What are some tips to improve your gut health?
- Reduce sources of stress
- Exercise 150 minutes a week
- Eliminate food triggers
- Increase fruit and vegetable intake
- Add fermented foods to your meals
- Take probiotic supplements
Reduce Sources Of Stress
When you’re involved in stressful situations, you will often experience a ‘gut-wrenching’ feeling. Stress can affect your digestion, making you undergo nausea or cramping. This is because your brain initiates a fight-or-flight situation, causing your esophagus to go into spasms and acid to increase in your stomach. To reduce your stress triggers, you can try the following:- Saying “no” to requests if you are busy
- Delegating tasks
- Setting realistic goals
- Setting aside time to rest
Exercise 150 Minutes A Week
Exercise has an impact on your gut’s microbiome—the gut bacteria that aids digestion and boosts your immunity. Research says that exercising can enrich your microflora diversity, increasing the beneficial bacteria that can protect you from gastrointestinal disorders and colon cancer.
The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults in addition to 2 days of muscle strengthening. You can also opt for 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity. Some activities include brisk walking and riding a bike on level ground. More vigorous activities are jogging, running, swimming, and basketball.
Eliminate Food Triggers
Food intolerances are one of the common causes of bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and acid reflux. Symptoms could even affect the skin, leading to rashes and flushing. To eliminate your triggers, it is advisable to consult a physician. To give you an idea of the common food intolerance triggers, see the following list:- Dairy products including milk, cheese, and butter
- Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda
- Gluten found in bread, pasta, and cereals
- Fructose sugar in certain fruits, soda, and honey
Increase Fruit, Vegetable And Whole Grain Intake
If your diet consists of mainly meat and carbs, then it’s time to change up your meals and dishes. A diet high in fruits and vegetables can help prevent disease-causing bacteria. In addition to whole grains, these provide your body with fiber that acts as a prebiotic which supports the growth of good bacteria in your gut.
For you to increase your prebiotic intake, you should consume diverse types of foods such as the following:
- Apple
- Bananas
- Garlic
- Onion
- Flaxseeds
- Barley
- Oats
- Seaweed
Add Fermented Foods To Your Meals
Are you a fan of Korean food? If you are, then you’d be happy to know that adding kimchi to your diet is great for your gut. Kimchi is rich in probiotics, just like the other fermented foods listed below:- Yogurt
- Sauerkraut
- Kefir
- Kombucha
- Tempeh
Take Probiotic Supplements
Aside from fermented foods, you can also consume probiotic supplements. These have a ton of health benefits like treating antibiotic-related diarrhea and fighting the bacteria that causes stomach ulcer. Out of the numerous microbes found in the gut, two types are commonly chosen as probiotics—the Bifidobacteria and lactobacillus.
Both limit the growth of bad bacteria in your gut, break down lactose, and support your immune system. Aside from gut health, probiotics might also help lower cholesterol, benefit skin health, prevent oral diseases, and improve fat loss. Furthermore, Lactobacillus Acidophilus has also been found to increase bifidobacteria and lactobacillus species in the gut.