When you eat, the food is not yet in a form that the body can use for energy and to build and maintain cells. Breads, meats, and vegetables must be changed into smaller bits of nutrients before they can be absorbed, or taken up, by the blood and carried throughout the body. This action is called digestion.

There are ways you can help digestion. First, eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Whole-grain foods contain entire grain seeds from grasses, like wheat. The fiber in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains improves digestion. Second, eat smaller meals, more often. Eating large meals increases the stress you put on your digestive system.