Since our body operates as a system to support our wellbeing, it comes as no surprise that a single constituent, such as our gut, plays a major role in ensuring balance. By focusing on healing your gut microbiome, you will simultaneously help your entire body be in a state of harmony. Without further ado, let’s see what you can do to improve your gut health in order to improve the quality of your life.
Things to remove from your diet
Even if you do structure your nutrition around healthy food, if you still consume some of the worst foods for your gut, you are likely undoing all or most of the good to begin with. Highly-processed foods are inherently bad for your health, and your gut is no different. Therefor, switching to a whole food diet with less processing is best for your body as it can absorb all the nutrients.
You should also remember the impact of various vices such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and too much sugar on your digestive health. In all fairness, too much stress in life can have a similar effect on your gut, so do your best to add a relaxation technique such as meditation to become more resilient to life’s setbacks.
Probiotics and prebiotics
The former is found in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, and kimchi. All of these are not only delicious, but incredibly healthy for your digestive tract. They help good bacteria flourish, which in turn improves your immune system over time.
Prebiotics, on the other hand, are, simply put, the food the good bacteria need in order to survive, thrive, and outnumber the harmful ones that inevitably roam your GI tract. They are a fiber compound that your gut loves, and you can find them in plants such as garlic, bananas, asparagus, onions, and dandelion greens.
Vitamins and minerals
Few people monitor their diet at all, and the ones that do tend to focus on the three macronutrients for the sake of weight-loss or a medical condition. However, the micronutrients in our diet deserve an equal amount of attention, especially since they are the building blocks of our immune systems, and essential for our gut health.
Vitamins and minerals perform many pivotal functions, from preventing and minimizing inflammation, all the way to helping your body absorb other nutrients in your diet. For adults, these micronutrients are key to disease prevention, while kids need them also for optimal growth and development. In case you or your youngsters need a micronutrient boost, you can look for vitamins online to supplement your diet as soon as possible and prevent any health issues down the road.
Herbs for better balance
Another commonly overlooked detail in our diet that can help restore our gut balance is using herbs in various forms. More specifically, bitter herbs such as ginger or coriander can be particularly helpful for your microbiome, as they are very potent in helping your body detox through the kidneys and liver.
Even though some of these might be considered an acquired taste for a sensitive palate, you can start by introducing a herbal tonic with ginger and other healthy herbs, made to both improve the taste of your food, and boost your health. Then again, you can start with herbal teas, which are also an excellent source of supportive ingredients, and are simple to consume on a daily basis.
Hydration 101
Relative to the number of people who track their dietary habits every day, even fewer spend any time thinking about their hydration needs, even though we all know the fact that more than half of our body is water. When we don’t eat enough fiber, overload our body with processed and junk food, and don’t take good care of our water intake, it’s common to experience symptoms such as bloating, constipation, gas, or even diarrhea.
Turn what would otherwise be a hassle into a simple habit – monitor your water intake by getting an insulated water bottle you can always have by your side, and keep track of your daily consumption. Everyone has different needs depending on your BMI, activity levels, and other lifestyle habits, so make sure to specify your needs before you settle for a random number.
We so often focus the majority of our attention on the visible, tangible aspects of our health, such as a skin rash resulting from a food allergy. However, what happens deep inside our bodies is equally important, so we ought to find ways to increase our awareness of our gut health, and we’ll soon lead a life of balance and wellbeing!
Diana Wills is a Blogger and a Biochemistry graduate. She is a science, health, food and fitness lover, with interests in beauty and fashion. She enjoys all these things so much which made her start writing about them – so that she can share her passion with everyone.” Photo Credit: Unsplash
