Gut health, or intestinal health, is just as important as any other part of the body. Intestinal health affects your digestive system, immune system, metabolism, and mental health, in addition to how your body absorbs nutrients from food. The friendly bacteria in your digestive system play a huge role in your health, so if you find that your GI tract isn’t doing its job efficiently, you may be looking for ways to improve it. The digestive tract is teeming with microorganisms that aid the body’s health. These organisms help our immune system by producing antibodies, which help defend against infection. Our gut is also involved in metabolism, hormone production, and nutrient absorption. When these good bacteria are out of balance, however, they can cause health problems.
Exercise
Exercise is good for us. Getting out of the comfort zone and getting active can help build more strength, keep our bodies healthy, and reduce stress. While most adults are familiar with how exercise and physical activity benefit us, not everyone knows how to do it correctly. Unfortunately, when exercise goes wrong, it can do more harm than good. But, that’s not to say you cannot exercise at all. In fact, there are some of them that you shouldn’t do, while others you should never try in the first place.
Eat a healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet isn’t just about eating the right foods. It’s about eating the right balance of food, too. A healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats. Foods that are rich in fibre and contain antioxidants are beneficial. Eating a healthy diet isn’t just about what you’re putting in your stomach. It’s also about what you’re putting on your skin.
Are you struggling with acne, eczema, or psoriasis? In addition to sticking to a healthy diet, you’ll want to be cognizant of your skincare routine and products since your skin absorbs whatever you put on it. For this reason, it’s important to use gentle cleansers and moisturizers that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils and lead to irritation—and don’t forget your sunscreen.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
To lose weight and keep it off, you need to drop extra calories. To drop calories, you need to drop your calorie intake. To drop that, you should eat smaller, more frequent meals. Sounds easy, right? But, as anyone who’s tried to lose weight knows, keeping weight off long-term is much more difficult. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a Food Guide, which recommends eating a variety of foods, including the foods most linked to weight gain and obesity: sweetened drinks, refined grains, processed meats, and fast food. Adopting a food guide like the Food Guide Pyramid may be simple in theory, but it’s tougher to stick to in practice. To help you lose weight and stick to it, the CDC recommends eating smaller, more frequent meals.
Chew your food thoroughly.
Eating your food slowly is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your digestive health. And it’s not just one study showing that eating slowly correlates with improved digestive health; there are many. One study, for example, followed 116 college students who were asked to either follow an established diet or to eat at a leisurely pace. The results showed the participants on the laid-back diet had improved digestion, fewer bowel movements, and quicker weight loss.
Manage your stress levels
Stress is an inevitable part of life. It’s inevitable, but we don’t have to like it. Stress comes in many forms, and it can take a toll on our health and our emotional well-being. At its worst, it can cause us to experience symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments like headaches and backaches. The good news is that stress can be managed, and its effects can be avoided.
Take or eat probiotics.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that help promote digestive and immune system health. They’re found in yoghurt, supplements, and other foods. Probiotics may help treat and prevent diarrhoea, constipation, and other gastrointestinal issues. Probiotics may also boost the immune system.
Eat more fibre
Fibre supplements add bulk to food, which makes you feel fuller for longer. Fibre also helps lower blood sugar and control cholesterol and blood pressure. There’s some evidence that eating extra fibre may help you lose weight, but there’s a catch. Adding more fibre to your diet can be expensive, and many fibre supplements contain artificial additives.
