Improve your gut health naturally

Gut health

The gut or the gastrointestinal tract is a group of organs that includes the esophagus, mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum. There are many factors that lead to damage to gut health like not eating a diverse range of foods or eating too much junk food, lack of Prebiotics in the diet, drinking too much alcohol, excess use of antibiotics, lack of regular physical activity, smoking, not getting enough sleep and stress.

Signs of unhealthy gut

Signs that indicate that you might have an unhealthy gut are as follows-

1.     Upset stomach

Frequent feelings of discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn indicate that your gut is finding it hard to digest food and eliminate the waste from your body.
 

2.    Fatigue

You feel tired and exhausted to do your daily work. Studies have found that people with chronic fatigue may have gut-related problems leading to slow assimilation of food. Lack of nutrients in the body due to poor gut health often results in feeling weak and tired.
 

3.     Sleeping trouble

You may face trouble sleeping generally. An unhealthy gut can cause insomnia or poor sleep which leads to mental and physical fatigue. The majority of your serotonin hormone, which affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. So, when there is a problem in the gut, you may face problems sleeping as well.
 

4.    Food intolerance

You can become intolerant to some foods. Food intolerance is caused by the poor quality of bacteria in the gut. Food intolerance may make you struggle to digest certain foods leafy vegetables, milk, eggs etc. This may lead to bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.
 

5.    Food craving

You may find yourself craving food items, especially sugar. Eating too much sugar can cause too many bad bacteria in the gut. High amounts of sugar are often linked to inflammation in the body and put you at risk of other gut problems like ulcers.
 

6.    Weight gain/loss

You may face unexpected weight gain or loss. When your gut is unhealthy your body may find it hard to absorb nutrients, store fat and regulate blood sugar. Weight gain or loss may be caused by bacteria overgrowth or lack of nutrients in the body.
 

7.     Skin problems

Often people have unhealthy gut face skin irritations. Some skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis may be related to gut issues.
 

8.     Migraine

There can be a link between your frequent headaches and your gut health. You may feel migraine-like symptoms. Sometimes you may also experience nausea or vomiting with migraines. Studies suggest that people having migraines or frequent headaches might be having gastrointestinal disorders too.
 

9.    Autoimmune issues

You can have autoimmune problems if your gut health becomes extremely serious. Some bad gut bacteria may trigger autoimmune conditions like thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.
 

10. Frequent mood changes

A person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. In fact, there is a deep gut-brain axis and hormones secreted in the gut and neurotransmitters set messages to the brain when there is distress. Various gut problems like inflammation can lead to mood swings, anxiety and other mental health issues.

How to make your gut healthy?

Probiotics

Add probiotics to your diet. Probiotics promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. You can take these in vitamin form or, preferably, from natural sources like yogurt.

Eating a plant-based diet that includes fermented foods and fiber from colorful fruits and vegetables, having healthy sleep habits and managing stress levels are other ways to support a healthy gut. If you want to adopt a healthier lifestyle, start easy with small diet changes and build from there.

Eat a diverse range of foods

Your food must include different kinds of eatables to keep your gut healthy. You need to keep in mind that you need to eat different types of food and bring variety to your everyday menu to keep your gut healthy.

•  Eat lots of vegetables, legumes, beans, and fruits as they are full of fibers that are good for gut health. 
• Try eating fermented foods like yogurt, raw cheese, pickles and kombucha.
• Eat prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, bananas, apples and flaxseed.
•  Whole grains and a plant-based diet consisting of leafy vegetables can help you improve your gut health. 
• Foods rich in polyphenols are beneficial if you have gut inflammation, so you can liberally eat food items like broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettuce, onion, strawberries and raspberries.

Eat food that repairs the Gut

You need to take self-care steps to improve your gut health. It will take at least 3-4 weeks to heal your gut. To improve as well as repair gut lining you can include food items like pineapple, onion, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, yogurt, almond and olive oil.

Limit processed and sugary foods

Processed foods taste good but usually contain ingredients that could be harmful if consumed in excess. These ingredients are saturated fats, added sugar, and salt. These kinds of foods also contain less dietary fiber and fewer vitamins than whole foods.

 It is better to avoid processed junk foods, alcohol, sugary beverages, refined oils, and artificial sweeteners as this may aid the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Cutting out foods containing gluten or common stimulants of digestive symptoms may also help. Instead, get nutrients from plant-based foods and lean proteins. A diet high in fiber can promote a healthy gut.

Eat slowly

If you chew your food for a longer duration, it will break down more, which will help your stomach to digest it easily. In fact, when you eat your food slowly, you give your brain a signal that your stomach has started doing its work of digestion. 

So, taking time to chew food and eating slowly will satisfy your appetite and improve the efficiency of your gut. So, chew thoroughly and eat slowly to fully digest your food and help your body absorb all its nutrients.

Eliminate food intolerance

The three most common food intolerances are lactose, a sugar found in milk, casein, a protein found in milk, and gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley.

 If these or certain other foods are troubling you and always cause cramping, nausea, or acid reflux, you may have a food intolerance. Try an elimination diet to find out your trigger foods, then remove them from your diet completely.

An elimination diet is actually an eating plan that removes a particular food or group of foods that is causing food intolerance and then reintroduces them during a “challenge” period,

Drink water

Staying well-hydrated improves your body’s overall health. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal helps in digestion. Water is vital for good health. Water and other drinks help break down food so that your body can absorb the nutrients. Water also makes stool softer, which helps prevent constipation.

One 2022 study also found that people who drank more water had less of a type of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal infections.

Exercise regularly

Moving your body improves the healthy microbes in your body, keeps your bowel movements regular, and prevents disease while improving your overall health. Walking is one of the best all-around exercises for good health and improving digestion. Cycling is one of the most efficient techniques to speed up digestion in your body.

Get enough sleep

Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Better sleep helps to balance your hormones and prevent situations that can negatively impact your digestive health, like stress or eating too close to bedtime. You need to follow proper sleep hygiene and relax your mind to get quality sleep.

Reduce stress

 Some studies show that people who have early life stress are more likely to develop gut-related problems. Finding ways to manage your stress can help manage your gut.

Meditation along with deep breathing techniques may help you lower gut inflammation. Learning to manage stress can help reduce or relieve symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases and disorders and increase your quality of life.

Avoid or quit smoking

Smoking can harm your digestive system in many ways. Smokers get heartburn, peptic ulcers, liver disease and cancer more often than nonsmokers. Smoking makes those conditions harder to treat. It also increases the risk of gallstones. If you smoke, try to quit. Try counseling or therapies for help if you need it.

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Drinking too much may negatively affect your gut microbes. Repeated alcohol use is linked to gastritis, an irritation of the gut in which it becomes inflamed. Such inflammation can lead to heartburn, chronic discomfort, ulcers and bacterial infections.

Talk to your doctor

 It is better to understand that there’s no better person than the doctor to talk about gut health. Tell your doctor about your symptoms, problems you are facing, recent changes, and health goals.

A healthy gut means you have a stronger immune system, a better mood, effective digestion that’s free of discomfort and a healthy brain and heart. Gut health affects different aspects of our well-being, from our mood to our immunity. So, it is extremely important to care for your gut and keep it healthy.