Most of us don’t really pay attention to the state of our gut health as we assume it’s not that important. However, a healthy gut is vital to our immune system, mental health, and general mood. You can avoid serious illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and depression by taking good care of your digestive system. This involves eating the right foods and avoiding certain lifestyle choices that may lead to an unhealthy gut. Here are some ways you can improve your gut health.
- Add Fermented Foods To Your Diet
Fermented food contains probiotics, a type of bacteria, that helps to keep balance in the gut. Due to the different foods we eat, it’s easy to ingest food that contains bad bacteria. This then could have a negative impact on your health. Probiotics present in fermented foods help to restore the gut microbiome. Therefore, you should include foods such as yoghurt, kombucha, sour porridge, Sauerkraut and other traditionally fermented foods in your diet every so often to keep your gut healthy.
The Benefits Of Eating Fermented Foods & Beverages
- Eat More Fibre
It’s essential that you include fibre-rich foods such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts in your diet. Fibre is like a superfood for your gut. It offers numerous benefits that promote general gut health. For instance, fibre helps clean the colon. It acts as a scrub to clean out bacteria and buildup in the intestines thus reducing the risk of developing colon cancer. Additionally, some fibre contains prebiotics which fuels the growth of good bacteria.
- Manage Stress
Nowadays, chronic stress seems to be the norm with work deadlines and the hassle of city life. However, stress can wreak havoc on our digestive system. It reduces the production of digestive enzymes which help break down food and absorb nutrients. Therefore, a lack of enzymes in the digestive system could lead to gut issues such as constipation. An unhealthy gut also affects your general mood since the gut produces 90% of our serotonin, the body’s main feel-good hormone. Here are 8 Foods That Promote Mental Health
Lifestyle: 5 Simple Tips For Managing Stress
- Exercise More
Living a sedentary lifestyle could also affect your gut health. The digestive system thrives from exercising as this helps to have a more diverse microbiome. Additionally, working out increases blood flow to the intestines thus boosting its functions. Try to move around throughout the day and do cardio workouts such as jogging, skipping, or aerobics for at least 30 minutes every day. 6 Easy Lifestyle Changes You Can Make To Live A Better Life
- Lower Your Sugar Intake
By now, we know that sugar is not good for your health. High sugar intake leads to diseases such as diabetes. It’s also harmful to the digestive system as it leads to the growth of Candida albicans, a pathogenic yeast that causes the leaky gut syndrome. The bacteria normally feed on the sugar. Therefore, when you eat sugary foods, you promote their growth. Lifestyle: 7 Healthy Alternatives To Sugar
Health & Lifestyle: The Bitter Truths About Sugar
- Learn Your Food Allergies
Food allergies are quite common but one may not notice the symptoms. If you eat foods that make you feel nauseous, bloated, gassy, cramps, or dizzy, these are signs of food allergies. Some of the most common food allergies include milk, fish, nuts, and gluten. Take note of foods that make your gut unhappy and stay away from them. However, don’t be quick to dismiss foods if you experience some of these symptoms as it can leave you with deficiencies. Here is How To Manage Lactose Intolerance
Check out 8 Natural Ways To Relieve An Upset Stomach and Natural Remedies for Constipation
