Listen to your gut, it has a crucial role in keeping your body and mind happy. An unhealthy gut can lead to a range of problems including bloating and constipation as a result of poor digestion, but also low mood, poor sleep and conditions like diabetes. No one wants any of those things, so if you want to feel your best, you’ve got to look after your gut. Here are our three top tips for doing just that.
1.Make sure you eat enough fibre
When you’re trying to eat healthily, focusing on the amount of fat, protein, calories, carbs and sugar is important, but one part of the diet that is overlooked is fibre and making sure you’re getting enough is crucial for digestion. High fibre foods include wholegrain bread and oats, wholewheat pasta, broccoli, carrots, berries and oranges so try to incorporate some of these into your diet. As well helping to ensure your food gets through your system easily, these types of high-fibre foods can also help you to feel fuller so you’re less likely to overeat. It’s recommended that women eat 25 grams of fibre per day, with 38 grams recommended for men so aim for these amounts if you can, along with plenty of water.
Top tip:
You can easily add more fibre to your diet by switching up your breakfast routine. Ditch the white bread in favour of wholegrain toast or go for porridge and berries instead of something overly sugary.
2. Manage stress
If you’ve ever felt ‘sick to your stomach’ with nerves before doing something you didn’t want to do or you’ve had a ‘gut feeling’ that something bad was about to happen, you’ll know all about the relationship between stress and your gut. Your brain and your gut are connected in many different ways and send signals between them when they’re troubled. This is why you may get stomach cramps, feel sick, or lose your appetite when you have to do a speech or before going on a date. If you think your stomach problems may be caused by chronic stress, consult your GP and come up with some strategies that can help you deal with the stressors in your life.
Top tip:
There are a number of things that you can try to reduce stress in your life including exercising, reducing your caffeine intake, adjusting your diet, meditation and reading - find something that works for you and try to stick to it.
3. Top up your probiotics
Probiotics are bacteria that live in your gut. While we usually think of bacteria as harmful, your body is actually full of both good and bad bacteria; probiotics are the good kind as they look after your gut, replacing any lost bacteria and keeping a healthy balance. As well as looking after your digestion, probiotics can enhance nutrient absorption, strengthen your immune system, and help treat conditions such as IBS. Factors such as poor diet, drinking too much alcohol and taking antibiotics can kill the good bacteria in your gut so it’s important to top up your probiotics.
Top tip:
If you want to make sure you’re getting enough probiotics on board to keep your gut healthy, give our Gut Health gummies a go, they’re formulated to improve your digestion and keep your gut bacteria healthy, plus, they taste great!
