What is gut health?
Gut health describes the function and balance in the bacteria of the gastro intestinal tract. The gut stretches up to an incredible 9 metres and is home to trillions of different bacteria collectively known as the 'gut microbiome'. Our good gut bacteria does a lot more than just help digestion it also multiplies so that the unhealthy kind of bacteria don't have space to grow.
Why look after gut health?
All food is broken down in the gut to a simple form so that it can enter the bloodstream and be delivered as nutrients around our body. This is only possible with a healthy digestive system. Gut health also plays a significant role in our health. An unbalanced gut can increase risk of heart disease, cancer, mental health, obesity and more.
Signs of an unhealthy gut:
• Regular upset stomach
• A high-sugar diet
• Unintentional weight changes
• Sleep disturbance’s or constant fatigue
• Skin irritation
• Autoimmune conditions
• Food intolerances
• Mood issues
How to improve gut health?
Through food:
Food plays a large roll in our gut health, not just what we eat but also how we eat. Some foods to include more of are high fibre foods such as legumes, beans, peas, oats, bananas, berries, asparagus, and leeks. Garlic and onion also seem to have a positive effect along with fermented foods high in probiotics such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt, tempeh, miso, and kefir. There is some evidence to suggest collagen may also benefit gut health.
A long with foods to include there are also foods that have a negative impact on gut health. These include any foods that contain artificial sweeteners, red meat (in excess), processed and refined foods as well as excessive alcohol intake. How we eat also can impact the gut. For best practice chew your food until it is liquid and eat slowly.
Through lifestyle change:
Reducing stress can benefit our gut health because stress can affect the brain-gut communication and may trigger pain, bloating and other gut discomfort to be felt more easily. Some ways to reduce stress include meditation, getting active, mindful breathing, active relaxation, social support, time management, nutrition, and sleeping well.
Getting adequate quality sleep can have an impact on our gut health too. Recent studies have shown that recurrent sleep restrictions can alter the composition of your microbiome. There is also considerable evidence showing that the gut microbiome regulates host sleep and mental state through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. So make sure you are getting 7 - 9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Drinking plenty of water also plays a beneficial role in gut health. Drinking water has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the mucosal lining in the intestines as well as on the balance of good bacteria in the gut.
Checking for food intolerances. If you have symptoms such as cramping, extreme bloating, abdominal pain, regular diarrhoea, rashes, nausea, fatigue, and acid reflux, you may be suffering from a food intolerance. This could be a cause of poor gut health. If you are able to identify a food or foods that are contributing to your symptoms, you may see a positive change in your digestive health by changing your eating habits.
Through probiotics/prebiotics:
Probiotics may restore the composition of the gut microbiome and introduce beneficial functions to gut microbial communities, resulting in prevention of gut inflammation and other intestinal or systemic disease phenotypes.
Prebiotics are specialised plant fibers. They act like fertilizers that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics are found in many fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain complex carbohydrates, such as fiber and resistant starch.
We hope that these tips and tricks help you and your gut health.
#loveyourgut
