The gut and its importance to our overall health is a topic of increasing research in the medical community. Many studies have demonstrated links between gut health and the immune system, mood, mental health, autoimmune diseases, skin conditions and cancer.
Needless to say it is important to take care of your second brain, the gut. I decided to share with you 15 tips how to heal your gut microbiome.
Your gut needs water to function properly. It is crucial for your gut´s mucosa and the movement of your bowel.
Avoid products containing a lot of preservatives and additives. The purpose of preservatives is to kill bacteria and we don´t know how these affect to our intestine´s flora.
If you already have problems with gluten and dairy, avoid these. There´s a lot of studies which indicate that these can harm your gut if you are sensitive to these.
Your intestine renews every week so it needs a lot of "building material" from proteins. You can get these by eating nuts, seeds, beans, chicken, fish and lentils.
Your gut will love these food items. If raw vegetables, such as carrots cause problems then cook and mash them.
Your gut health is dependent on good fats, such as cold pressed olive oil. These good oils affect to the condition of your intestine´s mucus.
Good sources of fiber are pears, flaxseeds, psyllium, chia seeds, rye bread, oats. At the same time remember to drink enough water. Fiber and fluids work together.
By eating organic produce you will avoid harmful pesticides. Pesticides disrupt your hormone levels. Read more How Harmful are Preservatives and Pesticides?
Avoid certain spices such as chili, black pepper, curry, garlic which might cause problems to your intestine or if you already suffer intestine problems then they might worsen your symptoms.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener preservative. There are a lot of rumors which claim that aspartame can cause a number of health benefits including cancer. What we do now is that aspartame will cause bloating and will disrupt our sugar metabolism. Which can lead to extra weight instead of weight loss. Read more about aspartame and metabolism in here and cancer and aspartame in here.
Chronic stress can really mess with your intestine´s well being. Try to reduce your stress levels and your intestine will thank you. One way of reducing stress is to practice being more mindful. It ain´t always easy but here you can read a few easy tips how to be more mindful.
It is always a heath act not to drink alcohol but when it comes down to your guts´health it is even more advisable. Alcohol will cause intestine problems. If you are in need of a drink, have a glass of organic wine.
Coffee can cause heart burns. Coffee is a diuretic so it will dehydrate your body. Have a glass of water with your coffee. Here you can read my experiences on how and why I stopped drinking coffee on a regular basis.
There are a lot of studies indicating how beneficial probiotics are to your guts´ health. Remember to take these on an empty stomach.
If you are interested in balancing your gut health even more, check out my Heal Your Gut -programme. Finnish version also available.
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