Gut health has been making headlines in the recent years. And it’s a good thing! Your gut, which has been nicknamed your “second brain”, is extremely important to keep strong and healthy. So it’s probably pretty important to have a better understanding of it.
Nutrient absorption is the main purpose of our gut, but it doesn’t stop there. Hormone balance, waste excretion, communication with brain for overall wellbeing, energy production, and skin health are a few of the things our guts help with. Not to mention, 70-80% of our immune system is found in the gut. It’s no question that gut health is something we should pay attention to.
So what is our gut made up of? There are about 100 trillion bacteria that are housed in our digestive system. This bacteria are a mix of good and bad organisms, such as fungi or viruses, along with genes. Together, all of it creates what’s known as the microbiota, or the microbiome. With all these complexities and variations, everyone’s gut is a little bit different. Like a fingerprint, your gut is unique to you!
You can start making improvements to your gut through dietary and lifestyle changes. These are included below.
- Avoid processed foods as best as you can: Making a real effort to include more whole foods in your diet will do wonders to your gut. Don’t sacrifice your mental health to be absolutely perfect, but the better you do, the better you will feel.
- Add prebitoics: You’ve heard of probiotics, but what are prebiotics? Prebiotics are dietary fibers that feed probiotics, aka the good bacteria in your gut. Without prebiotics, probiotics can’t do their job very well. A good source of chitin, a prebiotic fiber, is found in cricket protein. This prebiotic fiber has been shown to increase the important probiotic bacterium by 6-fold!
- Add probiotics: Now that you have prebiotics, it’s time to add probiotics. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha are great sources that can be easily added to meals. Remember the golden rule, everything in moderation. Start small and listen to your body!
- Allow your digestive system to get going: Eating your meals mindfully and slowly have been shown to improve your digestive system. Not only does it send signals to your brain to start breaking down food, but it also tells you when you’re full so you can avoid overeating.
- Go to sleep: Don’t slack on your zzz’s. Sleep is your body’s way of rejuvenating and healing itself from the stresses of everyday life. Not only is it extremely beneficial for your mental health, but it also has a positive impact on the gut.
These few positive changes can have a significant improvement to your gut and overall wellbeing. Of course, you could go even further to visit a naturopath doctor or gut health specialist in your area. Normally they will analyze what’s in your gut through some tests and give recommendations and supplements that support your gut unique to you!
We, at Salta, send our love and kindness to you and your gut.
