The Importance of Gut Health

Living in California, I’m constantly surrounded by kombucha bars, vegan options and all the gluten-free food a person could need. With all of this, plus my own desire to live a healthy lifestyle, I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to my gut health. It’s probably not the sexiest topic out there. However, a lot of what goes on in our bodies actually leads back to having a healthy gut.

But before I dive into why it’s so important to maintain your gut health. Let’s talk about how to make sure you’re on top of it or restore it if you’ve gotten off track lately.

First, make sure you’re taking a probiotic.

You can find these in yogurt and kombucha, but you’ll want to watch the added sugar in these foods. Other options are cultured vegetables like kimchi and sauerkraut or miso and tempeh. Or you can simply take a probiotic supplement.

Next, you’ll want to pay attention to the amount of processed food you’re eating. Processed food usually means lots of added sugar, which causes indigestion aka bad gut health. Replace it with a few more plants that are rich in fiber and magnesium and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy gut.

Besides all the other basic stuff like exercising and staying hydrated, you’ll also want to pay special attention to the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming. Hence the “anti” in antibiotics. They’re called this because they actually kill the good bacteria in your gut from probiotics. So next time you come down with something, think carefully about whether or not an antibiotic is completely necessary.

OK! I think we’re ready to move on to why all of this is so important. Like I said above, it’s kind of crazy what issues go on with our bodies that could actually be remedied with better gut health, so I hope you find this list as interesting as I do.

+ It builds up your immune system

According to what I’ve read, there’s good bacteria and bad bacteria living in our guts. The good bacteria can actually help your body heal and recover from being sick. And when it’s maintained and consistently produced by your healthy gut, it builds your immunity so you don’t get sick as often. Sounds pretty amazing, right?

+ Weight management

As mentioned, this isn’t exactly a sexy topic, but having good gut health keeps you regular and your digestive system running smoothly, which ultimately helps with weight management. The anti-inflammatory nature of a diet that supports good gut health also assists with keeping bloating and inflammation to a minimum.

+ Can help prevent stress

This is one of the most interesting things I’ve learned about gut health. I would have never guessed it was associated with stress, but it is. When you have lots of the good bacteria hanging out in your gut like I mentioned above, it can help reduce cortisol levels, which means less stress. If anything were to motivate me to pay more attention to my gut, this would probably be it.

+ Potentially reduced seasonal allergies

This is another fact that really surprised me. Without sounding too science-y, basically how I understand it, is like this: When we get seasonal allergies, it’s because our immune system is having a reaction to an external factor (like pollen). And if our immune system is already functioning at a lower level because of an unbalanced gut, the allergies are more likely to kick in and be a bit more extreme than they would for someone with a healthy gut.

That was a lot of information, but all interesting and helpful I hope!

What are your thoughts on gut health? Do you make a concentrated effort with it?