Health starts in the gut
The gut is known to be the body’s second brain. Poor gut health can lead to various health problems.
What is gut health?
We regularly underestimate the importance of gut health. However, did you know that poor digestive health has an adverse effect on your immune system, weight management, skin, energy level, and mental wellness?
Gut health and the microbiome serve a role in various body functions, like Nutrient absorption and digestion. What happens in the gastrointestinal tract impacts overall health and can make you feel better or cause you discomfort and illness.
It’s essential to understand the gut microbiome, maintain it through diet and lifestyle choices, and why it matters.
A healthy outside starts from the inside
When people talk about a healthy gut, they attribute it to a microbiome. Your microbiome holds lots of microbes that live throughout your body. This body area is in charge of your overall health, both body and mind.
The microbiome comprises thousands of different bacteria, both good and bad. A healthy microbiome enhances good bacteria while avoiding the excess of ‘bad’ bacteria that could impair your body’s health.
Why does gut health matter?
The gut is involved in the movement of food from beginning to end. This process has power over nearly every part of the body.
When your gut health is poor, you will notice it in more ways than just stomach upset and poor digestion.
It has itself a significant influence on other aspects of health.
Signs you have got an unhealthy gut
How do you know whether you have good gut health and a well-balanced microbiome?
By observing your overall health and checking the signs and symptoms, many of them may appear to not correlate with the gut.
However, since the microbiome affects various areas of health, at first, many of them are ruled out as unrelated issues but eventually traced back to the digestive tract:
How can the gut affect your entire body?
- Asthma and allergies
- Fatigue and lack of energy
- A foggy brain, struggling to focus and think clearly
- Anxiety or Depression
- Difficulty sleeping
- Low Immunity
- Mood Swings
- Weight Gain
- Food Sensitivities
- Thyroid Conditions
- Headaches and Migraine
- Digestive problems (Constipation, Diarrhea and Bloating)
- Joint Paint
- Skin issues (Rosacea, Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis)
- Inflammation
- Chronic diseases and Autoimmune disorders
How to improve and heal your gut?
Gut health is not just about what you eat. There are also lifestyle factors and adjustments you can make that will benefit you:
DO’S/DONT’S:
1. Eat prebiotic and probiotic foods (Oats, Bananas, Raspberries, Chickpeas, Lentils and Beans, Asparagus, Artichokes, Garlic)
2. Avoid Processed foods, High-fat foods.
3. Take probiotic supplements
4. Cut down on sugar and refined carbohydrates.
5. Consume plenty of plants and dietary fibres (Whole Grain, Vegetables, Fruit, Legumes, Nuts and Seeds)
6. Reduce dairy and gluten
7. Change and ensure diversity in your diet.
8. Quit smoking and alcohol
9. Get enough and consistent sleep.
10. Avoid Antibiotics
11. Lower your stress levels with some key stress management strategies
12. Avoid your exposure to environmental toxins.
13. Exercise regularly
14. Practice mindful eating by eating slowly.
15. Stay hydrated
16. Check for food intolerances, and remove the drivers damaging the gut.
17. Add Helpful herbs that may aid with digestion (fennel, chamomile, slippery elm, ginger, peppermint, dandelion root, gentian, liquorice and garlic)
18. Add in more omega-3 fats.
19. Eat fermented foods (Yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, kombucha and kefir)
How to reset your gut?
Love your gut and transform your well-being from the inside out!
Restoring this essential factor of your overall health increases the quality of your entire body from the inside out, and starting up is easier than you think. By implementing healthier conscious decisions, your gut and body will be able to reset and function more effectively.
Most people attain the improvements by cutting out and adding foods and then noticing how these food modifications make them feel. The best way to do this is gradually and slowly, through food journaling, habits tracker, and self-reflection, to check how you’re feeling during the week.
Each person will have their personal experiences, so determining what works best is done a little at a time and based on the individual and their lifestyle.
