5 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Gut
“Healthy gut” is a term that receives a lot of media buzz.
But what exactly does it mean?
A healthy gut allows your body to absorb nutrients and properly digest food, and the bacteria in your body to fight off infection. The gut affects all other parts of your body and has a strong connection to the brain.
Poor gut health has also been tied to the rise in digestive illnesses (70 million suffers in the U.S. alone) and in the skyrocketing rate of those with food allergies (an increase of 50% since 1997).
So what leads to an unhealthy gut?
Causes include antibiotic and antimicrobial use at an early age, poor diet, consumption of genetically modified foods, stress, a low immune system, food allergies, and nutrient deficiencies.
Look out for some these symptoms:
Bloating, diarrhea, gas, constipation, heartburn
Food allergies or intolerances
Nutrient deficiencies
Always sick and fighting off infection
Low energy
Skin conditions like eczema
Here are 5 ways to improve your gut health:
Eat fresh, fiber-rich foods: fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans.
Avoid processed foods and excess sugar. These foods cause inflammation that affects your immune system as well as your gut health. In addition, eating too many of these foods also means you're likely not consuming nutrient-dense foods, which are optimal for a healthy gut.
Add probiotics to your diet. Eat foods that contain these healthy bacteria, including yogurt, kefir, fermented foods such as tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kombucha. You might also consider taking a probiotic supplement.
Stay hydrated. Water is vital to your gut health, and helps digestion and absorption to occur efficiently in your body.
Manage stress. The brain and gut connection is very strong, which is why stress can cause many health issues. We live in a stressful society and we may not even know we are stressed, but stress can have a direct impact on the health of your gut. Manage your stress with exercise, a healthy diet, meditation, or your choice of a healthy form of stress relief.