Good Gut Health: 10 Tips To Help Lead You There
Did you know that 80% of your immune system is in your gut? Or, did you know that many of your health problems can be traced back to your gut?
The gut is the home of trillions of good and bad microorganisms, collectively known as your gut microbiome or gut flora, which play a significant role in your health.
These microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) aid digestion, provide nutrients, regulate the immune system, produce vitamins and even keep your moods in check.
However, since the gut is a delicate ecosystem, it can be damaged by many unavoidable factors, such as food sensitivities, antibiotic use, and stress. These factors can cause the harmful bacteria to multiply and overwhelm the good bacteria, contributing to infections. This leads to leaky gut syndrome and other digestive disorders.
WHY DOES GUT HEALTH MATTER?
Gut health matters because it plays a significant role in ensuring you have a stronger immune system. Most of your body’s serotonin and 80% of your immune system reside in your gut.
If your gut is unhealthy (imbalanced), your immune system, serotonin, and hormones won’t function either. As a result, you become sick—that’s why most of your health problems can be traced back to your gut.
A healthy gut aids in preventing chronic diseases like heart disease and cancers, reducing inflammation, and maintaining a healthy weight and heart health.
Toxins and metabolic waste are also removed from your body through your gut. The body, however, cannot eliminate toxins efficiently if you have an imbalanced gut. This can lead to various problems, including chronic diseases, inflammation, chronic fatigue, and brain fog.
Last but not least, gut microorganisms aid the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, regulation of the immune system and maintain your body.
10 BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH
There are many ways to restore your gut health, but the best way will depend on the cause of the problem. However, there are common ways you can implement to improve your gut, no matter your circumstances. They include:
1. EAT PROBIOTIC FOODS OR PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENT
Probiotics are live microorganisms, primarily bacteria, that benefit your health when consumed.
Probiotic food contains live active microorganisms (bacteria) that support gut health microbiome by altering the gut flora composition and enhancing digestion.
A diet with plenty of probiotics can help improve gut flora composition, impact insulin sensitivity, and improve immunity. They manage your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and lower inflammation throughout the body. All of which affect your ability to lose body fat and build muscles.
Research from the University of Tampa discovered that giving bodybuilders a probiotic, a protein supplement and a 4-day-a-week exercise routine enhanced their capacity to acquire muscle.
If you want to ensure you’re getting enough, you may take a probiotic supplement daily— you can get them from health food stores or buy them online. However, you should talk to your doctor before taking any supplements, especially if you are under medication or have an underlying health condition.
Probiotics are found in fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, kombucha, and sauerkraut.
2. EAT FERMENTED FOODS
Fermented foods have undergone a fermentation process to become probiotic-rich foods. They can help improve your gut microbiome by replenishing the population of good bacteria and combating yeast overgrowth in the body.
A healthy gut improves your immune system and nutrition status, reduces inflammation, and improves recovery ( less fatigue). As an athlete or a bodybuilder, your performance and training increase when all these are improved.
You can find probiotics in fermented foods, such as:
Yogurt
kefir
Kimchi.
Sauerkraut
kombucha
3. EAT LESS SUGAR AND REFINED FOODS
Refined foods or anything that turns into sugar shoots up your blood sugar and then crashes, leaving you tired and hungry, making you need more sugar.
The more sugary foods you eat, the more you feed harmful bacteria, making them multiply fast and causing an imbalance of microbes in your digestive tract.
Artificial sweeteners have been shown to negatively impact blood sugar levels due to their effects on the gut microbiome, which means artificial sweeteners may raise blood sugar levels without being sugary.
Furthermore, refined foods contain zero calories. As an athlete or bodybuilder, or if you just maintaining a good physique, you should avoid any food with added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats. Instead, choose other healthy beverages to boost your performance when working out
Did you know that 80% of your immune system is in your gut? Or, did you know that many of your health problems can be traced back to your gut?
The gut is the home of trillions of good and bad microorganisms, collectively known as your gut microbiome or gut flora, which play a significant role in your health.
These microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) aid digestion, provide nutrients, regulate the immune system, produce vitamins and even keep your moods in check.
However, since the gut is a delicate ecosystem, it can be damaged by many unavoidable factors, such as food sensitivities, antibiotic use, and stress. These factors can cause the harmful bacteria to multiply and overwhelm the good bacteria, contributing to infections. This leads to leaky gut syndrome and other digestive disorders.
WHY DOES GUT HEALTH MATTER?
Gut health matters because it plays a significant role in ensuring you have a stronger immune system. Most of your body’s serotonin and 80% of your immune system reside in your gut.
If your gut is unhealthy (imbalanced), your immune system, serotonin, and hormones won’t function either. As a result, you become sick—that’s why most of your health problems can be traced back to your gut.
A healthy gut aids in preventing chronic diseases like heart disease and cancers, reducing inflammation, and maintaining a healthy weight and heart health.
Toxins and metabolic waste are also removed from your body through your gut. The body, however, cannot eliminate toxins efficiently if you have an imbalanced gut. This can lead to various problems, including chronic diseases, inflammation, chronic fatigue, and brain fog.
Last but not least, gut microorganisms aid the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, regulation of the immune system and maintain your body.
10 BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH
There are many ways to restore your gut health, but the best way will depend on the cause of the problem. However, there are common ways you can implement to improve your gut, no matter your circumstances. They include:
1. EAT PROBIOTIC FOODS OR PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENT
Probiotics are live microorganisms, primarily bacteria, that benefit your health when consumed.
Probiotic food contains live active microorganisms (bacteria) that support gut health microbiome by altering the gut flora composition and enhancing digestion.
A diet with plenty of probiotics can help improve gut flora composition, impact insulin sensitivity, and improve immunity. They manage your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and lower inflammation throughout the body. All of which affect your ability to lose body fat and build muscles.
Research from the University of Tampa discovered that giving bodybuilders a probiotic, a protein supplement and a 4-day-a-week exercise routine enhanced their capacity to acquire muscle.
If you want to ensure you’re getting enough, you may take a probiotic supplement daily— you can get them from health food stores or buy them online. However, you should talk to your doctor before taking any supplements, especially if you are under medication or have an underlying health condition.
Probiotics are found in fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, kombucha, and sauerkraut.
2. EAT FERMENTED FOODS
Fermented foods have undergone a fermentation process to become probiotic-rich foods. They can help improve your gut microbiome by replenishing the population of good bacteria and combating yeast overgrowth in the body.
A healthy gut improves your immune system and nutrition status, reduces inflammation, and improves recovery ( less fatigue). As an athlete or a bodybuilder, your performance and training increase when all these are improved.
You can find probiotics in fermented foods, such as:
Yogurt
kefir
Kimchi.
Sauerkraut
kombucha
3. EAT LESS SUGAR AND REFINED FOODS
Refined foods or anything that turns into sugar shoots up your blood sugar and then crashes, leaving you tired and hungry, making you need more sugar.
The more sugary foods you eat, the more you feed harmful bacteria, making them multiply fast and causing an imbalance of microbes in your digestive tract.
Artificial sweeteners have been shown to negatively impact blood sugar levels due to their effects on the gut microbiome, which means artificial sweeteners may raise blood sugar levels without being sugary.
Furthermore, refined foods contain zero calories. As an athlete or bodybuilder, or if you just maintaining a good physique, you should avoid any food with added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats. Instead, choose other healthy beverages to boost your performance when working out