When your gut microbiome is out of balance, your overall health suffers. If you struggle with digestion problems, chances are your gut health is to blame. Luckily, fixing your gut health is possible through simple methods that you can apply to your lifestyle today.
Start your gut health repair journey and begin to thrive as a person by following a few easy tips to improve your gut health:
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Your diet plays the biggest role in the health of your gut microbiome. When you eat a nutritious diet, healthy gut bacteria thrive and aid your digestion. Without the proper vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients that your body needs, your digestion becomes uncomfortable and unhealthy.
Aim for a diverse diet. This means including all of the food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and lean meats. The vital nutrients in these foods will help reset your gut microbiome and digestion.
Include Fermented Foods
Fermented foods contain microorganisms that convert sugars and starches into other chemicals. These foods and drinks usually contain probiotics, or bacteria that are beneficial for your digestive system. Include plenty of fermented foods and drinks in your diet to keep your gut well-balanced and healthy.
Examples of fermented foods and drinks include:
- Kombucha tea
- Probiotic yogurt
- Tempeh
- Sauerkraut
- Miso
- Kefir
- Kimchi
These additions to your diet will increase the number of helpful gut bacteria in your system. As a result, your digestion will become more comfortable and effective.
Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics
Antibiotics are prescribed for bacterial infections. Unfortunately, many of them are over-prescribed, which causes problems for your gut health. When you take antibiotics too frequently, they wipe out the population of healthy gut bacteria in your digestive system. This can lead to poor digestive symptoms and other health problems.
Only take antibiotics that are necessary to protect your health. Avoid them when possible. Look for antibiotic-free meats at the grocery store to prevent accidental ingestion.
Stay Away from Processed Foods — and Stress
Fixing your gut health requires knowledge about harmful foods as well. Processed foods often include many harmful ingredients, like refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.
These compounds can harm your gut microbiome by upsetting the balance between good and bad bacteria. Try to eat mostly whole, plant-based foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Artificial sweeteners have a unique effect on your gut microbiome. When you consume artificial sweeteners, you may experience unpleasant symptoms like bloating, acne, and constipation. Ditch refined sugars and artificial sweeteners to improve your gut health quickly.
Stress is also a frequent culprit when it comes to poor gut health. Try to reduce stress by finding healthy coping mechanisms like yoga, walks in nature, and hot baths.
Practice Healthy Lifestyle Habits
We all know the cornerstones of a healthy life: drinking plenty of water, exercising often, and getting enough sleep. These habits may seem difficult at first, but practice makes perfect. After a few weeks or months, you will find it easier to move your body in ways that feel good to you and get plenty of rest each night.
When you discover what works for you, you can begin your journey to better gut health.
Need help putting together a gut-healthy diet and lifestyle plan? We can help you create a personalized routine to target your exact gut health issues and get you back on the road to feeling spectacular every damn day. Contact EverVital Nutrition today!
