Your gut is your body’s second brain. If you don’t take care of it, you can develop a number of serious health problems. Caring for your gut, fortunately, isn’t particularly difficult. It just requires you to eat healthy, watch your sugar and fat intake, and avoid foods you’re allergic to.
Poor gut health not only causes physical health issues, but mental issues as well. Scientific studies have shown that poor gut health contributes to anxiety, depression and stress.
This article will tell you nine things you need to know about your gut health:
Microbiome analysis
You may have heard of services offering microbiome testing in the past. Companies that offer a gut microbiome analysis service are able to tell you about the level of microbial diversity in your body, how it breaks down nutrients, and what substances your body produces. A microbiome scan can also tell you which microbial species are present in your gut. If you want to know what’s going on with your gut health, a microbiome scan is definitely a test worth doing. These tests are reasonably priced and have quick turnaround times.
Bathroom schedule
If you want to learn more about your gut health, you need to watch your bathroom schedule. Tracking how many times you defecate per day can give you an idea of how your bowel is working. You should also monitor the consistency of your feces. When you start monitoring your toilet habits, you will have an idea of your body’s schedule. If your schedule starts to change, it may be worth talking to your doctor. Your body is very consistent when it comes to going to the bathroom, so your schedule is definitely something worth learning.
processed foods
Processed foods are known to cause inflammation in the gut. This inflammation, if it persists, can lead to a number of health problems. For this reason, you should try to remove processed foods from your diet. The reason processed foods cause inflammation is that your gut determines many of the ingredients they contain, such as corn syrup, as attackers. So, to fight off these aggressors, your gut begins to fight off these foods as if it were an infection. Eating more fruits and vegetables can reduce the amount of stress caused to your gut by inflammation induced by processed foods.
Consume probiotics
If you care about your gut health, take probiotics. Probiotics are especially important if you’ve just finished a course of antibiotics. Antibiotics eliminate body bacteria, such as lactobacilli. You can take probiotics in pill form or, more simply, you can eat foods like bananas, asparagus, and legumes. All of these foods contain high levels of probiotics and help restore your body’s bacteria. Most foods that contain probiotics are also great for your health in other ways. For example, bananas are rich in vitamins and minerals and are the cornerstone of a healthy diet. You should too consume probiotics. You can find them in fermented food products, such as kefir and miso.
Mental Health
As already mentioned in the introduction to this article, the health of your gut influences your mental health. If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, it may be because your gut is unhealthy, not because you’re really suffering from a mental health disorder. When your gut doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, your body can produce less serotonin. Interestingly, up to 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the small intestine. Low serotonin levels are known to cause depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Poor gut health can also contribute to brain fog.
Sufficient sleep
In order to improve your gut health, you need to get enough sleep. Scientific studies have shown that people who get enough sleep and eat healthy have better gut health than people who just eat healthy but get poor quality sleep. The gut-sleep relationship is well documented. Also, if you are eating poorly and your gut becomes inflamed, you will likely experience abdominal pain, which can prevent you from sleeping. An upset stomach can also prevent you from sleeping. For this reason, try to eat healthy, both for sleep and for your body.
eat fast
Something you should avoid or break the habit of eating quickly. When you eat quickly, your body doesn’t have a chance to start digesting food. This can lead to stomach upset and intestinal problems. The slower you eat, the better it is for your body. When you start breaking down food with your teeth, you send signals to your gut, letting it know it’s time to start digesting food. When you eat too quickly, you overwhelm your gut and don’t give it enough time to process and digest food.
Meditative practice
Scientists have found that the more you relax, the better your gut will be. When you meditate and make relaxation a top priority, your body will not only be able to digest food, but also fight intestinal upset. Yes, scientific studies have shown that meditation actually alleviates the negative symptoms of bowel disorders. There are many different styles of meditation you can practice. Some find mindfulness meditation to be the most effective in clearing up intestinal upset. You can also practice yoga and other styles of meditation, such as walking meditation.
Balanced diet
If you want a healthy gut, you have to eat healthy. It is a fact. You won’t be able to take care of your gut if your diet is full of unhealthy and fatty foods. However, unhealthy foods don’t just impact your gut. They also impact your whole body, leading to problems like heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. All of these things can contribute to premature death. You have to take care of your body, in order to prolong its life. Eating healthy is not difficult. Once you get into the habit of healthy eating, you won’t want to go back to junk food.
Your gut health should be one of your top concerns. As this article shows, an unhealthy gut can have serious consequences for your entire body. Taking care of your gut, fortunately, isn’t difficult and just requires healthy eating and wise lifestyle choices.
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