A healthy gut system is vital to your overall health.

You can eat all sorts of healthy food but you will fail to get any benefits because your gut system is not able to absorb the right nutrients. Similarly, you can follow the preventive measures but you will still keep getting sick because your gut system can’t deal with the toxins or harmful organisms.

Gut health is not just about the appetite, eating, or digesting food. Researchers confirm that gut health can affect many areas of your health, immune system, and the overall energy.

A healthy gut will keep you healthy and provide the energy to perform well. It will also affect the production of hormones and enzymes which are essential for many other systems in your body. It will also affect your mood and mental health. 

So, here’s how you can keep your gut clean and healthy.

• Right food for gut health:

People only think of dieting when they are suffering from a medical condition like diabetes or obesity. The truth is, it should be your top priority.

Eat more vegetables. A meta-analysis of scientific studies suggests that eating just 800g of fruit and vegetables a day can prevent almost 7.8 million premature deaths in the world. This is because fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, folic acid, and antioxidants. More importantly, eating a lot of vegetables increase bifidobacterium that prevents inflammation and improves your gut health.

Another very important thing is fiber. High fiber diet will help you steer clear of constipation or diarrhea. You need both soluble and insoluble fiber. Whole grain, vegetables, fruits, and legumes are good sources of fiber. Also, drink a lot of water to help fiber do its job. Plus, dehydration can cause problems like constipation, acid reflux, or gastritis.

Next are the prebiotics and probiotics. However, you don’t need pills or drugs to encourage the growth of healthy bacteria. Just add prebiotic food like banana, garlic, broccoli, and fruits to your diet. Probiotics can be obtained from natural sources like yogurt, kimchi, or kefir.

It is important to add many different types of food. It includes vegetables, fruits, grain, meat, and dairy. The diverse diet will result in the diverse microbiota, which will help you absorb all sorts of important nutrients. Make sure you are getting the good fat from nuts, whole eggs, cheese, or fish.

In addition to general guidelines, observe the food that often leads to digestion problems. Milk is normally very healthy but it will create problems for people with lactose intolerance. Similarly, many people are allergic to food like eggs, peanuts, or wheat. Don’t put unnecessary strain on your gut system.

• Make healthy lifestyle changes:

Obesity is growing at an incredibly high rate in the past three decades. This is because our lifestyle is not very healthy.

You cannot take care of your health without developing the right habits. For example, a small habit like regularly brushing your teeth has serious consequences. Oral hygiene impacts your mouth flora which is directly linked to your gut flora.

Follow a strict eating, sleeping, and waking up routine. It is important because untimely meals can lead to diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

Hygiene is also important. Your gut system can take care of harmful organisms, toxins, or chemicals. However, there’s a limit to how much it can take. Avoid fast food because it normally consists of fried, processed, or sugary items. All of this can seriously damage your gut health.

Do not take antibiotics for seasonal illnesses like flu or a sore throat. It kills the good bacteria along with the bad one. This is why many people get diarrhea when they are on antibiotics.

Smoking or excessive drinking can also harm the digestive function. Avoid smoking and keep the drinking to a bare minimum.

• Physical activity and gut health:

A simple exercise like jogging has a host of health benefits and it directly impacts your gut health. Research has shown that exercise improves the quantity and quality of your microbial composition. The best part is, the benefits are independent of diet and any other factors.

Exercise helps the food move through your digestive system. Regular exercise can result in significant improvement in serious problems like IBS or colon cancer. Excessive exercise can also disturb your gut health. So, keep everything in moderation.

• Relax, Relax, Relax:

Digestion is one of the first body systems that is affected by negative thoughts or emotions. People suffering from mental issues like depression or anxiety often complain of poor digestion. Research confirms that schizophrenia, depression, PTSD or bipolar can disturb healthy bacteria makeup.

Chewing is the first step of the digestion process. If you are not mentally relaxed, you will eat too fast or too much. Poor chewing will eventually result in poor digestion.

Then there’s the nervous system in your gut, which is also known as the second brain. This is because it controls the digestive system without getting a lot of help from the brain. It also sends happy or distress signals to your brain depending on the gut health. This is why poor gut health can lead to stress and anxiety. Problems like bloating, gas, nausea, or acid reflux can spoil your mood.

You will need to look after your mental health with activities like yoga, meditation, or any other hobby that makes you happy.

They say, all diseases start in the gut. A healthy gut is your best chance to nip them in the bud. And that’s all that really matters.