10 Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

Did you know that your gut controls your mood even more than your brain does? Serotonin, or your “happy chemical,” is produced more by your gut than by your brain. The vagus nerve is like a direct hotline between your gut and brain, therefore, gut problems become brain problems.

Gut health refers to the well-being of our digestive system, which is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste from the body. This gastrointestinal, or GI, tract, includes the stomach, small intestine, large intestine and colon. Our digestive system is home to trillions of microorganisms that are collectively known as the gut microbiome.

Besides just upset stomach or disrupted digestion, poor gut health could show up as all sorts of symptoms like fatigue, skin conditions, food intolerances, and struggles with mental health. Many factors contribute to gut health, including nutrition, stress, exercise, sleep, antibiotics, pain medications, and autoimmune diseases.

Here are some ways to improve your gut health:

1. Limit sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day and avoid artificial sweeteners.
2. Limit processed foods. The more foods you eat in their whole, natural form, the better.
3. Increase fiber in your diet and include fiber in each meal – 21 grams for women older than age 50, 25 grams for women age 50 or younger, 30 grams for men older than age 50, 38 grams for men age 50 or younger. Vegetables, fruits, chia seeds, and beans are great sources of fiber.
4. Eat fermented foods, like unsweetened yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi regularly.
5. Eat prebiotic foods like garlic, onion, asparagus, apples and bananas.
6. Get plenty of sleep. Most of us need seven to nine hours each night.
7. Manage stress with healthy coping strategies like deep breathing, journaling, and talking to a friend, family member or counselor.
8. Exercise for at least 150 minutes with moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week. Aim for 7,000 steps each day if you can.
9. Limit the use of pain medications and antibiotics when possible.
10. Talk to your doctor about taking supplements for your gut like a probiotic for healthy bacteria diversity or magnesium citrate for regularity.

Your gut health affects the health of your entire body and mind, so treat your gut well!

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By Merissa Thone, LiveNOW Health and Wellness Coach