics to try and help my digestive system. I tend to get very bloaty. What foods can help with this problem?

Again, it is as much what you do not eat, as much as you eat. Also, how you eat contributes mightily to digestion. Try these tips and see how it goes:

Chew, Chew, Chew: Chewing breaks down our food and introduces saliva into the mix, beginning the digestive process, so chewing is essential to good digestion. And sit down when you eat, even for one bite! Eating while standing, walking, driving, chasing the kids (you get the idea) all cause us to gulp in lots of air as we wolf down our food and the result is really tough to digest!

Water, Water Everywhere: Staying properly hydrated is an essential key to digestion, so make sure that you are drinking enough water. I am not a subscriber to formulas for how much, because everyone is different. If you are active (great for digestion, by the way), you will need more liquid. If you are more sedentary, less will be needed.

If you eat lots of veggies, you will be less thirsty than those who think potato chips count as one of our five servings of veggies a day. There is so much water in veggies, you will be hydrated deliciously.

Coffee, tea, soda (heaven forbid) don't count. They dehydrate your body, leaving you parched. They are nice treats (except the soda, a skull and crossbones is needed for that one), but there is only one substance that hydrates you: water. Good old H2O. So grab a glass and have a drink.

Oh, and remember, if you are thirsty, you are already hydrated, so get drinking!

Eat in the Moment: Eating from a plastic container hunched over the sink; eating while watching television; chowing down while driving; eating at your desk while working, etc., all these scenarios and more contribute to poor digestion and over-eating.

When you eat, even a snack, celebrate it in some way. Be conscious that you are putting something in your mouth, in your body. You will enjoy it more, digest it better and be more aware of what you are eating, which can also save you calories.

Eat Whole Grains: Eating whole grains increases our intake of fiber, whose job it is to help digestion along. Higher fiber foods help cleanse the system, move food through the body more efficiently and can help prevent colon and other digestive cancers. Besides whole grains, raw vegetables, also high in fiber, can be very helpful to digestion, so make a salad and relax!

Are You the Sensitive Type?: Many people experience digestive difficulties when they have sensitivities or allergies to certain foods and ingredients. If you are doing all you can for good digestion and problems persist, then check with your doctor and have some testing done to see if you may be having a reaction to something. Very often, people are intolerant of dairy, eggs, wheat or soy, so check it out.

Increase Your Friends: Not all bacteria is bad for us, some of it is very, very good for digestion. Naturally fermented and pickled foods can go a long way to helping us digest better. So pile that sauerkraut on that sandwich; enjoy that crisp pickle; savor that bowl of miso soup. Your gut with thank you.

Supplement Where Needed: Very often, we are doing all we can with food and the troubles still persist. In that case, try probiotics or digestive enzymes, like those from papaya and pineapple and see if they do not get you over the top and back in the game.

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