Gut health has become quite the buzzword in various communities—and rightly so. Scientists now link an unhealthy gut or poor eating habits to multiple ailments. And these ailments are not just physical; they’re mental too.
You might not have a specific illness, but you could easily have a range of symptoms holding you back when you don’t have a healthy gut. This could include poor sleep quality, regular stomach cramps, a lack of energy, or loss of libido. You may also feel depressed, anxious, or withdrawn.
However, when you improve your gut health, you improve your overall quality of life.
So, how do you do this?
How To Boost Your Gut Health
Opt For Complex Sugars
The first step is to reduce your intake of simple sugars. Simple sugars are abundant in pastries, sweets, sodas, and the sugar you put in your tea and coffee, so you need to avoid these sugars as much as possible. Complex sugars are found in complex carbohydrates, something many fruits and vegetables are rich in. Swap that pastry for carrots and corn and soda for an apple or berries, and you’ll soon feel the difference.
Avoid Processed Foods
When food includes preservatives and artificial flavors or colorants, they’re processed. These processing chemicals can all cause severe inflammation in your gut and body, causing sore joints and muscles. Something to watch out for is diet or workout foods—shakes and bars are often highly processed, so always read the label first.
Stay Active for Better Digestion
Since we’re eating throughout the day, we must also move throughout the day. Too many live sedentary lives, sitting at a desk all day. Try taking regular breaks to combat this passive way of life. Just getting up and walking around the office for two minutes every hour will help to improve your digestion. Then, take a twenty-minute walk during your lunch break before eating your midday meal. It all helps!
Reduce Consumption of Alcohol
Alcohol is a significant source of poor gut health. It’s full of simple sugars and is a leading cause of inflammation in the gut. Of course, some alcoholic drinks are cleaner than others—white spirits are usually better than anything else—but you should keep drinking to a minimum.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is a crucial part of any healthy diet. You get the best fiber from the plants you eat and whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. Your diet should include 30 grams of fiber every day as this helps your body to digest food properly.
Go Organic
One of the biggest problems in the world today is the mass production of food. It’s necessary due to the number of people living on the planet. Still, the downside is that many foods we eat are covered in harmful pesticides and chemicals—even our vegetables and fruit. Where possible, find locally and organically grown options to ensure you get the best nutritional value from what you eat.
Have A Rainbow of Vegetables
Our bodies need a variety of food sources to get the right vitamins and minerals. One of the best ways to do this is to “eat the rainbow.” Look at your fruit and vegetables; they’re all different colors. When you aim to eat food in an array of colors every day, you’re getting that great variety that helps to boost digestion and improve your gut health.
Try Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are great for keeping the balance of your gut flora and bacteria just right. They include yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. They’re also a great source of prebiotics.
Just be careful that you don’t overdo your intake of fermented foods. They can also help your non-healthy gut bacteria to flourish if you have a condition like candida. Instead, get that ailment under control first and then include some fermented foods in your diet.
Supplement with Probiotics and Other Vitamins
A good probiotic is always a must for keeping your gut healthy. Make sure you get a probiotic recommended by healthcare practitioners and not just a random bottle from the drugstore that you think may do the job. You want the probiotic with the suitable strains and the correct number of songs for your gut flora.
You can also consider supplementing your diet with vitamins. Zinc, vitamin C, iron, vitamin B, and vitamin D are all important to keep your body in balance. Check with your healthcare practitioner first to ensure you take the correct vitamins, especially if you take any other medications.
Be Careful About Antibiotics
Antibiotics are essential to medical care but can be prescribed too quickly to fight off infections. If your doctor wants you to take antibiotics, ask them about alternatives or if they feel they’re necessary for your health.
If you need to take antibiotics, talk to your doctor about what you can do to help keep your gut healthy. They’ll often prescribe a probiotic that balances your intestinal flora to prevent the antibiotics from disrupting it too much.
Eat Consciously
On a busy day, it’s easy to grab a snack or meal on the run. But you can eat more than you realize this way or too many of the wrong foods as they’re convenient. It’s essential to be conscious of what and when you eat it. Try to be in the moment when eating, aware of how quickly or slowly you’re chewing and swallowing.
Get More Sleep
Your sleep quality and quantity that you get can significantly impact your gut health. The flora in your gut is very sensitive to your sleep routine. It’s so essential for your body that you have a set bedtime and time to wake up. This routine will help your body with digestion and staying balanced.
Good Gut Health Equals Good Overall Health
The gut is often referred to as the second brain, and when you consider that it impacts how we feel physically and mentally, this makes sense. If you look after your gut by following these 12 tips y, you’ll feel better, inside and out.