Healthy Gut Practices and Real Ways to implement new food Habits

Keys to a healthy Gut:

Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, Keifer and kombucha, greatly aid our gut health. Fermented foods provide probiotics and increase our microbial diversity.

Microbial diversity: is a variety of microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses within the human body). Microbial diversity benefits us by enhancing digestion, supporting our immune system and preventing pathogen colonization. Pathogens are disease causing microorganisms. The act of colonization refers to the act of establishing and multiplying on or in a host. Microbial diversity aids in producing essential nutrients and is linked to improved nutrition absorption. We can also see a reduced risk of certain diseases as well as a positive impact on our brain health overall.

Drink water! Drinking water cleans out our digestive system, aids digestion and nutrient absorption. Water helps to break down our foods. Water also facilitates our ability to move nutrients from our digestive tract to our bloodstream. Also, preventing constipation by acting as a natural lubricant for our digestive tract. Water also reduces our rate of an imbalance, which can have many negative impacts on our gut health.

Fiber: we all know of the benefits of eating a fiber rich diet, fiber contains prebiotics which are just as important as probiotics aiding our digestion by supplying our healthy gut bacteria with food to support growth. Fiber is in a wide variety of foods such as beans, berries and pears. Along with the digestive help fiber can also regulate our blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Fueling beneficial gut bacteria and contributing to weight management. Variety is key! Getting your fiber from many different sources is important to the capabilities of fiber in your diet. Everything is a balancing act.

Stress: stress negatively impacts many aspects of our life one of these aspects is your gut health. Being highly stressed can lead to many issues in your gut such as bloating, constipation and diarrhea. As well as increased risk of abdominal pain, acid reflux and heart burn. Stress may also lead to dysbiosis which is an imbalance in our gut bacteria which can cause various health issues. Stress disrupts our digestive process and can either slow down or speed up the movement of food through our system i.e. constipation or diarrhea. Stress leads to an increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders. Stressors can be a hard thing to avoid in everyday life especially facing our current economy, many of us having full time jobs, children, animals and a myriad of responsibilities. A few tips to decrease stress that are free and easy to implement.

Journaling- Helps to get your thoughts into one placing allowing you to take a step back from your life and gain some perspective on your situation.

Meditating- Just 5 minutes a day! Helps to clear your mind and allow you to be in the moment. Providing clarity to your day.

Exercise- Not only will this aid your physical but also your mental health. Running/swimming or whatever activity you may chose will release dopamine in your brain and help you to let go of any previous stress inducing situations.

Eating a variety of foods: Mixes up your water and fiber intake which increases gut health. Creating a balance in your gut which is crucial to your gut health. Variety provides your body with a broader spectrum of nutrients, feeding beneficial bacteria in the gut promoting healthy digestion. Variety in your diet lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. A healthy gut leads to a healthy mind! Many aspects affect your mental health one of which is your gut health. It is important to maintain gut balance to create a healthy gut-brain connection.

Probiotics and prebiotics:

Probiotics are in certain foods that provide such positive impacts in your gut health. They are live organisms(bacteria) that are ingested to benefit your gut health. They are supporting your digestion reducing digestive disorder symptoms. They influence the diversity of bacteria in your digestive tract. They can help restore your gut health and strengthen your intestinal barriers which protect your gut from toxins and pathogens. They also support your immune system and aid in healthy immune function. Prebiotics are also crucial to gut health. Prebiotics act as a food for your healthy gut bacteria. Which promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in your gut.

Prebiotic foods:

Asparagus

Bananas

Garlic

Onions

Oats

Chicory Root

Probiotic Foods:

Yogurt

Kefir

Sauerkraut

Kimchi

Miso

Kombucha

How to implement:

Many people want to implement the healthy ideas that they read about, they try for a few days, and it doesn’t stick. Let me share with you two tested ways to implement your desired eating habits and succeed!

1. Habit Stacking:

We all have a daily routine that we already stay somewhat consistent with, some key characteristics of your day may be waking up, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, driving to work and then when you get home you may change your clothes make dinner, watch tv and so on. The idea of habit stacking is taking a habit that you already do every day and adding your new desired habit to the mix. Here’s an example:

Say I want to drink more water to aid my gut health so my new habit could be, after I wake up in the morning I will drink an entire cup of water. With enough consistency I will be automatically reaching for a glass of water as soon as I wake up.

2. Temptation Bundling:

This the idea that we all have habits that we may need to implement but there is no motivation to do it, so this habit building formula will aid us in motivation by providing rewards. So, the formula is after you do the habit that you need to do then you will be able to participate in a habit that you want to do (and that you are already in the habit of doing). An example of this is:

Perhaps I need to eat more fermented foods to help fix my gut health, a habit that I want to do is scroll through Facebook. To implement this formula, I will say after I eat three bites of kimchi then I will scroll through Facebook. This is just an example but the formula is here so you can easily implement your desired habits.