Gut Health: 4 Ways to Improve Your Gut Health
Gut health is more than just a wellness trend – the microbiomes of your gut have been scientifically proven to be directly related to food sensitivities, fatigue, mood, skin issues, immune system, and obviously, digestive issues. So when your gut health is poor, the symptoms and experiencing can be wide ranging.
There’s no magic pill or procedure that’s going to fix gut health. Our guts are filled with bacteria – mostly good, but sometimes bad bacteria. The gut itself replies on a balance of these microbiome to digest food, protect the body, and keep mood and focus stable. Improving gut health is all about balancing these microbiome through evidence-based strategies.
So, how can you improve gut health? Here are X proven ways to get your gut (and its bacteria) back on track.
1. Eat Well
The single most effective way to create a healthy gut environment is to consume a healthy, balanced diet. However, we understand that this is very generic advice. After all, almost any question of “how do I fix [X,Y,Z]?” could be answered with eating right, exercise, and drinking water.
There are certain things that you should eat if you want to improve gut health, including:
- Fibre – the big one when it comes to gut health. It’s a central part of diet that is degraded by the gut microbiome. Think whole grains and vegetables, nuts and seeds.
- Live probiotic foods – yoghurt and kefir (live cultures), sauerkraut and kimchi,
- Prebiotic foods – bananas and berries, oats and barley, garlic, onion, and leeks, lentils and beans.
2. Regular Meals
It’s not enough to just start snacking on vegetables, nuts, and seeds. If you want to improve gut health, you need to make sure you’re consuming regular, healthy meals. Skipping meals, eating late at night, or having no routine makes it hard for your gut to adjust and settle with your current diet; create a routine that works and is repeatable.
3. Hydration
Yes – another simple (and obvious) one. However, staying hydration truly will have an impact on gut health. Water will help to break down food, move waste along and soften stool. It also helps to break down proteins and modify the pH and transit time in the gut.
Keep a bottle of water at your desk, add lemon or mint, or make sure to drink water at regular intervals throughout the day.
4. Gut Health Powders
Yes – a good gut health powder can help supplement the gut. However, it should only be taken when you’re also balancing with a healthy, fibre-rich diet. Gut powders are great because you can add them into smoothies, oats, or even desserts. Some of our favourites include: