How To Keep Your Gut Healthy And Happy
Unfortunately, most of us do not generally pay much attention to our digestive processes until something feels uncomfortable, or goes wrong all together. Being knowledgeable and proactive in how to keep your gut healthy and happy is important to keep things running smoothly, literally. Therefore, the actions we take as individuals plays a huge role in how successful we are staying healthy and happy. Lifestyle and diet are the two major factors to consider when keeping your gut (the gastrointestinal system) on the optimal side. And with so many forms of technology at our fingertips, there is little excuse for not staying informed how to do so.
More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine), suggested that all disease begins in the gut. Perhaps further explaining the root of the word 'disease' coming from 'dis-ease' of the body. So what then are some things we can do to keep our gut at ease and happy? Are there particular foods and supplements that can support gut health, and lifestyle choices that keep our digestive system running smooth? Absolutely! It's important to understand that factors such as stress, a poor diet of processed and sugary foods, dehydration, lack of sleep, use of antibiotics, and lack of prebiotics and probiotics can all be harmful to the gut.
Important aspects of our health can be affected, such as nutrient absorption, mood, and a strong immunity. Taking a closer look at what keeps our digestive system healthy and thriving is a great way to maintain gut health.
Let's Take A Look At What The Gut Is And Why It Is So Important
Before jumping into how to keep your gut healthy and happy, let's explore what the gut actually is and why it is so important to keep it functioning optimally. Our gut is the gastrointestinal system each of us have in our body for processing foods and nutrients necessary to live. It is also referred to as the gastrointestinal tract, digestive system, digestive tract, or group of organs that includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum. Each of these organs contain essential bacteria, and unfortunately for some harmful bacteria, also known as "gut microbiome" in order to function properly. The term “gut microbiome” refers specifically to the microorganisms living in the intestines. It is amazing to think that the average person has about 300 to 500 different species of bacteria in their digestive tract, weighing on average around seven pounds! While some microorganisms are harmful to our health, many more are incredibly beneficial and necessary for a healthy and happy gut.
More and more research is leading the way in proving the gut-brain connection. Our digestive system is equally responsible for defending the body against foreign invaders, removing bodily wastes, destroying old intestinal cells and creating new ones, fostering the growth of beneficial bacteria, making certain vitamins like K and B12, and releasing hormones that communicate with the brain and heart. Now that's a lot of work! Without this complex system, we wouldn’t be able to absorb and use the nutrients we need to constantly fuel our bodily processes and functions. The problem is that this intricate system is easily derailed by our modern lives, especially in an era of fast-food and common pollutants found in our water and air. Stress, chemicals and pesticides, a lack of fiber, and the use of medications can all upset the gut or gastrointestinal system, and the beneficial bacteria that reside there. Unfortunately, once the gut becomes compromised it can also become more susceptible to further damage. A vicious cycle of chronic ailments can snowball and leave a person feeling overwhelmed. Knowing how to keep your gut healthy and happy is crucial for aiding the body in everyday function.
How To Keep Your Gut Healthy And Happy With Food
Paying attention and proactively reacting to your body's signs of discomfort is essential in finding the key for how to keep your gut healthy and happy. One way to tell if the foods you eat are hurting or helping your gut is to see if you feel any physical discomforts. An unbalanced gut will have more difficulty processing food and eliminating waste through the digestive system in various aspects. Stomach disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy and unhappy gut. It's important to understand that when the gut is teeming with beneficial bacteria and absorbing vital nutrients, it becomes easier to function as a whole. Including keeping the bodies immune system strong, energy levels high, and skin looking radiant. Choosing natural, whole, fermented, and fibrous foods, increases your chance of feeding your gut foods loaded with beneficial probiotics and prebiotics. Both are needed in keeping the gut and entire digestive system happy and functioning smoothly.
There are foods that heal the gut, and those that can harm the gut. Butyrate for example, a short chain fatty acid that can be found in butter, ghee, and raw milk, is very beneficial for your gut. It serves as the ideal “food” for epithelial cells in the gut, helping to nourish and protect gut tissue, while also having anti-inflammatory and immune signaling properties. Our bodies can make our own butyrate, our gut bacteria make butyrate by fermenting fibre in our gut, but certain foods are necessary for that process. On the opposite side of the coin, a diet high in processed foods and added sugars has been shown to decrease the amount of good bacteria in your gut. High amounts of refined sugars, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, have been linked to increased inflammation in the body and gut particularly. And unfortunately, inflammation can be the precursor to a number of chronic diseases and even deadly cancers in the body. Learning how to keep your gut healthy and happy with the foods you eat daily is a great way to incorporate more variety in foods as well, which can be fun!
How To Keep Your Gut Healthy And Happy With Supplements
We all live with our own personal microbiome, a highly diverse ecosystem that we coexist with inside, and even outside of our bodies. A healthy and happy gut is a diverse microbiome, with a population of many different types of microbial inhabitants. But unfortunately, many of us have less diversity in our gut microbiome than we should. Hence where supplements can come in to save the day! Thanks to years of research, there is quite compelling evidence in how to keep your gut healthy and happy with the addition of daily supplements. Our gut and digestive system as a whole are very integral to how our body receives the nutrients it needs to function. Both foods we consume and supplements we take daily, can serve to be proactive for a healthy gut. Let's take a look at just a few to get an idea of how to keep our gut happy:
Aloe Vera - This magical succulent is not just a vitamin, but also polysaccharide rich and provides minerals. Used by many traditional cultures for digestive complaints of all sorts, aloe vera is healing and soothing to an inflamed digestive tract. Choose a juice that is pressed from the inner filet to avoid the mild bowel stimulant properties the whole leaf can have, and always follow the bottle recommendations for taking.
Multi Vitamin - A high-quality multivitamin will contain essential nutrients for those on a limited diet, a tight schedule, or for anyone wanting to ensure they get their daily requirements met. Gut supportive nutrients such as zinc (essential in promoting healthy cells in the gut), Vitamin A (supports the mucosal membrane in the gut), and Vitamin C (supports intestinal cell regeneration), just to name a few. Again, be sure to choose a multivitamin from a company with high standards for product sourcing, processing, and formulation.
Zinc - Necessary for the healing of the stomach and intestinal lining, zinc proves to be a powerful component in gut health. Zinc-carnosine in particular supports the mucosal cells of the stomach, therefore helping to protect the stomach lining. Zinc-carnosine also appears to help prevent irritation caused by the use of NSAIDs and modulates inflammation throughout the digestive tract. A number of human clinical studies have found it to be useful for the prevention and treatment of gastritis and gastric ulcers as well.
DGL - Technically called deglycyrrhized licorice, this digestive aid promotes mucus secretion in the stomach lining, protecting the stomach and allowing mucosal cells to heal. The effects of DGL are felt quickly and are a favorite of people suffering from heartburn and indigestion. Neutralizing an acidic environment is a great option in how to keep your gut healthy and happy.
Fish Oil - Omega-3 fish oils, or algal oils for those consumers avoiding fish, can help to improve the diversity of our bacterial ecology as well. Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in our tissues signal an important enzyme called intestinal alkaline phosphatase. IAP helps to control microbial growth, maintain diversity, and can even help to strengthen the intestinal lining of our gut and/or digestive system.
L-Glutamine -An amino acid found abundantly in the body, L-Glutamine supplies fuel for the intestinal cells, allowing for healthier cells with better absorptive abilities. Important for nutrient absorption in how to keep your gut healthy and happy.
Gamma-Oryzanol - Derived from rice bran oil, gamma-oryzanol helps to normalize gastric secretions and has been shown to have a healing effect on the colon. A typical dose is 100 mg three times a day for three to six weeks, but always look to the bottle for recommended usage.
Why Probiotics Are The Secret To A Healthy And Happy Gut
Probiotics play a key role in supporting how to keep your gut healthy and happy. Did you know that the word probiotic literally means “for life”, and appropriately so. These inconspicuous, life-enhancing little guys are the foundation in supporting the gut and a strong immune system. Probiotics are needed to improve digestion, and synthesize various nutrients that help the body. Most people are unaware that the health of your bacterial ecosystem is your first line of defense against illness and disease, especially important in times such as flu season. Maintaining balanced levels of probiotics has been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of common digestive disorders, such as IBS for example. Probiotics help reduce bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea for those suffering from an unhappy and unhealthy gut. Unfortunately, poor lifestyle and nutrient lacking dietary habits can negatively affect these pro-life microorganisms, allowing harmful bacteria to dominate. Hence the importance in learning how to keep your gut healthy and happy with supportive foods and supplements. Luckily, there are several ways to encourage a healthy microflora in your gut, such as adding fermented foods and high quality probiotic supplements.
One of the greatest supplements you can find to support how to keep your gut healthy and happy is Probiotic Renu, from Bloat No More. This amazing formulation comes in capsules that contain a premium blend of natural ingredients including 30 billion bifido strains, and 20 billion lacto probiotic cultures. With their unique blend of 50 billion colony forming units, the Probiotic Renu formulation aims to support the gut and digestive system as a whole. With just one Probiotic Renu vegan and gluten free capsule a day, your body will get the daily probiotic support it needs. Positive effects from taking probiotics will compound over time, continually improving your wellbeing from the inside out.
How To Keep Your Gut Healthy And Happy With Bloat No More
Living in the environment we do today, unfortunately full of chemicals and toxins, highlights even more the importance of being proactive about our health. Ensuring how to keep our gut healthy and happy is a wonderful way to give our body what it needs to thrive. Bloat No More is on a mission to help educate consumers on the benefits of taking supplements to help care for the body from the inside out. Bloat No More offers high quality supplements that help remove harmful toxins in the body. While also aiming to reduce the risk of an unhealthy gut, disease, and obesity. We feel that by taking a steady flow of supplements, your body will really start to feel the difference. The idea of our product line is to take all 3 supplements daily, and to continue so each day for an overall healthy digestive, focused, and energized feeling. Why should you choose Bloat No More? With 10 years of research and development under our belt, we deliver quality products you can afford right to your doorstep!