The Big Deal About Gut Health
Gut health has been circulating as a trendy topic, but what does it even mean? How can your gut be unhealthy without you even realizing it? Understanding the gut microbiome is the first step in working toward making sure it’s being nurtured. In the past 20 or so years, gut health has been linked to mental health, the immune system, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, cancer, and skin conditions. “Gut microbiome” refers to the microorganisms that live in the intestines.
Humans have approximately 300-500 different species of bacteria living in their gut. While many types of bacteria are harmful to us, these bacteria are actually necessary and beneficial. GI specialists claim that having a variety of healthy bacteria in the intestines is one piece of optimal health.
A few signs of unhealthy gut are:
1. Upset stomach
2. Unintentional weight changes
3. Skin irritation
4. Autoimmune disorders
5. Food intolerances
6. Fatigue
7. Sudden depression/mental health changes without cause
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, I would encourage you to reach out to your healthcare providers to determine whether or not your diet is playing a role. I personally had a journey of a couple years with (what I thought was) crazy symptoms that ended up being celiac disease. Now that my celiac is under control, my symptoms have subsided.
Ways that you can improve your gut health:
Eat a diverse range of foods to keep your gut microbiome thriving. The western diet is high in sugar and fat, and does not support gut health. Foods you should focus on are vegetables, legumes, beans, fruit, and fermented foods. Foods like raspberries, broccoli, lentils, chick peas, and yogurt all contain components that our bodies cannot completely break down. However, the bacteria in our GI tract use these components as food (fiber, certain sugars). Eating a variety of foods will help feed the healthy bacteria in your body,
Use a prebiotic and probiotic if you’re able to. They can support the metabolism, as well as restore the microbiome to a healthy state after it has been compromised.
Stay hydrated, as it has shown to improve the balance of good bacteria in the gut, as well as benefit the mucosal lining of the intestines.
Lowering your stress and getting enough sleep are also important factors in overall health. If you have new stressors, they can impact your gut health.
If you think you may be suffering from food intolerances, talk to your health care provider regarding testing or elimination diets to get to the bottom of things.