Resetting your gut health

I have previously mentioned the importance of gut health. Here are some super simple steps you can take in your day-to-day life to improve your gut health. 

Your gut is responsible for breaking down your food and absorbing all the healing nutrients for your body. It’s also responsible for managing the waste. When we don’t take care of our gut, this part of the operation starts to break down the toxins rise through the body leading to all sorts of health implications, gut conditions, bloating, excess wind and constipation.  

What does microbiome mean? 

 The term refers to the ecosystem of the microorganisms that live in and around the body most of which reside in your gut. The microbes act as a protective barrier against harmful invaders to protect our health and us. 

1)     Eat probiotic foods 

Fermented foods such as kefir, kimichi, sauerkraut are full of probiotic goodness for your gut. Probiotics are bacteria shown to have beneficial effects supporting a healthy microbiome. There are also plenty of probiotic supplements that you can also take however its vital to do your homework on which one is the most suited and beneficial to you. 

2)     Eat prebiotic foods 

Prebiotics are types of fibre that cannot be digested and help to cultivate a healthy microbiome by helping gut bacteria. Gut bacteria break these fibres down by fermentation to produce short chain fatty acids that supply energy to the cells that line your colon. Foods like onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, bananas oats and also more starchy foods as pasta, rice, pasta, potatoes once cooked and left to cool form resistant stretches that also act as prebiotics in the gut. 

1)     Veggies!  

We’ve been told our entire lives to eat more greens, yet so many still do not have enough in their daily diets. Vegetables are rich in fibre, in some cases this fibre acts as a prebiotic supporting the growth of bacteria in the gut. 

2)  Choose wholegrain 

 Barley, rye, oats are just some of the delicious wholegrain family, unlike refined processed white varsities of foods, wholegrain produce have much more fibre helping the gut to reduce side effects like bloating and constipation. 

3)  Eating mindfully 

With technology living in the palm of hands these days, it’s harder than ever to fully switch off. But paying attention to what you’re eating can have a serious impact on your digestive system. Learning some mindful eating techniques like simply chewing your food properly, sitting down away from your computers, phones to take time for yourself away from your desk to be present and enjoy your nourishing meal. Be careful not to eat too late at night, best to have enough time to digest your food before bedtime.