Improve your gut bacteria by unleashing the power of your second brain. They don’t call it the “second brain” for nothing. Exerts a profound influence on various aspects of our health, the gut microbiome, a thriving ecosystem of more than 100 trillion bacteria, affects skin health and sex drive to energy levels and hormone balance. But how exactly does it do this?
The gut houses its own nervous system known as the enteric nervous system (ENS), primarily responsible for regulating digestion. However, it also communicates extensively with the brain, impacting our mental well-being significantly.
To maintain a healthy gut, experts recommend taking a holistic approach and understanding the signs of poor digestion.
How to improve your gut bacteria and help you achieve optimal gut health?
Sleep More, Stress Less:
Getting sufficient sleep and managing stress are vital for overall health, including gut well-being. High levels of stress hormones, like epinephrine, can foster the growth of gut bacteria. That leads to inflammation when they bind to the intestinal wall.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the regulation of epinephrine flow in the brain, causing an increase in gut bacteria concentration. To improve your sleep habits, gradually work towards an earlier bedtime. By going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you achieve the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep.
Additionally, implementing stress-reducing techniques, such as morning meditation or short walks during the day, can yield significant positive results
Add Probiotics to Your Diet:
Probiotics, known as “good” bacteria and yeasts, are essential for balancing the digestive system and overall body function.
Incorporate probiotic-rich foods into your diet, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha. High-fiber foods like bananas, oats, and flaxseeds are also considered prebiotic. Also it helps nourish the good bacteria.
Remember to diversify your fiber sources by incorporating a variety of foods to feed different types of bacteria.
Try a Gut-Resetting Cleanse:
It’s really important to remember that a healthy gut needs a good balance of healthy bacteria. Within your gut resides a vast community of bacteria, numbering in the trillions, working to process nutrients, bolster immunity, and combat illnesses. A contented gut leads to our overall well-being. Opting for nourishing foods and beverages serves as unparalleled support for fostering this beneficial bacterial environment.
“Reset the gut,” incorporates plant-based meals, kefirs, smoothies, broths, and gastrointestinal-health-boosting supplements. The cleanse promotes beneficial bacteria in the gut lining and helps prevent leaky gut, reducing inflammation and offering numerous benefits such as increased energy, improved sleep, stress reduction, and enhanced mental clarity.
Hydrate with Water and Decaffeinated Tea:
Water is essential for various aspects of health, including skin health, immunity, energy, and proper digestion. Aim for eight glasses of water per day to keep things moving smoothly in your gut. Decaffeinated teas like ginger and chamomile can also contribute to better digestion and overall well-being.
Exercise Regularly:
Especially When Bloated: Exercise offers a multitude of health benefits. Including,
*enhancing the diversity of beneficial microbial species and,
*enriching microflora in the gut.
Regular physical activity promotes gut motility, relieving bloating and aiding digestion. If bloating, indigestion, or nausea become chronic issues, consult a primary care doctor for evaluation and personalized advice to improve your gut bacteria.
Let’s improve your gut bacteria For Long Life Ahead!!
Embrace these expert tips to nurture your gut health and unlock the potential of your “second brain” for a healthier, happier you. Remember, a balanced gut is the cornerstone of overall well-being, impacting everything from physical health to mental clarity.
What is the gut microbiome?
The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes that live in our gut.
These microorganisms help our overall health tremendously, as they help us digest foods that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to, such as plant fiber.
They play an incredibly important role in regulating digestion and aiding our immune system, among other significant health benefits.
How does it develop?
The gut microbiome is very closely linked to overall health and wellness. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a group of over 100 million nerve cells that line our gastrointestinal tract.
The ENS is responsible for many essential physiological functions, including digestion and immunity response.
What negatively affects your gut microbiome?
Antibiotics save lives and should be taken when they’re necessary. But they also have the most dramatic effects on your gut microbiome because they actively kill off some of the bugs in your thriving, diverse gut community. While many people’s gut microbiomes bounce back after antibiotics, other people experience changes that can last indefinitely. So it’s worth having a conversation your doctor and being very cautious about the reasons you take antibiotics.
Are there specific foods that help gut health?
Fibre is by far the most important element in gut health, as this is what feeds your ‘good’ microbes. But fibre is a double-edged sword. If you don’t have enough of the good bacteria in the gut, fibre might just be the thing that’s causing you wind, bloating, and changes in bowel movements.
Polyphenol is one of my favourite microbiome-building foods, as it is so well-tolerated and has anti-inflammatory and protective benefits. Fermented foods, such as kvass made with berries, can be helpful, though these should be avoided if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Cloves are also good for gut health, as they are a powerful, natural antimicrobial, and can be really useful to treat symptoms like wind, without the need for expensive supplements.
Is it true that gut health affects the immune system?
One of the most forgotten and ignored gut element is the lymph system! The lymph has an important immune system function, and much of it in the gut sits just by the lining, ready to patrol the area. It’s no wonder a compromised gut mucosa or insufficient beneficial bacteria can allow microbes and intruders to trigger the immune system. In fact, I often find the presence of SIBO or overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria in clients with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis.
Is gut health important for weight loss?
We know that, in obesity, the microbiome is often ‘disturbed’ or imbalanced, with a particular type of pattern of bacterial groups. Some bacterial groups are associated with weight gain.
Something I often observe in the clinic is that people who come to me with either SIBO or chronic constipation will complain of unexplained weight gain. They are often the type of person who has tried everything and lives on a restricted calorie diet, yet sees no change in weight whatsoever. When we work on the gut however (which may also include working on the liver), and the diet and insulin response, the person will find that their weight responds better to their true dietary intake.
Are probiotics worth it?
Yes! Taking probiotic supplements on a regular basis can help introduce millions of new bacteria to your gut. While this can be a great way to bounce back after taking antibiotics, consumption of probiotics alone won’t help you get a balanced gut. Instead, you should focus on a healthy balance between probiotics and prebiotics.
Can you test your gut microbiome?
Yes, you can test your gut microbiome by sending a fecal sample to a lab that does microbiome analysis. You’ll get back a list of all the types of microbes in your gut. Keep in mind that each company or lab has different ways of processing the sample, so it’s normal to get slightly different results from different places. Depending on the technology used for the analysis, you might get a list of only the broader categories of microbes, or you might get the exact strains.
Once you have this list of the microbes in your gut, what can you do with the information? Here’s where it gets less clear.
General gut microbiome tests are not useful in a clinical setting, unfortunately. Many companies will give you lists of foods you should or shouldn’t eat based on your gut microbes, but in truth the diet and gut microbe research isn’t advanced enough to guarantee you can improve your health by following a personalized list of foods. The larger, well-designed studies that are needed to prove the health benefits of these diet recommendations will take many more years to complete. Some companies have a test that predicts your blood glucose response to individual foods using a gut microbiome-based algorithm. These are potentially interesting but still lack the connection to specific health benefits.
