Good health is an important aspect of happiness for us all. It’s vital that you are aware about your gut health as it affects our overall health and also contributes towards your total energy levels needed to live a long and fulfilling lifestyle.
Your gut microbiome—the many hundreds of microorganisms living in your intestine—are at the very heart of gut health. Researchers have long believed that having a diverse community of good bacteria in your gut is vital for boosting immune function and protecting against all kinds of diseases, including autoimmune disorders, asthma, and diabetes. Research has also shown how having a healthy gut might help keep you alive longer.
There are many things that affect the diversity of your gut bacteria, especially what you eat. We wanted to share top tips with by helping you improve and maintain your gut health.
- Getting Enough Sleep
Not getting enough sleep or quality sleep can make you more vulnerable to getting health issues in the future. Sleeping for a minimum of 7-8 hours per night is necessary for your immune system to function at optimum capacity.
- Minimize Stress
Research shows that stress can promote the growth of harmful bacteria in your intestines and make you more likely to fall ill. One way to fight illness resulting from stress is by familiarizing yourself with different methods of reducing stress.
- Reduce Sugar Intake
Refined sugar tends to be inflammatory. It causes an imbalance in gut microbes, which has been shown to cause inflammation throughout the body. Sugar-free alternatives are not much better, though, despite having less calories than their refined counterparts.
In fact, evidence shows that artificial sweeteners may increase blood sugar by stimulating unhealthy bacteria growth in the gut microbiome. Try cutting sweeteners out as much as possible!
- Eating more plant based food
A plant-based diet has been linked to improved health of the gut because it encourages an increase in biodiversity and stability of gut microbial species. Consider eating fewer animal-based foods and choosing instead whole, plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits and berries, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
- Increase Fiber Intake
Fiber facilitates proper digestion in the gut and allows the body to use blood sugar levels more effectively, which can help prevent serious health issues. Good sources of fiber include whole grains such as oats, legumes such as peas & beans; bananas, berries and asparagus all contain a high amount of naturally-occurring soluble dietary fiber.
Garlic, leeks & onions are rich in insoluble fibers that are purported to provide further benefits to overall gastrointestinal health.
- Drinking more water
Drinking enough water is needed to have a healthy gut. This can be given by water, teas or a good anti-inflammatory diet.
- Eating slowly
Chewing your food and eating at a slow pace can do the body good. Through thorough, slow mastication of your meals, all of the body’s nutrients can be absorbed and digested effectively. This may allow you to stay healthy and experience less digestive discomfort.
- Exercising regularly
Regular exercise is great for a lot of reasons – including your heart health, weight and overall fitness. However, it’s also been shown to have other positive effects such as helping promote the biodiversity of your gut flora and maintaining regularity that in turn may improve your gut health.
- Eliminate processed foods
Eating real foods that are unrefined and not processed can lead to better gut health. As such, it’s important to try increasing fresh vegetables and grains while reducing things like refined carbohydrates as much as possible.
- Reduce consumption of antibiotics
Antibiotics are harmful to the gut microbiota and interfere with your immune system. Doctors often prescribe them when they aren’t necessary, which can lead to antibiotic resistance. So, if you receive a prescription for antibiotics, get the full story from your doctor first – and don’t just take them; make sure they are medically necessary.
- Brushing regularly
Your mouth is the gatekeeper of your oral microbiome. Your oral microbiome and gut are connected, so it’s important to have a healthy mouth. A healthy mouth will help prevent various health issues down the road such as diarrhea or even gum diseases that could cause bad breath. Also, avoid using antibacterial mouthwashes. These will kill all the good bacteria we need in our mouths.
- Cook with herbs and spice
Cooking with fresh herbs can help introduce a lot of versatility to your recipes and make them uniquely yours. While herbs like rosemary, oregano, mint, thyme, and other savory spices have plenty to offer you in terms of their nutritional value alone.
- Reduce alcohol consumption
In terms of gut health, alcohol consumption is generally not the gut’s best friend. However, moderate red wine consumption may possibly increase beneficial gut microbiota diversity—likely due to its higher polyphenol content.
- Giving up smoking
Smoking not only affects the health of one’s heart, lungs and throat, but also the health of their stomach and intestines.
- Eating polyphenol rich foods
Polyphenols are plant compounds that can be found in a variety of sources, such as red wine, green tea and dark chocolate. These polyphenols help stimulate healthy bacterial growth in the gut.
