One thing you can do that will affect your whole body and even your mental health is to keep your digestive system healthy. Your gut is filled with bacteria and other microbes that can make you healthier or sicker, depending on the blend. There are more microbes in your body than cells, which should tell you how important they are. These gut microbes are in the intestines and are necessary to your good health. They break down food, so the nutrients can be delivered via your bloodstream, throughout the body.
Keeping a healthy gut is more than keeping the organs functioning properly.
Microbes keep your gut healthy and are vital to your immune system and help keep detrimental bacteria, viruses, and fungi in check. Mental health, asthma, diabetes, malnutrition, obesity, eczema, colitis, and other diseases are linked to an imbalance of the microbiome. You can improve your gut health by providing prebiotics, food that help healthy bacteria thrive. Soluble fiber is a prebiotic food that feeds healthy bacteria, increasing their numbers. Food high insoluble fiber are apples, sweet potato, most types of beans and oatmeal, plus more.
Keep your gut healthier by including probiotic foods.
You’ll increase the number of healthy bacteria by feeding them right with prebiotics, but another way to do it is to eat fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir. Increasing the probiotic foods can immediately improve the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Beneficial bacteria carry out other important functions, such as getting rid of mutated or damaged cells that can lead to cancer. Cutting out food with added sugar can also improve your gut health.
Increase the amount of sleep you get and consider adding collagen to your diet.
Lack of sleep can affect the health of your gut, so get seven to nine hours on a regular basis. It can cause stress and chronic stress can also cause damage to your gut. Getting adequate collagen in your diet is important. One third of all the protein in your body is collagen. It aids in regulating stomach acid, reducing damage to the stomach lining. Collagen attracts both water and acid, which improves digestion. Collagen is necessary for repairing damage to the gut caused by inflammation and can improve conditions like IBS and leaky gut. Bone broth contains high amounts of collagen, so supplementing with it can prove beneficial.
- Whole apples can provide a big benefit for gut health. Not only do they contain beneficial fiber, but they also contain pectin, another prebiotic that feeds good bacteria.
- A program of regular exercise is also beneficial for gut health. Studies show that regular exercise can improve the balance of microbes in your gut by increasing the beneficial bacteria.
- Your mental health is affected by the chemicals in your brain, such as serotonin. Studies show that the gut makes approximately 90% of them. A healthy gut helps improve your mood.
- A healthy gut is important for weight loss. Studies show a bacterial imbalance can cause weight gain. Healing the gut with a program of exercise, stress release and a healthy diet can help. Avoid sugar that can feed harmful microbes and cause weight gain.
For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training