5 steps to a healthy gut

A combination of diet and exercise leads to a healthy gut, which makes for a healthy body. (Rawpixel pic)

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms including viruses, bacteria and yeast.

Collectively known as the microbiome, or “gut flora”, these microorganisms can be beneficial or detrimental and have a significant impact on the state of your health.

The aim is to increase the number of friendly microorganisms, especially good bacteria, while reducing the bad.

A healthy gut refers to the balanced state of microorganisms required to sustain a strong immune system, which directly correlates to better overall health.

Here are a few effective steps to improve gut health.

Start with a nutritious diet

Fibre is key to improving the state of the microbiome – so eat plenty whole grains, vegetables and fruits. (Rawpixel pic)

It’s no surprise that the health of the gut largely depends on what you put into it. Fibre is key when it comes to improving the state of the microbiome, hence, consuming a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits is a must.

Reduce processed and refined foods such as sugar.

Studies have been conducted that break down the effects of each macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) showing that a change in diet can directly influence the microbiome.

Keep a daily food diary to track how many whole foods versus refined foods you consume.

Take probiotics and prebiotics

Easily available in Asian pantries are onions and garlic that are great prebiotic-rich foods. (Rawpixel pic)

Probiotics are the good bacteria that already reside in the gut. In effect, the army of good gut flora can be bolstered by consuming probiotics in the form of supplements or as fermented foods such as yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir.

Prebiotics, on the other hand, are the fibre that feeds the microbiome.

In short, the gut flora needs to eat and thrives when it gets a healthy dose of prebiotics every day, therefore, a diet rich in prebiotic foods contributes directly to good gut health.

Common prebiotic-rich foods include garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus, oats, apples and flaxseed.

Eliminate food allergens

Many people are lactose-intolerant and don’t know it – so if you suffer from indigestion after consuming dairy products, try eliminating it from your diet for a while. (Rawpixel pic)

Symptoms of an unhealthy gut are indigestion, weight gain/loss, and fatigue and can be caused by foods that may be considered healthy for some or just do not suit that person’s particular constitution.

For example, while some people do fine drinking milk, others can get an upset stomach from just a few spoonfuls of ice cream.

Consider trying an elimination diet that excludes common allergens such as gluten, dairy, corn and soy for a month and see if that makes a difference.

If there is a significant reduction in bloating, stomach ache, dizziness, nausea and fatigue the individual is on the right track.

Then, reintroduce the eliminated foods one by one to see which of them works well in one’s system versus those that are not suitable.

Also, research shows that treating an unhealthy gut could reverse the effects of some of the foods one might have been allergic to. So once gut health is restored, one may be able to enjoy these foods again.

Minimise the use of antibiotics

Antibiotics can destroy not only the bad bacteria that causes disease but the healthy gut flora as well. (Rawpixel pic)

Antibiotics were invented as a remedy for infection. Unfortunately, while antibiotics kill harmful bacteria, they also wipe out a large number of the good bacteria that protect your gut.

Prolonged use of antibiotics can cause irreparable damage to the microbiome. Studies have found that even a single course of antibiotics can negatively affect the microbiome for a year.

If a physician recommends antibiotics, always ask if there are alternatives.

When antibiotics are not optional, ask the doctor to recommend a good probiotic supplement that can replenish some of the helpful bacteria that has been depleted.

Exercise and sleep well

Get a good night’s sleep for the sake of your gut. (Rawpixel pic)

Diet and exercise go hand in hand for good health and the same applies to the health of the microbiome. Exercise and sleep have been proven to have a significant impact on the quality and the quantity of the good bacteria in the gut.

Athletes who follow strict training protocols have a more diverse range of microorganism species than non-athletes.

This does not mean one has to become a pro-athlete to have a healthy gut, but some form of daily physical exercise is recommended alongside a diet rich in fibre.

Lack of sleep is another factor that contributes to an imbalanced microbiome, leading to gut inflammation and a malfunctioning immune system.

Limit late nights and irregular sleep patterns and adopt proper sleep hygiene for better gut health and a stronger immune system.

A ‘gut feeling’

Maintaining a healthy gut is an essential step to sustaining good health. The best strategy for strengthening the gut is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which also includes reducing stress.

Remember, a “gut feeling” is literally the right feeling when it comes to the growth of the microbiome because a healthy gut translates into a healthier individual.

Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg and host of The DRH Show. You can connect with him on Twitter @drelojo_howell

from Free Malaysia Today https://ift.tt/2Y4zElj
via IFTTT