gut health

Trending Gut Health Recommendations

With the overwhelming amount of new health trends that come up every single day, it can be hard to navigate which ones are worth considering. To help you navigate these trends, we have broken down three of the latest up-and-coming wellness recommendations, their benefits, and how they work. 

With up-and-coming trends, it is important to take your time in reviewing their benefits because what might work for one person may or may not work for you. Learning how the different trends work will help you to better understand if it's something that will positively impact you specifically. 

Today, we are going to cover electrolyte powders, functional foods, and lemon water for acid reflux. 

How Electrolytes in Powder Form Can Be A Game Changer 

Electrolytes are essential minerals that are needed to properly maintain our cells, muscles, nerves, and other parts of our body. Without electrolytes, we are susceptible to experiencing extreme fatigue, muscle cramping, dizziness, and an increased heart rate. Low electrolyte levels also impact our digestive system. It can cause constipation or cramping. 

Excessive vomiting, diarrhea, or extreme exercise can cause us to lose electrolytes quickly. In order to avoid the adverse effects of electrolyte imbalance, we must be vigilant about replenishing the electrolytes that our body naturally gets rid of. Several kinds of fruits and vegetables contain electrolytes, but in recent times, many have turned to electrolyte powders to replenish their bodies. 

Electrolyte powders are usually sold in small pouches to be mixed with water as a single serving. They offer an efficient and convenient way to get your electrolytes without having to think about which foods or beverages you need to consume. Make sure to research the specific electrolyte powder of your choosing, and avoid purchasing powders that contain unneeded processed sugars. Processed sugars can disrupt your digestive process and can cause sugar crashes, which is especially important to avoid when exercising. 

While your electrolyte levels are important to maintain, over-consuming electrolytes can actually do more harm than good. It can also cause its fair share of adverse issues, such as diarrhea and nausea. Make sure you are aware of your electrolyte levels and be cautious about overloading your body. In conclusion, electrolyte powders are a convenient way to replenish your body, but should not be overused.

Why You Should Consider Adding Functional Foods to Your Daily Diet 

Maintaining a well-balanced diet that benefits your overall health can feel overwhelming with the amount of essential nutrients one should consume each and every day. With the increase in daily responsibilities, the last thing you want to worry about is figuring out what foods you need to include in your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Because of this, many people have turned to what is called functional foods. 

Functional foods are foods that offer multiple health benefits beyond their basic nutrient count. When it comes to digestive health, many people have turned to functional foods that contain probiotics and prebiotics. These foods offer their basic nutritional value and the added benefit that it supports your digestive health. 

Foods such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, bananas, and cabbage are all foods that contain probiotics or prebiotics. Probiotics help to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut, and prebiotics help to support the probiotics. Both are needed to properly maintain your gut health. 

Switching out basic foods for functional foods can also transform your diet and nutrient intake. For example, switching out your basic protein for a fatty fish such as salmon can be a great way to get your protein intake while also increasing your omega-3 fatty acid levels. You are essentially targeting two wellness targets with one meal rather than multiple. 

The idea behind functional foods is that you can get multiple health benefits in one fell swoop. While there is no one-and-done meal out there that will cover all your bases, adding functional foods wherever you can makes all the difference in the long run.

Whether or Not Lemon Water Helps With Acid Reflux

Have you seen online claims that lemon water has cured someone’s acid reflux? Lemon water is constantly being advertised as a wonderful option for a variety of health complications, including increasing vitamin C levels, aiding in digestion, ridding the body of toxins, and aiding in weight loss. So what is lemon water truly good for, and should you be consuming it? 

Due to its high levels of potassium and vitamin C, lemon water can definitely be a wonderful way to increase your essential nutrient levels. However, it should not be the only form of these nutrients that you are consuming. Lemon water can also be helpful in maintaining your hydration levels, especially if you are someone who struggles with drinking plain water. The added flavor of lemon can motivate people to drink more water. 

Now, in terms of digestion, lemon water can be both your best friend and your worst enemy. The acid in the lemon does help to break down the foods we consume, but if you are someone susceptible to acid reflux issues, lemon water can actually hurt you more than help you. The acid in the lemon can further exacerbate symptoms of acid reflux, creating even more digestive issues. If you are more sensitive to acid, it would be smarter to avoid drinking lemon water as an aid for digestive relief. 

However, if you are not a victim of acid reflux, consuming lemon water can help with digestion and can help balance out the acid in your stomach. Lemon water can also help those looking to lose weight. Due to its natural flavor, the addition of lemon in your water can be a great way to have a flavored beverage without the added calories that are usually found in tasty beverages. 

As with any other developing wellness trend, we always recommend speaking with your doctor before implementing a new habit into your routine. Be sure to visit our blog regularly to stay up-to-date with the latest wellness and digestive trends! 

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