Why is improving your gut health important?
Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.”
And while this may not be 100% true for every disease in every person, more and more research shows that our gut (digestive system) has a bigger role in many diseases than we used to think.
And we're not just talking about heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, IBD, etc. We're talking about all kinds of signs such as:
Persistent bloating and gas
Headaches and brain fog
Feelings of exhaustion or fatigue
Skin rashes or itchiness
Abnormal craving for salt or sugar
Weight changes
Feelings of anxiety or depression
Nutritional deficiency
Leaky gut
Autoimmune condition
There are a lot of reasons for this. First, our gut is the portal to the outside world. It's here where we take in disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. We also take in nutrients (and toxins) through our gut. The nutrients we ingest and absorb are the building blocks of every single part of our body.
We're just learning the connections between our gut and other areas of our body, like our brain (have you heard of "the gut-brain axis"?). Not just our gut per se; but, its friendly resident microbes too. These guys also have newly discovered roles in our gut health and overall health.
So, let's talk about the roles that our gut and our gut microbes play in our overall health. Then I'll give you six (6) tips to improve your gut health naturally.
Our gut’s role in our overall health
Our gut’s main role is as a barrier. To let things in that should get in, and to keep things out that should stay out. Think of “absorption” of nutrients as things we want to let in; and “elimination” of waste as things we want to pass right through and out.
This seemingly simple role is super-complex! And it can break down in so many places.
For one thing, our guts can "leak." Yes, like a long tube with holes in it, it can allow things to get into our bloodstream/bodies that can wreak havoc (bacteria, undigested food, and toxins). You name it, whatever you put into your mouth can be absorbed by your gut and get into your bloodstream, even if it's not supposed to. And when your gut wall gets irritated, it can "leak." When this happens, you get inflammation, a starting point for many diseases that don't seem linked to the gut but have a sneaky connection there.
FUN FACT: About 70% of our immune system lives in and around our gut.
A healthy gut is not a leaky gut. Instead, it maintains its barrier and shuttles things through to be eliminated. Thus, maintaining a healthy gut barrier is the first pillar of gut health.
The second main part of your gut is the billions of friendly health-promoting microbes. Gut microbes help us digest and absorb nutrients. They fight off disease-causing microbes, make some vitamins for us, and have all kinds of other health benefits, like mental health benefits, reducing inflammation, and stabilizing blood sugar.
So, keeping your gut microbes happy is the second pillar of gut health!
6 Ways to Improve Your Gut Health Naturally
There are many natural ways to improve gut health.
1) Let’s start with what to limit or avoid. Of course, it’s always best to eliminate the cause, so let’s stop giving our guts junk to deal with. How about limiting added sugars and alcohol and avoid highly processed food? Try that for a few weeks, and you may be amazed at how much better your body (and gut) feels.
2) You may also want to eliminate other gut irritants. Dairy and grains contain common compounds known to irritate some people’s guts. Sometimes you only need to eliminate them for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference for your health.
3) Eat nutrient-dense foods, we allow ample macro- and micro-nutrients into our gut to maximize the chance for absorption. These nutrients help our bodies build and repair our gut and every other body part as well. Some of the most nutrient-dense fiber-rich foods include dark leafy greens, a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), nuts, and seeds.
4) The second pillar of gut health is our microbes. By ingesting probiotic-rich foods and drinks, we can help to replenish our gut microbes. These are found in fermented foods like kombucha, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Make these a part of your daily diet.
5) Whole foods are full of gut-friendly fiber. Not eating enough fiber increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. This is because fiber plays lots of roles in our gut, including whisking away some of those pesky bad bacteria and toxins so they can be eliminated. Fiber also helps to feed the friendly resident microbes that help us absorb and digest our food better. So what foods have a lot of fiber? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and even cacao.
6) And don’t forget the uber-important lifestyle factors like getting enough sleep, stressing less, and getting the right amount (and intensity) of exercise for you. It’s easy to forget some of the simple but key links between what we do with our bodies and how well they function.
Takeaway
The function of your gut is key to your overall health. There are two pillars of gut health:
1) Maintaining a good barrier
2) Maintaining healthy gut microbes.
The main way to improve both of these naturally is by eating nutrient-dense whole foods. Foods filled with nutrition, probiotics, and fiber. And eliminating common gut irritants like added sugar, processed foods, and alcohol.
