Organic foods are definitely the way you want to go when it comes to turning over a new leaf and starting to eat and feel healthy. Organic foods are grown without any pesticides or herbicides and are simply well-grown foods that won’t stress your liver as it tries to break down unnecessary chemicals in the food. In order to know you are shopping organic, look at labels in the grocery store.
Many produce sections have special sections for organic foods and foods grown with pesticides. Others will have organic fruits and vegetables alongside those that aren’t organic so you really have to pay attention and only select those foods that are labeled “organic.”
Another way to go organic is to have your own garden. When you have your own garden, you know what goes into the food and your tender loving care will go a long way toward having rich organic foods each and every day.
It takes a little bit of extra work when you compare that to just picking up the food at your local market or fresh food stand but you can guarantee the contents and organic quality of your food.
Here are ten great organically grown foods you can choose for your dinner table that can help digestion and provide you with excellent nutrients at the same time:
1 – Beets
These juicy red vegetables are excellent for those who find themselves constipated much of the time or have indigestion and upset stomach problems. Beets are high in fiber, which helps constipation, and they provide high levels of potassium and magnesium.
You can cook small ones whole or slice larger beetroots, boiling them until soft. Julienned beet roots blanched in hot water for a bit make for a good beet salad that will help your digestive system besides being tasty to eat.
2 – Beet Greens
The greens aren’t meant to be thrown away when you pull up your beetroots. Instead, wash the beet greens and make them a part of a healthy salad. They can also be cooked with other greens.
Beet greens are high in iron, calcium and beta carotene, relieving upset stomachs in the process. They help the smooth muscle which is part of your bowels move better so you will be less constipated. Be careful not to eat too much of this otherwise healthy food because too many beet greens can weaken the enamel of your teeth due to their slightly acidic nature.
3 – Apples
You can be sure your apples are organic by growing your own apple tree in your backyard and removing them once a day for a snack when they get ripe. Apples have many health benefits beyond being good for your digestive system.
Apples are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, minerals, folate, phosphorus, and potassium. These are all nutrients that combat constipation and help you feel full because of all the fiber in them. Pectin in apples is a good prebiotic, meaning that it provides good nutrition to healthy bacteria in your large intestine.
One apple a day should provide you with all the pectin you need to have a bowel full of healthy bacteria. Organic apples save you from the more than 39 pesticides found on conventionally grown crops.
4 – Bananas
Look for organically grown bananas in a health food store or at your local supermarket. Bananas are great for those who suffer from diarrhea and won’t make you constipated. They also help replace lost nutrients that can happen when you have diarrhea.
Bananas are high in potassium and other electrolytes that will keep you from getting too low levels of these electrolytes. Bananas are one of the few good foods to eat when you are recovering from a bout of diarrhea.
5 – Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes can be grown in just about anyone’s garden and they keep nutrient rich for a long time. Eat them with their skins still on for maximum benefit to your digestive system. Sweet potatoes are high in complex carbs, manganese and insoluble fiber, which keep bowels moving.
Sweet potatoes are also known for their healing power if you are suffering from duodenal ulcers, peptic ulcers and other bowel problems.
6 – Avocados
Avocados can be grown in trees in more tropical parts of the US where a longer growing season is necessary. This is an easily digestible food that is high in monounsaturated fats, which is the “good kind” of fats to eat. They help your pancreas function better and keep your gall bladder healthy.
Avocados are excellent for the conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A. Vitamin A, in turn, helps you have a healthy inner lining in the gastrointestinal tract.
7 – Oats
Oats are high in soluble and insoluble fiber and contain a great deal of thiamin, selenium, copper, zinc, vitamin E and phosphorus. The soluble fiber helps soak up waste and glucose in the digestive tract and allow for resolution of constipation.
It is not a good organic source of food for those who have a problem eating gluten so if you are on a gluten-free diet, you’ll have to pass on the oats.
8 – Cod Liver Oil
This can be purchased at a pharmacy or at your local health food store. Cod liver oil is, by definition, organic. It is high in vitamin D and in vitamin D which help keep the digestive tract healthy and prevent certain serious digestive problems.
Cod liver oil can be taken in caplet form if you don’t like the taste of it or you can buy it by the bottle and take a tablespoon full of this slippery stuff for good bowels every day.
9 – Blueberries
Catch these organically grown berries when they are in season and eat as many as you like. Blueberries are much better than drinking blueberry juice because of the high fiber content in the whole berry. These berries are not only high in fiber but they contain healthful vitamin C.
Blueberries fight cancer by being high in antioxidants and are good for overall digestive health. Organic blueberries will save you from the organophosphate pesticide residue that is considered highly toxic to the human nervous system found on them by the Environmental Working Group.
10 – Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruit are excellent for those people who naturally have digestive problems. They are high in actinidin, linolenic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and plant derived fatty acids. All of these things together help you have a good digestive system. Kiwi fruit also contain pepsin, which is an important digestive protein.
