The Ultimate Guide: How to Heal Your Gut Naturally
Did you know that about 70% of your immune system resides in your gut? That means maintaining gut health is one of the best ways to support your body’s ability to fight off colds, the flu, and other viral infections. Gut health naturally can be enhanced through proper nutrition and lifestyle choices, including exercise, sleep, stress reduction, and the avoidance of toxic foods or environments. No matter what’s going on in your life right now or how you think you’re feeling, these six tips will get you started on improving your gut health today so, follow these simple tips and heal your gut naturally!
1. Eat fermented foods (natural probiotics)
You can improve your gut health by eating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and other naturally fermented treats. These foods are packed with good-for-you probiotics that help stimulate healthy bacteria in your gut. Adding prebiotic fiber to your diet also helps improve digestive health. Oatmeal, bananas, and raw garlic are just a few sources of these helpful nutrients. For stronger immunity, try adding raw honey or Greek yogurt (with its healthy bacteria) to your meals. Not only will they improve digestive function, but they may also reduce risk factors for chronic disease. Research has shown that people who consume probiotics have lower risks for heart disease, obesity, and even cancer.
2. Get outside
Gut health is dependent on more than just what we eat—it’s also dependent on how we live our lives and interact with our environment. Research shows that getting outside is one of the most effective ways to heal your gut naturally. Take walks in nature, bike around town, or relax at a park during lunch. Simply spending time outside can help your body maintain its natural probiotic balance and heal inflammation as a result.
3. Managing Stress is just an important skill to heal your gut naturally
This alone can help you maintain optimal gut health. When your body is stressed, it creates inflammation in your gut, which makes you more vulnerable to illness and disease. Stress-reduction techniques such as yoga or meditation are great for relieving tension and ensuring that your gut stays healthy. And reducing stress leads to better sleep, which also helps with gut health. Think of gut-healing strategies as one piece of a bigger picture: You’ll never get there if you don’t take care of yourself.
4. Stay hydrated
It may sound simplistic, but getting enough water in your digestive system is one of the easiest ways to keep your gut running smoothly. And when you’re drinking plenty of water, you’re also staying hydrated for your overall health—which is obviously beneficial for gut health.
5. Avoid refined sugar and heal your gut naturally
A diet high in sugar and low in probiotics can lead to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria, known as dysbiosis. This helps fuel sugar cravings by causing blood sugar spikes, which get stored as fat. To get your gut health back on track, avoid all refined sugars and processed foods while eating plenty of probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir.
6. Best foods for gut health
Choosing foods that are high in fiber can help maintain a healthy gut by promoting normal bowel movements. Foods high in fiber include beans, leafy greens, lentils, berries, and whole grains. Soluble fiber is also recommended because it helps decrease LDL cholesterol levels. Examples of soluble fiber include oats, peas, and apples.
Probiotic foods including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi can also promote gut health. Bacteria in these probiotic-rich foods may aid digestion. Each food has unique properties that affect your body differently when they’re digested. For example, lactose from milk breaks down into simple sugars more easily than complex carbohydrates found in the oatmeal break down into sugar molecules.
Gut health is one of the hottest topics in nutrition today. The purpose of your body’s gastrointestinal tract is to aid in digestion, which makes it clear that if your gut isn’t healthy, your whole body will feel it. What most people don’t realize is that what you eat affects how well your gut can perform these important tasks. To recap, change your diet, reduce stress, stay active and heal your gut naturally.
