Gut Health 101: 5 ways you can improve your Gut Health

What is Gut Health?

Essentially, the term ‘Gut health’ means to maintain the right balance of microorganisms that reside in your digestive tract. Taking care of your gut and finding the right balance of these microorganisms in your digestive tract is crucial for not only your mental and physical health but also for boosting your immunity.

Yes, there are thousands of kinds of bacteria that live within your intestine, and each of them plays a significant role in boosting your health.
Usually, a diverse microbe is said to be a healthy one. This is because the more kinds of bacteria you have, the more health benefits they offer. One can attain a diverse microbe set by consuming different types of food. 

5 ways that can help you to improve your gut health 

Consume more prebiotic fiber:
 Research states that prebiotics can aid probiotics to become more resilient to environmental conditions such as temperature and pH changes. People who wish you better their gut health can include more prebiotic-rich food items in their diet. These foods can be, bananas, asparagus, onions, garlic, and even whole grains.

Have fewer sweeteners and sugars:
Consuming large amounts of sugars or artificial sweaters can cause an imbalance of gut microbes. Studies have stated that a diet that is high in sugar & fat intake, negatively impacts the gut microbe ecosystem that in turn influences behavior.
Instead of opting for sugars and sweeteners, you can make the switch to healthier alternatives such as honey, fruits, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and more!

Say no to stress
Stress plays an important role in not only various aspects of health but also in maintaining a healthy gut. Research has stated that stress can disrupt the microorganisms in the gut, even if the stress is for a short duration. A few stressors can include, environmental stress, psychological stress, or even sleep deprivation.
A few ways to manage your stress can be, meditating regularly, deep breathing, physical activity, and even muscle relaxation. Having well-balanced sleep in addition to a healthy diet is a great way to say no to stress.

Sleep for good hours 
Getting good quality sleep is important for improving your mood, cognition, and even gut health. Irregular sleep and disturbed sleep may tend to negatively impact the gut flora which in turn raises the risk of inflammatory conditions.
A healthy sleep schedule is going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.

Include more vegetables in your diet 
Studies have shown the vast difference between the gut health of meat-eaters and those of vegetarians. It was observed that a vegetarian diet contains a more diverse set of microorganisms than a meat diet on account of the high levels of prebiotic fibers.
You can now include tasty and healthy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, lettuce, etc. for maintaining a healthy gut.


By Arshiya Ahamed