A quick overview on the question, what is a healthy gut? A healthy gut should include discussions on microbiome, and transit time. Considering that your gut is responsible for controlling digestion, boosting immune function, regulating your mental health, preventing disease, and maintaining your overall health, it is a pretty important organ!
Your gut microbiome starts developing as soon as you’re born. As you grow, you become exposed to more and more microbial species. This creates a diverse microbiome, which is great news for your health. The more diverse your gut microbiome is, the better you can digest food, control your immune system, sharpen your nervous system, reduce your risk to cancer, and more.
What is the difference between a healthy gut and an unhealthy gut? A healthy gut is all about balance. As long as the bad bacteria doesn’t outnumber the good bacteria, your microbiome should be able to do its job.
But if there’s an imbalance between good and bad microbes, it can result in health complications. This is sometimes called gut dysbiosis or simply put an unhealthy gut.
The 9 signs of an unhealthy gut are: 1) Weight changes 2) Upset stomach and intestinal diseases 3) Heart disease 4) Diabetes or irregular blood sugar 5) Mental Health Disorders 6) Skin irritation 7) Constant fatigue 8) Autoimmune disorders. 9) Food intolerances
What are the causes of an unhealthy gut? High antibiotic use, poor diet, high in processed foods, and high sugar, poor sleep and high stress, lack of regular exercise, smoking drinking too much alcohol.
You can improve your gut health by; switching to clean eating and living a balanced life as much as possible, eating a balanced and diverse diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Add fermented food to your meals like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Get your sleep. Exercise and learn how to distress through mindfulness practices or journaling. Avoid processed foods and reduce sugar especially white refined sugar and those chemical sweeteners.
As usual I suggest switching your diet slowly to make the changes sustainable.
Have questions just ask, info@mindhealthconnect.ca