31/08/2022
Following the previous post - If you think your gut health isn’t up to scratch, lifestyle factors and diet can hugely help improve your gut microbiome and benefit your overall health.
Here are a few ways how..
1. Lower your stress levels
Find what it is that helps you destress (music, nature, walking, exercise, breathing and spending time with friends are a few of my favorite de-stressers)
2. Get enough sleep
Try to prioritise getting at least 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.
3. Eat slowly
Chewing your food thoroughly and eating your meals more slowly
may help you reduce digestive discomfort and maintain a healthy gut.
4. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated benefits your health overall and can help prevent constipation. It may also be a simple way to promote a healthy gut.
5. Take a prebiotic or probiotic
Adding a prebiotic or probiotic supplement to your diet may help improve your gut health. Prebiotics provide “food” meant to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, while probiotics are live good bacteria.
6. Check for food intolerances
You may have a food intolerance if you have symptoms such as:
bloating
abdominal pain
diarrhea
gas
nausea
fatigue
acid reflux
Try eliminating common trigger foods to see if your symptoms improve.
7. Change your diet
Reducing the amount of processed, high sugar, and high fat foods that you eat will lead to better gut health.
Eating a diet high in fiber contributes to a healthy gut microbiome as well. You may also positively impact your gut by eating foods high in micronutrients called polyphenols, like:
vegetables
fruits
tea
w**e (my favorite polyphenol)
There are also foods you can eat that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, contributing to your overall health. These foods are..
1. High fiber foods
2. Garlic
Garlic may increase gut microbiome diversity and improve gut health.
3. Fermented foods
Fermented foods are great dietary sources of probiotics.
4. Collagen-boosting foods
Collagen-rich foods such as bone broth and salmon skin may be beneficial for both overall health and gut health.
