There is hardly any denying that consuming a diet packed full of raw fruits of all colors and kinds has enormous health benefits. These foods have been healers and life-givers for centuries. They alkalize our blood, help prevent aging and disease, boost energy, mood, and mental health, and provide the enzymes needed for healthy digestion and metabolism while supporting immunity, vital organ function and so much more. And yet, those who may be new to adding raw fruits to their diet, or those with stomach sensitivities as well as IBS can often encounter gas, bloating, loose stools, and pain trying to digest the right amount of raw fruits needed for a healthier, better diet.
How can someone with poor digestion or digestive issues reap the benefits of fresh, raw fruits without the uncomfortable bloating, gas, or pain afterward? We take a deep look at the relationship between raw fruits and digestion and how it may be significantly improved. What makes it difficult for some to eat raw fruits and digest them properly?
First, we will focus on why some find eating raw fruits hard to digest due to making the change from overly processed, greasy, fatty foods to healthy. Changing your eating habits will have some effect on your digestion. If you are someone new to making what can be a huge adjustment for yourself and your gut, you should expect a bit of an adjustment period as your body learns to deal with the new vitamins and nutrients you are giving it. It is natural to struggle at first, as our bodies fight to rid itself of the free radicals, toxins, and unhealthy build-up of bad bacteria and more in the first week or two of a major diet change. Fruits, raw fruits especially are high in fiber content and while that can aid digestion, it can also cause digestion issues. Second, unhealthy gut bacteria and chronic illnesses such as IBD, IBS, or Crohn’s disease can affect how easy or how difficult food can be digested.
What is fiber?
Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate found strictly in all plant foods such as vegetables, grains, and fruit. You need that fiber in your diet every day to keep your digestive system happy, healthy, and your bowels moving. Some discomfort may be normal during the first few weeks of a diet change to raw fruits as your body adjusts but consuming too much at once can cause gastrointestinal upset. There is both insoluble and soluble fiber, although some have higher concentrations of one type over the other. Insoluble fiber is the fiber that remains intact as it sweeps through your gut, helping you remove waste and responsible for relieving constipation, making stools easier to pass, and helping clean the bowel. Soluble fiber attracts water, creating a gel-like substance. This slow digestion gives essential nutrients the adequate time needed to be fully absorbed through your intestine. To help you better absorb and digest the maximum nutrients from raw fruits and assist in the process, consider our Digestive Enzymes dietary supplement. Not only will this help you get the most out of every single piece of fruit you eat, but the live enzymes have also been specially formulated to make digestion of the Hallelujah Diet easier than ever. Studies have proven that adding a digestive enzyme supplement to a healthy diet can help alleviate digestive stress on the body as it takes time to adjust.
IBS, IBD, and Crohn’s Disease
In the case of the chronic condition of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease), and Chron’s disease, many of the symptoms such as bloating, gas, pain, and loose stool or diarrhea may come as a side effect of eating not just raw fruits, but anything or everything in their diet. For those with these conditions, it may be best for you to begin adding more cooked whole plant foods first and to supplement to treat these issues as best as possible before making a major change to introduce raw fruits. It is important to start with bolstering your body, digestive system, as well as your immune system before attempting raw fruit:
- Start with our Chron’s / IBS maintenance kit well before you attempt any raw fruits.
- Before starting with any raw fruit, start with cooked fruit. Don’t add any raw foods to your diet while on the first 6-8 weeks to give our nutrient-packed, enzyme boosting vitamins, and supplements time to help your digestive tract.
- Start small and pay close attention to any foods that cause irritation and remove them, even if healthy, until your body has had time to make use of the wealth of good from our Chron’s/IBS maintenance kit.
- Everything you need to know and how to begin is fully detailed within our kit, and exceptional resources to help you get started can be found right here.
What raw fruits are easiest for digestion?
The easiest of all fruits to digest are canned or cooked fruits. Navigating the labels and finding a canned fruit that may work for you might be more difficult than learning to cook the fruit in the best way possible yourself. If canning and cooking aren’t feasible, there are a few fruits you could consider eating that are known to be easy to digest:
- Very ripe bananas
- Cantaloupes
- Honeydew melons
- Watermelons
- Very ripe avocado
- Applesauce
Removing the seeds and skins of fruits may also make them much easier to digest. Is there anything you can do to improve raw fruit digestion?
Yes! While making sure to ingest fruits that are easy for digestion is one of them, you can also help your digestive tract get back to a healthier state by providing it the healing vitamins and nutrients it needs. Consider adding HD’s Oral Health Probiotics for a well-rounded supplement that not only assists in healthy teeth, gums, ears, nose, throat, sinus, respiratory function but will also help with inflammatory responses in the gut. Pair it with our HD Digestive Enzymes for assistance with maximum absorption of nutrients for the fruits you eat as well as assistance to improve poor digestion to make eating raw fruits a better, more positive experience today.
