What if I told you that your gut is a lot more complicated than you probably think, and that there’s a lot more to it than just a few pipes for food to move along? In fact, it’s really a bustling ecosystem unto itself, home to trillions of helpful little minions in the form of ‘good’ gut bacteria, which break down food, regulate your mood, and scare off dangerous pathogens that cause inflammation and illnesses. We call it the microbiome.
Your gut is actually so interlinked with the rest of your body that if it’s healthy, then chances are you are too. But what can we do to keep it healthy and happy? Well, we’ve put together a helpful guide here that should keep your gut health in check.
Embrace Fibre
Fibre is absolutely vital to having a healthy gut. Firstly, it fuels the good gut bacteria, which makes them better at breaking down the food you’ve eaten, giving you steady doses of serotonin, and strengthening your immune system.
On top of that, fibre also helps nourish the intestinal lining that moves your food along your digestive tract, meaning that everything moves along down there a lot more easily. On the whole, if you’re eating enough fibre, you’ll probably feel a lot better for it, and your trips to the toilet will likely be much more regular.
Unfortunately, not enough of us are getting enough of the stuff. The daily recommended amount is 30 grams, which only 4% of us are getting. If you want to increase your fibre intake, we’d recommend that you focus on adding a portion of fruit or vegetables to each meal, and having one or two meals per week that place legumes, like lentils, at the centre. In addition, if you find yourself hankering for a snack in between meals, go for a banana or an apple instead of a packet of crisps.
Try Probiotic-Rich Foods
You’ve probably heard of probiotics. In the past few years, in particular, they’ve skyrocketed in popularity. But a lot of people still aren’t entirely sure what the deal with them is. Well, they’re live bacteria and yeasts that help to rebalance your gut with an influx of new ‘good’ gut bacteria. They’re great for supporting digestion, improving the immune system, and managing inflammation.
The best probiotics sources are in kefir yogurts that contain live cultures, fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut and kimchi, and soy products such as miso. When you first eat probiotics, you might experience some unintended side effects, like bloating and mild stomach upset, but this will just be while your stomach adjusts.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is obviously essential for living, as well as giving an added boost to lots of different areas of the body, like improving higher brain function and skin health as a whole.
But in addition, being consistently hydrated is great for your gut health. It’s essential for digestion to begin with, as it helps your body break down food and absorb nutrients, as well as keeping food moving and preventing constipation by supporting the intestinal lining. If you think that your digestion’s taking too long, then adding just an extra glass or two of water per day could make noticeable changes.
The only exceptions to this would perhaps be those who have issues with their heart, liver, or kidneys and therefore need to limit their water intake. But for the rest of us, drinking more water can offer significant boosts to so many aspects of our health that it’s definitely worth giving a try.
Conclusion
On the whole, improving your gut health doesn’t require any major diet overhauls or shifts in behaviour. Instead, it’s more about making smaller adjustments here and there to make sure it’s getting what it needs.
