The human body is a perfect mechanism that requires daily care. When something goes wrong, your body sends you certain signals. A lot of people are obsessing over the condition of their hair, skin, and teeth. They keep forgetting that beauty comes from inside. You will feel good and look fresh and healthy only once your internal body organs are ok.
If you are suffering from repeat boasts of flu and colds, mood swings and have difficulty to lose weight, it could be your gut saying you hello.
According to the data published by Consumer Health Digest, the gut plays an important role in human’s well-being since it is a center of the immune system. Its condition affects the way you feel every day. It is not your broken heart that hurts; it might be your gut.
If you care about your health and want to get rid of emotional instability and discomfort, be aware of daily habits that ruin your gut health.
Stressing out
Have you ever felt like your stomach was tied in knocks before something stressful? Your digestive system tried to tell you that your emotional response to the situation was wrong. According to a study published by the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, increased levels of stress have the capacity to change the balance of bacteria in human’s gut. Long term stress leads to poor gut health, which in turn leads to feeling blue all the time, sleep disorders, diarrhea, nausea, constipation and bloating. That’s why you need to stop stressing out.
To reduce your stress levels, take a few deep breaths. If you stress every day, start meditating, go to yoga and take a few days off to rest and catch up on sleep.
Sitting too long
Nowadays a lot of people have desk jobs. Eight hours of sitting and staring at a screen don’t only affect your posture and cause stress, but it also has a negative impact on your gut health. You need to keep yourself active to trigger the short chain fatty acids which can help your gut stay healthy.
Make sure to get up from your desk every hour and move around for five minutes. Take a long walk after working hours or get a gym membership. If you work from home, take a break to stretch and jump. It is a natural way to boost your energy and it can help your gut work properly. Movement is life, after all.
Unhealthy eating habits
Your gut is pretty fussy. It doesn’t tolerate a lot of things you have no idea about. For instance, it doesn’t like fast eating. A donut with a cup of coffee on your way to work is not a decent breakfast. You need to sit and enjoy every bite of your meal. Avoid scrolling Facebook or watching television while you are eating. The better you chew food, the easier it will be to digest it. According to the research conducted by a group of researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan, fast eaters are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome (e.g. obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar).
Also, eat different things every day. Variety is essential for your gut because you need different families of bacteria to keep yourself healthy. The best thing you can do is to build a meal plan for the week.
Another habit that ruins your gut health is eating too often. You don’t need so many snacks during the day to survive. Giving your digestive system a break will be a better idea. Try to eat only when you are hungry and drink plenty of steal water. When people are thirsty, they might feel fake hunger sometimes. Drinking is crucial if you suffer from chronic constipation. Don’t substitute water with coffee, tea, juice, or alcohol.
If you want to feel physically better, eat more fiber. It will prevent diverticulosis and constipation. Also, fiber can help with blood sugar stabilization, the feeling of satiety, and, digestion. It is recommended to eat at least 30 grams of fiber every day. You will find it in pears, strawberries, avocado, bananas, apples, carrots, beets, artichoke, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.
Furthermore, reduce your sugar intake. Your body can get used to eating a lot of foods high in sugar, but it will not benefit you. On the contrary, it will damage your gut by preventing a balanced diversity in your microbiome. The same applies to high-fat foods such as fried chicken, corn chips, bratwurst sausage, margarine, etc.
Medication
Nowadays doctors prescribe antibiotics a lot, and it doesn’t benefit your gut. Antibiotics are like an army of bad guys that kill everything on their way (both bad and good bacteria). In case, you take antibiotics more than once per year, take also probiotic supplements that will boost your immune system and maintain digestive health. To improve your gut bacteria, make healthy food choices. Your goal is to eat a diverse range of foods that will include lots of legumes, beans, vegetables, and fruit. Don’t get stressed and make sure you exercise enough.
