A healthy human body is swarming with microorganisms inhabiting every nook and cranny on and in the body. It is in your gut, the gastrointestinal tract, that you’ll find the largest collection of microorganisms. This is where the good and bad bacteria, and some enzymes, reside. Combine the microorganisms with the product they make and the entire environment is called the microbiome. Your gut microbiome is unique to you. When the microbiome is out of balance and there are more ‘bad’ bacteria than good, you experience the poor gut health symptoms.
Poor gut health has very distinct symptoms.
What is important is your ability to pay attention to them as symptoms and to take action to rid yourself of these symptoms. The most common symptoms of poor gut health are:
- Gas or bloating
- Indigestion or heartburn after meals
- Irregular bowel movements (diarrhea or constipation)
- Food allergies or sensitivities
- Frequent colds
The good news is that you can change your gut health. The 3 tips you can use today to improve your gut health are:
1. Improve Your Diet.
- Remove the sugar and processed foods from your diet. Refined carbohydrates, sugar, and processed foods get absorbed quickly into your small intestine without any help from your microbes.
- Get your carbohydrates from vegetables and low-sugar fruits. Eating a lot of leafy green vegetables will help plant your gut with healthy and diverse bacteria. Be sure to get a balance of healthy fats and protein with each meal as well.
- Include fermented foods in your diet. Fermented foods seed your gut with healthy bacteria. Eat sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, kefir, yogurt (not processed), and kombucha.
2. Take a Probiotic supplement.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. They’re often called often called “good” or “helpful” bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy. What they do is line your digestive tract and support your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection.
3. Reduce Stress.
One of the most important factors of improving your gut health is your own ability to relax and to get into a relaxed state. If your gut health is poor, your gut microbiome is unbalanced; you may feel depressed, anxious, or tired. In addition to eating the right foods, begin to practice meditation and get into a relaxed state before each meal. Remove stressors and distractions. Enjoy the food you are eating.
While there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to your gut health, remember, it is unique to you. The above tips should work well for you as long as you support you keep supporting your microbiome with foods and activities that are healthy for you.
