Why Gut Health is important
As you might have noticed gut health is getting a lot of attention. And rightly so. In fact, of the 40 trillion bacteria that reside in your body most of them are found in your gut and make up what is called the Gut Microbiome. However, in your gut reside both the good (helpful) as well as the bad bacteria (potentially harmful) as well as yeast. Since 80% of your immune system as well as serotonin - which is critical for hormonal balance and mood- reside in the gut, it is important to keep a balance between the good and the bad bacteria in your gut.
Keeping a healthy gut is critical in order to properly digest your food, but also to absorb nutrients and convert those into fuel for your body and brain. In fact, as we mentioned earlier on why it is important to ingest your beauty, the gut is our second brain and it does have a drastic impact on our first brain as well. For example if we are unable to focus, we are feeling foggy, have joint pain and diarrhea or constipation we might have an inflammation.
How do we know if our gut is not healthy?
Start by looking at your diet. What are you eating? Do you take enough probiotics and prebiotics? If you naturally consume fermented food, you’re getting probiotics which are the good bacteria that provide aid and keep your digestive tract in line. Kombucha, kimchee, kefir, miso, yogurt, and sauerkraut are all examples of probiotics you can find at your regular supermarket. Prebiotics are found in soluble fiber, which the body cannot digest and travels undigested through the small intestine to become fermented by the time it reaches the large intestine. An example of prebiotic based foods are onions, garlic, jicama, sweet potatoes and dandelion greens.
Fermented foods like kombucha, kimchee, kefir they all contain loads of probiotics.
Are you stressed or moody?
If yes you may have a leaky gut or intestinal permeability due to higher bad bacteria than good one which fosters inflammation. Meditation and regular exercise that can help you destress are critical to avoid burnout.
Although fixing your gut will require some time, it is important to start as soon as possible. Adjust your diet and avoid refined sugars and processed foods which could lead to yeast infections, lower your energy and put you in a bad mood. Exercise regularly to release tension. Sleep at least 7 to 8 hours per night. Practice mindfulness. Lastly, although it is always better to start with consuming actual foods that contain probiotics and prebiotics, you may want to consider taking them in a supplement form.
My go-to Pre and Probiotic is Semaine which contains only the highest quality ingredients with a short and simple list.
Try it and let us know what you think!
