6 Super Easy Ways to Listen to Your Gut... Health

A beginner’s guide to good gut health— and how a healthy gut affects your mental health! 

If you're anything like me, then gut health is a newer concept to you. A year ago, I barely knew what gut health was. Now, it’s like I’m hearing about it every single day. And it turns out that having good gut health is way more important than I realized. But how do you know if your gut health is good or bad?

Well, if you have ever experienced symptoms such as constipation, digestive issues, bloating, sleep issues, hormonal imbalances, unexplained fatigue or sluggishness, mood disorders, and unexplained weight gain/loss… then you actually may be experiencing poor gut health. If you’re experiencing even a couple of symptoms in this list, then keep reading to find out if you have poor gut health!

What exactly is gut health, and what does it do?

Gut health is very extensive and affects our entire body. 

Gut health covers your entire digestive system. Your gut is made up of microorganisms that are responsible for breaking down the macro and micronutrients in the food we eat. This means the types of foods we eat directly affect our gut, which is responsible for sending messages to different parts of our bodies.

Gut health also plays a key role in hormone regulation, affects 70% of the immune system activity, and helps regulate the estrogen in our bodies. If you have a low immune system, then restoring your gut health may be just the thing you need to kick this year's sicknesses that are going around!

Your gut is powerful. Not only does it interact with and affect your immune system, but it also sends messages to your brain. I’m sure we’ve all heard the term “go with your gut”! But did you know that term is coined because your gut is referred to as your “second brain”, or “the brain in your gut”? This is because of all of the direct communication your gut has with your brain, and it is powerful communication. 

Does having good gut health really matter?

Research shows that there is a correlation between gut health and mental health. Having a poor gut can affect your mental health such as triggering anxiety, depression, and mood swings. 

The gut-brain connection links your nervous system, neurotransmitters, and gut microbes and chemicals to your brain. Whenever you feel anxious, it’s probably due to a literal gut feeling, like nausea or butterflies. The gut also sends signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger mood changes.

Your gut and its signals are powerful, but they don’t have to be bad signals. Fixing these issues and turning your gut signals into something positive and healthy can be so much easier than you realized!

8 Easy Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

Gut health doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Improving your gut health can actually be much easier than you thought! Try following these eight simple ways to improve your gut for just two weeks, and see if you can feel a difference.

1. Avoid processed food - eat more whole foods!

Process foods contain little nutrients and are packed with fillers and chemicals. Honestly, the bad in the chemicals outweigh any of the good nutrients that may be in it. If it’s in a package - check the ingredients. If you can’t pronounce more than a few words, leave it on the grocery shelf. Your gut will thank you. 

2. Take a probiotic - or drink a prebiotic soda! 

Taking a probiotic is so good for gut health. There are two types of bacteria, good and bad. Probiotics help build up the good bacteria in your gut and fight off the bad bacteria, strengthening your health! This being said, avoid antibiotics whenever you can. Antibiotics kill off the bad bacteria in your gut, but they also kill off all of the good bacteria.

Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that help stimulate the growth of good gut bacteria. Prebiotics can be added to your diet by eating specific vegetables, such as yams or asparagus, or by adding a prebiotic drink. 

My favorite prebiotic sodas are Poppi and Olipop! There’s just something about these sodas that bring me so much joy and make me feel fancy. For me, they make the perfect evening snack or midday pick-me-up. I find that if I drink a cold refreshing prebiotic soda that is packed with the nutrients my gut needs, it’s more of a boost than any amount of caffeine would be. 

3. Avoid gluten

No, I'm not telling you to go gluten-free. But maybe just go light on gluten one or two days a week, and see how it affects your gut. Instead of buying all gluten-free products, maybe just cook more whole foods which steer clear of gluten. If you like what you feel (or don’t feel?) think about making this a weekly habit.

4. Eat more vegetables

I once read that while grocery shopping, you should stick to the outer perimeters of the grocery store and avoid the middle aisles. Typically grocery stores keep all of their whole foods; produce, veggies, meats, etc. on the outer perimeters of their stores, while the middle aisles are typically packed with boxes of processed food. I know how easy it is to just grab a box of something for a quick snack, but next time you’re at the store consider trying to buy more whole foods and eating them for a quick snack throughout the week. You’d be surprised at how easy just one week of intentionally adding more veggies and whole foods to your diet can be, and make you feel amazing (and proud!).

5. Fermented food or drink (such as kombucha!)

Foods that are fermented, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi are known to help your gut immensely. I try to swap out mayonnaise with nonfat Greek yogurt when I can, and you’d be surprised at how easy it is! A double hack would be to swap out your gluten-filled bread with two-ingredient bread made from only non-fat plain Greek yogurt and self-rising flour! It’s easier and tastier than you think!

Adding kombucha into your diet a few times a week will help also. You may have to try a few kinds before you find a flavor you love, but when you do it will be worth it (remember to keep it refrigerated). Kombucha contains living probiotics for your gut. How cool is that? I love the way my gut feels after drinking a bottle! 

6. Exercise!

Not only is exercise good for your heart and metabolism, but it is also good for your gut! When we exercise, this allows for more oxygen to reach our brain and bloodstream, our core body temperature heats up, and there’s a redistribution of our blood flow. Researchers suspect these conditions are great for the bacteria in our microbiomes to flourish, and exercise is the perfect way to support the growth of these microorganisms!

Next time you feel sluggish or fatigued try just a quick 30-minute workout. Remember, it’s about listening to your gut, and being the healthiest version you can be!

Sources:

1Hormones And Gut Health: By Dr. Ghazala Aziz-Scott'

2John Hopkins The Brain-Gut Connection

3John Hopkins The Brain-Gut Connection 

4Hormones And Gut Health: By Dr Ghazala Aziz-Scott

5Can Exercise Boost My Gut Health?