When assessing your health, you often hear about diet and exercise; and for good reason, they are the foundation that your overall level of health is built upon. In addition to eating right and exercising, there are other details that you must pay attention to. Your body will give you warning signs that something is not right, providing you pay attention to the signs.
If you associate the term “bacteria” with something being bad, it is time to retrain your brain. Your gut not only thrives on good bacteria, but it is also necessary to maintain a healthy gut. The bacteria that exist inside your digestive tract are referred to as microbiota and is credited with many things that are essential to good health. These bacteria are known to not only combat some diseases but also to treat them.
Know The Signs
How do you know if your gut isn’t happy? There are a few telltale signs. The most obvious sign of an unhealthy gut is an upset stomach. Discomforts such as gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea are all signs you should draw your attention to. A healthy gut will be able to process the food you eat without causing the aforementioned intestinal issues.
Other symptoms pointing towards the possibility of an unhealthy gut are unexplained weight changes as well as sleep disturbances and fatigue. The sleep hormone serotonin is produced in the digestive system. The hindrance of the production of serotonin, due to an imbalance in gut bacteria, is certainly something to keep in mind.
Fixes
Although it may seem like balancing trillions of bacteria someplace in your body that you don’t see can be an impossible task, it absolutely is not. Adaptogens are plants, more specifically herbs and roots, that help your body deal with stressors. Knowing the overwhelmingly negative effect stress has on our bodies, it lends to reason, one way to help promote a healthy gut is to lower your level of stress.
Your body rejuvenates and repairs itself as you sleep. Being sure to get an adequate amount of sleep each night will help with any current gut issues as well as prevent them from creeping up.
Other simple fixes for improving the health of your gut are making sure you chew your food properly before swallowing and drinking plenty of water. It makes sense that the more you chew your food before you swallow it, the less your digestive system has to work to break that food down into usable nutrients or passable waste. As humans, the vast majority of our bodies is water. In order to keep our body happy and functioning as it should, as we deplete water we need to be cognizant of the importance of replacing it.
Speak with your doctor about the potential benefits of adding a prebiotic or probiotic to your diet. Prebiotics promote the growth of the existing bacteria in your gut whereas probiotics are live bacteria that you consume. Good sources of probiotics are fermented foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt.
What you eat and gut health are directly linked to one another. To keep your insides happy, be sure to avoid, the best you can, the biggest enemies of a healthy gut. They are processed foods, foods high in saturated fat, and refined sugars.
Your gut is a lot more complicated than you probably ever gave it credit for and is responsible for so many vital functions. When paying attention to and refining your diet in pursuit of improved overall health, be sure to give your gut what it needs. You will be much happier when you do!
